An optical deflector includes a movable portion having a mirror plane, a fixed portion, a pair of combined torsion bars connecting the movable portion and the fixed portion to each other so that the movable portion can be rotationally displaced about a rotation axis with respect to the fixed portion, and a driver to drive the movable portion. Each combined torsion bar includes a plurality of torsion bars extending to be parallel to the rotation axis and a plurality of connecting bars, each of the connecting bars connecting one ends of each adjacent two of the torsion bars to each other. A torsion bar farther from the rotation axis has higher torsional rigidity than a torsion bar closer to the rotation axis.