Deneve

Deneve was Claymore No. 15 of the 135th generation in the Organization. Though she has partially Awakened, she succeeded in reverting to her normal state. She possesses a calm and understanding yet serious personality, but can be a perfectionist. Her regeneration ability is superb, even for a defensive fighter, and her skills are unique. Deneve was a standard one Claymore warrior until her captain in the northern campaign death, Undine had died.

Etymology
"Deneve" is a transliteration of the Japanese "Denevu" (デネヴ, pronounced "de-ne-vu," close to the Anime English dub).

In the West, "Deneve" is usually a last name, meaning "of snow," in Latin, Italian and Spanish. Related to the feminine Latin names Neva and Neve ("snow").

The Anime English dub version uses "Deneva," a variant of "Deneve."

Appearance
Deneve has silver eyes and pale blonde hair styled in a pixie cut. Before the Seven Year Time Skip, she wore the standard Claymore uniform. She now wears the same dark outfit like the other "Six" of the Seven Ghosts.

Image Gallery
 * Height: 175cm (5 ft 8.89 in)

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-ranked than her. Helen reveals that Deneve is a perfectionist and does not settle for anything less for herself or others. Deneve is not afraid to take risks, though; before meeting Helen, she would fight suicidally and after the fight in Paburo Mountains, she volunteered to demonstrate how a Claymore could pass the 80% limit without Awakening.

However, she is shown to be very understanding, evidenced 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.

Heightened Regeneration
Deneve has an incredible proficiency of regenerating parts of her body, which was strengthened when she became half-Awakened. She has been seen regenerating lost limbs in an instant as well as heal from wounds that would be fatal even for a defensive-type Claymore. One such example was when Isley cleaved her from the shoulder down. However, pre-timeskip, it took most of her Yoki to regenerate a limb.

Perhaps Deneve possesses such strong regenerative abilities due to a subconscious desire to live, despite her initial suicidal nature.

Yoki Suppression
Like the rest of the survivors of the North, Deneve has learned to suppress her Yoki in order to remain hidden from the Organization.

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

Organization Rating
From Claymore Databook 2.
 * Yoki: B+
 * Agility: B
 * Muscular Strength: C
 * Spirit: C+
 * Perception: C
 * Leadership: C

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. Afterward, 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. It is revealed chapter 137 that Deneve was among those who are 'half-Awakened', a result of Dae's earlier experiments where he implanted the flesh of a blood relative into several Claymores, instead of only the flesh of regular Yoma.

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

The Northern Campaign
Deneve is one of the 24 Claymores chosen to fight in the Northern Campaign. Deneve is put into Undine's team and originally despised her captain for her gruff and arrogant attitude. However, Deneve later deduces the reason for Undine's powers, attitude, and extra sword, thus earning her respect, and the two gain a good understanding of each other. However, Undine is killed by Rigardo along with four other captains. Afterwards, Deneve is haunted by feelings of weakness for her perceived inability to avenge Undine's death. Deneve uses Undine's "borrowed" sword as Undine's gravemarker and takes Undine's sword with her, becoming a dual-wielding warrior like Undine as one of the Seven Ghosts.

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

Journey to the South
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 dodges both Deneve's kick and Helen's punch, leaving Deneve quite impressed.

The unknown Claymore identifies herself as the current No. 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 impart a fatal blow. Dietrich then launches her attack, cutting the Awakened Being in half.

After defeating the Awakened Being, Deneve and Helen continue on their journey south but are consistently followed by Dietrich. They eventually agree to let Dietrich travel with them due to the fact that she knows the south, but also because she deduces they are 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 all right. They reply that they are and believe that they are safe and Isley begins to walk away. However, despite hiding their Yoki, Isley realizes they are Claymores and cuts straight through Deneve's right side, leaving her with a very serious injury. Soon afterward, by going into a half-Awakened state, Deneve regenerates the right side of her body and releases her Yoki along with Helen in order to fight Isley. However, before the fight can begin, 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 they are both saved by Dietrich and escape from the town.

Trouble in the West
When Deneve realizes that they are no match for Isley and the Abyss 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, who managed to escape and attack from Riful and Dauf. 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 begins her assault. They are uninjured by the attack, but the spikes begin to turn into what appear to be Yoma. The creatures attack and at one point Deneve jumps onto one, ready to decapitate it, but the creature's back creates mouths which bite her sword. She leaps off the creature, but her arm is pierced by the creatures' projectiles and begins to mutate. She rips her arm off and throws it at the creature, the sword in the hand spearing its head and distracting it, leaving it open for Helen to strike with her "Drill Sword". After all the creatures are dead, Deneve notices that the Destroyer is going to create more creatures and prepares to battle once more.

Priscilla's Attack
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, snatch Clare from under her nose and then attempt to run for their lives. Deneve remarks that Priscilla is way above their heads in terms of power and suggests that they 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 take Priscilla down by having nearby Yoma spike creatures fire upon her, but the desperate tactic does not work. She then resolves to hold Priscilla off for as long as she can (which, granted, isn't long) and orders Helen to escape over the latter's objections. She is unexpectedly saved by Dauf, however, who survived Priscilla's earlier assault on him and Riful by being infected with a Yoma spike. 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 to be too fast, causing Deneve to actually have to abandon her own claymore (still keeping Undine's sword) by throwing it at Priscilla to buy some time.The Destroyer attacks the oncoming group, striking Priscilla and allowing them to temporarily get away. When the Destroyer reveals its true form, it attacks everyone present and Deneve loses her right arm in the chaos. She warns Helen that when she took the hit from the true body of Rafaela-Luciela, her Yoki was drained and she is now barely able to heal (her regenerated arm is severely disfigured).

