History Main / WiseBeyondTheirYears

* Angela Christ from Fassbinder's ''Chinese Roulette''. She is not only a ChildProdigy, but also has very good abilities to discover dirty secrets and understand hidden desires of adults around her.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'' fanfic ''Fanfic/NeverHadAFriendLikeMe'', [[OriginalCharacter Amanda]] often cleans the house while her parents are away and can prepare basic meals for herself despite only being 8. She also figures out that Timmy has Fairy Godparents after less than two days of knowing him (though to be fair, she had the advantage of actually knowing that Fairies do exist) and has the self-restraint and responsibility not to make a wish for two months when most adults immediately start recklessly making wishes as well as recognizing that magic is not a cure-all solution (pointing out that she doesn't want friends who only put up with her because she used magic). [[JerkassGenie Norm]] even [[{{Lampshade}} remarks]] that Amanda is smarter and more mature then most [[AdultsAreUseless adults]] he's met. This is something of a deconstruction however as the reason she's so responsible is because of the [[ParentalNeglect severe neglect her parents]] treat her with, meaning she had to grow up early to cope with her family life.
* Similarly, in ''Webcomic/KillLaKillAU'', we have this with a then six-year old Ragyo, in a way, as she learned how to cook and pretty much take care of herself, and, as she's noted, that came from the fact that her mother was neglectful, making that also a deconstruction.

!!Examples:

