Want to see the protagonist outsmart everyone? Look no further!
Sometimes, we just want to see a protagonist who is incredibly smart. It’s, in some way, incredibly satisfying when their mind games and plans come to fruition.
Thankfully, there’s no shortage of such anime — here are some very good examples, along with the streaming services they are available on.
Death Note is perhaps the most famous recommendation for an anime with a smart protagonist. The entire series is a battle of wits between Light Yagami, who decides to exterminate crime worldwide using a Death Note, and L, who tries to figure out who the mysterious killer is.
This is an anime with not one, but two extremely smart characters — and they are both very well written. It’s considered a classic, and for good reason. Depending on your location, you can watch it on Netflix or Crunchyroll.
Back when Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch) aired, it was immediately compared to Death Note. The reason is simple: both protagonists aren’t exactly good people, and both manipulate others to achieve their goals.
Code Geass continues to release content to this day. Both seasons of the TV series are on Crunchyroll and Netflix, while the recap movies are only on Netflix. The sequel movie is on both of those as well. There will also be a new project later this year, called Rozé of the Recapture.
Maomao of The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) has been one of the most beloved anime protagonists recently. She’s a levelheaded and educated servant of the imperial court.
She uses her extensive knowledge of medicine to help other courtiers and the imperial family — and the plot slowly reveals more and more details of the global conspiracy. The series is incredibly popular, and it’s on both Netflix and Crunchyroll.
Senku, the protagonist of Dr. Stone, is a huge nerd obsessed with science. His positive attitude makes him very likable, though, and his knowledge of various scientific facts comes in handy when you consider that he and his followers have to literally reinvent everything to ensure humanity’s survival.
All currently released seasons are available on Crunchyroll, and the first one is also on Netflix in some locations.
Have you ever wanted an isekai which actually has a realistic take on politics and economics? Log Horizon is exactly that, and despite the characters being stuck in the game, there’s no survival plot or anything — they just kind of live there.
The protagonist, Shiroe, has a near-perfect knowledge of the game and is just smart overall. All 3 seasons of the anime are on Crunchyroll.
No Game No Life
No Game No Life is one of the most popular isekai anime of the mid-2010s. Many agree it desperately needs a sequel, and it’s understandable why. It’s just too much fun to follow Sora and Shiro — the two gamer siblings — as they completely destroy any opposition with their sharp wits.
Both the TV anime and the movie are on HIDIVE and Netflix.
Battle Game in 5 Seconds
If there’s one issue with anime about superpowers, it’s that the characters don’t utilize them in an optimal way. Battle Game in 5 Seconds (Deatte 5-byou de Battle) is a rare exception — the protagonist’s power is to have any power his opponents believe he has.
He’s smart enough to use it to his advantage, and the anime is worth watching because of that — it’s on Crunchyroll.
Sagrada Reset
Sagrada Reset (Sakurada Reset) is one of the oddest anime that came out in the past decade. It’s an achronological dialogue-driven mystery series, featuring a time travel mechanic that’s unlikely anything else you’ve ever seen.
It can be hard to get through at first, but it’s worth it if you can follow it — and the protagonist, Kei, is one of the reasons why. His plans are often unusual, but they just work. The anime can be watched on either Crunchyroll or HIDIVE.
Kyoto Animation’s classic, Hyouka follows the mundane mysteries solved by the members of the Literature Club. Oreki, the protagonist, is a member basically against his will: he’s extremely lazy and wants to lead a boring life.
Yet despite that, he always ends up in the center of everything, and his wits help him find solutions to unusual occurrences in everyday life. To watch it, you can go on Crunchyroll.
Blue Lock is really unique. It’s a mix of sports and battle royale, and although no one dies, the tension and drama are still up there.
The premise of the series is a program which is used to find the best players out there, and, as such, there’s a lot of strategizing and betrayal happening on the inside. The series can be watched on Crunchyroll and Netflix, and the movie is coming out soon in Japan.
Want to see the protagonist outsmart everyone? Look no further!
Sometimes, we just want to see a protagonist who is incredibly smart. It’s, in some way, incredibly satisfying when their mind games and plans come to fruition.
Thankfully, there’s no shortage of such anime — here are some very good examples, along with the streaming services they are available on.
Death Note is perhaps the most famous recommendation for an anime with a smart protagonist. The entire series is a battle of wits between Light Yagami, who decides to exterminate crime worldwide using a Death Note, and L, who tries to figure out who the mysterious killer is.
This is an anime with not one, but two extremely smart characters — and they are both very well written. It’s considered a classic, and for good reason. Depending on your location, you can watch it on Netflix or Crunchyroll.
Back when Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch) aired, it was immediately compared to Death Note. The reason is simple: both protagonists aren’t exactly good people, and both manipulate others to achieve their goals.
Code Geass continues to release content to this day. Both seasons of the TV series are on Crunchyroll and Netflix, while the recap movies are only on Netflix. The sequel movie is on both of those as well. There will also be a new project later this year, called Rozé of the Recapture.
Maomao of The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) has been one of the most beloved anime protagonists recently. She’s a levelheaded and educated servant of the imperial court.
She uses her extensive knowledge of medicine to help other courtiers and the imperial family — and the plot slowly reveals more and more details of the global conspiracy. The series is incredibly popular, and it’s on both Netflix and Crunchyroll.
Senku, the protagonist of Dr. Stone, is a huge nerd obsessed with science. His positive attitude makes him very likable, though, and his knowledge of various scientific facts comes in handy when you consider that he and his followers have to literally reinvent everything to ensure humanity’s survival.
All currently released seasons are available on Crunchyroll, and the first one is also on Netflix in some locations.
Have you ever wanted an isekai which actually has a realistic take on politics and economics? Log Horizon is exactly that, and despite the characters being stuck in the game, there’s no survival plot or anything — they just kind of live there.
The protagonist, Shiroe, has a near-perfect knowledge of the game and is just smart overall. All 3 seasons of the anime are on Crunchyroll.
No Game No Life
No Game No Life is one of the most popular isekai anime of the mid-2010s. Many agree it desperately needs a sequel, and it’s understandable why. It’s just too much fun to follow Sora and Shiro — the two gamer siblings — as they completely destroy any opposition with their sharp wits.
Both the TV anime and the movie are on HIDIVE and Netflix.
Battle Game in 5 Seconds
If there’s one issue with anime about superpowers, it’s that the characters don’t utilize them in an optimal way. Battle Game in 5 Seconds (Deatte 5-byou de Battle) is a rare exception — the protagonist’s power is to have any power his opponents believe he has.
He’s smart enough to use it to his advantage, and the anime is worth watching because of that — it’s on Crunchyroll.
Sagrada Reset
Sagrada Reset (Sakurada Reset) is one of the oddest anime that came out in the past decade. It’s an achronological dialogue-driven mystery series, featuring a time travel mechanic that’s unlikely anything else you’ve ever seen.
It can be hard to get through at first, but it’s worth it if you can follow it — and the protagonist, Kei, is one of the reasons why. His plans are often unusual, but they just work. The anime can be watched on either Crunchyroll or HIDIVE.
Kyoto Animation’s classic, Hyouka follows the mundane mysteries solved by the members of the Literature Club. Oreki, the protagonist, is a member basically against his will: he’s extremely lazy and wants to lead a boring life.
Yet despite that, he always ends up in the center of everything, and his wits help him find solutions to unusual occurrences in everyday life. To watch it, you can go on Crunchyroll.
Blue Lock is really unique. It’s a mix of sports and battle royale, and although no one dies, the tension and drama are still up there.
The premise of the series is a program which is used to find the best players out there, and, as such, there’s a lot of strategizing and betrayal happening on the inside. The series can be watched on Crunchyroll and Netflix, and the movie is coming out soon in Japan.
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