Shonen and magic usually go hand in hand in anime. Even if the magic isn’t necessarily the traditional form of magic one can expect from the likes of fantasy games like Skyrim or magical tv series like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, many forms of combat systems in anime hinge on some type of magic.
Then, there are the shows like Black Clover, where it’s referred to as magic and presents itself pretty clearly to viewers. Black Clover has one of the most comprehensive magic systems seen in anime over the past few years. One of the most mysterious stages of magic in the series is the arcane stage, but what are arcane mages, and what makes them different from the other mages in the series?
Black Clover's Magic System
The magic system in Black Clover is relatively straightforward. In this world, magic is essentially the ability of a user to manipulate themselves or some facet of the world around them using supernatural energy called Mana. They primarily use spells from their grimoires to case magic. So, it’s pretty standard fare when it comes to magic in fiction. Almost everyone in the world has some degree of magic ability and the more powerful a person is, the more respect, resources, and opportunities they gain.
The Heart Kingdom classified magic in different tiers, referred to as magic stages. After the Clover Kingdom allied with the Heart Kingdom, they followed suit and began to use this classification system. These stages rank from stage nine, at the lowest, up to stage zero, at the highest. Except, there are two stages that don’t exactly fit into this tier list so neatly, the arcane stage and the saint stage.
What are Arcane Mages?
The arcane stage can be seen as separate from the magic stages, as it mainly refers to how unique the magic is. Users who wield magic that defies standard conventions of magic in Black Clover find themselves in this category. That might sound like everyone and their mother could be an arcane mage, but it’s not as common as it sounds. Many of the forms of magic in Black Clover fit into the standard conventions, even more seemingly uncommon forms of magic like trap magic or spatial magic. Arcane stage mages have power that can not be rated on the standard magic stage tier list as far as power levels go because the abilities are too difficult to quantify compared to other magic forms.
Another key factor of arcane stage magic is that it is especially effective in fighting and defeating devils. In the battle with the devil Zagred, the Clover Kingdom only defeats him with the teamwork between three of the known arcane stage mages, but more on that later. They use abilities more powerful and unconventional than anyone else fighting the devil can use. The inherent weakness that devils face when fighting arcane stage mages is part of why these mages are so important to the story of Black Clover. They’ve only become more important as the story has progressed, and the devils have become a more prominent focus of the conflict.
The Expected Ones
Based on the prerequisites to be an arcane mage, viewers wouldn’t be surprised to know that Asta, Yami, William Vangeance, and Julius are magic users in this stage. Although in Asta’s case it’s a little different because he uses demonic power instead of magic. It might as well be magic, but the world of Black Clover considers it to be different since the power comes from the demon inside his grimoire instead of mana. Viewers might be surprised to learn that there are other arcane mages that have been introduced in the anime series. Let’s take a quick look at some arcane stage mages of Black Clover.
Asta is practically the poster child for Arcane magic. While he is not naturally one of the most powerful magic users in the Clover Kingdom, his anti-magic power works specifically against literally everyone in the show. Honestly, who doesn’t have a weakness to Asta in this series? That’s not to say that he can beat anyone in a one-on-one battle, but just that his power allows him to directly counter practically any magic directed at him as long as he is fast enough.
Like Asta, Yami is one of the show’s primary sword fighters, and he uses his dark magic ability to generate and manipulate darkness itself. This allows him to absorb other forms of magic into the darkness. His dark magic can even slice through space itself by cutting through dimensions.
Julius is one of the most obvious arcane mages. His primary magic allows him to control time, something that no one else in the world of Black Clover can do. As OP as this magic sounds, he mainly applies it directly to himself and when he applies it to others it’s usually to heal wounds or restrain them in stasis fields.
William Vangeance is another powerful magic user who happens to be an arcane mage. Vangeance has world tree magic that allows him to generate and manipulate world trees. These enormous trees can absorb insane amounts of mana in the area, stop enemy attacks and trap enemies.
The Not So Expected Ones
Grey is one of the most unlikely mages to be considered an arcane mage. For much of the series so far, she has been the most underwhelming Black Bull member. Her ability to transform herself doesn’t seem very impressive, but there’s more. Her transmutation magic allows her to permanently change magical and non-magical substances alike.
Secre was not always an arcane mage, but after using forbidden magic, it altered her magic in a way that granted her arcane mage status. Secre can use magic to seal items and spells, as well as seal people into inanimate objects. Asta defeats the devil Zagred by sealing his body’s physical damage and somewhat healing him in the process.
Vanessa may not be too shocking of a candidate as an arcane mage. In one of the later arcs of the anime series, viewers saw Vanessa tap into her true potential and summon the thread of fate, as represented visually by a red cat named Rouge. While Vanessa’s thread magic itself isn’t arcane stage-worthy, the red thread of fate’s ability to rewrite fate is.
Black Clover has shown plenty of magic forms and stages throughout the series, but the creators really saved one of the most intriguing stages for last. With the show currently on a break, who knows when the series will return? A film was announced for the series and most recent updates have confirmed that it is currently in production, but the storyline itself has been kept very hush-hush.