Black Clover Watch Order: The Complete Guide, Filler Decoded & Season 2 Included
📅 September 27, 2026 · ⏱ 9 min read · 🍀 170 Episodes + Season 2 Starting Oct 2026
Start Reading The Movie Placement ProblemBlack Clover’s watch order is mostly simple — 170 episodes in release order, then a movie — but there are two things that trip up newcomers: where exactly the Sword of the Wizard King film fits (its official placement and the spoiler-safe placement are different), and which of the many filler blocks are actually worth sitting through versus skipping entirely.
This guide sorts both out. You get a clean recommended order, a full arc-by-arc breakdown with every filler block flagged, the movie placement problem explained clearly, and the freshest possible coverage of Black Clover Season 2 — which premieres on Crunchyroll from October 3, 2026, ending a five-year wait for anime-only fans.
Watch Episodes 1–170 → Sword of the Wizard King (2023) → Black Clover Season 2 (from October 3, 2026). The movie is technically set between episodes 157 and 158, but contains spoilers from later in the run — safer to watch it after episode 170. Skip filler blocks at episodes 136–141 and 150–157 if you want a tighter run.
The Recommended Watch Order (Full)
This is the cleanest path through the franchise, arc by arc. Filler clusters are flagged inline so you know exactly where the optional stretches fall.
Asta and Yuno receive their grimoires and join their respective Magic Knight squads. Asta joins the Black Bulls, the kingdom’s most chaotic squad, while Yuno joins the elite Golden Dawn. The franchise’s origin and fastest-paced stretch.
Magic Knights from all squads compete in a tournament to join a special team targeting the Eye of the Midnight Sun. Asta’s anti-magic abilities begin to set him apart in battles where every opponent can use powerful spells.
The true nature of the Eye of the Midnight Sun is revealed as an ancient elf reincarnation ritual threatens to destabilise the entire kingdom. The series’ first major escalation in scale and one of its strongest arcs.
Asta and the Black Bulls train in the Heart Kingdom as the threat of the Spade Kingdom’s Dark Triad looms. Heavy power-up content introducing devil powers and setting up the arc that Season 2 will cover.
Mixed bag of recap, comedy, and transition episodes between arcs. Episode 131 and 134–135 are canon and worth watching; the surrounding cluster is mostly filler that doesn’t advance the plot.
The longest continuous filler stretch in the series, inserted as a buffer before the Spade Kingdom Raid arc. Squad recap episodes and standalone side stories. Skip freely — jump from episode 149 to 158 without losing anything.
The full assault on the Spade Kingdom begins as Asta and his allies storm the Dark Triad’s stronghold. The anime ends at episode 170, mid-arc, leaving the story at a significant battle cliffhanger. Season 2 picks up exactly here.
Four former Wizard Kings are resurrected and seek to destroy the Clover Kingdom. Officially set between episodes 157 and 158, but contains visual and power-level references that spoil the later episodes of Season 1 — watch it here, after episode 170, rather than at its canonical placement. Non-canon to the manga, adapted from a light novel.
The long-awaited return, five years after Season 1 ended. Director Ayataka Tanemura and Studio Pierrot come back to finish the Spade Kingdom Raid arc and carry the story through to the manga’s conclusion. Simulcasting on Crunchyroll internationally from October 3.
A chibi-style parody series with zero bearing on the main plot. Watch after you’re done with everything else for a comedic cool-down. Non-essential but charming if you’ve grown attached to the cast.
The Movie Placement Problem — Decoded
Sword of the Wizard King has two different “correct” placements depending on who you ask, and neither is completely right for every viewer. Here’s exactly what the conflict is.
| Placement | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| After Episode 157 (official) | Matches the canonical timeline | ⚠️ Spoils references from episodes 158–170 |
| After Episode 170 (recommended) | ✅ No spoilers, cleanest experience | Small narrative mismatch with official placement |
Filler Guide: What to Skip and What to Watch
Black Clover has roughly 30 filler or heavily filler-leaning episodes across its 170-episode run — modest compared to most long-running shonen. The fillers are clustered in predictable places between arcs rather than scattered throughout, which makes them easy to navigate.
| Episodes | Type | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Episode 4 | Filler | Skip — Early standalone Black Bulls comedy |
| Episodes 13–14 | Filler | Skip — Wizard King content unrelated to main arc |
| Episode 19 | Filler | Skip — Royal Knights pre-arc filler |
| Episode 29 | Mixed | Optional — Character development content |
| Episode 66 | Filler | Skip — Recap-heavy |
| Episode 123 | Filler | Skip — Squad side-story |
| Episode 130 | Filler | Skip — Post-Elf arc wrap-up filler |
| Episodes 132–133 | Filler | Skip — Transition filler |
| Episodes 136–141 | Filler Block | Skip — Six consecutive filler episodes |
| Episodes 150–157 | Largest Filler Stretch | Skip — Eight episodes; jump from 149 to 158 |
Black Clover Season 2 — What to Know Before October 3
After a five-year gap since the anime ended in March 2021, Season 2 is finally here. Here’s what’s confirmed as of this guide going live.
Premieres October 3, 2026
Confirmed for TV Tokyo in Japan and simultaneous streaming on Crunchyroll internationally. The first episode screened exclusively at Anime Expo 2026 on July 4 for attendees.
Covers the Spade Kingdom Raid
Season 2 picks up directly from episode 170’s cliffhanger, continuing the assault on the Spade Kingdom, the Dark Triad, and the full Advent of Qliphoth arc that the manga completed.
Same Director, New Energy
Ayataka Tanemura returns to direct, having previously steered the anime’s strongest later episodes and Sword of the Wizard King. Studio Pierrot described the new season as aiming for “a more powerful” visual standard than Season 1’s latter half.
Manga Has Concluded
Yuki Tabata’s manga finished its run in 2025 after over a decade in Weekly Shonen Jump, meaning Season 2 now has a complete source to adapt with a definitive ending already in hand.
Quick Reference Table: Every Entry in the Franchise
| Title | Episodes | Year | Essential? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jump Festa 2016 OVA | 1 | 2016 | Optional (not on streaming) |
| Black Clover Season 1 | 170 | 2017–2021 | Must Watch |
| Squishy! / Mugyutto! Black Clover | 8 shorts | 2019 | Optional Chibi Spin-Off |
| Sword of the Wizard King | 1 film | 2023 | Non-Canon, Fun Side Story |
| Black Clover Season 2 | TBA | Oct 3, 2026 → | Must Watch |
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Verdict: What’s the Best Way to Watch Black Clover?
For most viewers: watch Season 1’s 170 episodes in release order, skipping the filler clusters around episodes 136–141 and 150–157 if pacing matters to you, then watch Sword of the Wizard King as a non-canon treat before jumping into Season 2 from October 3.
The movie placement debate is real but not worth overthinking — it’s a non-canon side story regardless, so the difference between watching it at episode 157 versus episode 170 is mostly about avoiding accidental spoilers rather than narrative logic.
And with the manga now complete and Season 2 finally adapting the Spade Kingdom Raid arc that has had fans waiting five years, Black Clover arrives at its second TV season in rare shonen position: a story that’s already finished on the page, ready to end properly on screen.
Ready to Start Watching?
Bookmark this page — we’ll keep updating it as Season 2 airs from October 3. And if this guide helped, check out our other watch order guides below.
View All Watch Order Guides