Line #12 Main/SmartJerkAndNiceMoron


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10
11	->''"Everybody loves you [Stimpy]! People always love the stupid one, but nobody ever loves the jerk! Everybody hates me!"''
12	-->-- '''Ren Hoek''', ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow''
13
14	A trope about a duo in which the smarter, more aggressive individual bullies their [[DumbIsGood dumb but pleasant comrade]].
15
16	They're usually in a commander-henchman type scenario, though this isn't mandatory, nor is the smart guy [[KnowNothingKnowItAll necessarily all that brilliant]] or [[TooCleverByHalf successful]]. The important part is that they ''[[InsufferableGenius know]]'' they're the smarter of the two and [[BadBoss mistreat]] the [[TheChewToy slower one]]. Their relationship holds because the less intelligent one is unaware that they're being treated unfairly and remains something of an ExtremeDoormat, not always out of weakness, but ignorance.
17
18	Usually, the smart guy comes up with schemes (not necessarily evil, just very selfish) and ends up bumbling them, because [[BumblingSidekick the dumb guy]] tries too hard to help out, while the dumb guy doesn't really get that they're inconveniencing other people. Or, if they succeed, the dumb guy tries to stop the smart guy and explain to them that it's not nice to use people.
19
20	A relationship-based variety of DumbIsGood, often overlapping with VitriolicBestBuds. Often, the smart one is an UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist (or an AcademicAlphaBitch in a school setting) and the dumber one is his BumblingSidekick. If they are a VileVillainLaughableLackey, the dumber one is his MinionWithAnFInEvil. This dynamic is the heart of the BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine.
21
22	SubTrope (child trope) of KindheartedSimpleton and InsufferableGenius. Compare BrainsEvilBrawnGood which is a correlation between intelligence and morality, and AntiIntellectualism. Compare and contrast StraightManAndWiseGuy and ComicTrio; this trope is distinguished from both by a lack of the OnlySaneMan, as both characters generally contribute to goofy antics in different ways. Supertrope to FatAndSkinny and BigGuyLittleGuy, which have a similar dynamic emphasized by a physical difference between characters. RudeHeroNiceSidekick is a [[TheHero hero]]-specific variant that is not necessarily comedic. See also NiceMeanAndInBetween, which often has these two at either end of the spectrum of kindness.
23
24	----
25	!!Examples:
26	[[foldercontrol]]
27
28	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
29	* ''Anime/DragonballZ'': Goku and Vegeta display this while [[RivalsTeamUp teaming up]] to defeat Majin Buu. Vegeta often gets outraged whenever Goku does or says something stupid while Goku just remains nice and friendly to his arch-rival.
30	* ''Anime/KillLaKill'': Ryuko is a cunning, HotBlooded BloodKnight and AntiHero. Mako is quite airheaded and dimwitted, but she is also loyal and compassionate to a fault, serving as Ryuko's MoralityPet.
31	* ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'': Bakugo is an irritable GeniusBruiser who constantly pushes others away with his desire to be the best at everything, and is ranked third in the class on the midterms. His MoralityPet, Kirishima, is a BookDumb NiceGuy who is one of the few people able to tolerate Bakugo's attitude and is ranked fifteenth on the midterms. [[spoiler:This becomes a plot point when Kirishima is the only one Bakugo will willingly accept help from when Midoriya and the others are trying to rescue Bakugo.]]
32	* ''Manga/Reborn2004'': Gokudera and Yamamoto has this dynamic. Gokudera being TheSmartGuy that is really aggressive and suspicious of everyone except [[HoYay for Tsuna]]. Yamamoto is the DumbJock who has NoSenseOfPersonalSpace that is friendly to everyone and who doesn't mind the former's insults to him.
33	* ''Manga/MuhyoAndRoji'': Muhyo and Roji, respectively. The former is a BrilliantButLazy InsufferableGenius who nevertheless is also a JerkWithAHeartOfGold. The latter is a NiceGuy whose knowledge about many areas of magical law isn't exactly the best.
34	* ''Anime/SailorMoon'': [[IdiotHero Usagi]] has this relationship with three people:
35	** Usagi's brother Shingo is a good student and likes to tease Usagi for being BookDumb. Meanwhile, as lazy and irresponsible as Usagi is, she's a dim but sweet AllLovingHero.
36	** Usagi's KidFromTheFuture Chibiusa is a wise but rude and condescending BrattyHalfPint who regularly messes with her, while Usagi is the textbook example of DumbIsGood.
