Five years after the original television run stopped at Episode 170, Black Clover is finally preparing to throw fans straight back into the Spade Kingdom Raid.

And the newly revealed preview for Episode 171 makes one thing very clear:

There is no slow return.

The Magic Knights are already preparing for war.

The episode is titled "The War Begins", and its newly released preview images and synopsis reveal what Asta, Yuno and the other Magic Knights have been doing before the battle against the Dark Triad finally begins.

For Asta, that means taking his partnership with Liebe to another level.

For Yuno, it means preparing to face the man who already defeated him once.

And for the Clover Kingdom as a whole, it means attempting to rescue Yami Sukehiro and the other captives before the Spade Kingdom's plan reaches its next stage.

Asta and Liebe Have a New Goal

The biggest change waiting for Asta is his relationship with Liebe.

The two are no longer simply enemies forced into the same situation.

After completing the Devil-Binding Ritual, Asta and Liebe are now training together to master Devil Union.

That distinction matters.

Asta's Anti-Magic has always been one of the strangest powers in the world of Black Clover. Unlike conventional magic, it allows him to cancel and repel magical attacks.

But the Spade Kingdom conflict demands more than simply possessing Anti-Magic.

Asta needs to use his power more effectively.

And Devil Union represents a major step in that direction.

The problem?

Mastering a new power before entering a war against some of the strongest enemies in the series is hardly a comfortable training exercise.

Asta has already experienced how dangerous the Dark Triad can be.

Now he's going back in with even more at stake.

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Yuno Has Something to Prove

Asta isn't the only one preparing for a rematch.

Yuno is training to defeat Zenon.

That isn't just another battle on the mission list.

Zenon already defeated Yuno during the previous stages of the conflict and played a major role in the capture of William Vangeance.

Now Yuno has a very personal reason to return to the battlefield.

He wants to rescue Vangeance.

And he wants to overcome the opponent who previously beat him.

The latest Episode 171 synopsis specifically places Yuno's training alongside Asta and Liebe's Devil Union training, making the parallel between the two rivals impossible to miss.

Both are preparing for opponents who have already demonstrated that they can overwhelm them.

But they're approaching that problem differently.

Asta is learning to work with Liebe.

Yuno is developing his own abilities so that he can close the gap between himself and Zenon.

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The Dark Triad Isn't Waiting

While the Clover Kingdom prepares its rescue operation, the enemy is already moving.

In the Spade Kingdom, Morris — a magical scholar who was expelled from the Diamond Kingdom — is preparing to open the gates of the underworld.

That changes the scale of the conflict.

The goal isn't simply to defeat a few powerful enemies.

The Dark Triad's plans are connected to something much larger.

And the underworld is at the centre of it.

The new episode synopsis ends by making the situation especially clear:

the battle between the elite Magic Knights and the Dark Triad is finally beginning.

This is where the story that fans have been waiting years to see animated properly begins moving again.

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Yami Is Still the Target

For many Black Clover fans, one of the biggest reasons this return matters is simple:

Yami needs to be rescued.

The Dark Triad abducted Yami along with William Vangeance because of the role the two captains play in the enemy's plan.

Yami isn't just another captured Magic Knight.

He's Asta's captain.

He's one of the people who gave Asta a chance when almost everyone else dismissed him.

And he's one of the strongest fighters in the Clover Kingdom.

The rescue mission therefore carries both a strategic and emotional weight.

Asta isn't entering the Spade Kingdom simply because the kingdom needs saving.

He's going after someone who has repeatedly stood behind him.

Asta's Growth Will Be Tested Immediately

One of the most interesting things about Episode 171 is how quickly the story gets to the point.

There is no need to spend several episodes explaining what happened five years ago.

The setup is already established.

Yami is captured.

William is captured.

The Dark Triad is preparing its plan.

Asta and Liebe have completed their ritual.

Yuno has trained for a rematch.

Now the Magic Knights have to act.

That makes the return feel less like a new beginning and more like someone pressing play on a story that stopped years ago.

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The Dark Triad Still Represents a Massive Problem

The Dark Triad members — Dante, Vanica and Zenon — were introduced as some of the most dangerous enemies the Clover Kingdom had faced.

