Yuki Tabata's hit Shonen Jump manga, Black Clover, made its anime debut in 2017 and aired a total of 170 episodes until 2021. The series was introduced as long-running, despite the trend slowly fading in the modern anime industry. Both the manga and anime released new content each week until eventually, the studio ended the series after almost catching up with the manga. It also didn't help that the manga transitioned into Jump GIGA in December 2023 as a quarterly series, which further slowed down the story progress. The anime was expected to be released soon afterwards, but it only announced its Season 2 in July 2025, after making fans wait for four years.
Although the manga is currently in its final phase, the anime has yet to adapt the Spade Kingdom Raid and the final arcs, the two most intense arcs in the story. The series features the fight against the devils of the Spade Kingdom and what follows after that. Although Season 2 has been confirmed, there's still a long way to go before its debut. So, these 10 episodes will keep you busy in the meantime.
Title: Beyond Limits
The Black Bulls were facing their strongest opponent so far in the Seabed Temple Arc. It took an entire squad of Magic Knights to barely even manage to take down Vetto and his subordinates. However, just as the squad was close to victory, Vetto unleashed a mysterious and sinister power that could've been the end of them.
Meanwhile, Yami Sukehiro was getting more anxious by the second as he saw his squad fighting a monster like that, despite not having enough experience. In a moment of desperation, he unlocked a new spell that allows him to cut through dimensions. It took Yami a single strike to take down one of the high-ranking members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. With just one attack, he won the hearts of his squad and fans alike.
Title: Special Little Brother vs. Failed Big Brother
Tournament Arcs in Shonen series have always been well-loved among the audience, and the Royal Knights Arc is no different. In hopes of keeping up the spirit of the citizens, Julius came up with the idea of a Royal Knight Selection Exam, where talented Magic Knights will show their skills and compete to join the team that's set to fight the Eye of the Midnight Sun. Finral Roulacase may be a talented Spatial Mage, but his abilities are limited to supporting his teammates rather than directly delivering blows to his enemies.
Compared to him, his younger step-brother, Langris Vaude, the Vice-Captain of the Golden Dawn, is the pride and joy of the household. However, there's something sinister brewing inside him that forces him to attempt his own brother's murder. Despite going against the rules, the Black Bulls interrupt the fight and save their fellow squad member in the blink of an eye.
Title: The Victors
Yuno was looking forward to fighting Asta, his biggest rival in the Selection Exam, but he ended up facing the Captain of Aqua Deer, Rill Boismortier. Although Magic Knight Squad Captains weren't allowed to participate, Rill wasn't aware of the fact and entered by using an alias. The Squad Captains are some of the most powerful mages in the entire kingdom, and having one go neck in neck against a rookie commoner is unprecedented.
Yuno uses his Spirit Dive for the first time in Episode 84, showing everyone what he is truly capable of. Although Yuno and Rill were fighting for their respective teams, the battle was clearly a duel, and they were both given a stage to show off their skills. As both sides prepare to unleash devastating attacks, Rill accidentally breaks his crystal and gets disqualified, making Yuno's team the winner by default.
Title: Mereoleona vs. Raia the Disloyal
Mereoleona Vermillion temporarily took on the role of the Crimson Lion squad's Captain since her younger brother, Fuegoleon, was comatose. Having been introduced as a headstrong lioness, she didn't take long to prove the reason behind her notorious reputation. The Royal Knights easily overtake the enemies' hideout, and Mereoleona encounters one of the members of the Third Eye, Raia the Disloyal.
Despite his overwhelming strength and the countless spells at his disposal, Mereoleona was easily able to overpower him, no matter what attack he threw at her. It was a one-sided fight where Raia quickly went from the offensive to the defensive, speechless by her immense power and her recklessness.
Title: Julius Novachrono
While a majority of the Magic Knights went to invade the enemy hideout, the Wizard King had to stay in the Royal Capital. Although the details haven't been explicitly stated, it is heavily implied that Julius knew about William's betrayal beforehand. The Captain of the Golden Dawn was hiding his dual identity all along, and was torn between his true self and the hateful soul that was residing inside his body.
