The 15 Smartest TV Characters Of All Time

Summary

• TV shows often create characters with extraordinary intelligence, making them compelling and interesting to watch.
• Characters like Sherlock Holmes, L, and Michael Scofield showcase intelligence as a valuable asset and a cause of character flaws.
• Shows like Bones and Doctor Who feature intellectually advanced characters who demonstrate self-awareness and vast knowledge.

TV shows are responsible for creating some of the brightest minds of any fictional character. Well-designed characters often possess stand-out traits that make them compelling and interesting to watch. One such trait which is often used to create an extraordinary leading character, is intelligence. Whether the character is an expert in one particular field, the best in the world in their career, or just a general knowledge genius, clever characters are compelling.

Many TV shows choose to lean into this trait to create an extraordinary figure, who may be capable of making connections that no one else could, or their expertise makes them a valuable asset to a specific agency or profession. High levels of intelligence are admirable, but they can also be the cause of significant character flaws, like pride, which make a character more complex. Creating a clever character may require a lot of work, but there are plenty of shows that have created some of the best and brightest minds.

15 Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock (2010 – 2017)

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most brilliant minds on TV, capable of finding clues and connecting information in his mind far better than other people. He puts this intelligence to use as a private detective, hired to solve mysteries and unlock the puzzles of people. Thanks to his wealth of general knowledge, Sherlock is capable of seeing and examining the data of someone’s life from the most minute details and making reasonable conclusions. However, his genius also makes him unbearable to be around, and socially inept as he fails to pick up on basic social cues and etiquette.

14 L

Death Note (2006 – 2007)

Another master detective, L, is world-renowned for his skills and prowess, but is also incredibly secretive and protective of his own identity. L is still a young man, with a generally unkempt and disheveled appearance that leads others to underestimate him, but he is brilliant. In Death Note, L is the primary rival to the mass murderer Kira, and uses his incredible skills and strategy to uncover his true identity as Light Yagami, despite having almost nothing to go on. His powers of deduction, reasoning, and determination are unmatched.

13 Michael Scofield

Prison Break (2005 – 2017)

Michael Scofield from Prison Break is another brilliant mastermind, but he uses his intelligence for a slightly different purpose. When his brother is imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, Michael puts all of his creative reasoning into getting locked in and breaking out with his brother. His ability to observe and find potential weaknesses and holes in security within any prison or structure that he is locked into makes him an absolute mastermind. Regardless of whether he helped design a prison himself, or whether he spent some time studying the structure, he is capable of getting free.

12 Lisa Simpson

The Simpsons (1989 – Present)

Lisa Simpson may not be employed as a renowned detective or a professional escapologist, but at just eight years old, Lisa Simpson is easily the most intelligent character on The Simpsons. Lisa may be young, but her intellect goes far beyond her years, with a high level of self-awareness and concern for the world around her. Lisa is politically active despite not being able to vote, socially conscious as she chooses to practice veganism and attend protests and rallies for good causes, and she is capable of competing at a college level even as a child.

11 The Doctor

Doctor Who (1963 – Present)

The Doctor is a Time Lord who travels through time and space, and depending on the day, he sets his own age at anywhere between thousands and billions of years old. In Doctor Who, it is clear that the Doctor is likely the most brilliant man in the universe, who has used his skills and quick wit to save countless lives across numerous planets and times. He possesses a vast knowledge of history, geography, and species which spans all of known time, and slightly beyond it as well, making him easily one of the most clever people in all existence.

10 Gregory House

House (2004 – 2012)

In House, Dr. Gregory House is depicted as a complete jerk, but his extraordinary and extensive medical knowledge makes him invaluable as the world’s leading diagnostician. House often sees other people as a puzzle to be solved, and gets great satisfaction from understanding what makes them work, and more interestingly, what might be killing them. While House frequently makes mistakes and gets things wrong, there are very few times that he doesn’t arrive at the correct conclusion after conducting tests and experiments to ensure his diagnosis is accurate.

9 Walter White

Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013)

While studying at college, Walter White’s work contributed to Nobel Prize-winning research, and he was clearly on a path to becoming one of the world’s leading scientists. However, a string of bad luck with his health, and a betrayal by his best friend, lead to Walt selling his share of a company he cofounded. When Walt was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he decided to use his brilliant mind to take back what life had taken at any cost and began to engage in illegal activities to secure his family’s future. While Walt is morally questionable, his brilliance is undeniable.

