Jean

"But since I was born human, I want to live for the sake of Humans, that is the only truth to me."

- Jean, to Riful

Jean is Claymore No. 9 of Clare's generation and 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 powerful attack among her generation. 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, and no eyebrows.

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. She doesn't care about ranks, when Helen points out that Clare is the lowest rank ever as number 47, she insists that she owes Clare her life and that she didn't care about her rank. This shows that she was a single digit warrior that wasn't arrogant.

Extreme Strength of Willpower
Jean's strength of mind is shown when she refuses to Awaken even under torture and continues 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 by releasing about 50 percent of her yoki. This technique was learned by Helen, who managed to do it without using up any yoki due to her extendable arms.

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, heavily wounded and nearly dead. Raquel tells Clare that the party was captured and begs her to help, dying shortly afterwards.

Clare makes her way to an abandoned castle in Mount Zakol. Meanwhile, in the dungeon, one unnamed Claymore is dead, while Jean and Katea are being tortured by Dauf, an Awakened Being, and Riful of the West. Katea awakens, but is found too weak and is 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 has fully Awakened. However, her mind is still unaffected and she begs 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 the hotheaded warrior appears to strike at 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, and soon after this, the first battle begins. Jean and her team fight the bug-like Awakened Being, but fare badly until Veronica's team provides back-up. Jean and Helen are the key warriors in the fight, with the former cutting off his legs with a propeller-like Drill Sword and the latter destroying his arms.

During the second battle, she does much better but is critically wounded by Rigardo. After Clare kills Rigardo, the 47th warrior pleads Helen for death due to passing her limit. A dying Jean, with a fatal 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 or partially Awaken again, and Deneve theorizes that the reason may be the "wedge" that Jean's self-sacrifice put into her subconscious.

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 then 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 an 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. After the Seven-Year Timeskip, Helen has successfully copied Jean's Drill Sword technique in honor of her former comrade.

Anime and Manga differences

 * In the anime, Jean is shown intervening when Flora intends to fight Clare and motivating Raki when he is frightened the fighting.
 * In the anime, Jean dies in the volcano after Clare gives up killing Priscilla.
 * Jean has a different symbol in the anime than in the manga.
 * Strangely, although being a pivotal character in both the anime and the manga, Jean is not given a character song in Claymore Intimate Persona.