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* In ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'', the two young boys at the nursery act unusually mature for their age.
-->'''First Boy:''' The action looks so real.\\
'''Second Boy:''' Yeah...it's much more stimulating than the [[TakeThat Disney monopolized Hollywood]].
** The main peripheral character, Nagisa Shiota, counts as well. He can read people like a book, is always thinking ahead, sometimes acts as the class’s OnlySaneMan, and tends to go on introspective musings that border on philosophical. He’s able to give good enough advice that his words successfully convince a party boy to not only stop smoking, but to use his talents for good purposes, and he also becomes something of a mentor figure for Sakura, so much so that he’s able to get her to go back to school and improve her grades.
* Chiyo-chan from ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' can not only [[ChildProdigy handle high school-level schoolwork]], she also manages to be a class rep and hold down a part-time job, and is generally just as mature and capable as her teenaged friends. She's ten years old.
* Haru from ''Manga/{{Beastars}}'' is more mature than the average third year student especially in regards to relationships and intimacy. As Juno puts it.
-->"Why is this bunny so mature? [...] She talks like a grown-up, but sounds like a child."
%%* The cynical 12/13-year-old [[TheChessmaster Ciel Phantomhive]] from ''Manga/BlackButler'', who manages his family's corporation, acts as the Queen's [[PraetorianGuard "guard dog"]], and has seen some [[MyParentsAreDead incredibly]] [[HumanSacrifice messed-up]] shit.
%%** Yes, despite his childish love of candy & games, his favorite pastimes are poker, chess, billiards, & shooting people in the face. Soma on the other hand is just a year away from becoming a Manchild.
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** It's hard to remember how young the children and teenagers are in this manga. Ichigo, Sado, Orihime and Uryuu start off as fifteen year olds, but are far more mature than their age wound indicate. Some of their classmates are the same, such as Tatsuki. Their Shinigami peers are the same: Renji, Rukia, Kira, Hinamori, Ganju, etc., are all teens but behave like adults.
** Hitsugaya is (biologically) only 12-13 years old but doesn't behave like a typical child his age due to having been thrust into the role of youngest captain in history. Aizen works out that the truth is obscured and that Hitsugaya does actually have the in-built weaknesses associated with his biological youth (such as lacking both the life experience and emotional maturity of a grown adult). When Aizen triggers this weakness, the [[BerserkButton ignition]] of Hitsugaya's emotions into an UnstoppableRage (and the other captains' inability to have foreseen this weakness) spells disaster for everyone.
* Several of the ''Manga/{{Bokurano}}'' kids like Kirie, Moji and Kodama. But 10-year-old Kana takes it to borderline ridiculous levels. Accepting a constant abuse of her older brother Jun and [[spoiler:preventing people around them from interfere, because she knows he's angry at their dead mother for her absence, and by taking it out to her he's in reality treating her as somewhat of the ''mother figure''? Not even being Jun's blood-sister, but hiding it from him in order to make him feel secure, she devotes herself to finding his real mother. In the manga, while she's ''about to die'' it remains her biggest concern -- because Jun's gonna need support after she's gone.]]
* Pretty much any child from Creator/{{CLAMP}}:
** Tomoyo from ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' is not only ''GenreSavvy'', but is able to see the hidden intentions of every character she comes across even though she's a fourth-grader.
*** Even Eriol acknowledges Tomoyo's savviness.
** Five year old Hatoko from ''Manga/AngelicLayer'' dispenses wisdom like Yoda but without the fractured syntax.
** CLAMP School has the six year old kindergarten class president, and an adolescent Man Of Twenty Faces who steals large statues from under the noses of the police etc, and more.
** [[spoiler:Tsubasa]] Syaoran Li in ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' is only seven years old when he first went to Clow Country and met Sakura but somehow, he understands the concept of love, magic, and even deals with the sorcerers. He might as well be the most mature characters in the the series, even more than an adult like Fai or Kurogane.
* ''Anime/CodeGeass'':
** Kaguya Sumeragi, a fourteen-year-old girl with PuppyDogEyes and a PrecociousCrush on [[RebelLeader Zero]], who often turns out to be one of the wisest, reasonable characters on the show and the one person Zero treats with complete respect while callously ordering around the rest of the Black Knights.
** Nunnally seems to be in her way to become one of these in R2. After the end of the series, [[spoiler: She rules Britannia, Tianzi Lihua, who's even younger than her, rules China, and Kaguya leads the UFN, with an unnamed girl around their age ruling (presumably) Europe (as seen in the Miracle Birthday OVA). So all of the world leaders are [[TokenMiniMoe cute]] examples of this]].
** Don't forget; Lelouch is only 17 when the series begins. Older than most of the examples on this page, but still a little young for the kind of [[GambitRoulette crazy stuff]] [[OutGambitted he pulls off]]. On top of that, he was already a {{Chessmaster}} in his early Britannia days.
* In ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'', Kagaya Ubuyashiki is a man of deep wisdom, far more than befits his age of only twenty three. He's seen as far wiser and more mature than men many years his senior. The most notable thing is the fact Kagaya managed to make Himejima, who’s 4 years older, consider him, the younger person, to be his father figure.
* The human cast of ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' exhibited a maturity way beyond their 10 to 11 years, one of several possible reasons their ages were raised in the English adaptations.
** Every season of ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' has one of these… even ''Anime/DigimonFrontier'''s Bokomon, who is the level named "child" in Japanese and who speaks and acts like a graduate student specializing in Digital World Mythology.
*** Henry/Jian of "Tamers" takes the cake though. It is stated above he's 10-11 in the Japanese version, yet he can hack almost any computer system if you give him a good reason, and uses the word incorrigible in a relatively casual conversation.
*** Mikey, Nene, and Christopher from ''Anime/DigimonFusion'' act more mature than most adults, and they're only 13.
** Sora and Joe are the most mature of the original cast of ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'', and as such take up the roles of TeamMom and TeamDad respectively while [[TheHero Tai]] and [[TheLancer Matt]] fight over leadership, thinking of responsible things like how they will get food, what best course of action to take, and how to keep the group together. Tai later matures up later in the season as well.
* Child Lucy in ''Manga/ElfenLied''. Unfortunately, her childhood was [[BreakTheCutie traumatic]] enough to the point that she turned AxCrazy.
* Most of ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'' revolves around how Naota rejects his childhood.
* ''Manga/FruitsBasket'': In the midst of a BigScrewedUpFamily, [[TokenMiniMoe Momiji]] is quite possibly the most mature of the Members of the Zodiac, even though [[ParentalAbandonment he has as good of an excuse as anyone to be messed up]]. He seems to act half his age ([[OlderThanTheyLook because he can]]), but he tries to understand people, too, and shows a lot of surprising insight, especially about [[StepfordSmiler Tohru]].
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'':
** Alphonse Elric. While his older brother, Edward, wins critical acclaim time and time again for accomplishments thought ridiculous, Al consistently proves that he is rational, fair-minded and far-sighted far beyond his years. In fact, he often has to reign in Edward to prevent excess damage and often has to clean up if he's not able to prevent such excesses.
** Edward himself proves to also be very wise and have a great understanding of the world, which in the end [[spoiler:allowed him to recover his brother Alphonse by sacrificing his alchemy.]] The series put much emphasis in the growth and maturing of the Elric brothers and the characters in general. When we finally meet Ed and Al's alchemy master Izumi Curtis she comments how wise Edward must be to be able to perform alchemy without a circle however Ed responds that he isn't wise or clever; he just learned things he shouldn't have done by opening the gates of truth
** In most cases Ling Yao is a perfectly good example of this serving. He keeps a cool head and is slow to anger and he notices things that others don't.
* [[TeenGenius Tessa]] from ''Lightnovel/FullMetalPanic'' is only 16, yet she is the captain of a submarine. She also shows a great understanding of people and exhibits a very mature attitude. She's also damn good at her job. However, she is not completely immune from some general characteristics of teens.
** Sōsuke is 16-17, and is a sergeant within a paramilitary counter-terrorist force. Although ''extremely'' immature for his age about relationships and social skills, he is shown to act very professional and understanding about things involving war. He was trained to be a professional assassin at age ''8'', and became a terrorist at 11.
* Weed of ''Anime/GingaDensetsuWeed'' is supposed to be this trope, though to most of the audience he comes across as being overly nice to the point where he makes bad decisions like letting other dogs that tried to kill him live. Imagine if during any real war, one side let ALL enemies soldiers go after they tried to kill their troops or worse ''leaders'' and it readily becomes apparent how stupid Weed's decisions are. It's sending them back to their army to kill again.
** Well to be fair, in the manga, it was two random spies that Weed wanted to be merciful to after the spies begged for their lives. These dogs did not actively try to kill Weed or his comrades. The anime for some reason replaced the spies with the assassins [[spoiler:Thunder and Lector]]. Also in the manga, it is directly shown that Gin had always agreed with Weed's stance on killing, and him seemingly trying to kill [[spoiler:Hougen]] was actually a test to see if Weed was a true leader. In the anime, it is the same way but it's not as clearly explained. It's also worth noting that Gin let Sniper live in GNG even though the doberman tried to kill him and his comrades multiple times.
* 13-14-year-old [[RapunzelHair Victorique de Blois]] from ''LightNovel/{{Gosick}}'', though she admittedly has traits common for a child of her age, such as curiosity and a love for sweets.
* All the girls in ''Manga/GunslingerGirl'' are aware that they are on borrowed time, and that their feelings for their handlers are at least partially the result of conditioning. Triela and Claes are the only two to have made their peace with the fact they will never see adulthood. Though they deal with the knowledge in opposite ways (despite being roommates).
* Wendy Garret of ''Anime/GunXSword'', who's maybe 13-14, is in many ways more mature than her traveling companion, Van. More importantly, she functions as the moral center for the series, being one of the few characters to think deeply about the moral/ethical issues surrounding The Claw's plan.
* ''Manga/HanaukyoMaidTeam''. Grace is considerably more intelligent and wiser than the other maids, even though she's younger than they are.
* Both Kyon and Koizumi of ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' fit. Kyon is a little ''too'' much of a jaded cynic for just being 16-years-old.
* Fuji-hime from ''VideoGame/HarukanaruTokiNoNakaDe'' might fit this trope, since she is effectively the team's mentor -- even if most of her knowledge comes from her ability to see the future, she is arguably more mature than some of the members of the central cast (whose age ranges from 14 to 32, with Fuji being only ten). ''Might'' have something to do with her destiny to assist the main character, but still...
* 17-year-old Maria from ''Manga/HayateTheCombatButler'' already has a full-time job as a maid, and is also mistaken for being in her late twenties or early thirties because of her maturity level.
** Maria is continually pointed out to be '''not''' mature, but intelligent.
** Hayate himself, almost certainly... he's a full sixteen now, but has already evaded the yakuza, served under [[spoiler:Athena (who is ''supposed'' to be of similar age)]], and is already a prize-winning manga artist… seriously, with the luck factors so hard down his throat, he really had to be to make it past the age of 8…
*** Hayate clearly states that he supported his parents starting at 10. His bad luck is more of an informed ability than anything given that he is the main male in a harem story.
*** Though one could argue that that is bad luck considering the amount of physical and mental abuse he suffers because of it. Especially bad luck considering he is surrounded by a harem and yet is forced to be a Chaste Hero until he has enough money to support even one of the girls, which, given his 150 million yen debt, is highly unlikely.
** Hinagiku also has a similar level of maturity, most of the major cast in on the low end of this trope as well, showing maturity beyond what someone would expect from a 16/13 year-old. Even Yukiji seems to have it, when it's not overshadowed by her HardDrinkingPartyGirl tendencies.
%%** Also, Wataru.
* The AdorablyPrecociousChild [[PerpetualPoverty Moldova]] of ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' is adept at reading the atmosphere to properly deal with resident PsychopathicManchild [[TheBigGuy Russia]], a feat many of the adult [[AnthropomorphicPersonification nations]] have not mastered. He turns instantly from a CheerfulChild to an obedient and subdued [[TheStoic stoic]] (albeit with EmptyEyes) whenever Russia is near him.
* Anna Kushina of ''Anime/{{K}}'', particularly in Season 2 after [[spoiler: she Awakens as the new Red King]]. Probably due to her [[TheEmpath empathic powers]] -- if she's able to understand all sides to an argument, that gives her the experience to understand all different sorts of people enough to be truly wise, even at [[TokenMiniMoe age 11]].
* Murasaki in ''[[LightNovel/KureNai Kure-nai]]'' yo-yos between believably childish behavior for her age of 7 and extremely adult-like decision making, especially near the ending of the series.
* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'':
** The first time we see the 9-year-old heroine Nanoha she's pondering the direction and purpose of her life. Later, when she discovers her powers, she almost immediately takes a responsible view of them akin to Comicbook/SpiderMan, except her wakeup call was ''property damage'' rather than the death of a loved one. Her parents also don't seem to mind their daughter taking time off from school to chase after magical artifacts.
** The series also introduces us to Hayate. A wheelchair-bound 9-year-old who takes care of the Wolkenritter as their mother figure. Even before then, she had been living independently for who knows how long [[ParentalAbandonment after her parents died]]. You'd expect that her guardian would at least have an adult look after her, especially considering her disability. In any event, it's highly unlikely that any [[SocialServicesDoesNotExist social service]] would let this one slide.
** Interestingly enough, Hayate, looking back on her childhood in Sound Stage M4, laments that she feels as though she hasn't grown up since then. Signum then responds that she has grown up at a reasonable pace, and that by comparison, Fate grew up too quickly.
** Several other characters are like this as well, especially the calm and mature (if originally single-minded) DarkMagicalGirl Fate, AdventurerArchaeologist Yuuno and interdimensional cop Chrono (who actually starts off under the command of his own mother in a sort of pseudo-subversion). One can assume that either Midchilda does not have the same cultural or legal expectations about Age of Majority that most Earth cultures do, or very clear laws allowing exceptions.
** The only real aversion is Vivio, who actually acts like the 6-year-old she's supposed to be. Although this only applied when she was 6. By the time she hits 10, she's just as mature as everyone else.
* Shiro Kabuto from ''Anime/MazingerZ'' and ''Anime/GreatMazinger'' seems pretty mature for his age (specially compared with Kouji), and actually he is [[SmarterThanYouLook smarter than he looks]]. This is because Shiro is a full-fledged IronWoobie is forced to life on his own withou a parents' care. His parents were dead, it is implied his grandfather Juzo spent most of his time building Mazinger-Z, and Kouji is busy handling the household jobs and going to school, thus leaving him alone. And let's not forget [[spoiler:his supposedly dead father was too busy building Great Mazinger to take care of them AND tell them he was alive.]]
* Haman Khan from ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' is this trope, being the cool, mature Neo-Zeon commander [[ImprobableAge at the age of 20-21]]. While this is in part due to her competence and Newtype capabilities, it's also justified due to having been made the de facto leader of Axis as a young teen, forcing her to grow up far quicker. While works like ''Char's Deleted Affair'' further show her transformation from optimistic wide-eyed girl to embittered if chillingly dangerous woman.
* Lacus Clyne in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' inherits control over a large anti-war faction in ZAFT from her father at the tender age of 16, and immediately engages in skillful political maneuvering and alliance-building surprising pretty much everyone who saw her as [[SilkHidingSteel just another gentle pop-singer]]. While doing all that, she also somehow finds the time to play the therapist for both of the series' male leads, Kira and Athrun, and eventually brings both (and their mechs) under her banner, which serves to boost her faction's firepower considerably.
%%* ''Manga/{{Monster}}'': Johan Liebert became a MagnificentBastard at ten years old when he made a building worth of people slaughter each other for his amusement, using nothing but force of personality.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** Shikamaru, though you may pass him off as ''just'' a TeenGenius but he also already has plans for the future including his marriage, how many kids he wants and when he'll die. Not to mention he was willing to have both himself and his best friends go up against a much stronger opponent that would most likely kill them as to further the mission. This is all when he's 12/13. As ChildSoldiers most of the cast would qualify but Shikamaru is the best example.
** Itachi and Kakashi's backgrounds cast them as even more extreme cases: Itachi graduated the academy top of the class at 7 (all of the main cast did that at 12), passed the chuunin exams at 10, and became an ANBU captain at 13. He joined Akatsuki at '''14''' or '''15'''. Kakashi graduated at ''five'', passed the chuunin exam ''one year later'', and became a jonin under special condition at 13.
** Another good example is Sasuke, who was designed ''specifically'' to be in this trope as a contrast to Naruto. The author even revealed that he had trouble drawing him at first because he had a lack of experience in drawing characters who are "wise beyond their years".
** A far more convincing example would be [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Gaara]] post-HeelFaceTurn: after years of serving as Sunagakure's Fifth Kazekage, he has not only become far more intuitive and rational compared to his hot-headed equals from other villages, he is also far more compassionate even to [[spoiler: a now-AxCrazy Sasuke and a troubled [[AllLovingHero Naruto]].]]
*** Case and Point: his response to [[spoiler:Tobi's AssimilationPlot?]]
---->'''Gaara''': Peace under an illusion is not true peace. Peace is only meaningful when the world manages to accomplish it.
** [[ShrinkingViolet Hinata]] [[NiceGirl Hyuga]] is the only one who sees Naruto for who he truly is ''long'' before any of the other characters do. She offers him assurance and gives him back his confidence as Naruto fights Neji. Before that, though, she sees and understands Neji for the troubled and suffering soul he really is, which really [[BerserkButton set him off]].
** [[NiceGuy Rock]] [[TheAce Lee]] is so wise and mature in comparison to the other Konoha 12 that [[WordOfGod Masashi Kishimoto]] says he's the only one that doesn't need anymore CharacterDevelopment.
** Almost all the child characters count to varying degrees, at least when compared to real kids their age. {{Justified}} that they live in a society where kids are given huge responsibilities from an early age, [[ChildSoldier even being able to become ninja]].
* While 10-year-old Negi of ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' still very much enjoys being a kid, he has dedicated months of time to brutal TrainingFromHell, shown a deep understanding of both his friends and enemies, and has a powerful drive to find his father, such that he is willing to make great personal sacrifices. This on top of being a high school teacher of a WackyHomeroom.
** This gets covered in [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] during second half of the Mahora festival arc, where just about everybody states that Negi is too young to be thinking about the moral implications of protecting the TheMasquerade. Later on, he gets all sorts of speeches about how he should just act like a normal kid and stop worrying about everything. None of them penetrates his thick skull.
** Negi is a {{Deconstruction}} of this trope as he literally has no idea how to be a child. Once when he was on vacation and was supposed to just have fun he tried approaching it the same way he does everything else: by carefully analyzing the situation and coming up with most efficient solution, until Asuna told him he should just relax for once.
** There's also Yue. Fourteen-year-old high school student versed in philosophy and Negi's sounding board for moral dilemmas.
** Chisame also qualifies, as she arguably has the [[OnlySaneMan best grip on reality]] out of everyone, and Jack Rakan even identifies her as being the advisor that Negi benefits most from.
** [[SupremeChef Satsuki Yotsuba]] is head cook of a roadside cantina that she established with her fellow classmates. At the age of 14, she already has her future planed and is actively working to achive it. Even [[CynicalMentor Evang]][[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld eline]] respects her.
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'':
** Asuka is a 14-year-old TeenGenius and something of a special case. On one level she understands just how suicidally dangerous being a pilot is, and has made peace with it (at least at first). She also shows impressive understanding of other people's motivations and relations (with the notable exception of Rei -- she's aware of Misato/Kaji, just in denial). On the flip side, she is very short-tempered and bratty.
** There's also Rei, who is cited by another character as seeming "far older" than the rest of them.
* Doremi's sister Pop in ''Anime/OjamajoDoremi'', so much that her parents let her go on a train trip by herself. She's ''five'' years old at the time. Although it's clear at least that their mom Haruka ''was'' worried, as she asked Doremi to keep an eye on her after Pop had gone.
* Almost every single one of the Pokedex Holders/Owners in ''Manga/PokemonAdventures''. With little exception, some more than others; a vast majority of them from the first four generations act like teenagers, if not older, including IdiotHero Gold, despite the average age being ''eleven'' (and in Sapphire's case, ''ten''), with some of them even thinking of their future careers already. This is ''especially'' noticeable with [[TheSpock Blue]] (especially jarring since his game counterpart could easily qualify as a BrattyHalfPint if the player wasn't the same age as him), [[FilleFatale Green]] and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Silver]], though Green and Silver have the excuse of a DarkAndTroubledPast explaining their TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior, with the only exceptions being [[MellowFellow Diamond]], [[HotBlooded Red]] (at least initially) and maybe [[WildChild Sapphire]], [[TheNapoleon Emerald]], and [[{{Keet}} Sun]] but even they have their moments. Ironically in the case of [[LargeHam Black]] in the fifth generation, his initial characterization arguably actually made him act like how someone the age of previous Dex Holders ''should'' have (though even then the Dex Holders of the fifth generation save for Black had the distinction of actually having jobs, one of them even being self-employed and another being ''an International police officer''). Then the ''X and Y'' arc showed that X actually was a full-time professional battler as a child, and the ''Sun and Moon'' arc has Sun in millions of dollars in debt and Moon as an established pharmacist; it's heavily implied this is normal for the manga universe, however, if the fact that no one seems to think this is strange is any indication.
%%* Akemi Homura from ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' is a [[DarkerAndEdgier darker take]] of this trope (like everything else in the anime). She only knows better than everyone else because [[spoiler: she was forced to repeat things again and again and again, each iteration worse than the last. Having a goddamn ''alien conspiracy'' as her ArchEnemy doesn't help]].
* Every single member of the Arcobaleno in ''Manga/Reborn2004'' qualifies. Reborn himself could be a serious contender for poster boy of the trope, even before we knew the other six. [[spoiler:Actually an AvertedTrope as it turns out that they're all adult assassins cursed with the [[OlderThanTheyLook appearance of infants]].]]
* ''Anime/SailorMoon'': Ami Mizuno (Sailor Mercury) is only 14-years-old, yet is the most mature of the Senshi and always cares about studying even when she doesn't need to. Being a ShrinkingViolet who becomes the first of the Senshi for [[AllLovingHero Usagi]] to befriend certainly helps.
* Sasami of ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'' is this, especially after the first OVA series. Cooks and cleans for the household, the more levelheaded of the bunch, sweet and adorable and closest thing to an adult in the house is Katsuhito, who lives in the shrine instead of in the house. On the other hand, a lot of this may be a cover because [[spoiler:she thinks she's actually just a vessel for Tsunami and that the real Sasami's dead. Which isn't the case.]]
* ''Manga/ToLoveRu'' has Mikan, the main character's little sister, as one of the most mature characters in the cast. Except for not hitting puberty yet, of course.
* In the flashback arc of ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' we get young Knives. Levelheaded, charming, genius programmer--''[[YoungerThanTheyLook one year old]]''. He's also got a fair helping of cynicism and subscribes increasingly to a utilitarian philosophy, which eventually propels him into deciding to KillAllHumans. But hey. He was unreasonably wise all the same.
** Manga child-Knives was actually slightly more childlike than manga ''[[AllLovingHero Vash]]''; he's the source of statements like "[[WideEyedIdealist there's no difference between people's hearts and ours, so everyone can learn to understand each other]]." Both of them still qualify for wise beyond their years for talking philosophy when they look eight and are actually ''one''.
*** Their response to the Tesla revelation is electing to sit down right there and stay there until they die, rather than running to their mother figure and if not asking her for comfort at least confronting her about her betrayal. Tell me that's not unchildlike.
** Manga Wolfwood was shot for the first time when he was eight or so, and suddenly realized that he wanted to live, after all. Anime Wolfwood was abused and offed the bastard at a slightly older age.
*** Manga Wolfwood was subjected to medical treatments that aged him at an accelerated rate, and based on the ages of the other kids in the orphanage in the flashback and when he returns, he can't be older than eighteen when [[spoiler:he dies]], which makes him no more than sixteen when he met Vash. So he's kind of this for the entire series.
** Little Legato is somewhere between eight and thirteen, probably on the younger side, but his response to Knives appearing and killing everyone but him, including the building they were raping him inside, is… uniquely calm, to say the least.
** And possibly Zazie the Beast, anime version. Or he may be an adult with a hormone condition. Data insufficient.
** Every kid on this list except Vash is also under CreepyChild.
* Rihoko in the ''Anime/{{Witchblade}}'' anime, to the point of being smarter than her mother.
* Chiru from ''Anime/{{Xabungle}}'' is all of 8 but consistently manages to be one of the more level-headed characters in a cast of teens and adults. This is significant, since in 1981 children in anime, if they weren't the [[CompetenceZone main character or in a cast of mostly kids]], were typically TheLoad or a BrattyHalfPint.
* Seto Kaiba from ''Anime/YuGiOh'' He pretty much threw his childhood in the dumpster when [[PromotionToParent he promised to always take care of and protect]] Mokuba. The fact that he rarely smiles and is exceedingly serious, not to mention he ''runs his own company'', despite being only perhaps in his late teens/early twenties is actually commented on by several of the characters, notably Joey, Tristan, and Tea. Plus, the guy beat a chess grandmaster at age twelve, and then proceeded to turn ten thousand dollars into about ten million dollars in ''the course of one day'', when he had a year to do it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* The main cast of ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'', especially Jake. How old they are isn't made clear until the end of the series, but it turns out they were 13 at the beginning and 16 at the end. This is shown largely through CharacterDevelopment. Tobias and Cassie start off "a bit mature for their age" -- Tobias due to [[ParentalAbandonment Foster Parental Abandonment]], Cassie becuase she helps her dad run a wildlife shelter, and is used to life-and-death decisions and serious consequences. The others start as fairly normal, and it takes them a few books to stop goofing around. After a few months fighting an AlienInvasion that [[ParanoiaFuel could be anyone, anywhere]], though, they're wise beyond their years. If they weren't, they'd be dead by then.
* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'', who is ''also'' a ChildProdigy.
* ''Literature/TheBabySittersClub'' suffers from this accidentally, probably due to the MostWritersAreAdults trope. 13-year-olds are given responsibilities most adults in RealLife wouldn't entrust to a high school senior, such as taking little kids around New York City unsupervised. All the BSC has to do is offer to help and explain that they have an after-school baby-sitting business, whereupon one of the parents they'd worked for would chime in with, "They're very responsible," and bingo, they were treated like honorary adults, no further questions asked. And since eleven is apparently the magic gateway to the Competence Zone, often Mallory and Jessie would be "taking care of" kids who were only a year or two younger than they are.
** Also, some of their sitting charges as well (when they're not acting a lot younger than they should be, such as five-year-old Andrew who doesn't know what New Year's is). Take for instance one of the Perkins girls: she's two years old, and yet speaks in complex full sentences and acts more like she's around TEN!
* In the ''Literature/ChungKuo'' series, several of the characters are first introduced as children in the first novel.
* Taran, the young protagonist of ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'', begins the series as a witless child, who only cares about [[GloryHound adventure and glory.]] But as CharacterDevelopment takes effect over the course of the books, he eventually becomes so wise that he earns the respect of kings and war leaders decades his senior.
** In ''The Black Cauldron'', he briefly becomes this through magical aid. Gwydion predicts that if Taran manages to live long enough, he'll earn the real deal; and as noted above, numerous painful sacrifices eventually lead to him being this on his own.
* Also from Creator/TamoraPierce, ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'', the Child King of Gyongxe, who was apparently selected to rule by the gods themselves, and incredibly mature for his youth. The main protagonists (Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar) also count at times.
* ''The Definitive Biography of Music/PDQBach'' has fourteen-year-old P.D.Q. meeting [[ExaggeratedTrope three-day-old Mozart]], when [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart Mozart]] was just learning to talk.
* In the Literature/{{Deryni}} works, this is apt to happen to Haldanes and Deryni children, especially with the pressures making them grow up fast.
** Kelson's deft questioning of his father Brion in the first chapter of ''Deryni Rising''. The prince is a couple weeks shy of fourteen, and Brion admires his son's shrewd intellect.
** Perhaps the best example is the four-year-old Alaric Morgan in ''Childe Morgan''. Alyce is conducting a Naming ritual (which is usually done when the child is seven or eight), and she questions him as part of the ritual:
---> "Alaric," she began, "I know that Father Anselm has talked to you about the difference between right and wrong."
---> Alaric nodded solemnly.
---> "Do you think you could tell me about something that's wrong? Can you give me an example?"
---> The boy cocked his head thoughtfully, then looked at her with all the wisdom of his four years.
---> "Do you mean just naughty, like when I kick Cousin Kevin, or really bad?"
---> Alyce had to concentrate to keep from smiling at the sagacity of that answer. She need not have worried about her son's understanding.
* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', one of Susan's young charges is six, but according to Susan "in cynicism, she's about thirty-five". She writes letters to [[AC:Death]] on pink paper with pictures of mice on it, so that he'll think she's cute.
* Saint Dominic is described in ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'' as having a keen awareness of Christ even in his infancy, shocking his nurse with his deep expressions of contemplation.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': The Archive is the '''ultimate''' example of this trope. She is a seven-year-old girl who possesses the ''sum total'' of all human knowledge. Everything that had ever been written, or in the case of information on computers, printed out (she doesn't "learn" it until it is printed) she knows.
* Alia, Paul Atreides's younger sister in ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'', thanks to being in the womb when her mother connected with the Fremen Reverend Mother.
** Paul himself was this in the first novel. He was only fifteen but spoke and acted like an adult, and usually treated as such because of it.
** Paul's children Leto II and Ghanima in ''Literature/ChildrenOfDune'' are also pre-born, similar to Alia.
* Ender of ''Literature/EndersGame'', who is more mature than just about any other 6-year-old ever. By contrast, Bean of ''Literature/EndersShadow'' is even smarter than he is, but as amoral as you'd expect from a street kid.
* ''Literature/TheEnglishDragon'': Several chapters are narrated by Ben, the toddler. His remarkably eloquent inner voice is lampshaded. Ben represents naivety and Everyman -- a literary device to see everything but to do so in an objective/naive manner.
* ''Literature/{{Forbidden}}'': All the Whitely kids; most of all Maya and Lochan who at the age of sixteen and seventeen are raising their three younger siblings together, and worrying about things most teenagers barely consider including an alcoholic mother, family finances, social services and and the age of legal guardianship. Their little sister Willa is an even sadder and younger example.
-->''At the age of five she has already come to terms with one of life’s harshest lessons: that the world isn’t fair...''
* And again in ''Literature/GoodOmens'', where Wensleydale is called 'Youngster' by his parents, in the hope he'll ''take the hint''.
** In a weird way, Adam. After overcoming his [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Antichrist Instincts]] to destory the world, he manages to figure out how to stop the apocalypse only with the help of his four friends - and he argues about morality with [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Beezlebub]] and [[CelestialParagonsAndArchangels Metatron]] using what he considers 'just common sense'.
* Luna Lovegood of ''Literature/HarryPotter'', who combines this gracefully with {{Cloudcuckoolander}}. (Her mother died when Luna was nine, and her father doesn't seem to grasp all of his responsibilities perfectly...)
** Then there is Harry Potter himself, who, at age 11, realized that being cursed forever was a FateWorseThanDeath.
* ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'':
** Talia starts giving advice to her Queen when she is only 13. It's implied that her [[BondCreature Companion]] is helping there.
** Herald-trainees who take the 'usual' route to Herald (brought to Haven in their early teens) grow up fast. By the time they are full Heralds, around the age of eighteen, they are much older mentally and emotionally. Their bonds to their Companions and fellow Heralds usually hold off the unpleasant consequences of such rushed maturation.
** Talia's people consider their children adult as early as 13, and with the sort of upbringing she received, she's already something of a "miniature adult" when (at said 13) chosen for a Herald.
* This is played with in ''Literature/JohannesCabalTheNecromancer'' and its sequels -- in book one, Johannes is twenty-eight, but he acts like a grumpy old man most of the time (in one portion of the novel he realizes he sounds like one too because he's trying and failing to get his anger across) and not a young adult. If his age weren't stated it would be easy to imagine him as a man of forty or more. Given Cabal's intellect he was probably always like this, but what really pushed him over the edge was when the woman he loved died when he was young (19 or so).
* ''Literature/{{Matilda}}'': Matilda can multiply large numbers in her head (13 times 379, for example) in seconds, and says she likes to read just about anything. It's strongly implied that the only reason she isn't in an enrichment or advanced placement program by now is because her parents don't believe in the value of education.
* BrattyHalfPint Constance from ''Literature/TheMysteriousBenedictSociety'' takes this to extremes. She is ''[[spoiler:[[ImprobableAge two]]]]'' years old yet can carry on conversations like a much older child (not understanding certain words aside) and is one of five children chosen to essentially become spies and save the world. Despite her young age she doesn't have much trouble fitting in amongst her ten to twelve year old friends. Only her rudeness foreshadows her young age.
* Title character of "Teddy" from J.D. Salinger's ''Nine Stories'', who outshines his adult interlocutor Bob Nicholson (and -- one imagines -- most of the shrinks and scientists for whom he's an object of study). Knows [[spoiler:precisely when he'll die, which of course wouldn't be mentioned if it weren't relevant to the plot.]]
* Oonagh from ''Literature/TheProphecyOfTheStones'', who at first seems to be a sweet, playful, innocent, [[DoesNotLikeShoes barefoot]] girl, but in reality is a wise sorceress and the oracle. However, when she is asked questions she doesn't want to answer, she switches back to her childlike state and happily sings prophecies to herself.
* In the ''Literature/RainbowMagic'' series, Rachel and Kirsty are this, contrasting heavily with Jack Frost's childishness.
* In John Dalmas's ''The Regiment'', the main character visits Tyss, homeworld of the PrivateMilitaryContractors in the title, and finds their educational system produces children who fit here. A girl of about five approaches and asks if he and his colleague are "Ertwa." The child's brother, roughly seven, points out that "Ertwa were very long ago," and says the two must be "Splennwa" (from planet Splenn) instead.[[note]]They're actually from Iryala, but most offworlders who come to Tyss ''are'' Splennites. The -wa suffix in the language of Tyss indicates people from such-and-such planet, so "Ertwa" are from "Ert" (Earth?)[[/note]]
-->The little girl studied them. "Splennwa?" she said, cocking her head critically. "I think not. They are abroad unprotected in the heat of day."
* Pearl from ''Literature/TheScarletLetter''. This is ''exactly'' how she is thought of in-story (in fact it's part of the reason so many people think she's some kind of demon child).
* Septimus Heap in ''Literature/SeptimusHeap'' is this thanks to his Young Army days to the point that he becomes [=ExtraOrdinary=] Apprentice at the age of 10.
* ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'':
** The Baudelaires, most notably Sunny, who's a baby for most of the series!
** Also, most members of the VFD.
* Otto in ''Literature/SomeoneElsesWar''. While most of the [[ChildSoldiers child soldiers]] are there against their will, Otto joined the LRA ''willingly'' because he knew his impoverished parents were having a hard time feeding all four of their children. He did this when he was '''eight'''. (By the start of the story, he's twelve.) He is even smart enough to realize that, despicable as the war is, if he kills his enemies before the adults get their hands on them, he is saving them from a great deal of suffering.
* Jojen Reed from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', 13, is called "little grandfather" by Old Nan.
* Eliot from ''Space Vulture'' is an excellent example. With no prior experience other than reading about it in books (and sometimes not even that, coming up with ideas on the spot), he hijacks a spaceship from the experienced [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain interplanetary thief and all-around ne'er-do-well]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Gil Terry]] and promptly shows that he can operate it better than its owner. A little later, he defies all common sense as well as the laws of physics by steering a lifeboat into a planet's atmosphere ''from the outside''. You don't resent him, though, because of his noble purpose, the fact that he makes a terrific foil for Gil, and because he's either utterly terrified or at least highly anxious most of the time, and not a smug smart kid at all.
* Aristok Kassandra the Sixth of [[Literature/TalesOfTheBranionRealm Branion]], [[AChildShallLeadThem aged five]], is a [[GodEmperor God-Empress]] with [[FireballEyeballs fiery eyes]] that give her an "eerily adult" gaze. She is childish and talks with a lisp, but has the vocabulary and understanding of someone aged more like eight or nine. This appears to be justified by her divine status. As sovereign of her country, she has a regent but makes adult decisions and intimidates nobles, priests and even traitors into doing her bidding. The one thing they won't let her do is execute someone; she has to be sixteen for that.
* Charles Wallace Murry, of all ''Time Quartet'' books in which he appears, but most pointedly in ''Literature/AWrinkleInTime,'' when he's about six years old and is well aware that he's twice as mature as his nine-year-old brothers and his fourteen-year-old sister. However, this ''does'' turn into his downfall.
* ''Literature/TortallUniverse'': Kel from "Protector of the Small" has a bit of this. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Neal, who says she's "The oldest ten-year-old I've ever met".
* Having learned to take care of her mother over the years and being naturally responsible, Bella had developed into a very mature person, especially for her age. She even starts out ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' by telling the reader that she's prepared to die in the place of someone she loves. Once she's fallen in love with Edward and he leaves her in ''New Moon'', this is subverted as Bella turns out to be immature, whiny and lacking in self-control, as first seen when she throws tantrums at her parents for trying to get her to move back with her mother.
* Even before ''Literature/TheUnderlandChronicles'' start, Gregor didn't get to be much of a kid.
* ''Literature/WarriorCats'':
** When Clan cats die at a young age and go to [[{{Heaven}} StarClan]], occasionally they give the protagonists advice in their dreams, and are described this way.
** Several of the cats destined to become medicine cats are serious as kits and begin training when they are still young, taking their duty very seriously. Pebble Heart from the Dawn of the Clans arc, for instance: even his adopted father Gray Wing would listen to him for advice.
* Creator/DaleBrown novels have Bradley James [=McLanahan=], who shows surprising maturity about the topic of death in ''Wings of Fire''.
* Goth, the heroine of ''Literature/TheWitchesOfKarres'' by Creator/JamesHSchmitz, a 1967 space opera. Goth is the middle sister of a trio of witch children, members of a super-psychic race/culture of humans. Her super-psychic powers, though, don't account for her relative maturity. She's elevenish, but not only teaches the adult hero magic, but advises him on political and economic moves. The hero only gets limelight because (1) he's the viewpoint character and (2) for a considerable time, Goth is kept off stage or unconscious.
* Sascha in ''Literature/AWitchsBurden''. He's a resourceful, thoughtful orphan and self-described "excellent judge of character". Elke is immediately taken with him, and they form a lasting friendship despite the difference in their ages, eventually becoming a FamilyOfChoice.
[[/folder]]

