Five years. That's how long Black Clover fans waited after Episode 170 aired in March 2021 and left everyone hanging at one of the biggest cliffhangers in modern shonen history. Now, with Black Clover Season 5 (officially titled "Season 2" by Studio Pierrot) confirmed for an October 2026 premiere on Crunchyroll, the entire fandom is buzzing - and also confused. Why on earth is the next season called Season 2 when we clearly watched four seasons already? Is this a reboot? Did the first 170 episodes just get erased from the record? If you've spent the last month down a Reddit rabbit hole trying to figure this out, you're in exactly the right place. This article breaks down everything - the naming situation, why the hiatus happened, what the manga's conclusion means for the anime, and what's actually coming in October 2026.
Quick Answer
Black Clover Season 5 and Black Clover Season 2 are the same thing. Studio Pierrot counts all 170 previous episodes as one continuous "Season 1," so the returning anime becomes "Season 2." It premieres on Crunchyroll in October 2026, adapting the Spade Kingdom Raid Arc.
The "Season 5 vs. Season 2" Naming Confusion, Explained
This is the one that sent the internet into a spin. When Crunchyroll announced Black Clover's return at Anime Expo in July 2025, they called it "Season 2." Not Season 5. Season 2. Fans lost it - in a mix of excitement and "wait, WHAT?" energy that turned into one of the most relitigated debates of the 2025-2026 anime news cycle.
Here's the thing: both names are technically correct, depending on who you ask.
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The Crunchyroll / Fan Season Count (Season 5)
When Funimation (later absorbed into Crunchyroll) released Black Clover on home video in North America, they packaged the episodes into four seasons for their library:
- Season 1: Episodes 1-51
- Season 2: Episodes 52-102
- Season 3: Episodes 103-153
- Season 4: Episodes 154-170
That Western home-video labeling stuck. Fans adopted it. Wikis used it. Reddit organized discussions around it. By the time the anime went on hiatus in 2021, everyone in the English-speaking world was calling whatever came next "Season 5."
The Studio Pierrot / Japanese Count (Season 2)
Studio Pierrot, the production studio behind the anime, never divided those 170 episodes into seasons. In Japan, Black Clover aired continuously on TV Tokyo every week from October 2017 to March 2021 with no seasonal breaks. No split cours. No gaps. Just one long, uninterrupted run.
From Pierrot's perspective, those 170 episodes were always a single production block - a first season by any reasonable definition of the word. The March 2021 finale marked the first genuine break in production. So when work resumed, the studio counted it as Season 2.
Key Stat: According to FandomWire, Black Clover's 170-episode run from October 2017 to March 2021 aired without a single week off - making it one of the longest uninterrupted anime runs of the modern era before its hiatus.
Adding a layer of irony: Crunchyroll - the same platform that created the four-season division - is now the one promoting the returning anime as "Season 2," effectively erasing their own catalog labeling. As CBR noted, this is one of the stranger self-contradictions in recent anime licensing history.
"Whether you call it Season 2 or Season 5, we're all talking about the same glorious return!"
The naming debate even sparked calls for a more creative solution. CBR argued Pierrot should follow Bleach's playbook and subtitle the new season something like Black Clover: Spade Kingdom Raid Arc - a name that sidesteps the number confusion entirely and signals a quality upgrade. Whether Pierrot eventually adopts that approach remains to be seen. For now, the official branding is "Black Clover Season 2," and if that upsets you, just mentally file it under "Season 5" and move on - both are pointing to the same October 2026 premiere.
Why Did Black Clover Go on Hiatus in 2021?
To understand why the return is such a big deal, you need to understand how the hiatus happened in the first place - and it's a story that's honestly a bit of a cautionary tale for how anime productions can run themselves into a corner.
The Anime Caught the Manga
Black Clover's original anime launched in October 2017, just two years after the manga's debut. At that point, creator Yuki Tabata had barely cleared 100 chapters. Studio Pierrot started adapting the manga at roughly one chapter per episode, week after week, year after year, without a break. It was great for fans who wanted a constant content fix. It was a ticking clock for the production.
By the time Episode 170 aired on March 30, 2021, the anime had caught up to Chapter 270 of the manga - and at that moment, Tabata had only published about 284 chapters. The gap was razor thin. As CBR analyzed, Pierrot had two options: cram in filler episodes (the Naruto Shippuden approach that fans despise) or pause production and let the manga build a comfortable lead. They chose the pause - a smarter call than many gave them credit for at the time.
Key Stat: Despite the hiatus, Black Clover ranked as the sixth most-watched anime on Netflix in 2024, logging over 138 million hours on the platform - outpacing Jujutsu Kaisen and Dandadan during their own peak years.
