History Anime / Claymore

[[redirect:{{Manga.Claymore}}]]

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InAWorld plagued by demons, a [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness shadowy organization]] creates an order of half-human, half-demon warriors to hunt and kill the demons. [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer Cast out by society]] and cursed wherever they go, the [[AmazonBrigade half-demon]] [[WorldOfActionGirls women]] known as "Claymores" — after the [[{{BFS}} gigantic Scottish-like swords]] they carry — lead doomed, violent, and short lives of high adventure. But only they can detect and hunt the demons, who can disguise themselves perfectly as humans.

In this world, a teenage boy named [[HeartwarmingOrphan Raki]] is cast out by his village after his family is wiped out by the demons. He is adopted by the warrior [[TheStoic Clare]], who slew the demon who killed his family, and [[MoralityPet tags along]] with her as her cook from village to village, as she plunges into desperate fight after desperate fight.

There is a [[Characters/{{Claymore}} character page]].

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!!''Claymore'' provides examples of:

* ActionDressRip: Galatea does one.
* ActionGirl: It would honestly be easier to list the female characters that ''aren't''. Clarice, Clare back when she was a kid, and... that's about it. And even Clarice is debatable. [[OvershadowedByAwesome She looks a lot less competent than she probably could be]] because she's usually seen with either Miata (one of the most powerful Claymores in existence), a bunch of Awakened Beings, or both.
** DarkActionGirl: Ophelia, Riful, Priscilla, Luciela, Agatha and Roxanne.
* AffablyEvil: Ophelia, Riful and Isley. Possibly Luciela too, for the little that was shown of her.
* AlasPoorYorick: Clare cradles Teresa's head to her after Priscilla and Teresa's fight in the beginning of the series. To make it better, she ''takes the head with her'' and asks Rubel to put Teresa's flesh inside her.
* AlienBlood: in the anime, Youma have Royal Purple blood.
* AlwaysChaoticEvil: The youma. Eating people is their only reason to live.
* AmazonBrigade: The Claymores themselves. First-generation Claymores were male, but it was soon discovered that men are much more prone to becoming Awakened Beings than women.
* AmazonianBeauty: Surprisingly, most Claymores don't qualify for this trope, even when they start HulkingOut with their Yoma power (they slowly turn into FanDisservice); Undine, however, passes with flying colors.
* AncientConspiracy: Possibly two.
* AndIMustScream: Implied of the process of becoming a Claymore. [[spoiler:Also, of the civilian men forced to become Awakened.]]
* AndThenJohnWasAZombie / FaceMonsterTurn: The result of HeroicRROD. A Claymore that taps too deeply into their powers risks becoming an Awakened Being. A special mention goes to [[spoiler:poor, crazy [[MeaningfulName Ophelia]], who originally became a Claymore out of hatred for Awakened Beings. Ultimately, her rage and helplessness at her failure to destroy Clare, whom she suspected of being one, leads to her own Awakening. It takes her a while to realize it, too.]]
* AnimeAnatomy: Sometimes averted in the manga.
* AnimeHair: the Claymores are pretty much all tall, white-blonde women in identical armor, so hairstyles are essential to telling them apart, especially in the battle scenes. They all have unique hairstyles which usually manage to never get ruined no matter what damage they undergo, and important characters have especially distinctive styles. None of the others have anything close to Clare's bob, for instance, so she can always be distinguished. OnlySixFaces is ''not'' followed, however; when we can see the faces properly, some of the Claymores have very distinctive (and in some cases rather unattractive and non-human) faces.
* AnyoneCanDie: Given the situation in the series, this isn't too surprising. Note that [[spoiler:Raki]] and [[spoiler:Clare]] seem to have {{Contractual Immortality}}...so far. Everyone else is fair game.
** The War of the North arc [[spoiler: is a perfect example of this, suddenly introducing a large number of characters, building up a few of them character-wise, and then mercilessly killing a large number of them off in the same arc.]]
* AppendageAssimilation: Claymores are able to reattach their severed limbs. [[spoiler: Irene later gives Clare her own arm so Clare can replace the one she lost with it.]]
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: [[spoiler: When Durph is threatening Galatea, "I'll strip you naked, tear off your arms and legs, pull out your guts, and then make fun of you!"]]
* ArtEvolution: And how!
* ArtMajorPhysics: The ease in which the Claymores can slice up their opponents varies according to the dramatic flow of the battle.
* {{Asexuality}}: Unless you read into the LesYay Subtext and are convinced that the Claymores are homosexuals that have sex off-screen, pretty much everyone in the cast who isn't completely human isn't interested in sex at all. Probably [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in the fact that people who have Yoma flesh in them become sterile along with their superhuman abilities, not to mention becoming traumatically scarred.
** Though not necessarily aromantic, as evidenced by [[{{MegaManning}} Roxanne of Love and Hate's]] backstory.
** One could take [[spoiler:Clare's kissing Raki right before they separated]] to be indicative of her sexuality, and growing humanity. Of course, it isn't hard to imagine she just did that to get herself alone with Ophelia. Helen once also accused Raki of being Clare's 'plaything'.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Awakened Beings, if they recognize any authority at all, usually follow one of the three Abyssal Ones due to them being the most powerful of their kind. Similarly, a Claymore's rank is determined by her combat prowess. However, the members of the Organization, who have authority over the Claymores by virtue of having created them, have not demonstrated any combat abilities so far.
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Strangely, not Miria, but Clare.
* BackToBackBadasses: When they are preparing for the final showdown in Pieta.
* {{Badass}}: Way too many of them, but Clare is worthy of special note since she's a complete badass from the very beginning... and then you realize she's ranked as ''the weakest warrior in the entire organization'', and no, she was ''not'' an AlmightyJanitor back then. Claymores in general fall under "BadassAbnormal." Many of them have esoteric abilities that enhance their fighting skills (healing, reflexes, extra sensory perception), but at the end of the day, their primary method of killing their targets is hitting them with their swords.
** BadassNormal: [[spoiler:Raki grows into this, as shown best in ch.115 and on.]]
* BadBoss: the Organization
* BaddieFlattery: If someone is flattering you, he can [[CurbStompBattle curbstomp]] you whenever he feels like it.
* BaitAndSwitchCredits: The opening sequence shows Clare fighting Teresa, but this never happens and is, in fact, completely impossible since Clare [[spoiler:only became a warrior after Teresa's remains were implanted into her body]].
* BattleAura: Youki, as used by both Claymores and Yoma. Not visible to humans.
** The manga does mention that people with a particularly strong "sixth sense" will instinctively avoid stronger Claymores and Yoma.
* BeautyIsBad: Roxanne is easily the one of the most beautiful Claymores seen. She also eclipses Ophelia in being the most evil.
* BechdelTest: Most of the cast is female, they only talk about men in context of fighting them (well, they actually are male monsters rather than men, so even in that context, they are not really talking about men).
* BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil: Riful's modus operandi, although it doesn't have a huge success rate. And even when it does work, she usually just has Duph smash the product for not being strong enough.
* BerserkButton:
** Clare's is Priscilla. Priscilla also has this.
** Raki has one too. The little guy (not-so little post-timeskip) just loses it when anyone hurts, threatens to hurt, insults, or looks funny at Clare.
** Teresa has one, don't hurt Clare at all.
** Hurting Clarice in front of Miata will make her charge at you regardless of what she was doing before.
* {{BFS}}: Although they're not all that B as far as BFS's go -- they're basically a Scottish ''Claidheamh da làimh'' but longer -- no ordinary human could use one. And certainly not with one hand. And that skinny hilt would snap under the strain of many of the ImplausibleFencingPowers they demonstrate. Though [[spoiler:this appears to be somewhat justified, see ThunderboltIron entry below]].
* BeyondTheImpossible: Priscilla's power, just look at her [[CurbStompBattle fight]] with Alicia and Beth! She wasn't even freakin trying, and still completely tore them a new one.
** Teresa's too. She [[CurbStompBattle fought]] [[spoiler: the 4 most powerful Claymores in the Organization (after her, of course, since she was Number 1) -- which included Priscilla, as Number 2 -- ''all at the same time'' without so much as releasing the first 10% of her Youma power, which is what most other Claymores have to do to fight any [[{{Mooks}} regular Youma]], and she curbstomped them without even breaking a sweat. The only reason that Priscilla was able to kill her was that she became an [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Awakened]] [[EldritchAbomination Being]] right before doing so while getting the jump on her]].
** The anime asks the question: "How much blood can we [[IncrediblyLamePun fill]] in one episode?"
* BigBrotherIsWatching: [[NebulousEvilOrganization The Organization]] certainly seems to have this mentality in mind. They swear to protect the [[HoldingOutForAHero hapless citizens]] by using their elite warriors to fight the monsters that voraciously hunt them... so long as they pay up and behave themselves. If they don't, ''[[DoomedHometown accidents]]'' will happen. Not to mention [[spoiler: that the Organization is the body responsible for creating said monsters that rampage about the continent eating people. In fact, if a village doesn't follow the Organization's demands, what does the Organization send to destroys the village? MONSTERS.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: With their BFS.
