Jean

Jean is Claymore No. 9 of Clare's generation. Jean is an offensive fighter. Her "Drill Sword" technique, based on storing energy by twisting her arm and releasing it in one burst, is said to be the most destructive and fastest among her peers. She is serious and strictly honorable.

Etymology
"Jean" is a transliteration of the Japanese "Jīn" (ジーン, pronounced "jeen").

"Jean" is a French and Scottish version of "Jane" or "Joan," all of Hebrew origin meaning "God is gracious." Perhaps an allusion to another gracious warrior, Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc).

Appearance
In keeping of the Jeanne d'Arc image, Jean has short hair that she wears slicked neatly back with a few strands hanging in her face.

As an Awakened Being she resembles a graceful Butterfly with sharp claws.

Height: 175cm (5ft 8.89in).

Personality
Jean's most defining personality trait is her incredible willpower, as shown when she is able to maintain her human consciousness upon awakening, even after her body had fully transformed. Other prominent characteristics are her strict, no-nonsense discipline and extreme loyalty; she strongly believes that all debts must be fulfilled and is willing to sacrifice her own life in order to save an ally. However, she has weak leadership abilities, as seen when her entire team, including herself, becomes injured and temporarily immobile during the fight with the first three awakened beings in the Northern Campaign. Jean also carries herself in a formal and dignified manner, including when interacting with other Claymores.

Extreme Strength of Willpower
Jean's strength of mind is shown when she refuses to awaken even under torture, and well after her body had already morphed.

Drill Sword
Jean's trademark ability is that to twist her arm up to 21 times and, by untwisting it very fast, deliver a very punishing blow. This was done at the cost of over 50% of her yoki. This technique was learned by Helen, who managed to do it without using up any yoki.

Organization Rating
From Claymore Databook 3.


 * Yoki: B


 * Agility: C


 * Muscular Strength: B+


 * Spirit: A+


 * Perception: C


 * Leadership: C

Employment as a Claymore
Jean is first seen leading an Awakened Being Hunting Party at Hanel, where Clare was searching for Raki. She senses Clare inside the inn, but since Clare is using yoki suppressant pills, Jean dismisses her suspicion.

Later as Clare is speaking to a young girl about the Clare and Teresa statue, Raquel staggers into town, nearly dead. Raquel tells Clare that the party was captured and begs Clare to help. Raquel dies.

Clare makes her way to an abandoned castle in Mount Zakol. Meanwhile, one unnamed Claymore is dead, while Jean and Katea are tortured by Dauf, an Awakened Being, and Riful of the West. Katea awakens, but is found too weak and was killed by Dauf. Soon, Jean is the sole survivor, refusing to awaken. When asked why, she insists that she was born a human and she will die a human.

While Riful is distracted by the battle between Dauf, Clare and Galatea, Jean reaches her limit. By the time Clare arrives to rescue her, her body had fully awakened. However, her mind was still unaffected and she begged Clare to kill her. Instead, Clare manages to pull her back, which she is utterly amazed by. She vows to give her life for Clare in return and, with her help, Dauf is defeated.

After the battle, Jean takes to following Clare to the latter's annoyance, insisting that her debt was not yet fulfilled. She is then given the job of fighting in the Northern Campaign.

The Northern Campaign
In Pieta, she still sticks to Clare like glue, attacking Helen when she seems to attack Clare. However, the conflict is soon ended and Miria gives Jean the position of division captain. Her team includes Eliza (No. 17), Emelia (No. 27), Natalie (No. 37), and Diana (No. 44). After the meeting, Clare takes Jean to a private meeting of partially-awakened warriors like herself. Soon after this, the first battle begins. Jean and her team fight the bug-like Awakened being. She does badly until Veronica's team provides back-up. Jean and Helen are the key warriors in the fight.

During the second battle, she does much better but then critically wounded by Rigardo. After Clare kills Rigardo, she pleads Helen for death due to passing her limit. A dying Jean, with a hole in her stomach area, stops Helen and uses the last of her strength in order to help Clare revert back, thus fulfilling her pledge.

Although long dead, Jean's influence is felt many years thereafter. She makes a brief appearance in Clare's mind since she was part of the memory Clare had when she met Rafaela. In manga Scene 100, Clare is revealed to be unable to fully awaken again, and Deneve theorizes that it may be the "wedge" that Jean's self-sacrifice put into her subconscious that caused it (meaning that her conscious is still living inside of Clare's mind).

Clare
Due to the fact that Clare saved her life, Jean felt strongly that she should repay this debt in any way she can. She took to following Clare and defending her faithfully. She fulfilled this debt by preventing Clare from awakening herself, and died happily.

Helen & Deneve
Jean called Helen out on her immaturity when Helen greeted Clare with a fake sword attack. Jean was disgusted and accused Helen of being disrespectful to her friend, even going as far as to prepare for a (real) attack on her. However, Deneve interrupted this and stopped the scuffle while apologizing for Helen's behavior. Jean and Helen express mutual apologies as well and all is fine since then. Deneve commended Jean on her gentle personality compared to other single-digit Claymores.

Behind the Scenes

 * Jean's voice actor is Kotono Mitsuishi and her English voice actor is Laura Bailey.
 * In the anime, Jean is shown intervening when Flora intends to fight Clare and motivating Raki when he is frightened the fighting.
 * In the manga, Jean dies in Pieta, giving all her life force to pull Clare back from awakening.
 * In the anime, Jean dies in the volcano, doing the same, after Clare gives up killing Priscilla.
 * In the anime Jean has a different symbol than in the manga.