Steven Reynolds 
Watching Black Clover in order is easy
In the more than 15 years I have been addicted to anime, I have never had an anime shoot to the top of my Best Anime Series Ever Released list as fast as Black Clover recently did.
Black Clover, though, is special.
As it is not only the animation, the artwork and the story that make this shounen anime so wonderful, it is also that every single character is so beautifully written and so unique, you cannot help but fall in love with all of them.
Even the evil ones.
When I first started to watch Black Clover, though, like all the anime I watch, I wanted to be sure I watched all of it in the right order. Even the OVA, Specials and ONA.
Now I have finished every episode, I’m glad I did, as it gave me a fully fleshed out image of every character and every story arc.
Then again, figuring out how to watch Black Clover in the right order is so simple, anyone can do it.
Here is what you need to know so you can do it too.
How to watch Black Clover in the right order
While some people watch Black Clover in a different order, the following one is what made sense to me. It allowed me to learn what I needed to know about each character as the story progressed, and even get some extra insight via the ONA, OVA and Special.
That then is what I will give you here — how to watch Black Clover in the right order, if you really want to understand who these characters are and what makes them tick.
Black Clover — Season 1 (Episodes 1-51)
In my experience, and in many others who have chosen to watch Black Clover straight through from beginning to end, Season 1 can be the most daunting.
Not only are you setting off on a massive 170 episode adventure, plus extras, the first season alone has 51 episodes, so it’s a major time commitment. Throw in that Asta’s constant screaming definitely riles some people up, and Season 1 can be a bugger for some.
Get through the first two episodes, however, (and they are certainly no great hardship), and watching Black Clover in the right order is easy from there.
Season 1 of Black Clover begins with Asta and Yuno in the village they grew up in looking forward to the ceremony that will give them the grimoire they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
It ends at Black Clover, Episode 51, with the Black Bull Squad journeying to the Underwater Temple where they must complete a series of challenges if they are to get the magic stone they need to defeat the elves.
Black Clover — Season 2 (Episodes 52-101)
50 more Black Clover episodes make up Season 2, which begins with the Black Bulls heading to the town of Kiten where Yuno and the Golden Dawn are fighting the Diamond Kingdom, which is trying to invade.
The 50 episodes also cover the Bulls going to the Witches’ Forest, to look for a treatment for Asta’s ravaged arms, and an entire arc about a group of long-dead elves that return to the Clover Kingdom to possess some of the Magic Knights.
Thus, allowing them to wreak havoc on the world the elves believed destroyed their own.
Season 2 of Black Clover ends with Yuno and Asta back in their home village of Hage, fighting one of the possessed elves and saving their family and friends.
Episode 101 ends with Asta grieving over the dead priest, the only father he has ever known, and having his grief cause him to summon Licht’s sword from his grimoire.
This unlocks Asta’s demon form. Something that will be critical in the upcoming Season 3.
Squishy! Black Clover ONA (aka Mugyutto! Black Clover) (8 Episodes)
This is just a short, funny, chibi mini series, with the Black Bull squad on a series of crazy adventures and several of the main characters being turned into robots.
It is well worth a watch, though, as you learn a little more about each character, including more about their back stories.
Black Clover — Season 3 (Episodes 103-154)
Much of Black Clover Season 3 consists of two things — first, the Black Bulls defeating the elves that have possessed many of the Magic Knights, and even some of their friends, and then doing everything they can to prove Asta’s innocence before he is executed because of his demon power.
This season has the best battle scenes of the entire anime series, as well as goes in depth into every Black Bull character so that, by the end of it, you feel like you know them better than anyone.
It also has the Black Bulls entering the Shadow Castle to defeat the demon, and then later having to wangle their way into the Heart Kingdom where they discover the Queen, Loropechika, has also been possessed by a demon.
Related: Why is Mereoleona Black Clover‘s best girl? Come on, it’s easy…
Once Loropechika realizes how powerful the Black Bulls are, she asks them to help to defeat the demon and to attack the Spade Kingdom, which she believes is harboring the demon that did this to her — Megicula — the most powerful demon the Bulls have yet encountered.
Black Clover Season 3 ends with some of the younger Magic Knights being promoted to positions higher up in their squad after many episodes of intense training.
Black Clover — Season 4 (Episodes 155-170)
With only 16 episodes, sadly, those who were desperate to watch Black Clover Season 4 will realize quickly it is the shortest season as well as the final season.
It begins with the Black Bulls traveling to the Heart Kingdom to stop Megicula and his human vessel.
During this final season, we learn the biggest surprise about Yuno, and Asta manages to subdue the demon Liebe, the dark demon who inhabits his sword.
In true Asta style, however, instead of banishing Liebe, Asta suggests they become friends so they can train together.
Oddly, Black Clover Season 4 ends on a note that is quite incomplete.
Hopefully, that means we will get a Black Clover, Season 5 at some point, as the first four seasons only animate the first 27 volumes of the manga series and there have been 9 more volumes published since then.
Black Clover: Jump Festa 2016 Special (OVA) and Black Clover: Jump Festa 2018 Special
While some people recommend you watch these two specials before you start the main Black Clover series, it made no sense to me.
Especially because, if you haven’t yet watched the four seasons of Black Clover, you don’t understand who these characters are or how they relate to each other.
That is why I left both of these specials to the end of my watch order. That way they were just nice little extras.
Black Clover movie — Sword of the Wizard King
Obviously, the reason why Black Clover, Season 4 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger is because a Black Clover movie was planned.
This was released in June, 2023 on Netflix and follows Asta and the gang as they try to eliminate four former Wizard Kings who were banished hundreds of years previously.
While it isn’t the best Black Clover property out there, it does feature all our favorite characters, adds a few more who turn out to be quite interesting and unique, and fills in more of the gaps left by the previous season.
The animation by Studio Pierrot is also better than the last season of the anime series and, oh yeah, it is a lot of fun.
All of this then is my answer to how to watch Black Clover in the right order. That is how I did it, and it worked out great for me.
How long does it take to watch every Black Clover episode and every special?
The total viewing time for everything on the list (minus the movie) is 68 hours, or close to 70 hours with the movie.
That means, if you start to watch Black Clover, Episode 1 now, you could be finished by the weekend. Well, if you rarely go to bed.
Get on with it then, as you won’t regret it. I know, as I’ve now done it 4 times.
And now, remember to listen to every Black Clover opening theme song as well — in the right order, of course — as most of them are absolutely bangers!
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