Black Clover Creator Reveals the IRL Inspiration Behind His Favorite Character (And It Is Super Adorable)

In a long-running story with a cast of characters as rich and complex as Black Clover, it’s crucial for the author to draw from a broad and diverse range of inspirations. Failing to address this could lead to a narrative that bores its audience with one-dimensional characters and, worse, predictable storylines that fail to captivate.

Fortunately, Black Clover's author Yuki Tabata acknowledges a diverse range of inspirations that fuel his creativity. These influences, drawn from various sources, have not only contributed to Black Clover's immense global popularity but also garnered critical acclaim for both the manga and its anime adaptation. While inspiration can strike creators from anywhere, Tabata's source for one character is particularly heartwarming – and arguably the sweetest of all.

A Key Influence on Black Clover's Tabata Is His Daily Source of Inspiration

There Is Nothing Like Family For One Black Clover Character

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In a 2018 interview with the French weekly magazine Le Point Pop, it was revealed that while the author based the character Asta on himself, the Black Clover protagonist is not his favorite. Instead, that honor goes to Charmy Pappitson, a member of the Black Bulls. Although his choice of a Black Clover side character might seem surprising in a story filled with more "rock star-like" characters, fans can hardly argue with his reasoning — Charmy, he admits, is based on his wife.

While Tabata doesn’t specifically state how Charmy resembles his wife, he does make clear that he deeply appreciates his wife’s patience, kindness, and the care she shows for him and his staff – who all reportedly work from the home that Tabata shares with her – and that writing Charmy into the story is his way of showing his love and affection for his wife.

Naturally, mangaka often draw inspiration from family members. Horror manga auteur Junji Ito, for instance, credits his older sister as one of his influences. However, Tabata's Charmy transcends general character inspiration. Based on his description of his wife's vital, behind-the-scenes support for him and his team, Charmy appears to be the embodiment of her personality – a heartfelt tribute to her unwavering care and dedication.

Funny and Foolish at Times, Charmy Is Still a Magic Knight

At first glance, Charmy appears as the primary source of humor and irreverence within the Black Bulls. Her constant pursuit of food, even to the detriment of her duties as a Magic Knight, readily positions her as the comic relief. Undoubtedly, she has played a pivotal role in many of the Black Bulls' most humorous moments. However, beneath her quirky personality and comedic predicaments lies a character of significant importance and responsibility.

Undoubtedly, Charmy is a formidable force, capable of taking care of herself and augmenting the Black Bulls' skillset. This was evident in Black Clover Chapter #194, where she single-handedly defeated Lira, one of the ten Apostles of Sephirah. However, her most significant and impressive ability lies in supporting her colleagues. The support she provides is multifaceted and invaluable. For instance, she utilizes her Cotton Magic to protect, transport, and even nourish her teammates. Additionally, she can deploy reinforcements, bind opponents, and adapt her abilities to various situations.

However, Charmy's most valuable power is arguably Food Magic - a power she never knew she had until she unlocked it during her fight with Lira. Food Magic not only transforms Charmy into her more adult-looking form, but, more importantly, it allows her to consume the magic of others and immediately repurpose it. This skill significantly enhances her combat prowess, but most importantly, it also enables her to sustain her abilities to heal, replenish, and nourish her teammates on the battlefield. As a result, she helps them maintain peak performance throughout the fight.

When you consider Charmy’s depiction in the story and compare it to Tabata’s description of his wife’s support for the manga team, the similarities become clear without him needing to spell them out. Like Charmy, his wife undoubtedly serves as an endless source of emotional support — whether by using humor to lighten the mood before deadlines, running errands when no one else can, creating a comfortable workplace environment, or, perhaps most importantly, providing energy boosts with the timely delivery of food and drinks.

In essence, Tabata’s wife is the real-life version of Black Clover’s Charmy - and that makes his inclusion of her in the story the best of all inspirations.

Source: La Point Pop