37	** Same goes for her and Rei. Rei is an intelligent JerkWithAHeartOfGold who enjoys belittling Usagi, while Usagi, as stated above, is a KindheartedSimpleton.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Comedy]]
41	* Creator/AbbottAndCostello. Bud Abbott's character is always portrayed as more intelligent than Lou Costello's, and often talked down to him and complained about him as well as slapping him. Lou Costello was almost always nice and friendly, but not very bright.
42	* Creator/LaurelAndHardy is the TropeCodifier in film. Every other variation in comedy pays lip service to them. Though it must be said that [[KnowNothingKnowItAll Hardy isn't that much brighter than Laurel]]; he just assumes he is.
43	* Creator/TheMarxBrothers: Chico and Harpo are usually paired up together, with Chico as the scheming leader, while the mute ManChild Harpo just tags along. Nevertheless, Chico often scolds Harpo for being stupid and not understanding him.
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Comic Books]]
47	* In the ''ComicBook/SupremePower'' universe, brilliant {{sociopath}} Emil Burbank frequently finds himself stuck working alongside Shape, a developmentally-disabled ex-janitor. Everyone else in the Squadron Supreme gets along fine with Shape, while Burbank is so despised and distrusted that the government takes him out of the field and puts him in charge of devising contingency plans for taking down his teammates.
48	* In ''ComicBook/SuperSons'', Jon and Damian have this dynamic. Jon is an open and friendly NiceGuy while Damian is an InsufferableGenius. While they both hate school, Jon is more BookDumb (but he isn't quite ''stupid'' and can sometimes be more reasonable than his partner) while Damian is bossy and constantly uppity towards others.
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
52	* The core duo in ''ComicStrip/PearlsBeforeSwine'', Rat and Pig. Rat is the jerk, and he is smarter than Pig, [[KnowNothingKnowItAll though not quite as smart as he thinks he is]]. Pig is genuinely dumb and genuinely nice. The title describes Rat's attitude towards their relationship (by way of a [[AsTheGoodBookSays Biblical reference]]): Rat believes that he has all these "pearls of wisdom" that he's wasting on a dummy like Pig.
53	* Whenever ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' and Odie cooperate, this is invariably the result, since Garfield, cruel and self-absorbed as he is, is leagues beyond [[DogsAreDumb Odie]] in terms of intelligence. On those occasions when Garfield gets in over his head, however, Odie usually retains enough common sense to leave him hanging.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Fan Works]]
57	* In ''[[https://incorrectsmashbrosquotes.tumblr.com Incorrect Smash Bros Quotes,]]'' [[LightIsNotGood Galeem]] is a highly intelligent OnlySaneMan, but he's also a {{Jerkass}} DeadpanSnarker with a HairTriggerTemper. His ArchEnemy/[[FoeYayShipping boyfriend]] [[DarkIsNotEvil Dharkon]] is considerably more pleasant but is also one of the biggest [[TheDitz ditzes]] in the entire Mansion, which Galeem never hesitates to criticize him for.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
61	* Disney's ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'' has the wicked, scheming high priestess Yzma engineer a ''coup d'etat'', assisted by her [[DumbMuscle muscular but moronic]] henchman Kronk. Yzma is described in-universe as "scary beyond all reason" and shows no sympathy to anybody, while Kronk is a MinionWithAnFInEvil, who even fills in as a line cook to keep a diner running.
62	* ''WesternAnimation/FlushedAway'': Spike tends to take great pleasure in the pain and suffering of others and tends to be the smart one when compared to his partner, Whitey, who is a MinionWithAnFInEvil and considered to be the nicest guy in the film.
63	* {{Creator/Pixar}}'s ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory:'' A cranky, seven-armed octopus Hank and a memory-forgetful blue-tang Dory are teamed up near the middle of the movie.
64	* Disney's ''WesternAnimation/LadyAndTheTramp'' has Lady's neighbors: Scottish terrier Jock and bloodhound Trusty. Jock is an irritable and temperamental ankle-biter, but quite rational; while Trusty is much more genial but notably scatter-brained. The dichotomy gets spotlighted during the effort to rescue Tramp from the dog catcher's wagon. Jock disparages the effort, as the streets are soaked with rainwater, dissolving the scent, and tells Trusty bluntly, "You've lost your sense of smell." Though stung to the core by this, Trusty makes no reply, instead redoubling his effort, which succeeds in unerringly attaining the wagon.
