In Black Clover, the Clover Kingdom has many enemies. They often have to defend themselves from enemies in neighboring countries, like the totally ruthless Spade and Diamond Kingdoms. However, they've also had to fight off the Eye of the Midnight Sun, plus an array of supernatural beings from outside their realm of existence.

Fortunately for them, they have their Magic Knight squadrons to aid them, each one an organization working diligently to protect the country. Every Magic Knight squad is led by a Captain, each of whom are among the most powerful mages in the Clover Kingdom. This list aims to look at both present and past Magic Knight Captains to clarify who belongs at the top of the totem pole — and who belongs at the bottom.

Updated on January 18, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: Fans have been waiting for the Black Clover anime to return for a long time, especially since so much more has already happened in the manga. There are more Devils to fight, more techniques to discover, and, perhaps most importantly, higher levels of power for Yuno and Asta to achieve. In fact, even the Magic Knight Captains have yet to show viewers the full range of their formidable abilities. As such, we've updated this article with some more relevant information.

12 Kaiser Granvorka Is One Of The Most Underrated Magic Knight Captains

Squad: Purple Orca

Kaiser Granvorka twirls his moustache

Age

49

Height

193 cm

Abilities

Vortex Magic

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Despite being the leader of the Purple Orcas, Kaiser is relatively unknown. He was originally the Vice-Captain of the team, but was promoted after former Captain Gueldre Poizot was revealed to be a traitor. Once he took over, however, he didn't make much of an impression in the series. His special power is Vortex Magic, allowing him to create magic whirlwinds that effectively negate other people's magic.

Kaiser's Vortex Magic operates like a lesser version of Asta's anti-magic powers. It’s impressive, but in a world that promotes people based on their powers, Kaiser was second-in-command to Gueldre, who was defeated soundly by Rill. Considering he's never at the heart of the action, it's safe to say that Kaiser is nowhere near the strongest.

11 Jack The Ripper's Blades Can Cut Through Practically Anything

Squad: Green Mantis

Jack the Ripper unleashing an attack against Yami

Age

29

Height

197 cm

Abilities

Slash Magic

Probably more than any other Magic Knight Captain besides perhaps Yami, Jack the Ripper places quite a bit of importance on being physically strong. That’s why he’s known to use enhancement magic to give himself a boost in his natural abilities. It also explains why Jack keeps goading Yami to fight him.

It makes sense, considering his power is based on generating special blades made out of mana that he has to have the strength to swing. Having said that, Jack’s real strength lies in the ability of his blades to cut anything. He's even made them sharp enough to cut through spatial magic, as seen in the more recent manga chapters.

10 Rill Boismortier Is One Of The Youngest Captains In History

Squad: Aqua Deer

Rill Boismortier about to unleash his painting magic

Age

20

Height

165 cm

Abilities

Painting Magic

Rill is supposedly a genius mage, so much so that he was an outcast in his home city because of the incredible power he displayed. His ability to turn whatever he paints into a spell, and use literally any element he wants for each spell, means that he has one of the most versatile skillsets in Clover Kingdom.

However, Rill's strength is already recognized by his being acknowledged as one of the Captains. At the same time, Rill is also lacking in experience, something that’s a necessity in combat. There’s a reason why he lost to Yuno during the finals of the Royal Knight Exam. That said, the Mana method elevated his Painting Magic though, making the scale that Rill operates on even more impressive.

9 Charlotte Roselei Leads The Only All-Women Magic Knight Squad

Squad: Blue Rose

Charlotte Roselei wearing a pointed helmet against a carved wall

Age

28

Height

171 cm

Abilities

Briar Magic

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The Captain of the all-women squad Blue Rose, Charlotte has shown off her abilities several times in the past, though rarely in an actual one-on-one battle. Fans have seen her demonstrate her advanced control over Mana by working in environments that were the opposite of her element. Further, Charlotte has been shown putting in more work to save the populace than any other group outside the Black Bulls.

She's developed two forms of Briar Magic — first the Blue Rose, which she used to become a Magic Knight Captain. Later though, she developed True Briar Magic from Red Roses thanks to the Mana Method. This drastic increase in strength made her even more fearsome to her enemies, though it doesn't make her leap over any other Captains.

8 Nozel Silva Is Strong Enough To Overwhelm Most Opponents

Squad: Silver Eagle

Nebra, Nozel, and Solid Silva (from left to right)

Age

30

Height

177 cm

Abilities

Mercury Magic

Though he is a bit of a jerk for never standing up for his little sister Noelle, Nozel is still one of the strongest members of the Magic Knights. Asta once estimated him to have roughly the same strength as Yami, who’s actually never been shown to lose a fight no matter who he finds himself going up against. That's likely an exaggeration, given Yami has established himself as one of the strongest Magic Knight Captains. However, Nozel's power is still enough to embarrass most enemies.

Nozel manipulates Mercury with his magical ability, allowing him to have a perfect defense and offense. It can be used as a shield, a spear, or even as raindrops. A few times, Nozel even crafted entire creatures out of Mercury, such as a giant silver eagle. All of this requires incredible levels of concentration, meaning he must have one of the best levels of magic control out of all the captains.

7 Dorothy Unsworth Is Powerful Enough To Be Acknowledged By The Witch Queen

Squad: Coral Peacock

Dorothy Unsworth sleeping with a nose bubble

Age

27

Height

145 cm

Abilities

Dream Magic

At one point, Dorothy Unsworth was considered the weakest among the Black Clover Captains. She had to be, as she was a complete unknown. More importantly, Dorothy had been shown spending all of her time asleep. Even during the Captain meetings, she spent all her time snoozing.

