Look, the timeline for Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King is a bit of a mess if you try to overthink it. You’ve got the anime ending at episode 170, the manga still chugging along in a different magazine, and then this Netflix movie that feels like it’s floating in no-man's-land. If you're asking when should i watch the black clover movie, the short answer is: after episode 170.
I know, I know. Technically, the movie happens before the show ends. But watching it that way is a trap. If you watch it chronologically, you’re going to get hit with spoilers that’ll ruin the final arc of the anime. It’s better to treat it as a massive, high-budget encore once you’ve finished the main series.
Where does the movie actually fit in the story?
Chronologically, Sword of the Wizard King sits smack in the middle of the six-month time skip. Specifically, it’s tucked between Episode 157 and Episode 158.
This is that period where Asta and the gang are training in the Heart Kingdom to get ready for the Spade Kingdom invasion. Asta is already looking bulkier, he’s got his new outfit, and he’s starting to master that black arm. But here’s the kicker: even though the story "happens" then, the movie assumes you already know things that aren't revealed until the very end of the show.
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For example, there are characters like Nacht Faust and certain reveals about Liebe (Asta’s devil) that pop up in the movie. If you’re only on episode 157, seeing these faces will make zero sense, or worse, spoil the "who is that?" mystery that the show builds up for another dozen episodes.
Is the movie canon or just a side quest?
This is where the fandom gets into shouting matches. The movie is "anime canon." Basically, the manga author, Yūki Tabata, didn’t write this specific story in his weekly chapters, but he oversaw the whole thing and designed the new characters. He even said this was a story he wanted to put in the manga but just didn't have the space for.
The Wizard Kings we meet—Conrad Leto, Edward Avalaché, Princia Funnybunny, and Jester Garandaros—are technically real people in the Black Clover lore. Their backstories are legit. But because the movie has to wrap up in two hours without breaking the main plot, nothing that happens in the film is ever mentioned again in the manga or the later episodes. It’s a self-contained explosion of magic.
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The "I'm in a hurry" watch order
If you absolutely cannot wait until episode 170, you can watch it earlier, but you need to hit a specific milestone first.
Do not watch the movie before Episode 158. If you watch it before then, the power levels will feel totally broken. Asta is suddenly doing things he hasn't learned yet. If you've finished the "Elf Reincarnation" arc and you're deep into the training episodes, you're mostly safe, but you'll still be confused by some of the cameos.
Honestly? Just wait. The jump in animation quality between the weekly show and the movie is jarring in the best way possible. Studio Pierrot went all out on the budget here. Watching it after the "finale" of episode 170 feels like a reward for sitting through some of those earlier, rougher-looking episodes of the series.
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A quick breakdown of the sequence:
- Episodes 1–157: The main journey.
- Episodes 158–170: The Spade Kingdom preparation and the beginning of the big war.
- The Movie: Sword of the Wizard King.
- The Manga: Pick up at Chapter 270 if you want to know what happens next.
Why the movie is actually worth your time
A lot of anime movies are just fluff—boring side stories where the characters go to a beach and fight a guy who looks like a grape. This isn't that. Conrad Leto is a genuinely compelling villain because he’s basically what Asta could have become if he lost his hope.
Plus, seeing the previous Wizard Kings in action gives a lot of weight to the title Asta is chasing. It’s not just a fancy name; it’s a legacy of some pretty terrifyingly powerful (and sometimes crazy) people.
To get the most out of the experience, finish the TV series first. You'll appreciate the character growth more, and you won't be scratching your head wondering why a shadow-magic spy is suddenly standing in the background of a shot. Once you’ve hit that episode 170 cliffhanger, head over to Netflix and let the movie satisfy that craving for more Clover Kingdom action.
Since the anime is currently on a long hiatus, the movie is the perfect "bridge" to keep the hype alive while we wait for the eventual return of the TV show or more manga chapters. It doesn't change the ending of the show, but it definitely makes the world feel a whole lot bigger.
Go finish the anime first. It's the only way to watch it without feeling like you missed a chapter of the manual.