* ''Fanfic/DungeonKeeperAmi'' has ChildProdigy Ami Mizuno being turned into [[ADungeonIsYou Keeper]] [[BadPowersGoodPeople Mercury]], forcing her to become the leader of several scientific projects, military ventures and diplomatic struggles while having adults and even immortal beings working for her as her subordinates and employees.
* [[OriginalCharacter Nolan Grant]] in The Walking Dead fanfic, ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/21092981/chapters/50184917 Stay Together]] ''. Nolan is very smart, perceptive, and wise for his age. He is also quite mature even more than [[VideoGame/TheWalkingDead Clementine]].
* Faust, [=AEther=], Alchemy, and young Prowl in ''Fanfic/ThingsWeDontTellHumans''.
* The entirety of ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'' revolves around the titular character, and arguably several others, being this.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'' fanfic ''Fanfic/NeverHadAFriendLikeMe'', [[OriginalCharacter Amanda]] often cleans the house while her parents are away and can prepare basic meals for herself despite only being 8. She also figures out that Timmy has Fairy Godparents after less than two days of knowing him (though to be fair, she had the advantage of actually knowing that Fairies do exist) and has the self-restraint and responsibility not to make a wish for two months when most adults immediately start recklessly making wishes as well as recognizing that magic is not a cure-all solution (pointing out that she doesn't want friends who only put up with her because she used magic). [[JerkassGenie Norm]] even [[{{Lampshade}} remarks]] that Amanda is smarter and more mature then most [[AdultsAreUseless adults]] he's met. This is something of a deconstruction however as the reason she's so responsible is because of the [[ParentalNeglect severe neglect her parents]] treat her with, meaning she had to grow up early to cope with her family life.
* Similarly, in ''Webcomic/KillLaKillAU'', we have this with a then six-year old Ragyo, in a way, as she learned how to cook and pretty much take care of herself, and, as she's noted, that came from the fact that her mother was neglectful, making that also a deconstruction.
* Jack in ''Cave Story vs [=IM=] Meen''. Probably one of the smartest fictional characters in years, yet also one of the saddest and funniest. Not to mention the most [[BadassAdorable badass and adorable.]]
* Shinji in ''Fanfic/ThousandShinji'' is more intelligent -and more conniving- than your average teenager. At one point, Kaworu mentions that he was told that Shinji was wise beyond his years.
* ''Fanfic/TheSecondTry'': Physically, Shinji and Asuka are teenagers. Mentally, they're in their early twenties, and they have the emotional maturity of a person at least 10 years older than that. With everything they'd been through, [[HadToBeSharp it was a choice between growing up fast or not getting to grow up at all.]]
* ''Fanfic/OnceMoreWithFeeling'': After traveling to the past, Shinji looks (naturally) like a teenager. However he is rather older mentally and emotionally. Kaji notes that Shinji often seems an adult instead of a kid.
* ''Fanfic/ShinjiAndWarhammer40K'': Shinji is fourteen and practically a Mary Tzu (at least partly due to the influence of Warhammer). [[RunningGag This is a bit of a weird theme with]] ''Franchise/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' fanfics.