* BigDamnKiss: The kiss between [[BodyguardCrush Clare]] [[MentorShip and]] [[PrecociousCrush Raki]] took almost two whole pages of the manga.
* BioAugmentation: Claymores are created by having the flesh of Youma, or, as in Clare's case, a fallen former Claymore, implanted into their bodies. The resulting scars, although never seen so far, are gruesome enough to scare away an entire horde of rapists. Abyss Feeders are created in a similar way, but the flesh of an Awakened Being is used instead. The results are even more horrifying.
* BiologicalMashUp
* BladeBrake
* BladeRun
* BloodFromTheMouth
* BloodKnight: Ophelia, as far as Awakened Beings are concerned. One wonders why Organization even ''bothers'' assigning number 4, given their track record.
* BloodlessCarnage: Mostly, at least. Limbs get severed cleanly and neatly without gushes of blood, for instance. Occasionally averted, such as Irene walking through a RainOfBlood during her introduction.
** BloodierAndGorier: For the anime, which completely averts BloodlessCarnage. At least every episode has some form of insane carnage. Example: the segment introducing the BlackAndWhiteMorality Claymore showed a alley riddled with blood. The other attending Claymore are shocked by the amount of Yoma and blood present.
* BodyCountCompetition: Sophia and Noel were first seen doing this.
* BodyHorror: Many youma, doubly so for Awakened Ones and ''very much so'' for Abyssal Ones. But [[spoiler:Cassandra]] probably romps home with the prize: [[spoiler:she takes the form of a giant, [[FanDisservice naked female body lying on it back with its legs spread and her own human-sized naked torso emerging from the upper chest]], supported by a mass of tendrils with 3 huge tentacles tipped with monstrous versions of her head sprouting from the top which she uses to devour her enemies]]. [[{{Squick}} Brr...]]
** Also the Abyssal Feeders and [[spoiler:Raciella]].
** Whatever the hell happened to Dae, it left him with a face that would make [[{{Batman}} Two-Face]] jealous.
* BreakTheCutie: Claymores in general tend to have tragic backstories, but Clare gets it particularly badly. Priscilla has set the groundwork for the entire plot. [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel "I killed my daddy while he ate my brother's innards..."]] ''Brrr.''
* BreastPlate: Averted. Their armor is very form-fitting though, and more like SensualSpandex than anything...
** [[JustifiedTrope Also]], it's not like Claymores really need a bunch of armor since wearing full plated armor could actually serve as disadvantage against the yoma, and some Claymores, such as Helena and Jean, have modified armor for their stretch attacks.
* BroughtDownToNormal: The Claymores have pills that have this effect. They suppress their yoki and conceal their silver eyes so they can pass as regular humans and avoid detection at the cost of greatly reduced combat strength.
* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Clare vividly remembers the moment of Teresa's death by Priscilla's sword. Priscilla, on the other hand, doesn't even remember Clare, let alone the name of the warrior that she's obsessed with.
* TheCavalry: The end of chapter 121
* CaughtTheHeartOnHisSleeve: Young Clare does this to Teresa. Teresa does [[KickTheDog NOT]] appreciate it. [[DefrostingIceQueen At least not at first.]]
* ChargeIntoCombatCut: Quite common in ''{{Claymore}}'', which uses this to build drama and to avoid long fighting scenes. (Yes, you heard that right: a {{Shonen}} manga avoiding fighting scenes.)
* ClothingDamage: Used to add realism more than Fanservice.
* ClusterFBomb: Seen especially in the chapters featuring Cassandra and Roxanne.
-->-- '''Cassandra''': "You, who tastes worse than ''shit'', can keep eating ''shit'' forever until you turn into ''shit'' yourself."
* CombatPragmatist: Almost everyone in the series have no hesitation to fight four on one, strike without warning or play dirty. The only exceptions among the Claymores are a sadist who wanted to play with her victims and a rookie who is berated for being TooDumbToLive.
** The latter gets better. That is not as good as it might sound, though.
* CombatCommentator: Clare in the first battle with an awakened one, Riful in the second. Both are [[JustifiedTrope justified]] : Clare and her companions aren't in condition to fight for the first battle, and [[AffablyEvil Riful]] is just enjoying the spectacle with someone else.
* CombatTentacles: Awakened Beings love these.
* CompetenceZone
* {{Contract on the Hitman}}: Teresa. She isn't quite a hitman per se, since her assignments are only hits on Youma, but that's basically the same thing.
* CooldownHug:
** Clare does a magical version of this to Jean to prevent her from completely awakening; specifically, she synchronizes her Yoma power with Jean's. [[spoiler: Jean returns the favour at the end of the Northern Arc.]]
** Raki also does a more mundane CooldownHug to Clare [[spoiler:for the same purposes]]
* CrapsackWorld
* CreepyChild: Riful, who's actually ReallySevenHundredYearsOld and ''quite'' deadly. Also Priscilla, who may have regressed into the mindset of a child and looks like one, but is actually the most powerful Awakened Being to appear in the series so far, by a VERY large margin.
* CreepyMonotone: Clare, though it's more of a Badass Monotone, considering her lack of emotions comes from [[TheStoic stoicism]].
* CreepyTwins: [[spoiler: Alicia and Beth, the Organization's ultimate [[TykeBomb Tyke Bombs]], are an adult example. No personality, one mind, one Awakens and the other doesn't, allowing them to retain their "humanity". That is until Priscilla starts killing the Awakened one and the other [[TearJerker actually finds some emotion and Awakens herself to defend her sister, giving up any chance at returning to human in the process]]. [[CurbStompBattle It doesn't help]].]]
* CrystalDragonJesus: Though the faith has yet to be given a name and it appears to be polytheistic, there is a dominate religious order in the world of Claymore that takes elements from Catholicism.
* CurbStompBattle: Both Priscilla and Teresa are exceptionally fond of doing this to ''everyone they fight''. So when the two wind up fighting each other, it's one of the most dangerous battles they ever had, and Teresa ''still'' curbstomps Priscilla.
* DarkFantasy
* DeadlyUpgrade: Well, not necessarily "deadly", but why don't you try grafting the flesh of a bloodthirsty monster into your body and let us know how that worked out for you?
* [[DeathOfAThousandCuts Death of a Thousand Bites]]: [[spoiler: Isley vs. the Abyss Feeders]]
* DeathFakedForYou: [[spoiler: Epically done for Miria]]
* DeathGlare : Yeah, I just got monster blood all over your clothes. Got a problem with that? No? That's what I thought.
* DetectEvil: The main reason of the creation of Claymore is that they are the only one able to sense the Youma.
* {{Determinator}}: Mainly Clare, although Jean, Deneve (Not that we're forgetting the rest of the [[FanNickname Seven Ghosts]] or anything, but [[spoiler: ripping off your own arm to stop yourself from getting infected is kind of hard to top]]), Raphaela and Teresa should all count under this trope. [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters At]] ''least''...
* DiagonalCut
* DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu: Clare [[RefugeInAudacity puts a sword through Riful's face.]] Riful takes it like getting swapped with a newspaper.
* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:First Isley, and more recently the Organization itself.]]
* TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler: the Rebellion is a very good instance of this, as is Cassandra dealing with Roxanne.]]
* TheDreaded: Each Abyssal One, and Priscilla. Bonus point for Priscilla for being able to scare the other dreaded.
** If you are a Number One, you are automatically a Dreaded.
* [[DroppedABridgeOnHim Dropped A Bridge On Her]]: Half of the series' most awesome characters had that happen. [[spoiler:Isley gets eaten after having been in a near-constant state of combat for months that we never saw, Alicia and Beth get taken out over the course of a few pages, and, as mentioned above, Riful ''and'' Duph, though Duph goes out with a bang.]]
* DualWielding: Undine, and later on, Deneve. When you consider that the swords in question are {{BFS}}es, it starts sounding [[UpToEleven OTT]].
* DyingAsYourself: See ICannotSelfTerminate example below.
* DyingLikeAnimals:
** [[MixandMatchCritters Chimeras]]: The defenseless denizens are presented as combination of [[HoldingOutForAHero lambs]], [[HiddenElfVillage ostriches]], and [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer reindeer]]. Justified in the case of being lambs, as normal humans cannot detect the presence of yoma and therefore cannot see what is coming until it is too late. Played straight with being ostriches and reindeer though, since villagers are willing to completely ignore and even expel kids who have become orphaned because of yoma attacks in order to protect their own asses, and also the fact that they shun the claymores who are the only ones capable of detecting and fighting yoma.
* EarnYourTitle: Just about all the Claymores are given a title when they become single digits, sometimes even before that.
