Top 10 Smartest Fairy Tail Characters

Jellal Fernandes

Jellal Fernandes is a childhood friend of Erza Scarlet. He became a Dark Mage determined to resurrect Zeref using the R-System and later lost his memory. He was the primary antagonist of the Tower of Heaven arc and later became a co-founder and member of the independent guild Crime Sorcière.

Infiltrating the regulating body of magic and a group of the strongest mages on the continent while keeping his real identity secret is a pretty badass thing to do. But the fact that the councillor and youngest Wizard Saint ever was a mere thought projection of his makes us wonder how powerful he really is.
He was the first one in the series to face Natsu in dragon mode and still fight as an equal, even after fighting mages like Erza (herself a force to be reckoned with). Still, he didn't fight Natsu with his full power because the tower's destruction was undesired. Even then, he would have killed Natsu with Abyss Break if Erza's previous attack hadn't stopped him.
Studying one type of elemental magic takes a lifetime for some, while he alone mastered all four. That is a feat in itself. He's easily one of the strongest and smartest in Fairy Tail, even stronger than Laxus. While people claim Laxus is stronger due to his endurance, let me humbly point out that no small level of endurance is enough to project the power of humongous heavenly bodies through oneself.

Lucy Heartfilia

Lucy Heartfilia is a wizard in the Fairy Tail guild. Her magic, known as Celestial Spirit Magic, allows her to summon spirits from another world. She currently holds fifteen Celestial Keys, which is an extraordinary number for a Celestial Mage.... read more

She isn't great at fighting, but she is very intelligent. Hiro Mashima mentioned that Lucy is actually the most intelligent character in Team Natsu. She proved her extreme intelligence in the Tenrou Island arc, and she saved Natsu by rewriting E.N.D.

She rewrote E.N.D., and that example alone is enough to prove her intelligence. The way she explained where Mavis's grave was located was also impressive!

She has proven her intelligence in many Fairy Tail episodes. Levy is studious, but Lucy is intelligent.

Zeref Dragneel

Zeref Dragneel is a character from the anime and manga series Fairy Tail, created by Hiro Mashima. He first appears in chapter 200 of the manga and episode 96 of the anime. Zeref is known as the most powerful Dark Wizard in the series and is afflicted with the Curse of Contradiction.... read more

Genius. He discovered how to revive the dead when he was just a kid. I think he should be ranked above Mavis, though Mavis's intelligence is emphasized more.

He found a way to revive his brother and create many demons. In my opinion, he's a genius.

Rufus Lore

Mavis Vermilion

Mavis Vermilion is a character in the anime and manga series "Fairy Tail," created by Hiro Mashima. She is the first Guild Master of the Fairy Tail Guild and is often seen as a symbol of hope and strength for its members.

Mavis is known for her exceptional strategic mind, frequently using intricate... read more

Do I even need to write a reason?

Fairy Tactician. Enough said.

Ultear Milkovich

She manipulated Jellal, second on this list, like a pro. She orchestrated and executed so many plans throughout the series. She broke into a high-security prison and freed one of the Magic Council's most important convicts.
Not to mention, she learned the Arc of Time at a very young age and mastered Ice-Make Magic without guidance.

Ultear is exceptionally smart! She tricked a lot of people into believing her.

Levy McGarden

She is the brains of the Fairy Tail Guild and the Shikamaru (from Naruto) of the show. She is definitely the smartest character but doesn't receive the recognition she deserves because she gets no character development in the show.
She reads an infinite number of books nonstop and just keeps reading. She is the smartest character in the show, but this list is more about popularity than actual intelligence.

I don't see why she isn't number one. Sure, the people above her are good at magic and know how to use it, but they are mostly knowledgeable in one area. Levy, however, seems to know a lot about everything.
Some people might say, "Well, these people were smart as kids," but we don't know much about Levy's background, so she could have been smarter as a kid.
-Your Fairy Tail Friend and Levy Lover,
Nora

Brain / Zero

His name is Brain, and that's saying something, LOL. Plus, he was Jellal's master!

Mystogan / Jellal Fernandes (Edolas)

Hades

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Irene Belserion

Irene Belserion is a fictional character from the Fairy Tail manga, created by Hiro Mashima and launched in 2006. The series was later adapted into anime form by A-1 Pictures in 2009.

Irene is one of the major antagonists of Fairy Tail and a prominent member of the Spriggan 12, serving as its... read more

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Minerva Orland

Gray Fullbuster

Gray Fullbuster is a wizard in the Fairy Tail series who is known for being kind, sensitive, and emotionally complex. He frequently finds himself in his underwear due to a habit of stripping, which he developed while training under his now-deceased master, Ur. Gray is an Ice-Make Mage with deep insecurities... read more

He's really clever and strategic and should rank much higher on the list.

He's actually pretty strategic and creative when it comes to his fights.

Erza Scarlet

Erza Scarlet is an S-Class Mage from the infamous magic guild Fairy Tail. She starts off as a lone wolf who strictly follows the rules. As the story develops, Erza changes into a loving, strong, and independent mage.

Her terrible past haunts her, and she initially ignores her nakama's calls for... read more

In my opinion, she's nearly the smartest. She always seems to figure things out before others do. She deciphered nearly all the battles her team faced, yet for some reason, people overlook that.

Erza is very good at coming up with plans. She's also knowledgeable in sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat.

Hibiki Lates

Freed Justine

Wahl Icht

Cana Alberona

Cana Alberona is a fictional character in the Fairy Tail manga created by Hiro Mashima in 2006, which was later adapted into an anime in 2009.

She is one of the more prominent secondary characters in the series, recognized as a skilled mage in the Fairy Tail Guild and a candidate for S-Class status... read more

Mirajane Strauss

Mirajane Strauss is a character from the anime and manga series Fairy Tail. She is the older sister of Lisanna and Elfman, and she possesses "Take Over" magic, which allows her to transform into animals, other people, or powerful demonic forms known as "Satan Soul." Mirajane holds the rank of S-Class... read more

Anna Heartfilia

Anna is a genius! Not only did she find a way to make Eclipse work, but she also adapted to a totally different timeframe (400 years in the future, sorry for the spoilers). If that wasn't enough, Anna found a way to save herself, Ichiya, and many others from Acnologia by temporarily guiding him through the space between time. Then, she found a way out for herself and Ichiya. She truly is the most strategic and smart character in Fairy Tail and deserves to be in the top ten. Sorry, that's just my opinion, I don't want to offend anyone!

Eve Tearm

Kagura Mikazuchi

Mard Geer Tartaros

Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki

Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki is a character in the anime and manga series "Fairy Tail," known for his flamboyant personality and catchphrase, "Men!" He leads the Blue Pegasus Guild's Trimens team and is recognized for his eccentric habit of analyzing and rating people's scents... read more