Black Clover

Plot

Asta and Yuno are orphans who were raised together from birth in a church on the outskirts of the Clover Kingdom. In a world where everyone has Magical Power (魔力, Maryoku), Asta was born without any. Unlike him, Yuno was born as a prodigy with immense magical power and the talent to control it. The story follows the two foster brothers as they compete to see which one will become the Wizard King, Clover Kingdom's strongest Magic Knight. But How can Asta become a magic knight without magic? But when Asta gains an unknown "Anti-magic" that can destroy all magic, their journey begins; Asta with his rare anti-magic and physical strength, and Yuno with his wind magic and magical prowess.

Main characters

Asta (アスタ, Asuta)

Voiced by: Shun Horie (OVA)Asta is an orphan who was left under the care of a church during his infancy. Since he has no magic power, he overcomes his weakness by training his physical strength. He is the wielder of the five-leaf clover grimoire and a member of the Black Bull squad. He uses an anti-magic sword that is capable of nullifying any form of magic called the Magic Cleaving Sword, and an anti-magic sword that is capable of absorbing and using other magic called the Magic Eating Sword. According to Licht, the grimoire that Asta possesses supposed to be belonged to his leader. The Magic Eating sword was found in a dungeon and was not made by his Grimore, but it became part of it later, after Asta used it.

Yuno (ユノ, Yuno)

Voiced by: Sōma Saitō (OVA)Yuno is an orphan who was left under the care of a church during his infancy. He is the wielder of the four-leaf clover grimoire and a member of the Golden Dawn squad. He uses wind-based magics and the chosen partner of Sylph the wind of the 4 great attributes. Sylph, often tries to play around with Yuno, but due to his serious demeanor, she is often found complaining. His serious attitude was born when Asta was injured defending him as a child. When Yuno was being bullied, Asta jumped in, and fought them back. Yuno could only admire how Asta saved him, despite not having magic, and it made him feel ashamed and to make up, he trained himself to become his equal, in a moral sense.

Noelle Silva (ノエル・シルヴァ, Noeru Shiruva)

Noelle Silva is a member of the Black Bull squad and the second daughter of the Clover Kingdom's royal family, House Silva. She uses water-based magics but is unable to control it, which led to her disownment by her family. To cope with her uncontrollable magic, she uses an item to adjust her magic. It is later revealed that she unconsciously wish to not hurt anyone, which is why her magic always misses, but she has begun to breakdown that barrier for the sake of protecting her friends.

Black Bull Squad

Yami Sukehiro (ヤミ・スケヒロ, Yami Sukehiro)

Nicknamed the Destruction God (破壊神, Hakaishin), Yami Sukehiro is the captain of the worst squad of the Magic Knights, the Black Bull squad. It is stated that he is not originally from the Clover Kingdom, but from a "Land of the Rising Sun". He is physically very strong, due to his preference of physical violence and due to the fact that he uses his magic by enchanting his sword. He has a short-temper, but cares deeply for his knights

Magna Swing (マグナ・スウィング, Maguna Suwingu)

Magna Swing is a member of the Black Bull squad. He uses fire-based magics and is an extreme hot-headed person. He and Luck are friends, and never backs down from a fight.

Luck Voltia (ラック・ボルティア, Rakku Borutia)

Luck Voltia is a member of the Black Bull squad. He uses lightning-based magics and is a borderline psychopath. He and Magna are friends. He often goes looking for the strongest opponent as he likes testing his strength.

Gauche Adorei

Gauche Adorei is a member of the Black Bull squad. He uses mirror-based magics and is a pervert with a huge obsession for his little sister Mary. He initially doesn't get along with the squad, but eventually starts to break down his walls.

Finral Roulacase

Finral Roulacase is a member of the Black Bull squad. He uses warp-based magics, usually for transport, and is a womanizer and a coward, but has recently started becoming braver. His younger brother, Rangils is part of Golden Dawn and like him, uses warp magic, but unlike Finral, his warp magic is offensive in nature. He eventually starts helping out Asta in combat as well.

Charmy Papittoson

Charmy Papittoson is a member of the Black Bull squad. She uses wool-based magics and is always eating and thinking about food. If she is not eating then she is sleeping. Despite the strange type of magic she uses, it has been seen to be extremely powerful and has helped them out of more than one difficult situations.

Vanessa Enoteca

Vanessa Enoteca is a member of the Black Bull squad. She uses string-based magics and is a drunk which strips down to her underwear. A very laid back member of the squad, she admires Asta's determination. Her strings are so thin, that they can't be seen or even detected by magic. She is in fact a witch and left the witches before, following Yami, so she could forge her own path.

Grey

Grey is a member of the Black Bull squad. Initially an enigmatic character, always appearing as a nonspeaking, massive male shadow, that used disguise magic. They only spoke when copying someone, which made them sound like the copied person. Grey is eventually shown to be a shy young girl, who doesn't let people see her true form, because she is too shy.