** Teresa of the Faint Smile, because she was so absurdly overpowered that she didn't need a signature attack, and so had only her ever-present faint smile to name her by.
** Quick Sword Irene, for her Quick Sword ability.
** Muscular Sophia, for her strength.
** Stormwind Noel, for her agility.
** God-Eye Galatea, because with her sense she can see across absurdly long distances and right into the depths of a person's heart.
** Alicia and Beth, the Black Ones, as they both wear black suits unlike all the other Claymores.
** Ophelia has "blood-soaked evil warrior", because of her sadism. Envious of those Claymores who had nicknames based on their unique combat styles, she developed a signature attack of her own to name her by, the Ripple Blade. The name Ophelia of the Ripples didn't really stick, however, since almost nobody who witnessed the technique survived to tell any stories about it.
** Phantom Miria, known for her ability to flash step out of the way right when an enemy strikes so that it's like trying to hit a phantom.
** Windcutter Flora, for her Windcutter ability.
** Undine of the Double Swords, because... [[CaptainObvious she uses two swords]].
** It should be noted that, as of now, Clare possesses the signature abilities of Irene (along with her sword arm), Flora and Teresa, but has not yet earned any nickname for herself. Maybe "Clare of the Many Souls" could only be applied to her if [[spoiler: she still belonged to the organization at all.]] "[[MixAndMatchCritters Patchwork]] Clare?"
** The new Number 7, Winged Anastasia, who fights while seeming to float in midair.
** Of the [[spoiler: resurrected]] warriors, we now have [[spoiler: Cassandra the Dust Eater]] and [[spoiler: Roxanne of Love and Hate]]. The former is named due to her [[spoiler: fighting style of swaying like a pendulum so that her face touches the ground]] and the latter due to [[spoiler: her tendency of idolizing higher-ranked warriors and copying their fighting styles, and her idols' tendency to [[MurderTheHypotenuse "disappear"]] once she'd mastered their techniques]].
* EldritchAbomination: Raciella. Now turned UpToEleven!
* EmotionlessGirl
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Surprisingly, [[spoiler: the Abyssal Ones. All three of them. ]]
* EverybodysDeadDave: [[spoiler: The result of the Northern Campaign.]]
* EvilEye: Claymores are known as "Silver-Eyed Witches" due to their unsettling eye color. Youma as well as Claymores tapping into their Youma powers have EyesOfGold.
* EvilFeelsGood: There are no male Claymores, because [[spoiler:awakening felt like an orgasm to them]]. Female Claymores also lose all inhibitions once they awaken, but they can resist the change at least.
** [[spoiler:This becomes a plot point later on when it turns out not only does the Organization make Yoma, they're STILL making male half-human, half-yoma. [[MonsterProtectionRacket They let them loose on villages and cities that don't pay for Claymore services anymore]].]]
* EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor: Ophelia and [[spoiler: Roxanne]], who are both Type 2.
* {{Exposed to the Elements}}: Justified by the Claymores being {{Half Human Hybrid}}s, and when one isn't it's a plot point. Some Claymores go so far as to wear ''thigh exposing stockings'' in the far north.
* EvilLaugh: [[spoiler: Roxanne]] has one of these in a flashback.
* EvilVersusEvil: [[spoiler: Post-time skip the North is a barren wasteland and the rest of the country is becoming a power-struggle free-for-all game of EvilerThanThou one-upmanship between the Organization, Riful, Priscilla, Isley, & Rafaela/Luciela with everyone else caught up in the middle.]]
** At one point, the [[spoiler: survivors of the Northern campaign]] encounter an Awakened one fighting Claymores, and a half-serious joke is made about which side they should help.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Chapter 18 present us Sophia, Noel, Ilena and Priscilla.
* {{Expy}}:
** Clare and Raki / Ikuno and Yuji from ''AngelDensetsu''. When Kitano sleeps during the math lesson we can also see him fighting a yoma with (humanly-manageable version of) a claymore in his dream.
** Cynthia bears a certain resemblance to Ryoko as well.
* FakingTheDead: Done by [[spoiler:Ilena]], failed once by Clare, and [[spoiler: done by seven warriors at Pieta.]]
* FallenHero: Each of the Awakened Ones is one of them. A great moment of fun is to discover that you just slaughtered your former best friend.
* FantasticRacism: Even though humans depend on claymores to kill monsters that eat them, they still really despise and fear them - up to the point of banning them from entering certain cities, most famously Rabona.
** Admittedly, though the humans do not know it, the Claymores do have a tendency to lose control and become the worst of monsters. There is justification here.
* FanDisservice: Most of the nudity in the series, though it's at TakeOurWordForIt levels when it comes to the scars on the Claymore's bodies from their transformation. For example, we have [[TokenLoli Miata]] run away from taking a bath while in the buff, and we see the priest's eyes go wide when he sees the scar. Ophelia's transformation also shows off her breasts very clearly, but considering that she's both psychotic and the rest of her body is a snake's, it loses most of the sexiness pretty fast. The Abyss Feeders from later in the manga are even better examples, seeing as they have beautiful nude bodies, but stitched shut mouths and eyes and are ''completely'' insane. Then there is Teresa, who may have been the first woman in history to ''dissuade'' a roving pack of rapists by ''taking off her clothes''.
** [[spoiler:Awakened Cassandra]] takes it up to 11.
* FanNickname:
** "The Seven Ghosts" ([[spoiler:the seven surviving Claymores of the Northern Campaign]]) and while not necessarily a nickname, Ophelia is often referred to with the phrase "Nobody out-crazies Ophelia!" (originally from ''TheSimpsons'').
** Some people call Raphaela Raph and Priscilla Prissy, which seems natural, and for some reason some call Mary the [[spoiler: as of yet unnamed EldritchAbomination that results of the fusion of Raphaela and Luciela]] and, by extension the [[spoiler: mini-{{Eldritch Abomination}}s that it offshoots]] are the Mini-Marys or M+ M's if you want. Another, more logical name for same EldritchAbomination is Raciella [[spoiler: Luciela + Raphaela]]
* FanService: As we said, the FanDisservice is TakeOurWordForIt regarding the deformations on the bodies of the Claymores. So they're still beautiful women who regularly suffer extreme ClothingDamage.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Claymores generally consider Awakening to be this. Which turns out to be entirely relative when being infected by spikes shot by the EldritchAbomination is show to be ''far'' worse. Awakened Beings were at least ''lucid.'' The infected were driven by only a desire to destroy and...well, infect.
* FauxAffablyEvil : Dae and Roxanne.
* FieldOfBlades: [[spoiler: The Pieta graveyard]].
* {{Filler}}: '''Claymore has none.'''
* FingerLickinEvil
* FlashStep: Miria's "Phantoms." [[spoiler:And Hysteria is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter even BETTER]] at it.]]
* FoeYay: [[BeyondTheImpossible EPIC amounts of it]] between Cassandra and Roxanne. Also, Clare and Ophelia, though mostly from Ophelia's side.
* TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne: Claymores and Awakened beings can sense each others presence and the amount of yoki. However, some of the most powerful ones can mask their aura to appear far weaker than they are (Riful) or even completely suppress it so only direct contact with their body will reveal that they are anything other than human (Priscilla). The Claymores have a pill with a similar effect. [[spoiler:This is the only reason anyone survived the Northern Campaign.]]
* FourIsDeath: Claymores work in fours when participating in group demon-exterminating missions. In addition, when Number 6 (Claymores are ranked by power) lists the top five for her companions to watch out for, the only one to warrant emphasis and additional description is not Number 1 (by definition the strongest) but rather Number 4, who "cares nothing for the lives of her comrades or the lives of humans in general... A woman who lusts for battle and the blood spilled." Noel, the Number 4 of Teresa's generation merely has a pathological rivalry with Number 3 Sophia and a violent temper... as for her known successors, see below.
* FullFrontalAssault:
** Applies to all the female Awakened Ones who manage to maintain an at least vaguely human-ish form after awakening, such as [[spoiler:Priscilla and Ophelia.]] Especially notable is Agatha, a female Awakened One who basically takes the shape of a beautiful naked woman sitting on top of a body like a giant monstrous flower which she is attached to by the hair. [[spoiler:The naked woman is a decoy -- her real core is inside the giant body.]]
** A heroic variant is Jean, who for the duration of her battle with Clare and Galatea against Dauf is naked under the open cloak Clare loaned her.
* FusionDance: [[spoiler:Luciela and Raphaela]]
* FutureSpandex: Claymore outfits are this plus light armor; even the new ones after the time skip don't stray far from the original concept.
* GeckoEnding: The anime adaptation stops at the end of the Northern Campaign, giving a rather unsatisfactory ending that leaves much unresolved.
