Will Black Clover Anime Ever Return? Will It Be On Hiatus, Get Sequels, Or Even, Its Own Movie?

When the news “Black Clover — ending on March 30, 2021” popped everywhere on social media, the fanbase took to heart the earth-shattering event!

And frankly, I felt as if the oxygen was literally pumped out from my lungs when I read the news! It’s as if I will never be able to breathe air again.

Back in 2017 to 2018, Black Clover has literally consumed 80% my time for a few months or so just so I can catch up to the latest chapters of the manga and episodes that were being released in those times.

So, hearing Black Clover anime ending is a devastating and a breathtaking event.

So now that we’re here, where will the Production Committee head after finishing the anime this March? Let’s find out by exploring different mediums that the series can take form in.

1. Quick Answer

Black Clover will return, but fans will see the series in different formats.

At the time of writing this post, the only confirmation Black Clover animation director Tatsuya Yoshihara gave is that there will be a final major announcement.

This is still a secret from the fans of course, but we can speculate the series’ return in the forms of seasonal animes, sequels, and of course, movies.

2. What is Arc 11? Is it Animated?

Arc 11 is an intense and momentous arc that plunges Asta and friends’ adventures on several wars! So, if you think Asta’s trial and Curse Magic adventures was bloody in previous episodes, think again.

This arc is going into a new territory, or rather, charging towards battlefields after battlefields in the Clover Kingdom, the Heart Kingdom, and of course, the Spade Kingdom.

The anime already adapted a portion of Arc 11 since Episode 158. And I’m thankful for this because I get to see “The Great War” animated in its full-color glory!

Since Arc 11 storylines will be cut short in the anime, I have a few things in mind. First, it can return in the form of a seasonal anime after the series takes a hiatus.

Seasonal animes are preferable because they don’t strain the viewers into catching up 10 or 20 weekly newly-release episodes of the anime. They’re also divided into “cours”.

A one-cour anime season is composed of 11 to 14 episodes. Meanwhile, a two-cour anime season is composed of 15-27 episodes.

If there is a hiatus, I hope that this won’t be another Hunter x Hunter or Bleach-like hiatus. ☹ If I must wait for about a decade for Arc 11 to be animated, I may lose interest in the anime.

This is the downside of super long hiatuses: fans dwindle down because they grow up and real-life responsibilities increase. As time goes by, the 11 to 13-year-old kid inside us who constantly cheers for Asta loses enthusiasm.

So, as we wait and wait and wait, we become impatient, uninterested, and unmotivated to continue watching the anime. Then, one day, we realize we don’t cheer for Asta’s adventures anymore.

It’s sad. I know. But this is reality unless you’re a super-duper fan.

But even so, Black Clover fanatics (ones who binge-read the manga several times, rewatch the series, buy games, and collect merchandise) account for only 20 to 30% of the fandom, or maybe even less.

So, it won’t be the same anymore. Just look how Yashahime (the sequel to the InuYasha series) is doing now.

It’s not gaining a momentous fanbase anymore because the original viewers of the franchise grew up after InuYasha: The Final Act finished broadcasting over ten years ago (in 2010).

Second, a sequel Black Clover anime is possible. The anime is almost caught up to the manga, which is why they’re ending at Episode 170.

So, instead of a continuous, long-running, annual anime, Black Clover will return to us in the form of sequels such as “Black Clover: The Final Season” or “Black Clover: The Final Act”.

It’s something I thought of just like how “InuYasha: The Final Act” returned after being gone for five long years!

The subtitle “The Final Season” is also a good indication that the Production Committee would animate the 40 or so chapters of the Black Clover manga.

Give the manga a year or so, and the Committee will have a total of 90 to 100 chapters to animate. If the sequel will be a faithful adaptation of the remaining volumes of Black Clover, I’ll be satisfied.

3. Is a Black Clover Movie Green-Lighted?

It’s not yet green-lighted, but fans are very eager to see a Black Clover animated film. Just look how Demon Slayer Season 2 exploded after the success of the Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Train movie.

Black Clover may not be able to replicate Kimetsu no Yaiba’s success. However, Asta and friends’ adventures in series has been a profitable continuous long-running anime since October 2017.

So, it won’t be a surprise if the Production Committee does announce a Black Clover movie this March. It will certainly increase the visibility of the remaining volumes of the manga, as well as increase their sales.

4. Conclusion 

Seeing the 40 or so chapters of my favourite manga not being animated yet is sad. But if it means less filler arcs and a thorough and faithful adaptation of Black Clover manga, I’ll patiently wait for the anime’s return.

5. About Black Clover

Black Clover is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yūki Tabata. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since February 16, 2015.

The story centres around Asta, a young boy seemingly born without any magic power, something that is unknown in the world he lives in. With his fellow mages from the Black Bulls, Asta plans to become the next Wizard King.