Black Clover Needs To Commit To Killing Characters - CBR

In the three years since it debuted, wizard and magic-filled anime Black Clover has become immensely popular, due in large part to its characters, fights and story. However, there's a trend in Black Clover that needs to stop: Major deaths get undone too easily.

Every time someone dies, or seemingly dies, in the series, they get better almost immediately. Julius Novachrono, the incredibly powerful Wizard King, is the perfect example of this. Julius is the most powerful mage in the Clover Kingdom and he's immensely popular due to his love of his realm and people, as well as his general kindness. When the elves reincarnate and threaten to kill all the humans and take over the kingdom, Julius comes in and has an epic one-on-one battle with their leader, Patolli. Unfortunately for the Wizard King, their battle ends with Patolli stabbing Julius through the heart, though the hero saves his kingdom in the process.

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It was a gut-wrenching and heartbreaking scene, as Julius dies with a smile on his face knowing that he had done all he could for his kingdom. However, after the battle with the elves ends, it turns out Julius has been storing his magic in an ancient magic tool that allowed him to revive, but as a thirteen-year-old. Reviving Julius undercuts the emotional power of his death. Him dying would have been an inspiration to all of the other magic knights knowing he died protecting them. Instead, viewers are left with a watered down thirteen-year-old version of Julius that can’t do the same things he did before.

Father Orsi, the priest of Hage Village where Asta grew up, is another example of this. When Hage Village is attacked by an elf, Father Orsi does everything in his power to protect those he cares about, but he's eventually hit with a poison that spreads throughout his body. Unable to remove the poison, Asta watches as Father Orsi passes on. However, stricken with grief, Asta awakens a new sword that allows him to bring Father Orsi back to life only an episode later.

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Characters dying and coming back to life is nothing new in media. However, Black Clover has used the technique several times recently, and this undermines potential future deaths. While the reaction to a well-liked character's death should be sadness, Black Clover is training watchers to believe the deceased might just come back. This undermines any attempt to make future deaths have an effect on viewers. If Black Clover doesn't start committing to killing major character soon, then it risks making death meaningless. And that's not the position any show should be in.

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