Black Clover is one of the most popular manga series on the market. While its anime series went on hiatus in 2021, the manga has still been going strong. Earlier this year, Black Clover's "Spade Kingdom" arc ended with a bang and subsequently went on a short hiatus of its own in order for the series' final arc to be efficiently thought-through and developed. Thankfully, what fans got was definitely worth the wait, as the series has finally delved into one of its most mysterious characters, Yami Sukehiro.
Yami is the captain of the Black Bulls and one of the most popular characters in the franchise. As one of the strongest Magic Knights in the Clover Kingdom, with the unique and rare Dark Magic and Asta's most prominent mentor, he has become an iconic part of Black Clover. Strangely enough, until the last few chapters, very little at all was known about his background and origins, but now it seems that his character arc is following in the footsteps as one of Naruto's most popular characters, Itachi Uchiha.
Yami Sukehiro's Backstory
While a Magic Knights Captain for the Clover Kingdom, Yami actually comes from a land far from where he currently lives. When he first mentioned his origins in the series, he claimed he was from a place called the "Land of the Sun." However, recent chapters have proven this information to be false. Although Yami is from the Land of the Sun, this is the only part of what he has said originally that remains true. In his home country, he was a member of the Yami Clan, which was famous for producing powerful spirit swordsmen and were descendants of a powerful group of assassins known as the Kijin. According to Yami Ichika, Sukehiro's little sister, during the "Age of Wars," their family garnered fame and recognition through their strength on many battlefields.
In the country's legends, far in the past, a battle took place between a "heavenly maiden" and a five-headed dragon over the Land of the Sun. The maiden managed to kill the dragon, with its body falling into the ocean bordering a territory known as Goshu, which was ruled by the Ryudo Clan. The magic power, or yoryoku as it is called in the Land of the Sun, seeped out of the dragon's corpse into the water. Apparently, this turned the ocean water black and stagnant, as well as twisted space and time, connecting it to hell in the process.
Due to their immense power and ability, the warriors of the Yami Clan were placed in charge of security for Goshu, protecting it from any threats caused by the dangers of the ocean. Based on what has been shown, the Yami Clan, or at least just Sukehiro and Ichika's father, eventually grew tired of their station, feeling as though they deserved better than to be stuck out in the boonies of their country.
Their father seemingly took out his frustrations on his kid as well as drank heavily. He constantly trained and pushed Sukehiro to get stronger, as he believed he was more powerful than the shogun's son and their clan's strongest member. In contrast, he treated Ichika poorly, blaming her for being a weak little girl that reminded him of his late wife, who seemingly died quite young and not long after Ichika's birth. However, as bad as their home life was, the two managed to have a relatively pleasant childhood for the most part. They even became good friends with Ryudo Ryuya, the son of the shogun who dreamed of making the Land of the Sun into a place where everyone was happy and friendly with one another regardless of rank or magic.
While Yami claimed to agree with this sentiment, Ichika claims he was lying. Though the exact events that transpired are still completely unknown, according to Ichika, Yami massacred his entire clan at the age of 13, leaving only her alive. The only other person who was there to witness what happened seems to be Ryuya, who was interestingly covered in blood and wounds of his own. What happened afterward is also unclear, but it seems as though in his attempt to flee, he somehow ended up shipwrecked on a beach of the Clover Kingdom.
How Yami's Origins Mirror Itachi's
Itachi Uchiha is the older brother of Sasuke Uchiha and also happened to massacre his entire clan, only choosing to spare his younger sibling. In Itachi's case, it was because he felt there was no other way to spare the innocent people of the Hidden Leaf Village from the devastation and death that would come from his clan revolting. The other reason was that if he did it himself, it was the only way he could make sure that Sasuke would remain unharmed, as he knew the Hidden Leaf already intended on eliminating his clan anyway.
While there is no confirmation as to why Sukehiro chose to kill his clan, given what has been shown, it seems as though it was similar to Itachi's reasons. The Yami Clan, just like the Uchiha Clan, were turned into a security force that was forced to live somewhat separated from the rest of their respective homes, also under the pretense that they were strong and needed to do so.
It's highly likely that Yami and Ichika's father was not the only member of their clan upset by this. Moreover, given how their father brought up Sukehiro's strength and compared it to those that were in charge, it can be assumed that he hoped to use his son's immense strength as a weapon against the Ryudo Clan, one member of whom Sukehiro was close friends with. If this were the case, it's very possible that Sukehiro chose to kill his clan, who he seemed to have no strong love for given his seeming distaste for his father, in order to protect his best friend and his country.
While Ryuya was wounded in the incident, based on how he has talked about Yami to Asta, he doesn't seem to have any hard feelings against Sukehiro and even talks of him fondly. If Sukehiro did commit the massacre as an act of necessary evil to protect those he cared about, it is unclear why Ichika hates him so much, though interestingly, the same thing happened with Itachi and Sasuke. Itachi chose to let Sasuke hate him for what he did, asking that he never learn the truth of why he killed their clan in hopes of protecting his younger brother and helping him grow strong, even going so far as to entrust the Third Hokage with his upbringing.
Based on the little that has been revealed, this seems quite likely in Black Clover's case, although why it would be kept a secret from Ichika is still uncertain. This is unconfirmed, but given the series' sudden focus on Yami and his origins, all should be revealed in only a matter of time, potentially before the year is out. It'll be interesting to see if Black Clover follows Naruto's lead like it has been accused of when it first premiered, or whether it will find a way to subvert expectations and chart its own course like it has managed to do for most of its run.