The vast realm of Japanese anime is home to thousands of unique characters who can be sorted, organized and ranked in various ways, from their MBTI personality types to their "dere" types, such as tsundere and dandere. Then there are the four Hogwarts Houses in Harry Potter, a neat and familiar way to sort fictional characters by their personalities and aptitudes.
Everyone knows about the clash of brave Gryffindors vs cunning Slytherins, but the other two Houses have much to offer, too. Ravenclaw, for example, is the House for intellectual students who value learning, creativity, quick wits, and resourcefulness. It's the House of ace students and scholars, and more than a few shonen characters are true Ravenclaws at heart, too.
10 Levy McGarden Has Her Own Magical Library (Fairy Tail)
Most members of the heroic Fairy Tail wizard guild are total Gryffindors, from the fire dragon slayer Natsu Dragneel to his friends Erza, Gray, and Lucy, but there are room for Ravenclaw-style wizards, too, such as the bookish Levy McGarden.
Levy knows that the pen is mightier than the sword for wizards like her, and she has a vast personal library of her very own. Anytime a battle starts, Levy can quickly conduct some research and discover the perfect solution to the problem at hand. She can also use writing-based magic.
9 Sir Nighteye Is A Paperwork Hero (My Hero Academia)
Every Pro Hero needs a sidekick to support them, and in All Might's case, that sidekick was the salaryman-style hero Sir Nighteye. This suit-wearing sidekick can see the future with his Quirk, and that, combined with his sharp mind, make him a total Ravenclaw at heart.
Sir Nighteye is capable of melee combat, but he vastly prefers paperwork and planning as a desk-oriented sidekick. To him, information, analysis, and clever planning mean everything, making him the perfect counterpart to his Gryffindor partner All Might.
8 Senku Ishigami is A Scientist Ravenclaw (Dr. Stone)
As a shonen protagonist, the teen scientist Senku Ishigami also has many Gryffindor traits, such as his fondness for teamwork and his energetic, heroic enthusiasm. But deep down, he is a true Ravenclaw, especially in his 21st century life.
Senku is a dedicated scientist who conducts tireless research and studies highly detailed blueprints and diagrams so he can conduct his experiments perfectly and minimize the risk of failure. He does appreciate the need to take some risks, but that's no excuse to not study first.
7 Loid Forger Improvises Plans All Day Long (Spy X Family)
The Westalis superspy Twilight, now going by Loid Forger, does have the boldness of a Gryffindor and the determination of a Slytherin, but ultimately, he is best described as a Ravenclaw. To begin with, Loid values his wits and creativity as a spy, and he can't afford to be reckless or too selfish.
Loid favors careful planning and the analysis of complex details before making his move, all so he can get the job done right the first time. He's not as scholarly as typical Ravenclaws, but he has the witty resourcefulness of a true Ravenclaw.
6 Leorio Paradnight Prefers To Study (Hunter X Hunter)
Most Hunter x Hunter main characters are either Gryffindors or Slytherins, but then there's the natural Ravenclaw Leorio Paradnight, an aspiring medical professional. He did take part in the Hunter exam with Gon, Killua, and Kurapika, but fighting really isn't his thing.
In fact, after that exam, Leorio took time off to continue his studies to become a doctor, and that's the Ravenclaw way. Studying, sharp attention to detail and patience are all critical for a witty Ravenclaw's success, qualities that Gon himself doesn't often show.
5 Soichiro Yagami Does Things By The Book (Death Note)
At times, Soichiro Yagami showed his Gryffindor side, such as when he daringly rammed that armored van into Sakura TV's studio to swipe Misa's Kira tapes. Otherwise, though, Soichiro is quite the Ravenclaw, being a by-the-book detective who would much rather not bend the rules with reckless heroism.
Soichiro studied hard and worked even harder to climb the ranks, using his wits and the power of the law to bring criminals to justice properly year after year. In his eyes, the best weapon is not a pistol or a sword, but a book of law and a judge to back it up.
4 Sheska Simply Adores Books (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Sheska is a minor character in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood who did the Elric brothers a huge favor by memorizing Dr. Tim Marcoh's extensive research notes and copying them perfectly. The villains had already destroyed the original notes by then, but the bookish Sheska wasn't discouraged at all.
Sheska absolutely loves books and reading, and she has a perfect memory to match. So, on request, she wrote perfect copies of Marchoh's encrypted notes, allowing the Elric brothers to work on decoding the material and thus discover the Philosopher's Stone's secrets.
3 Princess Hibana Extensively Studies Infernals (Fire Force)
Fire Force is another shonen series where Gryffindor values are prized, with bold heroes like Shinra and Arthur Boyle leading the way. One notable exception is the captain of Company 5, the well-dressed, pompous Princess Hibana. She is a total Ravenclaw, even if she acts more like Slytherin.
Princess Hibana can fight, but she would much rather study captured Infernals in her company's lab and figure out their inner workings. To her, every Infernal is a potential specimen, and she won't rest until all their secrets are laid out for all to see after careful research and experimentation. This marks her as a studious and shockingly ruthless Ravenclaw.
2 Nagi Umino Studies Obsessively (A Couple Of Cuckoos)
Some shonen rom-com protagonists are terrible at school, or at least, they don't care much about grades and studying. Then there's Nagi Umino, a high school student who has made studying his entire life. He's certain that studying is the key to future success, an admirable Ravenclaw attitude to have.
Nagi is not only an ace student, but also a thoughtful boy who doesn't like taking bold risks or making messes if he can help it. He wants his life to be neat, orderly, and make sense, like any Ravenclaw, but things will get pretty messy when he gets his own harem.
1 Zenji Marui Is A Young Professor Chef (Food Wars!)
At the Totsuki culinary academy, students are free to use their own trademark cooking methods to make exquisite dishes, ranging from an emphasis on seafood or spices to smoking meats or soba noddles. Then there's Zenji Marui, who really puts the "book" in "cookbook."
Zenji, as a true shonen Ravenclaw, favors studying and data analysis over experimentation in his cooking, and it pays off. He may not be on Soma's level, but he compensates with his incredibly broad knowledge of cooking and ingredients thanks to his tireless studying. He's even famous for it, being known as the professor chef.
