Black Clover: Is Yami Sukehiro Japanese? Explained

In the Black Clover anime, Yami Sukehiro, the Magic Knight Captain of the Black Bulls, has always fascinated the fans of the series. As a foreigner who has come from a faraway land into the Clover Kingdom, Yami's character resembles a Japanese figure.

The Black Clover's setting is heavily influenced by European culture. In fact, the names of the characters are not by any means, Japanese. On the contrary, there are numerous instances of why fans believe that Yami is the representation of a Japanese character in this series.

So, is Yami Sukehiro Japanese? The answer to this question lies in the subtle references in the manga as well as in the anime. This article explains the reasons why it's believed that Yami Sukehiro is a Japanese person in the Black Clover anime.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Black Clover manga

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Several reasons point to Yami Sukehiro being a Japanese character in Black Clover

The way Yuki Tabata has drawn and penned the character of Yami Sukehiro in Black Clover has made the fans ask, "Is Yami Sukehiro Japanese?". The setting of Yuki Tabata's manga, the Clover Kingdom, is the representation of a European land. It was implied in the anime that he came to the Clover Kingdom from a faraway land, after being shipwrecked.

Now, there are numerous reasons to believe that Yami Sukehiro is a Japanese person. Yami Sukehiro has come from the Land of the Sun, which is a direct reference to Japan in real life (Land of the Rising Sun).

Yami's homeland, Land of the Sun (Image via Yuki Tabata)

Furthermore, his full name, Yami Sukehiro, is Japanese, unlike any other characters of the series, such as Asta, Yuno Grinberryal, Julius Nova Chrono, Dorothy, Noelle Silva, and more. All of these names have European influence in them. Moreover, his name, 'Yami', itself stands for Dark in Japanese.

Pieces of evidence are in abundance to establish the point and answer the question "Is Yami Sukehiro Japanese?". In Black Clover, no character apart from Yami uses a Katana, which is a Japanese sword. Additionally, Yami Sukehiro also uses 'Ki' to know the movements of his opponents. According to Japanese and Chinese culture, 'Ki'「氣」stands for Life Energy.

Julius teaching Yami the ways of Clover Kingdom (Image via Studio Pierrot)

When Yami first arrived on the land of Clover Kingdom, it was implied that he had difficulty mingling with the people of the land due to cultural differences. Being a foreigner he was alien to the culture and the language of the Clover Kingdom. It was Julius Nova Chrono, the current Wizard King of Black Clover, who helped him learn the language and adapt to the culture.

His visual appearance is also strikingly similar to that of a Japanese character as compared to other characters in the series. The genius of Yuki Tabata's authorship illustrated a character, deeply enriched in the ways of Japanese culture.

In episode 151 of Black Clover, when Dorothy trapped Yami in her Glamour World, Yami randomly said 'Onsen', 'Sake', and 'Sushi', so that they could pop up. All of these items are Japanese names, and vastly different from the culture of the Clover Kingdom. Since Dorothy couldn't imagine those things, none of them appeared in her Glamour World.

Lastly, in Chapter 337, Yami's homeland, the Land of the Sun was shown. His land was different from the Clover Kingdom. The culture exhibited was strikingly similar to Japanese culture. It was also revealed that Yami was born to the Yami clan of the land. His real name is Sukehiro, whereas the Yami in his name comes from the clan that he belongs to.

Yami's homeland is the representation of Japan in Black Clover. The chief of the land, Ryuya Ryudo, is called Shogun, a title that is exclusively Japanese. Apart from that, the people of the Land of the Sun use scrolls instead of Grimoires to use their magic. Chapter 337 also exhibited the people of Yami's homeland wearing traditional Japanese clothes.

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Overall, Yuki Tabata created Yami Sukehiro in the light of a Japanese figure. In fact, he is probably the only Japanese character present in the Clover Kingdom, which is chiefly modeled upon the European style and culture.