* Deconstructed in ''Fanfic/{{Frenzy}}''. Tails bemoans his lack of innocence at only 8 years old and envies 6-year old Cream for her short-sighted, naive view on the world. He wishes he hadn't grown up so quickly.

* Missy "Vista" Biron from ''Worm'' story ''Fanfic/{{Atonement}}'' is only thirteen (later fourteen), but Madison picks up from the start that she's one of the team's most mature members.
* In ''Worm'' crossover ''Fanfic/EchoesOfYesterday'', [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Kara]] is eighteen, but she talks like an experienced adult, and her advice is usually wiser and more insightful than what you expect from someone who has barely reached adulthood. Of course, losing your planet and almost everyone who you've cared for at the age of fifteen before being dumped into an alien world forces you to mature fast.
-->'''Taylor:''' (whispering) "God that hurts."\\
'''Kara:''' "Life isn't fair. But I've also found that if you have the will and keep pushing forward… it has a habit of coming back around. No one's problems fix themselves, but no problem is unsolvable. Just takes a little work."\\
'''Taylor:''' "Are you sure you're eighteen?"
* ''Fanfic/{{Insomnia}}'' has [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]]. By his own admission he's only ten years old, and looks it, but he behaves like a grizzled warrior who's seen too many battles. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, as Tatl explains in this rant from chapter 38:
-->'''Tatl:''' Link, you're weird for all kinds of reasons. You fight giant monsters like it's just another day's work. You move with that sword and aim that bow like the hero of some kind of folk tale, the kind where the hero wins, and you're not even old enough to have facial hair. When we met, you were casually strolling around the forest with a little blue thing that changes the flow of time, and you just left it sitting on your belt for any old mugger to take... You have clearly handled explosives before because I haven't even seen grown carpenters use bombs without wetting themselves a little bit. You're all kinds of insane, you're one giant boy-shaped ball of contradiction; I don't even think there's such thing as a boy-shaped ball; and you know way too much about time travel for anyone under the age of one thousand. So, uh, the fact that you seem a little more calm than you ought to sometimes? That's not really a standout.
* In ''Fanfic/AGladDay'', Romayn develops very quickly and is able to grasp adult concepts as a baby. It helps that [[spoiler:he's Goku reincarnated]].

* ''Fanfic/HeroesNeverDie'': Dying over and over has given Izuku experience easily comparable to Pro Heroes. Death Arms internally notes that when he first saw Izuku rush to save Bakugo, the look on his face made him think he was a pro who had just arrived on the scene.

* ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrail'': Parker Cerise is the younger brother of Chloe Cerise and is shown to have a broader grasp of what's going on: when learning that his sister ran away, he questioned if it was because he didn't love her enough (when in fact it was their father she hated), fully embraced his sister's [[NightmareFetishist likes]] as his own and notes to his mom that Goh and Chloe are no longer friends because Goh never comes to visit. Talia honestly praises him for being the wisest member of the Cerise family.

* In Steven Spielberg's 2005 ''Film/WarOfTheWorlds'', Rachel Ferrier has shades of this. When she's not in immediate danger, she alternates between being the voice of reason and LittleMissSnarker. At one point, she inadvertently foreshadows how [[spoiler:the Earth will eventually force out its invaders]] by refusing to let Ray remove a small splinter from her hand that her body can deal with it on its own. She's also observant, recognizing the presence of danger before most of those around her, and seems to have a firmer grasp on the situation than Ray gives her credit her (after [[spoiler:Ray is forced to kill Ogilvy to protect her, she clearly understands what happened and seeks to comfort him, despite his best efforts to shield her from it]]). [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome When she's threatened with a serious crisis, though, she still behaves just like any frightened child]].

* ''Fanfic/TheSeventhPlayer'': Machaira Mekhit, the titular seventh member of [[WebVideo/Dimension20 the Bad Kids]], often shows her hand as being this. [[spoiler:Specifically, she's of the "traumatic life destroying her innocence" caliber of this trope.]]

* ''Fanfic/TheSeventhPlayer'': Machaira Mekhit, the titular seventh member of [[WebVideo/Dimension20 the Bad Kids]], frequently shows her hand as being this. [[spoiler:Specifically, she's of the "traumatic life destroying her innocence" caliber of this trope.]]

Frequently speaks in LittleProfessorDialog.

* ''Literature/TheBible'': For that matter, just remember 12-year-old Jesus and his behavior in the Scriptures, when Mary and Joseph lost track of him. When found, he told her that she needn't have worried, and asked why they hadn't checked his father's house first. Mary and Joseph found Jesus ''discoursing with grown men on the scripture'' when they finally checked the temple after three days of searching.. He was exactly where He knew He had to be: in His Father's house. (Luke 2:49)
* David (before he even became King) could be interpreted as this.
* Invoked by Elihu from the Literature/BookOfJob:
--> "I am young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know ... But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding. It is not only the old who are wise ... Therefore I say: Listen to me; I too will tell you what I know."

Contrast OneOfTheKids, ManChild, and KiddieKid. Compare AdorablyPrecociousChild, who tries to be like this but is still a kid at heart. Compare ChildProdigy, who is basically a TVGenius in child form. InnocentProdigy is when a child really ''is'' like this, but still retains a [[ChildrenAreInnocent childlike innocence]] in other aspects of life. If the character has an outgoing personality, they might be a MouthyKid or LittleMissSnarker, and when this character's maturity is displayed in a villainous light, they may become a CreepyChild. When ''every'' kid in a franchise acts like this (or at least most of them), it's probably because MostWritersAreAdults. Kids may be forced into this by living in a TeenageWasteland. If the adultlike behavior is disturbing rather than impressive, it's TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour. If a ChildProdigy acts like an adult in a child's world, rather than being thrust into the adult one, they're ActingYourIntellectualAge.

* Believe it or not, a guy actually had a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq2T7jP7dpQ conversation with a baby]]!

* The main cast of ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'', especially Jake. How old they are isn't made clear until the end of the series, but it turns out they were 13 at the beginning and 16 at the end.
** With the crap they go through, they'd want to be.
*** Also, this is shown largely through CharacterDevelopment. Tobias and Cassie start off "a bit mature for their age" -- Tobias due to [[ParentalAbandonment Foster Parental Abandonment]], Cassie becuase she helps her dad run a wildlife shelter, and is used to life-and-death decisions and serious consequences. The others start as fairly normal, and it takes them a few books to stop goofing around. After a few months fighting an AlienInvasion that [[ParanoiaFuel could be anyone, anywhere]], though, they're wise beyond their years. If they weren't, they'd be dead by then.

** According to trophy information in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Brawl'', his mature, adultlike demeanor can be quite unsettling to actual adults.

* In Steven Spielberg's 2005 ''Film/WarOfTheWorlds'', Rachel Ferrier has shades of this. When she's not in immediate danger, she alternates between being the voice of reason and LittleMissSnarker. At one point, she inadvertently foreshadows how [[spoiler:the Earth will eventually force out its invaders]] by refusing to let Ray remove a small splinter from her hand that her body can deal with it on its own. She's also observant, recognizing the presence of danger before most of those around her, and seems to have a firmer grasp on the situation than Ray gives her credit her (after [[spoiler:Ray is forced to kill Ogilvy to protect her, she clearly understands what happened and seeks to comfort him, despite his best efforts to shield her from it]]). [[RealityEnsues When she's threatened with a serious crisis, though, she still behaves just like any frightened child]].

* All the kids on ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}''. Despite being only in sixth grade, they [[FreeRangeChildren freely roam about town without any parental supervision]], empathize with each other in ways very few real life sixth graders are able to, talk completely like adults, etc.

* The Fool Fantastic, a member of Website/ThatGuyWithTheGlasses, is one of the smarter members. He reviews the best movies of all time, attempting to figure out what makes them so great. You'd be suprised to learn he's 17 with all the classic films he reviews and references.

* In Steven Spielberg's 2005 ''Film/WarOfTheWorlds'', Rachel Ferrier has shades of this. When she's not in immediate danger, she alternates between being the voice of reason and LittleMissSnarker. At one point, she inadvertently foreshadows how [[spoiler:the Earth will eventually force out its invaders]] by refusing to let Ray remove a small splinter from her hand that her body can deal with it on its own. She's also observant, recognizing the presence of danger before most of those around her, and seems to have a firmer grasp on the situation than Ray gives her credit her (after [[spoiler:Ray is forced to kill Ogilvy to protect her, she clearly understands what happened and seeks to comfort him]]). [[RealityEnsues When she's threatened with a serious crisis, though, she still behaves just like any frightened child]].

* Elaine Belloc from ''ComicBook/{{Lucifer}}'', particularly after she returns from the dead and loses both her naivete and [[MisaimedFandom crush on the title character]]. (The readers subsequently learn that even before her death a teacher described her as "twelve going on forty."

