Highlights
- Geniuses in anime may be intellectually talented, but can still be outsmarted by enemies or allies at times.
- Despite being top students, characters like Kaguya Shinomiya can still be defeated, especially in matters of love or relationships.
- Even master spies like Loid Forger can be befuddled by the actions of their family members, despite their analytical minds.
Anime is full of different kinds of characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. While many characters make their appeal with their strengths and special abilities, some characters are renowned for their intellect and smarts.
Anime is full of genius-level characters that are renowned for being intellectually talented, whether it be their ability to strategize, create, or reason. Despite this, there are times when even characters like these end up confused by the actions of others, whether it be enemies or even their own allies. Here are some anime geniuses that are easily outsmarted.
8 Rintaro Okabe
The Time-Traveling Mad Scientist
Often putting on the character of the mad scientist Kyoma Hououin, Rintaro Okabe really does have some smarts, being able to keep up with Kurisu Makise, a genius in her own right. As the leader of the Future Gadget Laboratory, his ideas and suggestions form part of the inventions developed by the crew, even if his friend Daru does most of the legwork.
Of course, at the end of the day, Okabe can’t hold a candle to Makise. Any arguments between the two usually end in Makise’s victory and Okabe’s humiliation. While Okabe does his best to spread his reputation as a mad scientist, there’s no denying his boasts are very much exaggerated.
7 Kaguya Shinomiya
The Picture-Perfect Honor Student
Kaguya Shinomiya is the daughter of the influential Shinomiya family, and has been raised from childhood to be an elite. A top student, a skilled archer, and a delicate beauty; Shinomiya certainly has it all, and deservedly so.
However, despite her natural intelligence, she is consistently beaten by President Miyuki Shirogane in test scores, a conflict that kickstarts their association with each other. Though their rivalry soon turns romantic, the battles of love between the two frequently end in her loss.
6 Ami Mizuno
The Sailor Scout Of Wisdom
Ami Mizuno is the smartest student in school, easily earning top scores in all subjects on top of being a tech whiz. While this also meant that she was often isolated from her fellow students, she found friends when she became Sailor Mercury and began fighting against the forces of evil with the Sailor Scouts.
Unfortunately, her impeccable intelligence isn’t enough to stop her from falling into enemy traps, which she unfortunately does fairly often. Still, there are also times when she is able to help her comrades get out of similar situations, so an occasional mistake from her isn’t too bad.
5 Keima Katsuragi
The Unrepentant Genius of Love (Simulation Games)
Keima Katsuragi is a master of love – when it comes to dating sims, that is. His mastery of the genre is so renowned that he ends up getting contacted by reaper Elsie, who enlists his help in order to capture spirits from hell, who have made their way into the hearts of young women.
In truth, Keima Katsuragi is truly intelligent, earning top scores in all his tests (despite not studying) and being able to play multiple games on multiple systems without breaking a sweat. However, his romance skills are somewhat exaggerated and don’t always translate to the real world, leaving him dumbfounded when his targets don’t act the way he assumes.
4 Sherlock Holmes
The Talented Detective In The Palm Of The Manipulator
True to his namesake, the version of Sherlock Holmes in Moriarty the Patriot is one of the most intelligent detectives in England. His deductive skills are absolutely unparalleled, and he has solved cases that have baffled police everywhere.
However, despite all his intelligence, Holmes remains a pawn in the plans of William James Moriarty, who plans to use both his status as the Lord of Crime and Holmes’s reputation as a famed detective to destroy the corrupt nobility. While Holmes understands that something is afoot, he always ends up a step behind Moriarty’s plans.
3 Heiji Hattori
Genius Teen Detective Of Osaka
Heiji Hattori is the Osakan analogue to Shinichi Kudo, being a teen detective who made his mark solving crimes for the local police. Though he first presented himself as a rival to Shinichi, when he discovered his current identity as Conan, he became an ally to him and helped keep his secret.
Despite his intellect, his hot-headed nature and penchant for recklessness causes him to make rash decisions, and sometimes, that leads him to make mistakes. In these times, he usually gets saved by Conan, though he does his best to maintain their relationship as equals.
2 Loid Forger
The Consummate Master Spy
Twilight, currently operating under the name of Loid Forger, is one of WISE’s most skilled agents. Having earned a reputation for being a master spy, Twilight has mastery over multiple languages, a litany of skills, whether combat or recreational, and an analytical mind that can process multiple plans and outcomes in a matter of seconds.
Despite this, Loid finds himself constantly befuddled by the actions of his wife and child, who have managed, despite his impeccable observation skills and deductive reasoning abilities, to keep their respective secrets from him. Loid may be a master spy, but he has a lot to learn as a father.
1 Light Yagami
The Master Of The Death Note
Light Yagami is a brilliant student, but despises the current state of the world, full of immoral and slovenly people. When he receives the Death Note, he quickly begins using it to rid the world of those he dislikes, though the power soon goes to his head.
Light soon meets his match in the detective, L. Though Light had been careful so far, it was his first mistake that allowed L to pinpoint his location in Japan. While the two are certainly equal in intellect, Light frequently finds himself forced to find his way out of a situation by L and his many traps.
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