Naruto’s Biggest Rivalry Did What Black Clover Couldn’t

Warning: This article contains spoilers from the Black Clover manga! When it comes to Shonen rivalries, Naruto and Black Clover are often mentioned among the best. Rivalries between the protagonist and a deuteragonist have been one of the best tropes in the Shonen demographic for years. Whether it’s Goku and Vegeta from Dragon Ball or Deku and Bakugo from My Hero Academia, this trope never fails to keep fans hooked to the story. While Naruto is one of the most iconic series of all time, Black Clover‘s popularity over the years only keeps increasing. 11 years after the manga’s debut, Black Clover finally ended its serialization in May this year.

The story ends on a happy note, although a few things may not be satisfying at all. Following the long battle against Lucius Zogratis, the aftermath wasn’t nearly long enough to properly tie up the loose ends. This also includes the final battle between Asta and Yuno, which was foreshadowed since the beginning of the story. Unlike the underwhelming conclusion of the rivalry between Asta and Yuno, Naruto handled things way better in the finale, thus reminding fans of why it’s a timeless classic.

Black Clover Disappoints With Its Final Battle Between Asta and Yuno

The rivalry between these two childhood friends and even sworn brothers has been the very foundation of the story. Instead of feeling bitter over their individual shortcomings, they both grew up admiring each other’s strengths and strived to be better. Asta had the grit and determination to never give up that Yuno lacked as a child. Thanks to Asta’s influence, Yuno’s desire to keep up with his rival only fueled his ambition. Meanwhile, Yuno always possessed an exceptional talent in magic, something Asta lacked entirely. Hoping to catch up to Yuno, Asta wasted no effort into improving his physical strength, which was basically the only thing they could do. Yuno lacked Asta’s strengths, and the opposite was also true.

This is also why they made the best duo in the series since they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses better than anyone. They both played crucial roles in each other’s lives, pushing the other to continue striving for the top. The reason they worked hard to surpass the other was that they both promised to become the Wizard King. Since the title could only belong to one of them, it was always known that they would have a duel by the end of the story.

When things calmed down after the battle against Lucius, the rivals crossed swords with one another to determine the next Wizard King. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a fleshed-out fight, unlike many had expected. Instead of focusing on what could’ve been the series’ best fight, the manga only revealed the result of the battle after a brief clash. This was probably the most underwhelming conclusion to their rivalry. Since the fight happened at the end of the story, both characters were at the height of their power, which is why their battle could’ve been incredibly thrilling.

Naruto and Sasuke’s Final Battle Remains One of The Most Iconic Moments in Shonen History

Unlike Black Clover, the rivalry in Naruto wasn’t about Naruto and Sasuke fighting for the title of the Hokage. They both had different goals and dreams, which also complicated their relationship. While Naruto wanted nothing more than to be accepted by those around him, Sasuke always had an aura of darkness that stemmed from the immense loss he suffered in his childhood. The two barely tolerated each other in the beginning of the story, but they eventually became closer after joining Team 7. However, things took a drastic turn when Sasuke abandoned the Leaf Village and joined Orochimaru.

Naruto spent most of the story hoping to catch up with Sasuke and bring him back home. Sasuke is also a major reason why he became so much stronger in the first place. Unlike the healthy rivalry between Asta and Yuno, Naruto and Sasuke’s relationship is deeply emotional as it focuses more on conflict and betrayal, rather than competition. The end of their rivalry happened after the Final War when Sasuke challenged Naruto to a duel. By the end of the story, they were both the most powerful characters who gained legendary abilities.

What followed after Sasuke’s provocation was one of the most memorable battles in Shonen history. They were both evenly matched and even lost one of their arms by the end, but the two of them couldn’t be at more peace. The fight was crucial to resolve their clashing ideologies, and no words could affect Sasuke more than clashing fists. Sasuke finally stopped walking down the path of darkness and accepted the hand Naruto held out to him years ago.

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Black Clover Disappoints With One Major Missing Piece of Asta’s Ending