The cranial nerves are thirteen pairs of nerves that are attached directly to the brain or the brainstem instead of the spinal cord. They are: * The terminal nerve * The olfactory nerve * The optic nerve * The oculomotor nerve * The trochlear nerve * The trigeminal nerve * The abducens nerve * The facial nerve * The vestibulocochlear nerve * The glossopharyngeal nerve * The vagus nerve * The accessory nerve * The hypoglossal nerve