Classroom of the Elite: Every Main Character, Ranked by Intelligence

The following list contains spoilers for Classroom of the Elite Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3.

Many fans of psychological thrillers love the anime series Classroom of the Elite, often comparing it to Game of Thrones but set in a high school. A new season is currently airing and is a great place to start even if you’re new to the show. The story follows students at Advanced Nurturing High School who are constantly trying to climb the ranks or avoid being expelled. Here’s a ranking of the most important characters, ordered from least to most intelligent.

With so many characters, it’s tricky to focus on just a few. We’ll be concentrating on the main character, the student representatives from his grade, and those who frequently appear in major plotlines. This means we won’t be including new students from Year 2, such as Takuya Yagami, Ichika Amasawa, Sakurako Tsubaki, and Tsubasa Nanase, or Nagumo, who doesn’t become important until the second year. Also, since ‘intelligence’ can mean different things, we’re looking at well-rounded students who are skilled in many areas, not just those with high test scores.

Kei Karuizawa

Karuizawa isn’t as strategically involved in the class’s power struggles as some of the other main characters, which might make her seem less focused on those conflicts. However, she’s very talented – like almost everyone at the school – and exceptionally loyal, a quality that’s surprisingly uncommon among such gifted students. This suggests she’s emotionally intelligent. After becoming Ayanokoji’s girlfriend near the end of their first year, she remains an important part of the story, even though she generally doesn’t participate in the complex games played by the class leaders.

Kikyo Kushida

Kushida frequently plays a key role in the story’s events, often acting as a villain. While she appears sweet, kind, and innocent, she secretly enjoys manipulating and hurting others. She isn’t afraid to threaten or intimidate people to get what she wants.

I’ve been watching this character, and honestly, she’s a total schemer! During her first year, she was constantly trying to get students kicked out of Class D and would happily sell secrets to anyone – Ryuen especially! After her second year, she got a little more cautious, especially when Takuya Yagami showed up – he seemed to know something about her past. But even then, she’s still really manipulative and tends to take huge risks when she tries to mess with her own class. She’s not necessarily the brightest when it comes to strategy compared to the other class reps, but I think she’s surprisingly good at reading people and playing on their emotions – maybe even better than some of them!

Kakeru Ryuen

Ryuen is a remarkably clever and strategic leader of Class C, making him a fascinating villain in the story. While incredibly intelligent, his harsh tactics sometimes backfire, and he’s come close to being expelled a few times. For example, Ichinose had evidence of his wrongdoing in Volume 11 that could have gotten him expelled, but she decided not to press the issue.

Honami Ichinose

Initially, Ichinose presents herself as a kind and honest leader, prioritizing fairness as a representative of Class B. But as the story unfolds, she becomes more strategic and manipulative, willing to use underhanded tactics – even involving romantic relationships – to achieve her goals. This transformation makes her a formidable character by Year 3, and it’s often debated whether her early kindness was genuine or a carefully constructed act. Essentially, she’s either a brilliant strategist or remarkably flexible. Her strong charisma is a key asset that clearly places her above Ryuen in influence.

Suzune Horikita

Horikita is incredibly smart, surpassed only by those who are willing to manipulate others to get ahead. If she weren’t so principled, she might be unbeatable. Many fans appreciate that she strives to achieve her goals without resorting to the same level of underhanded tactics as some of the more cunning students, and this is why some prefer her as the main character over Ayanokoji. While she does learn to navigate social situations strategically, she rarely does so with malicious intent.

Initially, she’s straightforward and struggles with social interactions. However, she grows to appreciate teamwork, allowing her to emerge from her brother’s influence and become a strong, thoughtful leader as Class D’s representative—a leader who is more honest than most. Working with Ayanokoji, she can even overcome students who are naturally more gifted, ultimately guiding her class to the top, achieving Class A status by their third year.

Rokusuke Koenji

I’ve noticed Koenji reminds me a lot of Ayanokoji. Like him, he seems to deliberately hold back, pretending not to care and refusing to work with the rest of Class D. But it’s clear he’s actually incredibly smart – not just in school, but also when it comes to strategy and physical ability. The deserted island exam really highlighted just how capable he is.

He doesn’t seem comfortable with social norms, but it’s unclear if that’s because he lacks social skills or simply doesn’t care about them, given his strong ego and desire for freedom. However, his self-focus can also be a disadvantage, making his plans erratic and unpredictable.

Arisu Sakayanagi

Sakayanagi, the leader of Class A, is remarkably intelligent and a skilled strategist. Like Ayanokoji, she rarely acts without thinking things through, and she’s adept at getting people to do what she wants, as seen in her relationship with Ichinose. She was responsible for Haruki Yamauchi being expelled, using him as a source of information before getting rid of him when he was no longer needed. Despite her strengths, Sakayanagi’s biggest flaw is her strong need to prove she’s better than everyone else, and she isn’t particularly strong physically.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji

I’ve been watching Ayanokoji, and honestly, he seems unbeatable. He’s better than everyone else at pretty much everything – academics, planning, physical strength, even talking to people. Maybe he’s not a social butterfly naturally, but he picks up how to handle others incredibly fast, and he’s even a master at getting them to do what he wants. A lot of the brightest students suspect he’s holding back, but no one can actually compete with him. Newer students from the White Room do give him a bit of a challenge now and then, but he’s still the smartest one around, in every way possible.

Classroom of the Elite is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

2026-05-11 00:37