Clare

"No. 47 in the Organization, Clare, successor of Teresa's flesh and blood, bearer of Ilena's right arm and the one who carries Ophelia's hopes and soul to hunt the Awakened Being Priscilla." – Clare

Clare is the protagonist of Claymore. She is the only known Claymore to have taken in the flesh and blood of a fellow Claymore to become one, rather than taking in the flesh and blood of a Yoma, making her a quarter-Yoma, as opposed to half-Yoma like other warriors. As such, she was given the rank No. 47. Despite this, she shows great ability when fighting Yoma and Awakened Beings.

Clare is the only person to have volunteered to undergo the process of becoming a Claymore.

Etymology
"Clare" is a transliteration of the Japanese "Kurea" (クレア, pronounced "ku-re-a").

In the West, "Clare" derives from three sources: the French feminine name "Claire" (derived from the French word for "clear" or "light"), the British-Irish "Clare" derived from the Latin "clarus" ("bright, shining, clear"). And the Irish county Clare (Anglicization of the Irish-Gaelic "an Clár"), meaning "a plain or flat place."

According to The Gaelic Etymology of the Languages of Western Europe by Charles Mackay, "claidheamh" can be pronounced "claire," the Scottish Gaelic word for "sword," and more specifically a "claymore" (claidheamh mór). Possibly a homophone for the "Clare" above.

Human
Clare as a child appears thin and frail. She has a straight dark blonde hime much like Galatea and has green eyes. Her scarred body depicts abuse from Yoma that used her as a cover and a toy.

Claymore
Her hair is cut in a pageboy. As a trainee, she wears it in a long "hime" (princess) style. When ambushed by a Yoma during her final test, she cuts off 2/3 of her hair to hang out a window as a decoy, (Extra Scene 4). It has remained short ever since, and is pale blonde as with other Claymores. Her eyes are silver and her body scars are gone, except for the unseen stigmata on her abdomen. She has a wispy, frail body which disguises her supernatural strength.

Height: 170 cm (5 ft 6.92in—same height as Elena). Dominant arm: right.

When Clare loses her right arm in a fight with Ophelia, Irene gives her own arm as a gift to officially defeat her with the QuickSword talent.

Yoki-suppressant returns a Claymore to her original eye color. But in the anime, Clare's eyes in Rabona are depicted brown, not green (possibly a directional continuity issue).

Partially Awakened Form
Clare's eyes turn gold with slit pupils like a Yoma and her face and body become distorted. Her legs become hock-jointed like a horse's, making her faster, and blades grow from her right arm, with her left becoming large and claw-like. Her awakened right arm is most likely what Irene's right arm would have resembled on awakening.

Personality
"You already appear calm on the surface. But your real heart is a whirlpool of passion." – Irene

Even from childhood, Clare's enormous willpower is apparent when she would persistently follow Teresa despite the dangers. While with Teresa, she was initially mute, but later on was able to speak again. Her determination to kill Priscilla made her take Teresa's flesh and blood into her body and become a Claymore. Ever since she became a Claymore, Clare develops an aloof and cold personality, the opposite of which she was when she was a child. Although she may look composed at the surface, her emotions can break out very easily as such when she immediately rushed to Rigardo in anger when her companions were killled. Her burning passion is the reason why she wasn't able to master the Quick Sword in her condition Clare repeatedly risks her life to save others. Because she lets the emotions get the better of her, Clare would tend to ignore all warnings, rushing into any situation, regardless of danger.

Acute Yoki Sensing
From inheriting Teresa's flesh and blood, Clare has the ability to read the flow of Yoki in opponents and predict their moves. This ability has helped Clare to easily slay normal Yoma and average Awakened Beings.

Awakened Limbs
First seen during the Northern Campaign. Clare's legs become hock-jointed—a cross between a horse and Pterosaur. Her left arm becomes a giant claw, and her right arm sprouts several blades. Her awakened limbs allows her to move at lightning speed.

Clare's awakening stops with Jean dying, as she brings Clare back to normal. Clare's next awakening attempt fails against Priscilla, due to a mental block caused by Jean's death aka. Jean's Big Wedge.

