Claymore: The Main Characters, Ranked From Worst To Best By Character Arc

Dark fantasy anime has always been quite the rage for a whole host of reasons, and one need only look at the massive success of shows like Berserk and Vinland Saga to understand why this is the case. That being said, not all the anime that revolve around dark fantasy end up getting the recognition they deserve — this has been the case with the rather muted discussion around Claymore.

It’s a shame since Claymore is genuinely one of the more unique anime out there that ends up being notable for its own reasons. From the well-realized world to a whole host of memorable characters — Claymore is definitely a show that no person should ignore. Some of the characters of Claymore truly have excellent arcs of their own, and this list will rank these character arcs in order of success.

10 Riful

The Awakened Beings are truly a sight to behold in Claymore, and Riful is no exception to this. However, as a character, one has to admit that she is a bit too one-note for her own good.

Her arrogant and vain personality makes her an easy character to root against in Claymore, but the manner in which she is brutally killed by Priscilla is still hard to watch at times.

9 Isley

During the time when male Claymores were pretty commonplace in the world, Isley served as the strongest Claymore of the first generation. However — as was the case with most male Claymores — Isley ended up succumbing to the thrill of awakening and transformed into a powerful beast.

That being said, Isley is one of the few Awakened Beings that one can actually feel sorry for in Claymore, especially given the animalistic and unceremonious manner in which he meets his end at the hands of the Abyss Feeders.

8 Jean

One of the most important Claymores who played a significant role in Clare’s development over the course of the series, Jean was an extremely powerful warrior whose Drill Sword attack could easily decimate even the most powerful foes around.

However, she was still fighting with Clare while the protagonist was still trying to find her feet as a warrior in her own right, which led to an unfortunate turn of events that ended with Jean sacrificing her own life to ensure that no harm befell Clare.

7 Priscilla

The major antagonist of the series was a person who let her jealousy get the better of her in a fight against Teresa of the Faint Smile. Succumbing to the rush of Awakening after ending Teresa’s life, Priscilla ended up transforming into a beast that would disappear after this major affront.

However, her character definitely goes through some twists and turns of her own, with her regression back to a childlike-entity and the loss of her memories being a key factor in the development of her character. Ultimately, after her fight with Clare reaches a rather deadly ultimatum for her, it’s her naivety and Raki’s passion that leads to her life being spared by someone who was spurred on through vengeance with the sole purpose of defeating someone who’d killed her mentor.

6 Deneve

Deneve ended up developing a Defensive Style of fighting as a Claymore due to her strong need to be alive, although the death of her family weighed heavily on her.

Thankfully, her friendship with Helen allowed her to bounce back from this spiral of self-hatred and ultimately save her own life… and countless others with a newfound will to fight for the right thing.

5 Helen

While initially coming off as a rather unlikable character who was dismissive of the protagonist from the get-go due to her low rank, Helen slowly ended up warming up to Clare, which subsequently led to viewers and readers warming up to her character as well.

It’s the amazing nature of her boisterous personality, coupled with the brilliant friendship she shares with Deneve, that truly makes her one of the most fearsome and beloved characters on the entire show.

4 Miria

“Phantom” Miria is a competent leader whose immense speed turns her into one of the best warriors in the entire series… but Miria is so much more than just her amazing combat skills.

Through the bonds she makes with Clare, Helen, Deneve, and the rest of the Claymores, Miria realizes there’s way more to life than just the orders of the selfish Organization. Disillusioned with the group and their conceited goals, Miria ends up leaving the Organization and embarks on her own path by the end of the series in a brilliant moment of personal redemption for the character.

3 Raki

Raki is such an amazing character in his own right, one of the few men featured in Claymore.

His selfless demeanor and penchant for compassion easily turn him into one of the best characters in the entire show, with the dynamic he shares with Clare being one of the most compelling parts of the entire series.

2 Teresa

Teresa of the Faint Smile was a compassionate Claymore who also served as one of the most powerful warriors in the Organization. The fact that she ended up murdering a human simply because he hurt Clare ended up placing her on the Organization’s hit-list, but there was no other person who could even come close to her powers… save for an Awakened Priscilla, that is.

It’s truly saddening to watch one of the most compassionate characters on the show meet such a gruesome end… but such a fate was necessary to set up Clare’s story that would prove to be quite an amazing one indeed.

1 Clare

The fact that a Claymore without the blood of a Yoma ended up to be one of the more powerful warriors in the entire series is a testament to Clare’s character in the series.

Initially starting off as a gullible child, Clare’s transformation into a competent Claymore is truly brilliant in every way and deserves to be recognized as the best character arc on the entire show.