Naruto Characters Who Rely On Their Intelligence

Summary

• The smartest characters in Naruto are not always the strongest, like Shikamaru & Minato.
• Smart tactics & intelligence play key roles in characters like Ino using her unique abilities.
• Characters like Kabuto & Danzo show that conniving and scheming can be smart and dangerous.

Naruto is a battle shonen anime where powerful ninja use groundbreaking jutsu to smash their opponents in style. With the power scaling reaching ridiculous heights, this means that characters need to be smart and powerful to outsmart their foes and finish them off in style.

Sometimes, the best ninja in Naruto aren’t known for being the strongest. Rather, it’s their brains that help them overcome numerous adversities to emerge victorious in battles and efficiently support their allies.

1

Shikamaru Nara

One Of The Smartest And Most Impressive Characters In The Series

• Smartest moment: Using a smart trap to incapacitate Hidan

Shikamaru is one of the smartest and laziest characters in Naruto. His immense IQ lets him form amazing tactical plans for each encounter, making up for his gulf in strength by implementing impressive strategies.

His natural knack for outsmarting his opponents makes him a thorn in their side time and time again. He was considered so smart and capable that he was appointed as the Fourth Shinobi World War’s tactician after his father’s death and became Naruto’s advisor.

2

Ino Yamanaka

Must Use Her Brains To Deal With The Drawback Of Her Kekkei Genkai

• Smartest moment: Using her teammates to shield her body as she takes over the mind of her opponents

Ino is a character who never got the time in the spotlight she deserved after the time skip. It’s a shame since her Kekkei Genkai made her a promising ninja who could’ve played a major role in some impressive battles.

She was an integral part of the Ino-Shika-Cho formation, using her teammates to protect herself as she took over the minds of her opponents. Ino could’ve achieved a lot more if this jutsu was improved upon, but she was unfortunately relegated to a support role during the war who could relay information telepathically to the rest of the Allied Shinobi Forces.

3

Black Zetsu

The Mastermind Behind Kaguya’s Revival

• Smartest moment: Fooling Madara for years and using his body to revive Kaguya Otsutsuki

One of the most conniving characters in Naruto, Black Zetsu is a malicious entity who works behind the scenes to secure Kaguya’s revival. He manipulated history itself to trap the Uchiha clan in a cycle of hatred and had the guts to lie to Madara’s face.

His plan required a ton of patience before finally being enacted at the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, where Madara was tricked into reviving the great Kaguya Otsutsuki. It’s not a plot twist many fans are fond of, but did paint Black Zetsu as one of the smartest characters in Naruto.

4

Minato Namikaze

A Swift Hokage Who Uses His Speed Intelligently To Deal With Massive Threats

• Smartest moment: Analyzing Tobi’s absolute defense and figuring out a clever way to damage him with a resounding Rasengan

While Minato is one of the strongest characters in Naruto, his strength isn’t the reason why fans know him. Rather, it’s his lightning-quick speed and the intelligent ways he applied it that made him such a respectable Hokage.

He faced off against Tobi and wasted no time in identifying his weakness before hitting him with the greatest Rasengan in the series. After Kurama was released, Minato quickly realized that the only way to end this monster’s threat was to seal him in his newborn son, doing so at the cost of his own life.

5

Kabuto Yakushi

Orochimaru’s Understudy Who Learns Some Nifty Tricks

• Smartest moment: Taking over Orochimaru’s powers and using the Edo Tensei jutsu to bolster Akatsuki’s war forces

Kabuto is one of the most unlikable characters in the series, serving as Orochimaru’s underling who helps out his master with his amazing talents as a spy. After fooling everyone during the Chunin Exams, he acquired Orochimaru’s powers after the villain was done away with by Sasuke.

His brilliant mind allowed him to master the forbidden Edo Tensei jutsu and summon legendary deceased shinobi who would aid the Akatsuki’s war effort. Even during his fight against Itachi and Sasuke, he held his own and was only taken out of commission because of an incredibly powerful Sharingan genjutsu.

6

Shikaku Nara

Shikamaru’s Father Is Just As Smart As One Would Expect

• Smartest moment: Being capable enough to be appointed as a tactician during the Fourth Shinobi World War

Shikamaru’s father is also one of the smartest characters in shogi. He’s the only person capable of giving his son a tough time in shogi and serves as the lead tactician of the war before his untimely demise.

While his intelligence is only seen in flashes, it can be safely assumed that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Both Shikaku and Shikamaru are two of Naruto’s smartest characters who have used their strategic mind to complete many complicated missions with ease.

7

Danzo Shimura

A Power-Hungry Shinobi Who Conducts Wild Experiments To Acquire The Power Of The Sharingan

• Smartest moment: Fooling everyone in the Leaf Village to take over as the Hokage

Danzo is one of the most hateable characters in Naruto. His conniving plans led to the annihilation of the Uchiha clan, sending Sasuke down a path of darkness as he blamed his brother for something that wasn’t entirely Itachi’s fault.

He hatches numerous plans to usurp the mantle of Hokage from Tsunade and tries to use powerful genjutsu to bend things in his favor during the Five Kage Summit, only to be caught out. It was a rare slip-up from an otherwise smart Leaf Village elder who spent his final moments dueling Sasuke in an incredible battle where he showed the experiments he made to acquire the power of multiple Sharingan at once.

8

Tobirama Senju

While He’s Incredibly Strong, Tobirama Is Known For Creating Some Of The Greatest Jutsu In Naruto History

• Smartest moment: Inventing the most iconic and powerful jutsu in the series with his smarts

While Hashirama is undoubtedly the stronger of the two brothers, Tobirama makes his mark in other ways. While he also boasts some incredibly high strength, the biggest reason why he’s such a legend is because of the many jutsu he devised.

Only the smartest ninja around could’ve devised the wealth of powerful jutsu that he created, with the Shadow Clone jutsu and Edo Tensei technique being two of his most notable creations. While he can be a bit ruthless, it’s clear that his smarts helped stabilize the Leaf under his rule, while Hashirama served as the beloved face everyone could rely on.