65	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'' has the DeadpanSnarker JerkWithAHeartOfGold Wyldstyle[[note]]or "Lucy"[[/note]] and the IdiotHero NiceGuy Emmet.
66	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': The frenetic and bellicose meerkat Timon is paired with genial but dim warthog Pumbaa, though the trope is {{ZigZagged\|Trope}} in that Timon, while savvy, isn't as smart as he thinks he is whereas Pumbaa has some HiddenDepths. Timon leads the pair on the theory that smarter equals louder. Never better demonstrated than in the scene where Simba introduces Nala to them.
67	-->'''Pumbaa:''' Pleased to meet you.\
68	'''Nala:''' The pleasure's mine.\
69	'''Timon:''' Hold it, hold it! You know her. She knows you. And she wants to eat [Pumbaa]. ''And everybody's okay with this?'' [[SuddenlyShouting DID I MISS SOMETHING?!]]
70	* Corvax and Thimbo from ''[[WesternAnimation/MuzzyInGondoland Muzzy Comes Back]]''. Corvax is an EvilGenius SmugSnake who brags about his intelligence and uses advanced technology, kidnapping the King's baby granddaughter to usurp the throne. The latter is a dim-witted thug who NeverLearnedToRead but is very kind with said baby and unlike Corvax, he genuinely cares for her.
71	* Cruella [=DeVil's=] henchmen from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'' are Horace and Jasper. Jasper is the tall, lanky one, who takes the lead and seems to enjoy being a criminal. Horace is the short, hefty one that follows Jasper because he can't think of anything better to do.
72	* ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'': Shrek is a wise but grumpy JerkWithAHeartOfGold. Donkey is rather dimwitted, but he is much more friendly and sociable than Shrek.
73	* In ''Franchise/ToyStory'', Rex often plays the Likable Moron to both Hamm and Mr. Potato Head's Smart Jerk on occasions, although this is played straighter with Mr. Potato Head. Rex can be something of a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} but is more of a GentleGiant and Hamm is a DeadpanSnarker and Mr. Potato Head is quite a {{Jerkass}}.
74	* Among Charles Muntz's battalion of servant dogs in Creator/{{Pixar}}'s ''WesternAnimation/{{Up}}'', Alpha the Doberman is a DrillSergeantNasty that leads them. Alpha tends to heap abuse on dimwitted but determined Dug. This mistreatment is a huge catalyst in Dug's HeelFaceTurn in siding with Carl, Russell, and Kevin.
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
78	* ''Film/GoodBurger'': The smooth-talking Dexter initially treats the dimwitted Ed with nothing but disrespect and then tricks Ed into giving Dexter most of the profits made from Ed's secret sauce. Dexter eventually realizes he's taking advantage of the incredibly good-natured Ed, and they're better suited to teaming up to take down Mondo Burger.
79	* ''Film/MouseHunt'': [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] with the brothers Ernie and Lars Smuntz. Lars wants to keep the promise he made to their father to keep the family string factory running even though it only causes more financial issues and troubles for them, while Ernie isn't as scrupulous but comes up with better solutions to their problems.
80	* ''Film/{{Rags}}'': Andrew and Lloyd, Charlie's stepbrothers, have this dynamic. Andrew comes off as much smarter than Lloyd, being a schemer who helps his father take down Charlie; however, he's also a BigBrotherBully to both of his brothers and is more than happy to join Arthur in abusing Charlie. Lloyd, meanwhile, isn't the brightest bulb in the bunch -- but he's sweet to Charlie in every scene, and reforms for real at the end.
81	* ''Film/TommyBoy'': Richard Hayden and Tommy Callahan. Richard's the right-hand man to Tommy's father, Big Tom Callahan, but comes off as an InsufferableGenius who routinely disparages other people, especially Tommy. Tommy is a bumbling ditz, taking seven years to finish college, but he's willing to do whatever it takes to keep his family's company afloat, even giving up his inheritance. After spending most of the movie struggling to make sales, Richard realizes that Tommy has street smarts when he sees him successfully talk a waitress into giving them a special, and after Tommy learns to [[CentipedesDilemma stop trying to emulate his father and act naturally]], they finally meet their sales goal.
82	* ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'': Eddie Valiant is smart and wisecracking, but he is also quite sullen and abrasive. Roger Rabbit is rather bumbling and clueless, but he is also very friendly and outgoing. Their whole dynamic in the first half is Eddie constantly treating Roger with disdain.