Deneve expresses extreme shock at Clare's apparent death and, along with Helen, watches the Destroyer absorb Clare's remains, but not before listening to the warrior's final words. Just after Clare is absorbed, Priscilla appears and destroys a large chunk of the Destroyer, later asking the two where Clare is. Helen strikes at her with a ranged attack, but Priscilla grounds her arm with spike ribbons. Deneve takes this opportunity to try to attack from behind, but is pierced through several times by Priscilla. When asked again about Clare's whereabouts, Deneve tells her that Clare is dead.

In a state of shock, Priscilla stabbs Deneve over and over with spikes while Helen yells in the background for her to stop, unable to move because of her pinned down arm. When the Destroyer comes and impales Priscilla many times in all directions, this gives Helen time to free herself and get Deneve to a safe location. Upon being put on the ground, Deneve starts coughing up blood and begins to Awaken, scaring Helen. Fortunately, Yuma, Cynthia and Dietrich appear and Yuma uses Yoki Synchronizaton to help heal Deneve's arm. Once healed, Deneve informs the group of the situation so far. She also theorizes that Clare willingly let herself be absorbed by the Destroyer, not only to save them, but to exact revenge on Priscilla as well.

Rabona's Crisis
Deneve then appears in the Holy City of Rabona just in time to fight off the Awakened Beings attacking the city. She rescues Tabitha, who was about to get stabbed by an Awakened Being, stopping its attack with just one arm and telling the other warrior not to act so carelessly. The fight continues for some time and, eventually, all of the Awakened Beings are destroyed. However, Galatea then appears and tells the group that Miria left to fight the Organization alone and that she most likely failed and died. Due to this failure, the attack on Rabona was a retaliatory strike from the Organization in effort to eliminate the remaining rogue warriors. She and Tabitha then inquire as to Clare's whereabouts, assuming she is dead, but Deneve looks morose and says nothing as Helen explains this is not the case.

Later on, the remaining Ghosts, plus Dietrich, Galatea, Clarice, and Miata, help Rabona recover. Then, the Ghosts prepare to go fight the Organization. Tabitha attempts to leave before them and fight in the same way Miria did, but is stopped by Deneve, who engages her in battle. She states that if Tabitha wishes for death so badly, she (Deneve) might as well give it to her then and there. All in all, Deneve calls Miria a traitor and a naive idealist who wasn't fit to be a captain, which prompts Tabitha to punch her in the face out of distress. After telling her to let Miria feel that punch, she askes Dietrich to go with them to the Organization so that she can discover the truth about it for herself. Deneve even says that if what Dietrich finds brings her to defend the Organization's actions, she should not hesitate to do so, and that if they cross blades, they will do so with the intent to kill each other.

Staff
Deneve, along with the remaining Seven Ghosts and Dietrich, travels to the east to destroy the Organization and, perhaps, retrieve Miria. However, she follows Tabitha when the latter senses the presence of Awakened Beings and helps save the current No. 7, Anastasia, and her party from certain death. She is last seen with the others destroying the Awakened Being creation facility. Later on the group, with Deneve at the head, save Miria from the awakened Hysteria, telling her not to awaken until everyone had punched her for her betrayal. She and the new arrivals then begin fighting Hysteria, seemingly gaining the advantage until Hysteria unveils her awakened form's true ability - blinding speed. Deneve is unable to dodge quickly enough despite Miria's warning, losing her left ear and left arm to the first strike of Hysteria's counterattack.

Whilst Deneve heals, she convinces Miria not to Awaken in order to defeat Hysteria, Cassandra and Roxanne and should remain human as it will make them win the battle and that she is their captain. Deneve teaches Miria how to use the flight technique with Anatasia's hair and she saved Anatasia with Tabitha when Nike cuts her free. Deneve realizes what Miria is doing with Hysteria and tells everyone that Miria is heading towards the Awakened Cassandra and Roxanne who were fighting nearby.

Later on, Deneve and the other rebels meet Raki, who had been held by the Organization. Deneve confirms that Clare is indeed alive, but in a "precarious situation". She then proceeds to bring everyone up to date on the events in the western region. Miria forms a plan to rescue Clare with the aid of Raki. Deneve criticizes the plan as being far fetched, but acknowledges that Miria has gotten them through impossible situations before. She shows great respect for Miria's leadership, stating "It feels as if even some of your naive words sink deep into my chest".

Helen realizes that Clare might emerge from her stasis naked and untreated, which would be terribly shocking to Raki. Deneve decides to show Raki how the bodies of the Organization's Warriors are horribly disfigured. She tears her shirt off and tells Raki to take a good look. If he can accept the disfigurement, he should hug Clare with all his might when she emerges.

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.

Undine
Initially, the two were antagonistic towards each other, Deneve resenting her commander's brash behavior. However, she came to respect Undine upon discovering the reason behind her commander's second sword. Upon her death, Deneve used Undine's sword and dual wield ever since.

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.

Trivia

 * Deneve notes at one point that Claymores don't really have a sense of embarrassment when they are naked, especially in front of each other.
 * Because of such, she was able to tear off her shirt without hesitation when she wanted to prepare Raki for when Clare was rescued from the Destroyer cocoon; she wanted to him to know about the stigma and not to fear it.

Behind the Scenes

 * Deneve has her own song on the Claymore Intimate Persona CD, called Kakusei meaning 'Awakening'.



Anime and Manga differences

 * 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 both numbers 15 and 19, but she is actually rank 15.
 * In the English Dub, when Deneve asked one of her teammates about the shipment of supplies, she addressed her as "Tabitha", which is incorrect since Tabitha was on Miria's team.