The Simpsons is a classic television show which has created some of the most beloved characters of all time. While it might be a cartoon show, the writers have done an amazing job in building these characters as people that everyone can relate to. One way the show has done that is by having the characters have totally different ranges of compassion, humor, and intelligence.
Some of the characters on the show are incredibly clever, seemingly having an answer for everything, yet others aren't quite as bright. While those characters shine through in a different way, having these differing intelligence levels has allowed the show to be more varied. Within this list we will be taking a look at some of the main characters, ranking from by their intelligence.
Homer Simpson
Out of all the main characters there is no doubt about who the least intelligent person is. While he might be the most popular character to come from the show, Homer Simpson certainly isn't the brightest. He's incredibly clumsy, lazy, and lacks in common sense at times, but those characteristics all help make him as loveable as he is.
Homer does have a few random moments of incredible intelligence, and when that happens it is normally a big surprise that leads to a comedic pay-off. His bright moments might be fleeting, with more "Doh's" than anything else, but he is still a fantastic character.
Barney Gumble
Barney Gumble has got his dear friend Homer Simpson to thank for ranking so low on this list because if it wasn't for him his life would have been very different. In his youth, Barney was incredibly intelligent and was actually set to attend Harvard University.
However, the day before his SATs, Homer introduced him to beer. From that point on, things take quite the slide for the loveable Barney, who spends the majority of his time drunk. The constant drinking sadly does affect his intelligence, which sees him rank far lower than he might have done if things had worked out differently.
Bart Simpson
Unfortunately for Bart Simpson, he takes after his father in many ways and one of those is that he's not exactly the smartest of people. Intelligence just doesn't come naturally for him and because of that, he resorts to humor as a coping mechanism, using pranks to entertain.
While many might look at the pranks Bart does as borderline bullying at times (which is true in some instances), it is also a sign of intelligence. Bart has to put a lot of effort into some of them, and while he might not score great grades in school, his brains are used differently.
Apu
Apu is another character we see fairly regularly on The Simpsons, and even though he doesn't always get to show his intelligence too often, it is clear that he is quite smart. Anyone who is able to run their own business is clearly a smart person, as it's not something you can just do with ease.
While he might often change the dates and prices to suit himself best, that also is a sign of intelligence as he knows how to keep his business thriving at all times. He's a kind-natured character and is someone who fans have come to love, but not specifically for his brains.
Marge Simpson
Marge Simpson has a tough job, keeping her family together as much as possible, despite how absolutely crazy the Simpson family can be. However, she does a great job of that and that is mainly down to her intelligence, as Marge is a fairly smart character.
She might not be as smart as other people on the show who work in high-end jobs, but she certainly is intelligent. Marge knows how to fix human issues by talking to people, especially those within her family, which takes a lot of intelligence to be able to do.
Sideshow Mel
Sideshow Mel might not always get to showcase his intelligence as much as other characters on the show, but when he does talk it's clear he's very smart. Mel always comes across as a very well-educated and intelligent person who is very cultured.
He might not dress that way, but he certainly is one of the smarter people in Springfield. Sideshow Mel deserves a little more credit than he gets when it comes to the brains department, that's for sure.
Lisa Simpson
She might be incredibly young, but Lisa Simpson is also incredibly smart. Out of her family, there's no doubt she's the brains of the bunch, whether it be with academic studies or music, Lisa just seems to have that natural gift where she is able to do things perfectly.
Of course, like anyone she has her flaws and moments where she makes mistakes, and Lisa isn't always the greatest at reading situations in person. However, she is young and that comes with life experience, and when it comes to pure intelligence, she really is one of the best.
Comic Book Guy
Another incredibly smart character is Springfield's resident, Comic Book Guy. He is a very smart person who has knowledge of all things related to pop culture, with his obscure references to old school comics being very random, but also a sign of his brains.
He might not be in a job that people deem to be the smartest and he might not present himself in the greatest manner, but that doesn't mean he's not intelligent. He has the answers for everything that he's asked and is a very smart individual.
Professor Fink
Professor Fink is certainly one of the smartest characters in The Simpsons, working as a nerdy scientist and a professor, he is incredibly intelligent. He creates insane inventions on a regular basis in an aid to improve Springfield, even though they end up making things worse most of the time.
Even though not everything that he does is perfect, there's no denying he has a true gift and an incredible talent for creating things that nobody else in Springfield has the brains to pull off.
Dr. Julius Hibbert
The brightest character in The Simpsons has to be Dr. Julius Hibbert. After all, he is a doctor and to get into that profession you've got to have the brains to back it all up. When people think about this character they instantly think of his laugh or the fact that he charges incredibly high prices.
However, the main thing that is obvious with Dr. Hibbert is that he is a very competent doctor, and is the best that Springfield has to offer. Anytime there is an emergency, Dr. Hibbert is the person that people who are desperate to go to, and the fact he is such a kind person only adds to his excellent character.