Black Clover has unfortunately been discontinued, but you can still catch up with the popular shonen anime, which still has a lot to offer in terms of its core narrative. The original manga, written and illustrated by Yūki Tabata, follows a young boy named Asta, a powerless individual in a world wherein everyone possesses magical abilities. There’s also Yuno, who grew up together with Asta after the two were abandoned as babies, and harbored the wish to become the Wizard King together.
While Yuno was able to harness powers with time, Asta developed no affinity for magic. Instead, he was able to use anti-magic with the aid of a grimoire, which granted him the power to counteract someone else’s magic and nullify the same. As mana is integral to performing spells and magic in general, the crux of Black Clover hinged on whether Asta would be able to be the next Wizard King.
While the anime is required viewing, there are certain Black Clover spin-off OVAs and specials that are worth checking out. Moreover, the Black Clover manga is still ongoing, continuing Asta and Yuno’s tales and their arc to achieving power. Here’s a comprehensive, yet essential Black Clover watch order, although you can pick and choose as per your interest and comfort, of course.
The best Black Clover watch order
There are four seasons of Black Clover to binge through, with each season adapting certain sections of the manga. For instance, season two adapted manga chapters 76 to 159, wherein the primary focus was the Black Bulls entering the Forest of Witches and attempting to heal Asta. This particular season also focused on an exam that allowed one to become a Magic Knight, and Asta eventually succeeds in becoming one.
The best starting point for watching Black Clover is to follow its linear release order, followed by the OVAs and the specials, as follows:
- Black Clover Season 1 (2017-18)
- Black Clover Season 2 (2018-19)
- Black Clover Season 3 (2019-20)
- Black Clover Season 4 (2020-21)
- Black Clover: Jump Festa 2016 Special (OVA)
- Black Clover: Jump Festa 2018 Special (Special)
- Squishy! Black Clover (ONA)
The specials do not really add to the anime’s worldbuilding by any means but are designed to be enjoyed solely as spin-offs, based on manga storylines or fun character events. Squishy! Black Clover is a chibi anime comedy short that is genuinely funny and entertaining and can be watched in case you miss your beloved characters in the anime.
There’s currently a Black Clover movie in the works, with a tentative release date of 2023 — however, details about current development or plot points remain scant at the moment. A trailer for the film was released sometime in March 2021, which you can check out below: