The 10 Wisest Animated Disney Characters, Ranked

Disney characters tend to be full of amazing personalities and characteristics that shine. Some of the characters are fun and full of energy, while others are quite goofy and clumsy. However, one trait that certain characters have is brilliant intelligence, proving to be incredibly wise.

Disney movies are known for producing some of the very best inspiring quotes and a big part of that is how intelligent many of the Disney characters are. There are some incredibly wise and smart characters throughout Disney’s history, and they’re often some of the most popular and enjoyable characters in the films.

10 Kala (Tarzan)

Kala is an excellent character that is quite underrated at times within the Disney universe, however, she is a very kind and caring character and one that is very wise. She is smart enough to think ahead and see that Tarzan needs to be looked after, seeing the potential benefits that he can bring to their family.

She knows how to deal with others well and is wise enough to calm others down, while also guiding Tarzan. He can be easily frustrated when things don’t go his way, feeling like he doesn’t fit in, but Kala is always on hand to calm him and use her advice to keep him happy.

9 Rafiki (The Lion King)

The Lion King has several wise characters (more on that later), and Rafiki is absolutely one of them. He may only be a supporting character within the movie, but he showcases how wise he is throughout that, popping up to help guide Simba in the right direction.

At first, Simba is in two minds about what he wants to do with himself, but Rafiki is smart enough to get his life back on track. He seems to know exactly what is going to happen and when showcasing that he has even more intelligence than people are aware of.

8 Phil (Hercules)

Phil is a true mentor in every sense as he is the person who takes Hercules and trains him up to be the incredible warrior that he ends up becoming. This is all done through the experience he has and while he puts together exercises for Hercules to complete, that isn’t the reason he becomes such a great warrior.

The reason for Hercules’ success is purely down to Phil’s wisdom. He discusses stories from his past and uses all of his experience to make Hercules the man that everyone knows and loves.

7 The Genie (Aladdin)

Because of all the powers that The Genie has and the over the top personality that he brings to the movie, his wisdom and intelligence is often overlooked by people. However, The Genie has a lot of stories and advice that he can bring to others, which is why he’s such a wise character.

He is always there as a shoulder to cry on for Aladdin. While he brings a lot of great powers and fun moments to the movie with what he’s able to do, it is the advice and wise comments he gives to Aladdin that showcases his heart and knowledge.

6 Cheshire Cat (Alice In Wonderland)

The Chesire Cat is one of the most intriguing characters in Disney history. He’s one full of mystery and a lot of that comes with the wacky world that is Wonderland. However, the Chesire Cat himself is a very wise character who knows the world better than most.

He pops up at all the right times to provide Alice with the right help and advice, but he always does it in a manner that makes Alice think about things. The cat has a lot of wise comments to provide, and that makes him one of the most intelligent characters in Disney history.

5 Gramma Tala (Moana)

Gramma Tala is a very unique character and someone who the entire village seems to think is crazy. However, that couldn’t be further from the case, because while she does live to the beat of her own drum, the things that she says are accurate.

She has an incredibly close relationship with her granddaughter, Moana, and she is the only one who pushes for her to head out to the water. Tala knows that Moana’s destiny is going out of the village, and that showcases just how wise she really is.

4 Hiro Hamada (Big Hero 6)

Hiro might only be a young boy, but that doesn’t stop him from being incredibly wise. He’s mature beyond his years, which is mainly due to the difficult upbringing that he has, having to go through a lot of loss in such a short space of time.

However, he is a very smart person, and, with Baymax by his side, he is actually very wise. Hiro uses technology to his advantage and that allows him to have an answer for most situations and to be a great problem solver.

3 Grandmother Willow (Pocahontas)

Grandmother Willow is literally a tree, but that doesn’t stop her from being one of the wisest characters in Disney history. She seems to be able to see ahead and know what is going to happen, offering sound advice to Pocahontas because of that.

Whenever Pocahontas is in a moment of doubt, it is Grandmother Willow that she goes to see and while she doesn’t provide the answers outright, she does help by offering her wise comments, which makes her such a great character.

2 Merlin (The Sword And The Stone)

Merlin might be a little bit zany and out-there, but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t a very wise person as well. He’s an incredibly powerful wizard and someone who knows a ton of information, which he is more than happy to share with Arthur.

Merlin can sometimes be quite frantic and that leads to him mumbling and talking a lot, which can be confusing. However, he teaches Arthur everything he needs to know and proves why he’s one of the most powerful wizards in movie history, with his intelligence helping him massively.

1 Mufasa (The Lion King)

When it comes to the wisest character in Disney history, Mufasa is certainly the wisest character of all. There’s a reason he has had such an incredible impact and has some of the most quotable lines in movie history, which is because he gives tons of advice to his son.

Everything he does is with Simba in mind as Mufasa looks to try and help him develop and learn to be patient, kind, and to be a leader. Mufasa leads by example in the way that he behaves, but his wise comments are what truly make him a brilliant king.

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