Oftentimes, anime fights are contingent on who has the most power. This phenomenon is used to push the series' heroes into training montages, ones that are used to contrast their growth from the beginning of the story with where they are now.
However, intelligence has sometimes proved to be an even greater asset than raw force could ever hope to substitute for. By identifying the heroes and villains who have applied their wits to win their battles, we can better appreciate the merits of an active and keen mind.
10 Gon Forced Hanzo To Forfeit A Battle He Knew He Could Win (Hunter X Hunter)
During the final stage of the Hunter Exam, Gon was matched against Hanzo. The tournament's rules were simple - anything went, so long as one participant didn't kill the other.
Although Hanzo had a far greater advantage in physical strength, speed, and skill, Gon refused to give up no matter how badly he was beaten. Aware that he'd accidentally murder the child if he kept going, Hanzo begrudgingly surrendered since he knew he could always redeem himself in a match against his next opponent.
9 Uryu Outsmarted Yammy & Sent Him Plummeting Through A Tall Building (Bleach)
Although Yammy was the tenth Espada, his Hierro proved difficult for Uryu's quincy arrows to pierce. Fortunately, the young hero had a different plan - by willingly enduring the brunt of the bruiser's fist, he was able to lure him into a trap and unleash an unimaginably powerful shock that would send the villain plummeting through the tower.
While Uryu wasn't able to kill Yammy using this ruse, he did buy Ichigo the opportunity he needed to fight and defeat Ulquiorra undisturbed.
8 Jotaro Used Dozens Of Clever Tricks To Defeat DIO (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Jotaro used his intelligence in dozens of instances in order to outsmart and defeat DIO. The first example comes from when he used a magnet on his jacket to feint Brando out and make him waste the time allotment he had using the World's ability to strike Kujo down.
Another instance was when he stuffed his jacket full of phonebooks to lessen the impact of his vampire opponent's projectiles and deceive him into thinking he was dead. Both ploys allowed him to land devastating punches against DIO that would crush his skull and send him reeling.
7 Todoroki & Yaoyorozu Worked Together To Defeat Eraserhead (My Hero Academia)
Todoroki and Momo were specifically chosen to fight Eraserhead since they relied too heavily on their quirks. Despite this, they managed to defeat the teacher through a brilliant display of synergy and intelligence despite his vastly higher experience and combat prowess.
After Shoto was captured, Yaoyorozu created a flash bomb that forced Aizawa to retreat. As he withdrew, the heroine seized the opportunity to free her comrade and help him rejoin the fight. Together, they defeated the teacher in a stunning upset.
6 Armin Distracted Bertholdt So That Eren Could Destroy His Nape (Attack On Titan)
At a staggering sixty meters tall, Bertholdt was well beyond the ability of any titan or scout to deal with alone. Since Levi and Mikasa were preoccupied fighting Zeke and Reiner respectively, Armin was forced to distract the Colossal by himself and get him to exhaust his body's steam reserves.
This provided Eren (whom Hoover had assumed was defeated) sufficient time to slice through the nape of his neck while he was distracted. While this tactic heralded the villain's defeat, Arlert was critically injured as a consequence.
5 Ryuko Outsmarted Gamagori By Allowing Him To Suck Her Into His Uniform (Kill La Kill)
When Ryuko was obligated to fight Gamagori during the Honnoji tournament, she was martially outclassed. The disciplinary chief's three-star uniform allowed him to reflect any damage back at his assailant, rendering him nearly invincible.
To overcome Gamagori, she willfully allowed herself to be sucked into his armor. Although Ira had hoped to suffocate her with this technique, it would prove his own undoing when she transformed from inside his defenses and tore his uniform to ribbons.
4 Hinawa Exploited Iron's Vulnerable Joints To Bring Him Down (Fire Force)
Iron was a giant in service to the White-Clad who could effectively make himself indestructible by hardening his skin. He possessed strength to match his size, capable of crushing pillars in a single brutal punch.
Despite his advantages, Hinawa knew there was a means of overcoming him. He correctly anticipated that Iron couldn't move without having vulnerable joints and opened fire on his knees and elbows. As expected, this brought the hulking cultist down and illustrated the competence of Company Eight.
3 Sanji Tricked Mr. Two Into Deactivating His Devil Fruit (One Piece)
Mr. Two immediately recognized Sanji's chivalry and identified a way to exploit it. By posing as Nami, he knew that the chef couldn't hit him even if he was privy to his facade.
By tricking Bon Clay into thinking there was something on his face, Vinsmoke managed to revert him back to his true form. Seizing the opportunity, he pummeled the ballerina into the ground and won a decisive victory for the Straw Hat pirates. Mr. Two was gracious in defeat and proved a valuable ally during the events of Impel Down.
2 King Found A Way Past Ban's Immortality By Petrifying Him (Seven Deadly Sins)
Having blamed him for the death of his sister, King sought revenge against Ban as soon as he saw him. Under ordinary circumstances, the Fox Sin's immortality and endless regeneration would've proved insurmountable for Harlequin's arsenal of bladed weaponry, especially because he had no means of destroying his soul.
Creatively, King obviated this obstacle by petrifying the Fox Sin so that he'd spend an eternity as a statue. Ultimately, only Elaine herself could convince the fairy to return his rival back to normal.
1 Naruto Thoughtfully Used Shadow Clones To Stockpile Sage Jutsu Against Pain (Naruto)
Even after expending most of his strength destroying Konoha, Pain was still a formidable villain who could easily defeat almost any of the Leaf's denizens. When Naruto arrived to the battle, he wouldn't have time to build up sage chakra and use it against his opponent before all was lost.
Fortunately for him, he didn't need it. By leaving shadow clones on Mt. Myoboku, he was able to stockpile several surges of energy that he'd combine with Kurama's chakra in order to save the village. If not for his foresight, most of his friends - including Kakashi - would have died.
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