Black Clover chapter 361 reveals Dorothy Unsworth's origins for the first time in the manga

Author and illustrator Yuki Tabata’s manga series unofficially returned to serialization on Wednesday, June 7 with the release of the Black Clover chapter 361 leaks and raw scans. Without a doubt, the biggest highlight from these latest developments for the series is the apparent return of Asta.

While Asta hasn’t quite yet returned to the Clover Kingdom as of Black Clover chapter 361, it’s clear that his arrival is imminent. This is illustrated most clearly by the fact that, at the issue's conclusion, he dons his Black Bulls coat in preparation for leaving Hino Country. Thanks to Dorothy Unsworth, Vanessa Enoteca, and the Witch Queen, Asta can finally appear on the Judgment Day battlefield.

While Asta’s imminent return certainly steals the show in Black Clover chapter 361, there were plenty of other significant events and revelations for fans to sink their teeth into. Likewise, this latest unofficially released issue for the series marks a first-time reveal of the origins of Dorothy Unsworth.

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Black Clover chapter 361 sneaks Dorothy’s origin story into manga canon after the initial guidebook appearance

Brief spoiler recap

Black Clover chapter 361 begins with Lucius being shown seemingly dead on the ground. However, he suddenly reappears with a smile on his face and is completely unharmed. He reveals to a confused Yuno that he can clone himself via having Soul, Body, Blood, and Bone Magic. He then thinks to himself that his plan is still flawless despite Asta’s influence.

Several Lucius clones then surround Yuno, with the rank-and-file Magic Knights beginning to lose hope. However, Noelle says that there is still hope, as a flashback begins showing the Black Bulls speaking with the Witch Queen. Vanessa Enoteca pleads with her to help them since she’s the only one who can, to which she says she knew they were coming and confirms that Asta is alive in a foreign land.

However, she claims he’s too far to summon. This is when Dorothy Unsworth appears, saying that if she, Vanessa, and the Queen unite as the strongest three witches of all time, they can do anything.

In the present, the trio activates a magic spell called “The Door of Destiny,” focusing its effects on Spatial Mage Finral. Black Clover chapter 361 ends with Asta, in Hino Country, suiting up as he prepares to return home and reunite with his friends.

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Dorothy Unsworth’s origins, explained

As the aforementioned spoilers touch on, Dorothy Unsworth reveals in the latest unofficial issue that she is indeed a witch from the Witches Forest. This is implicitly done by putting herself in the same category of a witch as both Vanessa and the Witch Queen, calling them all the 3 strongest of their kind.

This implicit aspect of Black Clover chapter 361’s events is corroborated by the series’ official guidebook, which first revealed Dorothy’s origins on page 80 of its contents. Her origins have been revealed in an official guidebook, but this is the first time they have been mentioned in the main series, making the manga's implied confirmation of this significant.

Equally impressive is her ability to use her heritage and abilities to ostensibly garner clout with and influence the Witch Queen's judgments. This may indicate that, like Vanessa, Dorothy was previously regarded as a particularly potent witch. Given how unique and pervasive Dorothy's Dream Magic is, this is a very likely explanation.

This, in turn, could lead to revelations about her powers throughout the series’ final stages. While Dorothy is already playing a major role simply by contributing to Asta’s return, she could have a similarly-advanced spell for her Dream Magic as Vanessa does to her Thread Magic. Likewise, this could prove truly influential in the final fight against Lucius should she eventually enter it.

In any case, it’s exciting to see Tabata not just focused on the big picture of landing the series’ ending, but also aware of tying up loose threads. While not exactly necessary to give the series a quality end, it’s subtle moments such as this in Black Clover chapter 361 that prove the love, care, and thoughtfulness with which Tabata is concluding his story.

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