What seems to be the most satisfying quality while watching the protagonists? Being dumber or being a genius? Of course, you would go with the intelligent lad otherwise you need a very reasonable answer for the other choice. And, to fulfill this need of the fans, there are some well-known anime with genius main character curated especially for such an audience.

As being a part of the 21st century, we’ve seen a lot of shōnen anime in the long run. But, do you know what’s common in them? The main protagonist seems like a total dumb! Goku, Naruto, Ichigo, Luffy, all are amazingly admirable and strong but none of them is a prodigy and whatsoever when it comes to intellect.

And, in today’s article, we’ll take a look at some of the best anime with genius main character who runs the show relying on their intellect and smart instincts. So, without any further ado let’s get started.

10. No Game No Life – Sora & Shiro

No Game No Life follows the NEET brother-sister duo of Sora and Shiro who become insanely popular in the gaming community because of their extraordinary gaming skills. They are known for being unbeatable and after getting impressed by their talent a god from another world summons them into his world, Disboard.

As soon as entering his world, Sora & Shiro realize that it is a real-life gaming world where stealing, war, and killing are forbidden, and all issues and conflicts are resolved by playing high stake games. This strange new world gives the due a new purpose in life – to beat everybody who crosses their path and become the new Gods of this world!

9. Hyouka – Hotarou Oreki

High school freshman Hotarou Oreki has certainly a powerful brain, but he doesn’t exactly love using it. All he wants is to lead a gray life while conserving as much energy as he can, which means not bothering about things that don’t concern him. Unfortunately, his peaceful days come to an end when he meets the inquisitive and persistent, Eru Chitanda.

She wants him to join the Classics Club and help solve mysteries. He doesn’t want to do it, but he can’t bring himself to turn her down, either. Driven by Chitanda’s insatiable curiosity, Hotarou uses the natural talents he’s been avoiding and solves the trivial yet intriguing mysteries that permeate his daily life.

8. Moriarty the Patriot – Sherlock Holmes

Moriarty the Patriot is a mystery manga series written by Ryōsuke Takeuchi and illustrated by Hikaru Miyoshi. The series is based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series and received an anime adaptation by Production I.G. The anime tells the story of Sherlock Holmes from the perspective of its antagonist.

This anime with genius main character is set during the late 19th century and follows the story of an ordinary nobleman William James Moriarty. With his brothers at his side, he seeks to totally overthrow the unfair society that dominates British culture, even if it means ending lives to get there.

7. Classroom Of The Elite – Ayanokouji Kiyotaka

The story follows the lives of students of the prestigious Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High Schools who are given remarkable freedom – only if they can win, barter, or save enough points to work their way up the ranks! Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, a seemingly average guy in Class D doesn’t give too much attention to his school life.

But underneath his calm personality lies powerful people-reading skills and a sharp strategic mind. Ayanokouji is the kind of guy who deliberately scores an average grade just to draw attention away from him otherwise if he wishes he can top the whole school. Although he seems somewhat socially awkward, he is arguably one of the smartest anime characters.

6. Irregular At Magic High School – Tatsuya Shiba

The story of Irregular at Magic Highschool is based on a web novel and takes place in an alternate history where magic is polished through technology. Tatsuya Shiba originally becomes a student at First High School as a Weed. Because Tatsuya scores poorly on his entrance exam, he is found to be magically inept and is initially sorted into the ‘Second Class’.

This leads others to underestimate him but, all are proved abruptly wrong after finding Tatsuya stupidly strong. In reality, he is born a specialized magician, excelling at various skills including Decomposition, Regrowth, and Elemental Sight. He has unique magic skills that surpass just about everyone else. He also excels at ninjutsu and specializes in combat and assassinations.

5. Detective Conan – Shinichi Kudou

Detective Conan, also called Case Closed in the English version, is one of the most popular 90s anime with genius main character known for its brainstorming case solving techniques implemented by a high school student, Shinichi Kudou. He is an excellent detective who uses his sheer intellect to solve every challenging case he faces.

However one day Shinichi becomes part of a drug racket where he’s dosed with an unknown substance. The next day he wakes up but as a seven-year-old boy! In order to track down the men who did this to him, he takes on a new name – Conan Edogawa – and covertly goes on to solve the biggest mystery of his life.

4. Steins;Gate – Rintaro Okabe

Steins;Gate is the most popular sci-fi anime based on the sole theme of time manipulation. The complex story timeline sends viewers into a world of confusion & shock and it’s totally not everyone’s cup of tea. The main protagonist, Rintaro Okabe, and his friends are amateur scientists who spend their free time inventing whatever comes to mind.

One day, they create a machine called the Phone Microwave that sends emails to the past. This causes changes to the past and the present that they don’t anticipate. With the help of this discovery, they try to bring back the dead neuroscientist, Kurisu Makise by changing the timeline which is gonna take every brain cell of Rintaro’s mind.

3. Death Note – Light Yagami

Death Note is a top-tier dark fantasy anime show made by the pair of Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata. There are very few anime with genius main character however, Death Note is the most popular among them. It follows the fascinating story of a high school student Light Yagami who gets his hand on a notebook that grants him the power to eliminate anyone.

Aware of the terrifying godlike power that has fallen into his hands, Light – under the alias “Kira” – follows his wicked sense of justice with the ultimate goal of cleansing the world of all evil-doers. To execute his master plan without getting caught by the genius detective L, Light uses every ounce of his creativity and brainpower that could amaze anyone.

2. Dr. Stone – Senku Ishigami

A mysterious phenomenon causes the entire world to be encased in stone for thousands of years. However, instead of despairing, teenage science genius Senku Ishigami begins reinventing as many scientific advancements as he can to revive the rest of humanity. He is hailed to be a science prodigy and is kind of a walking encyclopedia.

Give him whatever the situation is, and he will come out as the winner from it. Starting life once again from a world turned into the stone age and turning statues into humans again isn’t a joke, but by using his intellect Senku made it possible. He’s physically not that strong, but he’s a genius at the mind level.

1. Code Geass – Lelouch Lamperouge

Code Geass follows the story of a high-school student Lelouch Lamperouge who finds himself in the possession of a supernatural power called “Geass”. Being obsessed with the thought of revolutionizing the Royal Empire of Britannia, Lelouch pledges to free Japan and create a new world that would be better for everyone.

Using high-powered mechs, his mind-controlling Geass power, and his own intelligence, Lelouch does whatever it takes to overcome his opposition. However, it doesn’t take long for Lelouch’s moral compass to shift. In his quest for absolute power, he makes his own sister a part of the collateral damage. This just not makes him a compelling character but also, one of the best anti-heroes as well.

Which one of the following anime with genius main character is your favorite? Feel free to comment down your thoughts and make sure to recommend some other anime like the ones listed above, also don’t forget to share this article with your fellow otaku friends.

We post daily anime & manga news articles, so make sure to follow us on Instagram. You can also check out our anime ranking page for more articles like this.