Random Poll #8 - Side Characters (Patreon)

Important - This poll is not related to The Wind Calamity (as the story has already established this). It could have an impact on a few of my future projects.

What is your preference when it comes to the intelligence level of the side characters? 

In particular, I'm referring to people who have a lot of experience/are in a position of power for some time/have high strength gained through years of training & fighting. The younger/inexperienced ones can be a bit dumb/hot-headed until they learn through experience.

The answer sort of seems obvious. Who wouldn't want smart side characters? However, if everyone is smart, the story gets several restrictions. On the contrary, dumb characters do give a lot of flexibility. Some examples are - 1) Hot-headed people who would attack MC without thinking about their chances of winning, thus providing more opportunities to battle. 2) Face slapping moments. 3) Decreasing intelligence of some people also make the 'smart' ones look much smarter.

I'm pretty sure most of you would have noticed these aspects in other stories. So, wanted to know what your view is on this aspect of any story.

PS: My vote is for smart & pragmatic. While I do occasionally enjoy face-slapping moments, I find it hard to digest someone, who's been in a position of power for decades (or centuries or millenniums depending on the universe), acting like an inexperienced teenager or acting purely on emotions without keeping the larger picture in mind. I guess some exceptions can be made, where a dumb/arrogant leader is carried by his capable subordinates, but other than some rare cases, most need to be intelligent. Anyway, that's just my point of view. Let me know yours :)