Black Clover: Why Asta wasn't promoted to Grand Magic Knight and how it affected him, explained

One of the most exciting developments Black Clover offered its readers in its final arc was confirmation that both Asta and Yuno had been promoted. Fans even got to see Asta’s promotional ceremony, or at least what was able to transpire of it before Lucius’ untimely arrival.

However, one aspect of the ceremony that fans didn’t quite understand the full impact of was the difference in the ranks to which Asta and Yuno were promoted. Although it seemed insignificant at the time, the latest issues of Black Clover have shown that author and illustrator Yuki Tabata included this difference as more than a small nod to Yuno’s natural skill.

This article fully breaks down why Asta was promoted to First Class Senior Magic Knight rather than Grand Magic Knight in Black Clover.

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The subtle difference in the progress made by Asta and Yuno is the reason behind Asta’s recent self-doubts in Black Clover

Upon first learning that Yuno was promoted to a higher rank than he was, Black Clover fans saw Asta brush this fact off since neither had become the Wizard King yet. As far as fans could tell and knew about Asta at the time, this sentiment was a seemingly legitimate one. However, the Hino Country arc has since shed light on how such a difference in rank has affected Asta.

Following his defeat against Lucius and subsequent training loss to Yami Ichika, Asta began doubting himself and his own strength in a way that fans had never seen before. He even began saying that Yuno would have achieved what he was unable to, a sentiment that he had never before displayed in the series.

Unfortunately, such doubts still plague him as far as fans are aware. The last time they were mentioned was while Asta was training to surpass this mentality. Although his appearance on the battlefield in the latest Black Clover issue implies that he has surpassed this mindset, such a crisis of identity and confidence surely cannot just be suddenly resolved.

His reappearance on the battlefield may not necessarily be a confirmation that he’s over this self-doubt, but rescuing Sister Lily from her Paladinified state and the clutches of Lucius will definitely give Asta the boost of confidence needed to fully return to his old self.

Similarly, receiving the stamp of approval from Black Clover’s Ryuzen Seven will also help reinstill his confidence. While Yuno may be a higher rank than Asta in the Clover Kingdom, earning the sign of approval from strong, international warriors is one thing Asta will always have over his childhood friend and rival.

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Why was Asta ranked lower?

Unfortunately, at the time of writing, no official explanation has been given as to why Yuno received a higher rank than Asta. However, there are many logical reasons why such a development would occur.

The most obvious is that Yuno is truly a unique breed of Magic Knight. He’s the only currently-known mage in the series with two Grimoires and also possesses incredibly unique and powerful magic within each Grimoire. Similarly, his being the reincarnation of a half-human, half-Elf child allows him to be “blessed by mana,” giving him much larger natural reserves of it than others.

Another possible reason could be Yuno’s higher rank throughout the series up to this point. When Yuno was promoted to the Golden Dawn’s Vice-Captain position several arcs prior, Asta remained a rank-and-file Magic Knight. Thus, it would make sense that a Vice-Captain was given a higher overall promotion than Asta was.

A third and final reason likely stems from what exactly happened during the 15-month time skip heading into the series’ final arc. It’s possible that Asta focused more of his time on training with Liebe to perfect their Devil Union, whereas Yuno was busy running several missions with his squad as the Vice-Captain.

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