History Main / BrainyBrunette

* The titular character from ''Literature/Matilda'' is usually depicted with brown hair and is very, very brainy.

* There's magazine writer Summer from ''Film/DefinitelyMaybe''.

* [[ActionGirl Lita]] from ''Animerica'', in contrast to the blonde Janine and [[FieryRedhead red-headed Jessica]]. There's also Wendy, Ron's older sister, and his previous LoveInterest, [[ShyBlueHairedGirl Yukina]]. [[DeadpanSnarker Kasuse]] and [[GeniusBruiser Yusuke]] may count, as well as [[spoiler:Maya, Lita's CoolBigSis.]]

* Bruce Wayne has jet black hair and his [[Franchise/{{Batman}} nighttime identity]] is known as "The World's Greatest Detective."

* Leading expert on Gamma Radiation Dr Bruce Banner, aka ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk''. The Hulk himself usually isn't a genius (He's not dumb, but he's no Banner) and usually isn't brunet either.

* ''ComicBook/LoisLane'' in Franchise/{{Superman}} continuities where she's not a FieryRedhead. And where [[IdiotBall she's actually brainy]].

** Nobel Prize-winning geneticist Moira [=MacTaggert=].
** As well as self-proclaimed "Goddess of Computers" ComicBook/KittyPryde.
** ComicBook/{{Rogue}} is smart enough to not only fly a spaceship but once outsmarted an extra dimensional being and brought him into the main universe. She also reads alot of books in her spare time.

** Tony Stark aliases ComicBook/IronMan built PoweredArmour in a cave “with a box of scraps” and couple movies later took on a criminal organisation with some gardening store supplies. At one point in Avengers he has to teach the blonde (Captain America) about electronics.
** Loki is a master of magic, which makes him the equivalent of a {{Bookworm}} on Asgard because magic and science are the same thing in that realm. Ironically Loki got his intelligence from his mother Frigga who is blonde.

** Dr Bruce Robert Banner has M.D, Ph.D and is renowned for his work Biochemistry Nuclear Physics... he can also turn into a giant green [[HulkingOut rage monster]] and fly a spaceship.

** The darker haired Gamora is [[OnlySaneMan easily]] the smartest member of the ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy''. Though brunette Peter Quill can also count is a gadget and starship flying genius.

** Several members of Monarch's scientific ''top brass'' happen to have dark hair and some major scholary credits in their respective fields, including Drs. Vivienne Graham, Sam Coleman, Nathan Lind, Ilene Andrews, and most of Aaron Brooks' Skull Island expedition in the spin-off graphic novel.

* In ''Literature/TheAnderssons'', Ida Sofia is the BookWorm out of the four original Andersson sisters. And yep, she also is a brunette.

** Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish is an EeriePaleskinnedBrunette and is not only a financial genius but a MagnificentBastard who has the whole continent of [[CrapsackWorld Westeros]] dancing to his tune.

* ''Series/WonderWoman'': Wonder Woman helps out by solving complex theoretical scientific problems for Professor Warren in "The Pluto Files"

* In the second ''VideoGame/DarkParables'' game, Literature/{{Cinderella}} is implied to have been this, based on the fact that [[spoiler:her husband constructed a library in her memory.]]

* The titular character of ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius''. He's got brown hair and is a ChildProdigy GadgeteerGenius prone to LittleProfessorDialog, though admittedly he lacks actual common sense, though that's somewhat justified, considering he is only ten.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Centurions}}'', Max Ray is the smartest member of the originaal PowerTrio and has black hair (and a mustache to match).

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'' has Noah (book smarts), Courtney (legal smarts), Cody ([[TechnoWizard mechanical smarts]]) and Alejandro ([[ChessMaster people smarts]]).

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Frank Anne Frank]], well known posthumously for the publication of Literature/TheDiaryOfAYoungGirl.

* ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'': Kara Zor-El's SecretIdentity (Linda Lee Danvers in the Silver Age, Linda Lang in the post-Crisis universe, Kara Danvers in ''Comicbook/SupergirlRebirth'') is always a brown-haired, nerdy girl. Earth's science is pretty primitive to her.

* The [[AdaptationDyeJob previously blonde]] Trillian became this in the film adaptation of ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy''.

