Spy x Family is a popular new shonen anime series inspired by author Tatsuya Endo's manga of the same name. The star is the Westalis superspy code-named Twilight, and it is his mission to infiltrate the nation of Ostania and collect vital intel on Donvan Desmond, who might plunge the whole world into war. Twilight, also going by Loid Forger, must stay on his toes at all times.
Time and again, Loid Forger proved that he's got what it takes as a brilliant spy, using his sharp wits to fool everyone around him and obtain sensitive intel without leaving a trace. He knows every spy trick in the book, but he'd get mixed results if he tried that on characters from other anime. Some anime schemers are even more intelligent or craftier than him, and they'd catch Loid before long.
10 LOID CAN OUTSMART: Izuku Midoriya Didn't Study Spy Tactics (My Hero Academia)
Shonen protagonist Izuku Midoriya is one of class 1-A's best students, being a clever and resourceful boy who takes nothing for granted, not even the incredible power of One For All. He is used to studying everyone else's Quirks and battle tactics to make up for his lack of power, and that habit has served him well so far.
Izuku can devise fine battle plans and assess a situation clearly, but he's not ready for spy work. He'd fall for Loid's disguises and diversions every time, and no way could he infiltrate Ostania's government and swipe sensitive intel like that. Delaware Smash won't do him any good here.
9 LOID CAN'T OUTSMART: Captain Sosuke Aizen Planned Everything Out (Bleach)
A variety of anime supervillains are also master schemers who spend years devising the perfect plan to fool the heroes and take over the world, and not even Loid Forger could unravel these schemes in time. If Captain Sosuke Aizen were in charge of Ostania, Westalis would already be conquered by now.
Aizen is notorious for planning and predicting absolutely everything, right down to Ichigo Kurosaki's birth. He can also use the illusions of his shikai, Kyoka Suigetsu, to fool everyone and trap them in delusions for years on end. He's also charismatic and can convince anyone to like him, even without his shikai's power.
8 LOID CAN OUTSMART: Azami Nakiri Isn't Actually That Smart (Food Wars!)
Erina Nakiri's estranged father, the sharply-dressed villain Azami, launched a total takeover of the Totsuki culinary school in one fell swoop. He kicked out everyone whom he didn't like and established Central, so he could enforce his will — and his cooking style — throughout the entire school. It took everything Erina and Soma had to stop him.
Azami's masterstroke wasn't that brilliant, though. He really just used brute force to get what he wanted, and someone like Loid Forger could easily dig up dirt on him or fool him into giving up his incriminating secrets. He'd be lured right into a Westalis trap and be exposed as the fraud he is.
7 LOID CAN'T OUTSMART: Lelouch Lamperouge Is The New Aizen (Code Geass)
The scheming prince Lelouch Lamperouge is almost like the new Sosuke Aizen, except his goals are actually for the benefit of others and not himself. He masterminded a brilliant rebellion against his native Britannia Empire, then seemingly betrayed Area 11/Japan to become Britannia's emperor. What's his game?
Lelouch was one step ahead of the entire world and ultimately became a martyr for the sake of Area 11's liberation. He was in total control of the situation by manipulating and deceiving everyone, both with and without his geass, and there's no way Loid Forger could compete with that. Lelouch will always have his way.
6 LOID CAN OUTSMART: Akito Soma Relies On Verbal Abuse To Win (Fruits Basket)
Some anime villains launch brilliant schemes to take over the entire world. Others dream smaller and use more intimate methods to control the people immediately around them. Such is the case for Akito Sohma, the head of the reclusive Sohma family. She's got everyone trapped in a mental prison of emotional manipulation and abuse.
Akito is crafty enough to keep Sohmas like Yuki and Kyo weak and submissive for years on end, but that won't work on Loid Forger. If Loid wanted to take Akito down, he could use his disguises and Cold War-era tech to dig up all of Akito's secrets and bring her to ruin in one stroke. She'd never see that coming.
5 LOID CAN'T OUTSMART: L The Detective Thinks Things Through (Death Note)
For anime characters who fight with their wits, the super-detective L is like the ultimate boss battle, and very few schemers and tacticians can win against him in hypothetical battles of wits. If L can get this close to exposing the brilliant Light Yagami as Kira and make a fool of him, Loid is doomed.
If Loid started operating as Twilight in modern Japan, L would take notice, and with the police's help, L would soon hunt down Loid Forger/Twilight. Or, at the very least, L would protect the nation's secrets from Twilight and force the Westalis spy to abandon his mission. He cannot win.
4 LOID CAN OUTSMART: Senku Ishigami Is A Scientist, Not A Spy (Dr. Stone)
The kid scientist Senku Ishigami is an expert in chemistry, engineering, and even medicine. He used his talents to reinvent all of humanity's best inventions in the new Stone Age. Unlike the natives of Ishigami Village, Senku would recognize the superspy equipment that Loid Forger uses, but that's not going to help him.
Senku is an inventor and lab director sort of genius, not a superspy, and he would always be one step behind Twilight. Senku would soon catch on to Loid's methods, but he'd be too slow to do anything about it, and his allies Kohaku and Chrome would be helpless.
3 LOID CAN'T OUTSMART: Shikamaru Nara's IQ Is Over 200 (Naruto)
The genius Leaf Village ninja Shikamaru is another intellectual boss battle for other anime schemers and tacticians, and precious few of them can beat Shikamaru at his own game. Time and again, Shikamaru used his exceptional insights and strategic thinking to deduce his foes' weaknesses and exploit them, even against the Akatsuki.
Shikamaru can plan something 100 steps ahead, like a hyper-advanced game of shogi, and not even Loid Forger can compete with that. Even his disguises, which are like transformation jutsu, won't fool Shikamaru for long, and Loid can't possibly plan far ahead enough to escape Shikamaru's clutches.
2 LOID CAN OUTSMART: Kaguya Shinomiya Isn't Ready For Spy Intrigue (Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War)
The wealthy heiress Kaguya Shinomiya is a crafty young lady who is determined to fool Miyuki Shirogane into confessing his love to her first, and she is highly adept at both planning things ahead of time and thinking on her feet. She can plan everything out ahead of time and strike from totally unexpected angles.
That won't work on WISE's best agent, though. Loid Forger can easily outwit Kaguya and Ai with his disguises, wire-tapped phone calls, and infiltration skills, and Kaguya would never see any of it coming. If Twilight were asked to uncover the Shinomiya family's deepest secrets, he'd get the job done with ease.
1 LOID CAN'T OUTSMART: Amon Is A Slippery Villain (The Legend Of Korra)
The revolutionary Equalist leader, the masked bender Amon, was two steps ahead of Avatar Korra and the Republic City police force the entire time. He used propaganda, populist support, brilliant inventions, secret allies, and other advanced tactics to get what he wanted, and it was a miracle Korra ever stopped him.
Amon always knew exactly what to do, and he kept his identity a careful secret. It helps that he was born into obscurity in the Southern Water Tribe, after all, and not even Loid Forger could uncover that fact or track Amon down. He's not going to get far in Republic City.