Great Quotes from the Claymore Series
The story of Claymore takes place in a dark world. Monsters called "Yoma" hunt and eat humans. To fight them, a group called the Organization created female warriors who are part human and part Yoma.
But there's a big secret in this world. The monsters aren't natural, they were created as weapons. The Claymores themselves are just experiments made from the same technology.
This makes the story about getting revenge on the people who created the monsters. The warriors use a power called "Yoki" to fight. If they use too much Yoki, they "Awaken" and turn into the same monsters they hunt.
In a world that tries to take everything from them, their words matter a lot. Their quotes are powerful because words are one of the few weapons they have left. They use them to fight for who they are.
Quotes About Strength and Being Human
The series asks what it really means to be strong and human. The Organization has a very dark and cold view of strength. The story slowly proves that view wrong.
Surviving No Matter What
Survival in Claymore is tough, and everyone has a different idea of what strength is. The Organization teaches that being strong means being alone and that friends make you weak. A warrior named Ophelia really believes this.
"The idea that you can't die yet because you still have something to protect... that is the foolish illusion of the weak."
This quote shows the "false" idea of strength in the series. It's a lonely view that sees connecting with others as a weakness. It suggests that a warrior's only purpose is to fight and kill.
But the story spends a lot of time showing this idea is wrong. A different quote shows the true way to survive. It's not about being proud, but about never giving up.
"Don't be so quick to throw away your life. No matter how disgraceful or embarrassing it may be, you need to keep struggling to find your way out until the very end."
This quote completely disagrees with Ophelia's view. It says survival is about enduring, even when things are embarrassing or shameful. It's about wanting to live even after you've lost your pride.
This shows a big idea in the story. The need to protect others, which Ophelia called weak, is actually the strongest thing a warrior has. It's what keeps them from turning into monsters.
What It Means to Be Human
A big question in Claymore is about being human when the line between human and monster is so thin. The story shows that being human is a choice you make every day. It's not just about what you are.
This idea comes up when the warrior Teresa tries to leave a young girl named Clare in a village. She wants Clare to have a normal life. The anime has a simple line that explains this.
"Live as a human, grow as human, die a human death."
In their world, none of these things are easy. Just being able to "die a human death" is seen as a victory. The other option is to become a monster.
The manga version of this scene is even more emotional. It shows how sad the strongest warrior's life really is.
"You should live as a human, with humans. Clare... there's a life here that I could never give you. You can live here as a human and die as one. And that, in itself is the greatest happiness a person can have."
Here, Teresa, the most powerful warrior, says the greatest happiness is a normal human life. But her own strength makes that impossible for her. It shows that being powerful can be a tragedy.
Teresa starts to feel human again because of her bond with Clare. After Clare starts following her, Teresa realizes something important.
"This little girl, who's not even half my size, taught me that tears can flow even from these silver eyes."
This is the opposite of Awakening. Instead of losing her humanity, she is getting it back through her feelings. Her silver eyes are a symbol of her monster side, but this proves she is still human.
This shows that in Claymore , being human is about your relationships, not your body. Warriors often Awaken when they are trapped by bad memories from their past. But they can be saved if they have a reason to live in the present.
Quotes from Teresa, the Strongest Warrior
Teresa of the Faint Smile is the most important warrior in the story. She was Number 1, and her power was unmatched. Her words and her death shape everything that happens later.
Her Thoughts on Power and Loneliness
Teresa's famous smile hid how lonely her power made her. Her strength gave her something no one else had: a choice. She shows this when she breaks the rules to let Clare travel with her.
"If it's a rule, whether I break it or not, it's my damn choice."
This statement shows she is her own person in a world where warriors are treated like tools. The Organization sees Claymores as disposable things. But Teresa's power makes her more than that.
But her power came from a time when she felt weak. Teresa remembers when she was terrified of an Awakened Being named Priscilla. This was before she met Clare.
“My existence was nothing more to her than a stone by the side of the road. I wasn't enough to fill her belly. Or perhaps I didn't even get reflected in her eyes.”
Remembering what it was like to be powerless helped her feel for others. She saw that same feeling in Clare. This connection with Clare finally ended her loneliness.
How Clare Changed Her
When Clare came into her life, everything changed for Teresa. A key moment happens after bandits capture and hurt Clare. Teresa confronts them, and she is no longer smiling.
