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Black Clover chapter 342 was officially released on Sunday, October 30, bringing with it some exciting backstory to Yami Sukehiro and Yami Ichika’s upbringing. Fans also finally got to see the aftermath of the alleged massacre, which Ichika is positive her brother Sukehiro was responsible for.
Indeed, Black Clover chapter 342’s reveal of these events certainly makes it hard to defend Yami with how apparently guilty he is. Although there will likely be some explanation to absolve him (the beginnings of which are present in this issue), fans have no choice but to consider him guilty based on current evidence.
Follow along as this article fully breaks down Black Clover chapter 342.
Black Clover chapter 342 gives fans nearly undeniable evidence against Captain Yami
Yami clan's origins and upbringings
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Black Clover chapter 342 begins with Ichika sharing the history of the Yami clan, who are allegedly descended from a group of assassins known as “kijin.” During times of war, these ancestors of the Yami clan distinguished themselves on many battlefields, before being out in charge of guarding the Goshunregion, ruled by the Ryudo clan.
Black Clover chapter 342 then sees Ichika tell the legend of a five-headed dragon rampaging through Hino Country, before being stopped by a heavenly maiden. The dragon’s yoryoku allegedly seeped out after, “turning the ocean black and stagnant, twisting space and time, and connecting it to Hell.”
The scene then changes to Ichika and Sukehiro’s childhood home, where their father is ranting about the Yami clan’s proud origins, and how they shouldn’t be guarding this far-out territory. He asks for confirmation, which Sukehiro doesn’t give, prompting him to move towards Sukehiro when he notices Ichika giving him a look.
This sets him off as he begins ranting and raving about how she’s the spitting image of her mother, who died during childbirth, before calling her “deadweight who can’t fight.” Sukehiro blocks his attempt at hitting Ichika, seemingly impressing his father in the process. His father applauds Sukehiro’s strength, saying he’ll be the one to inherit the “Demon-God” title, given to the clan’s strongest fighter.
Sukehiro says that nobody cares, leaving to take Ichika fishing. Black Clover chapter 342 then sees Sukehiro catching fish, while Ichika and other Yami clan members watch. Ryudo Ryuya then appears, asking to join in the fun, as someone refers to him as “young master” to warn him of his clothes getting dirty.
Ryuya then joins his friends Ichika and Yami, where he begins discussing his dream of Hino Country being a place where everyone lives and laughs together equally. Black Clover chapter 342 sees Sukehiro initially tease, but then applaud Ryuya’s words as Ichika’s flashback takes a quick break.
Black Clover chapter 342: Yami’s crime and a battle begins
Black Clover chapter 342 then returns to the present, where Ichika is calling Sukehiro a liar, calling him a “Demon-God… worse than father.” Ichika’s flashback then resumes, showing a bloodied Ryuya and Ichika looking in shock at something. The next panel also reveals a bloodied Sukehiro, standing with a katana amidst at least a dozen dead bodies.
Ichika claims that, at 13 years old, Sukehiro massacred their father and their entire clan. Black Clover chapter 342 returns to the present, where Asta is in disbelief. Ichika, meanwhile, berates her brother for abandoning her and Ryuya and fleeing to the Clover Kingdom, “living the easy life overseas.”
Ichika ridicules Asta for trusting him, but he doubles down on his faith in Captain Yami, saying it must be some kind of mistake and that he believes in the Captain Yami he knows. Ichika, clearly getting angry, calls him a fool while saying she saw the events with her own eyes. Asta, however, refuses to back down, even if she is Captain Yami’s sister.
An angered Ichika pulls out her Yoryoku Scroll, telling Asta to prove it by using the strength Sukehiro taught him in a training session. She tells Asta she’ll also get serious, casting a spell that modifies her armor similar to Noelle’s Valkyrie Armor in concept, but with Dark Magic instead. The spell’s official name is “Dark Yojutsu: Dark-Cloaked Black Warrior.”
Black Clover chapter 342 then comes to an end as Ichika tells Asta not to blame her if he dies.
Final thoughts
Black Clover chapter 342 is, overall, an exciting chapter which finally provides clarity on exactly what Captain Yami may have done as a child. The issue also does a great job of further characterizing Ichika, portraying her as someone who feels betrayed by her closest ally. However, there is likely some explanation as to what happened that night which will eventually vindicate Sukehiro.
The issue also finally gives fans an opportunity to see just what Ichika can do. While the training sessions in the arc so far have been a good tease, they’re merely scratches on the surface compared to what she’s likely capable of. While Anti-Magic will likely save the day for Asta, the fight should at least be entertaining and give Ichika a chance to show her stuff.
The issue also seemingly does an origin story to the Yami clan’s Dark Magic powers, which both Ichika and Yami seem to have, as does most likely the rest of the clan. Assuming the region of the Yami clan guards is where the five-headed dragon’s yoryoku spilled out, this explains why Ichika chose to open her flashback with that. It may even be used to also explain why Sukehiro massacred his clan.
Be sure to keep up with all Black Clover manga and film news, as well as general anime, manga, film, and live-action news, as 2022 progresses.