83	* ''Film/ZombielandDoubleTap'': Witchita and Madison. The former is a cunning {{Jerkass}} with a [[IceQueen sour attitude]], while the latter is a [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} bumbling]] yet sweet-natured DumbBlonde.
84	[[/folder]]
85
86	[[folder:Literature]]
87	* In ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'', Vizzini is clever, but frequently verbally abuses Fezzik and Inigo. On the other hand, Fezzik is by no means smart but makes up for it in sheer friendliness.
88	* ''Literature/OfMiceAndMen'':
89	** Played with. George appears to be more gruff, severe, and stern than mentally handicapped Lennie (who DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength) who is a cheery, childlike person. However, he's doing this for Lennie's protection, since the latter is incapable of realizing the damage he causes. George also denies being very smart, saying if he was, he wouldn't be working as an unskilled farmworker.
90	** It also comes up in the BackStory when George tells a story about making Lennie do stupid stuff just for laughs, and how he learned AnAesop not to do that anymore.
91	* Raistlin Majere often plays the smart jerk to his twin brother Caramon's nice moron in the ''TabletopGame/{{Dragonlance}}'' novel series. Caramon's a good bit less moronic than many other examples though, it's just that his brother's genius is quite genuine.
92	* Percy The Small Engine of ''Literature/TheRailwaySeries'' and even more so its AnimatedAdaptation, ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends''. While occasionally insightful, Percy is naive and childishly innocent, so often plays the Likeable Moron to several more experienced but arrogant engines such as James or Gordon (Thomas was also his most frequent Smart Jerk until having TookALevelInKindness, and gaining enough CloudCuckooLander points to border him as a Likable Moron himself).
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
96	* ''Series/AntFarm'':
97	** Chyna's two best friends are the brilliant but insensitive Olive and the kind but slightly slow-witted Fletcher.
98	** Lexi is a devious AlphaBitch who is always bossing around her much dumber sidekick Paisley. Unlike Lexi, Paisley is always cheerful and friendly.
99	* The relationship between Carrie and Doug in Series/TheKingOfQueens. Doug is a fairly kind everyman who is impulsive and - when being selfish - rarely thinks things through. Carrie [[WomenAreWiser is significantly more sensible than he is]], but is also ''way'' more amoral and even more prone to doing things just for selfishness' sake. The result is that one or the other could be the "fool" in any given episode, while the other is the voice of reason.
100	* ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'': In the first series, Edmund Blackadder and Baldrick were an inversion; Blackadder was an AristocratsAreEvil UpperClassTwit, while Baldrick was (relatively) more intelligent. [[CharacterizationMarchesOn Subsequent seasons]] (which each featured a [[IdenticalGrandson later descendant]]) had Blackadder as a snarky, scheming {{Jerkass}} who heaps abuse on his dimwitted, good-natured servant sidekick Baldrick.
101	* The two protagonists of ''Series/BreakingBad'' are an unusually serious take on this trope. Walter has an incredible knowledge of chemistry and is overall the more worldly of the two, but is shown to have had a manipulative streak and an easily-wounded ego even before becoming a criminal, whereas Jesse is highly BookDumb, but has a much stronger moral compass.
102	* Inverted in ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'', in which Josh, the smarter of the two, is more level-headed and down-to-earth, and Drake, the selfish and rude one, is rather dull and intellectually challenged, though his intelligence varies from being a BrainlessBeauty to simply BookDumb.
103	* ''Series/HouseOfAnubis'': The duo of Jerome and Alfie, who are best friends and pranking partners, has this dynamic. Jerome is intelligent, manipulative, and a JerkWithAHeartOfGold at best, using his brains for trickery and amusement. Alfie, meanwhile, is a lot less intelligent by comparison, but also less mean, getting along more easily with the house members and being the one manipulated by Jerome rather than an equal partner.
104	* ''Series/{{Glee}}'': Santana (a cold and cunning ManipulativeBitch) and her best friend/LoveInterest Brittany (a sweet and innocent girl who provides the page image for TheDitz). Although Santana shows more of her jerk side to other people than to Brittany, who is her MoralityPet.
105	* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'': Given that the smarter members of the Gang also tend to be the bigger jerks, this is natural when characters pair up (though the "smart" and "nice" parts tend to be quite relative). For instance, if Mac and Charlie team up, Charlie tends to be the basically well-meaning one who is also barely functional, while Mac is smarter than Charlie but also more malicious and greedy. If Mac and Dennis team up, meanwhile, Mac tends to come across as stupid but has a moral center, while Dennis is considerably cleverer but also a complete psychopath.