* GhibliHills: [[CrapsackWorld All]] [[EldritchAbomination things]] [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness considered]], it's truly a lovely continent they live on.
* GhostAmnesia: [[spoiler: Suffered temporarily by Hysteria and Cassandra.]]
* GhostMemory: From [[spoiler: Rafaela to Clare.]]
* GoneHorriblyWrong: The Organization seems to have a track record with having a lot of botched experiments that all ended ''horribly.'' The most obvious example would be [[spoiler: the awakened beings themselves.]] Also:
** Making males into Claymores? Bad idea.
** Soul-linking between two siblings who aren't twins? An even WORSE idea.
* GoodThingYouCanHeal: Claymores have extremely powerful [[HealingFactor regenerative abilities]], so chances are any battle will results in at least one character losing a limb or getting impaled. Defensive-type Claymores are even better at this, able to regenerate whole body parts in short order.
* {{Gorn}}: Not as bad as some examples out there, but volume seven of the manga in particular seems to have an unhealthy fixation with limbs and the amputation thereof. The amputations are bloodless, however, and in most cases repairable thanks to the Claymores' HealingFactor. The anime adaptation, on the other hand, has [[HighPressureBlood blood all over the place]].
** That's in addition to the ludicrous amounts of dismemberment. Quite a few youma aren't killed until they've lost at least one arm.
* GrandTheftMe: [[spoiler: Clare did that to Raciella, when she was being devoured by her. And yes, you read that right, [[{{Determinator}} Clare]] [[{{HSQ}} managed to take over]] an EldritchAbomination to seal up Priscilla.]]
* GrievousHarmWithABody: Parasites in your swordarm? Rip it off and impale that sucker's forehead with it. Deneve, my Juggernaut!
* HalfHumanHybrid
* HannibalLecture: Riful talking to Jean.
* HardWorkHardlyWorks : [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructed]] with Priscilla. She ascends without difficulty to her position, but she is lacking experience, which was fatal when she faced a real challenge.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: The more a Claymore uses her [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Yoma powers]], the greater the risk of becoming a ''literal'' monster, and having a Claymore or three sent after her. In the series, it's a great sign of respect when a Claymore who has gone too far asks another Claymore to kill her. See also, HeroicRROD.
* HealingFactor: For most of the Claymores being stabbed repeatedly in the chest is just an inconvenience, and dismemberment a temporary setback, provided you have a spare limb or two lying around... and then there are the ones that heal ''well''.
* HeelFaceTurn: In a very last minute manner, [[spoiler:Isley is revealed to have done one during the Time Skip thanks to Priscilla and Raki. Then he dies.]]
* HellishPupils: Tapping into the SuperpoweredEvilSide brings these to the fore.
* HeroKiller: The Abyssal Ones are [[RunOrDie nigh impossible to defeat]],
** Priscilla is this to the Abyssal Ones.
** And the three resurrected Number Ones, who rather casually mow their way through the better part of an entire generation of warriors.
*** [[spoiler:[[ItGotWorse And then, they awakened.]]]]
* HeroicAlbino: Claymores are all essentially albino, since the transformation from a human to a half-yoma mutes their eye, hair, and presumably skin tones. Their primary objective is to protect humans from yoma, so they fight the good fight in the long run.
* HeroicWillpower: Contrary to the popular belief, it is possible for a claymore to revert back to her human self when her body fully awakens - but they have to have a helluva lot of willpower to maintain their spirit through it all. It was lampshaded once but deconstructed when [[spoiler: Clare faces off against Priscilla for the first time.]]
* HopeSpot: Aw ''man'' did that Teresa vs. Priscilla fight shut us down...
* HorrorHunger: Favorite food of Yoma and and Awakened beings is pure human entrails. Everything else tastes horrible to them.
* HotChickWithASword: It might be better to ask who ''isn't''. Noncombatants, Yoma, Men ([[ImprobablyFemaleCast who overlap heavily with the first two]]), and the [[spoiler:Abyssal Feeders]]. That's about it.
* HugeGuyTinyGirl:
** Dauf and Riful, ''inverted'' whenever she bothers to fully transform.
** Also [[spoiler:Raki and Priscilla after the time skip]].
** Also Isley and Priscilla, especially in their Awakened forms.
* HulkingOut: Claymore who push themselves often start to bulge and become more muscular. One Claymore in particular is huge and rippling, but it's revealed she's actually a ''poseur'' and is using her transformation skill to be that big.
* HumanoidAbomination
* HumansAreBastards: Although humans are not the focus of the story, it's made clear that a lot of them are poor excuses for humanity. Case and point:
** The banishing of children who were orphaned as a result of yoma attacks is a common practice in most villages just to save their own hides. In fact, this is how the Organization happens upon most of the girls who will become their warriors.
** Assuming that yoma don't get to them first, villages will most likely be [[RapePillageAndBurn ransacked by bandits]].
*** At one point, Teresa is confronted by a bandit whom she took the hand of, and he decides to settle the score not by killing her, but by [[RapeAsDrama trying to rape her]]. Although she doesn't see this as [[FateWorseThanDeath the worst possible fate]] and allows him to do so, Teresa can't help but ponder why her kind bothers to sacrifice everything for the sake of humanity.
*** The same bandit returned again when his group decided to pillage the village that Teresea left Clare in. The bandit planned to make little Clare the group's child sex slave. This time, the bandit didn't get to escape with his other hand. Or his life.
* TheHunter
* IAmAHumanitarian: Between the yoma and awakened beings, regular humans are at the bottom of the food chain. They especially like eating human guts. And as [[spoiler: Isley demonstrates, and maybe Riful and Dauf]], being an awakened being isn't equal to being an [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apex_predator apex predator]].
* ICannotSelfTerminate: Claymores who over-use their yoma powers and begin to transform into an Awakened Being have to be killed by another Claymore. Those who have sufficient advance notice that their control is slipping send a Black Card with their symbol on it to the individual Claymore they would prefer to take their life; being so chosen is a mark of great respect. [[spoiler:Clare and Miria, among others, discover that it is, in fact, possible in many cases to turn back even after the transformation begins.]]
* IHaveTheHighGround: done by Clare in Pieta, and observed in awe by two towns guards.
* {{Immortality}}: Type II, it was said that Claymores and Awakened Beings do not age.
* ImplausibleFencingPowers
* ImportantHaircut: In one of the {{omake}} chapters, it's shown that Clare cut off her hair to use as a lure during her first battle.
* ImprobablyFemaleCast: Every Claymore is a female, and many of the monsters they fight are technically female too. [[SubvertedTrope However]], the lack of male Claymore is justified later
* InspectorJavert: During their first battle, [[spoiler: Priscilla does this to Teresa, completely unable to understand why "the bad guy" is winning, and then loses it after she is defeated but spared by her.]]
* InsultBackfire: Hysteria to Miria.
--> ''_ What an awful fighting style. It's so disgusting I might throw up.''
--> ''_ To heard that from you, the warrior with the most elegant technique, is the greatest honor.''
* InterfaceScrew: The new number 10, Raftela, can do this by [[spoiler: synching up Yokis with other warriors and blurring their vision and screwing with their depth perception.]] This isn't entirely useful all by itself, but Raftela has other tricks up her sleeve as well.
* IShowedHerWhatARealManIs: [[CompleteMonster Roxanne]] tells Cassandra that the reason she [[spoiler: didn't interfere with Cassandra's friend's torture and implied rape at the hands of an Awakened Being was because Cassandra's friend looked like she was having fun.]] Cue (unfortunately) [[UnstoppableRage quite stoppable rage.]]
* ItGotWorse: It was already pretty bad before, but in Chapters 95 and 96 it turns from simply being "near-impossible" to "worse than the Northern Campaign".
* ItTastesLikeFeet: According to Yoma and the Awakened, Claymores tastes terrible.[[spoiler:Not that this stops a few of the Awakened from [[IAmAHumanitarian om nom-ing a few anyway]].]]
* IWasJustPassingThrough: What the Ghosts inevitably claim whenever they help out other Claymores. Lampshaded in chapter 112 by Dietrich, who tells the other Claymores that the Ghosts actually went pretty far out of their way specifically to help Anastasia's group, yet they will still try to claim that they were just passing through.
* KidWithTheLeash:
** After the time skip, Raki holds Priscilla's. [[spoiler: subverted, it turns out that Raki was just used by Priscila.
** Not exactly a kid, but since Clarice is #47 and [[{{CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass}} Miata]] is currently [[{{FourIsDeath}} #4]] with the potential to be ranked higher, not to mention AxCrazy, she definitely counts.
** The Organization makes ''no'' exceptions when it comes to killing humans--Claymores are not allowed to kill in self-defense or protect innocent people from human criminals. If a Claymore kills ''any'' human, no matter the reason, they are marked for death. [[spoiler: Teresa breaking the rule to protect Clare and a town from murderous bandits is what sets up the event explained above.]]
*** [[spoiler: [[AxCrazy Ophelia]] claims that it could be done -- so long as the Claymore wiped out all witnesses, the Organization won't get wind of it (unless the Claymore reported it herself).]]
* LargeHam: Every single youma, especially in the English dub. [[NarmCharm Sometimes it works]], [[{{Narm}} sometimes it's just hilarious]].