Quicksword
By releasing all yoki into the sword's arm, and controlling the berserking arm through sheer will, Clare attacks at superhuman speed. Irene tries teaching Clare the Quicksword, but soon realizes Clare could never master the Quicksword in her condition, Irene cuts off her arm and gives it to Clare as a "parting gift". Clare later learns to control the beserk nature of this sword swinging technique.

Voice Change
Clare has the ability to impersonate a male voice and other types of voices. She does this only once in her search for Raki in Hanel.

Windcutter
Flora's Windcutter is similar to the Quicksword in many ways. Like the Quicksword, it attacks at superhuman speed, but is a split-second slower. The Windcutter, however, is superior to the Quicksword in terms of accuracy and precise attacks. During the Seven Year Time-Skip, Clare masters this skill to replace the Quicksword as it requires Yoki, unlike the Windcutter.

Yoki Suppression
After the Seven Years Time-Skip in Alphonse, Clare, along with the other "Seven Ghosts," has learned to hide one's Yoki aura, while retaining Yoki sensing and fighting ability.

Organization Rating
From Claymore Databook 1
 * Yoki: E
 * Agility: E
 * Muscular Strength: E
 * Spirit: D
 * Perception: C+
 * Leadership: E

Early life
Clare's parents were killed by a Yoma impersonating her brother. When the Yoma attacked Clare, an unnamed Claymore killed the Yoma.

But another Yoma captured Clare, forcing her to travel with him as a cover and toy (implied rape). Scars on her body showed abuse. Clare's suffering shuts her down emotionally and she becomes mute.

But still another Claymore would come into her life.

Time with Teresa
At the village of Teo, Clare accompanies seven Yoma. Teresa arrives and kills all seven. When Clare sees Teresa, she sees the same pain in Teresa's eyes as she herself endured. Empathizing with Teresa, she tries embracing Teresa, despite Teresa's rejections.

Afterward, she follows Teresa through the wilderness. After falling from a cliff, Clare passes out from dehydration and Teresa allows her to follow. Teresa guesses Clare's name. After an attack by a bandit, Clare manages to speak and explain to Teresa about her feelings.

Teresa kills a Yoma at the town of Rokut. She leaves Clare with a couple willing to take her in and raise her. But the Yoma was protecting the town from bandits, who now attack. Teresa returns. When Clare regains consciousness, Teresa has killed most of the bandits, thus marking herself for death.

Teresa deserts the Organization—she and Clare go into hiding. Teresa is targeted for death. The Organization sends Priscilla, Irene, Noel and Sophia to decapitate her. Teresa defeats the hit squad. Teresa escapes with Clare, but they are pursued by Priscilla. Priscilla and Teresa fight while Clare looks on. During the battle, Priscilla releases more and more yoki in an effort to best Teresa. Because Priscilla is young and inexperienced, she unintentionally passes the point of no return. Priscilla seems to realize what is happening to her and stops fighting Teresa. She asks that Teresa kill her. Teresa lowers her guard and agrees to kill Priscilla to prevent her from fully awakening. As Teresa readies the killing blow, Priscilla strikes – beheading Teresa.

Once Priscilla leaves, Clare takes Teresa's head and searches for a member of the Organization. She finds Rubel and demands Teresa's flesh and blood be put in her.

Employment as a Claymore
Clare joins the Organization to avenge Teresa and meets Elena, befriending her and relying on her for support during her painful hours of transformation.

In her final test, Clare battles with an old rival in a ruined town. Among all of the trainees, Clare is the only one who senses the Yoma. She saves the injured rival, kills the Yoma and obtains the rank of No. 47.

Raki
At the village of Doga, Clare saves a young boy, Raki, from a Yoma that had disguised itself as the boy's older brother. Later, she rescues him from the desert and deposits him at an inn in Egon

Raki recovers and leaves the inn, searching for Clare. Instead, he happens upon what appears to be another Claymore but is actually a Yoma disguised as a Claymore. Clare appears and rescues Raki before the Yoma can kill him. After guessing that Raki was exiled from Doga, she lets him follow her as her cook.

Traveling with Raki
Rubel gives Clare the Black Card of Elena. Clare reveals to Raki the Black Card system when one cannot control awakening. She kills Elena on Mount Shire, despite Raki's protests.

While on a mission to Rabona, Clare is forced to hide her identity with yoki-suppressant medicine. She arranges with Father Vincent, who requested a Claymore, to care for Raki if she dies. The Yoma attacks Clare in the cathedral. She is unconscious for two days. When she recovers, she finds and kills the Yoma.

