Nerds have been a part of cinematic history for a long time. They're usually fan favorites but receive less attention from the media than other characters. Lately thought nerds have evolved. They were once the comedy relief sidekicks. Or they were the strange character that other characters avoided. Now they have their own shows and fan followings. They have their own personalities and own original back stories. They're now given backstories that shape them just as well as the other characters. Idolizing characters that are of high intellect is a positive change in today's cinema. Everyone has their favorite nerd, and some of the most popular are listed below.

1. Sherlock Holmes:

Sherlock Holmes originated from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle book series. There have been multiple adaptations over the years. From black and white films to Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock Holmes has always been a fan favorite nerd. Sherlock centers around a world of crime and villains. Sherlock himself is highly intelligent. He uses his high IQ and deductive reasoning skills to assist police in catching the criminals. In the modern day BBC version Sherlock Holmes considers himself a consulting detective to the police.

"I'm not a psychopath, Anderson. I'm a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research."-BBC Sherlock Holmes

2. Dr. Brennan/Bones:

Dr. Brennan is a forensic anthropologist. She works at the Jeffersonian with her fellow co-workers. They assist law enforcement in investigations by analyzing the dead bodies of the victims. They use their anthropology skills to determine things such as the cause of death, the length of death, and so forth. Dr. Bennan is exceptionally skilled in this area. She is able to discover things about the remains that are often times overlooked by others. She's also brilliant outside of the lab. She often times has trouble with being sensitive or understanding certain social skills. She's very straightforward with her brilliant mind, but underneath all her books and brains she has a huge heart for those she cares about. Her no-nonsense attitude and intellect is a large part of why the cases are usually so successful.

"I don't need to hear him tell me that I was right. It's enough to know that he knows that I was right."- Dr. Brennan

3. Tony Stark/Iron Man:

Tony stark is an extremely intelligent character. He created his alter ego Iron Man. Iron Man is part of the Avengers, and despite having zero supernatural powers, he is able to hold his own within the team. The powers of his alter ego were entirely made by him. This is what makes his character a nerd, but with these abilities also comes his extreme confidence. Tony often times annoys other characters because of his arrogance. Overall, he wants to do good by the world and uses his brain to do so, even if he annoys others along the way.

"Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist."-Tony Stark

4. Hermione Granger:

Hermione Granger is a very astute and studious character. She was known for constantly reading and studying for classes. Hermione was often called a know-it-throughout her time at Hogwarts, because she wasn't afraid to share her brains with the world. She was always the first student in a classroom to raise their hand, and she always got the answer correct. Her drive to learn all she could about wizardry is what often times saved her and her friends. Hermione is a true nerd that used her brains to fight against evil.

"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?"- Hermione Granger

5. Sheldon Cooper:

Sheldon Cooper as a physicist with his friends and roommates. He was a child prodigy with a high IQ. Sheldon still has a high IQ and a low ability to socialize like a normal person. He's the stereotypical nerd that's interested in science fiction shows and childish things like bedtime songs. He's a hilariously entertaining nerd.

"Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur, happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr purr purr"-Soft Kitty song

6. Amy Farrah Fowler:

Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler is a neuro-biologist. She studied at an ivy League college, both on the show and as the actress. She and Sheldon are very similar in their personalities. They're very intelligent and different from others. Amy isn't childish like Sheldon, but she's also perceived as weird by other characters.

"Don't. I'll be okay. You're not the first girls I thought were friends with me who who ended up shunning me. It's like elementary school, junior high, high school, undergrad, grad school and that semester abroad in Norway all over again."

7. Dr. Spencer Reid:

Dr. Spencer Reid is the youngest character on Criminal Minds. He works at the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. He is coined as a genius throughout the show. He has an eidetic memory, which he often uses to memorize and spout out statistics. He's awkward but not as antisocial as many nerds. He socializes in different ways like playing poker and chess. The entire Behavioral Analysis Unit is very close, and would most likely liken Reid to a younger brother. Derek Morgan often calls him kid throughout the show. He is younger than the rest because of how quickly he went through school. He was in high school at twelve years old, and currently has multiple PhD's and Bachelor's degrees. He uses this knowledge to work with his teammates to catch the criminals.

"I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified, but I do have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, and can read 20,000 words per minute."-Spencer Reid

8. Penelope Garcia:

Penelope Garcia is the queen of all nerds. Before she joined the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI as there tech analyst, she was a hacker known as the Black Queen. Even before she was a good guy, Penelope Garcia used her hacking powers to help others. She's a nerd that breaks out of all stereotypes. Unlike most nerds who are reserved and awkward, Penelope Garcia is forward and expressive. She uses her computer abilities to help find information on the criminals and victims. This helps point the team in the right direction. She is the queen of sass and the queen of brains.

"Live from Quantico, VA, it is the divine Ms. Penelope. Los Angeles, you're our first and favorite caller. Talk to me." -Penelope Garcia