For every airheaded character in anime, there is a genius, and while fans will often debate who the smartest characters in anime are, no one can deny that Lelouch from Code Geass is smart. He is a genius tactician who is able to plan several steps ahead. On top of that, he is able to read people really well, which is why he's able to plan ahead so effectively.

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Lelouch is incredibly smart, but he's not the only one who can use his intelligence to outmaneuver people. In fact, there are a few anime characters who could probably outmaneuver him if they tried.

10 L Is The OddBall Genius (Death Note)

L sitting with his knees raised to his chest.

L is a bit of an oddball, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he is a certified genius. When the police were completely out of their depth, L was the only one who could understand Kira, and he was able to discover which city Kira operated in almost instantly. He was Light's greatest opponent, and he'd definitely make Lelouch sweat if they went head to head. In fact, L's only downfall was that he couldn't comprehend the supernatural.

9 Shikamaru Is The Smartest Shinobi (Naruto)

Shikamaru winking in Naruto.

There's a reason Shikamaru is so valued as a Shinobi, and that's because of how smart he is. He was the only one who passed the Chunin Exams the first time around, and he didn't even need to win his fight to do it. The fact that he outsmarted his opponent was proof enough that he would make a good ninja. When it comes to running teams and planning, he is number one. The fact that he was able to defeat Hiden who was immortal proves how amazing he is.

8 Hitsugaya Is A Young Genius (Bleach)

Hitsugaya using his bonkai

Hitsugaya is widely known as a genius. He is the youngest Captain in the Soul Society, but he is far from inexperienced or immature. He's the best at understanding how people think, and he was even the first to discover Aizen's treachery during the Soul Society Arc.

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He may not be the strongest Captain, but nothing gets past him. A battle of intelligence between Lelouch and Hitsugaya would be a tough one for him, but Hitsugaya definitely has the know-how to come out on top.

7 Armin Is Smarter Then He Thinks (Attack On Titan)

Attack On Titan Armin

Armin can be insecure about his intelligence, but the fact is that a lot of the Scout's successes were because of Armin. Not only was he able to come up with some crazily ingenious plans on the fly, but he was able to come up with the best methods of executing those plans as well. No one but Armin could have identified who the Female Titan was, and only Armin could have thought to check inside the walls for Bertholdt and Reiner. Armin may not think he's very smart, but as a tactician, he is one of the best.

6 Midoriya Is A Fighter And A Planner (My Hero Academia)

Deku using One For All in My Hero Academia.

Even without One For All, Midoriya would have been an excellent hero. He can understand Quirks better than anyone else, and because of that, he can combat them perfectly. He has a tendency to overthink things, but he's shown a lot of improvement and he's shown that he can be an expert tactician. When the characters need a plan, they go to Midoriya, which just shows how amazingly intelligent he is.

5 Yumeko Is So Unhinged That Fans Forget She's Actually Smart (Kakegurui)

yumeko jabami from kakegurui happy

Yumeko is a bit unhinged when it comes to gambling, but that doesn't take away from the fact that she is actually an incredibly smart girl. To some, gambling is all about luck, but the fact is there is a lot of strategy involved in it.

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Not only is she able to beat the most experienced gamblers in her school, but she does it so nonchalantly that some people don't even realize how intelligent she is. Being both unpredictable and smart, she is the worst type of person to go up against because, not only is she willing to do anything to win, she enjoys watching her opponent suffering while doing it.

4 Kurama Is Deadly And Smart (Yu Yu Hakusho)

Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho

Kurama is the smartest of the main cast, but that's not hard to do considering how dense everyone else can be. Not only is he a fierce fighter, but he's the best when it comes to strategy. He can analyze his opponents on the fly and trick them before they even know what hit them. Finding a way to knock someone out without hurting them or figuring out how to fight without his hands is child's play for Kurama. Yusuke is incredibly lucky Kurama is his friend because he definitely wouldn't want the intelligent fox as an enemy.

3 Olivier Armstrong Is The Best Leader (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood)

Major General Olivier Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist

Olivier Armstrong is not someone anyone should mess with, but that's not just because she's incredibly strong, it's also because of what an excellent commander she is. As the General of Briggs, she has been hardened by the fierce weather, and because of that, she doesn't even flinch when faced with a powerful opponent. As an army general, she is an expert tactician, and she's managed to make some incredibly unorthodox plans work perfectly. However, the best thing about her is her leadership skills. The fact that so many of her men are willing to die for her shows what an amazing leader she truly is.

2 Dazai Can Outsmart Everyone (Bungo Stray Dogs)

Osamu Dazai from Bungou Stray Dogs resting his chin atop his bandaged hands

Dazai is practically the Sherlock Holmes of anime with how intelligent he is. Not only can he easily analyze any given situation, but he can use even the most finite of details to his advantage. The fact that he is nearly as smart as the agency's smartest detective just shows how incredible he truly is. Most importantly, he can be incredibly persuasive, which is sometimes even more important than just being smart. Not only can he outmaneuver his opponents, but he can manipulate them to do what he wants as well.

1 Erwin Is The World's Best Strategist (Attack On Titan)

Erwin Smith from Attack on Titan stares grimly with the sky in the background

Erwin Smith is the king when it comes to strategy. Even the most unlikely to succeed plans have worked for him simply because he knows how to analyze his enemy. Even Armin, who is also an incredible strategist, can't think as quickly as Erwin can. Armin may have been the first to discover who the female titan was, but it was Erwin who realized there was a traitor in their midst. The Scouts would have never discovered the truth without him.