Studio Pierrot Was Also Very Busy
The other factor that kept the anime on ice longer than expected: Studio Pierrot's production pipeline was stacked. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War was entering its most demanding production phases, Boruto was still ongoing, and the 2023 Black Clover film Sword of the Wizard King needed resources too. The prestigious Bleach: TYBW project almost certainly took precedence during the crucial 2022-2024 window, pushing Black Clover's return further down the queue.
From a fan's perspective, five years felt brutal. From a production standpoint, those five years meant the manga eventually grew by over 100 chapters past where the anime stopped - giving the new season a deep, rich well of source material to adapt at a more sustainable, seasonal pace.
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From My Watch History
I remember re-watching Episode 170 in late 2022, trying to fill the void. I'd already finished the Sword of the Wizard King film twice. The hiatus hit differently for me than other anime gaps - Black Clover has this relentless momentum, this feeling that Asta is always about to break through to the next level, and suddenly it just... stopped. I started reading the manga to cope, got deep into the Spade Kingdom arc chapters, and genuinely could not believe the scale of what was coming. What the anime left behind at Episode 170 is, objectively, one of the most tension-loaded pauses in shonen history. The fact that Pierrot chose to wait rather than dilute it with filler? In hindsight, the right call. Even if it meant five years of refreshing Crunchyroll hoping for news.
Everything We Know About Black Clover Season 2 (2026)
Here's the full confirmed picture as of July 2026:
The Announcement Timeline
- July 5, 2025 - Anime Expo 2025 (Los Angeles): Crunchyroll dropped the first official confirmation that Black Clover is returning, alongside a teaser trailer featuring Asta in Devil Union form. Tagline: "Witness the New Legend."
- December 21, 2025 - Jump Festa 2026: Studio Pierrot unveiled a new trailer and confirmed a 2026 premiere window.
- June 14-15, 2026: Anime News Network and Anime Corner reported the October 2026 premiere window alongside the full production staff reveal.
- July 4, 2026 - Anime Expo 2026: Episode 1 received its world premiere screening at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with director Ayataka Tanemura and Asta voice actor Gakuto Kajiwara in attendance.
| Detail | Confirmed Information |
|---|---|
| Premiere Window | October 2026 (Fall 2026 anime season) |
| Studio | Studio Pierrot |
| Director | Ayataka Tanemura (also directed episodes 153-170 and Sword of the Wizard King film) |
| Streaming | Crunchyroll (international, excluding Asia) |
| Broadcast | TV Tokyo (Japan) |
| Format | Seasonal (replacing the old continuous weekly format) |
| Returning Voice Cast | Gakuto Kajiwara (Asta), Nobunaga Shimazaki (Yuno), Kana Yuki (Noelle), Junichi Suwabe (Yami) |
| Script Supervisor | Keiichiro Ochi |
| Music | Minako Seki returning as composer |
| Theme Song | WANIMA (confirmed via Anime News Network, July 2026) |
The Manga Ended - What That Means for the Anime
Here's the part of this story that most anime-only fans might have missed, and it's genuinely significant for understanding why the October 2026 premiere feels different from a typical sequel announcement.
The Black Clover manga officially ended on May 1, 2026, with the publication of its final three chapters (390, 391, and 392) in the Spring 2026 issue of Jump GIGA. After 11 years and 392 chapters - beginning in Weekly Shonen Jump in February 2015 and eventually moving to the quarterly Jump GIGA in December 2023 - Yuki Tabata's story reached its conclusion.
"I'm truly grateful to all the readers who stayed with it until the end. I've been able to keep going this far thanks to that support. Going forward, I want to keep giving it everything I've got so people can continue to enjoy Black Clover."
Tabata moved the manga to the slower Jump GIGA schedule because of ongoing health issues and burnout from years of weekly serialization. Those health struggles also meant the final arc was arguably rushed - the ending covered the climactic Wizard King battle between Asta and Yuno across just three chapters, leaving several major plot threads (Noelle and Asta's relationship, the full scope of Yuno's role as leader of the Golden Dawn) without the breathing room they deserved. As Game Rant reported, there's hope that the final manga volume (Volume 38, releasing August 4, 2026 in Japan) will include expanded epilogue content to give the story a more satisfying close.