* ''Series/{{Taken}}'': As demonstrated by her narration of the first six episodes before her formal introduction, Allie Keys is an extraordinarily wise, intelligent and insightful nine-year-old due to her part alien heritage and the accompanying PsychicPowers. Her grandfather Jacob Clarke also exhibited these characteristics to a lesser extent. Allie has a far better understanding of life and human nature than people several times her age. For instance, in "God's Equation", her mother Lisa Clarke's bandmate Denny tells her that when he wakes up every morning, all that he can see is the end of the day. As a result, he doesn't see the point of even getting up in the morning. Allie then asks him if he thinks about the end of a song when he is performing. He says that he has to focus all of his attention of the part of the song that he is playing or he would never get through it. Without Allie saying anything, Denny then realizes that she is telling him to adopt the same attitude to life. Later in the episode, Allie is able to defuse the HostageSituation by helping Ray Morrison to realize that he is so angry at the world because he was [[DomesticAbuse sexually molested]] when he was eight and it was easier to blame aliens for everything bad that had happened to him than to face his problems. She then allows the UFO project to take her into custody in order to protect Charlie and Lisa and prevent a bloodbath, even though she was more than powerful enough to escape. In the final episode "Taken", [[spoiler: Allie makes the difficult decision to join the aliens [[IJustWantToBeNormal in spite of her almost overwhelming desire to be a normal little girl]]. She knows that it is the only way to prevent people from being killed in the confrontation between the military and the abductees who came to protect her. Allie also has the wisdom to realize that Charlie and Lisa's plan to escape to UsefulNotes/SouthAmerica will not work since the government would only find them again.]]

* Octavian on ''Series/{{Rome}}''. He sometimes combines this with TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior, which makes him rather [[CreepyChild creepy]].
* Alexis on ''Series/{{Castle}}''. It helps that both her father and her grandmother are much more playful than would be expected of a parent.
** Sometimes, though, she acts more her age. Like when she cries while confessing to her father that she jumped a subway turnstile... then went back the next day and paid twice and didn't even ride.
* [[TruthInTelevision Elizabeth]] on ''Series/TheTudors''. Not surprising since she would grow up to become Elizabeth I.
* Ziva from ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' mentions that as a child in Israel, one has to grow up quickly or else you get killed.
* Several ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' characters, including the original [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Mighty Morphin']] Rangers. Trini in particular stand out among the original six[[note]]even though Billy was the resident TeenGenius, she was intelligent enough to be his TechnoBabble translator[[/note]], but they all displayed a significantly higher degree of wisdom than you'd expect of high school freshmen or, in fact, the average adult. Zordon chose well.
* ''Series/VeronicaMars'' has the titular character, a private eye who not only makes a number of references that should really be beyond her range, but also regularly outsmarts many adult characters over the course of the show despite being a teenager. There is also the matter of her [[BrokenBird emotional duress]] which has granted her a cynicism more typical of a ''divorced adult.''
* Manny from ''Series/ModernFamily''.

* Jake Brockman in ''Series/{{Outnumbered}}'' is this in Season 1 & 2. However, he actually seems to become ''dumber'' as he gets older and becomes a teenager.
* Series/{{Merlin|2008}} starts out as a bumbling, clueless teenager. However, CharacterDevelopment eventually changes him into this.

* ''Series/CriminalMinds'': Spencer Reid was an incredibly gifted child in his youth. He is also the youngest member of the BAU.
** A rather tragic case in ''From Childhood's Hour'' with ten-year-old boy, Bobby. Because his mother was clinically depressed and suicidal, he developed a more mature and serious attitude on life. He was able figure out really quick that the man who abducted him had killed his mother, much to his horror and sadness.

* ''Series/{{Reba}}'': Kyra is arguably the smartest person in the entire family(to the point of getting straight As) and is often much more mature and level-headed at dealing with things then the adults. While she is a DeadpanSnarker and often likes to make fun of people, she's also very thoughtful and caring. Most notably she's the one who ends up successfully convincing Cheyenne to go back to high school(after she got suspended and Van quit playing football to blackmail the school into letting her back in) and also the one who calmed Cheyenne down about the prospect of childbirth.
* ''Series/{{Taken}}'': As demonstrated by her narration of the first six episodes before her formal introduction, Allie Keys is an extraordinarily wise, intelligent and insightful nine-year-old due to her part alien heritage and the accompanying PsychicPowers. Her grandfather Jacob Clarke also exhibited these characteristics to a lesser extent. Allie has a far better understanding of life and human nature than people several times her age. For instance, in "God's Equation", her mother Lisa Clarke's bandmate Denny tells her that when he wakes up every morning, all that he can see is the end of the day. As a result, he doesn't see the point of even getting up in the morning. Allie then asks him if he thinks about the end of a song when he is performing. He says that he has to focus all of his attention of the part of the song that he is playing or he would never get through it. Without Allie saying anything, Denny then realizes that she is telling him to adopt the same attitude to life. Later in the episode, Allie is able to defuse the HostageSituation by helping Ray Morrison to realize that he is so angry at the world because he was [[DomesticAbuse sexually molested]] when he was eight and it was easier to blame aliens for everything bad that had happened to him than to face his problems. She then allows the UFO project to take her into custody in order to protect Charlie and Lisa and prevent a bloodbath, even though she was more than powerful enough to escape. In the final episode "Taken", [[spoiler: Allie makes the difficult decision to join the aliens [[IJustWantToBeNormal in spite of her almost overwhelming desire to be a normal little girl]]. She knows that it is the only way to prevent people from being killed in the confrontation between the military and the abductees who came to protect her. Allie also has the wisdom to realize that Charlie and Lisa's plan to escape to UsefulNotes/SouthAmerica will not work since the government would only find them again.]]

* Prince Jarvan Lightshield IV from ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends''.

* Blitz, in VideoGame/BalmungCycle, especially relative to the people around him.
* Ken Amada from ''VideoGame/Persona3'' is another, largely due to the fact that his mother was killed in an accident some years prior. [[spoiler: Said "accident" is later revealed to have been caused by another Persona-user, thus prompting Ken to join SEES to seek his revenge]].
* Not to mention six-year-old Nanako from ''VideoGame/Persona4'' who pretty much takes care of herself, and does all the housework, and is the pride of her elementary school. She basically stepped into her mother's role after her death, [[spoiler:and both her Social Link and her TV dungeon make it clear that she's never quite gotten over that.]]
** Naoto is an older example, being an AceDetective and called upon (if not respected) by the cops despite being a first-year high school student. [[spoiler:Her Shadow flips between LittleProfessorDialogue and childish crying, manifesting the divide between how she presents herself and how the world really treats her.]]
* Shinra from ''Videogame/FinalFantasyX2''.

* Chuck Downfield of ''VideoGame/BackyardFootball''. He's [[YoungerThanTheyLook nine years old]], but knows exactly what to do with football plays.
* Mission Vao from ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' could be seen as this, as she had to become very street-smart very quickly after her brother abandoned her on Taris.
* In the ''Franchise/DotHack'' series, Wiseman. At the time of the original games, he's ten years old. You would ''never'' guess this from his efficient, calculating, highly intelligent on-line persona.
** Sakaki in ''VideoGame/DotHackGU'' is a similar case: an elementary school student who is on the governing council of one of the largest Guilds in the game and is constantly giving speeches about morality to people much older than he is. [[spoiler:He also tries to TakeOverTheWorld through AIDA in order to enforce his standards of morality on everyone.]]
* ''VideoGame/Fallout3's'' protagonist, the Lone Wanderer, is only 19 at the start of the game. Even so, fresh out of Vault 101, one of the first things you can find yourself doing is demonstrating that you are perfectly capable of ''disarming a nuclear bomb''.
** In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', at the 188 Trading Post, there's a child living by himself, which offers to read [[PlayerCharacter The Courier's]] [[FaintingSeer fortune for a price]]. His [[{{Foreshadowing}} observations are rather on the mark]].

* In Season 1 of ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'', Clem was already very resourceful and caring for her age, and by the time season 2 rolls around, two years have passed and she's become even more-so. She's often a ''lot'' more sensible and level-headed than the adults around her.
** Taken even further in season 4, wherein AJ is frequently found having complex discussions about morality and survival with Clementine. While this is partially justified by AJ having to grow up fast in a post-apocalyptic world, the game acts like Clementine's knowledge and experience are what make her smarter than AJ, not the fact that AJ is ''a five year old boy'' whose brain is nowhere near as developed as a sixteen year old's. Even if you try to[[spoiler: refuse AJ the right to make life and death decisions in episode 4, the game forces Clem to retract this once she's no longer under the player's control, admitting this five year old boy knows what he's doing.]]
* In ''Franchise/AceAttorney'', Franziska von Karma. She became a legal prosecutor at age ''thirteen'', and went undefeated for FIVE YEARS.
* ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' exaggerates this trope with the the Garrickson baby of [[NeverLand Youngtown]]. [=NPCs=] in the same town remark on there being "something strange" about the infant, and when talked to directly, it utters unintelligible, meaningless sounds. [[spoiler: When Ninten's power of {{Telepathy}} is used on it, however, its thoughts are in complete, understandable sentences, and the infant reveals that it has PsychicPowers, to the point that it teaches Ninten's party how to use the [[{{Teleportation}} Teleport PSI power]].]]

* [[spoiler:Sera]] is introduced in ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'' as a goodhearted but naive teenager. [[spoiler:The sequel reveals that she was [[YoungerThanTheyLook rapidly]] [[RapidAging aged due to]] her powers; she's seven years old. She fights to save the world, knowing that she will die, and leads the [[BandOfBrothers Embryon]] in Serph's absence]].
* Irci from ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm''. Her exact age isn’t given, but she’s clearly a young child. She’s had to mature quickly, since her older sister Til is a nervous wreck and their parents are [[AmbiguouslyAbsentParent nowhere to be seen]]. It’s implied that Irci has largely been the one raising Til, instead of the other way around.
* Hilde of ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Calibur IV]]'' is a German princess who took up the throne at a young age due to her father's onset insanity, caused by the Evil Seed. She had to become an adult very quickly to protect and guide her kingdom. It's very telling that when she is [[TimeSkip aged up to 35]] in ''V'', she has barely changed as a person from her 18-year-old self.

* ''VisualNovel/MajikoiLoveMeSeriously'' has Monshiro, who has skipped grades, acts extremely mature and is considerate of others' feelings - arguably moreso than her brother Hideo, who seems to lack an "off" switch.
* Rika from ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' at times exhibits a mental capacity far beyond that of a child. Of course, that [[FridgeBrilliance makes sense]] when you find out that [[spoiler: due to the GroundhogDayLoop she's been stuck in, and being the only one who retains her memories, mentally she is actually hundreds of years old.]]

* Egg of ''Roleplay/{{AJCO}}'' is a sharp-minded, competent prosecutor bordering on a BadassPacifist, and currently ''the'' most perceptive character on the entire server according to the MACELIPS stats (rating at 9 points out of 10). She is also only ''seventeen''.

* In both the original ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' series and the spin-off ''WesternAnimation/AllGrownUp'', Susie Carmichael's shown to be very mature for her age--at only three years old, she was already fluent in French ''and'' knew where human babies really came from (which she told Angelica, but Angelica didn't believe her). However, taking into consideration how Susie's mom, Lucy, is a [[SuperDoc doctor]] (and one of the specialities she practices is obstetrics), the latter probably shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. Susie's older brother, Edwin, is a much better example.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** Lisa Simpson, and this has quite often been a plot point of the show. In fact, one episode has Mayor Quimby surprised that she's a child, saying that he always thought she was a midget -- Lisa explains that she ''isn't'' and that the preferred term is "little person."
** All of the elementary school kids (except Ralph Wiggum) seem fairly mature for their age -- although not all are as mature as Lisa.
** Lisa's sister, Maggie, as well, despite being just a baby.
* Mac from ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'', who's become more mature to counteract his freewheeling and borderline {{Jerkass}} friend, Bloo.
* Huey from ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks''.
-->"He speaks so well."
* 60's SaturdayMorningCartoon ''Super 6'' featured Magneto Man and his boy sidekick, Cal, boy genius with a computer brain.
* WesternAnimation/JamesBondJr received info and equipment from school pal and genius '''I'''.Q.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', Aang and Katara's granddaughter Jinora certainly counts. [[spoiler: She's so wise that at the age of 11 she becomes the Avatar's spiritual master, saves the world and the Avatar no less than 3 times because of her wisdom and spiritual skills, and outdoes her own grandfather's record of becoming the youngest airbending master in history at the age of 11 and implied to be the unofficial leader of the new Air Nation behind her dad, Tenzin.]]
* Arnold from ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' in spades.
** Just about every kid in Arnold's class, actually. There's no way that's a group of fourth graders. No way.
*** But Arnold is the one they go to when they are in over their heads. Even the adults did this eventually.
*** And he was once asked to be a best man. He's ''nine''.
*** So is Helga, and she was the maid of honor in that same wedding.
%%* Brendon, Melissa and Jason from ''WesternAnimation/HomeMovies''.
* The Franchise/{{DCAU}} brings us [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond Kai-ro]], the ten-year-old Green Lantern from Tibet. A ten-year-old wielding a willpower-based weapon, who was easily the most level-headed member of his incarnation of the Justice League. ''Badass''.

