Ophelia

Ophelia is Claymore No. 4 of Clare's generation. Despite the Organization forbidding killing humans, Ophelia hints that she may have done so. In Japanese, she has the nickname 血塗られた凶戦士, Chinurareta Kyōsenshi, or Blood-Smeared Wicked Warrior.

Her self-invented nickname is "Rippling Ophelia" (漣のオフィーリア, Sazanami no Ofīria), after her trademark sword movement. But in the anime version, she uses "Ophelia of the Ripples."

Etymology
"Ophelia" is a transliteration of the Japanese "Ofīria"(オフィーリア).

In the West, "Ophelia" derives from the Greek word for "help." It is the name of a character in Hamlet who loses her sanity and drowns. Possibly alluding to Ophelia's madness. Also to her body floating in a lake as in the Shakespeare play.

Appearance
Claymore: Ophelia has long pale silver hair, worn in a long plait. Hairline has a widow's peak. Eyes are silver. Like Irene, she has elf-like ears.

Height: 175cm (5ft 8.89in).

Awakened Form: Hair is darker, eyes are golden and skin is greenish. Blades serrate the back and elongated arms end in claws. The lower torso has a long snake-like tail.

Personality
Miria warns Clare about Ophelia, describing her as very dangerous. But Clare discovers this too late. Ophelia delights in toying with her prey before destroying it. Ophelia is obsessed with Awakened Beings, since Priscilla killed Ophelia's older brother.

She insists on killing only Awakened Beings, while ignoring Normal Yoma.

The Organization only rates Ophelia's "Spirit" as a "C."

Abilities
Claymore: Ophelia shows not only speed and strength, but also resilience when an Awakened Being twists Ophelia's head a 180 degrees. Ophelia survives to twist her head back to normal and kill the Being.


 * Rippling Sword: Ophelia invented a technique that involves swift undulation of her sword arm so her sword appears to be rippling. The optical illusion it creates makes "forecasting" extremely difficult. She uses this ability to avoid her attacks being blocked by Clare but this ability was not effective against Irene's Quicksword technique.

Awakened Being: Ophelia uses retracting spikes as a weapon. She can move about her vital "core," as when its human form emerged from the tail-end.

Organization Rating: (From Claymore Databook 2)


 * Yoki: A


 * Agility: A


 * Muscular Strength: A


 * Spirit: C


 * Perception: B+


 * Leadership: C

Organization Rating: (From Claymore Databook 2, as Awakened Being)


 * Yoki: SS


 * Agility: SSS


 * Strength: SS


 * Invulnerability: S (Special Level of Ability)


 * Intelligence: SS

Early Life
Ophelia's parents are unknown, but her older brother is killed and eaten by Priscilla as he protects Ophelia. This begins Ophelia's obsession with Awakened Beings. She vows to "to kill the One-Horned Monster."

Employment as a Claymore
Ophelia became very powerful and ascended to No. 4. She invented a move involving swift undulation of her sword arm so her sword has the appearance of rippling. Mocking the other other Claymores with nicknames, she pretends to Clare to call herself "Rippling Ophelia." But adds that no one or almost no one who has seen it has lived.

During her time as a Claymore, she gained the reputation of being vicious. She hints that she has killed humans in the past.

She also displayed vicious tendencies toward other Claymores. When Hilda was about to awaken, she asked Ophelia to give her Black Card to Miria. However, Ophelia ripped it up, condemning Hilda to awaken. She was in the Awakened Being hunt that was sent to kill Hilda and so was Miria. When Miria discovered when it was Hilda she had slain, Ophelia showed signs of interest when she began to Awaken from the shock. This was the reason that spawned Miria's dislike of Ophelia.

Awakened Being Hunt with Clare
On meeting Clare, she proceeds to physically torment Clare, till Raki intervenes. Ophelia cuts off Clare's legs and mock-fights Raki, seeing if Clare can reattach them before Raki is killed. The Awakened Being interrupts the scene.

Clare flees with Raki, as Ophelia fights the Awakened Being. Despite having her head turned 180 degrees, Ophelia killsthe Awakened Being and pursues Clare. After cornering her on a cliff-face, she proceeds to battle her.

Ophelia has the upper-hand due to her Rippling Sword, which cuts off Clare's right arm. When Clare fell down the cliff, Ophelia follows her, suspicious that she kept a hold on her arm. When Clare attempts to reattach it, Ophelia cuts it to shreds, realizing that Clare is an offensive type warrior and thus preventing her from regenerating it. After another battle, Ophelia manages to cut off Clare's other hand and would have killed her while she was disarmed and helpless. Despite her own vow of vengeance, she mocks Clare for her resolve to live on.

Irene interrupts Clare's impeding execution. Angered, Ophelia attacks, but is defeated by the Quicksword.

Awakening and Death
After her defeat, she remains scared of what happened and begs for her older brother to save her. However, she spitefully rebukes herself for being weak and, in her rage at Irene, she unwittingly awakens. She soon comes across Clare and proceeds to battle her. Realizing that she is not good to devour, she tries drowning Clare in the lake. Ophelia only realizes she has awakened when seeing her reflection in the water.

Stricken and distraught at having become the very thing she hated, she strikes out at Clare. After Clare severs both her arms, she gathers her human core at the end of her tail. Ophelia then introduces another game: if Clare can use the Quicksword to shred her body up to her human part, Ophelia will let Clare kill Priscilla for her. If Clare awakens before she can get to Ophelia's human core, she "loses."

Ophelia only makes one attempt to stop her but then remembers her brother's sacrifice and allows Clare to continue. In the end, Ophelia allows Clare to euthanize her. Her body is later discovered by the Organization.

Brother
Ophelia was close to her older brother, who protected her fatally from Priscilla. On his death, she vowed to avenge him by 'slaying the one-horned monster'. She never shows these feelings outwardly, however.

Other Claymores
Ophelia is not shown to have close relationships with other Claymores. She appears to prefer working alone.

Hilda
Ophelia knew Hilda only briefly. She met Hilda in the woods having picked up on her yoki where she found Hilda somewhat blindly searching for Miria (as she was on the verge of awakening). Having a fondness of fighting awakened beings and looking for good sport - Ophelia took the card and tore it up defiantly. As a result of shredding up the Black Card Hilda gave her meant for Miria, she condemned Hilda to awaken.

Miria
Miria was sent on a hunt to slay Hilda and it was only after she was slain did Miria realize that it was her friend. In her shock, she began to Awaken. Ophelia showed interest when this happened and it is probable she prevented the Black Card reaching Miria simply for her to Awaken.

Clare
It is an open question why Clare is assigned to the Godal hunting party.

At their first meeting in Godal, Ophelia knows or knew that Clare is partially awakened. Clare is slated for death. Ophelia toys with Clare and Raki, until interrupted by an Awakened Being. After killing the Being, Ophelia pursues Clare. Clare loses her right arm and left hand in the ensuing fight, but Irene rescues Clare with the Quicksword. Ophelia is disabled. Later, Ophelia unknowingly awakes.

After Clare recovers, she meets Ophelia in the forest. They battle in a lake. When Ophelia realizes what has happened to herself, she allows Clare to kill her and "puts her resolve" to kill Priscilla in Clare's hands.

Behind the Scenes

 * Ophelia has a song sung by her voice actor on the Claymore Intimate Persona album released while the anime was being recorded. This song is called "Full Lyrics for Zouo," translated as "Hatred."
 * Luci Christian also voiced similar looking characters (the Black Snake from Black Blood Brothers and Medusa from Soul Eater).