To be honest i think Light is slightly smarter.He did get one over on L afterall. However if the question was who is smarter Light or Near then I would have to say Near because he was the one who saw Light for who he really was.

L still rocks though >^..^<

Damn, hard choice. I would have to go with "No" though, although I think they're VERY VERY close. I agree with xXRachaelXx, I think Light is slightly smarter. But I wouldn't say Near is smarter than Light, I think Near + Mello put together are only smarter than Light.

L and Light both rock! ^^

i pick L!! wooohooo! i don't think killing ppl to decrease crime is smart

L wouldn't have gotten himself killed.Sorry,but Light has the upper end of the stick here....

I'm sorry people I think that they ARE in fact equally smart...
I notice carefully they both think the same way so it was practically impsible to outsmart each other, also they might have different ideas but the capasity to think beyond and solve sutiations is the same... L was dumb when he got killed and he was also dumb when he couldn't find a way to prove that Light was Kira. Light was bumb when he thought that killing people would solve crime in the world when killing people is infact another crime. Plus he was also dumb when he entrusted the Death Note to Mikami and in the end died and failed. In conclution I think that they are equally smart because of the same fate they shared fighting for what they wanted.

WOW!!! know that I stoped writting and look at how big my comment is..... I feel ackward

I pity you all who think Light is smarter. Just because he "won", you say? C'mon! He did NOT win. He was DEFEATED at the end, as L said ("In the end I'll win", chapter 11 of the manga). L knew that Light was Kira, even without any proof, and the only reason that he didn't dispose of Light as Kira, using tougher means to make him confess was because the members of the Kira case team didn't allow him to do so. Mello and Near count as L, because they're his successors, and L was always thinking that they could continue the investigation even if Light killed him.
And if nothing of that convinces the Light "i'm a gay" (yagami<--) fans, just think about episode 2 of the anime:
What should have happened if Light didn't have killed Lind L. Taylor? (Hint: they could have never caught him). But who fell in the trap like a retarded baby? (Hint: imagaY Light)

@death note: I guess my comment will be longer, but I don't care)

It's alright but I totally disagree :)

L is more intelligent i think.because light was aware of what he was doing as he knew the secret of shinigami. but L was so smart to find out all the truth without knowing about death note or shinigami and Light knew all of the factors from the start and exploited this too the maximun point he could in order for him to 'win"

so Light had a "major head start". L started with "nothing"
THAT'S WHY I THINK L IS SMARTER THAN LIGHT

ok......

L is smarter. Come on, he knew the whole time that Light was Kira but no one would believe him! He even knew Light was Kira when Light didn't know! lol

L and Light are equally smart. they think the same and even till the end of L's life he kept proving that Light was Kira. But Light being the smart ass he is used a tool to kill L and so even when L was dead he was proven right and Light was killed by Ryukie.

L is definately smarter than Light! I mean, you don't even have to THINK about it, it's so obvious.

Light is way smarter then L! Think of all the planing he had to go through and etc. just so he wouldn't get caught. He planed every thing out perfectly so that he would get the Death Note back after they caught Higuchi. And think about all the times he skated out of L's grasp and made the rest of the Kira task force forget all suspitions. He planed everything just right so that he could get what he wanted. (Even if it didn't work out 100% in the end...) Go Light!

L is smarter than LIGHT! End of story. Anyone who thinks other wise is a dumb ass like Light. Basicly L_Lawliet, angy7sdg & shortynme explained it. So for the people who doubt "THE GREAT L-SAMA" are just as bad as LIGHT!

L ALL THE WAY.

L is wayyyyy more smarter!!!!!!!!

L in some ways i think was smarter although i would explain more but i have to go in a little while

Close but L was killed by Light

i think he is intelligent than light

L is much more smarter than Light.

i'd say L is more intelligent

L is genius genius is L light is smart i won't say he isn't but not as smart as L sowwy
(although no1 cares i would just like 2 say that as soon as I typed L's name his theme came on throught my earphones Ironic huh?)

According to Vol. 13, Light is more intelligent.

I think L is smarter...

Although I like L way more than Light, Light is smarter and not because he was able to kill off L. An example being when L was "depressed" and Light was his normal self, Light actually picked up on the fact that the yotsuba group was behind the killings. They do have an equal IQ (test results for Toudai) but socially and mentally Light is smarter. L is still up there :D

L of course Light has more power than L thats why he was able to kill him L FTW

GO L!!

L FTW!

L is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay smarter!

Almost. I think Light is extremely smart but I believe L is slightly smarter~

I think that L is slightly more intelligent. After all, he could distinguish the fact that what Light was doing was wrong, and I think that that is enough to get that "slightly".

I think there both brilliant but in there own ways. the creators claimed that they where both equals but...I absolutely love L