106	* ''Series/KenanAndKel'': Kenan is a get-rich-quick schemer while Kel is a dimwitted friend who doesn't like getting in trouble.
107	* ''Series/{{Oz}}'' has a rare serious variant with Ryan and Cyril O'Reily. Ryan is an amoral, narcissistic hustler who is completely fine with resorting to murder if it nets him an advantage, while Cyril is mentally disabled but a sweet, good-hearted man who is usually peaceful if left to his own devices. However, Cyril's disabilities and his violent rages make it extremely easy for Ryan to rope him into his schemes, which eventually causes Cyril to punch him out when Ryan tricks him into beating a man to death during a boxing match.
108	* ''Series/{{Victorious}}'': It's the dynamic between Jade (mean, snarky, and one of the smartest in the group) and Cat (childlike, ditzy, and sweet). In the spin-off ''Series/SamAndCat'', Cat also serves as the Nice Moron to Sam's Smart Jerk.
109	* ''Series/YoungSheldon'': In the episode "The Yips and an Oddly Hypnotic Bohemian", rude InsufferableGenius Sheldon and KindheartedSimpleton Billy are described this way by their respective parents:
110	-->'''Brenda:''' Well, Billy ain't the sharpest pencil in the box, but he's the sweetest kid I know.\
111	'''George:''' Well, Sheldon is the sharpest pencil. Sometimes I'd just like to shove his head in that box.
112	[[/folder]]
113
114	[[folder:Music]]
115	* 2D and Murdoc of Music/{{Gorillaz}}, at least in Phases 1 & 2. Murdoc beat him up, stole his girlfriends, and regularly insulted and humiliated him, yet 2D still referred to Murdoc as his 'best mate' and often either aided in his antics or looked the other way from the more... dubious behavior. He finally seems to have sharpened up in the Plastic Beach arc, openly resenting Murdoc and his growing insanity.
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Video Games]]
119	* In ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'', the hatred rivalry between Minsc (a kind-hearted, foolish warrior) and Edwin (an evil mage with the highest intelligence score of all recruitable characters in-game).
120	** Could be also the relationship between the BigBad, a powerful evil wizard, and the main character if the latter is of good alignment and has a low score in intelligence and wisdom.
121	* In ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', this sums up the title characters very well, with Banjo being a KindheartedSimpleton who tries to help out the various characters they meet on their adventures, while Kazooie is a DeadpanSnarker {{Tsundere}} who usually ends up antagonising others so much they usually end up trying to fight the pair. Nevertheless, they're TrueCompanions.
122	* In ''VideoGame/CrashTwinsanity'', Crash Bandicoot teams up with his former enemy Cortex for the entirety of the game. Crash is an IdiotHero and is often pretty friendly, so is the nice moron. Cortex, who was the BigBad of most of the other Crash Bandicoot game and EvilGenius, is the smart jerk. [[spoiler:The duo status ends after defeating the Evil Twins with Cortex attempting to kill Crash, only to end up in his head.]]
123	* PolarOppositeTwins Vilkas and Farkas, of the Companions guild in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', fall into this. Vilkas is the smarter twin, but also the more abrasive; Farkas is regarded as dumb muscle, but a complete sweetheart. Unlike a lot of these pairings, however, they love each other devotedly.
124	* Misako and Kyoko of ''VideoGame/RiverCityGirls'', respectively. Misako is blunt, aggressive, and rude. Kyoko on the other hand is bubbly and sweet but constantly distracted from the mission at hand, prompting Misako to remind her to keep her scatterbrain on track. Though unlike most examples, Misako treats Kyoko quite well and only directs her jerkness to other people.
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
128	* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' has this dynamic between Byakuya Togami and Aoi Asahina. The former is one of the most intelligent students, and one of the three main "point getters," but is also a callous jerk who initially thinks of the killing game as a contest to be won. The latter is one of the least intelligent students, but also one of the nicest. Unsurprisingly, they do not get along very well.
129	* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'' has Kokichi Oma and Gonta Gokuhara. The former is probably the most intelligent character in the cast, who's fond of manipulating others and saying and doing very cruel things, while the latter is a kindhearted GentleGiant who can be a bit gullible and simpleminded despite being an expert on insects.