Awakened Being Hunts
Clare disobeys orders regarding an Awakened Being Hunting Party in Toriro. The party leader, Miria, threatens to complain to the Organization. But Clare is sent yet on another party, against a more dangerous Awakened Being.

The Paburo Hunting Party is also lead by Miria, plus Deneve and Helen. Helen repeatedly taunts Clare about her low ranking.

Later, when the party actually meets the Awakened Being, Miria realizes the Organization had misinformed them about the Being's power. All four Claymore go down, but Clare somehow gets up, despite her injuries. Miria gets up and helps Clare kill the Awakened Being, with Clare removing five of its six arms.

Miria now trusts her new friends and reveals her mistrust of the Organization. The four swear an oath of friendship and promise to meet again. Finally, Miria gives the rest of the group information about the top five ranked Claymores in the Organization – warning them to stay away from the top five, Ophelia in particular.

Fight with Ophelia
Clare joins her third Awakened Being Hunting Party in the town of Gonal. The leader is Ophelia, one of the single-digits that Miria warned about. Ophelia challenges Clare and Raki to a fight. Clare refuses so Ophelia cuts off her legs. Ophelia toys with Raki, while Clare reattaches her legs. When the Awakened Being appears, Clare and Raki escape while Ophelia fights the being.

Clare orders Raki to leave, promising to meet again. She flees alone, but Ophelia catches up. Ophelia slices off Clare's arm and Clare escapes by falling off a cliff. Ophelia follows and destroys the severed arm. After losing her left hand, Clare is helpless.

Irene shows up and disables Ophelia with her "Quicksword."

Clare wakes up in a cabin, in Irene's Hidden Valley, where Irene hid since the day of Teresa's death. While recovering, Clare confesses she wants Priscilla's head. Irene decides to train Clare in her Quicksword attack. After realizing that Clare could never master the Quicksword, Irene cuts off her right arm, giving it to Clare as a parting gift.

After Clare leaves, she comes across the awakened Ophelia in a forest. They fight until Ophelia realizes her awakening. She challenges Clare, allowing her to use her new move to cut through Ophelia's long body. When Clare reaches the end, Ophelia lets Clare kill her.

Witch's Maw
After a three month time-skip, Clare arrives at the town of Hanel. She is disguised as a man. From her room at the local inn, she sees Jean leading an Awakened Being Hunting Party to Mount Zakol.

Later, while Clare speaks with a young girl about a Clare and Teresa statue, a Claymore arrives, Raquel, fatally wounded. Raquel tells Clare the hunting party has been captured. She begs Clare to help. Clare promises as Raquel dies. She heads to Mount Zakol, site of the Witch's Maw, an abandoned castle, home of Riful of the West.

Inside, Riful oversees the torture and awakening of the Claymores, done by her consort, Dauf. Jean is the sole survivor.

After fighting several Yoma, Clare enters the castle. Dauf attacks. She fights Dauf, trying to get past him to save the party. Dauf finally catches her. But Galatea appears. Originally sent to retrieve Clare, Galatea rescues Clare and tries to leave, but Dauf caves in the entrance. Galatea, now forced to fight Dauf, orders Clare to get Jean, while Galatea holds off Dauf.

In the chamber Clare finds an awakened Jean. Despite Jean's please to be killed, Clare copies Galatea's yoki technique and pulls Jean back to her human state.

Jean pledges her life to Clare before they return to help Galatea. The three Claymores defeat Dauf at the last moment, but Riful rescues Dauf before his head is taken off. Riful rewards Clare's efforts by telling her where Priscilla is, before leaving with Dauf. Galatea allows Clare to continue her journey.

Clare objects to Jean following her, saying that the debt is already been repaid since Jean's example of willpower made her Quicksword even better. She abandons her search for Raki when Rubel and Rafaela catch them. Rubel informs them of the death of Claymore No. 7 Eva in the land of Alphonse. Clare also learns that Raki has been captured by slave-traders and reluctantly accepts her orders to go north.

The Northern Campaign


Clare is one of the 24 Claymore chosen to fight in the Northern Campaign. In the town of Pieta, Miria puts Clare on Flora's team, along with Lily (No. 18), Wendy (No. 30) and Karla (No. 39).

