The best thing about anime is that with everything drawn, characters that will seem out of place in live-action will just fit right in without the need for expensive CGI. Talking, anthropomorphic animals are one such example that have been common in anime since the dawn of the medium.
It became really became noticeable to mainstream fans with Dragon Ball, which incorporated anthropomorphic animals as villains, comic relief, and much more. These days, many anime not pushing heavy elements of realism will often sneak some sort of talking animal into their storyline... but which of these characters are the smartest?
10 Oolong Is A Shapeshifter Who Saved The World In The Original Dragon Ball (Dragon Ball)
Don’t sleep on Oolong. The shapeshifting pig from Dragon Ball can only hold different forms for five minutes because he was kicked out of shapeshifting school. But don’t hold that against him as he was kicked out because he was a thief. Oolong was smart enough to rule over an entire village until Goku and Bulma came along. And even then, he worked alongside the group and helped save the world from Emperor Pilaf by coming up with a wish just in time to stop Pilaf from taking over the world. The character isn’t seen much after the Saiyan Saga, but he knew to stay away from danger once people started wielding planet-busting power.
9 Puar Is Yamcha's Loyal Friend And Mastered Shape-Changing (Dragon Ball)
Puar is Yamcha’s best pal, probably the most reliable friend the former thief actually has. Unlike Oolong, Puar actually managed to finish shapeshifting school and is capable of holding whatever form they want for as long as they want. Puar is actually also capable of shapeshifting into items, though, much like Oolong, they were sent to the sidelines as things gradually got more dangerous in the Dragon Ball universe.
8 Pakkun Is A Great Tracker And One Of Kakashi's Most Trusted Companions (Naruto)
Pakkun is introduced during the Land of Waves arc, but he didn’t get to show off who he was until the Konoha Crush arc. One of the most useful of Kakashi’s summons, Pakkun can come off as lazy. In reality, he’s got an incredible sense of smell which makes him a top-tier tracker. He’s able to guide and negotiate the ninja around him, helping them in place of Kakashi himself.
7 Panther Lily Was A Military Officer Who Left His Homeworld To Join Edolas (Fairy Tail)
Panther Lily was originally from the world of Edolas, a place that was rapidly losing its magic to Earthland. He was a consummate military officer and proved himself so capable he was placed in charge of his own division in the Edolas Royal Army.
He’s also a fantastic fighter, capable of keeping up with Gajeel, a powerful Dragon Slayer. Of course, these days, the character can’t keep up that form, but he still serves as a calming influence on Gajeel and a source of wisdom when the super-smart characters aren’t around.
6 Meowth Is Capable Of Understanding Human And Pokémon Speech (Pokémon)
Team Rocket’s Meowth is arguably the smartest member of the trio. Meowth originally spent years on the streets as a member of a Meowth gang before falling in love with another Meowth. When he was told she liked humans, Meowth did everything he could to become more like a human. He learned to walk and even talk. This means he’s not only capable of communicating with other Pokémon, but with other humans as well. He’s easily the most important member of the Team Rocket trio, though he sacrificed his ability to fight in lieu of learning all this human behavior.
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Carla Was The Smartest Of The Exceed Trio, And Uses Her Future Sight To Help Her Best Friend (Fairy Tail)
Carla is the second Exceed to join the Fairy Tail group. Carla was personally responsible for keeping Wendy safe before they joined Fairy Tail. Even now, she tends to be the brains of the operation. It’s not that Wendy is dumb, but Carla is that much smarter and isn’t as naive as Wendy. At the same time, she’s also got some pretty impressive magic including the ability to see into the future. With this ability, she’s able to figure out solutions to situations that would otherwise end much more poorly for both of them.
4 Ricotta Elmar Invented Her Own Communication System When She Was Five Years Old (Dog Days)
Ricotta Elmar is the young genius of Biscotti and the head researcher at the National Research School of Biscotti. She’s their head technician and has shown the ability to create tons of weapons not just for her, but for the Republic of Biscotti as well. When a summoning ritual mistakenly gets Shinku trapped in their world, Ricotta played no small part in figuring out how to get him back home. She’s also created a way to communicate across the continent... when she was five. Genius might be an understatement, though she can be a little ditzy from time to time.
3 Principal Nezu's Quirk Makes Him Smarter Than Any Human (My Hero Academia)
No one actually knows what kind of animal Nezu is, and when he’s pressed about it he doesn’t really seem interested in answering. But he’s unquestionably a genius and defines what it is to balance one’s life between teaching the next generation of heroes and being a hero himself.
Yes, he literally defined it. Having one of the most underrated quirks, High Spec, is what enables him to have an intelligence that surpasses that of most humans, which makes him more than qualified to lead U.A. High.
2 Sherlock Hound Is The Genius Sherlock Holmes As A Dog (Sherlock Hound)
In the early 1980s, anime was obsessed with adapting classic literature into animation. Sometimes they were straight adaptations. Other times, massive changes were made to the storyline, making their own version of that series. In this case, it's a series where famous creator Hayao Miyazaki made a version of Sherlock Holmes where everyone is an anthropomorphic dog. This version of Sherlock Holmes is just as much of a deductive sage as the original, working to outsmart his enemy Professor Moriarty, who was smart enough to invent his own steampunk technology.
1 Tony Chopper Is A Talented Doctor Who Invented His Own Medicines (One Piece)
A reindeer that consumed the Human-Human Fruit, Tony Chopper is one of the most important members of the Straw Hat Pirates. Not because he’s an amazing fighter, but because he’s the ship’s doctor. After his training, Tony Chopper both knows how to prepare medicine from natural substances as well as perform all manner of operations on people. He’s also intelligent enough to create medicines that enhance his own fighting ability. For instance, the Rumble Balls allow him to change forms and support his friends, both on and off the battlefield.