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Discover 4 intelligent anime characters who are smarter than Light Yagami from Death Note and 4 others who pale in comparison.
Death Note is often regarded as one of the best anime ever made and a major reason for this is its protagonist, Light Yagami. As the wielder of the power of death, Light aims to become akin to god. With several law enforcement agencies on his toes, he constantly stays one step ahead of them through his exceptional strategic thinking, manipulation skills, and ability to predict opponents’ moves.
Throughout anime, we have seen several similarly smart characters who have impressed us with their wit. While some among these have surpassed Light, others fall short. Here are 4 intelligent anime characters smarter than Light Yagami from Death Note and 4 who don’t come close.
Please note that every character mentioned below is considered smart in their respective series. However, they have been ranked in comparison to Light based on their intellect, the different areas where they excel, and their achievements.
Anime Characters Smarter Than Light Yagami
Light is undoubtedly a bright individual, but he is not the smartest that we have seen in anime. There are anime characters who have been specifically written in ways to highlight their unparalleled intellect. These include:
1) Senku Ishigami
There is little doubt that Dr. Stone’s protagonist, Senku, has undertaken one of the most difficult tasks in all of anime. Following a global petrification event, humanity has lost all its innovation and technology.
However, a scientific genius named Senku who wakes up far in the future resolves himself to bring back the age of human science. By displaying intellect in a wide variety of fields such as physics, chemistry, math, engineering, rocket science, and much more, Senku attempts to force humanity’s evolution yet again.
What is even more impressive is that he is actually close to achieving it. Senku has helped rediscover most fundamentals of humanity right from automobiles to entire ships. This shows a different form of intellectual application from Light and his death note. Nevertheless, most believe that Senku’s purer form of knowledge transcends Light’s psychological warfare.
2) Lelouch vi Britannia
A major debate among anime circles revolves around who is smarter – Lelouch or Light. The Code Geass protagonist is similar to Light in many ways, as he aims to change the world through a supernatural power.
By possessing a Geass that can command anyone, Lelouch strives to topple the great Britannian Empire which rules over the world. Lelouch’s charisma, large-scale planning, and manipulation abilities shine through every episode of the series.
Even when faced with a difficult opponent, Lelouch always finds a way to come out on top, making accurate analyses of every situation. His greatest plan, which ended up in his own sacrifice, helped him achieve his goal of world peace.
This is ultimately where he differs from Light, who lost due to his own ego. Lelouch’s ability to stay focused and not crumble under pressure makes him a more effective protagonist than Light, who can tend to miscalculate under stress.
3) Sosuke Aizen
When talking about characters who are created specifically to be masterminds, Aizen Sosuke comes at the top of the list. Initially believed to be a humble Soul Reaper, Aizen turned out to be an evil genius and a harbinger of chaos.
Aizen is a brilliant strategist with a keen understanding of the human psyche. His ability, Kyoka Suigetsu, revolves around his ability to manipulate targets and control their perceptions. This is a broken skill that very few can counter.
Aizen’s achievements are reality-altering but cover each and every area. He played a huge role in Ichigo’s past and could fool every powerful individual in Soul Society. This also let him come extremely close to reaching the Soul King. Hence, it is hard to see a situation where Light could surpass Aizen. While both are villainous characters, Aizen’s key trait is his ability to stay ahead of others.
4) Kiyotaka Ayanokoji
As one of the most popular protagonists of all time, Ayanokoji is the cold and calculating protagonist of Classroom of the Elite. Ever since he was a child, Ayanokoji was raised in the White Room, meant to make him surpass every genius in the world.
This project was also a success, as none of the other cast members in his series can beat Ayanokoji. He is an enigma who wishes to live a quiet life but shows fearsome capability when pushed. Ayanokoji also displays very little emotion and treats every situation like a puzzle.
He develops multiple contingency plans and outsmarts everyone from students to adults and military-trained individuals. Unlike Light, who lost from underestimating Near, Ayanokoji never lets his guard down. As a result, he could systematically dismantle the audacious Light while keeping a low profile.
Anime Characters Who Aren’t as Smart as Light Yagami
While we have seen individuals whose achievements and brainpower exceed Light’s, this is in no way meant to disservice his own intelligence. Rather, Light Yagami’s smartness overshadows most figures in anime. Some of these are:
1) Itachi Uchiha
Itachi is one of the most beloved anime characters, known for his intellect and tragic life. Even as a child, Itachi’s IQ was said to be at the level of a Hokage’s, while he always kept an eye on the big picture.
He is a genius in both strategy and battle, picking up on complex jutsu easily. Unfortunately, Itachi is also easily manipulated due to his empathy. He was controlled by Danzo to massacre his entire clan, though he carried out his own scheme to make Sasuke stronger.
While Itachi’s plan to motivate Sasuke worked, he couldn’t control his brother’s will. This eventually made Sasuke a traitor to Konoha as well. Hence, Itachi is undoubtedly an impressive figure in Naruto, but he is not as cunning and ruthless as Light. This makes him less likely to achieve his goals.
2) Erwin Smith
The magnetic Erwin Smith is the central figure of humanity’s resistance against its enemies in Attack on Titan. Erwin is a fearless leader who comes up with masterful tactics in the uphill fight against the monstrous Titans.
It is mainly due to his efforts that soldiers still have hope, willingly throwing their lives away in battle. However, Erwin’s intelligence is more instinctual than methodical. He inspires loyalty and takes high-risk strategies, but he himself is unsure about the success of his plans.
Hence, he may be a standout figure in the grounded world of Attack on Titan, but he can’t match up to Light’s shrewdness and quick thinking.
3) Dio Brando
Dio Brando, a major antagonistic figure in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, is a powerful and cunning villain. In Part 1 of the series, Dio tricked his way into the Joestar family and came up with a plan to isolate Jonathan Joestar.
He is a curious and smart individual who figured out the secret of the stone mask on his own and received superhuman powers. Along with this, Dio has also inspired countless others to follow in his footsteps. Following his defeat, his ally and follower, Pucci, continued his will and reset the entire world.
Regrettably, Dio’s mental prowess is often let down by his pride. He may be an expert at controlling others, but he easily underestimates them due to his arrogance. This is what caused his repeated losses against the Joestar bloodline, despite having the potential to easily win.
Hence, while both he and Light are conceited, Light is more dedicated and structured with his plans.
4) Izuku Midoriya
The protagonist of My Hero Academia, Izuku Midoriya, is a smart and optimistic individual whose intelligence always stands out during battle. Izuku is open about his love for analyzing confrontations, often going on long explanations about them.
Additionally, he comes up with clever strategies to use the multiple Quirks paired with his One For All ability. This lets him shine against powerful villains and eventually become society’s greatest hero. Unfortunately, Izuku’s most admirable feature is also his weakness.
Izuku has a strong moral compass that refuses to put anyone in harm’s way. This applies to both heroes and villains. While this works for My Hero Academia’s world, Light would easily take advantage of this. The Death Note protagonist has no qualms about breaking the law and would kill innocent people if it meant his victory. Hence, while Izuku may be more heroic, Light’s brainpower would come out on top.
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