During the first battle, Flora is hesitant to let Clare fight as she suspects Clare to be the weakness one in her group. However, Clare, with Flora's help, saves the entire team from a possessed Karla and eventually kills the Awakened Being.

This changes Flora's perception of Clare's power. After the first battle, Flora challenges Clare to a fight in order to determine whose attack was quicker—Flora's Windcutter attack or Clare's Flash Sword. In the end, Flora judges that Clare's attack is quicker, though less accurate. Flora surrenders the title of "Fastest Sword among the Claymores" to Clare.

During the second battle, Rigardo critically wounds Jean, causing Clare to forget her orders to protect Flora. Flora is then cut in half by Rigardo. Clare, enraged, awakens parts of her body, while repeatedly saying she needed more power. Though she kills Rigardo, she loses control and cannot turn back.

She begs Helen to kill her before fully awakening. But the critically wounded Jean sacrifices herself to save Clare, fulfilling her vow to serve Clare. Though Clare recovers, she refuses to accept what Jean did and grieves. Clare is one of the Seven Ghosts (Miria, Helen, Deneve, Cynthia, Tabitha and Yuma), who deserts the Organization after the Northern Campaign.

Alphonse
Clare hides in the mountains with the Seven Ghosts. They learn to hide their yoki aura. During those seven years in the North, each polished her own specialty. Clare's is the Windcutter, since the Quicksword radiates yoki, giving away one's presence. According to Deneve, Clare trained hardest out of the seven survivors.

Miria, Deneve, Helen, Cynthia and Tabitha save Nina's hunting party—including Clarice—from Awakened Beings. Meanwhile, Clare and Yuma reach a deserted town, where they find a slave trade prison. They find clues of Raki being there and having escaped, giving Clare new hope that he is still alive. She requests that she travels south and fights Miria to settle it. In the end, all of the survivors travel south.

Toulouse
On their way south, Miria, Deneve, Helen and Clare rescue an Awakened Being Hunting Party fighting Riful of the West, recruiting Claymores for her plan. Clare remains behind after the other three escape. Pretending to consider Riful's offer to join forces, Clare asks about the status of the Abyssal Ones. After finding out what she needs, she escapes with the others.

When everyone is safe, Miria questions the hunting party leader, Audrey, and learns that Galatea and Rafaela are no longer with the Organization. The Ghosts proceed south.

On reaching Rabona, they fight and defeat Agatha. Clare is the first one to reveal herself and uses the Windcutter. Clare remeets Galatea. Afterward, Clare learns from Sid that Raki passed through the city with a young girl. Clare, Yuma and Cynthia leave Rabona together to find Raki.

Lautrec
They proceed west, over the Toulouse border into Lautrec. Here they reach the east-most town, Lacroa, where they spot a search party from the Organization.

When a female "villager" awakens, Clare and Cynthia engage the Awakened Being, while Yuma knocks out the three Claymores, then the two Men-in-Black.

The three defeat the Awakened Being, but give themselves away, as Rubel witnessed everything. The three meet privately with Rubel. Cynthia realizes Rubel is a spy for the Organization's enemies. Clare says Rubel is baiting them to rescue Rafaela and Renee, hoping they get killed in the process. Despite the three's misgivings, Clare decides to rescue the two Claymores, anyway.

Riful and Dauf
As Clare, Cynthia and Yuma approach Riful's Second Hideout, they stop to rest. But Dauf spots them and a fight ensues. Dauf catches Yuma by the leg—Clare cuts it off. Cynthia escaped with Yuma, as Clare uses the Windcutter to distract Dauf. While Cynthia regenerates Yuma's leg, Clare follows Dauf to Riful's castle.

Inside the castle, Riful continues prodding Renee into awakening the merged Luciela-Rafaela.

Clare follows Dauf inside, which starts a second fight. The fight distracts Riful downstairs, allowing Renee to swallow her yoki suppressant and escape. Clare too escapes, but returns to the castle and finds Rafaela-Luciela. Clare enters its consciousness.

Rafaela's Dream World
Inside the entity's mind, Clare walks with "Jean" in a forest—repeating a scene from the aftermath of Mount Zakol. "Rafaela" emerges and Jean vanishes. Rafaela says that this world is constructed from Clare's memories, but warns if Clare dies in this world, her real body will die.

