Black Clover Season 2’s Best Surprise Isn’t Just the Return: The Nostalgic OPs Are Back!

Explore the best surprise in Black Clover Season 2, the genius return of classic openings used right in the middle of intense anime battles!

After more than five years of waiting, the Black Clover anime has finally come back to us! Five years is a long wait for Black Clover fans, but from what the anime has shown us so far, it was definitely worth it. Almost every part of Black Clover is top-tier quality, and what surprised me even more is that they brought back the nostalgic Season 1 openings for us!

Bringing back the Season 1 openings is definitely a brilliant move by the anime team, as it not only adds more hype to the anime but also takes its epicness to a whole new level. I'm not joking, Black Clover Season 2 Episode 3 made me shed some tears, as my personal favourite opening, "Grandeur" by Snow Man, fits the scene perfectly, and I just couldn't hold myself back. The anime team clearly didn't rush this; they really took their time and produced an amazing anime for us. So in this post, let me share how amazing the Black Clover anime has become, and I hope to persuade everyone to give it a try!

Source: TVアニメ「ブラッククローバー」2nd Season【公式】Official X account

Black Clover Season 2 Episode 3 Review: What Happened in Episode 3?

After a long wait, Black Clover Season 2 Episode 3, titled "The Black Guardian," finally aired on Saturday, October 17, 2026. It's one of the episodes I had been looking forward to for a long time, and after it was released, I was so amazed and satisfied by it. Episode 3 is truly incredible, it's intense, the animation quality is high, and most importantly, it had a hidden surprise prepared for everyone.

I love the hidden surprise the team prepared for us, and it's real: just like I shared earlier, I truly shed some tears when I watched that scene. As you can see from the post's title, the team brought back the nostalgic Season 1 openings and used them as battle songs. They actually did this in Episode 2 already, but I didn't expect them to do it again in Episode 3.

In Season 2 Episode 2, the team had already inserted the iconic "Black Rover," the third opening of Season 1, into the scene where one of the main characters, Yuno Grinberryall, fights Zenon Zogratis of the Dark Triad. Although the fight is animated with great quality, to be honest, it's incredibly short, and Yuno basically one-shots Zenon. The battle itself isn't truly impressive, but once "Black Rover" kicks in, it's a whole different story.

Source: TVアニメ「ブラッククローバー」2nd Season【公式】Official X account

Why can adding a previous opening take the whole episode to a different level? Adding a previous opening is a very clever technique for an anime team. We've had amazing examples, like Pokémon XY Z, where all the Gym Leaders gathered for Ash, and One Piece Episode 1015, where Luffy used Gomu Gomu no Red Roc and knocked down Kaido. These great examples have shown us that using the right previous opening can really take an anime to a whole new level. Personally, I think the reason is that previous openings naturally bring back all our memories, and when they're combined with the current scenes, they give us a completely different set of emotions.

It may be hard to understand from words alone, so let me explain. In Episode 2, during Yuno's fight with Zenon, the opening "Black Rover" brings back every memory we have of Black Clover, and when we see Yuno's growth and his current power, it just hits different and really pulls us in. The team did the same thing in Episode 3, which is why it brought tears to my eyes when I watched it.

Source: TVアニメ「ブラッククローバー」2nd Season【公式】Official X account

Grandeur and Episode 3: The Epic Opening for Asta and Liebe

For Episode 2, the team used "Black Rover," and for Season 2 Episode 3, they used "Grandeur," the 13th opening of Season 1. Personally, among all the Season 1 openings, I love "Grandeur" the most, so when I first heard it in Episode 3, I was really excited and happy. Besides the great choice of opening, the team also inserted it into the best scene of Episode 3.

This is a major spoiler for those who haven't watched Episode 3, so if you haven't watched it, please stop scrolling and leave now. Episode 3 is an important episode for Season 2, as in this episode the main character, Asta, finally joined the battle against the Dark Triad. Actually, up until Episode 3, although a lot of things had happened in Season 2, Asta hadn't really joined the battle. While the others are focusing on the war against the Dark Triad, Asta is actually somewhere else.

So, in this episode, we can finally see Asta battle and also have a look at his latest fighting form. Besides, in Episode 3 everyone had failed to defeat the demon, so in a situation where everyone is waiting for Asta, how can a scene like this not be important? For such important scenes, choosing the right previous opening can really help a lot, and I think the team made a great choice.

