Claymore Blade

A blade forged to cut through nightmares, bound by the will of its warrior.

Claymore is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Norihiro Yagi that debuted in Monthly Shōnen Jump in June 2001. The story centers on female warriors known as Claymores, who are human-Yoma hybrids created by The Organization to hunt down shape-shifting monsters called Yoma. These warriors wear armored uniforms and wield massive swords, earning them the nickname "Claymore" after their weapons or "Silver-eyed Witches" due to their distinct eyes. The series ran in Monthly Shōnen Jump until its closure in June 2007, later moving to Jump Square where it concluded in October 2014 with twenty-seven collected volumes.

Quick Facts

Affiliation: The Organization (Claymores)

Lore & Background

The world is divided into forty-seven districts, each assigned one Claymore warrior. These fighters possess Yoki, a demonic energy that grants them strength and shape-shifting abilities but risks turning them into "Awakened Beings" if used excessively. The act of awakening is compared to sexual climax; while male hybrids once existed, only women proved capable of resisting this allure, leading the Organization to cease creating male warriors. Warriors are ranked from No. 1 to No. 47 based on their baseline potential in strength, agility, and intelligence, though ranks fluctuate with changing power levels. Unique abilities define many fighters: Galatea can control an opponent's Yoki, Teresa could sense enemy movements within a body, and Raftela was trained to manipulate the vision of other Claymores.

Reader's Guide

Claymore warriors utilize unique sword techniques and fighting styles tailored to their individuality. Examples include twisting an arm for a drill-like strike, unsheathing the blade faster than the eye can see, or vibrating it so rapidly that its source is indistinguishable. Some fighters stretch their arms, dual-wield blades, or release bursts of Yoki for momentary speed boosts. While most abilities are defensive or sensing-based, four Claymores possess offensive Yoki techniques: Galatea's control over enemy attacks, Teresa's predictive sensing later copied by Clare, and Raftela's manipulation of vision and movement. The Organization assigns one warrior per district to maintain order against the Yoma threat.

Did You Know?

An anime adaptation produced by Madhouse aired 26 episodes on Nippon Television from April to September 2007.
The live-action TV series adaptation was announced in March 2025 by CBS Studios and Shueisha.