Warning: Spoilers for Black Clover chapters #374-6!
WhenBlack Clover’s latest three chapters dropped in November 2024, most fans were understandably focused onYami’s big transformation, in part, because the title’s reduced rate of publication with Jump GIGA made major events more impactful for fans. The fact that Yami’s transformation was the culmination of some foreshadowing from Yami and his sister’s backstory also helped propel the moment’s significance.
However,one of the three chapter’s scenes was much more heartbreaking, serving as another flawless execution of the series' use of revived fallen characters as Paladins. This scene involves Yami’s second-in-command, Nacht, and moves the focus to another prominent Black Bulls member, making good use of a previous flashback and also providing more backstory for the character, even in the middle of the series' final battle.
Black Clover Brings Back Nacht and Morgen’s Tragic Backstory
Black Clover Written and Illustrated by Yuki Tabata
In chapter #375, Nacht discovers that not only has his deceased brother Morgen been brought back to life as a Paladin, butthat he is being controlled by the devil Lucifugus. The ramifications of this revelation are massive when taking into consideration his backstory, which readers first learned about way back in #286. In the flashback, Nacht essentially indirectly kills his brother Morgen when he foolishly summons the devil Lucifugus. As the devil goes on its rampage, Morgen, who was present at the time of the summoning, successfully seals Lucifugus back up, but not without being mortally wounded first and eventually dying.
On its own, this story was indeed quite tragic for obvious reasons, but it also helped explain the complexity of Nacht’s character, since he was originally adamant about not becoming a Magic Knight but was perplexingly one in the present day. It is assumed from the flashback that Nacht did break his ideals in part because of his brother’s dying regret that they had never fought alongside each other in said role together.
However, chapter #375 adds so many more layers to Nacht’s relationship with Morgen through the devil Lucifugus, exacerbating the situation that killed Morgen. Now, not only did Nacht’s actions result in his brother’s death, but the very thing that he had summoned, which killed Morgen, was now controlling his living corpse. From Nacht’s perspective, his sin had impacted his brother not only once, but twice. Another tragic way of looking at it is that the very thing that had taken Morgen away from his brother by killing him had now brought him back from the dead and was forcing him to fight against him. In the end,Nacht has to kill his brother twice.
Black Clover’s Big Fight Between Nacht, Morgen, and Yami Is The Best Closing Chapter To Their Story
The Series Makes The Long Wait Worth It Again
The scene also serves as the ultimate follow-up to not only the two brothers' story, but also their relationship with Yami. Much earlier in chapter #323,Yami and Nacht had fought alongside each otherfor the first time after they had an incredible falling out when Yami became a Magic Knight against Nacht’s wishes and then befriended his brother. It’s critical to realize that while Nacht had already removed Yami from his life at that time, it was Morgen’s death that cemented the hard feelings that Nacht held for Yami.
Even though the two had effectively “buried the hatchet” in chapter #323, the introduction of Paladins introduced the opportunity for them to face their demons (or devils) on a deeper level, and Yami and Nacht’s battle against the Paladin Morgen allowed them to do just that.
So, while Yami’s transformation is quite monumental, it’s immediately surpassed by the flawless method by whichBlack Clovercontinues to use the concept of Paladins to not only exacerbate a tragic death from a backstory that was believed to be over, but to effectively conclude a story between three characters once separated by death.
Black Clover
Cast
Black Clover, released in 2017, follows orphans Asta and Yuno who aspire to become the Wizard King in a world where magic is paramount. Despite Asta’s lack of powers, their journey unfolds as they receive their grimoires and embark on individual paths towards their ultimate goal.
