There is an abundance of smart characters in anime, however the interesting thing is that most of these characters are white-haired. So I thought that maybe I should research and pick up some of the best white haired anime characters that are also incredibly smart and tactical in making decisions.
It is easier to such characters in anime as they are often found to be involved in some stuff that needs tons of thinking, for example, a crime investigation, or a fight analysis to beat the opponent, or things like leading a village and protecting it from enemies. These type of characters love complex things and often are capable of observing things very carefully. Their observation helps them reach their goals faster and helps them plan a lot ahead than the rest of the other characters.
Below is a short list of very popular and beloved white haired anime characters that used their brains effectively and proved to be a great resource for their respective animes.
Contents
- List of 10 Popular White-Haired Anime Characters Who Are Smart
- 1. Near (Nate River) from Death Note
- 2. Killua Zoldyck from HunterXHunter
- 3. Norman from The Promised Neverland
- 4. Kakashi Hatake from Naruto
- 5. Aru Akise from Future Diary
- 6. Shogo Makishima from Psycho-Pass
- 7. Kyoko Kirigiri from Danganronpa
- 8. Toshiro Hitsugaya from Bleach
- 9. Five from Terror in Resonance
- 10. Tobirama Senju from Naruto
List of 10 Popular White-Haired Anime Characters Who Are Smart

1. Near (Nate River) from Death Note
Personality Type : INTJ
IQ Level : 180-200
Surprisingly, Near has quite made up a lot of appearances in most of the anime lists all over the internet.
We cannot deny the fact that Near is one of the smartest white haired anime characters out there, who was responsible for using the counter strategy to checkmate Light Yagami. By using the concept of a fake death note, he ensured to lure Kira into his own territory and finally checkmate him at the final meeting.
However, it is necessary to note that unlike L, who was pretty much bothered about the case just for his own amusement, Near had solid goals and foresight about what needs to be done, and hence took the necessary steps by utilizing all his companions into the investigation process. Just like how in chess every piece has its own importance and role in checking the opponent’s king.
Related: Why Death Note is the Best Starter Anime

2. Killua Zoldyck from HunterXHunter
Personality Type : INTP
IQ Level : 140-150
By analyzing the personality of this character, we can surely say that he is very childish and trouble-maker like the rest of the characters of his age. However, one striking difference is that Killua is very strong at analyse situations, which is a hallmark of smart character. Also unlike most of the very smart characters out there, along with a solid foundational IQ of 150, Killua does possess good EQ as well. This makes him capable of interacting with others on a much meaningful level, especially with Gon.
Killua is also one of the most dangerous characters in the HunterXHunter series and does have his own dark side. He never shy away from competition and is always ready to face his opponents and give them a good lesson.

3. Norman from The Promised Neverland
Personality Type : INFJ
IQ Level : 170+
Norman has been voted one of the best INFJ anime characters. Just like Killua, Norman also has some pretty good EQ along with a foundationally strong IQ, but unlike Killua, he does care for people all around him and would rarely resort to hurt others.
Norman is shown to be brilliant at logical and mathematical reasoning, scoring perfect scores at the Grace Field internal assessments. Norman also uses his strategic abilities to win the game of tag, because he can’t rely on his physical strength which is very less.

4. Kakashi Hatake from Naruto
Personality Type : INTP
IQ Level : 170+
Kakashi is one of the most important and famous characters in the Naruto Series. Actually I think that Kakashi was one of the contenders of my most lazy anime characters list, because he is definitely a very bored person, and does not like to expend his energy too much. Kakashi has profound observational skills right from his birth and his intuition is far better than good. Kakashi, however has a very low EQ and is very blunt and straightforward while talking, which makes him come off as a very boring person.
As the story progressed, Kakashi became a more mature person and leaves his arrogant attitude at the door. He became very concerned about his teammates.

5. Aru Akise from Future Diary
Personality Type : ENTP
IQ Level : Unknown
One of the notable things about smart anime characters is their uncanny ability to understand details very quickly, and such is the case with Akise as well. He is a very intelligent and logical anime character. Also most of the anime characters who are smart are introverts, but with the case of Akise, he has an extroverted personality and can easily mingle and socialize with others.
He also has great EQ which allows him to understand people around him, especially with the case of Yuno.

6. Shogo Makishima from Psycho-Pass
Personality Type : ENTP
IQ Level : Unknown
This list was clearly missing a manipulative anime character, and Shogo has just now fulfilled it. This character is very manipulative and blessed with the ability to influence people into doing things. Because of this, he does not back off from killing people and does not even regret about the killings that he does.

7. Kyoko Kirigiri from Danganronpa
Personality Type : INTJ
IQ Level : Unknown
Kyoko is also one of the most ‘cold’ anime characters out there, due to the fact that she pretty much cares about no one. She is self-independent and does not like to take help from others in doing her investigations and is often found to be distant from other students.
Her smartness lies in the fact that she is quite adept at using understanding clues, one of the notable abilities of smart anime characters. Most of the time she is seen as expressionless and emotionless, though she does have emotions within her which she rarely reveals in front of others.

8. Toshiro Hitsugaya from Bleach
Personality Type : INTJ
IQ Level : Unknown
Toshiro is one of the most serious anime characters that you will see. One notable fact about this character is that he is easily annoyed by childish behavior, and hates it.
He wants himself and people around him to be serious about things, he hates attention and attention-seekers. He is also very observant and a mastered swordsman. Especially in battles, he is well aware of his surroundings, indicating his high level of intuition.

9. Five from Terror in Resonance
Personality Type : ENTP
IQ Level : Unknown
Despite bearing the extroverted personality, Five is one of the loneliest characters in the series. She is best known for her sadistic behavior, as she loves torturing people. She is shown to be a researcher at an American Organization.
Due to her childish nature, she was often detached from the real world and was heavily invested in the idea of defeating Nine. She secretly admires Nine because of his intellect and is found to have a competitive spirit around him.

10. Tobirama Senju from Naruto
Personality Type : ISTJ
IQ Level : 200?
Yeah, I know that his hair is not pure white and mostly looks grayish. But still, Tobirama is one of those characters in Naruto that are incredibly smart. Tobirama is a calm and composed individual, but he is also very rude and straightforward while talking, as he believes that following rules and laws are very important to defeat the enemies.
His smartness lies in the fact that he created so powerful jutsu techniques. These techniques were extensively used by a lot of other characters, including Orochimaru and Kabuto.
The following were the jutsu that Tobirama invented in Naruto series
- Edo Tensei – A technique of summoning the dead people
- Flying Thunder God – A teleportation technique involving space-time
- Shadow Cloning Technique – Solid clones bearing equal amounts of chakra
Shōgo Makishima is my number one from this list. I love that man so much.