After being abandoned at the same church, Asta and Yuno grew up together. Together they also grew up aiming for the same title – The Wizard King, the strongest wizard in the kingdom. However, it soon became apparent that while Yuno has skill with magic, Asta couldn’t use it at all. This all changed when they were attacked and Asta was given a strange grimoire that granted him the ability to nullify magic.
While it came to mixed reviews, despite its clichés, there are parts to love in Black Clover. If you found something you enjoyed, then perhaps you should follow up with these anime recommendations.
Anime Like Black Clover
For Fans of Zero to Hero
My Hero Academia
After the sudden appearance of super powers, or “quirks,” now 80 percent of humanity have these powers. With some Quirk users turning to crime, it gave rise to super heroes that help the police keep the peace. Since he was a child, Izuku Midoriya has idolized super heroes, especially the symbol of peace All Might, but he is devastated to learn that he won’t manifest a Quirk himself. Still, he studies super heroes and is determined to become one. After a chance encounter with All Might, he learns that there still may be a chance for him to get a Quirk after all.
Super heroes and mages are obviously different things, but it is the origin stories of the main characters that tie these two shows together. Both main characters live in a world of fantastic magic or super abilities. Their childhood friends are extremely talented, but they themselves don’t have even a lick of power to them. Yet, an event happens where they are handed extraordinary power, even more so than their friend.
Naruto
Orphaned at a young age and ostracized by his village due to the nine-tailed fox demon that was sealed within him at birth, Naruto aims for the top. His dream is to eventually become the leader of his village, the Hokage. However, first he must actually become a ninja and gain strength enough to rise to this pinnacle.
It is easy to tie Black Clover to almost any shounen anime because the tropes are common and widely used. In Black Clover, the main character gets power through happenstance while Naruto grows it through training, but both characters are different from their peers in a variety of ways. They are special. Main character special. You watch as this specialness launches them into an ever-growing world filled with ever-stronger enemies.
Break Blade
There is an impending war between the Kingdom of Krisna and the nation of Athens. Both nations are able to use quartz for whatever purpose they desire. However, Rygart Arrow is one of the rare few unable to use it. Yet, by not being able to use the magic of quartz, it does enable him to pilot an ancient golem, one strong enough to stand against invading armies.
If you don’t mind a touch of mecha in your magic anime, Break Blade can be highly reminiscent of Black Clover. It is overlooked and highly debated on if it is good or not. However, in both, you follow main characters that start off as powerless, utterly so, and then find something that can help them fight.
For Fans of Wizardry
Fairy Tail
While looking to enhance her magic, celestial mage Lucy meets an energetic fire mage name Natsu. After finding out he is a member of the famous wizard guild Fairy Tail that she has long admired, the pair travel home so Lucy can join. Together with her new guildmates, Lucy and Natsu embark on adventures to help people, make money, and explore their vast magical world.
The similarity here is pretty clear, both are shounen shows about mages. However, things in each world are conducted a little differently via magic, as it should be. However, I’d also like to point out that while Black Clover has some comedy, Fairy Tail often maintains a lighter tone, and a lot of that has to do with the light and happy color palate compared to Black Clover’s darker palate.
Magi
Aladdin, a talented young magi, has lived his life in seclusion, but he is eager to go explore the world. After he sets out, he becomes friends with a courageous Alibaba Saluja who, after seeing his powerful Djinn Ugo, suggests they go conquer a dungeon for fame, power, and treasure.
Black Clover takes you on a journey with a more traditional European representation of magic, but you’ll note that Magi is distinctly more Middle Eastern inspired in everything in does. However, both shows feature two friends on an adventure that will either lead to their fall or their glory. Along the way, they gain power and reputation, but most of all, they fight for it.
A Certain Magical Index
Academy City in Japan is at least 30 years more advanced than the rest of the world, technologically. However, they also have a number of students that are honing their psychic abilities. Unfortunately for Touma Kamijou, he is a psychic rank of zero, but he has an ability that the city’s scientists can’t quite understand – the ability to negate other psychic abilities. Despite this, he lives a normal life until he meets Index Librorum Prohibitorum, a young girl who has memorized the entire forbidden grimoires, and she drags him into the realm of the supernatural.
Black Clover melds magic with more traditional fantasy while A Certain Magical Index sees it melded with technology. However, while their settings are different, they have quite a bit in common, namely a main character who can’t use magic in a magical world. Together you follow the characters as you explore their unique and complex world, learning more about their mysterious powers.
For Fans of Brothers in Arms
Blue Exorcist
Humans and demons have always been separated by two different worlds, humans in Assiah and demons in Gehenna. The only way to travel between the worlds is by possession, which is how Satan, the ruler of Gehenna, wages his war. Blue Exorcist follows Rin Okumura, a somewhat trouble teen and son of Satan. However, while his father wants him to help conquer the human world, Rin decides to become an exorcist to fight him instead.
Two kids, raised in a church, and eventually pushed into fighting either by their own aim or for various reasons. These shows have difference premises and different enemies, but they start off in a similar way. Throughout you have themes of friendship, brotherhood, and also rivalry among those two.
Kingdom
In the Ancient Chinese Kingdom of Qin, war orphan and slave Xin trains with his fellow slave and best friend Piao to achieve their dream of one day being Great Generals of the Heavens. However, after catching the eye of an imperial minister, Piao is taken to work at the royal palace until a coup sends him back to Xin. Piao arrives half dead in order to tell Xin to complete his mission for him. This leads Xin to the young king, Zheng Ying, who Piao was posing as a double for. This encounter thrusts Xin in a brutal age of warfare and towards his destiny.
Black Clover and Kingdom both start off following two boys with nothing but a dream to grow into the strongest fighters. However, while Black Clover keeps that throughout, events transpire that see the dynamic becoming a bit different in Kingdom. However, Asta and Xin remain endlessly similar. While Kingdom lacks magic, it loves its battles as much as any shounen anime.
Seven Deadly Sins
In this feudal world, the realm is protected from those who seek to spread their evil by the Holy Knights. However, in the kingdom of Liones, a small group of Holy Knights known as the Seven Deadly Sins sought to overthrown the king only to be driven off. Now, ten years later, the world hunts for the Seven Deadly Sins, but the Holy Knights have now turned their blades on the king and taken control of the kingdom. Now it is up to his third daughter, Elizabeth, to find the Sins and help them take back control.
If you liked Black Clover’s setting that is somewhat medieval fantasy with various quirks and magic, then you will enjoy the setting and story of Seven Deadly Sins as well. However, the difference here is that the Sins are incredibly OP and don’t really need to work for their power like they do in Black Clover.
Do you have more anime recommendations like Black Clover? Tell all the fans in the comments section below.
