10 Smartest Anime Characters Of All Time

Out of all of the many characters in the Naruto series, including up through Boruto, Shikamaru Nara is hands down the brightest of them all.

Let's take a look at his performance in the Chunin Exams during the original Naruto series for an example. Out of the 153 applicants, Shikamaru was the only one to achieve the rank of Chunin. The reason for his victory being what makes it so notable. He was promoted not because he won his last fight, but because he was smart enough to know when to quit, as any good leader should. This eventually led him to being a major commanding force in the Fourth Shinobi War.

There's a reason why in Boruto he was picked by Naruto to be the right hand man to the Hokage. The guy may be guilty of being lazy, but no one can claim he's stupid.