Source: TVアニメ「ブラッククローバー」2nd Season【公式】Official X account

Of course, the team didn't ask my opinion on which opening to insert into Episode 3, I was quite shocked when I first heard it! Besides the fact that "Grandeur" is a nice opening (although all of the openings are amazing), "Grandeur" is actually the opening of the Spade Kingdom arc, which continues directly into the current arc, so using "Grandeur" actually makes sense and gives the scene more emotion.

No matter how many times I watch the scene where Asta and Liebe cut the demon in half while "Grandeur" is playing as the BGM, my tears just fall, as witnessing the growth of both Asta and the team is just incredible. For those who haven't watched it yet, please watch it, and you will understand what I am talking about. The animation as a whole doesn't reach Demon Slayer's level (most anime can't), but it is already amazing, and we can really tell the difference from Season 1! All the waiting has turned into this masterpiece, Asta has become someone reliable and strong, and on top of that, we got the power of "Grandeur." Everything just mixed perfectly, and I believe you will love it as well!

Source: TVアニメ「ブラッククローバー」2nd Season【公式】Official X account

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13 Episodes and 13 Openings: Will There Be More Openings?

After Episodes 2 and 3 inserted openings from the previous season, one question pops up for fans all around the world: will there be more openings coming for us? Well, we can't really know the answer as we are not part of the team, but 13 is a number that I think everyone can keep in mind. What do I mean? Most of the time, an anime will have 12 to 13 episodes per season.

Logically speaking, Black Clover's manga just ended this year, so the chance that Season 2 won't cover the last manga chapter is high. Once again, spoiler alert for anime-only watchers or those who haven't started Season 2: if this Season 2 is just focused on the war against the Dark Triad and the high-level demons, then 12 to 13 episodes are actually enough.

Finishing an arc in 12 to 13 episodes is something we couldn't imagine during the Season 1 era, but in Season 2, every episode progresses so fast that a lot of events happen in just one episode! With such intense, high-speed storytelling, wrapping up every story in 12 to 13 episodes is actually possible. This is important information for everyone, as in Season 1, we had a total of 13 openings.

Coincidentally, we have 13 episodes and 13 openings, so just looking at the number 13, the team could actually put a previous opening into every episode! This sounds very interesting, but it isn't a method that works for every episode, and I don't think the team can just put every opening into the upcoming episodes. Personally, I think there will be more openings waiting for us, but not all of them, since spamming the previous season's openings is not a great choice either.

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.

High-Level Animation and Intense Story: What to Expect from the Following Episodes?

Almost every episode of Black Clover Season 2 has been done with high-level animation, and the story is intense and progresses at a super fast pace. In fact, it is fast to the point where some old fans can't stand it, and some of them are even demanding that the pacing go back to how it was! Different people have different tastes. Although I quite enjoy the current pacing, I do also understand why people want the previous style.

Logically speaking, the team can't and won't change the current style. Everything has already been completed, and people all around the world just love the current style (apart from a few), so this style is what we will have until the end of Season 2. With this style, we can really expect a lot from Black Clover, unlike in Season 1, and as someone who has read the manga, I can tell you it will only get more intense, and you will get more excited.

Just like in other posts, for the final part of this post, let's talk about who should watch Black Clover Season 2 and who won't get excited by it. Compared to Season 1, Season 2 has become far better, and since the story has also become far more intense, it has now truly become an anime that suits almost everyone. But of course, Season 2 is a direct continuation of Season 1, so you will need to watch Season 1 first. Or, if you just want to enjoy Season 2, you can read the manga first and then come back for Season 2.

Season 2 is really an amazing anime. I have enjoyed it a lot, and I really think and hope everyone can give it a try. But unfortunately, no anime is perfect, and at its core, Black Clover Season 2 is a pure Shounen anime. In Season 1, there were some comedy and romance scenes, so those who don't like Shounen could still give it a try, but Season 2 is pure Shounen with fights all day long. If you are someone who can't enjoy these kinds of stories, then unfortunately, Black Clover Season 2 is not an anime that you will get interested in.

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.

Conclusion:

Thank you for reading this post. To be honest, I didn't really think that I could enjoy Season 2 so much, and even shed some tears over it. When I first watched Episode 3 and witnessed Asta cut the demon in half, I was really touched. It just felt like the 5 years of waiting were worth it, and Black Clover has finally become an amazing title that we are proud of.

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