Julius Novachrono was the 28th Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom and an incredibly powerful individual who set a high standard right from the get-go in the story. Julius was introduced very early on in Black Clover, and his Time Magic became a topic of fascination among fans due to its overwhelming potential and abilities.
The truth about Julius was only revealed near the end of Black Clover. The same body of the Wizard King was shared with another soul, and his innate ability, instead of Time Magic, was that of Soul Magic. Needless to say, Julius was an absolute calamity to take on in battle, and even by the end of Black Clover, he still stands as one of the strongest characters of all time. Only a few characters can truly come to call themselves his rivals.
6
Yami
- Magic Attribute: Dark Magic
- Magic Knight Squad: Black Bulls
In overall power, Yami is definitely not as strong as Julius. Julius was the Wizard King, after all, and possessed overpowered magic abilities that only the best of the best can hope to even withstand. That said, Yami still stands as the strongest Magic Knight Captain of the former generation, and he was able to achieve this rank via his powerful magic attribute of Dark Magic. Dark magic is rare and coveted, and when used in conjunction with his swordsmanship skills, Yami is able to take down many powerful foes of the Black Clover world.
Through the usage of Dark Magic, Yami is able to slice the fabric of reality itself. With an ability like this, even Julius’s Time Magic wouldn’t be able to trap Yami. Yami would be an extremely difficult enemy for Julius to take down. The former Wizard King would have to go all out for a chance at victory. One thing we can say for sure is that Yami can hold his own for some time against him, unlike most characters.
5
Lucifero
- Magic Attribute: Gravity Magic
- Magic Knight Squad: N/A
The strongest devil of the Black Clover world would not only rival but likely outclass the former Wizard King, Julius Novachrono, and this devil is none other than Lucifero. Lucifero made his physical debut in Black Clover during the Spade Kingdom Raid arc.
He was only able to manifest 50% of his powers, and yet he was able to wreck almost any enemy in his way. He completely humiliated powerful Magic Knight Squad captains like Yami and Mereoleona. His devil powers are simply too much for even some of the best mages to handle. Possessing full dominion over Gravity Magic, his power would distort even Julius’s time control. It’s hard to see how Julius would stand a chance against 100% manifested Lucifero.
4
Noelle
- Magic Attribute: Water Magic
- Magic Knight Squad: Black Bull
Noelle Silva is one of the strongest characters of the new generation of Black Clover. While she is slightly weaker than Asta and Yuno, she still stands in the same ranks as them. Born with a Water Magic affinity, Noelle has developed tremendously over the course of Black Clover and has become an essential part of the story.
Noelle first had access to the Water Spirit Undin, but after losing her power, she made a binding contract with the Leviathan, which granted her the powers of a primordial being. With her Valkyrie Dress Dragon form, Noelle is able to unleash powerful drill attacks on any foe that stands in her way. In Black Clover’s new guidebook, titled Perfect Grimoire, Yuki Tabata actually states that Noelle’s potential is of the same level as Julius Novachrono’s. That all comes down to the bloodline that connects her to the royal family, descending directly from the first Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom, Lumiel Silvamillion. While a one-on-one fight against Julius wouldn’t be easy, she has the potential to still come out on top.
3
Lucius
- Magic Attribute: Time Magic, Soul Magic
- Magic Knight Squad: Grey Deer
There is one character in Black Clover whose powers were explicitly stated to massively surpass those of Julius, and that is none other than the other soul living in the same body as him — Lucius Zogratis. Lucius and Julius have the same affinity for Soul Magic, coupled with access to Time Magic through the Devil Binding Contract of Astaroth.
Either way, while the two of them technically should be equal in strength, it was clear that Lucius, in his base form, already far surpassed Julius, and the difference in strength was massive. Lucius showed control over both Soul Magic and Time Magic on a whole other level than what Julius was capable of. Julius’s whole life trajectory was controlled by Lucius, and at the end of the story, Lucius only grew in strength by absorbing the powers of his siblings and of Lucifero, becoming the ultimate antagonist.
2
Yuno
- Magic Attribute: Star Magic, Wind Magic
- Magic Knight Squad: Golden Dawn
During his time as the Wizard King, many described Julius as a mage god with unbeatable abilities. His magical prowess was top-notch, but by the end of the series, he was surpassed by a few members of the new generation, including the deuteragonist of Black Clover, Yuno.
Ever since birth, Yuno was greatly talented at magic. This talent would only grow and flourish with his acquisition of the 4 Clover Lucky Grimoire, and the Wind Spirit itself, Sylph. In the Spade Kingdom Raid arc, he also went on to master his Wind powers and tapped into his true affinity, Star Magic. With his dual magic wielding, Yuno reached new heights of magical power. He has fought the stronger version of Julius, Lucius, and won with the help of Asta. Yuno has cemented himself as a Wizard King-level character by being on the same level as the 29th Wizard King, Asta. After 2 years of training, the gap between Yuno and Julius has only increased.
1
Asta
- Magic Attribute: N/A
- Magic Knight Squad: Black Bull
Asta is the protagonist of Black Clover. At the beginning of the story, he greatly admired Julius, and that is because Asta’s own goal was to someday acquire the title of Wizard King and establish himself as the strongest mage of the Clover Kingdom.
While it took him a long time to get there, finally, in Black Clover chapter 391, Asta defeated Yuno in a one-on-one battle and became the 29th Wizard King of the Kingdom, succeeding Julius in doing so. As the new Wizard King, Asta not only rivals but surpasses Julius. Julius has quite the hax abilities with Time and Soul Magic, but Asta’s anti-magic has proven, at the end of the story, to trump all else. It is the antithesis of all other mana-based abilities and the most broken power of the series. After the two-year timeskip, he is now even stronger than when he fought Lucius.
All chapters of Black Clover are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.
