Black Clover: How the current arc shows Asta's weakened mental state

With the unofficial release of the latest Black Clover chapter, fans were given an inside look into Asta’s mind following the most recent events. Unsurprisingly, the protagonist feels weak and useless, believing that his rival Yuno may have done better than he did in protecting Sister Lily and fighting off Lucius Zogratis.

However, a significant thing to notice over here is that this is the first time Asta might be feeling this way in Black Clover. While he has been down on his luck before, the disappointment in his own abilities he has developed is something new to see for the character.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Black Clover manga.

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Events in Black Clover’s final arc have seemingly broken Asta’s resolve, at least partially

Asta’s weakened mental state

The final arc of Black Clover has been an absolute joy for readers so far. Upon returning from hiatus, fans were instantly taken by the actionsome events, with Lucius Zogratis appearing to turn Sister Lily into a Paladin and send Asta across the world. In the process, the latter's perception of Julius as an infallible Wizard King was crushed before his eyes.

While these events are traumatic on the surface, they seem to have truly broken one of the core tenets of Asta’s characterization. Throughout the entire series, the protagonist has always been able to have faith in himself and his determination, no matter what stands in his way. His motto of never giving up proves this inarguable.

Yet, Black Clover chapter 345 sees Asta question himself, his resolve, and the progress he has made so far. He recognizes that he couldn’t protect Sister Lily, he was easily beaten by Lucius, and his impatience upon arriving in Hino Country. Even after arriving and being given help, he found himself wallowing in self-doubt, which was only exacerbated by his loss to Yami Ichika.

This is a side of Asta that fans have never seen up to this point in the series. Even after accepting all his failures, the protagonist says that he can’t become the Wizard King with his lack of faith in himself. It’s so apparent that even Mushouga Takeyooga, the Ryuzen Seven member Asta trains with in chapter 345, recognizes this and calls him out on it.

While Asta has always had some internal doubts at his lowest points throughout the series, he has always put on a brave face for those around him. The fact that he can’t even hide the emotions he’s currently reeling from emphasizes that his mental state is the weakest and most fragile at the moment, and understandably so.

Although chapter 345 seems to show Asta getting fired up once more in some of its final panels, the emotional impact of his failures won’t simply disappear. Moreover, fans are due to see an emotionally charged moment in the upcoming chapters when Asta confronts Paladin Sister Lily after he completes his training.

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