The Japanese animation industry is famous for its staggering diversity of colorful and unforgettable characters, including a huge number of notable anime parents. Some of the strongest, smartest, or most important anime characters are mothers and fathers, either biologically or as a foster or step-parent. That includes a handful of smart anime dads, too.
For comic relief, many stories depict dads as lovable goofs or buffoons or perhaps they are absent or downright evil. Evil or not, some anime dads are actually quite smart, even if their appearance sometimes suggests otherwise. These brainiac anime fathers are often scientists, engineers, world leaders, or investigators — they can defeat any foe with their mental prowess.
10 Endeavor Is A Great Coach (My Hero Academia)
It's true that My Hero Academia's flaming hero Endeavor is often counted among the worst anime fathers out there due to his extreme methods and abuse of his family, but there's also no denying that he has a sharp mind as a Pro Hero. He relies on more than brute force to win.
Endeavor runs a huge hero agency like a slick business professional. In addition, Endeavor is an excellent coach and trainer for Izuku, Bakugo, and his son Shoto, and those three boys learned a lot from just a few weeks of Endeavor's intuitive training methods.
9 Ryuken Ishida Runs A Hospital (Bleach)
Bleach's Quincy archer Ryuken Ishida is an anime dad who demonstrates his intelligence with his leadership and administrative skills, just like Endeavor and a few others. Instead of running a Pro Hero agency, Ryuken is the director of the Karakura general hospital. Only a smart, well-educated person could thrive in that role.
Ryuken is also a wildly talented spiritual fighter who knows all about Quincy lore and techniques. He also had the smarts and the skill to restore his son Uryu's powers with just one arrow.
8 Hiroshi Sato Conspired With Amon (The Legend Of Korra)
Asami Sato's father, Hiroshi, built his own business empire from nothing; he quickly became the Henry Ford of The Legend of Korra. All on his own, a younger Hiroshi envisioned the mass production of reliable, affordable cars and he made that dream a reality over time.
Hiroshi became the successful CEO of Future Industries, but he did more than that. Later, he sneakily conspired with the Equalist leader Amon to revolutionize Republic City. No one saw it coming, not even his sharp-witted daughter.
7 Charles Zi Britannia Runs A Huge Empire (Code Geass)
The imposing Charles zi Britannia from Code Geass is an anime father who demonstrates his brilliance with his leadership skills. He rules the mammoth Britannia Empire with an iron fist.
Charles is also capable of outwitting his equally intelligent son, the revolutionary Lelouch Lamperouge, which is anything but easy. Charles has made a fool of Lelouch/Zero multiple times, proving his worth as one of anime's smartest parents of all.
6 Monkey D. Dragon Leads A Revolutionary Army (One Piece)
The shonen hero Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece knows very little about his powerhouse father Dragon. Emperio Ivankov was shocked to learn that Luffy is, indeed, Dragon's son. As for his capabilities and intelligence, Dragon is definitely one of anime's smartest dads thanks to his leadership skills.
Despite all odds, Dragon leads a massive revolutionary army around the world, an exhausting administrative task that would overwhelm lesser men. Dragon also managed to stay hidden from the Marines all this time, which had to have been anything but easy.
5 Byakuya Ishigami Is An Astronaut Scientist (Dr. Stone)
Dr. Stone's Byakuya Ishigami ranks among anime's best single fathers, being a caring and smart foster father who always want what's best for his son, Senku Ishigami. Byakuya is humble and compassionate, having made it his duty to nurture Senku's potential as a budding scientist.
Still, Byakuya has his own goals and interests. He studied and trained hard to become an astronaut and he later helped lay the groundwork for Senku's future success in the face of the petrification event.
4 Soichiro Yagami Is The NPA Chief (Death Note)
Death Note's Detective Soichiro Yagami is a by-the-book officer who makes it his mission to bring all criminals to fair and proper justice so his family can live happily in a peaceful, safe world. No doubt Soichiro studied and trained intensely to become the NPA's chief; all of his co-workers admire him for it, especially Touta Matsuda.
Soichiro can't compare to his brilliant son Light or the mysterious detective L, but he's no fool. He knows how to use the NPA's vast resources to help L track down Kira. He also knows how to handle hostage situations, such as when his beloved daughter Sayu was captured by Mello's thugs.
3 Gendo Ikari Is A Scheming Father (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Neon Genesis Evangelion's Gendo Ikari is the infamous father of the mecha pilot Shinji Ikari and father and son don't get along too well. Gendo is a cold, aloof, and manipulative person who uses his position in NERV to advance his own interests. He has committed more than a few questionable acts along the way.
Gendo keeps his mind on his schemes and goals and he doesn't care who suffers for it, including Shinji himself. This has led him to be ranked among anime's worst dads alongside My Hero Academia's Endeavor and Fullmetal Alchemist's Shou Tucker, but he also ranks among the smartest.
2 Shikamaru Nara Is A Genius Tactician (Boruto)
In the original Naruto series, the young genin Shikamaru Nara took after his father Shikaku in many ways, from their family's shadow-based hiden jutsu to his hairstyle and cool, aloof tactical ways. Shikamaru was also noted for being a lazy genius who stood out among the Konoha 11.
Later, in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Shikamaru is married to the wind kunoichi Temari and they have a son of their own, Shikadai. Shikamaru's glory days may be largely over, but he still ranks high among the smartest anime dads out there.
1 Van Hohenheim Knows Everything (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Edward Elric's suit-wearing father Van Hohenheim is far more than he seems to be and he is also much older than he looks. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's Hohenheim was born centuries ago as slave #23 in the Xerxes desert kingdom and he was taught alchemy by the "dwarf in the flask." Then Hohenheim became a human Philosopher's Stone with around 500,000 souls inside him.
Hohenheim thus became immortal and he spent the long decades and centuries learning everything he could about alchemy, history, and the world. He played a key role in unraveling Father's cunning, devious plan, but it fell to his son Edward to actually land the final blow on their mutual foe.