* LeaveNoSurvivors: Isley told Rigald to not allowed even a single rat to leave in [[spoiler: Pieta]]
* LensmanArmsRace: This turns out to be [[spoiler: the entire reason behind the existence of Yoma and Claymores. The Organization's experiments with Yoma and Claymores are attempts to create an army of [[SuperSoldier Super Soldiers]] for one side in a war. The other side of the war has '''''dragons'''''.]]
* {{Leotard of Power}}: Each of the Seven Ghosts wear some variant of this after the time skip.
* LesYay: [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/HoYay/Claymore So much that it gets it's own page]].
* LifeForce: Youki.
* LittleMissBadass: Riful... and how! Miata has elements of it too, though she's more AxCrazy than badass. Not that that anyone's forgetting Priscilla or anything. You know what, if you see a cute little girl in this series just assume she's going to kill something in graphic fashion.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: To the point where it gets hard to keep track of [[http://xiaoyuchi.deviantart.com/art/Claymore-icons-89221248?q=boost%3Apopular+helen+and+deneve&qo=53 everyone's names]]
* LonersAreFreaks: Played for a rare laugh in volume 8. When Clare meets with Helen, Miria, and Deneve in the cave in Pieta for their secret meeting, Helen comments on how none of them were followed to that location because they were seen as the weirdos of the organization, so nobody bothered to care where they were going. Funny that.
* LovecraftianSuperpower: The Awakened beings.
* MamaBear: You '''really''' don't want to hurt Clare in front of Teresa. [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] with Miata. Hurting her "mama" is her BerserkButton.
* MarsNeedsWomen: A "[[GenderFlipped Venus Needs Men]]" inversion with Agatha and Cid — she's a lustful tentacle monster who captures Cid and suggests that they have some fun before she rips him apart; [[NotDistractedByTheSexy he's not interested, ]]and seeing how Agatha [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe kisses]], you can understand his decision.
* MassOhCrap: two memorable instance
** A more mundane version was seen back in chapter 17, where a band of bandits see their leader (whose [[WhipSword "Falcon Sword"]] technique had previously seemed invincible) [[SingleStrokeBattle effortlessly cut down]] by a woman who was [[MoralityPet holding a girl]] [[MamaBear one of them had brutalized]] in her other arm.
** Everyone except [[MadScientist Dae]] and [[TheWatcher Rubel]] in 120:[[spoiler:The resurrected Number Ones are [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie AWAKENING]].]]
* MeaningfulName: Just take a guess at what kind of weapon Claymores use.
** Ophelia's Awakened form is that of a snake; the etymology of "ophidian" means "snake."
** Riful might be a transliteration of "Riffle," since it turns out her true form is that of a mound of ribbons the size of a mountain.
** ''[[DissonantSerenity "Hysteria]] [[FlashStep the]] [[OneManArmy Elegant".]]'' Nope, [[MostDefinitelyNotAVillain totally not someone to worry about]] [[SarcasmMode at all.]]
** Roxanne of Love and Hate [[spoiler: loves learning special techniques, hates the original users once she surpasses them]].
* MedievalEuropeanFantasy
* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Only civilian men die on screen, female civilians are always saved. Though female Claymore and Awakened Ones die all the time.
* MentalWorld: In Chapter 92, it seems like Rafaela entered Clare's MentalWorld. [[spoiler:Turns out it was the other way around, Clare entered Rafaela's MentalWorld.]]
* MillionToOneChance: The odds of the Northern Campaign succeeding are defined by [[TheStrategist Miria]] and [[AwesomenessByAnalysis Clare]] as being ''zero''. [[spoiler:They're right. It doesn't succeed. Seven of the warriors ''survive'' the Northern Campaign, and that's it.]]
* {{Mix and Match Critters}}: Clare has a bit of this when she begins to Awaken due to having Irena's right arm
* [[spoiler:MonsterProtectionRacket]]
* MookHorrorShow: Those bandits messed with Teresa and Clare once too many for their own good.
* MoralityPet: Clare started off as Teresa's morality pet, Raki started off as Clare's morality pet, and Raki is now [[spoiler:Priscilla and (until his death) Isley's]] morality pet.
* MoreExpendableThanYou: Miria injures and leaves Tabitha in Rabona with Galatea so that she a) won't have to kill a human or her former fellow soldiers and b) so that if it all goes to pot, only Miria will be the one they go after.
* MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours
* NebulousEvilOrganisation: The Organization took a level in malevolence when their true intentions were revealed.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Renee chooses to run for her life from Riful rather than take the chance of awakening [[spoiler:Rafaela and Luciela]], even though it would almost certainly mean her death. Then after she leaves [[spoiler:Clare blunders in and wakes them accidentally, unleashing the series' first true EldritchAbomination. Smooth.]]
** [[spoiler:Miria's failed attack on the Organization put the humans (civilians and soldiers) in Rabona in danger when the Organization decided to retaliate.]]
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: [[spoiler: Subverted ]]
** played straight when [[spoiler:Isley let Priscilla go with Raki, he is killed by Abyssal Eaters without her power]]
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown : [[spoiler: Subverted in Miria's falling. It only looks like a mindless hacking of a defenceless warrior whereas it is a way to help the warrior survive.]]
** [[spoiler: Also, Cassandra.]]
* NoOneCouldSurviveThat : [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] thrice.
** [[spoiler: The first one was against [[DangerouslyGenreSavvy Ophelia ]], and failed. ]]
** [[spoiler: The second one succeed, even on the reader. Miria was hacked by her fellow warrior so that she would be a bloody piece of meat (even the black coat is horrified), but they consciously choose not to kill her, as a reward for not killing them]].
** [[spoiler: The third was against Cassandra in the same manner as Miria, but was both averted and technically subverted.]]
* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler: Miria in chapter 113.]]
* ObstructiveCodeOfConduct: Humans are [[ThouShaltNotKillMuggles not supposed to have anything to fear from Claymores]]. This does not always work out that way in practice.
* OhCrap: There is a good number of them.
** Clare [[spoiler: when she realizes that she has gone too far and will awaken if not killed.]]
** Miria has one [[spoiler: when she saw that their opponent is male.]]
** Ophelia is very good at provoking them.
** The normally calm and playfully evil Riful has one in chapter 98, when[[spoiler: she senses Priscilla's youki as she [[CurbStompBattle casually kills]] both of the Organisation's strongest fighters, [[CreepyTwins Alicia and Beth]] in an instant, when just one had nearly annihilated Riful without really trying. "My god.... you've got to be kidding... to have such a thing exist in this world...."]]
** ''Everyone'' who discovers firsthand how [[StoryBreakerPower awesomely over-powered]] [[spoiler: Priscilla or Teresa are]] has this reaction. It's also usually their last reaction.
** Miria [[spoiler: discovering that the Organization has trained new twins.]]
** The black coat [[spoiler: during the massive defection.]]
* TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: The Organization.
* OneGenderRace: Played straight. The Organization ''used'' to make male Claymores, but they found out real quick that that wasn't a good idea...
* OneHandedZweihander: Every Claymore does this. Granted, their swords are only moderately large by anime standards, but no normal person could use them like they do. Lampshaded by Clare in the first chapter.
* OneWingedAngel: Most of the stronger Awakened Ones, especially Abyssal Ones. Technically ALL Awakened Ones, but many of them don't have a human form anymore.
* OnlyAFleshWound: Subverted and played straight, depending on context. When a Claymore gets a leg chopped off, she will, unsurprisingly, fall to the ground and scream in pain while bleeding heavily. When she gets an arm chopped off, she will...have an OhCrap moment and then keep fighting. [[hottip:*:Makes a bit of sense; Claymores are tough enough to fight with one arm, but you kind of need both legs to run ''or'' fight.]]
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Priscilla is rather disappointed when [[spoiler: she learns that Clare has been "killed" by the swirling mass that was once Raciella, and makes it her new target.]]
* TheOphelia: Ophelia, obviously, though she's a far more violent than most.
* OrphanageOfLove: It is implied that Galatea works for one as a nun in Rabona, or that she made it possible with her presence there. This would be a big turn around in a [[CrapsackWorld world]] where being in a OrphanageOfFear would be an actual ''good'' thing for orphans (unless [[NebulousEvilOrganisation the Organization]] counts as one).
* OurZombiesAreDifferent:
** [[spoiler: The abyss feeders are type O.]]
** And now [[spoiler: Dae is trying to reanimate the bodies of three former rank one claymores. They'll apparently be type V.]]
* PantyShot: Mostly averted because of the way the Claymore's uniforms are designed, but then we get a blatant one on Clare in Chapter 100. And even then, it's not of sexual nature.