8 Sheldon Cooper

The Big Bang Theory (2007 – 2019)

When Sheldon Cooper was just a young boy, it was clear that he was not like the other kids his age, or even his ordinary family. Sheldon had a brilliant mind and a pure love of science and knowledge, which led him to continually pursue more advanced education at a rapid rate. At age 11, Sheldon began to attend college with people twice his age and frequently outperformed all of his classmates. And as an adult, his research leads to him winning a Nobel Prize, while still a relatively young man.

7 Rick Sanchez

Rick And Morty (2013 – Present)

Rick Sanchez of Rick and Morty is also a brilliant scientist, but a less-than-good man. Rick’s exceptional knowledge leads to him creating trans-universal portal technology, and forming a multiversal council with other versions of himself. Rick is often called on by the President to help protect the Earth from alien invasions, and his abilities have made him practically immortal, as he has created countless technologies to ensure his survival. Rick is capable of creating anything he imagines thanks to his superior knowledge and understanding of science, which elevates him to levels of power that can be seen as magical.

6 Data

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 – 1994)

In Star Trek: TNG, Data is an android capable of experiencing and evolving past traditional robots to develop emotions and understand feelings. Due to his extraordinary abilities, Data was the first and only android to be recruited into Starfleet, and he was able to develop in his career to become a Lieutenant Commander. Data’s ability to grow beyond his programming, and learn and take on new information makes him unique, as well as possessing all the abilities of a highly advanced computer with incredible processing power and stores of knowledge.

5 Chuck Bartowski

Chuck (2007 – 2012)

While Zachary Levi’s Chuck is not a computer, his unique brain made him one of the few living people able to download the Intersect and store and recall that information. Chuck was a brilliant young man who studied at Stanford University and was on track to be recruited by the CIA. However, a string of events saw him kicked out of college and underemployed as a computer repair man in a supermarket chain. Chuck was already incredibly clever, but with the Intersect, he became a world-class spy who helped to prevent countless threats from evil organizations.

4 Stewie Griffin

Family Guy (1999 – Present)

Stewie Griffin is a child genius in Family Guy, who uses his brilliant intellect for nefarious means, often threatening to eliminate his enemies and family who do not obey him. Despite being a one year old and lacking the physical strength of an adult, Stewie uses his superior intellect to build inventions that are at the level of science fiction in their abilities. Stewie has a comprehensive knowledge of physics, mechanical engineering, and firearms, which makes him a force to be reckoned with.

3 Temperance “Bones” Brennan

Bones (2005 – 2017)

Temperance “Bones” Brennan may appear to be a regular anthropologist, but she has proven her extraordinary intelligence and gifts of perception countless times in Bones. In addition to her three doctorates in anthropology, forensic anthropology, and kinesiology, she also speaks six languages with a high degree of proficiency and juggles her time being a best-selling wealthy author and working her day job as an anthropologist. Her levels of reasoning, observation, and understanding of the intricate workings of the human body put her ahead of detectives like Sherlock Holmes when it comes to anything people-based, and she still has social skills.

2 Hannibal Lecter

Hannibal (2013 – 2015)

Hannibal Lecter is a dark and twisted man who indulges in preparing and consuming human flesh, but his extraordinary intelligence and understanding of the human mind are impossible to ignore. Armed with an extensive knowledge of psychology and the inner workings of people, Hannibal is capable of manipulation, control, and observation that far exceeds most other humans. His knowledge has led him down a dark path, but he is doubtless one of the most brilliant minds on TV.

1 Elliot Alderson

Mr. Robot (2015 – 2019)

Elliot may be a flawed individual and an unreliable narrator in Mr. Robot, but he is also a brilliant hacker and cybersecurity engineer. Elliot is extraordinarily proficient with computers, coding, and hacking to such a degree that it appears he can control anything with a screen and an internet connection with minimal effort. He manages to join an anonymous hacktivist group that seeks to right people’s wrongs and deliver justice to those who escape it in their day-to-day lives. These skills and knowledge make him one of the most intelligent TV characters of all time.