Black Clover’s world runs on magic, but it also involves a lot of sword work. Mages usually rely on grimoires, mana control, and long-range spellcasting to do the damage for them, with a few exceptions who can still fight face-to-face. Swordsmen (and swordswomen) still need magic to power up their weapons, but they also need actual technique.
Some characters, like Asta, don’t even have any actual magic of their own and rely on their muscles. Others, like Yami or Licht, combine insane magic power with equally insane sword skill, making them nearly impossible to beat in a straight fight. Let’s rank the swordsmen of this anime based on strength.
| TITLE | Black Clover |
| MAL RATING (as of July 29, 2026) | 8.14 / 10 |
| STUDIO | Studio Pierrot |
| RELEASE DATE | Oct 3, 2017 to Mar 30, 2021 |
| STREAMING | Crunchyroll |
8. Ichika Yami’s Zetten Mastery Honors Her Clan
Ichika Yami comes from a family of assassins from the Land of the Sun, where they coat their katanas in their own Ki-based magic. She is actually Sukehiro’s younger sister, who’ll be seen in this list soon. Ichika grew up being underestimated by her own father simply for being a girl, but she pushed past that and became part of an elite group of fighters serving the Shogun.
To actually make sense of her powers, just know that she can cut down an entire forest of bamboo with a single cut of her sword. Her signature move, however, is Zetten, which is an advanced technique that lets her release a blast of energy through her blade. In fact, even Asta trains under her, which speaks volumes. However, she is ranked low because that’s about it when it comes to her.
7. Patry Rains Down Countless Blades of Light
Patry might be best known for his light whip, but that doesn’t mean he is not a swordsman. He inherited a level of skill with Light Magic that makes him one of the strongest with it in the anime. But when he wants to fight up close, he can switch to a proper light sword.
But what really makes Patry stand out is that his swordsmanship isn’t limited to just one blade. He can summon a massive sphere of light that expands and flattens out into countless individual blades, all of which he can fire at his enemies at once. However, he ranks below Yuno because his fighting style is more ranged.
6. Yuno’s Spirit Dive Makes Him a Real Swordsman
Yuno is mostly known for his Wind Magic and, later, his true Star Magic. Over time, he trained enough to be able to turn wind into actual bows, swords, and other weapons that he can launch. However, his skills got really scary when he learned to perform Spirit Dive, fusing with the wind spirit Sylph to massively boost his magic power and combat ability.
In that form, Yuno has fought many enemies at once by mixing his wind and star attacks directly with his swordsmanship. The reason he doesn’t rank higher is that his sword skills are not that good compared to the ones in the top five.
5. Charlotte Roselei Fights as Well With a Sword as a Whip
Charlotte Roselei, captain of the Blue Rose Knights, is best known for her thorny Briar Magic, which she usually uses like a whip. However, even with just a blade, she is extremely strong. Her Briar Magic lets her create dual swords made out of thorns, and she’s used them in real combat.
What makes Charlotte’s swordsmanship rank above Yuno and others is how naturally she blends it with her magic. She’s not just swinging a sword for the sake of it; her thorn blades come with all the danger of her regular Briar Magic attacks, just in a much more precise form. However, she still ranks below Princia Funnybunny because her sword use is more of an extension of her whips.
4. Princia Funnybunny Was Too Strong to Stay Wizard King
Princia Funnybunny, the 11th Wizard King (which alone puts her high in this ranking), is one of the most feared warriors in Black Clover’s history. She fought her way up from a fallen noble family to become an undefeated member of the Blue Rose Knights before eventually taking the throne as Wizard King.
Princia’s specialty is her Legion Magic, which lets her summon and control chess-piece-like soldiers that can grow from tiny figures into full-sized warriors. However, she primarily fights with her own sword first, using her Legion Magic to back herself up rather than replace her blade work. Unlike the ones below her in this ranking, she is a proper swordswoman in every sense.
3. Yami Sukehiro’s Katana Can Cut Through Space
Yami Sukehiro, captain of the Black Bulls, comes from the same Yami Clan as his sister Ichika. Yami’s own reputation as a swordsman is insane; his attitude might make him seem rough, but the respect he gets from other Magic Knight Captains comes entirely from how good he is with a blade.
Yami coats his katana in Dark Magic, and a single slash from it is strong enough to cut through space itself. The longer he channels his Dark Magic into the blade, the bigger and more destructive his attacks become. His katana can even absorb other magic, such as Light Magic, and use that to make his own cuts even stronger. The only reason he ranks below Licht is that Licht’s feats are simply insane.
2. Licht’s Sword Magic Nearly Beat Asta and Yuno Combined
Licht is undoubtedly one of the deadliest swordsmen the anime has ever shown. His Sword Magic lets him generate blades and send out magic-infused slashes, a bit like Sukuna from Jujutsu Kaisen, and he backs all of that up with an overwhelming amount of raw magic power as the leader of the elven race.
When Licht fought Asta and Yuno together, he took the Demon-Dweller Sword right out of Asta’s hands and used it against them, sending both boys flying with a single series of swings. When Yuno tried countering with his Spirit Storm, Licht simply absorbed the spell with his blade and sent it right back at him, which alone is enough to put him this high in the ranking.
1. Asta’s Anti-Magic Swords Are Every Mage’s Nightmare
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Credit: Studio Pierrot -
Credit: Shueisha -
Credit: Studio Pierrot
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Credit: Studio Pierrot -
Credit: Shueisha -
Credit: Studio Pierrot
Asta might be the one character in Black Clover with zero magic of his own, but that’s exactly what makes him the strongest swordsman in the anime. His anti-magic ability means his swords cancel out magic on contact, which turns every mage’s biggest advantage into a serious weakness the second Asta gets close enough to swing.
What really puts Asta at the top, however, is how much he’s grown since the start of the anime. He’s picked up bits of swordsmanship from some of the best fighters in the series, including Yami, Licht, and the Ryuzen Seven, blending all of those different styles into his own. No magic power in the world matters if Asta gets close enough to swing, and that’s exactly why he’s the strongest swordsman Black Clover has ever had.
| RANK | CHARACTER |
| 8 | Ichika Yami |
| 7 | Patry |
| 6 | Yuno |
| 5 | Charlotte Roselei |
| 4 | Princia Funnybunny |
| 3 | Yami Sukehiro |
| 2 | Licht |
| 1 | Asta |
Which of these characters is your personal favorite? Let us know in the comments.
Black Clover is streaming on Crunchyroll.
