Most anime are set in a fictional world, where the characters possess extraordinary powers. Some of them have the power to erase entire universes and because of this, they are very complacent. They do not think rationally about a situation and mainly rely on their power or other nonsensical ways to resolve an issue.
Luckily, not every anime character takes this approach and there are actually anime characters, who think about situations practically. They assess the situation and always try to come up with the best and most logical way to tackle the problem. With that in mind, here are the most practical characters in shonen anime.
8 Shikamaru Nara (Naruto)
Shikamaru Nara is among the main characters of the Naruto series. He is not blessed with any kind of ridiculous ability, but he can use Nara Clan's Shadow Release. It is a simple yet effective technique, that allows its user to control their opponent and their movements to a certain extent.
Unlike the other characters in the series, who are always willing to rush headfirst into a fight, Shikamaru likes to plan before indulging in a fight. His fight against Temari proved his genius and his practicality as after defeating the Sand ninja, he gave up instead of continuing to fight in the exams. Also, he was only able to overwhelm Hidan due to his planning, otherwise, the Akatsuki member would have defeated Shikamaru without any problems.
7 Yagami Light (Death Note)
In the beginning, Yagami Light seemed like an ordinary high school student, who just cared about getting the best grades. However, when Ryuk dropped a Death Note on Earth, Light picked it up and everything changed.
Light understood the power of the notebook and began to cleanse and rid the world of all criminals. For the majority of the series, Light was careful and planned his every move. He made sure to always do the practical thing instead of just relying on his emotions.
6 Shoyo Ishida (A Silent Voice)
Ishida might not be blessed with any supernatural power, but he does possess a heart of gold. As a kid, Ishida wasn't the kindest, as he bullied Nishimiya, who had problems with hearing and speaking.
Ishida was rude to her and his bullying led to Nishimiya changing schools. When he grew up, Ishida realized his mistakes, and he tried to make amends. Ishida even tried to commit suicide, but he couldn't go through with it. When he came to his senses, Ishida tried extremely hard to mend his relationship with Nishimiya. He made simple yet practical decisions, which helped to improve his life.
5 Joseph Joestar (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
Joseph Joestar is the main character of Battle Tendency. Unlike his grandfather, Joseph was not an honorable fighter, and he relied on his wits to get him out of trouble.
He did not fight enemies that were stronger than him head-on, and he did not hesitate to run away if the enemy was too strong for him. Also, Joseph wasn't reluctant to use underhanded methods to get the better of his opponent. The combination of his intelligence and fighting skills helped him to battle opponents, who were much stronger than him.
4 Blackbeard (One Piece)
Blackbeard is one of the strongest characters in One Piece. Currently, he holds the position of a Yonko, which puts him in an elite group of pirates. Blackbeard possesses two of the most powerful devil fruits in the entire series, but what is truly frightening about him is his ability to scheme.
On numerous occasions, Blackbeard has taken the smart way instead of using just his strength. He waited for a long time to find the Yami Yami no Mi and when one of his crewmates got their hands on the devil fruit, Blackbeard killed him and stole the fruit. He planned to raid Impel Down when the test of the world was busy with the execution of Portgas D. Ace, and this opportunity allowed him to recruit new crew members.
3 Hikigaya Hachiman (OreGairu)
Hikigaya Hachiman has a case for being among the best high-school characters ever to be created. Hachiman was an outcast in school, and he did not like the idea of talking to other people because he considered them to be beneath him.
Hachiman looked at every situation from a logical point of view, and he rarely allowed his emotions to get the better of him. Whenever he was involved in an argument, he used his logic to win.
2 Erwin Smith (Attack On Titan)
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Erwin Smith was blessed with several traits that made him an incredible leader of men. He was extremely calculating, and it did not take him long to come up with plans. Erwin's Stoic personality allowed him to stay clear of emotions that would harm his thinking capabilities.
Erwin's strategies saved the Survey Corps and the rest of humanity multiple times. One example of his thinking was during the Shiganshina arc. When he realized that humanity only stood a chance if the Beast Titan was taken down, he motivated his soldiers to march towards certain death. His plan was to distract the Beast Titan to provide an opening for Levi to take him down. He also told Levi to use the other Titans to keep him out of the sight of the Beast Titan.
1 Lelouch Vi Britannia (Code Geass)
Lelouch hated Britannia and after getting the Geass, he began to formulate a plan to take them down. Lelouch used the Geass very carefully to manipulate others into doing his work for him.
He even used it on his cousin, which led to the massacre of hundreds of innocent people. Towards the end of the series, Lelouch once again made the smart decision of faking his death to unite the world.