Dragon Ball probably isn't the first anime series that comes to mind when thinking about the smartest characters out there, but perhaps it should be. Despite its focus on brawn over brains, Dragon Ball is actually home to some truly genius characters who would stand out in just about any universe. The main criteria for ranking the intelligence of Dragon Ball characters will be their accomplishments--for mortal characters, anyway.

A complicating factor when it comes to ranking the smartest in this series is the presence of so many divine characters, some of whom seem to possess a level of omniscience that automatically puts them at the top of any discussion of intellect. Still, there are many mortal characters who've even managed to impress the gods with their accomplishments, and that's no small feat. Here are Dragon Ball's top 10 smartest characters, both mortal and divine.

10 Pilaf is Surprisingly Smart

First Appearance: Dragon Ball, Episode 1, "The Secret of the Dragon Balls"

Due to his role as comedic relief, Pilaf may seem like an odd choice for this list, despite his constant claims about his own intellect being superior. However, Pilaf has proven over the years that he really is pretty smart. Pilaf invents his own "global Dragon Radar", which he uses to track down the dragon balls, and may also have been responsible for many of the other machines he and his henchmen use throughout the series.

During Dragon Ball Super's Golden Frieza saga, Pilaf attempts to build a spaceship to leave Earth before the vengeful Frieza can destroy it. Later, in the Future Trunks saga, Pilaf inspects the code for the time machine and manages to improve it, impressing even Bulma. While Pilaf may be a joke, his intellect shouldn't be underestimated.

9 Piccolo is the Smartest of the Warriors

First Appearance: Dragon Ball, episode 123, "Lost and Found"

Piccolo is quite likely the most sensible and intelligent of the primary fighters seen in Dragon Ball. Piccolo became much wiser and more intelligent when he fused with Kami, giving him a semi-divine level of knowledge regarding Earth and its past. And, of course, Piccolo is something of a tactical genius with a fantastic understanding of battle strategy, often allowing him to get an edge on opponents who are far stronger than him.

Piccolo's preference for meditation and deep thought is pretty unique among the fighters, and seems to be key to his overall success.

Piccolo's preference for meditation and deep thought is pretty unique among the fighters, and seems to be key to his overall success. Piccolo's intelligence was even made note of by Buu, who targeted him hoping to gain that intellect by absorbing him.

8 Gohan Becomes Quite the Scholar

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, episode 1, "The New Threat"

Gohan is Goku's son, who was often forced to study when he was younger by his mother, Chi Chi. All this studying wound up paying off, though, as adult Gohan is certainly one of the smartest characters in the series. Gohan seems to have always performed well in school, and is shown working as a scientist in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, suggesting that he's managed to obtain high-level academic degrees.

Gohan is extremely devoted to his research, shown to spend several days straight in his room performing experiments and writing reports. Gohan is also quite good at strategy and tactics, something he no doubt picked up from his mentor Piccolo, resulting in him being chosen as Team Universe 7's captain. Gohan's intellect is one of his most valuable features, and something that definitely sets him apart from his father.

7 Dr. Hedo Created the Gamma Androids

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

Dr. Hedo is the grandson of Dr. Gero, and an accomplished scientist in his own right. He was willing to do unethical things to obtain research funds, but was always dedicated to that research first and foremost. He developed several models of androids in the Dragon Ball Super manga, culminating in his masterpieces, the Gamma 1 and 2 androids seen in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

Dr. Hedo was also responsible for deg Cell Max at the behest of the Red Ribbon Army, which turned out to be an exceptionally dangerous creation. Bulma recognized Dr. Hedo's intellect and talent and offered him a job with the Capsule Corporation at the end of the film, ensuring that he would no longer get up to dangerous experiments in an attempt to obtain research funds.

6 Dr. Gero Created the Original Androids

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, episode 126, "The Androids Appear"

Dr. Gero was a scientist working with the Red Ribbon Army who had a particular grudge against Goku, although the two don't seem to have met directly when Goku was younger. Dr. Gero created many Androids, including Androids 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, the latter of which he placed his brain into in order to give himself a powerful body that could defeat Goku.

While the Androids are impressive inventions on their own, perhaps the most impressive feature he created for them was their limitless source of energy, which gave Androids 17 and 18 their immeasurable stamina.

