Deneve

Deneve is Claymore #15 and has partially awakened, though she succeeded in reverting to her normal state. She possesses a calm and understanding personality but can be a perfectionist. Her regeneration ability is exceptional, even for a defensive fighter.

Appearance
Deneve has cropped pale hair with silver eyes. Before the time skip she wore the standard Claymore uniform. She now wears the same dark outfit as the other survivors of the Northern Campaign.

Early life
Like many Claymores, Deneve is a survivor of a Yoma attack. After a Yoma killed their parents, her elder sister hid Deneve under a bed. Since her dead parents were on the bed in question, Deneve's scent was hidden. While the Yoma proceeded to kill her sister, Deneve managed to remain hidden and ultimately survived the night.

Employment as a Claymore
As a Claymore, she desired vengeance, but her desire to live was stronger than her desire for revenge, and so she became a defensive warrior with offensive abilities weaker than that of most of her comrades. Ashamed of what she regarded as her cowardice, she fought suicidally until she met Helen, who told her that it is natural for Claymores to want to live, insisting that they are only human. This deeply affected Deneve, though her feelings of shame had not yet vanished. Afterwards, she became virtually inseparable from her new friend.

At one point before she met Helen, she partially Awakened and managed to pull herself back from the brink.

Meeting Clare
Deneve was first introduced as a team member in Clare's first hunt for awakened beings. By then, she had been on two other Awakened Being hunts. Surviving the near suicidal mission has created a strong bond between the team members, which was made stronger yet when they found they all shared the same experience of having nearly awakened. These four "trouble" warriors would later reunite for yet another suicide mission in the North.

The Northern Campaign
Deneve was one of the 24 Claymores chosen to fight in the Northern Campaign. Deneve is put into Undine's team and originally despised her captain. Deneve deduces the reason for Undine's powers, attitude, and extra sword, thus earning her respect. The two gain a good understanding of each other. However, Undine is killed by Rigardo along with four other captains. She is haunted by feelings of weakness for her perceived inability to avenge Undine's death. She is one of the seven survivors. Deneve uses Undine's "borrowed" sword as Undine's gravemarker and takes Undine's sword with her. Becoming a duel sword warrior herself.

After Seven Year Time-Skip
After seven years in hiding, she has learned to use both swords in battle and like her former captain, has learned to enhance her muscles to augment her strength, to a point where she was easily able to cut through Agatha. She has decided to go to Helen's hometown with her while Clare goes to the west.

On the way to Helen's hometown she and Helen come across a group of Claymore fighting against an Awakened Being. After all but one of the Claymore are knocked unconscious Helen asks if she wants to help. Deneve says that she doesn't, wanting to follow Miria's orders to avoid trouble and remain unseen by present day warriors. However when Helen jumps into the battle, Deneve can't help but join in. She cuts off one of the Awakened Being's arms and then tries to knock to remaining Claymore unconscious with a strong kick. However the Claymore dodged both Deneve's kick and Helen's punch, leaving Deneve quite impressed.

The unknown Claymore identifies herself as Claymore #8 Dietrich. Deneve, Helen and Dietrich pull the unconscious Claymores to safety before continuing their fight with the Awakened Being. Deneve manages to stab it in the eyes, blinding it. This gives Helen the chance to use the Drill Sword technique, although it doesn't kill it. Dietrich then launches her attack, cutting the Being in two.

After defeating the Awakened Being she and Helen continue on their journey south but are followed by Dietrich. They eventually agree to let Dietrich travel with them due to the fact that she knows the south and that she had deduced they were survivors of the Northern Campaign. Despite this they ignore Dietrich's warnings of demons that live and the south and carry on their journey. When they reach the next town Helen convinces Deneve to enter the town with her to catch a glimpse of Isley, who they believe to be the demon Dietrich was talking about.