Their connection to powerful devils made them fundamentally different from many of the opponents Asta and the other Magic Knights had previously encountered.

And each member has already demonstrated a different kind of threat.

Dante's overwhelming strength pushed Asta and the Black Bulls to their limits.

Vanica's conflict with Noelle and the Heart Kingdom created another major battlefield.

Zenon defeated Yuno and captured William.

Now the Magic Knights are returning to confront them again.

But this time, the heroes aren't approaching the conflict exactly as they did before.

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Why Devil Union Could Change Asta's Battles

Asta's Anti-Magic has always come with an obvious advantage:

magic cannot simply overpower it in the normal way.

But that doesn't mean Asta automatically wins.

He still needs the physical ability, speed and endurance to get close enough to use his swords.

Devil Union changes that equation.

By combining with Liebe's power more directly, Asta can push his Anti-Magic abilities much further.

That could be crucial against enemies whose magical power operates on an entirely different scale.

The preview doesn't reveal every detail of what Asta will accomplish with Devil Union.

But it confirms that mastering it is one of the key things he has been working towards before the raid. 4

And considering who is waiting on the other side, he is going to need every advantage he can get.

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Yuno's Rematch With Zenon Could Be Just as Important

Yuno's situation is slightly different.

He isn't learning to work with another personality living inside him.

He's pushing his own abilities further.

The objective is straightforward:

defeat Zenon.

But there is something personal underneath it.

Yuno has spent much of the series competing with Asta.

They constantly push each other forward.

Whenever one improves, the other refuses to stay behind.

Zenon's previous victory therefore represents more than a simple defeat.

It's one of the moments that showed Yuno how far he still had to go.

Now he has another chance.

And this time, William Vangeance's rescue is also on the line.

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The Five-Year Wait Changes How This Episode Feels

There is another reason Episode 171 is different from an ordinary season premiere.

The previous Black Clover TV anime ended in March 2021 after 170 episodes.

The new season is returning after a gap of more than five years.

During that time, the manga continued and eventually completed its serialization.

So fans who have followed the manga already know how much story remains to be adapted.

Anime-only viewers, meanwhile, are about to experience the continuation of the story for the first time.

That makes the return particularly interesting.

There is no need to introduce a completely new world.

The characters already exist.

The rivalries already exist.

The enemies have already been established.

The story simply has to continue.

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And the Timing Could Not Be More Appropriate

The new season is scheduled to premiere on October 3, 2026, with Episode 171 serving as the beginning of the return. Crunchyroll is also streaming the new season internationally.

The newly released preview gives fans their first proper look at the opening chapter of that return.

The episode is not teasing some distant conflict.

The conflict is already here.

Asta is training.

Yuno is preparing for Zenon.

Yami and William remain captured.

Morris is preparing the underworld ritual.

And the Magic Knights are preparing to attack.

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What Episode 171 Sets Up

Based on the newly released synopsis, there are several things worth watching closely when the episode arrives:

1. Asta and Liebe's Devil Union

How far has Asta actually progressed?

The preview confirms the training, but the real test will be whether he can use the form effectively in a genuine battle.

2. Yuno's Preparation

Yuno has already lost to Zenon once.

His next confrontation will show exactly how much he has grown since that defeat.

3. The Rescue Mission

The Magic Knights aren't simply invading the Spade Kingdom.

Their immediate objective includes rescuing the people captured by the Dark Triad.

4. Morris and the Underworld

Morris' preparations introduce the larger threat behind the conflict.

The gates of the underworld aren't a minor detail.

They are connected to the Dark Triad's larger plan.

5. The Dark Triad

The three members have already established themselves as major threats.

Now the Magic Knights are coming for them.

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The War Really Is Beginning

After all the waiting, Black Clover isn't returning with a quiet character reunion.

It's returning with a rescue mission, a rematch, a new power for Asta and an enemy preparing to unleash the underworld.

The title "The War Begins" therefore isn't just dramatic wording.

It accurately describes where the story has reached.

Asta and Liebe are training to fight as one.

Yuno is preparing for Zenon.

The Magic Knights are moving against the Spade Kingdom.

And somewhere inside enemy territory, Yami and William are still waiting to be rescued.

The long wait is almost over.

The Spade Kingdom Raid is finally coming back to television.

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