"Curse yourselves for being scum even worse than Yoma. I'm going to slaughter every last one of you."
This is when Teresa breaks the Organization's most important rule: never kill a human. With this one line, she changes her own moral code. She decides that cruelty is the worst sin, not being a Yoma.
This act of love leads to her being hunted by the Organization. Her death is a choice to protect her bond with Clare over following inhuman rules. Jean, another warrior saved by Clare, says something that reflects Teresa's legacy.
"You know... I was probably already dead back then. Maybe I was allowed to live only for the sake of this moment. […] I'm grateful to you. Thank you, Clare. I'm glad I met you."
Teresa's legacy shows that a life has meaning because of love, not power.
Quotes from Other Warriors
Teresa's story is key, but other warriors carry on her fight. Characters like Clare, Miria, and Jean find their own reasons to live. They do this in a world that wants to destroy them.
Clare: Fighting for the Past and Future
Clare is the main character, and she is defined by her determination, not her power. She is the weakest warrior, so she can't just rely on force. This makes her creative and helps her build bonds with others.
The warrior Jean sums up Clare's motivation perfectly. She sees two different forces driving Clare.
"She fights for the sake of the person she's lost and the person she doesn't want to lose."
This sums up Clare's whole life. She is torn between revenge for Teresa (the past) and her love for Raki (the future). Her story is about seeing if her love for the future can win out.
Her journey was all about getting revenge. But her story ends in a quiet, simple way. After the last battle, she talks to her mentor, Irene.
"Irene, I've got so much to tell you..."
This simple line shows she finally won. She survived and now has a life of her own. She is no longer just living for Teresa, she has her own story to tell.
Miria, Jean, Deneve, and Helen
Clare doesn't fight by herself. She has a group of friends who are also survivors. They all choose to fight against their fate.
Jean is a warrior Clare saves from Awakening. In return, she promises to be completely loyal to Clare. She says her life now belongs to Clare.
"I told you before. My life is yours. I'll follow any order you give, no matter how impossible."
This isn't about being a follower, but about deep loyalty. Jean represents the physical strength of their sisterhood. She later gives her life for Clare to keep this promise.
Miria is the smart leader of the rebellion. She is the first to figure out the Organization's big secret. She realizes the real enemy is the system they all serve.
Deneve and Helen are a close pair who are often called a "great double act." Deneve is the serious one and gives advice to Clare during a big battle.
"From now on you will learn the answer by seeing with your eyes, hearing with your ears, and feeling with your blade. If, as a result, you reach a different conclusion than we do, then we will cross swords."
This is the opposite of the Organization's demand for blind obedience. It's a way of thinking based on experience and respect. Helen is the funny one in the group and keeps everyone grounded.
Quotes About Love and Friendship
In the tough world of Claymore , having friends is both important and risky. The story's biggest ideas are shown through the friendships between characters. These bonds are often quiet but very strong.
The Sisterhood of Warriors
One of the biggest themes in Claymore is the sisterhood between the warriors. They bond over their shared pain. Their fight is for each other and for their own humanity.
These friendships are the main source of their strength. The "Seven Ghosts" are a group of seven survivors from a big battle. They become a family and build their own group based on trust.
The bonds are powerful because they are shown through actions, not words. In their world, showing emotion is dangerous. Small things, like Jean's promise or Deneve and Helen arguing like sisters, mean a lot.
Clare and Raki: A Human Connection
The most important relationship for Clare is with a human boy named Raki. She saves his life, and he becomes her connection to being human. He keeps her from losing herself.
Raki's power is that he is just a normal human. He is the only one who sees Clare as a person, not a monster. Because of this, he can save her when she gets close to Awakening.
They get separated at one point, but they promise to find each other again. This promise gives Clare a reason to look toward the future. It balances out her desire for revenge, which is all about the past.
This all comes together at the end of the manga. Teresa's spirit sees Clare find Raki again, who is now grown up. She gives them her blessing in her own way.
"When I think of how Clare's chastity could have been taken by a cheeky brat like this, it pisses me off. Even so, you've been blessed with a good man and good friends."
This quote resolves the whole story. Teresa represents Clare's past, and she gives her loving approval to Raki, who is Clare's future. By finding this love, Clare gets the normal, happy life that Teresa always wanted but could never have.