He eventually let Licht (who was later revealed to be Patri) take over his body and fight Julius. The battle between the supposed leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun and the Wizard King was intense, with Julius having the upper hand since the beginning. It took fans two years since the anime debut to learn about the true extent of his abilities. Although Julius could've easily won the fight, he surrendered after realizing that his opponent was holding the entire kingdom hostage. Julius received a fatal wound and returned in his child form as a result of storing his magic in an ancient time capsule.
Title: We Won't Lose to You
The milestone episode of the series is a roller coaster of emotions as things continue to spiral downwards. A lot of the Magic Knights got possessed by elves and got a magic boost. That includes Klaus Lunettes, who gives quite a lot of trouble to Asta and Mimosa Vermillion. To make matters worse, Yuno also gets a mark on his face and gets pointy ears resembling those of an elf. However, somehow, he is able to break free from the forbidden spell and help Asta and Mimosa.
The real problem arrives a moment later when the true leader of the elves, Licht, awakens from his slumber. He takes Asta's Demon Dweller sword from his hand before the boys could even figure out what was going on. Licht's manga was beyond anything they had ever seen, but they still refused to give up against an almost godly being. The episode proves why Asta and Yuno are ranked among the best duos in Shonen, and the anime captured the essence of the fight splendidly.
Title: A Reunion Across Space and Time
The elves were once a peaceful tribe, but thanks to the horrible schemes of the Devil Zagred, they were terrorizing innocent people several centuries after their deaths. Since the beginning of their existence, the elves lived separately from humans, and no one cared to bridge the gap between them before Limiel Silvamillion Clover appeared. The man later became known as the first Wizard King for defeating a ruthless demon, but their story was far more tragic than that.
Right after the fight, Secre Swallowtail sealed him in a statue in hopes of waking him one day when the time is right. The episode not only sheds light on the tragic past of the elves, Limiel and sister Tetia, but also features the long-awaited fight against Zagred.
Title: Clash! The Battle of the Magic Knights Squad Captains
The Magic Knights put everything on the line to protect the Clover Kingdom from the elves and the devil. However, because a lot of them got possessed and wreaked havoc in the kingdom, even to the point of attacking the civilians, people's faith in the Magic Knights was wavering. Not to mention that the Clover Kingdom suffered a massive loss during the battle, which would take a lot of time to rebuild.
In order to put the public's minds at ease, Julius suggested a friendly competition between the squad Captains, similar to the Royal Knights Selection Exam. Although it was supposed to be a light-hearted match, the Captains' competitiveness got the better of them, and what followed was an intense display of power among the Kingdom's elite. It's also considered one of the best animated episodes in the series, with fluid fight choreography and dynamic transitions.
Title: Zenon's Power
Yuno rose through the ranks of the Vice Captain in almost no time, and he got along well with his Squad members even though they looked down on him initially. Although he never showed his true feelings, he did come to care for them after working with them for so long. However, the best squad in the kingdom was brought to its knees by a single individual, Zenon Zogratis. He wiped out half of the squad and even kidnapped their captain for a much greater scheme.
Yuno arrived at the Golden Dawn after the tragedy had happened and was furious to see the state of his comrades. Although he fought with the devil's host with all his might, he was eventually left for dead. The episode is emotional and nerve-wracking, highlighting one of the biggest tragedies in the series. Losing against Zenon forces him to acknowledge his own weakness, and he strengthened his resolve to strive for even more power.
Title: Black Oath
While Zenon attacked the Golden Dawn, his brother, Dante, went for the Black Bulls, especially their Captain. The squad defended themselves against the devil host with all their might, and Asta teamed up with Yami to defeat Dante. The Black Bulls take a moment of breather, knowing that the threat is over. However, Zenon shows up at the very moment and captures Yami. He also shows him William, who is in the same predicament.
Despite their injuries, the Black Bulls do their best to save Yami, but to no avail. Zenon escapes the place with both Magic Knight Captains and his brother, setting up the premise of the Spade Kingdom Raid Arc.