* PartialTransformation: Justified in the case of Clare, in that [[spoiler: she cannot fully Awaken.]] Every abyssal likes doing this often, instead of going OneWingedAngel, in order to save energy.
* PeoplePuppets: Galatea's 'Yoki Manipulation' lets her do this to other Claymores (Clarice), Awakened Beings (Dauf) and even the projectiles he shoots.
* PersonalityPowers : The Offensive Type Claymore (who tries to kill their opponent as fast as possible) and the Defensive type claymore (who just try to survive each encounter) regenerating at different rates--the Offensive type is unable to regrow limbs, but is stronger and more aggressive. Personality Powers become more prominent when they awaken: Revenge obsessed Claymores tend towards massive lethal implements, loyal ones tend towards wings, etc.
* PickyPeopleEater: Youma and Awakened Beings are implied to eat human flesh in general, but they are absolutely ''nuts'' for "innards" -- that is, stomaches, intestines, kidneys, livers and the other sundry organs that make up the entrails. Most of the times that Youma feeding habits are brought up, people specifically talk about the Youma eating innards, or the Youma itself rants that it wants to feast on innards.
* PlayingAgainstType: It's a good thing Funimation identifies which English V.A.s portray which characters. Otherwise it's doubtful that anyone would have ever figured out that Ophelia was voiced by LuciChristian.
* PointyEars: According to TheOTherWiki, a semi-rare mutation caused by the enhancement process.
* PoorCommunicationKills: Clare and Ophelia both want to kill Priscilla. If Clare would've tried to explain herself to Ophelia they could've figured out they both wanted the same thing, maybe even worked together. But Clare kept her lips shut and they didn't figure out until [[spoiler: ''after'' Ophelia awakened.]] Ophelia's bloodthirsty insanity didn't help that much either; she may have just killed Clare anyway for kicks.
* PowerGlows: It's the only way to indicate a power-up.
* PowerHigh: The reason the modern Claymores are exclusively female is because release of yoki acts like this to men. Male Claymores (produced long ago) experienced the power-up as sexual pleasure and [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Awakened]] almost immediately.
* PowerLevels: In a manner of speaking. Claymores are assigned to a territory based on their perceived competence at killing Yoma. Claymores that are inexperienced or incompetent are assigned to territories with relatively few Yoma, while the most experienced and powerful Claymores are sent to territories overflowing with powerful Yoma. As such, each Claymore is assigned a number that corresponds to the territory they protect: the lower the number, the more powerful the Claymore is. By this point in the story, anybody with a double digit ranking is basically an expendable Mook, while single digit Claymores veer dangerously close to being [[OneManArmy One Woman Armies.]]
* PowerPerversionPotential: Many Awakened possess the ability to extend their extremities.
* PreAssKickingOneLiner: Often said [[CombatPragmatist just after the first strike]].
* PunchClockHero: The Claymores officially claim to be like this. It's not usually true though.
* ThePurge: [[spoiler:The Northern Campaign was designed, in part, to get rid of some of the more rebellious Claymores. The decision was basically, "Since we're going to have a {{redshirt}} army, we might as well use it for a purge."]]
* RapeAsDrama: Subverted. Claymores already experience some physical disassociation from having their bodies painfully transformed into something not-quite-recognizable as human, but after experiencing physical mutilation up to and including dismemberment and impalement, rape isn't quite an ordeal. When faced with the threat of rape, Teresa indicates what she's been through by baring her body, and invites the raiders to do their worst. The would-be assailants are too repulsed to follow through.
** It has also been implied that male Awakened Beings "toy" with their female victims.
* RedshirtArmy: [[spoiler:All but seven of the Claymores in the Northern Campaign.]]
* ResistTheBeast: Most Claymores who start to Awaken gradually, until they get a MercyKill. [[spoiler: If they're really lucky, they can suppress their ''yoki'' even more, and draw more heavily on their powers before shit hits the fan.]]
* TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified: [[spoiler: Miria]] is very clear that her revolution will be deathless.
* [[spoiler:RoaringRampageOfRevenge: As a result of Raciella's virus spears and the death of Riful, Dauf decides to go after Priscilla. [[AlasPoorVillain It's strangely sad.]]]]
* RousingSpeech: Miria in Pieta; the black coat in chapter 113.
* RunOrDie: Happens a couple of time. Unfortunately, [[LightningBruiser the strongest opponent is often the fastest]], which means that running isn't an [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption option]].
* SayMyName: [[spoiler: just before awakening, Cassandra tell her tormentor's name.]]
* ScienceIsBad: Using science to win a bloody war in the mainland by using a smaller continent and its populace as guinea pigs by creating unholy creatures that devour said populace while at the same time doing immoral experiments on little orphans in order to transform ''them'' into [[SuperSoldier almost unholy creatures]] through an array of trail-and-error experiments [[GoneHorriblyWrong that tend to flop]] while keeping the citizens AND [[BioAugmentation bio-augmented]] warriors in the dark about all of this, thus making them kneel in mercy to the organization that is behind all of this... You don't see anything bad about this?
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Coinciding with her MamaBear moment, this is essentially what gets Teresa in trouble with the Organization. Her refusal to accept her punishment may count as well. [[spoiler: Teresa had just inquired about Clare's well-being, and her [[TheHandler Handler]] had stated that her fate was now with the Organization. Teresa probably had a strong suspicion that this meant they would either kill her outright, or convert her into a Claymore, and she wanted Clare to have a normal life.]]
* SecretTestOfCharacter: After Riful is gone, Galatea say that that she will resume her mission to take Clare back to the Organization, alive or not. After making sure that Clare and Jean don't want to go back and are willing to put their lives on the line for that, she let them go while telling them that she will cover their escape.
* SelfDestructiveCharge: [[spoiler:Cassandra]] dies in the manga backstory trying to cut her way through a crowd of Claymores trying to reach [[spoiler:Roxanne]]. In exchange for all the damage she does to them along the way, she doesn't even try to evade their attacks, and she doesn't quite make it. Her last memory is a smirking [[spoiler:Roxanne]] striking her down with the hilt of her sword.
* SemiDivine: All of the Claymores are half-human and [[OurDemonsAreDifferent half-youma]] [[spoiler:except for [[TheHero Clare]], who is only one-quarter youma]]. They're born human and become half-youma by taking youma flesh into their bodies.
* SenselessSacrifice: [[spoiler:Played straight in chapter 107, averted in chapter 109.]]
* SensorCharacter: There are several characters whose uncanny abilities at sensing the yoki (demonic energy) have led to them being mainly used for remote observation of other Claymores and yoma. Case in point: "God Eye" Galatea and "Tracker" Dietrich. Also, [[spoiler: Roxanne.]]
* SetSwordsToStun: When a heroic Claymore rebel fights loyal Organization Claymores, they will typically refuse to kill them, but still have to beat them to go on, and since Claymores use, well, ''claymores'', the enemy will still end up with a few solid cutting injuries at least. Justified in that Claymores can take and survive far more damage than an average human.
* ShapeshifterGuiltTrip: Raftela can [[spoiler: delve into your mind, and bring out deep sleeping thoughts.]] This results in [[spoiler: Miria]] thinking that her opponent is actually [[spoiler: Hilda. She [[IGotBetter nearly]] dies as a result.]]
* ShootTheShaggyDog: In the anime version, since it cuts out right after the northern war, pretty much nothing was ever accomplished but the deaths of most of the heroes, followed by all the major villains and the few remaining good guys returning to status quo.
* ShoutOut : to one to his previous work, Angel Densetsu. [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/angel_densetsu/v14/c075/20.html Ikuno]] and [[http://www.mangareader.net/485-29325-15/claymore/chapter-14.html Teresa]] compare having a little blonde girl to owning a pet...
* ShutUpKiss: Clare does this to Raki in manga. Anime subverts this by making it clear that Raki was done talking before Clare kissed him.
* SingleStrokeBattle: lot of them. Teresa manage to take that trope up to eleven by performing it on four person at [[{{Badass}} the same time]]
* SlidingScaleOfGenderInequality: Huh? Guys? What guys? Oh yeah - ''those'' guys. You can't even give male awakened beings too much credit, since much if not all of their actions are being dictated by a much more powerful female awakened being (oh yeah, there are some [[{{Muggles}} ordinary guys]] around here somewhere...).
* TheSlowWalk: Clare does this when facing Awakened Beings.
* SnowMeansDeath: The fate of those who fought in the Northern Campaign.
* SoundtrackDissonance: [[CaptainObvious In the anime]].
* {{Split-Second Blade Spam}}: Windcutter (which doubles as an IaijutsuPractitioner technique) and the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Quicksword]].
* SpikeShooter:
