Black Clover is a popular shonen series set in a fictional world where every person has magical powers. The amount of power they have is divided by their social status, meaning, royals have the most power while the commoners have the least. Noelle is one of the most powerful Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom. However, she wasn't always a formidable mage. Before joining the Black Bull, Noelle was famous for being the 'failure' of the noble House Silva. Her eldest brother is the Captain of the Silver Eagles and her other two siblings were also high-raking magic knights. As someone who was unable to control her magic, Noelle wasn't even allowed to take the Magic Knights Entrance Exam.
Instead, Nozel forced her to join the Black Bulls Squad through the back door. At that time, the Black Bulls were infamous for being unruly and weak. Being considered the failure of her family, she started losing confidence in herself until she realizes her true potential as a mage and a magic knight. With each mission, Noelle learns something new, and is able to overcome her inferiority complex. Though she was shown as weak in the beginning, the series has always implied that she had hidden potential.
Noelle's Life as Royalty
As a royal, Noelle's life was truly miserable. Her mother died shortly after she was born, making everyone believe that the cause of death was childbirth. Noelle's mother was a great warrior and a powerful mage. As a result, people had too many expectations for Noelle, who happened to be nearly identical to her late mother. Making matters worse, her three older siblings would either ignore or bully her.
Without the love of her family, Noelle was alone in the palace and became a rather timid personality. She watched as her siblings and cousins gained recognition due to their magic, but she was so stuck in her inferiority complex that she wasn't even able to hit inanimate objects. Despite being weak, Noelle trained every day. Her training didn't bear any fruit since there was no one to guide her. Noelle was trying to learn magic the wrong way all along. She would practice until was either exhausted or lost control.
Why Was Noelle Unable To Control Magic?
Even after she joined Black Bulls, Noelle was unable to control her magic. Despite having a tremendous amount of mana, she couldn't launch even the most basic attacks. Before she became stronger, she was believed to be a defensive mage. She was good at creating a large protective shield made of water. Noelle wasn't trying to excel at attack magic since she never thought of herself as good enough for that. Vanessa, on the other hand, was exceptionally skilled at controlling her magic. She would teach Noelle how to aim properly and even gave her a magic wand that would help her in battles.
In the Seabed Temple Arc, when Noelle saw her friends in danger and on the brink of death, she launches an extremely powerful attack that tore through one of the strongest members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. The major reason for Noelle being unable to control magic was her inferiority complex, and that she was subconsciously unwilling to hurt others. Kahono states that Noelle's magic control never had any problem. The only reason her attacks wouldn't work properly is that she was hesitating. Though all her hesitation was lost when she launches her 'Sea Dragon's Roar' for the first time. It was also when fans realize that she was an attack mage all along.
What Helped Noelle Change?
Noelle showed steady, yet swift progress in becoming the knight she is now. She had help along the way from many people. Ever since she joined the Black Bulls, her inferiority complex began to disappear. For example, when Noelle lost control of her magic while training, Asta and the others saved her. She thought everyone would criticize her for losing control, but instead, they all praised her for possesing such powerful abilities. During the terrorist attack on the royal capital, she was hesitating to attack the criminals, however, Fuegoleon Vermillion knocked some sense into her.
He asked her if she was holding herself back due to her siblings' taunting, to which she silently agreed. Fuegoleon got mad at her answer, telling her that being weak isn't a shameful thing, but staying that way is certainly shameful. After that, she fought alongside Leopold Vermillion against the enemies. Another major milestone for her was being able to defeat her second older brother Solid Silva in the Royal Knights Arc. She gained strength along the way and ultimately, she was able to use Valkyrie Armor, a signature spell of her late mother.
How Strong Is Noelle Now?
Noelle is currently a Stage 1 mage, which means she has grown very close to the highest rank a magic user can achieve. Her magic attribute is water, one of the four major elements of mana in its base form. She can use her water magic to create and control real water, launch deadly projectiles at her foes, and conjure giant lethal aqueous entities in mere seconds. Her Valkyrie Armor is one of her most powerful spells.
The iconic scene where she covers herself with that spell at a crucial moment against the reincarnated elves was certainly breathtaking. It fully showed her potential as a magic knight and a royal. She gains impressive speed and mobility while wearing the armor and can glide through the air with ease. Under the training of Queen Lolopechka and water spirit Undine, she has significantly increased her overall skills. When Noelle harnesses Undine's power, she becomes a Saint-Stage mage strong enough to defeat most elves with extremely potent offensive curses.