Why the Manga Ending Changes Everything for the Anime
This is the key thing anime-only fans need to understand: the anime is still a long way from catching up to where the manga ended. Episode 170 adapted up to roughly Chapter 270. The manga finished at Chapter 392. That means around 122 chapters of content are available for the anime to adapt - enough for multiple seasons at a quality seasonal pace. There is zero risk of the anime hitting a content wall like it did in 2021. Studio Pierrot can plan ahead, budget properly, and animate at the level fans have been demanding since Bleach: TYBW set a new standard.
Pro Tip: If you want to get ahead of the anime, the Black Clover manga is freely available on MANGA Plus (Shueisha's official app) and on Viz Media's platform. Start from Chapter 271 to pick up right where Episode 170 left off.
What Arc Will Black Clover Season 2 Cover?
Season 2 picks up directly from Episode 170, diving into the Spade Kingdom Raid Arc - widely considered the best arc in the entire manga run. Here's a spoiler-light breakdown of what to expect.
Where Episode 170 Left Off
The finale of Season 1 ended with massive stakes: Captain Yami Sukehiro and William Vangeance captured by the Dark Triad - the trio of devil-possessed rulers of the Spade Kingdom. Asta had just completed his training with Nacht, mastering his Devil Union form with Liebe. The Clover Kingdom's Magic Knights are mobilizing for their most dangerous mission yet. Yuno is pushing his limits to compete with Asta and save both the people they love. It's peak setup.
The Spade Kingdom Raid Arc (Manga Chapters 272 onward)
What makes this arc exceptional is its scope. The Dark Triad - Dante, Vanica, and Zenon Zogratis, each powered by a high-ranking devil - stand as the primary antagonists. The arc is expected to cover chapters 272 through approximately 331 for the anime's initial run, though exact episode count has not been officially confirmed. Nearly every Black Clover character gets a meaningful moment. The power ceiling raises dramatically. And Asta's relationship with Liebe - and what it means to wield anti-magic - gets its deepest exploration yet.
- Focus: Asta refining Devil Union with Liebe; rescue mission for Yami and William
- Main Antagonists: Dante Zogratis, Vanica Zogratis, Zenon Zogratis (the Dark Triad)
- Returning Highlights: Noelle's major power-up, Yuno's Spirit Dive evolution, Nacht's complex backstory
- Tone: More emotionally grounded and cinematically paced than earlier arcs
Important: Season 2 is very unlikely to adapt through to the manga's ending at Chapter 392. Pierrot is clearly planning a multi-season approach with the seasonal format. Expect one or two cours (12-26 episodes), then a gap, then Season 3. The era of 50-episode blocks running back-to-back appears to be over.
The Bleach: TYBW Comparison - Fair or Overhyped?
Every conversation about Black Clover Season 2's potential eventually lands here. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War set a new benchmark for what a long-dormant anime revival can look like when a studio fully commits to quality over speed. Studio Pierrot's name appears on both. So the comparison is inevitable - and worth unpacking honestly.
What the Comparison Gets Right
The structural parallels are real. Bleach returned after a decade-long gap with elevated animation budgets, seasonal pacing, and a clear creative vision. Black Clover is returning after a five-year gap with the same studio now explicitly using the seasonal format and promising significantly improved animation. Early trailers for Season 2 show cleaner fight choreography and more dynamic lighting than anything in the original 170-episode run. FandomWire pointed out that Pierrot's work on Bleach: TYBW is direct proof the studio can execute at a cinematic level - and that same team will have had production time to bring those techniques to Black Clover.
Where Expectations Need Tempering
Bleach: TYBW had years of anticipation, a completed manga that ended ambiguously years before the adaptation, and a fan base that had almost mythologized what a revival would look like. Black Clover doesn't carry quite the same cultural weight in Japan, and its original anime - while beloved - was criticized for inconsistent animation during its weekly run. CBR's analysis was direct: the new season desperately needs to fix the pacing problem that caused the original run's issues, and the seasonal format is the clearest signal that Pierrot has learned from that history. If the trailers are anything to go by, Season 2 looks genuinely excellent. But it still has to earn that Bleach comparison episode by episode.
How to Watch Black Clover Season 2
Getting set up to watch is straightforward. Here's the current confirmed picture:
- Primary Streaming (International): Crunchyroll holds the international streaming rights outside of Asia. A Crunchyroll premium subscription is required for same-day simulcast access.
- Japanese Broadcast: TV Tokyo, beginning October 2026.
- English Dub: Expected to follow the Japanese subbed broadcast by two to three weeks, based on Crunchyroll's standard SimulDub schedule. The original English voice cast is anticipated to return.
- Catch Up on Season 1: All 170 episodes of the original run are available on Crunchyroll now. The Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King film is streaming on Netflix - and while it's a standalone story set during the manga's time skip, it provides solid context for where the franchise was heading.
