Things get even worse for Ichigo, the protagonist, when Aizen betrays Soul Society and defects to Hueco Mundo, the place where Hollows come from. He steals a powerful object called the Hogyoku and creates a lot of chaos and a lot of new powerful Hollows. Aizen is a very smart character who was able to fake his own death and find the whereabouts of the Hogyoku, which was meant to be top-secret. He was also able to plan all of this unseen and undoubted. He even had allied with him like Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tosen, who also evaded the Gotei 13 Guards easily. Being able to plan such a meticulous heist and time it perfectly is a big feat. While Aizen is immensely powerful, he is also a brilliant tactician who kept his evil side at bay until the very end. Here is a list of anime characters who are smarter than him and can possibly outdo him in battle.
10. Kiskuke Urahara
At number 10, we have another character from Bleach, Urahara Kiskuke. Kisuke is the former head of the Research and Development department of Soul Society. He is to one who created the Hokgyoku in the first place. He was also able to hide its whereabouts inside Rukia Kuchiki’s Gigai without her or anyone else ever finding out until Aizen. Kisuke is incredibly strong with a Bankai which can restructure or dismantle anything in its path. But he is also tactful and quick to respond to any problem with an iron-hard solution. Kisuke is always ready for any battle. He has the preparation and resourcefulness that makes a great ally in battle. Kisuke is the anime equivalent of Batman when it comes to being prepared for anything. This quality makes him a perfect character to start the list with.
9. Orochimaru
The parallels between Orochimaru and Aizen are many. Both of them are masters of deception. Just like Aizen, Orochimaru stole important forbidden Ninjutsu from Konoha. Orochimaru meticulously planned his siege on Konoha during the Chunin exams endangering all the young shinobi. His only plan was to destroy the village as a whole, and he damn near succeeded. Like Aizen, Orochimaru, too, is insanely powerful. He was able to kill the Kazekage without even anyone noticing. He then proceeded to take the Kazekage’s form and went to the ceremony as him. He attacked out of nowhere as Gara rapidly transformed into the Shukaku. After everything was subdued in chaos, Orochimaru revealed his true face, or rather a face he had put on his true face. And after all of this, he was able to indirectly kill off Hiruzen Sarutobi, the 3rd Hokage. All of this happened quickly and in a way that surprised and scared everyone. Orochimaru is responsible for scaring children who grew up with Naruto. He is also responsible for the first major on-screen death in Naruto. A true force of nature.
8. All for One
At number 8, we have All for One, a villain who just refuses to go away. Apart from being incredibly strong, All for One is also a long-term tactician. So far, he has been able to kill off most One for All users and come back to find the next. He is responsible for giving All Might such life-threatening injuries that stopped him from being stronger forever. All for One may not appear that smart, but when you look more carefully, you start to see his excellence. All for One has lived for ages. He has a Life Force quirk that has allowed him to live for over a hundred years. Having lived this long and battled such powerful foes truly gives him the perspective and mindset a long-term major villain needs. He was able to plant the seed of Villainy in Shikarai’s mind, and he also planned the downfall of All Might. It took much to abduct Bakugo from right under their noses and bring an end to All Might’s entire quirk. And even after all that, All for One is still alive and breathing. We say he might make a comeback to try and destroy Deku someday. Also Read: Top 10 Fights in My Hero Academia
7. Detective Conan
Conan is a character from the Detective Conan series. He is famous for being smart; need we say more about what he can do? No matter what Aizen’s tricks, Conan can quickly come up with a reason and a theory for it. He can look for clues no one else can think of and finally find the culprit. Conan can use his super high intellect to take down foes who evade law enforcement’s eyes for long. He is a great number 7 entry on this list.
6. Shikamaru
At number 6, we have Shikamaru Nara. Another brilliant character from Naruto, Shikamaru, starts as a lazy boy who prefers to lie down than fight. But as the series progresses, we are exposed to his brilliance. Shikamaru becomes Naruto’s advisor when he becomes Hokage. This is because he has earned fame and trust in his years of battle. He is able to make brilliant strategies ahead of time to take down the likes of Hidan. Moreover, if things go south, he is also able to revise old strategies and quickly come up with new ones. He is the master strategist anyone should be afraid of.
5. L
At number 5, we have L. Another world-class detective, L, was able to pinpoint the location of Kira in no time. This sounds like a regular feat in the age of technology. But remember, Kira was an unknown entity with no digital trace. No one knew if he even really existed, and since his crimes were basically world-wide, there was no way to determine where he was. To add up to this already complex problem, Kira’s murderous ways were magical. By the first few episodes of Death Note, the viewer thinks, how is this guy ever going to get caught with such an ambiguous way of murder? But as soon as we see L talk, we think, how is this guy going to live with L on his tail? L really spins the whole thing around as soon as he enters. This makes him worthy of a spot on the list.
4. Senku
From the famous anime Dr. Stone, at number 4, we have Senku Ishigami. Senku is a genius; there are no two ways about it. Maths, Physics, Chemistry, throw anything at this guy, and he can come up with a solution. If humans taught any subject to each other, then there’s a high chance Senku knows about it and is also proficient with it. He was the one who was able to make people come back to life after they were all made into living rock figures. His genius is less of the battle strategist type, but he doesn’t fall behind in that aspect either. This makes him a real all-rounder and worthy of the 4th spot. Also Read: Where To Watch Dr. Stone
3. Norman
Getting into our top 3, we have Norman from The Promised Neverland. Norman, too, like Senku, is someone who can do it all. He is one of the three brightest kids at Grace Field Orphanage. He quickly planned out an entire strategy to escape from the place, which would ultimately have them killed. He seemingly sacrificed himself in the process, but it was later revealed it wasn’t so. The smart thing to do was to leave behind a bunch of kids, but Norman made a plan which could rescue most of them. And because of his plan, Ray and Emma were finally able to escape and rescue their friends. He is a noble and giving genius.
2. Lelouch Lamperouge
At number 2, we have Lelouch Lamperouge. Lelouch, too, is an absolute beast when it comes to making military strategies. To take down an entire empire is no easy job, but he makes sure he achieves his goal. He also has the powers of a Geass, something that allows him to control anyone he wishes for once. With these powers and super high intellect, Lelouch can easily take down governments and kingdoms.
1. Light Yagami
And finally, at number 1, we have Light Yagami. Light is the twisted protagonist of Death Note. He is someone who has a lot of plot advantage because of the magical abilities of the Note but hears us out. Light makes use of the thing like a genius. He finds loopholes in the rules, exploits, and sacrifices others to get his own good. Light is someone who would go to any lengths to keep himself safe and slaughter his enemies. Given that he has a lot of plot advantage, but still, he does things in a way no one can predict, even after knowing about the Note and its rules. Even Death Note’s own creator has admitted that Light, is in fact, smarter than L. That makes the whole L Vs. Light debate official. And if he can outdo L, he is a lot smarter than Aizen.