* The ''WesternAnimation/MonsterBusterClub'' members are twelve years old. Said twelve-year-olds regularly beat up evil aliens and save the day with a combination of gadgetry, teamwork, and physical prowess bordering on CharlesAtlasSuperpower.
* In ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', all of the students with the exception of [[CheerfulChild Butters]] have shown to be consistently more intelligent than the adults especially in the later episodes and understand many complex things. The basis of the main plot of the episode "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" is Cartman feeling too mature for his friends ([[IgnorantOfTheirOwnIgnorance He isn't.]]) and attempting to make friends with adults. It worked far too well.
* This appeared to be the entire premise of FOX's animated series ''WesternAnimation/AllenGregory''. Unfortunately, the kid was also an unlikable twerp, so the show didn't last.

* In Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'', Leonardo is responsible for the lives of his three brothers, the protection of his home and sensei, and occasionally the fate of the city. He's ''fifteen years old'' (no older than the rest of his brothers).

* Milli and Geo of ''WesternAnimation/TeamUmizoomi'', [[JustifiedTrope who are Math Heroes]]

* The kids in ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' often act far older than most 8 and 9-year-olds would act. They [[FreeRangeChildren roam freely around their home city]] and get involved in many activities most kids their age don't even consider, such as taking Czech courses or practicing kendo. [[Main/ChildProdigy Brain]] seems to be a Main/{{Flanderization}} of this, even having a mini science-laboratory in his room and constructing his own machinery. For all intents and purposes, they act pretty much like high schoolers unless the plot requires otherwise.
** Ironically, it's the ''preschool'' characters who act more like 3rd and 4th graders in real life, in terms of their worldview and their vocabulary.
* All the kids on ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}''. Despite being only in sixth grade, they [[FreeRangeChildren freely roam about town without any parental supervision]], empathize with each other in ways very few real life sixth graders are able to, talk completely like adults, etc.
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', though it takes a little while to become apparent. The first half of season one is often, "Steven somehow gets into trouble and the Crystal Gems have to save him", but once the true stakes become apparent and character development sets in, it becomes, "Steven continually helps resolve the emotional issues of his friends and family".
* Fritz from ''WesternAnimation/TimothyGoesToSchool'' is the most intelligent student who mainly focuses on anything science related.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': Mr. Cat may be a mere preteen, but he's well versed in advanced sciences, [[GadgeteerGenius can repair and build machines, gadgets and robots]] and thinks more like an adult than a kid.

%% Image and caption selected per Image Pickin' threads:
%% https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=4xdf8z79end1wma43int7iyl
%% https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1571047132093177100
%% Please do not change or remove either without starting a new thread.

* Shiro Kabuto from ''Anime/MazingerZ'' and ''Anime/GreatMazinger'' seems pretty mature for his age (specially compared with Kouji), and actually he is [[SmarterThanYouLook smarter than he looks]]. This is because Shiro is a full-fledged IronWoobie is forced to life on his own withou a parents' care. His parents were dead, it is implied his grandfather Juzo spent most of his time building Mazinger-Z, and Kouji is busy handling the household jobs and going to school, thus leaving him alone. And let's not forget [[spoiler:his supposedly dead father was too busy building Great Mazinger to take care of them AND tell them he was alive.]]

* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'':
** The first time we see the 9-year-old heroine Nanoha she's pondering the direction and purpose of her life. Later, when she discovers her powers, she almost immediately takes a responsible view of them akin to Comicbook/SpiderMan, except her wakeup call was ''property damage'' rather than the death of a loved one. Her parents also don't seem to mind their daughter taking time off from school to chase after magical artifacts.
** The series also introduces us to Hayate. A wheelchair-bound 9-year-old who takes care of the Wolkenritter as their mother figure. Even before then, she had been living independently for who knows how long [[ParentalAbandonment after her parents died]]. You'd expect that her guardian would at least have an adult look after her, especially considering her disability. In any event, it's highly unlikely that any [[SocialServicesDoesNotExist social service]] would let this one slide.
** Interestingly enough, Hayate, looking back on her childhood in Sound Stage M4, laments that she feels as though she hasn't grown up since then. Signum then responds that she has grown up at a reasonable pace, and that by comparison, Fate grew up too quickly.
** Several other characters are like this as well, especially the calm and mature (if originally single-minded) DarkMagicalGirl Fate, AdventurerArchaeologist Yuuno and interdimensional cop Chrono (who actually starts off under the command of his own mother in a sort of pseudo-subversion). One can assume that either Midchilda does not have the same cultural or legal expectations about Age of Majority that most Earth cultures do, or very clear laws allowing exceptions.
** The only real aversion is Vivio, who actually acts like the 6-year-old she's supposed to be. Although this only applied when she was 6. By the time she hits 10, she's just as mature as everyone else.
* ''Manga/ToLoveRu'' has Mikan, the main character's little sister, as one of the most mature characters in the cast. Except for not hitting puberty yet, of course.
* Doremi's sister Pop in ''Anime/OjamajoDoremi'', so much that her parents let her go on a train trip by herself. She's ''five'' years old at the time. Although it's clear at least that their mom Haruka ''was'' worried, as she asked Doremi to keep an eye on her after Pop had gone.
* Anna Kushina of ''Anime/{{K}}'', particularly in season 2 after [[spoiler: she Awakens as the new Red King]]. Probably due to her [[TheEmpath empathic powers]] - if she's able to understand all sides to an argument, that gives her the experience to understand all different sorts of people enough to be truly wise, even at [[TokenMiniMoe age 11]].
* Every single member of the Arcobaleno in ''Manga/Reborn2004'' qualifies. Reborn himself could be a serious contender for poster boy of the trope, even before we knew the other six. [[spoiler:Actually an AvertedTrope as it turns out that they're all adult assassins cursed with the [[OlderThanTheyLook appearance of infants]].]]
%%* ''Manga/{{Monster}}'': Johan Liebert became a MagnificentBastard at ten years old when he made a building worth of people slaughter each other for his amusement, using nothing but force of personality.
* While 10-year-old Negi of ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' still very much enjoys being a kid, he has dedicated months of time to brutal TrainingFromHell, shown a deep understanding of both his friends and enemies, and has a powerful drive to find his father, such that he is willing to make great personal sacrifices. This on top of being a high school teacher of a WackyHomeroom.
** This gets covered in [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] during second half of the Mahora festival arc, where just about everybody states that Negi is too young to be thinking about the moral implications of protecting the TheMasquerade. Later on, he gets all sorts of speeches about how he should just act like a normal kid and stop worrying about everything. None of them penetrates his thick skull.
** Negi is a {{Deconstruction}} of this trope as he literally has no idea how to be a child. Once when he was on vacation and was supposed to just have fun he tried approaching it the same way he does everything else: by carefully analyzing the situation and coming up with most efficient solution, until Asuna told him he should just relax for once.
** There's also Yue. Fourteen-year-old high school student versed in philosophy and Negi's sounding board for moral dilemmas.
** Chisame also qualifies, as she arguably has the [[OnlySaneMan best grip on reality]] out of everyone, and Jack Rakan even identifies her as being the advisor that Negi benefits most from.
** [[SupremeChef Satsuki Yotsuba]] is head cook of a roadside cantina that she established with her fellow classmates. At the age of 14, she already has her future planed and is actively working to achive it. Even [[CynicalMentor Evang]][[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld eline]] respects her.
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** It's hard to remember how young the children and teenagers are in this manga. Ichigo, Sado, Orihime and Uryuu start off as fifteen year olds, but are far more mature than their age wound indicate. Some of their classmates are the same, such as Tatsuki. Their Shinigami peers are the same: Renji, Rukia, Kira, Hinamori, Ganju, etc., are all teens but behave like adults.
** Hitsugaya is (biologically) only 12-13 years old but doesn't behave like a typical child his age due to having been thrust into the role of youngest captain in history. Aizen works out that the truth is obscured and that Hitsugaya does actually have the in-built weaknesses associated with his biological youth (such as lacking both the life experience and emotional maturity of a grown adult). When Aizen triggers this weakness, the [[BerserkButton ignition]] of Hitsugaya's emotions into an UnstoppableRage (and the other captains' inability to have foreseen this weakness) spells disaster for everyone.

* Murasaki in ''[[LightNovel/KureNai Kure-nai]]'' yo-yos between believably childish behavior for her age of 7 and extremely adult-like decision making, especially near the ending of the series.
* ''Anime/CodeGeass'':
** Kaguya Sumeragi, a fourteen-year-old girl with PuppyDogEyes and a PrecociousCrush on [[RebelLeader Zero]], who often turns out to be one of the wisest, reasonable characters on the show and the one person Zero treats with complete respect while callously ordering around the rest of the Black Knights.
** Nunnally seems to be in her way to become one of these in R2. After the end of the series, [[spoiler: She rules Britannia, Tianzi Lihua, who's even younger than her, rules China, and Kaguya leads the UFN, with an unnamed girl around their age ruling (presumably) Europe (as seen in the Miracle Birthday OVA). So all of the world leaders are [[TokenMiniMoe cute]] examples of this]].
** Don't forget; Lelouch is only 17 when the series begins. Older than most of the examples on this page, but still a little young for the kind of [[GambitRoulette crazy stuff]] [[OutGambitted he pulls off]]. On top of that, he was already a {{Chessmaster}} in his early Britannia days.
* Pretty much any child from Creator/{{CLAMP}}:
** Tomoyo from ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' is not only ''GenreSavvy'', but is able to see the hidden intentions of every character she comes across even though she's a fourth-grader.
*** Even Eriol acknowledges Tomoyo's savviness.
** Five year old Hatoko from ''Manga/AngelicLayer'' dispenses wisdom like Yoda but without the fractured syntax.
** CLAMP School has the six year old kindergarten class president, and an adolescent Man Of Twenty Faces who steals large statues from under the noses of the police etc, and more.
** [[spoiler:Tsubasa]] Syaoran Li in ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' is only seven years old when he first went to Clow Country and met Sakura but somehow, he understands the concept of love, magic, and even deals with the sorcerers. He might as well be the most mature characters in the the series, even more than an adult like Fai or Kurogane.
* Rihoko in the ''Anime/{{Witchblade}}'' anime, to the point of being smarter than her mother.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** Shikamaru, though you may pass him off as ''just'' a TeenGenius but he also already has plans for the future including his marriage, how many kids he wants and when he'll die. Not to mention he was willing to have both himself and his best friends go up against a much stronger opponent that would most likely kill them as to further the mission. This is all when he's 12/13. As ChildSoldiers most of the cast would qualify but Shikamaru is the best example.
** Itachi and Kakashi's backgrounds cast them as even more extreme cases: Itachi graduated the academy top of the class at 7 (all of the main cast did that at 12), passed the chuunin exams at 10, and became an ANBU captain at 13. He joined Akatsuki at '''14''' or '''15'''. Kakashi graduated at ''five'', passed the chuunin exam ''one year later'', and became a jonin under special condition at 13.
** Another good example is Sasuke, who was designed ''specifically'' to be in this trope as a contrast to Naruto. The author even revealed that he had trouble drawing him at first because he had a lack of experience in drawing characters who are "wise beyond their years".
** A far more convincing example would be [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Gaara]] post-HeelFaceTurn: after years of serving as Sunagakure's Fifth Kazekage, he has not only become far more intuitive and rational compared to his hot-headed equals from other villages, he is also far more compassionate even to [[spoiler: a now-AxCrazy Sasuke and a troubled [[AllLovingHero Naruto]].]]
*** Case and Point: his response to [[spoiler:Tobi's AssimilationPlot?]]
---->'''Gaara''': Peace under an illusion is not true peace. Peace is only meaningful when the world manages to accomplish it.
** [[ShrinkingViolet Hinata]] [[NiceGirl Hyuga]] is the only one who sees Naruto for who he truly is ''long'' before any of the other characters do. She offers him assurance and gives him back his confidence as Naruto fights Neji. Before that, though, she sees and understands Neji for the troubled and suffering soul he really is, which really [[BerserkButton set him off]].
** [[NiceGuy Rock]] [[TheAce Lee]] is so wise and mature in comparison to the other Konoha 12 that [[WordOfGod Masashi Kishimoto]] says he's the only one that doesn't need anymore CharacterDevelopment.
** Almost all the child characters count to varying degrees, at least when compared to real kids their age. {{Justified}} that they live in a society where kids are given huge responsibilities from an early age, [[ChildSoldier even being able to become ninja]].

* Seto Kaiba from ''Anime/YuGiOh'' He pretty much threw his childhood in the dumpster when [[PromotionToParent he promised to always take care of and protect]] Mokuba. The fact that he rarely smiles and is exceedingly serious, not to mention he ''runs his own company'', despite being only perhaps in his late teens/early twenties is actually commented on by several of the characters, notably Joey, Tristan, and Tea. Plus, the guy beat a chess grandmaster at age twelve, and then proceeded to turn ten thousand dollars into about ten million dollars in ''the course of one day'', when he had a year to do it.