Pro Tip: Anime Corner released a 10-minute recap video covering the key events of Season 1 that's now publicly available on YouTube. Perfect for refreshing your memory before October without rewatching all 170 episodes.
The Bottom Line
The Black Clover Season 5 / Season 2 debate is ultimately a distraction from the actual story - which is that one of the most beloved shonen anime of the past decade is returning in October 2026 with the best creative conditions it's ever had. The manga finished. The source material backlog is deep. Studio Pierrot had years to rethink production. The director returning is the same one who handled the original run's best episodes and the 2023 film. The trailers look better than anything the franchise has produced before.
Whether you call it Season 5 out of habit or Season 2 per the official branding, the important number is October 2026. That's when Asta picks up his sword again. Mark it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Black Clover Season 5 the same as Season 2?
Yes - they are the same anime season. Studio Pierrot treats all 170 original episodes as one continuous "Season 1." Fans and Crunchyroll's home-video library count four seasons based on DVD/Blu-ray packaging. The upcoming October 2026 premiere is "Season 2" by Pierrot's count and "Season 5" by the fan count.
When is Black Clover Season 2 coming out?
Black Clover Season 2 is confirmed to premiere in October 2026 as part of the Fall 2026 anime lineup on TV Tokyo in Japan. Crunchyroll will simulcast internationally. Episode 1 had its world premiere at Anime Expo 2026 on July 4, 2026 - a few months ahead of the broadcast debut.
Why did Black Clover go on hiatus after Episode 170?
The anime caught up too closely to the manga. By Episode 170 (March 2021), only about 14 chapters separated the two. Studio Pierrot paused production rather than create filler content, letting the manga build a substantial lead. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War also occupied significant studio resources during the hiatus period.
How many episodes will Black Clover Season 2 have?
The exact episode count has not been officially confirmed. Given that Pierrot is adopting a seasonal format (rather than the old continuous weekly model), most analysts expect one or two cours - roughly 12 to 24 episodes per cour. Subsequent seasons would continue adapting the remaining manga content.
Where can I watch Black Clover Season 2?
Crunchyroll holds the international streaming rights for Black Clover Season 2 outside of Asia. A premium Crunchyroll subscription is required for simulcast access. The English dub is expected to follow two to three weeks after the Japanese subbed episodes, per Crunchyroll's standard SimulDub schedule.
Did the Black Clover manga end?
Yes. The Black Clover manga officially concluded on May 1, 2026, with Chapter 392 published in Jump GIGA's Spring 2026 issue. Creator Yuki Tabata ended his 11-year run after health issues required him to move to a slower quarterly publication schedule. A final expanded volume is releasing August 4, 2026 in Japan.
What arc will Black Clover Season 2 cover?
Season 2 will adapt the Spade Kingdom Raid Arc, picking up from manga Chapter 271 directly after Episode 170. The arc centers on the Magic Knights' mission to rescue Captain Yami and William Vangeance from the Dark Triad - Dante, Vanica, and Zenon Zogratis - while Asta masters his Devil Union with Liebe.
Is Black Clover Season 2 a reboot or a continuation?
It is a direct continuation, not a reboot. The story picks up exactly where Episode 170 left off. "Season 2" is purely a production label reflecting the new seasonal format - no story content from the original run is being remade, and no episodes are skipped or retconned.
Sources and References
- Black Clover Season 2 Confirms October 2026 Premiere, Returning Director and Main Staff - Anime Corner, June 2026
- 1 Bad Translation Ruined Black Clover's New Season - CBR, November 2025
- Why Is Everyone Calling S5 as Black Clover Season 2? - FandomWire, August 2025
- Black Clover Season 5 Release Date Guide - OFZenAndComputing, July 2025
- Black Clover Manga Officially Ends After 11 Years - Anime Corner, May 2026
- Black Clover Creator Breaks Silence on Ending With Final Goodbye - ComicBook.com, May 2026
- Despite Its Hiatus, Black Clover Still Reigns as One of Netflix's Biggest Anime - Screen Rant, March 2025
- Black Clover's New Season Is Destined to Fail Unless It Fixes the Anime's Fatal Flaw - CBR, November 2025
- Black Clover Has Ended, But August 4 Could Deliver A New Expanded Ending - Game Rant, May 2026
- It's Official, Black Clover Season 2 Just Set a Release for the Anime's Return - ComicBook.com, June 2026
- Black Clover Manga Ends - Anime News Network, May 2026
- Black Clover Season 5 Announced and Will Be Releasing in 2026 - KhelNow, July 2025
