Welcome to the Nihongo Lesson feature. We strive to give you useful manga-based Japanese language tips and maybe even a glimpse into the translation process. This week’s lesson will feature words from Black Clover. The last few chapters have had big reveals that threaten to greatly change the series. And we finally get to see just how strong the strongest mage in the Clover Kingdom is!

TAMASHII (たましい)

TAMASHII means “soul” or “spirit.” The reveal that William Vangeance’s body also houses the TAMASHII of Licht was quite the surprise. The idea of having one body controlled by both a nice person and an evil one is a great trope when pulled off right. It’s something that worked particularly well in Yu-Gi-Oh! with characters like Bakura and Marik. It will be exciting to see how Tabata Sensei puts his own spin on things!

HIKARI (ひかり)

HIKARI means “light.” Licht’s HIKARI magic allows him to do all sorts of crazy things, the least of which is traveling at incredibly high speeds. The last time we saw it in action, he was up against Yami’s dark magic. Licht seems to only go up against mages that he might have a disadvantage against. You definitely can’t accuse him of being a coward! Bonus language lesson: Licht means “light” in German.

TOKI (とき)

TOKI means “time.” Julius’s TOKI magic might be the strongest of them all. He can control time! He’s a kindhearted version of DIO from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures Part 3 ! Okay, not really. They use their control of TOKI in very different ways. But is there anything in the world of Black Clover that is more powerful than time magic?