Teresa

"This little girl, who's not even half my size... taught me that tears can flow even from these silver eyes."

- Teresa of the Faint Smile, about Clare.

Teresa is a former Claymore No.1, the 182nd warrior of the 77th generation created by the Organization. She is among the eight most powerful No.1 warriors in the history of the Organization, considered even to be the strongest ever created. Possessing incredible raw power and acute Yoki sensing, she rarely had to tap into her massive Yoki reserve, releasing only ten percent in her battles against an awakened Rosemary and a near-awakened Priscilla.

She was nicknamed "Teresa of the Faint Smile" (微笑のテレサ, Bishō no Teresa, lit. "Smiling Teresa") for the faint smiles that graced her face as she effortlessly slaughtered her enemies. Had she survived, she would be a sure threat to the remaining Abyssal Ones, and possibly even Priscilla, the most powerful Awakened Being in the series.

Etymology
"Teresa" is a transliteration of the Japanese "Teresa" (テレサ, pronounced "te-re-sah" or "te-re-zah").

In the West, "Teresa" was originally a 4th-century Spanish name, confined to Spain and Portugal, until the 17th century. The word "Teresa" was possibly derived from the Greek θέρος, meaning "heat" or "summer," or θερίζω, meaning "to harvest." It could also have been derived from Θηρασία, an island in the volcanic island group of Santorini in the Greek Cyclades.

In the series, Teresa is depicted as one of the Twin Goddesses of Love, the other being Clare.

Human
In a dream, Teresa remembered her once black hair, which she had considered to be her best feature. She later lost it after joining the Organization.

Claymore
Teresa had long, wavy, pale blonde hair parted down the middle, which she wore loose. She had silver eyes like all other Claymores, and wore the standard uniform. Teresa was also considered to be very beautiful; the leader of the bandits commented that Teresa was "quite an attractive Claymore" while other members complimented, "What a woman", and that she was "a jewel".
 * Height: 180 cm (5 ft 10.86 in)

Personality
As a trainee, Teresa always attempted to escape. She was known as a "problem child."

Before Teresa met Clare, she was a merciless, solitary killer who would accept any assignment without complaint. She seemed to enjoy intimidating the townsfolk and made it sound as if the Organization was responsible for sending Yoma to the towns that failed to pay the required fees. However, despite her initial violent nature, she does possess a kind and caring side. When Teresa met Clare, she was obstinate to have the little girl follow her around and even physically beat and kicked her away. When Clare did not give up following her, however, she opened up her heart, and her formerly cold personality changed as she became very attached to the young girl.

In Irene's opinion, being with Clare had softened Teresa's toughness as a warrior and eventually led to her death when she chose to spare the lives of her executioners. However, Irene theorized that Teresa had found true happiness in her last days because of Clare and would not have changed her actions if she were to relive her life. This conclusion was indeed proven to be true as confessed by Teresa after her revival from within Clare. As such, she thanked God, if He ever existed, for having met Clare.

Acute Yoki Sensing
Teresa possessed an extraordinarily acute Yoki-sensing abilities. She could detect minute changes in the flow of Yoki in both Yoma and Claymores alike, accurately predicting and defending against their every move. This skill allows Teresa to sense the strength, speed and direction of an attack before her enemies act. As a child, Teresa was also able to track down Rafaela, who had completely erased her aura after the incident with Luciela, in the woods. Irene concludes that Teresa's adeptness in this area was the main reason why she was the top warrior of her generation.

After Teresa's 'death', Clare inherited this gift by taking in her flesh.

Unrivaled Yoki Power
Augmenting Teresa's already superior physical qualities was her enormous Yoki. A mere ten-percent release was enough to easily frighten and dispatch an Awakened Rosemary, who was a former No. 1. It also enabled her to defeat a near-Awakened Priscilla, the legendarily powerful No.2 warrior of Teresa's generation who became the strongest character in the series subsequent to Teresa´s death. After her revival from within Clare, Teresa immobilized with her bare hands an Awakened Cassandra, one of the revived and Awakened No. 1's that had been absorbed by Priscilla, telling her to keep quiet while she listened to Clare's voice.

