| Bytes | Lang | Time | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 011 | Japt | 240819T110032Z | Shaggy |
| 016 | Raku Perl 6 rakudo | 240819T074823Z | bb94 |
| 1312 | Wolfram LanguageMathematica | 231210T112400Z | 138 Aspe |
| 022 | Python | 231209T103239Z | ovs |
| 009 | J | 231212T064724Z | Bubbler |
| 018 | sclin | 231211T035033Z | Mama Fun |
| 004 | 05AB1E | 231211T090045Z | Kevin Cr |
| 032 | PowerShell Core | 231210T202619Z | Julian |
| 014 | Alice | 231210T192825Z | Julian |
| 005 | Jelly | 231209T132656Z | Nick Ken |
| 021 | JavaScript Node.js | 231209T112653Z | Arnauld |
| 012 | dc | 231210T054613Z | Digital |
| 005 | Nekomata | 231210T014327Z | alephalp |
| 014 | Haskell | 231209T164835Z | AZTECCO |
| 025 | R + gmp | 231209T143122Z | Nick Ken |
| 008 | Charcoal | 231209T135408Z | Neil |
| 3625 | Vyxal | 231209T103908Z | lyxal |
Japt, 11 bytes
Japt has no native BigInt support. Was stuck on 12 bytes (or worse) most of the morning before coming up with this.
ÒOx#î"2n**
ÒOx#î"2n**
Ò :Negate the bitwise NOT of
Ox : Eval as JavaScript
# : 18
î"2n** : Repeat "2n**" to length 18
Wolfram Language(Mathematica), 13 12 bytes
12 bytes version, provided by @att
+++2^2^2^2^2
13 bytes version. Try it online!
2^2^2^2^2+2/2
Python, 22 bytes
print(-~2**2**2**2**2)
According to WolframAlpha, the equation \$\sqrt{\log_2(x)} = \log_2(\log_2(x))^2\$ has three solutions. Two real numbers around 1 and 5 and a very large integer solution. So what is that large integer solution?
Simple transformations on both sides yield $$ \log_2(x)^{\frac 1 4} = \log_2(\log_2(x)) \\ 2^{2^{log2(x)^{1/4}}} = x $$ Now, substitute \$y=\log_2(x)^{1/4}\$. Note that \$y\$ has to be an integer as well. This yields two equations: $$ 2^{2^y} = x, \quad y=\log_2(x)^{\frac 1 4} \\ 2^{2^y} = x, \quad y^4=\log_2(x) \\ 2^{2^y} = x, \quad 2^{y^4}=x \\ 2^{2^y} = 2^{y^4} \\ 2^y = y^4 \\ $$
The only integer solution to this is \$y=16\$, leaving us with \$x=2^{16^4}=2^{2^{2^{2^2}}}\$. The first integer that satisfies the inequality is \$x+1\$.
J, 9 bytes
>:^^:*~2x
>:^^:*~2x
2x bigint 2
^^:*~ call ^^:* with 2x on both sides:
^: repeat
^ 2^ (2 is the left argument of ^:)
* 2*2 times (the 2s are the left and right arguments of ^:)
the result so far = 2^(2^(2^(2^(2))))
>: increment
Bonus 10 and 11 bytes:
>:2x^*:#a.
a. a built-in string containing 256 extended ascii chars
# length of it (256)
*: square
2x^ raise 2 to the power of that
>: increment
>:^/2>.i:2x
i:2x -2 -1 0 1 2
2>. apply max(2, x) to each element; 2 2 2 2 2
^/ reduce by ^ from the right; 2^(2^(2^(2^(2))))
>: increment
05AB1E, 4 bytes
₁no>
Without using the superscript number(s) either, it's still 4 bytes:
žHo>
Explanation:
₁ # Push builtin 256
n # Square it to 65536
žH # (or alternatively) Push builtin 65536
o # Pop and push 2 to the power this 65536
> # Increase it by 1
# (which is output implicitly as result)
PowerShell Core, 32 bytes

Explanation:
1+0xFFFF[!1] # Calculates 65536
[bigint]::pow(1+1, ) # Calculates 2^65536
+1 # Increments by 1 and implicitly prints on stdout
Alice, 14 bytes

The trailing new line is required
I'm using a screenshot as the non ascii character gets removed on save
Explanation:
2 Pushes 2 on the stack
'0xFFFF Pushes 65535 on the stack
h Increment the top of the stack
E Pop y, pop x, push x^y
h Increment the top of the stack
/ O @ Output and exit
Same byte count using Ā for \$256 * 256 = 65536\$
2'Ā.*Eh/ O @
Jelly, 5 bytes
⁹²2*‘
Port of @ovs’ Python answer, so be sure to upvote that one too! The superscript digits are permitted as per reply to comment from @Simd (the OP).
Explanation
⁹ | 256
² | Squared
2* | 2 to the power of this
‘ | +1
JavaScript (Node.js), 21 bytes
-1 thanks to @l4m2
The only (decimal) digit used in the source is 0.
_=>-~(-~0n>>~0xFFFFn)
This computes \$1+2^{1+65535}\$
With all the BigInt suffixes and extra parentheses due to a different operator precedence, a direct port of ovs' answer would be 25 bytes:
_=>-~(2n**2n**2n**2n**2n)
R + gmp, 25 bytes
gmp::as.bigz(2)^2^2^2^2+T
Port of @ovs’ Python answer, so be sure to upvote that one too! R has no native bigint support so this needs the gmp package.
Charcoal, 8 bytes
I⊕X²X⁴¦⁸
Try it online! Link is to verbose version of code. Explanation:
² Literal integer `2`
X Raised to power
⁴ Literal integer `4`
X Raised to power
⁸ Literal integer `8`
⊕ Incremented
I Cast to string
Implicitly print
10 bytes using only one superscript digit:
I⊕X²X⊗²⊗⊗²
Try it online! Link is to verbose version of code. Explanation: As above, but uses Doubled (⊗) to make 4 and 8 from 2. (A port of @ovs' Python solution would have been 12 bytes.)
Vyxal, 29 bitsv2, 3.625 bytes
k₴E›
Bitstring:
10000100001000010110011010000
Port of the python answer, but without any digits at all.
Explained
k₴E›
k₴E # 2 ** 65536
› # + 1
💎
Created with the help of Luminespire.