When they see Isley Helen stumbles and falls, causing Isley to stop and inquire if they are alright. They reply that they are and belive that they are safe when Isley begins to walk away. However, despite hiding their Yoki, Isley realises they are Claymores and cuts straight through Deneve's right side, leaving her with a very serious injury. Soon afterwards, by going into a half-awakened state, Deneve regenerates the right side of her body and releases her youki along with Helen in order to fight Isley. However, right after this happens the eleven Abyss Feeders come to the town in order to attack Isley. Deneve and Helen are assaulted by the Abyss Feeders, and in the midst of the fight Deneve and Helen are saved by Dietrich and escape from the town.

Journey to the West
When she realises that they are no match for Isley and the Abyssal Feeders, she decides to head west and meet up with Clare so that Helen can have her eye healed by Cynthia. She sends Dietrich ahead to pass on what they have learned to Miria. On the way to find Clare she and Helen come across Cynthia and Yuma. After Helen has her eye regenerated by Cynthia, Deneve leaves with her to find Clare.

They eventually come across Clare, who warns them not to come any closer as the combined Luciela and Rafaela Awakened Being was attacking. They are uninjured by the attack, but the spikes begin to turn into what appears to be Yoma. The creatures attack and at one point jumps on one, ready to decapitate it, but the creatures back creates mouths which bite her sword. She leaps off the creatures but her arm gets pierced by the creatures' projectiles, which begin to mutate. She rips her arm off and throws it at the creature, the sword burying into its head and distracting in order for Helen to hit it with her "Drill Sword". After all the creatures are dead Deneve notices that the Awakened Being is going to create more creatures and prepares to battle again.

During the subsequent fight between Clare and newly-arrived Priscilla, Deneve and Helen are pinned down by the second yoma spike barrage and can only watch from afar. When it is revealed that Clare cannot Awaken, Deneve theorizes that it must be Jean's influence that put a "wedge" into her subconscious that prevents her Awakening. She and Helen then distract Priscilla and snatch Clare from under her nose, making a run for it. Deneve remarks that Priscilla is way above their heads in terms of power and suggests that pray to the goddess of fortune to make an escape. The luck does not appear to be on their side, however, since Priscilla closes in on them fast. Tossing the unconscious Clare to Helen, Deneve attempts to Priscilla down by having nearby yoma spike creatures fire upon her but it doesn't work. She then resolves to hold Priscilla off for as long as she can (which, granted, isn't long), ordering Helen to escape over her objections. She is unexpectedly saved by Dauf, however, who survived by being infected with a yoma spike and attacks Priscilla from behind.

Using Dauf's distraction, Deneve sets course for Rafaela-Luciela merged being, judging that even they would be less dangerous than Priscilla. Still, she comments than no matter how long Dauf holds Priscilla off, they won't escape her in time.

True to her words Priscilla proves too fast causing Deneve to actually have to abandon her own claymore (still keeping Udines sword) by throwing it at Priscilla to buy some time.The Rafaela-Lucelia attacks the oncoming group striking Priscilla and allowing them to get away. When the Rafaela-Lucelia reveals its true form and it attacks everyone Deneve loses her right arm and says that every time she took a hit from the true body of Rafaela-Lucelia her yoki was drained and is barely able to heal (her regenerated arm is severally disfigured).

She expresses extreme shock at Clare's apparent death.

She, along with Helen, watched the Destroyer absorb Clare, but not before Clare gave her final words to them. Just after Clare was absorbed, Priscilla appeared and destroyed a large chunk of the Destroyer while asking the two where Clare was. Helen struck at her with a ranged attack, but Priscilla grounded it with her own ribbons. Deneve took this opportunity to try to attack from behind, but was pierced several times by Priscilla. When asked by her again about Clare's whereabouts, Deneve told her that Clare was dead. In a state of shock, Priscilla stabbed Deneve over and over with spikes while Helen yelled in the background to stop it, unable to move because of the ribbons. When the Destroyer came and stabbed Priscilla many times in all directions, this gave Helen time to free herself and get Deneve to a safe location. Upon being put on the ground, Deneve started coughing up blood, which scared Helen. Just then Yuma, Cynthia and Dietrich showed up. After Yuma healed Deneve's arm, Deneve told the group the situation so far. She also theorized that Clare willingly let herself be absorbed by the Destroyer not just to only save them, but to exact revenge on Priscilla as well.