Rafaela attacks. Clare "dies" in the first fight—but it was only a dream within a dream. She "wakes up" and a second fight begins. The Windcutter ineffective, Clare uses the Quicksword and kills Rafaela. As Rafaela dies, her memories and emotions flood into Clare, so that Clare will "find what she must know." .

The Destroyer
{C Clare wakes up naked in a swirling mass of yoki. She emerges from the awakened Luciela-Rafaela—"The Destroyer"—mushrooming into a sky-high, demonic parody of the Clare and Teresa statue. Clare senses the battle between Riful and the Twins—Alicia and Beth. Surprised at Twins' progress, Clare realizes she should not have any memories of them.

Clare wonders why Rafaela had given her memories, but Destroyer begins firing rods from a halo-like crown. Clare warns the approaching Helen and Deneve. The Parasitic Rods morph into Yoma-like creatures. Clare says that the "real hell is just about to begin." .

Parasitic Rods
Cat-like "Yoma" attack the Claymores. Clare says they are lifeless automatons—parasites needing a host to reproduce. She advises to chop them up without getting hit by the rods.

When the second barrage begins, Clare uses her yoki sense to predict the trajectories of the rods, keeping everyone out of harm's way. But Priscilla's approach distracts Clare.

Priscilla
Clare releases as much yoki as she can and attacks, but Priscilla eludes her sword strikes and deals damaging blows to Clare. Despite Helen's pleading about Raki, Clare apologizes that her only reason for living is to kill Priscilla. She tries to awaken with all her four limbs but she suddenly reverts back. There was a scene flashback of Clare's fight with Rigardo which served as a replica during her fight with Priscilla. In the flashback, Clare realized later that Rigardo's body size, speed, and method of attack were repeated by Priscilla. She claims that as long as a claymore possesses average strength, one can defeat Priscilla. This she also understood from that day when Sophia and Noel both attack Priscilla, the lightning fast Noel managed to cut off her arm before the two died. Clare mentions that great strength is not needed to defeat Priscilla, as long as one has the speed and skills to outmatch her. It was revealed that she had trained on those two main assets which further increases her abilities when awakened. Clare had planned to use this against Priscilla, but no matter how times she tried, she couldn't awaken.

Deneve suspects Jean's death put a wedge inside Clare's mind. Though it is Clare who had put the wedge inside herself, but she does not realize it. Priscilla defeats Clare easily, but before she can kill her a rod barrage was sent towards her and Deneve and Helen snatch Clare and escape.

Deneve and Helen carry Clare toward the Destroyer's direction. Priscilla, after killing Dauf, closes in on them. When the Destroyer strikes again, Priscilla destroys its body, which turns out to be a facade. The real body of the Destroyer, a shapeless dark mass of intertwined bodies, emerges and spreads over the entire forest, sucking the life out of everything it touches.

In the confusion, Clare's lower torso is assimilated by the Destroyer, the upper torso dropping from Helen's grip. The Destroyer lifts the remainder of Clare's body and assimilates her. Then Priscilla appears and Deneve and Helen begin fighting her.

Clare's will takes control of the yoki mass and seizes Priscilla, allowing Deneve and Helen to escape. The Destroyer swallows the surrounding forest, finally contracting into a shapeless cocoon.

Later, Deneve tells her comrades that Clare's final words were that she had to stop the rampage of the large yoki mass and it was the final duty left for her.

Return to Rabona
The Ghosts bring the deformed cocoon to the outskirts of Rabona. Galatea examines it and confirms the presence of Clare and Priscilla. Galatea warns that releasing Clare from the deformed, shapeless cocoon would likely free Priscilla as well.

Raki
Raki is unafraid of Clare, despite her chilly manner. She finally gives her name after he thanks her. When she finds him unconscious in the desert, she takes him to Egon and puts him at an inn. After Raki admits he was banished from Doga, she allows him to follow her as her cook.

Clare becomes attached to Raki as they travel together. After Gonal, she and Raki have to separate. She kisses him and vows to survive. She keeps searching for him during the seven year time-skip. She cares very deeply for him and harbors romantic feelings for him.

Teresa
Teresa rescues Clare from a Yoma, pretending to be her parent. A mute Clare tries bonding to Teresa, only to be rebuffed. While following Teresa in the wilderness, Clare regains her voice and reveals seeing the same pain in Teresa's eyes as Clare suffers and only wants to comfort Teresa. Teresa and Clare become like mother and daughter.

