Honestly, trying to figure out where to watch Black Clover in 2026 shouldn't feel like a Magic Knight entrance exam, but here we are. Between expiring licenses, regional lockouts, and the weird split between the original series and the Sword of the Wizard King movie, it’s a bit of a mess.
You want to see Asta scream his lungs out. You want to see Yuno look effortlessly cool. Mostly, you probably just want to know if the 170 episodes currently out are actually available in one place without needing three different logins.
The Heavy Hitters for Streaming Black Clover
Crunchyroll remains the undisputed king here. If you are looking for the most stable place to find the entire run—from the first time Asta gets rejected by Sister Lily to the massive cliffhanger of the Spade Kingdom Raid arc—this is it. They carry both the sub and the dub. It’s consistent.
But there is a catch.
If you're watching for free, the ads are brutal. It’s also worth noting that while Crunchyroll has the series, they don’t have the 2023 movie. For that, you have to jump ship.
Netflix snatched up the exclusive rights to Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King. This is where things get annoying for the completionists. You can’t just binge the whole story in one app. You finish episode 170 on Crunchyroll, then you have to fire up Netflix to see the cinematic spectacle that fills the gap while we all wait for Pierrot to finish their work on Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War so they can finally get back to our favorite magic-less loudmouth.
In certain regions, specifically across parts of Asia and India, Netflix actually carries the TV series as well. If you are sitting in the US or UK, though, you’re stuck with the split.
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What About Hulu and Funimation?
Hulu used to be a prime spot for where to watch Black Clover, but their library is famously "incomplete." They often have the first few seasons—roughly up to episode 51 or the end of the Sea Temple arc—and then it just... stops. If you already pay for Hulu, it’s a great way to dip your toes in. Just don't expect to see the end of the Elf Reincarnation arc there.
Then there’s Funimation.
Since the Sony merger, Funimation is basically a ghost town. Most users have been migrated to Crunchyroll. While the site technically still exists in a legacy capacity, you shouldn't be starting a new subscription there. It's a dead end.
The Weird Legal Nuances of Regional Licensing
Streaming is a game of geography.
- Disney+ Hotstar: In India, this has been a sleeper hit for anime fans, often carrying titles you wouldn't expect.
- iQIYI and Bilibili: If you're in Southeast Asia, these are often the cheapest (or free-with-ads) ways to catch the Clover Kingdom action.
- Adult Swim/Toonami: They still hold certain broadcast rights. If you have a cable login, you can sometimes find blocks of episodes on the Adult Swim app, though it's the least efficient way to binge.
Why the Movie Location Matters
You have to understand that Sword of the Wizard King isn't technically "canon" to the manga's timeline, but it was written with heavy oversight from the creator, Yuki Tabata. It feels like a high-budget lost arc. Because it was produced specifically as a Netflix Original, it’s unlikely to move to Crunchyroll anytime soon.
This creates a fragmented viewing experience.
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You watch the rise of the Black Bulls on one platform, then switch to another for a two-hour visual feast of previous Wizard Kings returning from the dead. It’s a hassle. It’s also the reality of modern anime licensing.
Is It Available in 4K?
Short answer: No.
Black Clover was produced for broadcast television. Even on platforms like Netflix that support 4K HDR, the movie is upscaled. The TV series is standard 1080p. If you see a site claiming to have "4K Black Clover Remastered," it’s likely an AI-upscaled fan project on a pirate site. Avoid those. They're usually riddled with malware and the frame interpolation makes the fight scenes look like soap operas.
Dub vs Sub: Where to Find the Best Quality
The English dub for Black Clover is actually fantastic. Dallas Reid captures Asta’s chaotic energy without making it grating—well, mostly.
If you prefer the dub, Crunchyroll is your best bet because they integrated the old Funimation dubbing team. If you want the original Japanese performances (Gakuto Kajiwara is a legend), every platform listed above offers the subbed version. Interestingly, Netflix’s subtitles for the movie are slightly different in tone than the Crunchyroll translations for the series, which can be jarring if you're a stickler for terminology like "Magic Knight Squads" versus "Order of Magic Knights."
The Physical Media Alternative
For the purists who are tired of wondering where to watch Black Clover every time a licensing deal expires, there’s the Blu-ray route.
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Crunchyroll (via Funimation's old infrastructure) released the series in "Parts." It's expensive. We're talking hundreds of dollars to own the whole thing. But you get the uncut versions. Broadcast television in Japan sometimes has "dimming" during high-action scenes to prevent seizures (a legacy of the infamous Porygon incident from Pokémon decades ago). The Blu-rays remove that dimming. The colors are vibrant. The animation errors are often patched.
Actionable Steps for Your Binge Watch
If you are ready to jump in, follow this specific path to save money and time.
First, check if you already have a Netflix account. Watch the movie after you've at least hit episode 158 to avoid minor character spoilers, though the movie's plot is standalone.
Second, for the main series, grab a Crunchyroll Mega Fan subscription. It allows for offline viewing, which is crucial because Black Clover’s pacing is perfect for commutes. The middle of the series has some heavy recap episodes (looking at you, episodes 123-125). Having the ability to skip forward without the app lagging is a godsend.
Third, if you find yourself hitting a wall with the "filler" episodes—specifically the training arc before the Spade Kingdom—consult a filler guide. Black Clover's filler is actually better than most (some are even "anime canon"), but if you're in a rush to see the big fights, you can skip about 10% of the show without losing the plot.
Finally, keep an eye on official Shonen Jump social media channels. With the manga moving to Jump GIGA and the production cycles of Studio Pierrot changing, where we watch the eventual "Season 5" might change entirely. For now, the Crunchyroll-Netflix split is the only legal way to get the full story.
Pick a platform, start at episode one, and try to ignore Asta's screaming for the first ten episodes. It gets better. Promise.