It’s not uncommon for many anime protagonists to strive to be the best at something that seems horribly out of reach. From the first episode of Pokémon, Ash Ketchum wanted to be the best Pokémon Master in the world, and throughout Dragon Ball, Goku has always wanted to be stronger than others. Similarly, in Naruto and Naruto shippuden, Naruto Uzumaki always wanted to be the Hokage. Clover’s main character Negro, Asta, it’s no different.
With the goal of becoming the Wizard King one day, his biggest obstacle remains the fact that he is unable to use magic. Besides that, there are a number of other Magic Knights who are also pursuing this role. While many, like Rill and Yami, would definitely become the Wizard King before Asta, they have set their sights on other targets. Only a few wizards have openly declared that Asta is their rival, which means he has to go through them and destroy his dream of becoming the Wizard King in order to fulfill his.
5 Leopold’s Vermilion
As the Clover progressed Negro, the discrimination present in the Kingdom of Clover between peasants and nobles became more and more apparent as Asta and Yuno continued to face the backlash from their colleagues even though they had already proven their worth on the battlefield. Leopoldo Vermellón stood out among the other nobles, having declared Asta a rival even before he had the opportunity to see him in combat.
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Although it’s clear that Asta has bigger fish to fry when it comes to Magic Knights to overcome on his way to becoming a Wizard King, his rivalry with Leopold has only continued to motivate the younger Vermilion brother to further improve his skills. Given all the work he has been doing, there is no doubt that he will soon become a worthy competition for Asta.
4 Mars
Mars may be from the Diamond Kingdom, but it is no stranger to the Clover Kingdom, having participated in multiple invasions into enemy territory. When Mars made its first appearance, its Flame and Crystal Magic made it unbeatable, so much so that even Yuno and Klaus couldn’t touch it. Only Asta’s unique anti-magic swords were able to defeat him. This loss changed Mars, causing him to regain his memories and thus making him a softer and more compassionate individual.
Although he can never become the Wizard King of the Kingdom of Clovers, he and Asta share similar goals. When Mars was last seen in the anime, he set out to take control of the Diamond Kingdom, transforming it into a peaceful nation. This is similar to Asta’s goal, as he wants to become the Wizard King and eradicate the discrimination that exists between those blessed by mana and those who are not so lucky. With the magician making a promise to be there for the other when they need help, they essentially made a pact to continue training so that in the event that one really needs the other, they can take over from the other.
3 Yuno
Although Yuno may not be Asta’s strongest rival, there is no doubt that he will soon be if he continues to progress at the rate that he has. In a single year, he has become a first-class Magic Knight and has even become the vice-captain of the Golden Dawn. Not only was he chosen to wield a four-leaf clover grimoire, but he was also blessed with spirit magic, being able to wield the spirit of the wind. Yuno’s achievements continue to push Asta to train hard, as Asta knows it won’t take long for him to completely fall behind Yuno.
What makes their relationship so special is their identical upbringing: they were both raised as orphans in Hage. But while Yuno seemed to have everything going for him, Asta had to work twice as hard to get half of Yuno’s praise. Even after everything he’s done, many Magic Knights still doubt Asta’s abilities, but even before he received his grimoire, Yuno never did. His sarcastic comments only serve to motivate Asta, but it is clear that he respects him more than most. It’s clear that Yuno and Asta will one day be forced to duel for the title of King of Wiard, which will undoubtedly result in one of the biggest fights of the series.
2 Vermilion Fireleon
Unlike many royal families, vermilions have been shown to overlook status and instead see an individual’s worth in proportion to their strength and potential. After seeing Asta in action during Rades’s attack on the Royal Capital, Fuegoleon admitted that Yami’s foresight was better than anyone else, having seen Asta’s courage when no one else did. When Asta was fighting to defeat Rades, Fuegoleon used his powerful Fire Magic to defeat him, showing Asta how strong he would have to be if he hoped to one day become the Wizard King.
While Yuno is Asta’s most prominent rival, Fuegoleon is one of the strongest, and with Salamander, the spirit of fire, now under his belt, there’s no way Asta can go head-to-head just yet. Not only would he have to hone his skills with his anti-magic swords, he would also have to hone his Black Horn form as it presents his only chance to surpass Fireolon in terms of raw power.
1 Nozel Silva
Although Nozel Silva possesses some likeable qualities, it can’t be helped that he has played a role in discriminating against commoners, especially those who lack the extensive mana reserves that he and his siblings had been blessed with. When the Kingdom of Clover was attacked by elves, Nozel showed little compassion for the villages of commoners like Hage that were being ravaged, refusing to even stop to help Yuno and Asta save their hometown. As the series progressed, fans learned that he treated Noelle with such disdain simply because it was the only way he thought of dissuading her from joining the battlefield, although in the long run this did more harm than good to her psyche.
His rivalry with Fuegolón was recognized early in the series, and after Fuegolón was mutilated by Patolli, Nozel was determined to take down the dark goblin to avenge his rival. With Asta and Yuno right behind him, he proclaimed that he would be the one to become the Wizard King. Neither of them could argue with him, as he had seen how superior his magic was to theirs (and even to Fireholon’s, although this changed after Fireholon inherited Salamander). It’s almost terrifying to think that Asta will have to grow stronger than him if he wants to one day sit on the throne of Julius.
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