Tamal Kundu
Netflix’s ‘Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King’ or ‘Black Clover: Mahou Tei no Ken’ is an action fantasy anime film. It is set in a world where almost everyone has magical powers, except for the protagonist, Asta. But that hasn’t stopped the young boy from dreaming about becoming the next Wizard King, the highest magical authority in Clover Kingdom. He grows up in a church-run orphanage alongside Yuno, a Wind Magic protégé. Despite their difference in inherent abilities, they consider themselves each other’s rivals. Although Asta lacks magic, he ensures he is physically strong, and one day receives a five-leaf grimoire that gives him access to an anti-magic sword. After he and Yuno reach the city, they join different squads of magic knights, and their pursuit of destiny truly begins.
In ‘Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King,’ Asta, Yuno, and their friends must take four Wizard Kings from the past, hell best on destroying Clover Kingdom and recreating it according to their own standard. If you are wondering about the film’s place in the ‘Black Clover’ timeline, we got you covered. SPOILERS AHEAD.
When Does Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King Take Place?
The ‘Black Clover’ universe originated from the manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Yuuki Tabata, who also penned the story of ‘Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King.’ Johnny Onda and Ai Orii subsequently turned it into a screenplay. Although the film is not based on any material from the manga series, it effectively serves as a sequel to the ‘Black Clover’ anime series, which seems to have concluded after airing 170 episodes with Asta’s exile following the devil trials.
What ‘Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King’ effectively does is it brings the protagonist back into the fold of Clover Kingdom. Early in the film, Clover Kingdom celebrates The Triumph, a grand festival of magic battles that takes place once a decade. The winners of this competition often go on to become the Wizard King, so there is no way Asta would not participate in it. And sure enough, he is there in disguise, calling himself “The Masked One.” The first match in the competition is between Asta and Yuno, and just as they begin fighting, the former Wizard Kings attack Clover Kingdom.
Conrad Leto was the 27th Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom, the immediate predecessor of the current Wizard King, Julius Novachrono. Exactly ten years ago, Julius sealed Conrad off along with the eponymous sword or the Imperial Sword with the help of some of the elite Magic Knights after Conrad tried to destroy Clover Kingdom. And now, he is back to finish the job he started, he has brought help. Princia Funnybunny, Jester Garandaros, and Edward Avalaché were the 11th, 16th, and 20th Wizard Kings. They were all removed from their position. Using a combination of his magic, Key Magic, and the Imperial Sword, Conrad has revived them with a single purpose in mind. He wants to steal the people’s magic and use it to trigger an explosion big enough to destroy Clover Kingdom. He then wishes to bring back a selected few using the Imperial Sword.
As Asta defeats Conrad, one of the greatest threats Clover Kingdom has ever faced, it’s safe to assume that his exile will end for all intent and purpose, and he will rejoin the Magic Knights. One of the main reasons for the ending of the anime series was that it was dangerously close to catching up with the manga series, which is currently in its final arc. So, if there is a future project covering the rest of the chapters, Asta is where he needs to be. The anime ends roughly at chapter 270 of the manga (with some added material from chapter 272).
It depicts Asta dueling Liebe, the devil residing inside his grimoire all this time, and defeating it. He surprises both Liebe and the Black Bulls vice-captain Nacht by suggesting that they should form a bond of friendship. Although Nacht calls Asta’s actions foolish, he acknowledges that the boy has done the right thing. As of mid-2023, 358 chapters (35 volumes) have been published. Future projects will likely depict the continuation of the conflict with Spade Kingdom and the eventual appearance of Lucius Zogratis, the eldest of the Zogratis siblings.
Read More: Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King Ending, Explained
