If you’ve spent any time at all watching Black Clover, you know the title isn't just a fancy job description. It’s everything. It’s the peak of the mountain for every magic user in the Clover Kingdom. But honestly, most fans get a bit turned off by the constant yelling from Asta about becoming the next one without really digging into how the position even started. It wasn’t just a political appointment. It was born out of a literal apocalypse.
The history is messy. It’s bloody. And it’s tied to a massive misunderstanding that nearly wiped out two entire races.
When people ask who was the first wizard king, the name they are looking for is Prince Lumiere Silvamillion Clover. He wasn't just some guy with a lot of mana. He was a visionary who lived five centuries before the main events of the series. Back then, the social divide wasn't just about being a commoner or a royal—it was about the fundamental fear of "the other." Lumiere was the first person in power who didn't look at someone with different magic and see a threat. He saw a partner.
The Man Behind the Legend: Lumiere Silvamillion Clover
Lumiere was weird. Even by royal standards, he was an outlier. While the rest of the Clover royalty was busy hoarding power and looking down on everyone else, Lumiere was tinkering in his workshop. He was obsessed with the idea that magic should belong to everyone. He spent his days creating "magic tools"—basically technology powered by mana—that could allow people with low magic levels to perform tasks on par with the elite.
He wasn't doing this for clout. He genuinely wanted to level the playing field.
His life changed forever when he met Licht. Not the Licht leading the Eye of the Midnight Sun at the start of the anime, but the actual leader of the Elf Tribe. They were kindred spirits. Lumiere had Light Magic—absurdly fast, devastatingly bright—and Licht had Sword Magic. Together, they dreamed of a world where elves and humans lived in peace.
It sounds like a fairy tale, right? It wasn't.
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The Massacre at the Wedding
This is where the story gets dark. Lumiere’s sister, Secre (who fans know as Nero), helped him develop a magic tool to store mana. They wanted to use it for good. But they were betrayed. A devil named Zagred—manipulating the greedy human royals from the shadows—orchestrated the slaughter of the Elf Tribe during Licht’s wedding to Lumiere’s sister, Tetia.
Imagine being Lumiere. You arrive late to find your best friend’s entire race murdered by your own family.
The tragedy is that the elves died thinking Lumiere had set them up. That’s a heavy burden to carry for five hundred years. To stop Licht from being fully consumed by despair and turned into a Dark Elf, Licht used the forbidden magic of the demon-dweller sword to transform himself into a mindless, colossal Ancient Demon. He did it so Lumiere would be forced to kill him, preventing the devil from taking over his body.
Why the Title "Wizard King" Was Created
Lumiere didn't ask to be called a king. He was a survivor.
When the Ancient Demon attacked the capital, the people were helpless. Lumiere had to make a choice that haunted him: kill his best friend to save his kingdom. Using the magic stored in his lamps and his own incredible Light Magic, he took down the demon. The image of him standing atop the skull of the beast became the founding myth of the Clover Kingdom's military structure.
The people didn't see a grieving man who had lost everything. They saw a god.
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They gave him the title of the First Wizard King (Magus Sacerdos) because he represented the pinnacle of what a mage could be. He was the protector. But the cost was high. To ensure the devil Zagred didn't win in the long run, Secre used forbidden Seal Magic to turn Lumiere into a statue on top of the demon's skull, preserving his soul until the day the devil returned.
Breaking Down the Magic
Lumiere's power level was genuinely broken.
- Light Magic: He could move at the speed of light. Literally.
- Magic Tools: He pioneered the use of mana-based technology.
- Four-Leaf Clover Grimoire: Like Yuno, he was chosen by a grimoire that signified luck and immense power.
Most people don't realize that the Wizard King isn't the actual King of the country. There is a King of Clover (like the annoying King Augustus Kira Clover XIII), who handles the "civilian" side. The Wizard King is the commander-in-chief of the Magic Knights. Lumiere set the precedent that the strongest mage should lead the defense of the realm, regardless of how much of a "nerd" they were for magic research.
The 500-Year Gap and the Reawakening
For centuries, Lumiere was just a statue. A legend. Most people in the modern Clover Kingdom didn't even believe he was a real person; they thought he was a symbol.
When he finally reawakened during the Elf Reincarnation arc, we got to see that he hadn't changed. He was still the same polite, curious, and incredibly powerful prince. Even in a partially crumbled, stone-like state, he was able to fight alongside Asta and Licht (who was temporarily brought back).
Watching the First Wizard King interact with Asta was a "passing the torch" moment that the series needed. Lumiere saw in Asta—a kid with zero magic—the fulfillment of his dream. Asta was the ultimate proof that anyone could rise to the top, which was exactly what Lumiere was trying to prove with his inventions 500 years prior.
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The Misconception of the First Wizard King
There's a common mistake in the fandom where people confuse the "First Wizard King" with the "Founding King." They aren't the same. The Clover Kingdom existed before Lumiere, but it was a disorganized mess of feuding nobles. Lumiere gave the kingdom a soul. He gave it a standard to live up to.
Sadly, after he "died," the royals went right back to being terrible. They covered up the massacre of the elves, claimed Lumiere's victory as a sign of royal blood superiority, and built a caste system that would take centuries to start breaking down.
What You Can Learn from Lumiere's Legacy
So, what’s the takeaway? If you’re looking at the history of the first wizard king, it’s a story about failure as much as it is about victory.
- Question the "Official" History: The version of the story the Clover Kingdom told for 500 years was a lie. It erased the elves and made Lumiere look like a conqueror rather than a man trying to stop a tragedy.
- Power is a Tool, Not a Identity: Lumiere didn't care about his status. He cared about what his magic could do for others.
- Innovation Matters: If you're a fan of the series, notice how many "magic tools" start appearing later on. That’s all Lumiere’s influence coming back to life.
If you want to understand the current power struggle in Black Clover, you have to look at the statue on the skull. It’s not just a landmark. It’s a reminder that the greatest mage in history didn't want a throne; he just wanted a friend.
Next Steps for the Lore-Obsessed
To truly grasp the weight of Lumiere’s impact, re-read chapters 204 through 206 of the manga. This is where the fluff is stripped away and you see the raw, unedited version of the massacre. If you’re watching the anime, episodes 115 to 118 cover the reawakening. Pay close attention to the way Lumiere looks at the modern Magic Knights. He isn't proud of the class system they built in his name. He's disappointed.
Stop viewing the Wizard King as just a "rank" and start seeing it as a burden that Lumiere was the first to carry. It changes how you see Asta’s journey entirely.