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:Web Animation]]
133	* Later episodes in ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' have this dynamic between Strong Bad and Homestar. Originally, they were enemies, but over time develop into something more like VitriolicBestBuds. Homestar is a kind, loveable idiot who thinks he's Strong Bad's friend, while the schemer Strong Bad constantly tells Homestar he hates him, but the message never appears to sink in. Of course, Strong Bad tends to overhype his own cleverness, and Homestar is often TooDumbToFool, but the distribution of brains between the two is clearly unequal.
134	[[/folder]]
135
136	[[folder:Web Comics]]
137	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Mr. Jones and Mr. Rodriguez, who appear out of nowhere whenever the plot calls for a lawyer. Mr. Jones is a walking EvilLawyerJoke, who throws legal impediments in the path of the Order (except when they retain his services; he's a [[ConsummateProfessional professional]]). Phil Rodriguez is affable and dimwitted, regularly committing legal gaffes and {{Malaprop\|er}}isms. Whenever they lose a case, Mr. Jones [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0287.html manipulates the court transcript]] so that Mr. Rodriguez is listed as primary counsel, allowing Mr. Jones to maintain a "perfect" record at trial.
138	-->'''Mr. Rodriguez:''' Aww, man! That means my record will fall to 0-147.\
139	'''Mr. Jones:''' Naturally, I remain perfect at 5-0.
140	* In ''Webcomic/{{Spacetrawler}}'', Nogg's two main followers are Gurf, who's kind but dumb as a brick -- and Krep, member of an alien species who bred stupidity out of themselves generations ago, which had the side-effect of making them all sarcastic jerkasses.
141	* ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'' has Black Mage and Fighter, although Black Mage isn't so much a jerk as he is an OmnicidalManiac who happens to ''be'' a jerk. After a little while, they team up with another Smart Jerk in the form of Thief and throw in Red Mage, who's sort of somewhere in the middle (albeit a very low, messy, and bloodstained middle; this is ''Eight-Bit Theater'').
142	[[/folder]]
143
144	[[folder:Western Animation]]
145	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'':
146	** [[WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain Brain]], a calculating and short-fused VillainProtagonist and his dopey but incredibly loyal MinionWithAnFInEvil Pinky. Such is Pinky's kind devotion to Brain that he led the latter to suffer a tearful JerkassRealization midway through one attempt at world domination.
147	** Rita is an arrogant and sarcastic cat who is always accompanied by dimwitted BigFriendlyDog Runt.
148	* ''WesternAnimation/AsToldByGinger'' has Carl Foutley and his best friend, Hoodsey, with Carl acting as the brains of the operation by coming up with various schemes like trying to make invisibility powder or make enough money to be a lie detector and is considered creepy and weird by the majority of the cast. Hoodsey meanwhile is Carl's sidekick who is something of a worrier and very gullible and naïve, but much nicer than Carl, though Carl is very rarely mean to Hoodsey and saves his tormenting for his favourite targets, Blake Gripling, Brandon Higsby, or some unlucky teacher.
149	* {{Downplayed}} with ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead'': While they both act like brainless troublemakers, Butt-Head is the more aware and unrepentantly self-centered of the two. With Beavis, it's shown that he acts much nicer without Butt-Head's influence.
150	* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'' has Louise and Tina. Louise is shown to be very intelligent, good at planning, and often manipulates other people for her own gain, while Tina is airheaded and doesn't think things through, but is very kind and selfless.
151	* ''WesternAnimation/CatDog'' has this with the titular two-headed creature, who has the head of both a sophisticated but elitist cat and also a simple-minded, easygoing dog. Naturally, CatsAreMean and DogsAreDumb stereotypes abound. This is lampshaded in one episode where Winslow pulls out an anatomical chart of them, showing Cat with a large brain and small heart and Dog with a large heart and small brain.
152	* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': Jack Fenton, Danny's dad, is a GeniusDitz, who, despite his sometimes self-absorbed tendencies, loves his family very much and even thinks of Vlad Masters as an old friend. Unfortunately, Vlad is a VillainWithGoodPublicity who hates Jack for "[[EntitledToHaveYou stealing]]" the affections of the woman he wants to marry.
