Jean

Jean is Claymore #9 and 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 among her peers. She is serious and strictly honorable.

Appearance
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.

Employment as a Claymore
Her past is unknown and Jean is first seen leading an Awakened Being hunt at a town where Clare was searching for Raki. She senses Clare briefly but, since Clare managed to hide in time, she dismissed it as nothing.

She and her team members (Katea, Raquel, and an unnamed Claymore) are captured by Dauf and Riful during said hunt. The hunt turned out to be an ambush and they are soon all put under torture to try and make them Awaken. Raquel managed to excape, the unknown Claymore died and Katea Awakened. Soon, Jean is the only Claymore still holding on to her life and sanity. When asked why, she insisted that she was born human and she will die 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 (#17), Emelia (#27), Natalie (#37), and Diana (#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 chapter 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.

Personality
Jean has incredible willpower, as shown when she keeps her mind even when her body has Awakened. Her defining feature is her strict discipline and belief that all debts must be fulfilled. She is capable of extreme loyalty and does not care for her own life.

Abilities

 * 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 twenty-one 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 learnt by Helen, who managed to do it without using up any Yoki.

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 and died happily, knowing this.

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 whilst 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.

Etymology
Jean is the French variant of the name Jane, which is of Hebrew origin meaning 'God is gracious'. This is perhaps a reference to her gracious personality.

Behind the Scenes

 * In the anime, Jean is shown intervening when Flora intended to fight Clare and motivating Raki when he is scared by Clares half-Awakened form. She still dies to pull Clare back from Awakening but she does so after her battle with Priscilla, not her battle with Rigaldo.