Every good sci-fi needs to have a few key elements. These include a fantastical yet innately familiar world, a story the audience can emotionally connect to, and critical character archetypes that ground the audience and give them something to latch onto.
11
Among these archetypes, including the hero, the leader, the mentor, and more, there is one exceptionally important one that often goes underappreciated: the genius. Their intelligence can manifest in everything from inventions, to deduction and problem-solving, to battlefield tactics. The genius is also important because their intelligence and abilities signal what the story considers important in this world.
10 Amos Burton Lives In A World So Smart It Makes Him Look Simple
The Expanse takes place centuries in the future, where humanity has colonized much of the solar system, all without lightspeed travel. Journeys between worlds are long, and having a good mechanic on board is crucial, as help could be weeks away. Amos Burton is one such mechanic, and perhaps the best around.
Amos is a fascinating character not just because of his dark past and simplistic worldview, but because of what he represents about humanity in the story. While he doesn't seem as intelligent as some other characters, his friend Holden points out that he is quite literally a rocket scientist. If Amos were alive today, he'd be undoubtedly regarded as the most brilliant scientist and engineer in human history. It's only because Amos lives in such an advanced society that he doesn't seem intelligent.
9 Gaius Baltar Was An Unparalleled Genius Even Before He Became An Emissary Of God
When Battlestar Galactica was rebooted, Gaius Baltar might have gotten the best deal of all the show's original characters. His desire for power was reframed into simple opportunism and greed, and the Cylons easily manipulated him to allow for their attack on humanity. For most of the series, his villainy revolved around trying to cover this up, not actively harming humanity.
However, even without the help, or manipulations, of the benevolent Cylon Caprica Six (in both her physical and spiritual forms), he still excelled as a scientist and leader. He invented the Cylon detection machine, served as the fleet's chief scientist, and helped plan multiple military actions. He even served as both vice president and president of the fleet, growing as both a leader and a man.
8 Gendo Ikari Outsmarted The Entire World
Neon Genesis Evangelion is regarded as one of the greatest anime of all time. A major factor in this critical appraisal is how it subverted several traditional anime elements, including its characters. Gendo Ikari is reframed not as a kindly father and inspirational inventor, but as a sinister and heartless manipulator.
Heartbroken by the death of his wife, Gendo was willing to sacrifice everything to get her back, quite literally. He betrayed his organization and attempted to implement his own version of human instrumentality. In the end, he was betrayed by Rei Ayanami, the girl he'd been manipulating to accomplish his goals.
7 Grand Admiral Thrawn Only Ever Lost Once
Star Wars Rebels finally gave fans an onscreen depiction of Grand Admiral Thrawn, and he was as menacing as ever. Just as he was in his exceptional original trilogy of novels, Thrawn is never, ever tricked and only ever loses his final battle, never being beaten otherwise.
What makes Thrawn such a good antagonist is how calculating and efficient he is. He allows the rebels to escape several times, even when he could easily defeat them. Killing one single group of rebels isn't his goal; he wants to crush them all at once. He recognizes that the theft or destruction of a few imperial assets is meaningless if it allows for the defeat of the entire rebellion, which he very nearly accomplishes.
6 Cortana Is The Pinnacle Of Human Knowledge
The long-awaited Halo TV series ended up splitting fans, especially when it came to the more human design of Cortana. While Cortana may not be the same as her beloved game counterpart, her intelligence is undeniable. Cortana is different from most other AI because she was created by scanning the cloned brain of Dr. Halsey, and in the show, this meant killing a clone of Halsey herself.
Essentially, Cortana's mother died in childbirth, adding an element of trauma to Cortana that highlights her deep connection to humanity, and in a way, makes her human. Dedicated to both serving and controlling the Master Chief and the other Spartan-IIs, who are themselves both more and less than human after their augmentations, Cortana is the most advanced creation of humanity and their most intelligent asset.
5 Vandal Savage Is An Immortal Master Manipulator
Of all the DC Animated series, Young Justice might be the greatest. This is due not only to its great action and compelling character drama, but also its excellent villain, Vandal Savage, and how the mysteries around him unfold. As the leader of the villainous organization, the Light, Savage masterminds all the threats the heroes face. Even when he seemingly takes a backseat, such as in season 2, it's revealed that Savage was only biding his time, planning and gathering new allies in his quest for world domination. Savage believes that the Justice League is holding humanity back from evolving and achieving its true potential. The mixed morality of his goals makes him an extremely satisfying antagonist.
4 The Doctor Only Grows Smarter As They Journey Through Time And Space
Doctor Who is one of the longest-running and most successful sci-fi franchises. While The Doctor may not be the most powerful character in the series, one would be hard-pressed to find a more brilliant character. The Doctor's strengths lie in their ingenuity and problem-solving skills, as well as their ability to form connections with all sorts of beings throughout time and space.
Their regenerative powers and abilities of reincarnation have allowed them to accrue seemingly limitless knowledge, wisdom, and experience. They were rarely ever surprised, and almost never were put into a situation where they weren't able to think of a solution. The only problem they haven't been able to solve is a cure for their loneliness.
3 Paul Atreides Had The Precision Of A Supercomputer And The Ability To See The Future
Dune is widely regarded as the greatest sci-fi story ever written, but its complexity and length make it difficult to adapt on screen. Frank Herbert's Dune, a 2000 TV miniseries, was able to take its time in exploring the story, particularly Paul's character arc. Paul Atreides was the unforeseen combination of many elements, including mentat training (a human computer), Bene Gesserit training (rare for a boy), and possessing an innately strong moral compass and ability to read people. Once he arrived on Arrakis and became exposed to more and more of the spice Mélange, his inner potential was awakened, allowing him to see the future with greater clarity than even the greatest Spacing Guild navigators or Bene Gesserit. The combination of all these proved Paul was the legendary Kwisatz Haderach, the man able to see through space and time, who could lead humanity to a better future. Instead, Paul used his abilities and intellect to secure his own power and revenge.
2 Rick Sanchez Is The Smartest In Every Universe
Rick Sanchez stands apart from other geniuses because Rick and Morty makes it very clear that his incredibly high intelligence is his flaw, not his strength. His intellect fuels his arrogance, pessimism, and derision of human connection, and is often the driving force of the tension in his family. Furthermore, the series regularly plays his intelligence for comedy, and doesn't take him or his smarts as seriously as he does.
Nonetheless, Rick Sanchez is likely the smartest character ever created, largely because his intelligence defies all logic. Rather than being frustrating, the fact that Rick knows everything just because he's the one who knows everything is hilarious, and one of the best elements of this amazing series.
1 Q Has The Powers Of A God And Seemingly Infinite Knowledge
Of all the fantastical beings in Star Trek, Q takes the cake as not only the most powerful and intelligent but also the most fun. Q would often meddle with the crew of the Enterprise, notably putting them and humanity as a whole on trial in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
In a way, Q's nonsensical actions and motivations are surprisingly logical. For him, simply giving out the answers to life's great questions isn't the point. He doesn't want Picard and crew to have the easy way, so he bends reality to his will, concocting ridiculous scenarios and testing them in order to help them find the answers themselves, a sign of his funny nature hiding his profound wisdom.