153	* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'': Though Darkwing is the primary protagonist of Saint Canard, he's also temperamental and snarky enough to meet AntiHero specs. Launchpad is less brainy than Darkwing but makes up for that with a more affable and generous demeanor. Launchpad tends to receive the brunt of Darkwing's irritation whenever he's mad about something, but the other duck does have a semi-concealed soft spot for him. Additionally, sometimes the dynamic gets flipped given that Darkwing can become TooCleverByHalf or [[FearlessFool stupidly bold]], while Launchpad proves himself wiser than his comrade or notices things he misses.
154	* ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'': A sibling example. Dexter is a ChildProdigy and InsufferableGenius who has no patience for his sister Dee Dee's stupidity. Despite being LethallyStupid to annoying levels, Dee Dee is cheerfully well-meaning and adores her brother no matter what.
155	* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'':
156	** Eddy and Ed. Eddy calls him names, picks on him, and bosses him around constantly, and Ed cheerfully obeys his commands. Eddy is BookDumb but he's still shown to be quite clever, coming up with various "scams" to try getting money from the cul-de-sac kids, while Ed is a KindHeartedSimpleton who happens to be monstrously strong.
157	** [[EnfantTerrible Sarah]] and Ed are a sibling example. In this case, Sarah is far meaner to Ed than Eddy is, as she is a horrible and abusive bully to Ed, while Ed is nice and caring to Sarah no matter how much she mistreats him.
158	* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'': Mandy is the Smart Jerk to Billy’s Nice Moron. Billy is a total idiot who only seems to have hard feelings towards the bully Sperg and his son Jeff (who is a spider). His best friend Mandy, however, is a straight-A (or rather, "A+++++++") student, who [[MisanthropeSupreme hates just about everyone else]], and finds the idea of having a crush on someone to be repulsive.
159	* ''WesternAnimation/HaileysOnIt'': Beta, the brash DeadpanSnarker, has this dynamic with Scott, a clueless and scatterbrained NiceGuy. Beta constantly mocks Scott for being a "buffoon".
160	* ''WesternAnimation/InsideJob2021'' has Reagan and Brett. Reagan has the intelligence needed to run Cognito Inc., one of the companies in charge of the world's ConspiracyKitchenSink, but her terrible childhood left her with NoSocialSkills. Meanwhile, Brett isn't very intelligent, but a lifetime of [[IJustWantToBeLoved eagerly chasing the approval of others]] (as a result of his own terrible childhood) has given him all the people skills that Ridley lacks, if nothing else. Downplayed in that while Reagan is initially irked by Brett's presence, as he was brought in by a higher-up specifically to counter Reagan's jerkass behavior, the two of them find common ground and soon become best friends (and arguably each other's only ''real'' friend).
161	-->'''Brett:''' The company can't run without you.\
162	'''Reagan:''' No, the company can't run without ''us''. You're the charm, I get it now. I actually need a mediocre white man to act as a human shield and social lubricant, while I accomplish my real goals.
163	* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'': Zim is a Smart Jerk while GIR is a Nice Moron. Zim wants to enslave humanity, and while not really a genius per se in the eyes of the viewer, he still has far better technology let alone keener common sense than the human characters on his show (minus Dib). GIR isn't evil or hellbent on enslaving humanity like Zim is, he just wants to watch TV and eat pizza all day.
164	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'' has Mr. Cat, an AxCrazy, [[CatsAreMean mean]] and [[CatsAreSnarky sarcastic]] genius and Kaeloo, a goofy NiceGirl. This is occasionally downplayed, as Mr. Cat [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold can be nice at times]] and Kaeloo [[BitchInSheepsClothing has a dark side to her]].
165	** Inverted with Quack Quack and Stumpy. Quack Quack is a genius ([[DitzyGenius albeit a bit ditzy one at times]]) who is one of the nicest characters on the show while Stumpy is really stupid and often acts like a spoiled, annoying jerk.
166	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': Speedy Gonzales' debut cartoon "Cat-tails For Two" featured George and Benny, a feline expy of Tex Avery's George and Junior. The later cartoon "Mexicali Shmoes" featured two Mexican cats, Jose and Manuel, filling the roles.
167	-->'''Jose:''' You no catch Speedy Gonzales with the feets. You gotta catch heem with the brains.\
168	'''Manuel:''' Brains? Where do we get these brains?\
169	'''Jose:''' You don't need the brains. I got the brains.
170	** Another cartoon, "Two Crows From Tacos" had the title birds (one smart, the other not so much) in pursuit of a grasshopper. Similarly, a 1942 cartoon, "A Hop, Skip And a Chump" featured two bird caricatures of Laurel and Hardy chasing a grasshopper.
