Recently, the widely beloved Black Clover franchise came to an end after more than 10 years in circulation. Most anime fans have at least heard of this long-running series, which follows the adventures of the energetic Asta, who dreamed about becoming the Wizard King even without magic of his own.
Yet, despite Asta’s adventures being mostly suitable for fans of all ages, there were more than a handful of instances in which the story took a dark turn that left even the most hardcore fans stunned. By cleverly playing with the expectations of fans and taking place during pivotal moments of the show, these 10 cruel moments left a permanent mark on both the powerful Black Bulls members and the audience.
10
The Witch Queen Caused Asta to Cut Noelle’s Head Off
Arguably one of the most memorable and terrifying scenes in the entire franchise, this appalling moment took place during the battle against the twisted Witch Queen. By utilizing her mighty magic, the woman was able to mind-control Asta, turning him into a weapon to use against the other Black Bulls. When commanded to kill Noelle, who was tied to a cross, the boy tried to resist as much as he could, but ultimately failed.
Asta’s sword swung down and apparently cut off Noelle’s head, in a scene that left fans horrified. The head of the girl can clearly be seen flying away, surrounded by a fountain of blood splashing the ground. While this was almost immediately revealed to have been a trick, as Vanessa’s magic caused the boy to miss the attack, the shock of the moment remained with fans for many months after.
9
Zagred Tortured Patry With Visions of His Fallen Comrades
The leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, Patry, was a tragic villain whose main goal in life was getting revenge against the Clover Kingdom. As a youngster, he witnessed the extermination of most of his race at the hands of whom he believed to be the First Wizard King. He spent years working in the shadows to bring down his enemies, only to find out that his entire life had been a lie.
After successfully bringing his body back from the underworld, the vicious demon Zagred captured Patry and forced him to confront the truth behind the death of his people. The monster forced him to watch the demise of his friends as family, all while tormenting him mentally by revealing that he was the one who ended the elves, all as a part of a plan to be resurrected. It is a deeply saddening and awful sight to see Patry lose all hope and be consumed by despair.
8
Vetto Robed Kahono and Kiato of Their Dreams
Raised from birth inside the Seabed Temple, Kanoho and Kiato were two hopeful siblings who wished to one day travel to the Royal Capital to become famous idols. They dreamed of performing utilizing their song and dance magic, training day and night while looking for a way to escape their prison. That was until the bloodthirsty Vetto attacked their home, forcing the siblings to defend the temple.
While they did manage to hold the villain down for a moment, he ended up quickly overpowering them, leaving them at his mercy. Vetto, driven by nothing but violence, cut one of Kiato’s legs and crushed Kahono’s throat, robbing them of the skills they had been so proud to harness.
7
Fuegoleon Losing His Arm Caused An Uproar Among Fans
Best known as the stoic Captain of the Crimson Lions, Fuegoleon is a brave and determined man considered one of the strongest leaders in the Clover Kingdom. While not as pivotal to the plot at the beginning, he was well-liked among fans for his unmatched power and noble personality. That is why, when he was found missing an arm and near death, most viewers gasped in shock.
Although never explicitly shown in the story, the warrior’s state was explained as the result of an ambush carried out by Patry during the Royal Capital Assault arc. The elf tricked Fuegoleon into entering a secluded room where his magic was completely nullified. The battle left him in a lengthy coma, causing fans to fear for weeks about his fate.
6
The Massacre of The Elven Tribe Remains One of Black Clover’s Most Gruesome Moments
One of the most fundamental moments in the entire series, the Elven Tribe massacre was a horrific tragedy that took place several centuries before the beginning of the series. Manipulated by Zagred, who took advantage of the lasting peace between these races to carry out his plan, a battalion of human soldiers traveled to the heart of the Elf Tribe with the sole intent of exterminating them, taking advantage of the wedding between the King Licht and his human bride Tetia.
In a swift and brutal attack, the mages utilized light magic in an attempt to trick the few survivors into blaming the first Wizard King and to decimate the village. The assault culminated with a destroyed tribe and piles of corpses lining the grounds of the forest. Few were able to survive this tragedy, forced to live with hatred for humanity and trauma born from seeing their kind being massacred.
