Updated May 12, 2024 by testing

What does it take to be a genius? Personally, I think it is a very broad term, and relates to more than book smarts. Compared to me, in terms of art, anyone who can draw more than a stickman is a certified genius!! So, I pushed the definition of genius, and this is what I came up with. There’s without a doubt these OP MCs surprise everyone with their intellect!

So, without further ado, let’s review some of the best manhwa where the MC is a genius!

 

KOREAN WEBTOONS WHERE THE MC IS SMART / INTELLIGENT RECOMMENDATIONS

 

21. We On: Be The Shield

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
14/20	6/10	6/10	9/10	35/50

Let’s get this out of the way before we look at the plot, the characters are based on BTS, a K-POP idol group. So, if you are a fan of K-POP, you might want to give this one a try!

Who do you want to be leading the fight when the world is taken over by parasitic aliens? That’s right, a group of nerds and idols. What could possibly go wrong? All that stands between the end of the world and saving humanity, is a group of teenagers who only have their optimism and ability to work as a team to save us all! Can you be a genius in optimism and teamwork? Maybe I’m stretching a bit on this one!

If you want to find out whether they will save us all, or perish, you will have to give this one a watch.

 

20. Kubera

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
17/20	7/10	7/10	6/10	37/50

In this story, immortal Gods reign and their powers are incredible. Unfortunately, for the humans of the world, this leads to them being caught up in the battle of immortals. The human population is, understandably, fed up with it.

Kubera is a 16-year-old MC, whose village is destroyed during one of the battles. She is rescued by Asha, who is an exotic and mysterious magus. Together, they set out to find a way to get revenge for Kubera’s village and stop the destruction.

Battling the agendas and schemes of the various characters and Gods, Kubera finds she is caught in the middle of it all with the power to save the world… or destroy it. Does having the name of a God mean Kubera is more than the young girl she appears to be?

 

19. My Daughter is a Music Genius

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
17/20	7/10	8/10	8/10	40/50

Jo Sunhyun in My Daughter is a Music Genius is not the best example of a husband and father, in fact, he is awful. After the death of his wife, he neglects his daughter, Chaeyoon, and disappears into his music. Whilst he was busy wallowing in self-pity, his daughter dies in a car accident.

Now, he finally has regrets! In a change of fortune, he travels 10 years back into the past and Chaeyoon is still alive. He finds out that she is a music genius, and he never paid any attention to her before.

This manhwa looks at what would a person do with a second chance; make things right or mess it all up again.

 

18. Athena Complex

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
17/20	8/10	8/10	8/10	41/50

Athena is the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, so we can assume she is smart, but not smart enough not to fall in love with the wrong person! The object of her affection is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Sadly, for Athena, the feeling is not mutual, and she is rejected by the man of her dreams.

So, she does what any girl does when rejected by a man… she seeks revenge! (kidding, don’t do that ladies!!) Athena heads to the human world, as a boy with the aim of becoming friends with Poseidon’s reincarnation, a boy called Adrian. In case you are wondering, Poseidon was punished for rebelling against Zeus and sent to the human world.

Adrian now has knowledge of who he used to be, so really Athena’s vengeance plot is a bit pointless but hey, who cares about logic so long as the story is good! Will she get her revenge or will love blossom?

Reviews are mixed on this series, but the consensus is mainly positive. If you like a good Greek myth, you will enjoy this a lot and if you don’t know anything about Greek mythology, I would still recommend Athena Complex as it is a great look into the lives of the Greek Gods and Goddesses.

 

17. Bug Player

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
19/20	7/10	7/10	8/10	41/50

Bug Player is an isekai manhwa, a trope which is a little overdone in my humble opinion.

Shin-Tae Pong was the best player of the online game Paradise, until he dropped dead whilst playing. In true isekai fashion, he wakes up in the game as a useless coward called Jared Eucalates, a Duke who is destroying his own country because he is an idiot!

However, he has the benefit of knowing the game better than anyone and so, he can use his knowledge to prevent Jared from being destroyed in the Great Nasu War, which he knows is coming. How is he a genius, you may ask? Well, he uses his skills and knowledge of the games’ bugs to cheat his way to the top and survive!

 

16. The Villainess Lives Again

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
15/20	9/10	8/10	9/10	41/50

The Villainess Lives Again has a genius who is happy to stay in the shadows, until it all comes back to bite her in the butt! Artezia Rosan is a genius when it comes to strategy, manipulation, and behind the scenes scheming. She was the person who ensured her brother gained the throne.

Life was good and she was happy to use her genius from the shadows until her brother betrayed her. His crimes got her thrown into prison; she was after all the brains of the operation. Luckily for Artezia, the Grand Duke Cedric Ebron rescues her.

Using dark magic, she takes her own life to travel back in time where she is determined to help Cedric no matter the cost. Will she now use her genius to help Cedric? Will she be able to turn against her brother? Or is blood thicker than water?

 

15. White Blood

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
17/20	8/10	8/10	9/10	42/50

In White Blood, life for everyone changed when ten years ago, vampires arrived in the world. One of the main problems is that no-one can tell who is human and who is a bloodsucking monster! Vampires have incredible strength and a never ending thirst so for the human population it becomes terrifying. 