Organization Rating
From Claymore Databook 1.
 * Yoki: S (Special Level of Ability)
 * Agility: A
 * Muscular Strength: A
 * Spirit: A
 * Perception: S (Special Level of Ability)
 * Leadership: B

Early Life
Teresa's early life is vague. She guessed that her parents named her after one of the Twin Goddesses of Love. In her dreams, she remembered having black hair, which she believed was her best feature. At some point in her life, she was sold to the Organization by the people she trusted. It wasn't clear whether it was her family or the town she was from, but this betrayal left her permanently scarred.

During her Claymore training, she was called a "problem child" by her handler for her routine escapes from the Organization. It was during one of her escape attempts that she met Rafaela in a Yoma-infested forest.

As a Claymore, Teresa was a cold-blooded killer who cared for no one, performing her assignments in a blase manner and loved to frighten clients with horror stories. She outwardly appeared to be obedient, but she was not above keeping some secrets from the Organization, and she even had her own suspicions about their dubious actions.

Her handler was Orsay.

Rockwell Hill Massacre
Teresa was immediately ranked as a single-digit warrior upon completing her training. She then participated in the mission to slay Hysteria, Claymore No. 1 at the time, who had reached her limits but didn't send a black card to anyone and likewise refused execution. The mission took place on Rockwell Hill. Hysteria, with her unmatched speed, slaughtered the many warriors sent to kill her. Teresa, however, managed to critically injure Hysteria, taking away her speed advantage. Hysteria was eventually slain by Rosemary, who was No. 4 of that time.

Battle with Rosemary
Some time later, Teresa overtook Rosemary as Claymore No. 1. Since then, Rosemary held a grudge against Teresa and secretly plotted to kill her. Rosemary Awakened and then sent her black card to Teresa via Orsay in an attempt to lure her to a secluded location and then finish her off. Despite her initial confusion as to why the former No. 1 warrior would send her black card, Teresa went to Godahl Plateau to meet up with Rosemary. Rosemary's intentions immediately became clear to Teresa and the two engaged in battle, with Rosemary assuming her Awakened form and apparently gaining the upper hand. However, Teresa easily wrenched herself free from her grasp and proceeded to release 10% of her Yoki. Rosemary briefly faltered at the size of Teresa's Yoki, but she was unable to dwell on it as she was immediately slain.

On her way back, Teresa encountered Orsay and lied about the events that took place, saying Rosemary did not Awaken and died a splendid death worthy of a former No. 1.

Time with Clare
In the village of Theo, Teresa sensed the Yoki of seven Yoma. After killing six, she spotted the seventh hiding behind a young girl. After killing the Yoma, Teresa discovered that the girl was kept as its prisoner and toy for quite some time.

Despite rebuffs to the mysterious girl's attempts at affection, the girl persisted. She followed Teresa through the wilderness and despite Teresa's initial annoyance, she eventually became fond of the young girl. Teresa named the girl Clare, after the Twin Goddesses of Love, Clare and Teresa, and Clare mutely affirmed that it was indeed her name.

A few nights before, Teresa had a run in with some bandits, and she accidently cut off one bandit's hand while trying to protect Clare. The rest of the bandits soon revealed themselves afterwards, where the leader stated the cardinal rule: "that Claymores couldn't kill humans," implying that they could do anything to her without fear of being killed. Teresa then smiled, asked them: "Is that all?" and proceeded to show them her terrible wound, telling them she would gladly "have fun with all of them," though the state of her body ultimately drove them away.

The bandit who had his hand cut off later tracked down Teresa and attempted to rape her, but Teresa stated that he saw her body and that he wouldn't gain any pleasure from his actions. However, the bandit then replies it was simply to humiliate her, and made to continue. Suddenly, Clare appeared and attacked the bandit with a wooden stick, only to be beaten. At that moment, Teresa intervened and enlightened the bandit concerning the rule that Warriors cannot kill humans or they will be hunted down by the Organization: ultimately, it was up to Teresa to decide whether or not she would kill the bandit - there was really nothing to stop her from doing so. The bandit became afraid and quickly ran away afterwards, and Clare's subsequent display of concern and empathy towards Teresa awakened the warrior's lost compassion, leading Teresa to say:

"This little girl, who's not even half my size... taught me that tears can flow even from these silver eyes."