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'':
** Asuka is a 14-year-old TeenGenius and something of a special case. On one level she understands just how suicidally dangerous being a pilot is, and has made peace with it (at least at first). She also shows impressive understanding of other people's motivations and relations (with the notable exception of Rei -- she's aware of Misato/Kaji, just in denial). On the flip side, she is very short-tempered and bratty.
** There's also Rei, who is cited by another character as seeming "far older" than the rest of them.

* Both Kyon and Koizumi of ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' fit. Kyon is a little ''too'' much of a jaded cynic for just being 16 years old.

* Chiyo-chan from ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' can not only [[ChildProdigy handle high school-level schoolwork]], she also manages to be a class rep and hold down a part-time job, and is generally just as mature and capable as her teenaged friends. She's ten years old.
* Several of the ''Manga/{{Bokurano}}'' kids like Kirie, Moji and Kodama. But 10-year-old Kana takes it to borderline ridiculous levels. Accepting a constant abuse of her older brother Jun and [[spoiler:preventing people around them from interfere, because she knows he's angry at their dead mother for her absence, and by taking it out to her he's in reality treating her as somewhat of the ''mother figure''? Not even being Jun's blood-sister, but hiding it from him in order to make him feel secure, she devotes herself to finding his real mother. In the manga, while she's ''about to die'' it remains her biggest concern -- because Jun's gonna need support after she's gone.]]
* Fuji-hime from ''VideoGame/HarukanaruTokiNoNakaDe'' might fit this trope, since she is effectively the team's mentor -- even if most of her knowledge comes from her ability to see the future, she is arguably more mature than some of the members of the central cast (whose age ranges from 14 to 32, with Fuji being only ten). ''Might'' have something to do with her destiny to assist the main character, but still...
* Chiru from ''Anime/{{Xabungle}}'' is all of 8 but consistently manages to be one of the more level-headed characters in a cast of teens and adults. This is significant, since in 1981 children in anime, if they weren't the [[CompetenceZone main character or in a cast of mostly kids]], were typically TheLoad or a BrattyHalfPint.
* Wendy Garret of ''Anime/GunXSword'', who's maybe 13-14, is in many ways more mature than her traveling companion, Van. More importantly, she functions as the moral center for the series, being one of the few characters to think deeply about the moral/ethical issues surrounding The Claw's plan.
* Most of ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'' revolves around how Naota rejects his childhood.
%%* Akemi Homura from ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' is a [[DarkerAndEdgier darker take]] of this trope (like everything else in the anime). She only knows better than everyone else because [[spoiler: she was forced to repeat things again and again and again, each iteration worse than the last. Having a goddamn ''alien conspiracy'' as her ArchEnemy doesn't help]].
* In the flashback arc of ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' we get young Knives. Levelheaded, charming, genius programmer--''[[YoungerThanTheyLook one year old]]''. He's also got a fair helping of cynicism and subscribes increasingly to a utilitarian philosophy, which eventually propels him into deciding to KillAllHumans. But hey. He was unreasonably wise all the same.
** Manga child-Knives was actually slightly more childlike than manga ''[[AllLovingHero Vash]]''; he's the source of statements like "[[WideEyedIdealist there's no difference between people's hearts and ours, so everyone can learn to understand each other]]." Both of them still qualify for wise beyond their years for talking philosophy when they look eight and are actually ''one''.
*** Their response to the Tesla revelation is electing to sit down right there and stay there until they die, rather than running to their mother figure and if not asking her for comfort at least confronting her about her betrayal. Tell me that's not unchildlike.
** Manga Wolfwood was shot for the first time when he was eight or so, and suddenly realized that he wanted to live, after all. Anime Wolfwood was abused and offed the bastard at a slightly older age.
*** Manga Wolfwood was subjected to medical treatments that aged him at an accelerated rate, and based on the ages of the other kids in the orphanage in the flashback and when he returns, he can't be older than eighteen when [[spoiler:he dies]], which makes him no more than sixteen when he met Vash. So he's kind of this for the entire series.
** Little Legato is somewhere between eight and thirteen, probably on the younger side, but his response to Knives appearing and killing everyone but him, including the building they were raping him inside, is… uniquely calm, to say the least.
** And possibly Zazie the Beast, anime version. Or he may be an adult with a hormone condition. Data insufficient.
** Every kid on this list except Vash is also under CreepyChild.
* ''Manga/HanaukyoMaidTeam''. Grace is considerably more intelligent and wiser than the other maids, even though she's younger than they are.
* Almost every single one of the Pokedex Holders/Owners in ''Manga/PokemonAdventures''. With little exception, some more than others; a vast majority of them from the first four generations act like teenagers, if not older, including IdiotHero Gold, despite the average age being ''eleven'' (and in Sapphire's case, ''ten''), with some of them even thinking of their future careers already. This is ''especially'' noticeable with [[TheSpock Blue]] (especially jarring since his game counterpart could easily qualify as a BrattyHalfPint if the player wasn't the same age as him), [[FilleFatale Green]] and [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Silver]], though Green and Silver have the excuse of a DarkAndTroubledPast explaining their TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior, with the only exceptions being [[MellowFellow Diamond]], [[HotBlooded Red]] (at least initially) and maybe [[WildChild Sapphire]], [[TheNapoleon Emerald]], and [[{{Keet}} Sun]] but even they have their moments. Ironically in the case of [[LargeHam Black]] in the fifth generation, his initial characterization arguably actually made him act like how someone the age of previous Dex Holders ''should'' have (though even then the Dex Holders of the fifth generation save for Black had the distinction of actually having jobs, one of them even being self-employed and another being ''an International police officer''). Then the ''X and Y'' arc showed that X actually was a full-time professional battler as a child, and the ''Sun and Moon'' arc has Sun in millions of dollars in debt and Moon as an established pharmacist; it's heavily implied this is normal for the manga universe, however, if the fact that no one seems to think this is strange is any indication.
* Sasami of ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'' is this, especially after the first OVA series. Cooks and cleans for the household, the more levelheaded of the bunch, sweet and adorable and closest thing to an adult in the house is Katsuhito, who lives in the shrine instead of in the house. On the other hand, a lot of this may be a cover because [[spoiler:she thinks she's actually just a vessel for Tsunami and that the real Sasami's dead. Which isn't the case.]]
* ''Manga/FruitsBasket'': In the midst of a BigScrewedUpFamily, [[TokenMiniMoe Momiji]] is quite possibly the most mature of the Members of the Zodiac, even though [[ParentalAbandonment he has as good of an excuse as anyone to be messed up]]. He seems to act half his age ([[OlderThanTheyLook because he can]]), but he tries to understand people, too, and shows a lot of surprising insight, especially about [[StepfordSmiler Tohru]].
* Weed of ''Anime/GingaDensetsuWeed'' is supposed to be this trope, though to most of the audience he comes across as being overly nice to the point where he makes bad decisions like letting other dogs that tried to kill him live. Imagine if during any real war, one side let ALL enemies soldiers go after they tried to kill their troops or worse ''leaders'' and it readily becomes apparent how stupid Weed's decisions are. It's sending them back to their army to kill again.
** Well to be fair, in the manga, it was two random spies that Weed wanted to be merciful to after the spies begged for their lives. These dogs did not actively try to kill Weed or his comrades. The anime for some reason replaced the spies with the assassins [[spoiler:Thunder and Lector]]. Also in the manga, it is directly shown that Gin had always agreed with Weed's stance on killing, and him seemingly trying to kill [[spoiler:Hougen]] was actually a test to see if Weed was a true leader. In the anime, it is the same way but it's not as clearly explained. It's also worth noting that Gin let Sniper live in GNG even though the doberman tried to kill him and his comrades multiple times.
* Haman Khan from ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' is this trope, being the cool, mature Neo-Zeon commander [[ImprobableAge at the age of 20-21]]. While this is in part due to her competence and Newtype capabilities, it's also justified due to having been made the de facto leader of Axis as a young teen, forcing her to grow up far quicker. While works like ''Char's Deleted Affair'' further show her transformation from optimistic wide-eyed girl to embittered if chillingly dangerous woman.
* Lacus Clyne in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' inherits control over a large anti-war faction in ZAFT from her father at the tender age of 16, and immediately engages in skillful political maneuvering and alliance-building surprising pretty much everyone who saw her as [[SilkHidingSteel just another gentle pop-singer]]. While doing all that, she also somehow finds the time to play the therapist for both of the series' male leads, Kira and Athrun, and eventually brings both (and their mechs) under her banner, which serves to boost her faction's firepower considerably.

* Haru from ''Manga/{{Beastars}}'' is more mature than the average third year student especially in regards to relationships and intimacy. As Juno puts it.
-->"Why is this bunny so mature? [...] She talks like a grown-up, but sounds like a child."

* Huey, Dewey and Louie, the nephews of WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, frequently come across this way in the stories of Creator/CarlBarks. Of course, next to ill-tempered, irresponsible, immature "Unca Donald" and even greedy, miserly, tunnel-visioned [[ComicBook/TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck Uncle Scrooge]], it doesn't take much to be the most responsible ones in the room, especially when aided by a HiveMind and a GreatBigBookOfEverything.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'':
** While [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Tim Drake]] may start out as the most "normal" of the Robins, with living non-criminal parents even, his mother's, father's, girlfriend's and best friends' murders along with living in and working as a hero in Gotham and Bludhaven which has exposed him to some of the worst humanity has to offer has sobered up the already incredibly smart young detective and made him learn to be clever and manipulative in new ways.
** Damian Wayne, son of Bruce and Talia al-Ghul, starts out as your average BrattyHalfPint. Slowly, beginning in ''Batman and Robin'', under the constant tutelage of Dick Grayson and after being given a couple of lessons in teamwork by Tim Drake, sheds his brash cockiness, evolving into an overtly serious, competent but gloomy hero. Basically, a little clone of his daddy. Stephanie Brown, the third ''Batgirl'' (not counting Helena Bertinelli) comes actually to pity his utter inability to act his age anymore, being a ten-year-old kid unable to play or interact with other children, but deadly competent in crimefighting and investigation, with snarker-tendencies.
** Bruce Wayne himself, in several renditions of the mythos, is known to have ''never smiled again'' after the unfortunate death of his parents, shedding his childhood at once to hasten his growth into the deadly crime-fighter we know currently. Lampshaded in the animated retelling of the mythos, ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', where, after [[FountainOfYouth temporarily being turned into children by a magical spell]], ComicBook/WonderWoman merrily quips how it was kind of nice to be a kid again. Batman simply shrugs, and shatters her joyful spirit by muttering "I haven't been a kid since I was eight years old."
* Most members of the ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperheroes'' are like this, to the point that it can be easy to forget that they're (usually) teenagers.

* Linus from ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' is often a good source of advice.

* Thelma in ''Film/LittleSweetheart''. Unfortunately, she uses her intellect to blackmail people and get away with horrific crimes. She's also nine.
* [[TheChosenOne The Golden Child]] from ''Film/TheGoldenChild'', being [[DepartmentofRedundancyDepartment The Golden Child]] and everything.
* The eponymous character of ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff''. Conventional wisdom would tell us that he should be studying, preparing for his future, but he knows that the future is now; it's today. He's not going to spend his whole life [[http://xkcd.com/458/ wishing he had done something]], he just does it. He also helps give his friend the confidence to move beyond his ParentalIssues and take control of his own life, all while thwarting the attempts of DeanBitterman to bring him down and imprison him in yet another year of high school.
** Of course, he's also [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation a bit of a sociopath and rather smug.]]
* Parodied in the coffee scene in ''Film/{{Airplane}}''
* Lyddie in ''Film/SavingSarahCain''. Justified in that she was old enough for it to be plausible. She wasn't wise ridiculously beyond her years.
* Angela Christ from Fassbinder's ''Chinese Roulette''. She is not only a ChildProdigy, but also has very good abilities to discover dirty secrets and understand hidden desires of adults around her.
* Miette in ''Film/TheCityOfLostChildren''.

* Peter and George (to a lesser extent) in ''Film/FindingNeverland''
* The kid LaResistance team Wolverines in ''Film/RedDawn1984'' fancy themselves as such, but still make rash and heat-of-the-moment-driven decisions.

* ''Film/MenWithBrooms'': After Amy falls OffTheWagon, Chris Cutter attempts to tell her son that she's sick. He replies that even ''he'' can tell that "she's shitfaced." He promises to look after her for the night just the same because "She's the only mom I've got."
* In ''Film/QuestOfTheDeltaKnights'', T is portrayed this way. An example, when he and Leonardo de Vinci find themselves captured with no means of escape, Leonardo frets about what they're going to do and how T can try to sleep at a time like this until T tells him, "when in doubt, rest." [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 Crow]] responds, "You are full of crap beyond your years, kid."