Park Hayan is an orphan, who is trying to lead a normal life. All she wants is to look after her siblings and have a normal college life. Not too much to ask really! However, life never goes to plan and an accident puts her on the radar of the Angels of Death, a rogue vampire group.

Not wanting to be a victim, Park Hayan teams up with Euntae Hwang, a weirdo of a police officer, to take down the vampires before they take her down! This is probably one of the best Vampire Manhwa ever!

 

14. Super Genius DNA

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
18/20	7/10	8/10	9/10	42/50

Youngjoon Ryu is a research scientist, so he is looking promising as an intelligent guy from the start. He works for a large company that produces medicines, for a price! Welcome to Big Pharma!

One day, he is infected by Rosaline, a virus created artificially in a lab. However, for Youngjoon, this is not a terrible thing as it gives him incredible scientific knowledge, which he accesses through visual and auditory hallucinations. Imagine being able to produce a computer screen in front of your face and you get the idea!

With his new skills, he starts a battle against the pharmaceutical company to allow lifesaving medicine to be available to everyone, not just those who can pay. Super Genius DNA is an original concept, and the MC is beautifully written.

If I were going to raise any critiques, I would say that the science stuff is a bit too much and puts some people off with too much detail. For me, the biggest thing that put me off was the use of animal testing which was too detailed for me.

 

13. The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
17/20	9/10	8/10	9/10	43/50

Hyun Lee is a character you will never know if you love or hate. His personality is not his best feature. He is a player in a MMORPG, Royal Road, where you can earn real money by playing. Hyun Lee only cares about making money and gaining power, and he uses his old in-game name, Weed, from a previous game as well as his skills to quickly gain power within the game.

Although he has a character which can rub people the wrong way, he has a tragic backstory, so you do feel sorry for him. His family have debts up to their eyeballs and he has spent his life working in horrendous conditions to try and earn money. He gains a secret level within the game and it’s called Legendary Moonlight Sculptor. This gives him abilities beyond your average player.

However, he does not always use his genius new skills for good; he enslaves other players to help him amongst other dodgy activities and more.

 

12. Weak Hero

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
17/20	9/10	8/10	9/10	43/50

School can be hard enough without being stuck in a school where bullying the weak is encouraged. In fact, it is part of the academic criteria. The strong rule, the weak suffer.

Stephen Ahn accepts his lot in life, but then a new transfer student arrives and everything changes. Gray seems like he should be one of the weeks with his small size and agreeable nature, but the bullies soon find out that he is not going to take it.

Gray leaves bullies fallen wherever he goes. He is a genius at planning and brutal in fights. Now, the strong are getting a taste of their own medicine and they don’t like it!

 

11. Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
16/20	9/10	9/10	9/10	43/50

Kim Dokja is an ordinary office worker, who spends his time alone reading web novels. He lives his life through the character, Yu Junghyeok in the novel called Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse. I think a lot of us can relate to him—I know I can!

Dokja has spent 10 years living through Junghyeok’s eyes and after 3,149 chapters it looks like the story is ending. But is it really? The author suggests there is more to come in a message to Dokja.

Dokja’s world is changed when he awakes in the story; a story that he has lived vicariously through for years. Knowing the story well, makes him a genius in the new world as he knows everything there is to know! 

The amount of manhwa just like Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint just goes to show how popular it really is!

 

10. SSS Class Revival Hunter

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
18/20	9/10	8/10	9/10	44/50

Kim Gong-ja is a Hunter, just not a particularly good one! He is right at the bottom of the pile when it comes to skills. He envies all the higher ranked Hunters and wants to be like them. Kim Gong-ja gets his wish granted (in a way) when he is given the ability to copy the skills and abilities of the higher ranked Hunters.

But as with all good things, there is a catch. To use his skill, he must die! He has not even sorted out his feelings about this before he was killed by the Flame Emperor, the highest ranked Hunter out there. Dying worked in Kim Gong-ja’s favour and his new skills activated, now he can go back in time every time he dies. The way he becomes an OP MC is kinda weird, but hey, everyone’s got their own style.

The story follows Kim Gong-ja as he uses his new skills to battle his way to the top. He qualifies for this list as you need to be a genius to use death to your advantage!

 

9. King’s Maker

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
19/20	9/10	8/10	8/10	44/50

Soo-hyuk is a prominent player in the world of Kingdoms. He is a genius in his own right; intelligent and able to work well under pressure which makes him the perfect player and strategist. Nothing flusters this man!

He also has another skill, which also takes a genius personality. Soo-hyuk is a liar. We are not talking little white lies here; this man could tell you that day was night, and you would believe him. He has never been caught and uses his intelligence to ensure that continues.

The combination of his brains and his skill at lying make him a formidable player!

 

8. Second Life Ranker

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
18/20	9/10	8/10	9/10	44/50

Yeon-woo is a genius in his own right, he works hard and never breaks the rules. His family is understandably proud of him. He also has a twin brother, Jeong-woo who is the absolute opposite of him. Everything falls into place for his brother without any real effort.