It makes Dorothy the kind of unknown that lets the viewers “know” she’s probably powerful, but there wasn’t any proof to back it up. However, later arcs prove that she can pull people into her dreamscape, over which she has absolute control. Dorothy has also become powerful enough to be acknowledged as the next Queen of the Witches by the Witch Queen herself.

6 William Vangeance Was Originally Seen As An Outcast

Squad: Golden Dawn (Former)

William Vangeance looking at his grimoire and smiling

Age

27

Height

172 cm

Abilities

World Tree Magic

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Like Yami, William Vangeance was originally seen as an outcast among all the Magic Knight soldiers. He was a noble, but he’d been cursed with a scar over his face and forced to live in the slums as he was an illegitimate child. Nonetheless, when William was brought into the fold, he displayed incredible magical ability on the level of any other noble.

Eventually, William was leading the strongest Magic Knight Guild, the Golden Dawn. His grimoire allows him to create tree-based spells that can attack or encase enemies. Even more ridiculous is William's ability to absorb other people’s mana, boosting his own power several times over and using that to make his attacks even more dangerous.

5 Fuegoleon Vermillion Embodies The Necessity Of Becoming Stronger

Squad: Crimson Lion

Black Clover - Fuegoleon Vermillion looks down sternly

Age

31

Height

188 cm

Abilities

Fire Magic

Fuegoleon is the true Captain of the Crimson Lions. He embodies the idea of duty and the necessity of becoming stronger, constantly challenging both himself and his fellow Knights to keep topping themselves in power. After being betrayed, he was briefly knocked out of action and spent a long time in a seemingly comatose state.

When he recovered though, Fuegoleon managed to take control of the fire elemental Salamander. The Elementals only pair with those who are blessed by Mana, and offer a substantial boost in power to whoever they choose. Originally considered one of Nozel's rivals, Fuegoleon has certainly leaped past him in power with the power of the Salamander.

4 Mereoleona Vermillion Doesn't Even Need Magic To Fight

Squad: Crimson Lion (Former)

Age

33

Height

178 cm

Abilities

Fire Magic

As one of the most popular characters in the manga, there’s no surprise that Mereoleona Vermillion is absurdly strong. She replaces her younger brother Fuegoleon once he gets injured during the attack on the Clover Kingdom’s capital city. However, it’s implied that the only reason she didn’t have the job in the first place is that she has no interest in actually being involved in politics or the military.

Mereoleona is one of the first people to show off the Mana Zone, an ability that allows the user to control the mana around them within a specific radius. This gives them enhanced power, strength, and even lets them predict their opponent's attacks. Later, Mereoleona develops ways to transform her entire body into pure fire mana, making her capable of surviving attacks that would wipe anyone else out.

3 Yami Sukehiro Leads The Strongest Magic Knight Organization

Squad: Black Bulls

Age

29

Height

183 cm

Abilities

Dark Magic

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Considering Yami is the leader of the strongest Magic Knight organization in the Black Bulls, it makes sense he's one of the strongest Magic Knight Captains. For much of the series, he was the goal Asta aimed for, as the series subtly implied he was just as strong as the Wizard King, albeit relatively less experienced when it came to magical dexterity.

All things considered, what allows Yami to stay ahead of most captains is that he refuses to believe he has limits. Hailing from the Hino Country, Yami was the most talented member of his clan, and immediately put those same skills to use in the Clover Kingdom. He has been surpassed by some of the villains, but he's still been shown in battles to be behind only the protagonists in terms of overall power.

2 Yuno Grinberryall Surpasses Even His Former Captain

Squad: Golden Dawn

Age

17

Height

172 cm

Abilities

Wind Magic, Star Magic

Originally considered another commoner, the manga revealed Yuno was originally meant to be the prince of the Spade Kingdom royal family. While in the Clover Kingdom, he always possessed a higher level of magic than anyone else. However, a chance trip into the dungeons saw him attain the power of the Wind Elemental Sylph. Yuno's power has since grown by leaps and bounds. Eventually, he surpassed even the original Golden Dawn Captain, William Vangeance, and took over his position.

During Clover Kingdom's battle with the Spade Kingdom, Yuno gained Star Magic, a power that allows him to create and manipulate stars for offensive and defensive purposes. Combining Wind and Star Magic, he was the only Magic Knight capable of fighting against Lucius Zogratis. He's also the only reason any of the Magic Knights were able to fight at all, using his incredible power to buff his allies. Yuno's so powerful it wouldn't be surprising to see him nerfed in an eventual battle against Asta.

1 Julius Novachrono Becomes The Clover Kingdom's Wizard King

Squad: Azure Deer (Former)

Age

44

Height

180 cm

Abilities

Time Magic

Once the Captain of the Azure Deer, Julius Novachrono went on to become the Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom. Boasting the power to manipulate time, it's not surprising he grew to be considered the strongest Magic Knight. However, that's actually not what makes him such a formidable combatant.

In reality, his body is shared between Julius and Lucius Zoegratis, and they're both the host for Astaroth. It isn't just Time Magic he relies on now, but several other reality-warping magics that make him nearly unstoppable. Though he's no longer a Magic Knight Captain, Julius is undoubtedly the most powerful person to have ever held the role. Someone this strong makes it almost a requirement to have an overpowered main character just to stand a chance against him.

Black Clover anime cover art with Asta and Yuno in front.
Black Clover
TV-PG

Asta and Yuno were abandoned together at the same church and have been inseparable since. As children, they promised that they would compete against each other to see who would become the next Emperor Magus.

Release Date
October 3, 2017
Main Genre
Anime
Seasons
4
Studio
Pierrot