Magic Knights

Julius Nova Chrono

Julius Nova Chrono is the current Magic Emperor. He is obsessed about magic and loves to search new types of magic. He uses time based magic. He is especially interested with Asta's Anti-Magic and Yuno's Sylph.

Golden Dawn Squad

William Vangeance (ウィリアム・ヴァンジャンス, Wiriamu Vanjansu)

William Vangeance is the captain of the best squad of the Magic Knights, the Golden Dawn squad. He uses Yggdrasil magic, magic that produces a tree that feeds off of a person's magic.

Rangils Roulacase

Rangils Roulacase is the vice-captain of The Golden Dawn squad. He is the younger brother of Finral Roulacase and the heir to the Roulacase noble family. Finral always had a weak warp magic, that wasn't meant for fighting. So when Rangils revealed his own powerful warp magic, he was made the heir to the family and adopted a cocky attitude against Finral, who became a shame.

Klaus Lunette (クラウス・リュネット, Kurausu Ryunetto)

Klaus Lunette is a nobleman and a member of the strongest squad, the Golden Dawn. He uses steel-based magics. He initially looks down on Asta and Yuno as they are from the "sticks" but eventually becomes friends with both and respects both of them.

Mimosa Vermilion (ミモザ・ヴァーミリオン, Mimoza Vāmirion)

Mimosa Vermilion is a noblewoman of House Vermilion and a member of the Golden Dawn squad. She is also Noelle Silva's cousin. She uses plant-based magics and specializes in healing magic. She has romantic feelings towards Asta.

Crimson Lion Squad

Fuego Leon Vermilion (フエゴレオン・ヴァーミリオン, Fuego Reon Vāmirion)

Fuego Leon Vermilion is a nobleman of House Vermilion and the captain of the Crimson Lion squad. He uses fire-based magics. Before the events of the story, he declared that he would try for the position of Magic King.

Leopold Vermilion (レオポルド・ヴァーミリオン, Reoporudo Vāmirion)

Leopold Vermilion is a nobleman of House Vermilion and a member of the Crimson Lion squad. He is also the younger brother of Fuego Leon Vermilion. After seeing Asta's battle prowess, he one-sidedly decided to make Asta his rival. He uses fire-based magics. He has also declared to try for the position of Magic King.

Silver Eagle Squad

Nozel Silva (ノゼル・シルヴァ, Nozeru Shiruva)

Nozel Silva is a nobleman of the Clover Kingdom's royal family, House Silva, and the captain of the Silver Eagle squad. He is also the eldest brother of Noelle Silva. He uses Mercury-based magic. He looks down on Noelle, as she cannot control her magic and is extremely disappointed with her, for only getting the Black Bulls

Nebra Silva (ネブラ・シルヴァ, Nebura Shiruva)

Nebra Silva is a noblewoman of the Clover Kingdom's royal family, House Silva and a member of the Silver Eagle squad. She is also the older sister of Noelle Silva.

Solid Silva (ソリド・シルヴァ, Solido Shiruva)

Solid Silva is a nobleman of the Clove Kingdom's royal family, House Silva and a member of the Silver Eagle squad. He is also the older brother of Noelle Silva.

Green Praying Mantis Squad

Jack the Ripper

The Captain of the Light Green Praying Mantis. He uses Slash Magic, and has been stated to be even able to cut through mountains. He is also a Sadist and loves destruction. He carries around a rivalry with Yami, hoping to fight him one day.

Blue Roses Squad

Charlotte Rosary

The Captain of the Blue Roses. She uses a Plant based magic. She portrays herself as a confident woman, with no affection for men, on focused on the battlefield but in fact nurtures a crush for Yami, and is very does not do anything about out of fear of embarrassment. She maintains her facade behind a veil of mockery and self-superiority.

Purple Orcas Squad

Geldor Poinzot

The Captain of the Purple Orcas. He uses Permeate magic, which allow him to erase himself and avoid all magic. He is also a very successful merchant, and uses his magic to gain the upper-hand in several bargains. His is discovered to have sold top secret magic items, smuggled hazardous materials, used violence against his own squad and was directly involved with a terrorist event, by kidnapping the mages who maintain the safety barrier around the Kingdom. His capture is not made public in order to prevent mass panic.

Misty Blue Deer Squad

Lil Bowamoltie

The Captain of the Misty Blue Deers. He uses Painting magic, which also him to bring whatever he paints into reality. He is the youngest of the Magic Captains, at age 19, a mere 4 years above Asta and Yuno. He has a casual laid back attitude as befitting his age, and enjoys conversing with people closer to his age like Asta as he has to be too polite with the other Magic Captains, who are older than him. He becomes friends with Asta after he sees Asta's Anti-Magic.

Coral Peacock Squad

Dorothy Ansoit

The Captain of the Coral Peacocks. She wears a large hat, similar to a witches, implying she may even be one. She has always been seen sleeping, and cannot even be woken up by the sounds of battle.