171	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'':
172	** ValleyGirl sister roommates Lori and Leni have this dynamic. The former is the OnlySaneMan of the house but exhibits a colossally bossy attitude towards her younger siblings, while the latter is a KindheartedSimpleton who is [[InnocentlyInsensitive rarely, if ever, truly malicious]].
173	** In addition, Lori's lover Bobby has this relationship with his little sister Ronnie Anne, for whereas Bobby is also a KindheartedSimpleton, Ronnie Anne is a LovingBully to Lori's younger brother Lincoln.
174	* ''WesternAnimation/MakingFiends'': Vendetta is a MadScientist who uses her Fiends to terrorize the town. She considers her enemy to be Charlotte, a cheerful, friendly, and [[TheDitz very stupid]] girl who thinks Vendetta is her best friend.
175	* ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'': Mindy's two friends, Mitchell and Lillian, fall into this category. Mitchell is quite smart for a kid his age, and he's also very blunt and snarky, with a high-and-mighty attitude at times. Lillian, ion the other hand, is ditzy and forgetful but makes up for it with her politeness and sweetness. However, Mitchell [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold is nice deep down]], and, unlike most examples, he certainly doesn't go out of his way to bully Lillian.
176	* ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'': Ren is reasonably intelligent but selfish, violent-tempered, and outright psychotic. Stimpy is dimwitted but kindhearted and perpetually cheerful. In many episodes (particularly in later seasons), Stimpy borders on being a slave for Ren and is verbally and physically abused on a regular basis. He rarely takes any of it to heart and thoroughly enjoys doting on Ren.
177	* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'':
178	** Rick is a foul-mouthed genius [[MadScientist inventor]] who constantly puts Morty (and anyone else he doesn't respect, such as Jerry) down. Meanwhile, his grandson Morty, who serves as his BumblingSidekick assistant, is kindhearted and empathetic, but is much less competent than Rick and is implied to have some kind of intellectual disability. Rick heaps abuse on Morty, but secretly loves him. Meanwhile, Morty knows Rick is a jerk but repeatedly gets dragged into adventures against his will, where he then frequently needs Rick to fix his problems for him.
179	-->'''Rick:''' Look, I'm not the nicest guy around, because I'm the smartest, and being nice is what stupid people do to hedge their bets.
180	** Most versions of Rick throughout the multiverse are [[InsufferableGenius insufferable geniuses]], if not outright tyrants. The only Ricks who are shown to be decent guys are either of average intelligence (Simple Rick) or treated as idiots by the other Ricks (Doofus Rick).
181	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'': Angelica is a 3-year-old spoiled brat who always bullies the nice and friendly "Dumb Babies".
182	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981'': Brainy Smurf fancies himself as a genius and is so obnoxious that he's hated by almost everyone, except his friend Clumsy Smurf. Clumsy is a KindheartedSimpleton who genuinely admires Brainy and likes being around him, despite Brainy's arrogance.
183	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'':
184	** Squidward considers himself an "artistic genius" and has disdain for his stupid but well-meaning neighbors [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick.
185	** Mermaid Man is a ScatterbrainedSenior, his sidekick Barnacle Boy is more cranky and bad-tempered than him, and easily annoyed by Mermaid Man's absentminded behavior.
186	* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Cartman is a calculating sociopath who regularly drags Butters into his schemes, or just casually bullies him for fun, but Butters is cheery, innocent, and usually friendly to Cartman (notably being one of very few to [[FirstNameBasis call him by his first name]]). Although it's zig-zagged with the "smart" and "moron" parts of the trope, as both of them can be quite clueless, and Butters is academically better than [[BookDumb Cartman]] (Cartman is just more cunning).
187	* ''WesternAnimation/TexAveryMGMCartoons'': George and Junior. George is the {{Schemer}} while Junior is the dimwitted FatIdiot.
188	* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'':
189	** Owen is a dimwitted, [[BigFun fun-loving]] goofball who is [[AllLovingHero kind to everyone]], while Noah is a BrilliantButLazy TeenGenius who [[DeadpanSnarker snarks]] and belittles everyone he comes across. Yet somehow, the two of them are best friends.
190	** Heather is an AlphaBitch who bosses everyone around, while Lindsay is a bubbly DumbBlonde who gets ordered around. Eventually, though, Heather betrays Lindsay, prompting Lindsay to cut ties and give Heather a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.
191	[[/folder]]

Context Main / SmartJerkAndNiceMoron