But then Jeong-woo disappears, to go to the Obelisk, the Sun God Tower. All Yeon-woo has left is his brother’s diary, which has a chilling message inside… “By the time you hear this, I guess I will already be dead…”

Yeon-woo decides to find out the truth about his brother’s fate and sets off to climb the Obelisk, using his brother’s diary as a guide. He will need to use all his skills and those of his brother to survive!

 

7. Genius Doctor: Lee Moo-Jun

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
18/20	8/10	9/10	9/10	44/50

Whereas Genius Doctor: Black Belly Miss looks at social issues, this Genius Doctor is firmly based on a medical doctor. The MC, Lee Moo-Jun finds an old scalpel that is possessed. Yep, that’s right a haunted scalpel!

Possessed by the spirit of a dead surgeon, Aculle. Moo-Jun had no plans to be a doctor, but if life hands you a scalpel with a genius doctor inside, you must use that! Technically, the MC is not a genius, but let’s be real here, can a scalpel qualify as a MC??

Using Aculle’s skills, Moo-Jun is able to succeed and become a doctor, despite not being a genius himself.

 

6. Tomb Raider King

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
18/20	9/10	9/10	9/10	45/50

The Gods Tombs appeared out of nowhere and inside them were relics which could give anyone who found them insane amounts of power. The fight was between tomb raiders to find the best relics and gain their powers.

Joohean Suh works for a company exploring and excavating tombs in search of relics… if we are realistic, he is a tomb raider! He is betrayed by the people he works for and is gravely injured by an extremely powerful relic.

Waking up 15 years in the past (a common theme!) he still has all his skills, and he knows where all the tombs will appear. Now out for revenge, he awaits the appearance of the God’s Tombs and sets off to clear them before anyone else has a chance!

 

5. The Beginning After the End

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
18/20	9/10	9/10	9/10	45/50

Sometimes the person we present to the world, hides the real us. King Grey, the main character in The Beginning After the End looks like he has it all. He is powerful, strong and a fighter of repute. But inside, he is the absolute opposite.

His enemies manage to end his life and he is reincarnated as Arthur Leywin, and this is where the genius comes into play. Arthur has all the knowledge and skills that he had in his previous life. This gives him an advantage in his new life, and he is determined to make the most of this new chance! Facing enemies trying to destroy him, he fights to fix the mistakes he made in his last life and protect those he loves.

 

4. Solo Leveling

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
18/20	9/10	9/10	9/10	45/50

Solo Leveling is set in a world where being a Hunter is the way to survive and make money. Sung Jin-woo is a Hunter, but not a particularly good one. He is average at best. He also has no friends, is poor, and has a sick mother. The boy does not have a lot going for him!

When he discovers a location where a Hunter could make some serious money, he decides it is worth the risk… actually… he has no chance!

As expected, he almost meets his end trying to take on a monster. He is surprised to wake up in a hospital bed, chosen by the System to be a powerful Hunter who can level up to unlimited proportions.

So, unlike others with genius levels of intelligence Jin-woo has become a Hunter with genius survival skills!

 

3. Your Throne

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
18/20	9/10	9/10	9/10	45/50

Your Throne is the story of two girls, who both have the same aim—to become the Crown Princess of Valios. To achieve their aim, they must prove that they are worthy of that title.

Media Solon and Psyche Callista are competitors for the role, but then in a freak accident, they switch bodies. Now they must convince everyone they know what they are to each other. That takes some skill and genius; to pretend to be someone else!

It does not help that their personalities are not even close!

 

2. A.I. Doctor

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
19/20	9/10	9/10	9/10	46/50

Baruda is an A.I system that has been designed to diagnose illnesses, and Lee Soo Hyuk is the junior neurosurgeon tasked with working alongside it. His career choice speaks for itself about how much of a genius he is!

When an unexplained explosion rocks the TaeHwa Group building, Lee loses consciousness and when he awakes, Baruda is bonded with his mind! Now they are one being, they can work together to meet both their aims; Baruda to become the best diagnostician in the world and Lee to become the best neurosurgeon ever!

 

1. Tower of God

Genius MC	Character Writing	Plot	Art	Total
19/20	10/10	10/10	8/10	47/50

Twenty-Fifth Bam is a boy who has lived in the shadow of the Tower of God for most of his life. His only friend and companion is a girl called Rachel. If you make it to the top of the Tower, you can have everything you ever desired, but you must survive the climb!

Rachel manages to get into the Tower to attempt it. Bam is, understandably, upset, and worried for his only friend and decides to go after her. Every single step within the Tower has enemies and challenges which will try their hardest to kill you. No one ever said getting everything you ever wanted was easy.

Bam is determined to find his friend, thus he uses his skills to gain allies and fight his way through danger as he ascends towards the top of the Tower of God.

 

Conclusion

Genius comes in many, many forms as you can see from the above list. If life hands you a skill, how you use it can make the difference between a boring life and a great life! Never underestimate a genius, it never goes well and you will end up a loser—that is the lesson for today boys and girls