Antagonists

Heath Grice (ヒース・グライス, Hīsu Guraisu)

Heath was a mage that attacked a village in the Forsaken region of the Clover Kingdom before being defeated by Asta, Noelle Silva and Magna Swing. Before he was taken for questioning, he committed suicide in order to protect his employer's secrets which is connected to the Golden Dawn squad. He used ice-based magics and is obsessed with time. He kills himself so that he would not sell out his leader.

Diamond Kingdom

Lotus Whomalt (ロータス・フーモルト, Rōtasu Fūmoruto)

Lotus is a reputable mage from the Diamond Kingdom. He was tasked to conquer the dungeon alongside Mars and was able to secure a hefty amount of treasures for the Kingdom. He uses smoke-based magics and hates to exhaust himself in a fight, often running away from a fight, usually in a smoke car. He also uses various underhanded tactics such as slow acting poison gases.

Mars (マルス, Marusu)

Mars is a mage from the Diamond Kingdom who is tasked to conquer a dungeon before the mages of the Clover Kingdom. He uses both crystal-based and fire-based magic which is the result of an inhuman experiment performed by the Kingdom on him, by fusing his grimore with another. While he seems somewhat demented, he is revealed to have a dark past, where he was forced to kill his close friend in order to survive. When he refused, she attacked him, forcing him to kill her. Her last request for him to enjoy the world for all the children who were being experimented with them. It is her magic that was mixed with his.

White Night Eye

Licht (リヒト, Rihito)

Licht is a rogue mage and the leader of the White Night Eye; a squad which wishes to bring the total destruction of Clover Kingdom. He uses light-based magic. He cares deeply for his subordinates, flying into a fury should one of them be injured. He believes that Asta's Grimore belongs to his leader. He uses Light based magic, which can be used as both attack and healing. Like Yuno, he has a four-leaved clover grimore.

Third Eye

The Third Eye is a group of three mages in the White Night Eye, who are the strongest mages in White Night Eye. The Three leafed Clover of the Clover Kingdom represents faith, hope and love. These three mages represent the opposite; Faithlessness, Despair and Hate.

Liar (イアール, Iāru)

The Faithless. He uses imitation magic, with which he can mimic any type of magic. He was last seen impersonating a head of one of the Magic Knight Captains, but which Captain remains unknown.

Vet (ヘット)

The Hopeless. He uses Beast Magic, and enjoys destroying peoples happiness and watching them fall into despair. He is somehow able to use an addition type of magic; Demon magic, with which his power greatly increases and he can even curse people. He is killed by Yami, when he attempts to self destruct.

Fana (ファナ, Fana)

The Hateful. She uses fire magic, and even has one of the four elemental spirits like Yuno. She uses The Spirit of fire, Salamander. She is reveled to be the friend of Mars, who saved his live. She survived due to her own recovery magic saving her, and had her own grimore fused with Mars' and as such she can use his Gem-based magic. She has about to self destruct like Vet, but she was saved by Asta and Mars, and she is reveled to have been under a type of mind-control and has no memory of any events after she forced Mars to 'kill' her.

Manga

Yūki Tabata launched Black Clover in the twelfth issue of Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump on February 16, 2015. The manga is Tabata's second series in Weekly Shōnen Jump: his first series, Hungry Joker (ハングリー ジョーカー, Hangurī Jōkā), was launched in the magazine on November 12, 2012, where it ran for 24 chapters before being cancelled in 2013.

On February 9, 2015, Viz Media announced that they would publish the first three chapters of the series in their Weekly Shonen Jump digital magazine as part of their "Jump Start" program. On March 30, 2015, they announced that the series would join their weekly lineup, beginning with chapter 4 on April 6, and publishing at an accelerated rate until the chapters were current with Japan. Plans to release the series in print were announced in during their panel at New York Comic Con on October 9, 2015.

Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume. They were originally serialized in Japanese in issues of Weekly Shōnen Jump.

Anime

An original video animation produced by Xebec that is based on the series was shown at the 2016 Jump Festa between November 27 and December 18, 2016. It will be bundled with the 11th volume of the manga, which is scheduled for release on May 2, 2017.

At the Black Clover Jump Festa event on December 18, 2016, an anime television series adaptation by Pierrot was announced.

Reception

Volume 1 reached 23rd place on the weekly Oricon manga charts, with 38,128 copies sold; volume 2 reached 17th place, with 61,918 copies; volume 3 also reached 17th place, with 80,462 copies; volume 4 reached 13th place, with 93,866 copies; volume 5 reached 15th place, with 108,503 copies; and volume 6 reached 11th place, with 118,783 copies.

Reviewing the series for ComicsAlliance, Tom Speelman described the premise as "what if Harry Potter was a knight and also kinda dumb?" He recommended it fans of Naruto and Fairy Tail, noting its similarities to the former series as well as to Bleach. He praised the author's ability to invigorate stock characters.

Henry Ma of Ka Leo O Hawaii praised the series' humor and art, noting that the latter was "very nice" and was similar to Fairy Tail.