Dr. Gero also had a hand in the creation of Cell, spying on Goku and his allies for years and taking DNA samples from them in order to craft what he deemed the ultimate lifeform. Cell's creation was actually completed by his supercomputer after Gero turned into an Android, however, so Gero can't claim sole credit for Cell.

5 Dr. Brief Created the Capsules

First Appearance: Dragon Ball, episode 44, "Master Thief, Hasky"

Dr. Brief is Bulma's father, and the owner of Capsule Corporation. Dr. Brief was responsible for creating the capsule system in the first place, defying the laws of physics by allowing him to store objects in containers much smaller than their true size. He also helped create the enhanced gravity chambers which Vegeta and others use to train, making him indirectly responsible for much of their growth in power.

Dr. Brief even helped to design the faster-than-light spaceship which got Goku to Namek, using pieces of the craft Goku arrived to Earth in, as well as taking some cues from the Nameless Namekian's ship. Despite his intellect, Dr. Brief has shown little regard for danger, refusing to evacuate even when Capsule Corporation was targeted for destruction by beings like King Piccolo. As befitting his intelligence, he's quite eccentric, and cares deeply for his menagerie of bizarre pets.

4 Bulma is Dragon Ball's Smartest Mortal

First Appearance: Dragon Ball, Episode 1, "The Secret of the Dragon Balls"

Bulma is the daughter of Dr. Brief, and a brilliant inventor in her own right. Her first major invention was the Dragon Radar, which she created at a young age to track down the dragon balls no matter where they are. She also fully understands how her father's capsule technology works, able to iterate on his designs.

Her greatest invention is almost certainly her future counterpart's time machine, which present-day Bulma was able to understand with relative ease once she investigated it. Even Beerus and Whis were impressed with the time machine, although not in a good way.

3 Zuno Knows All in the Multiverse

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super, Episode 31, "Off to See Master Zuno! Find Out Where the Super Dragon Balls Are!"

Zuno is a mysterious being who lives on his own world along with several attendants. Zuno is said to know everything there is to know about the multiverse, and so when it came time to search for the Super Dragon Balls, Jaco took Bulma to him in an attempt to learn more about them. Zuno was able to reveal detailed information, such as the identity of their creator and the exact year in which they were made.

Zuno also knew preposterously specific information about Bulma's measurements, seemingly confirming his omniscience. Zuno is later threatened by Zamasu into revealing the locations of the Super Dragon Balls, with which he would steal the body of Goku and become Goku Black. While there is a difference between knowledge and intelligence, that line quickly blurs when one knows almost everything there is to know, and Zuno certainly does know that.

2 Whis's Wisdom is Off the Charts

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods

Whis is the Angel attendant of Universe 7's God of Destruction, Beerus, who also functions as Beerus's martial arts instructor. Whis is extremely insightful, often seeing straight to the core of an issue, and is able to maintain a calm demeanor at almost all times thanks to this. Whis seems to enjoy teaching, as he takes on Goku and Vegeta as disciples, helping them to attain divine abilities that most mortals wouldn't even be able to comprehend.

While Whis doesn't seem to be fully omniscient, his intellect is quite apparent from his general behavior and insights. He also has an intrinsic understanding of the importance of the cycle of destruction and creation, something many mortals struggle to understand.

1 The Grand Minister's Omniscience is Unmatched

First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super, episode 55, "I'd Like to See Goku, You See - A Summons From Grand Zeno!"

The Grand Minister is Whis's father, and the primary attendant and advisor to Omni-King Zeno. As a direct advisor to Dragon Ball's ultimate god, it's the Grand Minister's job to know everything that's going on across the multiverse. He's also hailed as perhaps the most powerful fighter in the multiverse, showing that his expansive knowledge includes martial arts techniques as much as it does everything else. His personality is exceptionally detached and indifferent, although he was often amused by Goku's antics in Zeno's presence.

Given his utter omniscience and incredibly important role in the universe, The Grand Minister is assuredly the smartest Dragon Ball character of all time.

Like his son Whis and other Angelic children, the Grand Minister fully understands the importance of the cycle of destruction and creation, not even hesitating for a moment when Zeno erased entire universes during the Tournament of Power. His role seems largely to be keeping the Zenos from behaving too rashly, acting as the voice of reason. Given his utter omniscience and incredibly important role in the universe, The Grand Minister is assuredly the smartest Dragon Ball character of all time.