Stereotypically speaking, in fiction, [[DumbBlonde blondes are lacking in intelligence]], [[FieryRedhead redheads have short tempers]], so, [[BlondeBrunetteRedhead out of the trio]], [[BeautyBrainsAndBrawn brunettes are all brain]]. Outside of the trio, they will often be used as a {{Foil}} for the DumbBlonde in either a BrainsVersusBrawn or BrainsAndBrawn duo. Like the DumbBlonde, the brunette varies quite a bit. They can bashfully hide behind their books or [[{{Meganekko}} glasses]], with their hair done in pigtails or a bun or they can boldly use their smarts for their ambitions. Whichever it is, their knowledge is real--if she's on your side, then you can always count on her smarts in a fix. She may be a HotLibrarian, a HotScientist, or even a WrenchWench. If so, her SesquipedalianLoquaciousness and/or TechnoBabble will [[GeekyTurnOn turn people on]]. And she always has nice, thick, brown locks. What they don't (necessarily) have is strength, like the SquishyWizard (who may be TheSmartGuy himself), as they care more about their mind than their body. That's what makes a BadassBookworm so interesting, a rare combination.

* Averted and played straight in ''Series/NoOrdinaryFamily''. Stephanie is a world-class [[HotScientist research scientist]] who graduated from MIT and is blonde. Her nerdy yet attractive sidekick Katie, also shown to be very intelligent, is a brunette.

* Bushroot's HotScientist love interest Dr. Rhoda Dendron from his origin story on ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck''.

* Connie from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', an AmbiguouslyBrown version.

* The {{nerd}}y Ruby of ''Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns'' has what seems to be the only university-level education in the cast. Her intelligence may sometimes seem like an InformedAttribute, but she's stuck with being the book-smart, occasionally snarky contrast to her blonde sister Amber, and she does occasionally display some mental agility. So she lives this trope, complete with glasses.

* Evelyn Deavor and Helen Parr from ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''. Evelyn is a GadgeteerGenius while Helen is an expert tactician, and can also pilot multiple types of vehicles, from aircraft to motorcycles.

** ComicBook/{{Rogue}} is smart enough to not only fly a spaceship but once outsmarted an extra dimensional being and brought him into the main universe. Oh and Rogue reads books in her spare time.

* Inverted on ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' where the redheaded Blossom is the brainy one, while the brunette Buttercup is the [[FieryRedhead aggressive spitfire]]. (Bubbles is still the DumbBlonde, though.)

* ''Series/NeverHaveIEver'':
** Devi is an academically driven girl with dark hair.
** Fabiola is a science prodigy with dark hair.

* ''Series/ConversationsWithFriends'': Frances and Bobbi are both dark-haired students at Trinity College in Dublin, who both show a keen intelligence.

* Most of the brunettes in ''Series/{{CSI}}'' probably qualify; Sara Sidle definitely does.
** Carries over to ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' and probably ''Series/CSIMiami'' as well. All the casts have several smart brunettes.

* Maeve Wiley from ''Series/SexEducation'' is this in S2, although it's not certain that she's dyed her hair brown to change it to a new colour, or if she re-dyed it to her natural colour.

* Tip from ''WesternAnimation/{{Home}}'' is described as a very resourceful girl. This proves to be true, when she's able to take care of herself when her mother is kidnapped.

* Chao Lingshen and Satomi Hakase from ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi''. Also, Yue and Nodoka, [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair for a given value of "brunette"]].

* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': Sean and his mom are both know a lot about science, and they both have brown hair. However, Sean's mom's hair is a bit reddish.
** Mitchell counts, too.

* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': Fred Burkle was a physics student and later the head of the company's Science Division with long wavy brown hair. Her high intelligence was a great asset to the [[FanNickname "Fang Gang"]].

* Marlene in ''Comicbook/JetDream'', who's described as "Powerful as a wrestler, but with a cool, precise Teutonic mind."
* Tim Drake aka ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}[=/=]ComicBook/RedRobin, a TeenGenius who was able to figure out the secret identities of multiple superheros as a child and is expected to surpass the world's current [[GreatDetective best detective]] before he reaches the legal drinking age.