2017 · 170 episodes · Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Magic
Introduction
Asta was born with no magic at all in the Clover Kingdom, where magic decides your worth before you can walk. His rival Yuno received the legendary four-leaf grimoire; Asta got a five-leaf one containing anti-magic — and arms built by pure, stupid, relentless training. Yūki Tabata's Black Clover (Studio Pierrot) ran 170 episodes from 2017 to 2021, returned with the Sword of the Wizard King film in 2023, and came back for a second season in October 2026.
The good stuff
This is the hardest-working shonen of its generation. The Black Bulls — a squad of rejects, exiles and disasters — become the most lovable crew in modern anime, and the fights keep finding new combinations for their magic. Asta's anti-magic makes him the perfect spoiler: every arrogant noble mage's worst day is the day the magicless kid shows up.
Where to start
Push through the first stretch. Early Asta shouts a lot and the animation budget visibly breathes hard; by the dungeon exploration and Royal Knights arcs the show finds its rhythm and never really loses it. The 170 episodes move faster than they look — this is a binge-shaped series.
Before you jump in
Honest warnings: the 2017–2021 run stops mid-story (the manga finished in May 2026, and Season 2 is now adapting the endgame), and the early episodes are the weakest — first impressions undersell it badly. Judge it at episode 20, not episode 2.
Who is this for?
Underdog-story addicts and Big Three kids looking for their next long ride. If you like training arcs, squad banter and a hero whose superpower is refusing to stay down, Asta is your guy.
Why it belongs on our shelf
This is the hardest-working shonen of its generation. The Black Bulls — a squad of rejects, exiles and disasters — become the most lovable crew in modern anime, and the fights keep finding new combinations for their magic. Asta's anti-magic makes him the perfect spoiler: every arrogant noble mage's worst day is the day the magicless kid shows up.