From that point onwards, Teresa began openly displaying her affection for Clare without holding back. However, she decided to leave Clare with foster parents in Rokut, believing a normal life would be best for the young girl. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, the village was raided by a group of bandits, the same group that was encountered outside of Theo. Teresa rushed back to save Clare and, seeing the latter's bloodied form, flew into a fit of rage. She killed all the bandits, breaking the cardinal rule that a Claymore should never kill humans, no matter what the circumstances.

Battle with Priscilla
By breaking the Organization's cardinal rule, Teresa became a target for execution. At the execution site, instead of accepting her punishment, Teresa disabled all five of the Claymores tasked to slay her. She calmly said that she had found a reason to live—Clare.

Priscilla (Soon to be No. 2), Irene (No. 2), Noel (No. 4) and Sophia (No. 3) were then summoned to execute Teresa. Teresa defeated them easily but considered killing Priscilla, noting the monstrous potential the younger Claymore possessed. However, Clare had softened her warrior heart. Thus, she spared Priscilla and left the town with Clare in tow.

Priscilla, her idealist views shattered, went into a fit and pursued Teresa, seeking revenge. Priscilla released over 80% of her Yoki and attacked in blind rage. However, she still lost to Teresa, who released a mere 10% of her Yoki. Priscilla then passed her limit and begged Teresa to euthanize her before she fully Awakened. Teresa sympathized with her and agreed to end her suffering. Priscilla, however, saw that Teresa had let her guard down and took this as a chance to attack, cutting off Teresa's hands before decapitating her. This cast some doubt as to whether Priscilla deliberately lured in Teresa to strike her down when she was least expecting it. After this, Priscilla completely Awakened.

Clare later decided on using the Organization as a means of revenge. She carried Teresa's head back into town and wandered, searching for a man-in-black. Upon meeting/finding Rubel, she demanded that Teresa's flesh and blood be put inside her own body, thus, beginning Clare's quest for vengeance.

Return of the Faint Smile
Several years later, Clare finally reaches her last stand against Priscilla who, after sustaining grievous injuries from a prolonged battle, has assimilated the remains of the Awakened Cassandra the Dust Eater, Wild Horse Octavia, and Chronos. As Clare tries to fight the monster by releasing all her Yoki, she realizes, thanks to Rafaela's cryptic advice, that another person had been helping her take on her Awakened form before. Moreover, this same someone has been trying to Awaken from inside the young warrior all along. After these revelations, there is a burst of Yoki, and Teresa of the Faint Smile appears before Priscilla in Clare's place.

In Rabona, the warriors pause as they sense Teresa's Yoki. Galatea describes it as mighty but peaceful, then goes on to say that its power level is difficult to assess, as it seems as if all they could sense was the surface of a tranquil sea.

Teresa chats with Raki a bit, saying she is annoyed at the prospect of a brat like him claiming Clare's chastity, but later goes on to say that Clare had chosen good friends and a good man.

Within the shared body's mind, Clare, reverting to childhood, finally reunites with Teresa. Teresa tenderly says Clare was still such a crybaby, but offers to listen to everything Clare had to tell her regarding all the events that had happened since her demise at Priscilla's hands. In the real world, Teresa's eyes are closed as she concentrates on Clare's words inside her head. Cassandra's tentacles attempt to take advantage of this, but Teresa easily slams two of them onto the ground with her bare hands, urging her opponent to stay silent. The half-Awakened warriors gasp at the display of power. Amidst the dust and rubble, Priscilla sees Teresa's visage and mutters in disbelief. Teresa snidely comments how ugly Priscilla had become, then vows to pulverize her.

