CLAYMORE

Plot

The series is set on a fictional medieval island where humans are plagued by Yoma, humanoid shape-shifters that feed on humans. A mysterious group, known as the The Organization, creates human-Yoma hybrids to kill Yoma for a fee. These female warriors wear Roman army-like uniforms. The public refer to them as "Claymores," alluding to their Claymore swords, or "Silver-eyed Witches," due to their silver eyes.

Yoma and Claymore warriors alike are powered by a demonic energy, Yoki, which allows shape-shifting and extreme strength. When warriors use too much Yoki, they "awaken," becoming a super-Yoma called an Awakened Being. The act of awakening is likened to the feeling of sexual climax, so while both male and female warriors existed in the past only the women proved to be successful warriors and so the creation of male Claymores stopped.

The island world is divided into 47 districts, with one warrior assigned to each. Claymore warriors No. 1 through 47 are ranked on their baseline Yoki potential, strength, agility, intelligence, sensing and leadership. A warrior's rank rises and falls according to the warrior's strength in relation to other warriors. It is unclear whether the warriors strength comes from training/experience or if the potential lies with the warriors themselves.

In addition to all having different names, most warriors (usually high in rank) further their individuality by possessing a unique sword technique, fighting style, or yoki ability. The sword techniques are unique to the Claymores; yoma and awakened beings don't fight with swords and a normal human body couldn't perform them. Examples of sword techniques are: twisting the arm around and thrusting for a drill-like strike, unsheathing and re-sheathing the sword faster than the eye can see, or vibrating the sword so quickly the enemy cannot tell where the blade is coming from. A few fighting styles include: stretching the arm, fighting with two blades, and releasing a burst of yoki for a momentary burst of speed. For yoki ability, there are several Claymores who can sense yoki over vast distances and very accurately in close quarters. This appears to be, while not offensive, a very rare and valuable ability and the Claymores in the Organization with this ability are usually highly ranked. In addition, there are two Claymores that have offensive techniques that are yoki based. The first is Galatea's ability to control her opponents yoki for brief periods during battle, usually to cause the enemy's attack to miss. The second is Teresa's; her ability to sense yoki is so strong that she can sense it moving around her opponents body and can therefore sense how and when her enemy would attack next.

Characters

Clare

Clare is the series' protagonist. Clare's personality is summed up by Ilena: "You already appear calm on the surface. But your real heart is a whirlpool of passion."

Clare becomes a Claymore to avenge the death of her childhood mentor, Teresa. Clare's lifetime goal is to kill the "One-horned Monster" that killed Teresa.

But as warrior No. 47, Clare is rated as the weakest of all 47 warriors. This is due to Clare being 1/4 Yoma instead of 1/2, having taken on the flesh of Teresa, rather than a Yoma. However, Miria says, "It felt as if the strongest was standing before me."

Teresa

Teresa is assigned to Teo village, where she kills six Yoma. Then she kills a seventh hiding behind a young girl.Next day, Teresa tries to leave town, but the mysterious girl proceeded to hug her, who Teresa kicks away. But the girl persists in following her.

After a run-in with bandits in the forest, Teresa adopts the young girl. Teresa decides to call the girl "Clare," after one of the twin goddesses of love, the other goddess being named Teresa.

Teresa is condemned to death, when she kills a bandit gang. She battles with the execution team, led by No. 2, Priscilla—Ilena (No. 3), Sophia (No. 4) and Noel (No. 5).

The team is defeated by Teresa, but Priscilla's releases too much Yoki and partially awakens. She beheads Teresa, then fully awakens into the "One-horned Monster," wounding Ilena, then killing Sophia and Noel. Priscilla ignores Clare, then flies away to parts unknown. Thus begins Clare's quest for revenge.

Priscilla

Priscilla (プリシラ Purishira) is No. 2 of the Teresa era.

After awakening, Priscilla defeats the Creature of the Abyss of the North, Isley. But Priscilla loses her memory. Isley swears allegiance and promises to do anything. She asks to go south to find her family, which Isley agrees to.^] When Isley gathers an army to invade the south, this sets into motion the Witch's Maw and Northern Campaign arcs.

Raki

Raki (ラキ Raki) is a young boy whose family is killed by a Yoma disguised as his brother, who Clare finds and kills. Later, Clare rescues an exiled Raki from the desert. She allows him to accompany her as her cook.

After a 3-way battle with Ophelia and an Awakened Being, Clare and Raki become separated. Later, Raki comes under the wing of a new mentor—Isley, the Creature of the Abyss of the North. After the 7-year Timeskip, Raki is an adult, who searches for Clare, while accompanied by Priscilla, now shrunk to a pre-teen.

The Organization

The island is a testing ground for creating monsters to fight dragons on a distant mainland. Anti-dragon forces have set up an unnamed "Organization" as a charity-front for conducting experiments. The chief scientist is Dae.

The most common of Dae's creations are "Yoma," similar in size to humans, and gargoyle-like in appearance. Despite their super-human strength and shape-shifting ability, Yoma are the weakest of Yoma-like entities. The Organization will release a number of Yoma to terrorize the general population, who will in turn hire the Organization to send Claymores to kill Yoma. Thus, Yoma provides funding and keeps the Organization running, despite being so far away from their home country.

Claymores are 1/2 Yoma, 1/2 human. They descend from a line of research trying to make a super-Yoma that can fight the dragons, yet not turn on anti-dragon forces. When Claymore warriors use too much Yoki, they lose their human mind and "awaken," turning into a super-Yoma—an Awakened Being. Male Claymores are abandoned in favor of females, due to premature awakening.

When a No. 1 Claymore warrior awakens, the result is a super-Awakened Being—a "Creature of the Abyss." In early Organization history, there are three instances: Isley of the North, Riful of the West, and Luciela of the South. In the Claymore mutiny arc, three more appear.

The latest of Dae's creations are "Abyss Feeders," made from the flesh of Awakened Beings. Their purpose is hunting Creatures of the Abyss.

The most successful line of research uses identical twin sisters, with a merged mind—a two-body Claymore warrior in effect. One sister fully awakens, the other sister stays human and remote controls the other like a Predator drone.^[30] Alicia and Beth are an example.