One would be hard-pressed to discuss the greatest JRPGs of all time and not mention the absolute masterpiece that is Chrono Trigger. The fact of the matter is that Chrono Trigger has an established legacy as one of the greatest video games ever made, featuring the contributions of three of the biggest names in entertainment — Akira Toriyama (the creator of Dragon Ball), Hironobu Sakaguchi (the creator of Final Fantasy), and Yuji Horii (the creator of Dragon Quest).
The end result is an absolute masterpiece, with pretty much every facet of this video game being nigh perfect. One such aspect that should be lauded is the rich and diverse cast of characters, all of whom are memorable in their own ways. Each of these characters differs from each other in some way or the other, with the level of intelligence also varying between the main cast. So, here's every party member from Chrono Trigger, ranked in terms of how smart they are.
7 Ayla
Everyone who's played the game can easily predict what the party member with the least intelligence is going to be. Coming from a prehistoric age, it's hard for Ayla to even form coherent sentences, let alone tactically analyze a situation and figure out the best course of action that can be taken to deal with the same.
Of course, this doesn't mean that Ayla is one of the dumbest video game characters ever — in fact, that's far from the case. Her instincts have been honed to such a great extent that her survival skills are as sharp as can be. It's just a lack of advancement in the time period she hails from that prevents her from sharing the same intellectual high ground as the rest of the main cast.
6 Marle
Out of all the characters on the list, Marle seems to be a tad too airheaded. The aim of the game was to make her look like an endearing romantic interest to Crono, and they definitely succeeded in that regard. However, one might argue that it came at the cost of her looking clueless in a number of moments.
Of course, given Marle's background, it's easy to see why applying her mind in real-life situations could be a task — as a member of the royal family, Marle generally lived a sheltered life and had everything she wanted in the palm of her hand. She never really had a need to develop street smarts or something along the same lines, which is perhaps why she doesn't seem to be as sharp as the rest of the people on this list.
5 Crono
It might seem like Crono's ranking might not be all that flattering given his status of being a protagonist, but this is more of a statement towards the other characters on this list and the brilliant manner in which they've been written, leading to them being so intellectually capable yet nowhere close to overbearing throughout the entire game.
It's true that Crono doesn't utter a single word during the game's run, making it harder to gauge his intelligence. However, actions speak louder than words, and Crono has shown a tendency to get out of tight spots time and time again, with or without anyone's help.
4 Frog
One of the noblest characters in the entire game is also extremely tactful and diligent when it comes to his thinking. Frog's tale easily stands amongst the greatest video game character stories ever told, and the fact that he can apply his brain whenever required is also a massive plus indeed.
While his main area of expertise is definitely combat, his brains have also proven to be quite useful in times. It certainly wasn't enough to avoid the curse of being an amphibian, but — to be perfectly honest — doing that would've required a godlike level of intellect that perhaps no one in the main cast of Chrono Trigger is capable of channeling.
3 Magus
Magus initially starts off as a wily antagonist who would do everything in his power to achieve his goal. He spends a considerable amount of time working on his initial task, which was a fairly complex endeavor and required a ton of time, effort... and brains to succeed. While Crono and his friends might've stopped Magus in his tracks, it's very possible that Magus would've been successful had it not been for this rude interruption.
After joining the party, Magus' intellectual feats might be few and far between, but they're still quite impressive whenever they come up and serve as a strong reminder of just how much craft and intellect he put in his work when he used to be an antagonist.
2 Robo
Surprisingly, the smartest person in the main party of Chrono Trigger is not a robot who is programmed with state-of-the-art technology and is meant to never be wrong. Honestly speaking, Robo is better than most people in the party when it comes to certain mechanical tasks... but intelligence isn't just about following a pattern with near-perfection.
Robo ends up in second place simply because his programming is limited to him carrying out tasks perfectly, not ideating on a course of action and actually applying the creative side of one's brain too. Robo simply doesn't have the means to have his intellect mesh with creativity, which leads to him playing second fiddle to the next person on this list.
1 Lucca
A genius inventor who also happens to be Crono's childhood friend, it's easy to see why Lucca eclipses everyone on this list when it comes to the topic of sheer intelligence. The first three words that kickstarted this entry off should be more than enough of a reason to justify Lucca grabbing the top spot on this list.
Her critical thinking is second to none, and her unmatched ability to perfectly analyze a situation and figure out the best course of action that can be taken to optimize results turn her into a brilliant example of what a kid genius is able to accomplish when given the chance to let their mind run free.