Claymores are ranked by skill within the organization, but since this is OtakuUSA, we thought it would be more democratic if you were given the opportunity to vote for the best Claymore. We have only included major characters on our ballot and attempted to avoid spoilers. Following the ballot are candidate descriptions to help you distinguish between our nearly identical pale blonde candidates. The parenthetical indicates current rank in the organization. We would like to know which Claymore is the most popular among a non-native Japanese audience, so we have included voter nationality for our otaku research purposes.

 

Teresa (#1)
Priscilla (#2)
Galatea (#3)
Ophelia (#4)
Miria (#6)
Jean (#9)
Undine (#11)
Clare (#47)
Write in Candidate: ________

 

Your nationality:

– Not from Japan
– Part-time resident of Japan/Immigrant living in Japan/Japanese Ex-patriot/Whatever
– Japanese
– Prefer not to say

 

 

Teresa (#1)

Teresa of the Faint Smile might be the best all-around Claymore in terms of speed, strength and Yoki control, but that doesn’t make her popular with her peers. Indeed, the Mona Lisa-like poise that is the source of her nickname leads her cohorts to treat her like the smart kid who blew the math curve. As if her all-star abilities weren’t enough, Teresa also has extraordinary Yoki perception, allowing her to predict her opponent’s moves in battle. Teresa has long, curly hair.

 

Priscilla (#2)

Priscilla is a Claymore prodigy with a veritable ocean of Yoki in reserve and the innate ability to hide it from Yoma and Claymores alike. Her youth and inexperience may be a liability, but she compensates for it with an eager-to-please personality and intense devotion to the Organization. These qualities combine to give her a somewhat simplistic view of the world, which, given the amount of power at her disposal, might not work out too well for those who get on her bad side… Priscilla has jaw-length spikey hair.

 

Galatea (#3)

Aside from having the coolest name (Greek for “she who is milk-white”), Galatea is also the coolest customer, with the ability to use her Yoki to spy on others from a great distance and sense their emotional state. Her powers are not entirely defensive however; in a fight with the Yoki she releases grants her the greatest strength of any Claymore. Galatea prefers to avoid powering up except when absolutely necessary, claiming for some reason that she doesn’t care for the way she looks with huge cat eyes and grossly distended muscles. Galatea has long straight hair with bangs.

Ophelia (#4)

Definitely the Claymore with the worst attitude, her quest for vengeance degenerates into bloodlust and homicide (don’t they always?). If Claymores chose their own teams, she would be the one to be picked last (except maybe for Clare). Not to be overlooked is her ability to wave her sword so fast it seems to ‘ripple,’ making her attacks nearly impossible to dodge. Ophelia has long straight hair pulled back into a twist.

 

Miria (#6)

A capable tactician and sober leader, Miria’s hangdog expression gives some idea of what it must be like dealing with the stress of managing a team of Claymores. Although considered an offensive-type Claymore, her lethal technique is defensive: bursts of Yoki-induced speed that leave afterimages which make her extremely difficult to hit. This is likely how she gained the nickname “Phantom Miria.” Miria has long straight hair with spikey layered ends.

 

Jean (#9)

Jean possesses the most powerful attack of any Claymore, the deadly “drill sword.” Storing Yoki in her arm, sword clutched in hand, she twists the massive limb like a rubber band, releasing just short of the tearing point. The resulting strike can shred through stone like a cuisinart. Jean also bears a startling resemblance to a platinum blonde “Red Sonja” era Brigette Nielsen (if that does anything for you). Her hair is a boyish cut just above the ears with heavy bangs.

 

Undine (#11)

Certainly the toughest looking Claymore, Undine has broad shoulders, a dour expression and a thuggish demeanor. Her iron-clad will allows her to constantly channel Yoki to her muscles, making them permanently enhanced. Unlike any other Claymore, she wields two swords. If Undine comes off as a bully, insisting her comrades are too weak to participate in battle, it’s only because she secretly fears for their safety. Undine has very straight, very flat hair which she tucks behind her ears.

 

Clare (#47)

The protagonist of the anime series ranks dead last at #47 in the official Organization roster, but her Yoki heightened intuition often precludes the need for greater strength or speed. She also has a knack for learning techniques from her fellow Claymores and recombining them (sometimes by incorporating their body parts) to create new, more powerful moves. Clare has a traditional bob cut with bangs.

 

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