Orochimaru is one of the legendary Sannin from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He displayed prodigious talent since he was very young, and this greatly astonished the village elders. They would later attempt to groom him to become a responsible and just ninja, but the villain would eventually lose his way, turning to forbidden techniques.
Orochimaru's intellect made it possible for him to reach the pinnacle of the ninja world, a task that should not be overlooked. Through careful planning, Orochimaru was able to decimate the leaf village, and, in doing so, it resulted in many casualties with one being Hiruzen Sarutobi. He would later enact another plan to steal the body of Sasuke Uchiha in order to gain the Sharingan. He ultimately failed at the last hurdle, but the plan was definitely a solid one. Here are 5 anime heroes that he could outsmart, and five that he couldn't.
10 Can Beat: Asta
Asta's work ethic and determination make him a lovable protagonist, but he's never been truly blessed with intellect. So far along his journey, Asta has mostly relied on his physical prowess, in combination with his anti-magic abilities. Of course, this is not to say Asta is incapable of thinking his way through a situation, as he has shown that he can come up with and execute a plan. Nevertheless, against Orochimaru, he would have his work cut out for him.
9 Can't Beat: Canute
Canute is the current King of England, having seized the throne from his father and elder brother, Harald. In his younger years, Canute was a feeble and timid boy who hung on closely to the teachings of his god. After meeting Askeladd and realizing the true nature of the world, Canute greatly matured, which would later aid him in his reign as King. Canute has been shown to be a level headed and intelligent thinker, meaning he could definitely hold his own against Orochimaru in a battle of wits.
8 Can Beat: Shinra Kusakabe
Shinra is an exceptional young Fire Soldier, who is committed to finding out the truth about spontaneous combustion and relocating his younger brother, Sho. Shinra's Adolla Burst allows him to compete with opponents who are stronger than him, largely due to the intensity and purity of the flame. But, against Orochimaru, he would need to use his head more, and that isn't Shinra's most adept area.
7 Can't Beat: Senku Ishigami
Senku Ishigami has already shown himself to be one of the smartest anime characters in the ever. After being petrified for over a millennium, Senku revived and went on to build a kingdom of science. This allowed Senku and his compatriots to develop technology far ahead of their current time. This technology ensures the survival of Ishigami village and, later, the remainder of humanity. A battle of intellect between Senku and Orochimaru would definitely go down in anime history!
6 Can Beat: Emma
In the world of The Promised Neverland, survival is never guaranteed. In order to survive, Emma and friends must not only outmaneuver their guardians, but also the monsters that would see them become food. Emma is a very lively and lovable lead character who deeply cares for each and every one of her friends and, as much as possible, tries to act in their best interest.
This, of course, enabled her and many of the other children to escape their imprisonment. Emma might have been able to escape from the farm while Mother was in charge, but, were her opponent Orochimaru, then the result would have definitely been different.
5 Can't Beat: Edward Alric
Edward Alric proved himself to the world when he became one of the youngest ever State Alchemist in Amestris. He later cemented his legacy when he defeated Father, saving the world from collapsing into a state of anarchy and chaos. Alchemy is a complex system that requires practitioners to be smart and adaptable. Edward is both intelligent and hardworking, which means Orochimaru would have his work cut out for him.
4 Can Beat: Inosuke
Inosuke burst onto the scene with his undeniable charisma and conflicting personality. Inosuke is characterized by his determination, grit, and an almost unbreakable spirit. He is known for charging in head first and trying to resolve conflict by overpowering his opponent. This method might be highly potent against demons but, against Orochimaru, it would definitely be useless.
3 Can't Beat: Lelouch
Code Geass makes absolutely certain to point out that Lelouch Lamperouge is one of the smartest people in the universe. Early on, he's shown to be able to easily outsmart and outmaneuver people many years his senior, whether over a simple game of chess or an actual tactical battle.
Lelouch has been trained by some of the most capable minds around. As such, his remarkable rise did not even come as a surprise. In a one on one battle of intellect, Lelouch would definitely give Orochimaru a run for his money.
2 Can Beat: Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto is the current Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, after succeeding Kakashi Hatake. So far, he's shown exceptional ability in leading the village, and this has resulted in Konoha becoming much more technologically advanced. This highlights that Naruto does know what he's doing, and it's clear that he's gotten a lot smarter as the years pass by. But, despite this growth, he would still find it incredibly difficult to content with Orochimaru's intellect.
1 Can't Beat: Sasuke Uchiha
Sasuke Uchiha is unquestionably one of the most successful shinobi of his time, even showing prodigious levels of talent when he was merely a student at the academy. He went on to leave the village in order to seek out power. This power was given to him by Orochimaru as part of a bigger plan in which he planned to steal Sasuke's body from him. Of course, Orochimaru failed after being outsmarted and out-powered by a Sasuke who had long seen through Orochimaru's plan.