** Dauf can shoot huge spikes from his mouth.
** The Destroyer ([[spoiler:Raphaela/Luciela merged being]]) shoots spikes in all directions that turn into mindless monsters, which shoot ''even more'' spikes to infect anyone they hit and turn ''them'' into monsters as well.
* {{Spotting the Thread}}: Raki does this in the first episode when he points out that a Claymore never refers to themselves as such; turns out it was a Yoma in disguise.
* StabTheScorpion
* StatuesqueStunner: Are you watching/reading the story? Good. Count them on your own time.
* TheStoic: Most of the Claymores.
* SuperPersistentPredator: The Abyss Eaters. They just ''keep coming back.'' Justified in that they are conditioned to crave the flesh of only one particular target.
* SuperpoweredEvilSide: One of the Standard Occupational Hazard for Claymores.
** [[spoiler:Less occupational hazard and more design goal, it turns out. See LensmanArmsRace above.]]
* SuperpowerLottery
* SuperpowerMeltdown: Those who succumb to their SuperpoweredEvilSide endure this.
* StupidSacrifice: Averted twice with the same sentence : "if you want to die that much, I will do it for you right now."
* SuicideMission: The organization in charge of Claymores sends them on suicide missions whenever they become too dangerous. Possibly justified to avoid {{Super Power Meltdown}}s.
* SuperSoldier: Manufacturing Claymores ammounts to: hack open some poor kid and graft Youma meat into her. [[spoiler:Clare was meant to be a next-generation claymore, being made with another Claymore's flesh and blood and retaining the normal implantation process (incidentally, the organization's #1); she is considered a failed experiment by the Organization]]. With TheReveal that [[spoiler: Clare's handler (and the guy responsible for keeping tabs on the experiment and who reported that it was a failure) in the Organization is actually TheMole for the Organization's enemies whose goal is to sabotage the project, it's possible that Clare may not be a failure after all.]]
* SwordPlant: Claymores often stab their swords in the ground to lean against when they're sitting or sleeping.
* SwordSparks
* TakeOurWordForIt: Those scars from the transformation procedure that turns a human into a half-yoma must be pretty damn hideous for them to turn off an ''entire horde of rapists''.
* [[spoiler: TakingYouWithMe: The way Clare traps Priscilla with the destroyer's power.]]
* TalkingIsAFreeAction: Averted. When characters talk, they're generally not fighting at the moment. Comments while fighting tend to be rather short.
* TechnicalPacifist: Since the Claymores are forbidden from killing humans.
* ThighHighBoots: Post TimeSkip Clare, Miria, Cynthia and Tabitha.
* ThisIsUnforgivable: When a Claymore says this, she [[HeroicRROD means]] [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie it]]. Almost always used as a MadnessMantra.
* ThouShaltNotKillMuggles: The Claymores are forbidden from killing a single human under pain of death. As a result, [[spoiler:Teresa]] gets in terrible troubles after slaughtering a bunch of bandits. Though as Ophelia points out, it's not too hard to to get around this rule, and those who do it usually get caught because they turn themselves in. She herself takes the opposite approach of making sure to slaughter all potential witnesses if she happens to kill a human.
* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: Clare does this a few times. It's Yuma's special ability after the TimeSkip.
** Cynthia even hangs a {{Lampshade}} on the [[http://www.mangareader.net/485-57823-15/claymore/chapter-108.html impracticality]] of it.
** And then [[spoiler: Deneve]] does it in Chapter 111.
* ThunderboltIron: Implied to be what the Claymores (the weapons) are made of [[spoiler:and Miria's first clue that things are not what they seem]].
* TimeSkip: Manga only.
* {{Tomboy and Girly Girl}}: Audrey (polite and has the 'gentle sword' technique) and Rachel (looks almost like a guy and has a 'strong sword' technique).
* TooPowerfulToLive: Priscilla, Type 1.
* {{Took a Level in Badass}}: [[spoiler:Raki after the Time Skip]]. Fandom is divided after whether this is good or bad. And pretty much all of the Seven Ghosts have undergone this, most noticeably Yuma, though some were badass before the skip.
* TrashTalk: generally averted, most fight are done with respect. Notable exception are the second part of the fight with Agatha, and [[spoiler: Cassandra vs Roxanne]].
* TrueCompanions: It takes off with the Awakened Being kill squad containing Clare, Deneve, Helen and Miria. They do part ways for some time, however, so it might be that the [[spoiler: seven survivors of the Northern Campaign]] are the first true example.
** To a degree, all of the warriors. Only the well and truly psychotic would leave their companions to their own devices and sometimes, [[ChangedMyMindKid even THEY change their minds.]]
* TwentyFourHourArmor: Claymores are rarely seen out of uniform, unless they're on a special assignment where they have to blend in with normal humans. However, when they're resting they will take off their metallic armor.
* TykeBomb: Although the Claymores don't go into field duty until they're grown up, they're chosen for the job as young children. And out of 47 Claymores each generation and numerous generations of Claymores, only ''one'' volunteered to be turned into a half-monster killing machine - Clare. All the other girls the Organization used were slaves, orphans or foundlings.
** Miata and the unnamed new awakened twins are more direct examples, being massively powerful Claymore fielded while still young.
* UnfamiliarCeiling: Clare, when she wakes up after Irene saves her from Ophelia.
* UnholyMatrimony: Riful and Dauf, [[spoiler: Priscilla and Isley]]. Both couples are genuinely loving. [[spoiler: Riful is unwilling to abandon Dauf to die even dragging him along with her when she's escaping from the fight with Alicia, despite being crippled and his protestations that she should abandon him because he's slowing her down and he doesn't care if he dies as long she lives. She does, in fact, die for him. Isley starts off just wanting to use Priscilla as a weapon but during his dying InternalMonologue admits he truly cared about her and their MoralityPet Raki as a family]].
* UriahGambit : When warriors disobey the Organization, grow "too old," or whenever the Organization feels like it, they are given ImpossibleTask after ImpossibleTask until they die.
* TheUsualAdversaries: Yoma exist solely to rape and eat people's guts while being alive.
* TheVirus: [[spoiler:The merged Rafaela and Luciela can infect other living organisms with their youki, which is the main purpouse of their cat-lady minions]].
* WaifFu: Undine.
* {{Walking the Earth}}
* WeHaveReserves: Organization's treatment of Claymores and Isley's treatment of his subordinates.
* WeaponTombstone: It's a tradition among the Claymores to plant the swords of their fallen comrades into the ground over their graves. Even a newbie like Clarice can recognize a FieldOfBlades as a makeshift graveyard.
* [[WhamEpisode Wham Chapter]]
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: An in-universe example [[spoiler:Rafaela and Luciela's combined awakened form looks a lot like a warped version of the local religion's deity.]]
* WhereItAllBegan: Raki returns to the village that kicked him out seven years ago as a badass who ends up saving their asses from the same circumstance (Yoma attack!) that led to Raki's expulsion in the first place. And yet they still talk shit about him. [[ShamingTheMob But he sets them straight]].
* WillNotTellALie: The Claymores in general.
** Dietrich states that she has sworn never to tell a lie to the Organization.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity:
** Partially subverted since the most powerful of Awakened Beings (mainly the Abyssal Ones) are generally the most mentally stable. Similarly, the most powerful Claymore, Teresa, was also calm and composed.
** Priscilla [[PlayingWithATrope plays with this]]. At some point, she lost most of her memories and assumed a simple, child-like personality but when she assumes her awakened form she is frighteningly composed, methodical and calm.
* TheWorfEffect: The Youma are a villainous expression of this trope, existing purely to establish a character strength and combat philosophy.
* WorldOfActionGirls: Actually tries to justify this trope. Women inherently make better Claymores than men, because men Claymore become very quickly Awakened Beings.
* WorldOfBadass
* WorstAid: The priest who healed Clare put [[WorstAid bandage on her clothes]]. Fifteen volumes later, he mentioned that it was out of fear/disgust and [[SubvertedTrope is deeply ashamed of it]].
* XMeetsY: ''{{Berserk}}'' meets ''Film/TheThing'' meets ''CharliesAngels''.
* YouAreNumberSix: Every exchange between two Claymores lasting more than five seconds inevitably results in somebody bragging about their number. Needless to say, both Claire and Clarice found themselves bullied more than a bit.
* YouDidntAsk: [[spoiler: What Rafutella answers to the organization leader when he asks why she didn't tell critical information. Unsurprisingly, she falls in the category of warrior mentioned just below. ]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: If the Organization considers you too wild, too useless or if you just [[HeKnowsTooMuch know too much]], you will be sent on suicide missions until you finally bite it. [[spoiler:This is because warriors get stronger and more capable the older they get and the only threat to a [[GeniusBruiser seasoned warrior]] is an Abyssal One or Priscilla.]]
* YourMindMakesItReal: When [[spoiler: battling Rafaela in her MentalWorld, Clare finds out from her that if she dies in the psyche, she dies in the real world.]]
* ZettaiRyouiki: Several of The Seven Ghosts wear these post-TimeSkip.
----

