Warning: SPOILERS for Black Clover chapter 341Those who can't help but compare Black Clover to Naruto have always viewed Yami as a Kakashi type of character. But a new twist in the latest chapter of Black Clover hints that a better comparison for Yami would probably be Sasuke's brother Itachi.
Critics have always claimed that Black Clover is just a cheap knockoff of Naruto except with magic rather than jutsu. And in keeping with this critique, many of them believe that Yami is essentially just like Naruto's Kakashi since both of them lead a squad that recruited their series' protagonist. Of course, Yami always had a closer tie to Asta since the captain actually recruited him directly while Kakashi was chosen to watch over Naruto. Regardless, both Yami and Kakashi eventually form a strong bond with each of their series' respective protagonists as beloved sensei and student.
However, Yami's role has now shifted considerably to include the characteristics of another Naruto character after the events of chapter 341 of Black Clover by mangaka Yūki Tabata. When conversing with Yami's sister in Black Clover, Ichika, during his time in Yami's home country of Hino, Asta understandably brings up Yami, but this results in Ichika forbidding Asta from ever mentioning his name again. And when he asks why, she responds by saying that he massacred their entire clan.
Yami is So Much Darker Than Black Clover Fans Realized
Although Black Clover has yet to give Ichika a chance to elaborate, the parallels between this and Itachi's tragic past are noteworthy. Of course, Naruto fans are now fully aware of what motivated Itachi to massacre his clan. The leaders of Itachi's village had given him an ultimatum. Either Itachi could murder the Uchiha but have the chance to spare his younger brother Sasuke, or the village could slaughter every Uchiha including Sasuke. It's quite possible that Yami may have found himself in a similar situation where he had no choice but to kill the members of his clan. The problem is, however, that readers will first hear the secondhand accounts of what transpired from Ichika, and it's unlikely that she's aware of the full picture just like Sasuke wasn't until after he killed his brother. If this is the case in Black Clover, then mangaka Tabata will definitely be following in the footsteps of Naruto.
Regardless, what Black Clover fans know for sure is that, like Naruto's Itachi, Yami most likely massacred his clan before running away to the Clover Kingdom and that, similar to what happened with Sasuke, Black Clover readers will only get one side of the story first before learning the entire truth with Yami's explanation. Even so, Yami's role as a cold-blooded killer in Black Clover is much more dynamic than Itachi's was, at least, when compared to their relation to their series' protagonist. It isn't like Kakashi massacred his clan, forcing Naruto to contend with the sins of his sensei. But that will very much be the case for Asta in Black Clover, and the consequences of this knowledge could be dire, just like how they were for Sasuke.
Read the latest chapter of Black Clover now on Viz Media!