Strength is the most typical benchmark for how dominant an anime character is. However, many times, it has been said that "the pen is mightier than the sword." Today we will take a step back from the hierarchy of strength to examine intelligence.
This article will list ten anime characters who boast unparalleled intellectual ability.
10 most intelligent Anime characters
1) Senku
Senku, the main character of the anime Dr. Stone, is the king of science. Returning fossilized humans to their organic state and starting life over in the stone age is an impossible task, but Senku made it happen.
The show doesn't ever display Senku taking an IQ test, but we can guess that he's a genius with at least an IQ of 180. Though he is not physically strong, Senku consistently displays his brilliance in the ongoing anime.
2) Light Yagami
Light defeated Interpol and bested L in an incredible mental chess battle using his brilliant intellect. He dealt with every situation perfectly with his sharp mind, never leaving any trace at the crime scene.
Light showcased his superior smarts many times, including when he was under surveillance. The light worked on a homework assignment, discretely watched the news, and secretly wrote in the death note all at once.
3) L
The only person who knew the true identity of Kira in the entire Death Note anime was L. L managed to force Light into a corner with his genius intelligence in many instances. Japanese police and Interpol were stumped without the help of L.
Throughout the series, he accurately predicted Kira's every move. He was always fighting at a disadvantage given that he had no concrete evidence of Kira's identity, while Light knew that L was investigating him.
4) Shikamaru
Despite not being the strongest or most refined Ninjutsu user, Shikamaru was the first of his class to achieve Chunin rank. After that, he quickly climbed up to Jonin, a feat that many shinobi do not achieve in their entire lifetime.
He was able to take down the immortal Hidan, using an acute analysis of the Akatsuki member's jutsu and a carefully crafted plan. While Shikamaru is rarely the strongest anime character in the room, he can think and adapt on the fly to any situation.
It's no surprise that he followed in his father's footsteps and became the Hokage's assistant.
5) Lelouch
Lelouch vi Britannia is a brilliant strategist and a keen observer. By himself, he declared war on the Britannian Royal Empire. He wasn't afraid to sacrifice lives in the anime until he reached his goal, regardless of how it affected him emotionally.
He is a true genius, even without the special power of his Geass. Throughout Code Geass, Lelouch always read his opponents' moves beforehand and acted accordingly.
6) Saiki Kusuke
Kusuke is the older brother of the protagonist of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. anime. He is a super-genius who likes to invent complex machines. He began speaking his first words at the age of one month old and quickly began communicating with his parents.
By the age of 2, he could write and do the math. At 14, Kusuke left for college and studied at Cambridge, earning his master's and Ph.D. Kusuke has accomplished incredible technological innovations, such as building exo-suits that enable the elderly to move freely and even construct a time machine.
7) Kars
Kars is one of the most intelligent characters in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime. An excellent observer and strategist, he analyzes his opponents well before making a move.
Just by virtue of his high intelligence, he mastered Godly powers by harnessing the Earth's fauna. In the anime, he transformed into the Ultimate Life Form. His IQ in that state is 400, significantly higher than that of the average human.
8) Lain Iwakura
Having bridged the gap between The Wired and real-life, Lain becomes a celestial being. She is essentially a sentient artificial intelligence and can manipulate events, memory, and reality. As a being possessing infinite processing power and information, Lain's intellect is beyond measure.
9) Rimuru Tempest
This Godly being has many intellectual powers. Most notably, he boasts a skill called Hasten Thought, which boosts thought speed by a thousand times. This alone lands Rimuru in the top 10 anime characters with the highest IQ.
Additionally, Rimuru possesses the Analyze and Assess ability, allowing him a hyper-critical analysis of his target.
Furthermore, his Parallel Operation ability separates analysis of any targeted matter and is automatically affected by Hasten Thought, boosting the processing speed by one thousand times.
10) Kenjaku
He is an ancient sorcerer whose goal is to "evolve" humanity through cursed energy. Kenjaku's cursed technique allows him to transfer his brain to new host bodies, enabling him to live for centuries.
He has occupied numerous bodies throughout history under different names and identities. This Jujutsu Kaisen anime antagonist hatched a master plan to seal Gojo, the strongest (and one of the most intelligent) sorcerers.
Note: This list is in no particular order and reflects the writer's opinion.