Back inside Clare's mind, Teresa listens to Clare as the latter tells her about her comrades. When Clare becomes sad after remembering the deaths of so many of her friends, Teresa tells her that she has become strong. When the girl tries to protest, saying that she could never be as powerful as Teresa, the former No. 1 tells her that power and techniques alone do not always amount to strength. She then admits that Clare achieved something she herself could never do: fighting alongside companions that Clare could trust. The former No. 47 then reverts back to an adult, and Teresa tells her that they should fight together using the strength Clare has gained through her life's experiences. She also says that said strength is what sustains her heart.

On the outside, Teresa throws both of Cassandra's heads back at Priscilla. She then addresses the assimilated Abyssal One directly, asking how long she will allow Priscilla to use her and telling her to remember her pride of being a Number 1. After Teresa challenges her to a one-on-one match, Cassandra breaks free from Priscilla's control and regenerates her body, and Teresa asks Deneve to loan her an extra claymore, which she then tosses to Cassandra. The No. 1s engage in battle, and Teresa soon chops off her opponent's right arm. Though she gives Cassandra the option of using the high speed regeneration technique she inherited from Priscilla, Cassandra reveals that she is left-handed and quickly attacks again, scoring some glancing blows. Teresa eventually slashes her shoulder, commenting on the Dust-Eater's strange movements, and admits that if she had not been using her Acute Yoki Sensing, she would have been hit many times. Soon, Cassandra surrenders and asks Teresa to end the fight, saying she is satisfied with being able to use her full strength, and Teresa, after thanking the former No. 1 for a fun battle, effortlessly cuts her to pieces. The strongest No. 1 then stands before an enraged Priscilla.

As Priscilla recovers from the loss of her assimilations, Teresa returns Deneve's claymore and thanks her. When Helem calls Teresa out on not taking the chance to finish Priscilla while she is weakend, Teresa replies that it wouldn't suit her to defeat such an opponent until the monster has recovered. After remarking on Helen's "nasty mouth", she then says that Priscilla is not as weakened as the Ghosts think and will regain full strength depending on her emotions. In the meantime, Teresa calls Raki to her and asks him to elaborate on his past with Priscilla and Isley. He does so, revealing Priscilla's wish for death to the Claymores, and he also concludes that the one opponent who could possibly grant her wish is Teresa herself.

Clare
At first, Teresa was irritated by Clare's persistence in following her. Eventually, she became attached to the young girl and the two eventually developed a deep familial love and affection for each other. Teresa also comments about how Clare taught her true love and how the two forged an unbreakable bond. After her resurrection, Teresa still, affectionately, sees Clare as the young crybaby she'd known years before and is eager to listen to Clare's story of all that has happened since her untimely death.

Irene

 * While Irene showed familiarity with Teresa at the start of the battle, it was unclear what sort of friendship, if any, existed beforehand.

Priscilla
When confronted with the warriors sent to punish her disobedience, Teresa expressed both wariness of and disdain for Priscilla. The No. 1 felt that the girl was naive for blindly complying with the Organization's demands but, at the same time, sensed Priscilla's innate strength. However, Teresa found herself, out of mercy and compassion, unable to kill her, though she was willing to heavily wound her during their second match. Also out of mercy and pity, Teresa offered to behead Priscilla when the young warrior surpassed her limits and began to Awaken. Unfortunately, it was this mercy that allowed Priscilla to strike and behead the No. 1.

During Clare's time as a warrior and after the seven year time-skip, Teresa has become an object of obsession for the Awakened Priscilla. She sees Teresa as evil for killing humans, and during her battle with Dauf, she regained her memory of the incident with Teresa and expressed delight that she would be able to kill her again.

Behind the Scenes
Teresa has a song on the Claymore Intimate Persona CD called "Tensei" meaning "Reincarnation".

Teresa's story in the anime is almost identical to the original one from the manga, except that she appears at the end of the anime saying goodbye to Clare after her final fight with Priscilla.

Yagi said in an interview, if he would have ressurected Teresa that would throw off the whole plot of the manga and story.(Although he may have said this at the time since he himself wasn't sure how to bring Teresa back to the story, as evidenced by the latest chapter, where Teresa reappears by switching places with Clare.)