They live happily together for a short time. Clare loves her new mentor so much that she insists on sleeping with Teresa. The moment Teresa is killed, Clare hates herself for being so afraid. Teresa's death inspires Clare to use the Organization as a venue for revenge. She insists that Teresa's flesh and blood be put into her, so that Teresa will live on in Clare.

Priscilla
Clare hates Priscilla —Teresa's killer— making Priscilla's death Clare's life mission. To kill Priscilla, Clare is ready to abandon friends and her own humanity.

Rubel
Despite Rubel's presence from the start of Clare's time at the Organization, their relationship is a chilly one. His double-dealings anger Clare. At Lacroa he explains all, which angers Clare even more. Except for Irene, Rubel understands Clare's motivations better than anyone. His understanding is cerebral, however. Irene, from an emotional level, perhaps understands Clare the best.

Elena
Clare's only friend in Claymore school. During their painful transformation, they could only sleep by embracing each other. Later as Claymores, Elena gives Clare her Black Card. She later slays Elena on Mount Shire.

Miria
Clare respects Miria for her strength. But despite their later friendship, Miria's first impression of Clare at Toriro (and later in Pieta) convinces Miria that Clare is incorrigibly reckless. Even after the Seven Year Time-Skip, Miria always has someone "baby-sitting" Clare. But Miria respects Clare enough to travel south with her.

Deneve and Helen
Clare is initially hostile to them, especially Helen when taunted for her low rank. She drew her sword against Helen when she teased her about Raki. Deneve is less hostile. But in the Paburo Mountains, Clare willingly rushes into battle to help Deneve and Helen.

After the Being is killed, the four Claymore become friends, promising to survive and meet again. They later do in the Northern Campaign.

Ophelia
Clare joins the Awakened Being hunting party at Gonal. Miria previously warned Clare about Ophelia, who hints at killing humans and getting away with it. Ophelia attacks Clare, cutting off her legs, in a bizarre game to see if Clare can reattach them, as Ophelia slowly kills Raki. Later, when Ophelia recognizes her awakened form, she lets Clare euthanize her, playing a game in reverse—this time to lose, not win. Even though Ophelia had caused great trouble for Clare, she doesn't seem to harbor any grudge against Ophelia, stating later in the manga that she carries Ophelia's soul and hope (of killing Priscilla).

Galatea
Galatea impresses Clare with her strength and her Yoki Manipulation when fighting Dauf so much that Clare later tries to copy it. But the relationship is ambivalent, as Galatea's true business is to bring Clare back to the Organization. The three Claymore are forced to fight together. But after Dauf's defeat—the moment of truth. Jean decides the issue when she supports Clare. Galatea is forced to retreat. When they met again after seven years, Clare greets Galatea and is pleased when Galatea recognizes her.

Jean
Clare is in awe of Jean's enormous willpower when she kept her mind even when her body awakened. This inspires her to improve her Quicksword. She fights alongside her without complaint but is irritated by Jean following her after the encounter with Riful. Jean fulfilled this debt by preventing Clare from awakening herself, and died happily. Much later, Jean's death is theorized by Deneve to be the reason why Clare subconsciously prevents herself from fully Awakening.

Behind the Scenes
thumb|300px|right
 * Clare's voice actor is Houko Kuwashima and her English voice actor is Stephanie Young.
 * Clare's song on Claymore Intimate Persona is "Kioku," meaning "Memory."
 * Clare is ranked No. 47 within the Organization. Her ranking refers to the 47th prefecture, Okinawa prefecture, where Norihiro Yagi, the author of Claymore, was born.

Anime and Manga differences

 * In the manga, Flora and Clare fight but in the Anime, Jean interferes.
 * In the Anime, Clare fights Priscilla in the ending episodes.
 * Jean dies to save her from awakening afterwards.
 * She then deserts the Organization with Raki.


 * In the Manga, she asks for Rubel to give her Teresa's flesh and blood in front of an audience in the town Teresa and Clare were staying in.
 * In the Anime, she catches Rubel in town and Rubel takes her to a place where she demands for Teresa's flesh and blood to be put in her.
 * In the manga, Raki never gets to see Clare after the Seven-Year Time Skip.