#FEATURE: How Asta vs The Devil Provides Black Clover's Greatest Payoff

“#FEATURE: How Asta vs The Devil Provides Black Clover's Greatest Payoff”

BLACK CLOVER SPOILERS AHEAD

For a show that constantly espouses the ideology of "work to surpass your limits and move forward no matter what," Black Clover does a really good job of relishing the moment and paying off on things that have already been set up. Each big, climactic victory is usually the culmination of various threads — either from the specific arc or ones that have been running through the entire series so far. For the most part, they each feel special and satisfying. And this is super beneficial for a series that's run nearly 150 episodes by now. In long-running franchises, stuff like this can often feel oddly disjointed, and heroic wins can look more like a sequence of surpassed boss battles rather than a cohesive tale where each achievement is both part of a larger narrative and a unique thrill on its own.

And I think Asta beating the devil might be Black Clover's best example of this strength. It has all the signs of a big, generic battle — the first OP plays during the final attacks, anime shorthand for "Pay attention. This MEANS something — but it never feels like it's in a plot vacuum, where the rest of the world and cast disappear while the main hero handles a threat no one else can. I've written before about how one of Black Clover's other strengths is that it never forgets that there are more components in the story than just Loud Good Boy Asta, and it's in his fight against the devil that we're reminded of this trait.

Obviously, Asta isn't by himself. But in the span of a few episodes — and then, in the end, a few moments — we're basically granted a Greatest Hits Collection of the stuff that's built around him so far. First off, the saga of Licht, Patry, and the resurrection of the elves comes to a conclusion as it's revealed that the one who set up the awful conflict between the humans and the elves in the first place is the recently summoned devil. It gives everything before it a greater sense of tragedy while also providing a platform for Licht's eventual passing and Patry's continuing character arc.

Black Clover

"Well, humans hate elves and slaughtered them, and then they beat the elves again when they tried to get their revenge" would be kind of a bummer ending. Rather, learning that a devil considers humans and elves to basically be his playthings and that this entire conflict is the result of manipulation is much more poignant. And it allows Patry to continue on in the story, rather than just be a guy who was justifiably mad and then got whacked by Asta.

You have Secre, who has long been a source of comic relief, served as a Black Clover mascot of sorts, and has basically represented Asta's continuing struggle to prove naysayers wrong. But in the last driving moments of the battle, she pretty much pushes Asta forward, reminding him of his Wizard King ambitions. That she had such an intense bond with the first Wizard King Lumiere brings things full circle without making Asta feel like a Chosen One figure. Rather, he has proven himself over more than 100 episodes that he will be worthy of the title, all while she has watched.

Black Clover

Then you have Yuno, Asta's friend and rival who was recently possessed by the elves. His inclusion in the fight is done in a way that perfectly fits his role in the story so far. By fighting alongside Asta and eventually taking a supporting role while Asta lands the finishing blow, it shows that even though Yuno desperately wants to be Wizard King himself, his number one concern is his brotherhood with Asta. They inspire one another and have done so ever since they were orphans dropped off at the church in Hage. It's unknown which of them will become Wizard King first, but their mutual admiration is constant.

Then you have Yami, who performs an awe-inspiring spell, Dark Cloaked Dimension Slash – Equinox, on the devil just before Asta finishes him off. It's a huge moment, nearly as big as Asta's attack, but it just goes to show how far Asta and Yami have come. For a long time, Asta remained amazed by Yami's strength and courage. But as the series goes on, they fight more and more as partners, rather than as a leader and a subordinate. Asta earned Yami's respect, and Yami became someone who could stand side by side with Asta, instead of in front of him.

Finally, Asta defeats the devil, but just before the enemy fades away, he's confronted by Asta's own devil. For dozens of episodes so far, the dark force inside Asta has been a source of both mystery and power, sometimes tormenting Asta and asking him to just give in to it. But here, we see that this was all accelerating to outright maliciousness, as it taunts the dying devil in the weakened being's last moments.

Black Clover

Tying so many things together in the span of one fight could wind up being a clumsy endeavor if approached improperly, but Asta vs The Devil pulls it off. It manages to connect subplots, character arcs, and internal motivations in a way that keeps the show worth watching and proves that if any series can nail a climax, it's Black Clover.

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