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In "Pinky and the Brain", a simple observer can see a clear pattern: Pinky's antics are the cause of most of Brain's failures.

If Brain is so smart, why doesn't he just do an analysis to remove Pinky, to finally succeed in world domination?

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    tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfFunny - in a cartoon, it's more important to be funny than to be realistic. Commented Aug 28 at 10:06
  • What's the point in conquering the world if you are alone in the end? Commented Aug 29 at 7:29

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This is partly answered by the fact that, for all his bumbling, the Brain clearly considers Pinky to be his best friend and partner-in-crime and wants them to take over the world together - on occasions where Pinky is in danger, Brain drops everything to save him.

The rest is addressed by the episode "That Smarts". Brain comes to the same conclusion as you - that Pinky is the cause of his constant failures - but rather than ditch him, he opts to increase Pinky's intelligence so that it's on par with his own. The newly-intelligent Pinky proceeds to point out that a lot of the time, Brain's plans actually just have some kind of flaw that cause them to fall apart on their own. This is reflected in the show: Brain's plans are accidentally foiled by Pinky some of the time, but other times they just flat-out don't work.

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    @YoungJunLee There's a common fan theory that, out of the two, Brain is actually the insane one, which may well account for any irrationality on his part. Commented Aug 26 at 21:59
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    @YoungJunLee if your goal is "Achieve world domination together with X", you would not longer have a goal if you remove X. Commented Aug 27 at 8:47
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    Season 1, Epsiode 8 - A Pinky and the Brain Christmas, is the perfect example of why they are inseparable. Commented Aug 27 at 12:16
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    @YoungJunLee Emotions aren't rational. Their friendship probably goes a long way back. Commented Aug 27 at 14:04
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    One could just as well ask why Wile E Coyote keeps buying from Acme, which clearly sells shoddy murchandise (yes, I'm aware of Coyote v. Acme). Commented Aug 27 at 15:03
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The Brain, being an arrogant, self-righteous, socially-awkward control freak, exhibits this lack of humility most likely due to a deeply rooted insecurity and lack of self confidence. This could be due to one of many causes.

Perhaps his ratling peers made fun of him and shunned him from social groups for appearing physically different from others as a juvenile rat on account of his macrocephaly. Perhaps he was weaned from his mother rat prematurely. Maybe he was left unattended with a weird rat uncle far too often despite his pleading because his financially unstable family couldn't refuse the monetary compensation that came with the arrangement.

Whichever traumatic reason left the emotional void in his soul, The Brain has an insatiable desire to feel noticed, to feel powerful and therefore respected, and to prove his worthiness that presented in controlling behaviour and self-centeredness with delusions of grandeur leading to a relentless urge to takeover the world among other unhealthy defense mechanisms designed to keep his ego overinflated in a desperate attempt to have it protect his atrophied self-confidence.

Pinkie essentially serves as The Brain's outlet for angst and fulfills his unconscious need to appear "better than". Without Pinkie to accentuate his intelligence by comparison, The Brain would likely fall into a deep depression. Additionally, Pinkie's neuro-simplicity makes The Brain feel needed and therefore useful and worthy.

Essentially, Pinkie and The Brain's co-dependent relationship is what gives Pinkie the overconfidence to maintain his pursuit of world-domination which, ironically, if achieved would leave The Brain without a purpose any longer and therefore Pinkie's unintentional foiling of their nightly mission is also essential to The Brain's vitality.

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    Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please edit to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center. Commented Aug 28 at 2:23
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    Just a small point of order: they are mice, not rats. It's right there in the theme song: "To prove their mousey worth//they'll overthrow the Earth..." Commented Aug 29 at 16:00

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