5
The Witch Queen Tried to Kill Her Own Daughter Just to Gain Power
Considered by many fans as one of the most iconic women rulers in anime, the Witch Queen is a ruthless and greedy being who looked after the Witch’s Forest. She spent her entire life trying to learn and master the most powerful types of magic, wanting to become one of the most powerful beings in the world. As such, when her daughter Vanessa manifested the potential to manipulate fate, she saw a major opportunity to gain more power.
The Witch Queen imprisoned the woman until she could master her ability, forcing her to practice day and night. Vanessa would not awaken her ability until the final battle against the tyrannical ruler, born from her desire to protect Asta and his friends. Instead of celebrating this achievement, the Witch Queen attempted to kill Vanessa, mocking her own daughter as she tried to steal her abilities in a truly twisted scene.
4
Langris Allowed His Hatred to Push Him to Kill His Brother
Ever since he was a child, Langris was taught to be a cold and calculating warrior, destined to one day inherit the noble title of Head of House Vaude. His intense training and the heavy expectations placed upon his shoulders made him an arrogant and selfish individual, a stark contrast to his kind and friendly half-brother, Finral, who could easily make friends and received the love and praise Langris longed for.
During the Royal Knights Selection exam, one of the best tournament arcs in anime, the cruel youngster was selected to fight against his brother, giving rise to what would become a ruthless battle. Langris, scared by the idea of being surpassed by Finral and influenced by the dark feelings of an elf, used his magic to severely injure his defenseless sibling. If not for Asta and the Black Bulls stepping in to stop the battle, the result would have been absolutely devastating.
3
Lucius Transforming Sister Lily Into a Paladin Almost Breaks Asta
For most of his life, Asta looked up to Sister Lily as the person who raised him with love and care, being the only maternal figure he ever knew. Despite his constant attempts to woo her, there is no denying that the nun had a special place inside his heart, one reserved only for family. The cunning Lucius took advantage of this bond to try to break Asta’s spirit by turning Sister Lily into one of his Paladins.
The once-kind woman was morphed into a cruel, abusive monster who could softly ask Asta to take his own life for the benefit of her new master’s plan. Asta’s reaction to this event was truly heartbreaking, as the pain and doubt in his mind were almost enough to shatter his resolve and allow Lucius to carry out his dark plans.
2
Ichika Endured Years of Neglect and Abuse From Her Father
Throughout most of the Hino Country arc, Captain Yamato is framed as a despicable man capable of eliminating his entire clan and running away to avoid the consequences, especially by his little sister, Ichika. At one point during this storyline, the woman can break the mental block keeping her from the memories of that fateful night, only to realize that she was the one who committed the massacre.
This event was the result of years of constant abuse, neglect, and insults thrown at Ichika by her father, who blamed her for the death of his wife. Yami tried to protect her as much as he could, but was unable to stop her from eating a Demon Soul pill and losing control. When she realizes this, the woman breaks down in a gut-wrenching moment that leaves more than one fan crying.
1
Lucius Resurrecting Asta’s Mother Was Beyond Twisted
Most Black Clover fans are aware of just how cruel and vicious Lucius is, capable of anything as long as he can achieve his goal of true peace. Nowhere is this better represented than during the final battle against Asta and Liebe, a scene that still causes shivers among fans to this day. When cornered by the boys, Lucius uses his mighty magic abilities to resurrect Licita, Asta’s biological mother and Liebe’s adoptive caretaker.
After bringing her back in front of her children’s eyes, Lucius turned the woman into one of his Paladins, using her as a living shield while mocking the boys and telling them to kill her. Most tragic and upsetting of all is the fact that she died once again once the spell binding her to Lucius was broken, forcing the kids to lose their mother all over again.
- Release Date
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2017 – 2021
- Network
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TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- Directors
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Matsuo Asami, Rokou Ogiwara, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Akira Shimizu, Fumio Maezono, Daisuke Chiba, Toshihiro Maeya, Yoshimitsu Tsuda, Toshiaki Kanbara, Takahiro Enokida, Yasumi Mikamoto, Kenichi Maejima, Chihiro Kumano, Naoki Horiuchi, Yoshino Miwa
- Writers
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Kanichi Kato, Mio Inoue, Masanao Akahoshi, Momoko Murakami, Kunihiko Okada
- Franchise(s)
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Black Clover
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Gakuto Kajiwara
Asta (voice)
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Nobunaga Shimazaki
Yuno (voice)
