The 15 Smartest 'Naruto' Characters, Ranked

Shikamaru uses his shogi moves and battle strategy to show intense logic since childhood. Asuma says Shikamaru has an IQ over 200, placing him above real-world geniuses like Albert Einstein.

Shikamaru was the first ninja in his group promoted to Chunin because he slowed down and thought things through. He created the strategy that defeated Hidan. As an adult, he serves as the strategic advisor to the Hokage.

Pulling off what Itachi did to his clan demands great physical and emotional strength, but it also needs intelligence. When Danzo offered Itachi a choice—slay his clan and survive with his brother, or be killed himself—Itachi made a calculated choice.

Itachi could have warned his clan about what was coming, but he knew that action would start a war and cause massive deaths. Instead, he kept it secret. He took down nearly everyone he loved and made an enemy of his brother so Sasuke would seek him out and take his eyes, granting him the Sharingan.

At thirteen, Itachi realized that choice was his only option. He devised a strategy to make it work.

The Nara Clan possesses sharp intelligence, and Shikaku Nara is no exception. As the Jonin Commander of Konoha, he developed many battle plans used by other shinobi during chaotic events like the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Shikaku is smart about parenting. He taught his son Shikamaru logical thinking through shogi games. He also taught emotional intelligence, guiding Shikamaru to decide if he wanted to be Naruto's friend.

Kakashi is not always the world's smartest person. He learned to relax and stay sane despite a life that could have taught him the opposite. He became a chunin at six years old. Many children do not know how to read or count. He became a jonin at twelve.

Kakashi possessed the intellect needed for those jobs. He also used that brainpower to change his overly rule-bound approach once he saw it harmed him.

Minato Namikaze scored the highest points on the written section of the Chunin Exams in history.Minato Namikaze scored the highest points on the written section of the Chunin Exams in history.Test scores do not define all intelligence, but they matter. Minato had excellent observation skills. He needed only one look at a jutsu to grasp its mechanics and plan a way to defeat the user. This made him a great teacher; he quickly spotted students' weaknesses and helped them improve.

Minato Namikaze implemented tough solutions under severe personal stress, like sealing the Nine-Tailed fox into his newborn child. He lacked time to think, but he made it happen.

Tobirama Senju was the smart brother; Hashirama had the charisma. He created the government system Konoha still uses. Tobirama also invented dangerous jutsu like Reincarnation Jutsu and Shadow Clone Jutsu.

Tobirama was practical. He realized inventing something did not mean it had to stay. He banned several jutsu he created because they posed too great a danger to the public.

Orochimaru used his intelligence for questionable ends. His goal: immortality so he could learn every jutsu. He found ways to extend his life, but these methods required mass human sacrifice, forcing others to stop him.

Despite facing destruction, Orochimaru recovered and negotiated with Konoha. He secured permission to continue his experiments peacefully. This forced him to use less violent methods, but his smarts let him change tactics.

Madara’s intelligence, not just strength, makes him a terrifying foe. He adapts well on the battlefield. Madara anticipates enemy moves and reacts fast to surprises.

Madara's intelligence extended beyond fighting. He used the clone flower through the Demonic Statue of Outer Path. This built a life support system allowing him to live past a normal human lifespan. He also used White Zetsu materials to replace lost body parts and healed major injuries through eye transplants.

Madara is also highly manipulative, which is not good.But it needs intelligence to work. Madara successfully brainwashed Obito into accepting his dark view of the world.He pulled this off using intelligence. Madara managed to completely brainwash Obito to see the world through his bleak viewpoint.

Orochimaru likely would not have achieved his goals without Kabuto. Kabuto brought spy skills and deep medical knowledge. That medical knowledge was vital for many of Orochimaru's experiments.

After Orochimaru died, Kabuto faced it alone. Initially, he struggled to find direction without his boss's guidance. Soon, he made his own way. Kabuto mastered moves Orochimaru could not, such as Sage Mode and Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation. Kabuto nearly perfected the latter move, using it better than anyone before.

Tsunade acts loose when drunk, losing money gambling. Still, she is one of Konoha's brightest. She saw the need for medical ninja. Doctors needed to treat injured shinobi fast, not let them bleed out before help arrived. A personal loss made her see this. She fixed the problem. Tsunade became a top medical ninja.

She invented and used complex jutsu. Creation Rebirth forces cells to divide fast, healing injuries quickly.

Hagoromo Otsutsuki created Ninshu, the start of Ninjutsu. Without his ideas, current techniques would not exist. He figured out how to seal the Ten Tails in his body. He also split the Ten Tails into multiple creatures. No one taught him these methods; he found them alone.

He showed great emotional intelligence. Hagoromo chose Asura as his successor. Asura cared more for people than just being the best. His announcement may not have been gentle, but he made the right choice.

As a child, Sasuke got top grades at the Ninja Academy. He had no home support and dealt with the trauma of his clan being wiped out by his brother. After training with Kakashi, Sasuke learned taught jutsu fast. He continued learning quickly his whole life.

Sasuke's desire for revenge sometimes stopped him from making good choices. He always had a plan for the outcome he wanted. Risking his life to train with Orochimaru was not the best choice. However, figuring out how to do it at age twelve shows serious smarts.

Sakura may not be the most popular.Narutocharacter, but her brainpower is undeniable. As a child, she learned almost every jutsu thrown at her fast. She controlled her chakra easily. She helped solve the complex math on genin exams. She usually earned high grades.

Sakura apprenticed under Tsunade. She became a doctor and surgeon while still a teenager. Sakura succeeded so well in medicine she ran a whole hospital. She also handled major medical advances in Konoha, like giving psychiatric care to children.

Black Zetsu might show Kaguya Otsutsuki's will, but being a manifestation does not stop him from being terrifyingly smart. He manipulates many people into helping him revive his master. Madara, who was smart too, fell for Zetsu's fake stone tablets and his claim that he was a manifestation ofMadara'swill. He convinced the Akatsuki to start gathering Tailed Beasts by making it seem like their idea. He also arranged the whole Fourth Shinobi War.

If he used his sharp mind for good, the shinobi world would likely be a paradise now.

Ino and Shikamaru made good teammates for a reason. Their families worked together for generations. Though Shikamaru gets more attention, Ino is very smart. At Ninja Academy, she earned grades in the Top 3 consistently. Later, she mastered her clan's Mind Body Switch Technique. This move needs serious smarts; it forces her to find something meaningful inside another person's brain.

Later, Ino leads the Konoha Barrier Team. This team stops intruders. Organizing this team takes serious smarts.