Chapter 1

The first chapter of Claymore by Norihiro Yagi, first published in the May 2001 issue of Monthly Shonen Jump. This chapter was translated into English and published in Claymore Manga Volume 1 by Viz Media.

Short Synopsis


A village is attacked by Yoma and the chief sends for a mysterious, half-monster warrior known as a Claymore to detect and eliminate the Yoma. A boy called Raki takes an interest in her and is the only one who is not scared of her, trying to engage her in conversation. When he returns home, he finds his guardians dead and that his older brother, Zaki, is the Yoma. The Claymore intervenes just as the Yoma is about to kill him and destroys it. Afterwards, Raki is in shock but comes to his senses in time to thank the Claymore for defeating the Yoma. At the end of the chapter, he finally gets her name: Clare.

The Silver Eyed Slayer
The chapter opens with a woman with slit-pupils slaying a humanoid monster using a large Claymore by cutting off its head.

The scene changes to a village where it is clear that a grizzly murder has taken place. The victim's body is left lying in the street in a pool of his own blood. According to the villagers, he is the sixth victim to fall to this murderer. The villagers are apparently being killed at a very fast rate, the victim before being killed only three days ago. All the people believe that there is a Yoma in the town and it will kill everyone if left unchecked.

In the village chief's house, a number of people have gathered, including Zaki. It is agreed that something must be done. Yoma eat out a human's guts while they are still alive but they can take human form and become impossible to find. Before an argument can start, the chief interrupts with the announcement that a Claymore has been sent out to the village. No one is pleased about this and the cost is high to hire one but they have no choice, since Claymores are the only ones who can detect a Yoma when it is in human form.

Zaki leaves the meeting and finds his younger brother, Raki. He had been listening in to the meeting and asks Zaki about Claymores. Zaki explains that Claymores are people who have been trained to fight Yoma for a fee but also that they are hybrids, created by taking on the flesh and blood of a Yoma. Zaki goes on to explain how only females could adapt and every male who tried apparently died. When they fight Yoma, their eyes shine gold and they have distinctive silver eyes, giving them the names 'Silver-Eyed Witch' and 'Silver-Eyed Slayer'. There is a sudden commotion. The Claymore has arrived.

Raki hurries to see her. She is an armored girl with short fair hair, a strangely frail-looking body and wearing a large sword on her back. The people are all nervous at the sight of her, wondering whether, being part-monster herself, she could turn on them. She passes them by, ignoring their speculations. Arriving at the chief's home, she rejects his offer to take the fee, saying coldly that, if she died, there would be no reason to pay. She reassures them, in the same aloof tone, that she will find it and either she or the Yoma will turn up dead.

Leaving the shaken chief, the warrior ventures out into the village. All the villagers flee into their houses at the sight of her. Suddenly, her eyes flash gold, she draws her sword and turns. A shocked Raki is behind her, saying he was only following her and was not doing anything wrong. The warrior sheathes her sword and carries on. Raki tries to engage her into conversation, during which time it is revealed that Claymore is not the Organization's name and humans merely thrust it upon them. Raki is unafraid of the warrior since she looks normal and rather pretty to him. He continues to follow her until they reach the outskirts of the village.

There, the warrior sticks her sword into the ground and sits with her back to it, saying she is taking a nap after walking for three days. Raki finds a long and imitates her. Unamused, the warrior asks why he is so interested in her. He confides in her that the first victims of the Yoma were his parents.