* Mattie Ross, at least in the 2010 adaptation of ''Film/TrueGrit''. Her determination and drive to catch her father's killer gives even the most hardened bounty hunters pause, coupled as it is with a genuine seriousness and [[LittleProfessorDialog an impressive knowledge of law and scripture]]. Deconstructed, however, in that she is still naive enough to be vulnerable, and her lack of innocence as a child leads to an apparently joyless and lonely adulthood.
* Aside from being physically the [[YoungAndInCharge youngest]] Avenger (early twenties), Captain America in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' has the experience of a soldier and it allows him to see the best way to handle just about any battlefield. It makes him the greatest and most competent field leader to serve under, age be damned.
* The precocious little brat Rupert in ''Film/AKingInNewYork''.
* Queen Amidala was elected to be the leader of the Naboo while still in her adolescence. In ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' she is seen being commanding to her enemies and humble toward her allies.

* Another Natalie Portman example is Marty in ''Film/BeautifulGirls''.
-->'''Willie:''' How old are you?
-->'''Marty:''' Thirteen. But I'm an old soul.

* This is played with in ''Literature/JohannesCabalTheNecromancer'' and its sequels--in book one, Johannes is twenty-eight, but he acts like a grumpy old man most of the time (in one portion of the novel he realizes he sounds like one too because he's trying and failing to get his anger across) and not a young adult. If his age weren't stated it would be easy to imagine him as a man of forty or more. Given Cabal's intellect he was probably always like this, but what really pushed him over the edge was when the woman he loved died when he was young (19 or so).
* ''Literature/ASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents'':
** The Baudelaires, most notably Sunny, who's a baby for most of the series!
** Also, most members of the VFD.
* ''Literature/{{Matilda}}'': Matilda can multiply large numbers in her head (13 times 379, for example) in seconds, and says she likes to read just about anything. It's strongly implied that the only reason she isn't in an enrichment or advanced placement program by now is because her parents don't believe in the value of education.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': The Archive is the '''ultimate''' example of this trope. She is a seven-year-old girl who possesses the ''sum total'' of all human knowledge. Everything that had ever been written, or in the case of information on computers, printed out (she doesn't "learn" it until it is printed) she knows.
* In the ''Literature/ChungKuo'' series, several of the characters are first introduced as children in the first novel.
* Ender of ''Literature/EndersGame'', who is more mature than just about any other 6-year-old ever. By contrast, Bean of ''Literature/EndersShadow'' is even smarter than he is, but as amoral as you'd expect from a street kid.

* Charles Wallace Murry, of all ''Time Quartet'' books in which he appears, but most pointedly in ''Literature/AWrinkleInTime,'' when he's about six years old and is well aware that he's twice as mature as his nine-year-old brothers and his fourteen-year-old sister. However, this ''does'' turn into his downfall.
* Luna Lovegood of ''Literature/HarryPotter'', who combines this gracefully with {{Cloudcuckoolander}}. (Her mother died when Luna was nine, and her father doesn't seem to grasp all of his responsibilities perfectly...)
** Then there is Harry Potter himself, who, at age 11, realized that being cursed forever was a FateWorseThanDeath.
* Oonagh from ''Literature/TheProphecyOfTheStones'', who at first seems to be a sweet, playful, innocent, [[DoesNotLikeShoes barefoot]] girl, but in reality is a wise sorceress and the oracle. However, when she is asked questions she doesn't want to answer, she switches back to her childlike state and happily sings prophecies to herself.
* Goth, the heroine of ''Literature/TheWitchesOfKarres'' by Creator/JamesHSchmitz, a 1967 space opera. Goth is the middle sister of a trio of witch children, members of a super-psychic race/culture of humans. Her super-psychic powers, though, don't account for her relative maturity. She's elevenish, but not only teaches the adult hero magic, but advises him on political and economic moves. The hero only gets limelight because (1) he's the viewpoint character and (2) for a considerable time, Goth is kept off stage or unconscious.
* Pearl from ''Literature/TheScarletLetter''. This is ''exactly'' how she is thought of in-story (in fact it's part of the reason so many people think she's some kind of demon child).
* The main cast of ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'', especially Jake. How old they are isn't made clear until the end of the series, but it turns out they were 13 at the beginning and 16 at the end.
** With the crap they go through, they'd want to be.
*** Also, this is shown largely through CharacterDevelopment. Tobias and Cassie start off "a bit mature for their age" -- Tobias due to [[ParentalAbandonment Foster Parental Abandonment]], Cassie becuase she helps her dad run a wildlife shelter, and is used to life-and-death decisions and serious consequences. The others start as fairly normal, and it takes them a few books to stop goofing around. After a few months fighting an AlienInvasion that [[ParanoiaFuel could be anyone, anywhere]], though, they're wise beyond their years. If they weren't, they'd be dead by then.
* Alia, Paul Atreides's younger sister in ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'', thanks to being in the womb when her mother connected with the Fremen Reverend Mother.
** Paul himself was this in the first novel. He was only fifteen but spoke and acted like an adult, and usually treated as such because of it.
** Paul's children Leto II and Ghanima in ''Literature/ChildrenOfDune'' are also pre-born, similar to Alia.
* Eliot from ''Space Vulture'' is an excellent example. With no prior experience other than reading about it in books (and sometimes not even that, coming up with ideas on the spot), he hijacks a spaceship from the experienced [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain interplanetary thief and all-around ne'er-do-well]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Gil Terry]] and promptly shows that he can operate it better than its owner. A little later, he defies all common sense as well as the laws of physics by steering a lifeboat into a planet's atmosphere ''from the outside''. You don't resent him, though, because of his noble purpose, the fact that he makes a terrific foil for Gil, and because he's either utterly terrified or at least highly anxious most of the time, and not a smug smart kid at all.
* ''Literature/{{Forbidden}}'': All the Whitely kids; most of all Maya and Lochan who at the age of sixteen and seventeen are raising their three younger siblings together, and worrying about things most teenagers barely consider including an alcoholic mother, family finances, social services and and the age of legal guardianship. Their little sister Willa is an even sadder and younger example.
-->''At the age of five she has already come to terms with one of life’s harshest lessons: that the world isn’t fair...''
* ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'':
** Talia starts giving advice to her Queen when she is only 13. It's implied that her [[BondCreature Companion]] is helping there.
** Herald-trainees who take the 'usual' route to Herald (brought to Haven in their early teens) grow up fast. By the time they are full Heralds, around the age of eighteen, they are much older mentally and emotionally. Their bonds to their Companions and fellow Heralds usually hold off the unpleasant consequences of such rushed maturation.
** Talia's people consider their children adult as early as 13, and with the sort of upbringing she received, she's already something of a "miniature adult" when (at said 13) chosen for a Herald.

* In ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', one of Susan's young charges is six, but according to Susan "in cynicism, she's about thirty-five". She writes letters to [[AC:Death]] on pink paper with pictures of mice on it, so that he'll think she's cute.
* And again in ''Literature/GoodOmens'', where Wensleydale is called 'Youngster' by his parents, in the hope he'll ''take the hint''.
** In a weird way, Adam. After overcoming his [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Antichrist Instincts]] to destory the world, he manages to figure out how to stop the apocalypse only with the help of his four friends - and he argues about morality with [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Beezlebub]] and [[CelestialParagonsAndArchangels Metatron]] using what he considers 'just common sense'.
* Title character of "Teddy" from J.D. Salinger's ''Nine Stories'', who outshines his adult interlocutor Bob Nicholson (and--one imagines--most of the shrinks and scientists for whom he's an object of study). Knows [[spoiler:precisely when he'll die, which of course wouldn't be mentioned if it weren't relevant to the plot.]]
* Literature/AlexRider
* Creator/DaleBrown novels have Bradley James [=McLanahan=], who shows surprising maturity about the topic of death in ''Wings of Fire''.
* In John Dalmas's ''The Regiment'', the main character visits Tyss, homeworld of the PrivateMilitaryContractors in the title, and finds their educational system produces children who fit here. A girl of about five approaches and asks if he and his colleague are "Ertwa." The child's brother, roughly seven, points out that "Ertwa were very long ago," and says the two must be "Splennwa" (from planet Splenn) instead.[[note]]They're actually from Iryala, but most offworlders who come to Tyss ''are'' Splennites. The -wa suffix in the language of Tyss indicates people from such-and-such planet, so "Ertwa" are from "Ert" (Earth?)[[/note]]
-->The little girl studied them. "Splennwa?" she said, cocking her head critically. "I think not. They are abroad unprotected in the heat of day."

* Jojen Reed from ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', 13, is called "little grandfather" by Old Nan.
* Septimus Heap in ''Literature/SeptimusHeap'' is this thanks to his Young Army days to the point that he becomes [=ExtraOrdinary=] Apprentice at the age of 10.
* Otto in ''Literature/SomeoneElsesWar''. While most of the [[ChildSoldiers child soldiers]] are there against their will, Otto joined the LRA ''willingly'' because he knew his impoverished parents were having a hard time feeding all four of their children. He did this when he was '''eight'''. (By the start of the story, he's twelve.) He is even smart enough to realize that, despicable as the war is, if he kills his enemies before the adults get their hands on them, he is saving them from a great deal of suffering.
* ''Literature/TortallUniverse'': Kel from "Protector of the Small" has a bit of this. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Neal, who says she's "The oldest ten-year-old I've ever met"
* Also from Creator/TamoraPierce, ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'', the Child King of Gyongxe, who was apparently selected to rule by the gods themselves, and incredibly mature for his youth. The main protagonists (Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar) also count at times.
* Aristok Kassandra the Sixth of [[Literature/TalesOfTheBranionRealm Branion]], [[AChildShallLeadThem aged five]], is a [[GodEmperor God-Empress]] with [[FireballEyeballs fiery eyes]] that give her an "eerily adult" gaze. She is childish and talks with a lisp, but has the vocabulary and understanding of someone aged more like eight or nine. This appears to be justified by her divine status. As sovereign of her country, she has a regent but makes adult decisions and intimidates nobles, priests and even traitors into doing her bidding. The one thing they won't let her do is execute someone; she has to be sixteen for that.
* Having learned to take care of her mother over the years and being naturally responsible, Bella had developed into a very mature person, especially for her age. She even starts out ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' by telling the reader that she's prepared to die in the place of someone she loves. Once she's fallen in love with Edward and he leaves her in ''New Moon'', this is subverted as Bella turns out to be immature, whiny and lacking in self-control, as first seen when she throws tantrums at her parents for trying to get her to move back with her mother.
* ''Literature/TheBabySittersClub'' suffers from this accidentally, probably due to the MostWritersAreAdults trope. 13-year-olds are given responsibilities most adults in RealLife wouldn't entrust to a high school senior, such as taking little kids around New York City unsupervised. All the BSC has to do is offer to help and explain that they have an after-school baby-sitting business, whereupon one of the parents they'd worked for would chime in with, "They're very responsible," and bingo, they were treated like honorary adults, no further questions asked. And since eleven is apparently the magic gateway to the Competence Zone, often Mallory and Jessie would be "taking care of" kids who were only a year or two younger than they are.
** Also, some of their sitting charges as well (when they're not acting a lot younger than they should be, such as five-year-old Andrew who doesn't know what New Year's is). Take for instance one of the Perkins girls: she's two years old, and yet speaks in complex full sentences and acts more like she's around TEN!
%%* ''Literature/TheLastDragonChronicles'': Alexa in ''The Fire Eternal''. It's strongly implied that [[spoiler: she chose her own parents and family before her birth, and has been manipulating things behind the scenes for a long time beforehand.]]
* In the ''Literature/RainbowMagic'' series, Rachel and Kirsty are this, contrasting heavily with Jack Frost's childishness.
* ''Literature/TheEnglishDragon'': Several chapters are narrated by Ben, the toddler. His remarkably eloquent inner voice is lampshaded. Ben represents naivety and Everyman -- a literary device to see everything but to do so in an objective/naive manner.
* Even before ''Literature/TheUnderlandChronicles'' start, Gregor didn't get to be much of a kid.
* ''The Definitive Biography of Music/PDQBach'' has fourteen-year-old P.D.Q. meeting [[ExaggeratedTrope three-day-old Mozart]], when [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart Mozart]] was just learning to talk.
%%* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': Primrose "Prim" Everdeen in ''Mockingjay''.
* BrattyHalfPint Constance from ''Literature/TheMysteriousBenedictSociety'' takes this to extremes. She is ''[[spoiler:[[ImprobableAge two]]]]'' years old yet can carry on conversations like a much older child (not understanding certain words aside) and is one of five children chosen to essentially become spies and save the world. Despite her young age she doesn't have much trouble fitting in amongst her ten to twelve year old friends. Only her rudeness foreshadows her young age.

* Sascha in ''Literature/AWitchsBurden''. He's a resourceful, thoughtful orphan and self-described "excellent judge of character". Elke is immediately taken with him, and they form a lasting friendship despite the difference in their ages, eventually becoming a FamilyOfChoice.

* [[OriginalCharacter Nolan Grant]] in The Walking Dead fanfic, ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/21092981/chapters/50184917 Stay Together]] ''. He is very smart, perceptive, and wise for his age. Nolan is also quite mature even more than [[VideoGame/TheWalkingDead Clementine]].

* [[OriginalCharacter Nolan Grant]] in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/21092981/chapters/50184917 Stay Together]] ''. He is very smart, perceptive, and wise for his age. Nolan is also quite mature even more than [[VideoGame/TheWalkingDead Clementine]].