Personality
Deneve is Helen's foil; calm and logical, often telling Helen not to be so rash. She has a great deal of pride, as seen when she would not talk about the time she was saved by Clare, who was lower than her. Helen calls her a perfectionist and demands it of others. Deneve is not afraid to take risks, either. Before meeting Helen, she would fight suicidally and volunteered to demonstrate how a Claymore could pass her limits without Awakening.

However, she is shown to be very understanding when she correctly figures out Undine's past and sympathizes with her. She also admits to thinking herself less of a warrior for being a Defensive type, explaining her frequent disregard for her own life. Deneve is capable of making strong bonds of friendship as she is rarely seen without Helen and was extremely distraught at Undine's death, blaming herself for not being able to protect or avenge her.

Abilities
Regeneration: Deneve has an incredible proficiency of regenerating parts of her body, which was strengthened when she became half-awakened. Indeed, it is possible that she does not possess any of her original limbs due to this. After the time-skip she is seen regrowing an arm in a mere instant.

Double-Sword Technique: Following Undine's death, Deneve took it upon herself to carry Undine's sword and practise using it to great effect. She is able now to augment her strength to wield the two swords effectively.

Helen
After Deneve's training, her self-esteem was low and she began to fight without a thought to her own safety. It was Helen who made her see that it was normal to be afraid of dying, that they were 'only human'. Since then, the two seemed inseparable, despite their clashing personalities. The two share a close bond of friendship, though Deneve is sometimes exasperated by Helen's loud, rash attitude.

Miria
Deneve respects Miria's leadership and does not openly act against her. She protects Miria to the best of her ability during the Northern Campaign and follows her to the South after training in the North.

Clare
Initially, Deneve was irritated at Clare for being late for their Awakened Being hunt together and then, ridiculed her with Helen for her low number. Her pride will not let her get over the fact that it was Clare that saved her.

After the Northern Campaign, she starts to feel protective over Clare when she sends Yuma to watch over her when she searches for Raki.

Dietrich
Deneve seemingly respects Dietrich for her power and deductive abilities and accepts her offer to let Dietrich guide them through the South. She follows her guidance and allows Dietrich to go to Rabona to pass the message of the change in plan on to Miria.

Etymology
It is difficult to say where Deneve's name stems from since Deneve is not a Western name. The English dub version, however, provides the alternative, Deneva. Deneva is a variant of the western name 'Geneva' is Old French for 'juniper tree'. In Christianity, juniper trees are seen as a symbol of warding away evil and protection. This could refer to Deneve's adeptness at fighting Yoma and her desire to protect her friends.

Behind the Scenes

 * Deneve's voice actor is Takeda Hana and, in the English dub, Caitlin Glass.
 * Deneve has her own song on the Claymore Intimate Persona CD, called 'Kakusei' meaning 'Awakening'.
 * In the ending arc of the anime, Deneve tried to fight Priscilla with Helen and Miria but got very badly injured. She survived the battle and deserted the Organization with Helen.
 * In the English dub Deneve was called number 19, but she is actually rank 15.

Appearances

 * Claymore Manga Chapter 25
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 26
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 27
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 28
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 29
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 30
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 50
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 51
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 52
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 53
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 54
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 55
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 56
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 57
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 58
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 59
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 60
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 61
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 66
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 67
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 68
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 69
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 70
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 71
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 72
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 78
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 79
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 80
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 82
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 85
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 86
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 87
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 88
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 89
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 93
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 94
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 95
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 96
 * Claymore Manga Chapter 99
 * Claymore Anime Episode 9
 * Claymore Anime Episode 10
 * Claymore Anime Episode 11
 * Claymore Anime Episode 18
 * Claymore Anime Episode 19
 * Claymore Anime Episode 20
 * Claymore Anime Episode 21
 * Claymore Anime Episode 22
 * Claymore Anime Episode 23
 * Claymore Anime Episode 24
 * Claymore Anime Episode 25
 * Claymore Anime Episode 26