Though most anime characters pride themselves on their strong work ethics, some understand that working hard doesn't always mean that they'll achieve their goals. Many anime heroes pull themselves up by the bootstraps and endure months of brutal training just to get to the first stepping stone towards their objective.
Others, however, think that this behavior is foolish and a complete waste of energy. They realize that exerting themselves is oftentimes futile and doesn't guarantee them anything. So, they find easier, less painstaking solutions that get them to their desired result. They work smarter, not harder.
10 Maple Beat The System & Angered The Game Creators By Adjusting Her Settings (Bofuri)
Nobody likes taking excessive damage in video games. It chops away at a player's HP and prevents them from moving forward with the story. Maple from Bofuri, however, found an easy way to cheat the system by adjusting her settings to set all skill points to buffing her Defense.
Though Maple wasn't nearly as quick as some of the other players because of her choice, it was clever of her to think about ways to take the least damage. This angered the game creators, especially once Maple started obtaining more skills and surpassing some of the competition.
9 Kuro Didn't Want To Be A Vampire (Servamp)
Each of the vampires in Servamp represents one of the deadly sins. Kuro is the sloth servamp. He certainly lives up to his title. Kuro doesn't have any particular dreams or aspirations. He didn't even want to be a vampire in the first place. He's one of the sleepiest vampires around. When he's not catching some "z's," he's playing video games.
Kuro believes it's always better not to put effort into anything. Otherwise, getting involved with something might make matters worse. Though Kuro certainly takes this to extremes, it's a reasonable philosophy about life and interacting with others. Kuro admitted that he'll only kill and protect whoever Mahiru tells him to, to keep things simple, which prompted the latter to say that he has no autonomy.
8 Saiki Hates Overexerting Himself For Everyone Else's Sake (The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K.)
Though he's willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need, Saiki's not a fan of overexerting himself for everyone else's sake. His parents constantly take advantage of his vast arsenal of psychic powers, while others just don't know how to leave him alone. Throughout The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K., he's proven himself a surprisingly relatable protagonist.
He likes watching TV and reading books because he can't predict what's coming next; unfortunately, he can't go to movie theaters because he'll get spoiled by reading someone's mind. Saiki's also not a fan of relying on his powers and would prefer to achieve things without them. Some of his powers can make things more complicated than they need to be, like his mind control ability. Most would think relying on powers would make things easier, but it just creates more work for Saiki in this case.
7 Spike Understands The Value Of A Work-Life Balance (Cowboy Bebop)
Cowboy Bebop's Spike Spiegel is a bounty hunter. It's a grueling job that requires tons of effort, so he's learned the importance of maintaining a good work-life balance over the years.
Everybody knows Spike's a pretty laid-back guy who would rather watch TV and chill out in the spaceship than work. Still, he understands that he has to make a living. So, he doesn't do anything beyond what's required of him, he gets the job done, then heads back and relaxes for the rest of the day.
6 Houtarou Always Tries To Conserve His Energy (Hyouka)
Houtarou always seems like he's just bored out of his mind in Hyouka. He blankly stares off into the distance with a listless expression, leading many to believe that he's entirely out of touch with reality. Since he doesn't do anything beyond the bare minimum, most people instantly assume he's a slacker.
However, Houtarou's methods of conserving his energy are impressive. Though most of his energy is exerted trying to find ways out of his responsibilities, he's still a brilliant problem solver. He's also more willing to help others out than act selfishly. Hyouka is one of the smartest anime characters of all time. His deductive reasoning skills are on-par with Death Note's L.
5 Hawks Wants Heroes To Have Too Much Time On Their Hands (My Hero Academia)
Hawks is the number two pro-hero in My Hero Academia. He's the man who's just a bit too fast. Though the Wing Hero has certainly had his work cut out for him in the series recently, his nonchalant attitude rubbed a few pro-heroes the wrong way. He comes off like nothing is a big deal for him.
However, Hawks' end goal is to create a future in which the heroes have too much time on their hands. He wants to make life enjoyable for everybody, not just the average citizens. Most pro-heroes take their job seriously, making them burnt out in the long run. However, Hawks' easygoing attitude is a front. If he acts too passionately, he could blow his vigilante cover.
4 Glenn Radars Is Powerful, But He Never Applies Himself (Akashic Records Of A Bastard Magic Instructor)
Some teachers in anime went into the profession under ridiculous circumstances. For example, Glenn Radars from Akashic Records of a Bastard Magic Instructor only got his position because he had to work as a substitute since the other teacher disappeared.
Glenn is a fun-loving 19-year-old who doesn't take anything too seriously. However, he's a powerful magic user who imparts tons of valuable knowledge to his students. However, he doesn't slam them with a barrage of constant work. Instead, he believes in making them find their own answers to problems, so it's less work for him in the long-run. Plus, it wouldn't be helpful to just give the answers away.
3 Karma Akabane Only Puts In Any Effort When It Benefits Him (Assassination Classroom)
Karma from Assassination Classroom stole the show in the series. Thanks to his signature smug grin and cunning tactics, he became the series' most memorable character aside from the lovable Koro-sensei. Karma is a brilliant student, but he never applies himself academically.
Still, he can achieve good grades without studying because of his natural intelligence. He doesn't study hard like most of his peers or waste time thinking about intricate sneak attacks. During a game of Cops and Robbers, he devised a surprisingly simple plan to hide until he could draw Koro-Sensei into the water and defeat him.
2 Ranpo Is The World's Greatest Detective, But He Doesn't Need To Overexert Himself To Prove It (Bungo Stray Dogs)
Ranpo from Bungo Stray Dogs is a brilliant detective. Though it'd be fair to scoff at anyone who calls themselves the "World's Greatest Detective," Ranpo truly deserves that title. He doesn't seem to have a special ability, though he believes otherwise. However, Ranpo certainly doesn't overexert himself to prove it.
The Agency trusts him because of how many cases he's cracked in an instant. However, this doesn't mean he'll pick up the slack for someone else. Unless a case really interests him or puts his friends in danger, he won't waste time with it. After all, he believes he has a powerful ability, so he can't really overexert his intellect.
1 Shikamaru Never Applies Himself More Than He Has To (Naruto)
Shikamaru from Naruto has become one of anime's most infamous slackers. In fact, it seems like most of his energy is spent thinking about ways to do the bare minimum. He's wickedly smart, but some people feel like he's wasting his potential.
However, Shikamaru understands that fighting tooth and nail for a victory might be a waste of time. In many ways, Shikamaru is a brilliant strategist because he'll come up with creative solutions to do as little as possible while taking down his opponents. His fight against Temari was a battle of his wits versus her sheer power. His shadow possession did all the work for him while he attacked Temari remotely.