Bungo Stray Dogshas many characters who are more intelligent than the average person. In this anime, characters wield their own minds as weapons against enemies and sometimes each other.Major events inBungo Stray Dogscome from the masterminds behind each ordeal, and the characters who deal with such matters don’t do so purely through strength, but through intellect.
Characters in the anime are often defined by either their special ability, brilliant mind, or combination of both. Every key organization, from the Armed Detective Agency to the Port Mafia and the Guild, has uniquely rare minds working within their ranks. Some of these minds act individually or use others as pawns in their plans, creating a situation where only another brilliant mind can put the pieces together.
10 Strongest Bungo Stray Dogs Characters
Bungo Stray Dogs has an extensive cast with incredibly powerful abilities and qualities, but who’s the strongest of them all?
10Louisa May Alcott Creates the Best Plans Using her Special Ability
Little Women Gives Her Room to Perfect Multiple Strategies
Louisa May Alcott is considered one of the most powerful members of the Guild for her special ability.Little Women allows her to slow down timeto 1/8000th of normal speed, making her the prized strategist of her organization. Her ability only activates if she is alone in a private room, but when she is, Louisa is able to come up with plans for multiple different scenarios.
This is seen during the Guild Arc as she hands over a novel-length set of plans to Fitzgerald aboard the Mody Dick, including emergency plans. However, none of this would matter if Louisa was incapable ofpredicting others’ actions and responding accordingly. With her intelligence and ability, she kept the Guild one step ahead of its enemies.
9Doppo Kunikida is Known for His Planning and Practicality
Kunikida Has Demonstrated His Intelligence on More Than One Occasion
Doppo Kunikida embodies meticulous planning and practicality, which makes him one of the most dependable members of the ADA. Kunikida shows his intelligence through his ability to anticipate challenges and devise solutions that align with his ideals. His adaptability and quick thinking come from his methodical nature, meaning that throughout many situations he keeps a cool head.
As with many characters inBungo Stray Dogs, Doppo is named after a famous writer. In this case, the real Doppo Kunikida’s most famous work isA Certain Woman.
As thenext president of the ADA, Kunikida must have clever strategies and be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. He is often seen jotting down notes in his notebook, showing that he keeps track of information and values knowledge. Kunikida is sometimes shown to be gullible, especially by Dazai, but there isno leader more practical and level-headed as Kunikida.
8The Azure Apostle Nobuko Sasaki
She Nearly Ruined the ADA as Revenge for the Azure King
Nobuko Sasaki was the former lover of the Azure King and pulled the strings behind many of their plans. She was known for her impressive intelligence and for the success she had at such a young age as a criminal psychologist. Behind the scenes, Sasaki manipulated many criminals to act as she wanted them to, doing so in such a way that no one knew they were being manipulated andnothing could tie back to her.
Sasaki used her intelligence for the Azure King, believing in his ideals and attempting to push them forward. Even after he dies, she continues to serve his beliefs andorchestrates plans to continue following his dreams. In the end, her only mistake was challenging Dazai of all people, who has a mind even the most brilliant strategists cannot comprehend.
7Natsume Soseki Influenced the Leaders of the ADA and Port Mafia
His Special Ability Allows Him to See Through Seemingly Anything
Natsume’s influence carries over to both main organization leaders inBungo Stray Dogs. Before he retired,Natsume created the framework for three agencies to oversee Yokohama. This included the Armed Detective Agency, the Port Mafia, and the Special Division and Military Police. He is also shown to influence Oda Sakunosuke, convincing him to stop killing and become a writer instead.
Natsume’s influence comes from others’ deep respect for him and his way with words and understanding other people. His special ability ‘I Am a Cat’ allows him to take on a feline form and roam rather freely. While roaming as a calico cat, he keeps his eye on the things going on around him using his keen perception. This gives Natsume Soseki a deeper human understanding of others ashe understands people in ways others cannot.
6Ango Sakaguchi Was a Triple Agent
While He Was with The Port Mafia He Also Spied On Mimic
Ango works for the government, in the Special Division for Unusual Powers. In the Dark Era, he was sent to spy on the Port Mafia and was later sent by Mori to spy on Mimic, officiallymaking him a triple agent. Ango navigated a tightrope that could have easily collapsed and left him at the mercy of the Port Mafia for infiltrating.
Ango balanced taking orders from multiple different places at once for a decent amount of time. He is shown to keep detailed records, and through the use of his Special Ability, Ango can see the memories left in items. This gives him access toknowledge that others could never haveand allows him to more effectively put pieces together.
