The hero of a story often communicates the most important virtues of the story. The hero almost always wins, but how they win is important too. Beating an opponent in a fight is one thing, but outthinking them is the true method of some of cinema's greatest heroes.
Animation is a complex art medium that has brought some of the most beloved stories of all time to the big screen. Most animated movies are for kids, and kids' movies are often just as much about teaching as entertaining. One of the most powerful lessons in media for children is the power of intelligence, as demonstrated by heroes like these.
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
A lot of cartoons from the 90s and early-2000s featured a brilliant mad scientist child in the lead role. Jimmy Neutron was among the most iconic of that crop of characters. He was introduced, however, in this 2001 3-D animated film. Though it's a bit unpleasant to look at today, the adventures of the big-headed boy genius demonstrate his intelligence. Jimmy is a repository of all notable information, he seems to know everything there is to know about every subject, and his capability as an inventor is unquestioned. One of the film's central scenes depicts Jimmy instructing an army of middle schoolers to build functioning spacecraft out of amusement park rides. In the following scene, he explains at length how he and his classmates can breathe in the vacuum of space, though the audience isn't privy to the information. His intellect allows him to do the impossible without issue.
Hiro Hamada - Big Hero 6
Just about every main character in this outstanding 2014 Disney film deserves credit for their intelligence. Big Hero 6 is a celebration of children and their interest in science. All the heroes are inventors who use their particular scientific discipline to craft their superpowers within a lab. The villain, on the other hand, is a plagiarist who steals someone else's idea for profit. It's a clear statement about the good that scientific curiosity can do for mankind. Hiro is a child prodigy, mentored by his brilliant brother to master the art of robotics. Hiro isn't just a brilliant programmer, mechanic, and roboticist, he's also the intellectual titan that solves the mystery of the film. His work with Baymax allows him to learn some deeply powerful lessons, both intellectually and emotionally. The power of every hero on the team is their intelligence, and Hiro demonstrates that most of all.
Batman - Batman: The Long Halloween
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Having Bruce Wayne on any list of traits is basically cheating. The World's Greatest Detective is a brilliant tactical mind and a master of deduction. Just about any version of Batman stands among the most intelligent characters in fiction, but The Long Halloween demonstrates his skills as a good old-fashioned investigator. Based on a fan-favorite series, this two-part animated film depicts Batman's efforts to unmask and stop the serial killer known as "Holliday." Batman is the rare hero who has a strong presence in animated and live-action films, regularly becoming the most iconic hero of both. It's tough to find someone who better fits the role of an intelligent hero than Batman, regardless of the story he's starring in.
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III - How to Train Your Dragon
In a world of raving Vikings, where strength and ferocity seem to be the only things that matter, Hiccup defies convention by using his brain, rather than his muscles. In the first film, young Hiccup is the son of the village chief, but his small stature and timid disposition make him a shame to his father. It's his intelligence that allows his village to get over its fear of dragons and live in harmony with the powerful creatures. By the sequel, he's an inventor who creates incredible tools and masterful battle strategy. What sets Hiccup apart is that his intelligence doesn't end with the recollection of knowledge or its application. Hiccup demonstrates a level of emotional intelligence that isn't present in most kids' movies, and it's a wonder to see. Hiccup is a moving figure and one of the most emotionally satisfying characters to explore on the big screen. Across three films, fans got to watch him grow into the powerful figure that he was always meant to be, thanks almost entirely to his intelligence.
Megamind
Hero or villain, Dreamworks' third or fourth character to start a meme empire is one of the smartest animated beings to grace the screen. He's a mashup of two of the most intelligent comic book villains ever written, bringing the drive of Lex Luthor to the power of Brainiac, with the flair of Alice Cooper. He's a genius with the brainpower to do whatever his ridiculous imagination can create. Megamind is exactly as bright as his name would suggest, and though he starts out as a supervillain, he's the hero of his own story.