* ThighHighBoots: Post timeskip Clare, Miria, Cynthia and Tabitha.

* TechnicalPacifist: Since the Claymores are forbidden from killing humans.

* FallenHero: Each Awakened Ones is one of them. A great moment of fun is to discover that you just slaughtered your former best friend.

* BodyHorror: Many youma, doubly so for Awakened Ones and ''very much so'' for Abyssal Ones. But [[spoiler:Cassandra]] probably romps home with the prize: [[spoiler:she takes the form of a giant, naked female body lying on it back with its legs spread and her own human-sized naked torso emerging from the upper chest, with 3 huge tentacles tipped with monstrous versions of her head sprouting from the top which she uses to devour her enemies]]. [[{{Squick}} Brr...]]

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: [[spoiler: When Durph is threatening Galatea, "I'll strip you naked, tear off your arms and legs, pull out your guts, and then make fun of you.]]

* TheCalvary: The end of chapter 121

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/51p-seRJfDL__SL500_AA300__8697.jpg]]

* GoddamnOrks: Yoma exist solely to rape and eat people's guts while being alive.

* UriahGambit : When warriors disobey the Organization, grow "too old," or whenever the Organization feels like it, they are given ImpossibleTask after ImpossibleTask until they die.

*** [[spoiler:[[ItGotWorse And then, they awakened.]]]

* BioAugmentation: How claymores are made.

* BioAugmentation: Claymores are created by having the flesh of Youma, or, as in Clare's case, a fallen former Claymore, implanted into their bodies. The resulting scars, although never seen so far, are gruesome enough to scare away an entire horde of rapists. Abyss Feeders are created in a similar way, but the flesh of an Awakened Being is used instead. The results are even more horrifying.

** A more mundane version was seen back in chapter 17, where a band of bandits see their leader (whose [[WhipSword "Falcon Sword"]] technique had previously seemed invincible) [[SingleStrokeBattle effortlessly cut down]] by a woman who was [[MoralityPet holding a girl]] [[MamaBear one of them had brutalized]] in her other arm.

** Everyone except [[MadScientist Dae]] and [[TheWatcher Rubel]] in 120:[[spoiler:The resurrected Number Ones are [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie AWAKENING]].]]

** This trope is also deconstructed, since although the girls are being raised from a young age so that they may take the organization's commands more directly, most of them are still too mentally and emotionally fragile to become efficient warriors, and it has been shown with some devastating side effects. Just look at what happened with Miata, Ophelia, and the top of them all - Priscilla.