5Leader of the Port Mafia Ōgai Mori
Took Over the Port Mafia from the Previous Leader
Mori is a man of cold calculation and strategic brilliance. Mori commands respect not only due to his cruelty but for his way of decision making,always weighing each gain and loss. He is one of the characters who shows a deep understanding of human nature, allowing him to manipulate those around him through needs and wants.
Mori’s strategies are part of what led to his succession as the leader of the Port Mafia. Using Dazai as a false witness, hecreated a narrative where the previous boss bestowed the leadershipof the Port Mafia to Mori. Ever since, he has demonstrated his intellect through his strategies and awareness of key information, such as who is and is not truly aligned with the Port Mafia, like Ango Sakaguchi and Michizō Tachihara.
4Edgar Allan Poe Creates Complex Mysteries
He Spent Six Years Scheming Against Ranpo
Six years prior toBungo Stray Dogs, Edgar Allan Poe is outwitted by Ranpo Edogawa and spends his time plotting a way to redeem himself and finally outsmart Ranpo. To do this, he joined the Guild and presented Ranpo with a challenge. Using his ability, Poe was able to send both Ranpo and Yosano to a mystery novel of his creation. In the end, even Ranpo recognizes Poe’s talent,admitting he has never felt so challengedin a battle of deduction.
After this, he continues his rivalry with Ranpo and helps his former comrades, including Louisa May Alcott. Although he continuously poses challenges for Ranpo to solve, he also creates a friendship with him and helps the ADA after they are framed as the Decay of the Angel. Poe is sought out for help in these moments becauseeveryone around him knows he has a brilliant mind.
3Fyodor Dostoevsky Keeps Himself a Mystery
He Keeps Everyone Around Him on Their Toes
Fyodor is perhaps the most enigmatic and dangerous figureinBungo Stray Dogs. His quick wit and calculated thinking allow him to outsmart even Ranpo and Dazai. Fyodor’s true intentions remain a mystery, and he leaves people around him continuously guessing what his next move would be. When Fyodor is involved, nothing is as it seems, and situations turn into ones of uncertainty.
Fyodor is skilled and well-versed in the art of deception, first shown when he is caught after the Guild Arc and is interrogated by Ace, a Port Mafia Executive. He plays mind games andweaponizes the uncertaintysurrounding his own ability to trick the executive into killing himself, allowing Fyodor to simply walk away. In keeping the details of his ability a secret, Fyodor was able to get away with many crimes and manipulations, all for his benefit and goals.
2Osamu Dazai is One of the Best Strategists
He is Easily the Second Smartest Character in the ADA
Dazai is known for his strategies and his intricate planning. He is able toturn the tides of any battle with a single well-timed move. His laid-back and childlike attitude hides the information and razor-sharp intellect Dazai is capable of. He ensures that the ADA would win any conflict with minimal damage. That coupled alongsideDazai’s tense friendship with Chuuya throughoutBungo Stray Dogsmakes him a major threat.
In the ADA, it is no question that Dazai is the second smartest member, surpassed only by Ranpo’s Super Deduction—which is an extraordinarily high bar. Dazai is shown to beconstantly thinking several steps aheadof any given situation, manipulating the playing field in a way that best serves their organization. Dazai’s intelligence is recognized by every major association inBungo Stray Dogsand has a popular saying about him, warning others not to make Dazai their enemy.
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Dazai and Chuuya’s relationship is complex, entertaining, and has proven its strength time and again.
1Ranpo Edogawa Doesn’t Need a Special Ability
His Deduction Skills Are Completely Unparalleled
Ranpo Edogawa does not have a true special ability, but hisSuper Deduction may as well be one.Ranpo’s intelligence is unparalleled, and he is known for being able to deduce nearly any given situation in mere seconds. He can take small bits of information and see the larger picture behind it. Ranpo can solve and understand cases by breaking down every small detail until there is nothing left but the truth.
Ranpo’s sharp mind is not only the foundation but also thebackbone of the Armed Detective Agency. Without him, Fukuzawa wouldn’t have created the ADA and put his mind to use in solving cases. The fact is, there is no one who understands how Ranpo’s mind truly functions as he is a genius beyond anyone’s imagining. Ranpo isn’t just one ofBungo Stray Dogs’smartest characters, he’sone of the most intelligent anime characters ever.
Bungo Stray Dogs
Cast
Bungo Stray Dogs is an anime series that follows Atsushi Nakajima, a young man with the ability to transform into a tiger. After being kicked out of his orphanage, he joins the Armed Detective Agency, a group of individuals with supernatural powers combating mafia activities and other threats. Set in a fictionalized Yokohama, the series explores the balance between human conflicts and extraordinary abilities.
