Anime

The Claymore anime series is based on the manga series of the same name by Norihiro Yagi. The episodes are directed by Hiroyuki Tanaka and produced by Madhouse Studios. They adapt the first through eleventh volumes of the manga over twenty-four episodes. The remaining two episodes follow an original storyline not found in the manga written by Yagi. The series aired between April 2007 and September 2007 in Japan on Nippon Television. The series follows the adventures of Clare, a Claymore, or half-human, half-Yoma hybrid, and her comrades as they fight for survival in a world filled with Yoma, or shapeshifting demons.

Two pieces of theme music are used for the episodes: one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme is "Raison d’être" (レゾンデートル?, lit. Reason for being) by Nightmare. The ending theme is J-pop singer Riyu Kosaka's single, "Danzai no Hana~Guilty Sky" (断罪の花 ~Guilty Sky~?, lit. Flower of Conviction~Guilty Sky). A single for "Danzai no Hana~Guilty Sky" was released on May 30, 2007, and the single for "Raison d’être" was released on June 6, 2007.

As of February 2008, seven DVD volumes, each containing three episodes of the anime, have been released in Japan by Avex Trax. In addition, four limited edition sets have been released. The first limited edition set contains the first DVD volume, while the other three sets each contain two DVD volumes. The latest limited edition set and volumes were released on January 30, 2008. Two more DVD volumes and one more limited edition set are planned for release on March 26, 2008.

Episodes

#	Episode Name	Original air date
01	"Great Sword"	4/30/07 (Japanese)
As a young boy, Raki witnessed his whole family be slaughtered by a Yoma, so a Claymore comes to kill the Yoma. Raki interacts with a Claymore who has been licensed to kill a Yoma (demon) in the village. Raki is confronted by the Yoma, who had taken the form of his brother, but is subsequently saved by the Claymore. Raki, who has nowhere to go, follows the Claymore, who reveals that her name is Clare.
02	"The Black Card"	4/10/07 (Japanese)
Clare gets a black card from mysterious man that seems to be working with the organization. Raki witnesses as Clare confronts another Claymore named Elena. Clare explains that when Claymores use too much Yoma power, they will become a Yoma one day. When that happens, Claymores will want to die with human hearts, so they send a black card, which is in the grip of the Claymore's sword, to the person that they want to be slain by. Clare's closest friend, Elena, was on the verge of succumbing to her demonic nature and becoming a Yoma through a process called Awakening. Despite Raki's protests, Clare slays Elena, granting her the solace of dying as a human.
03	"The Darkness in Paradise"	4/17/07 (Japanese)
Clare is hired to kill a "Voracious Eater" in a holy city where Claymores are not allowed. Since she is forced to use a special drug to disguise her Claymore-specific characteristics, she has difficulty sensing where the Yoma is hiding.
04	"Clare's Awakening"	4/24/07 (Japanese)
Clare comes close to Awakening when she uses too much of her Yoki (energy) in the battle against the Yoma. Raki's efforts halt this transformation, and one of the knights in the city gives Raki a sword in appreciation for what he and Clare have done.
05	"Teresa of the Faint Smile"	5/1/07 (Japanese)
This is the beginning of a flashback arc. Teresa, the most powerful Claymore of her era, easily kills a group of Yoma, including one that had been abusing a young and mute Clare. Since she has no one else to care for her, Clare follows Teresa through the wilderness, despite Teresa's best efforts to abandon her.
06	"Teresa and Clare"	5/8/07 (Japanese)
In order to save Clare's life from a group of murdering bandits, Teresa breaks the Claymore law against taking human lives. After Teresa escapes the initial execution attempt, her overseer, Orsay, dispatches the second- through fifth-strongest Claymores to deal with her.
07	"Marked for Death"	5/15/07 (Japanese)
Claymores number two through five, Priscilla, Irene, Noel, and Sophia, are sent to kill Teresa. Priscilla engages Teresa in single combat, but she is outmatched despite briefly having the upper hand. The other three decide that they must assist, and the members of the team begin to release their Yoki in preparation for the combined attack.
08	"Awakening"	5/22/07 (Japanese)
Teresa easily defeats the other Claymores, but spares their lives. Priscilla, incensed by her defeat, pursues Teresa and releases too much of her Yoki during the ensuing battle. She Awakens, killing Teresa and her former comrades. Clare is left cradling Teresa's severed head.
09	"Those Who Rend Asunder (Part 1)"	5/29/07 (Japanese)
After Teresa's death, Clare brings her head to Rubel and asks to become a Claymore. Back in the present, Clare is assigned to a party that will be hunting an Awakened Being. After leaving Raki behind at an inn, Clare departs on the mission with her comrades, Miria, Helen, and Deneve. However, because of Clare's rank as number 47, she is treated poorly. Once they engage the Awakened Being, they are surprised to find that he is male and far stronger than they had expected.
10	"Those Who Rend Asunder (Part 2)"	6/5/07 (Japanese)
The battle against the male Awakened Being seems hopeless, despite Helen, Deneve, and Miria demonstrating use of their extraordinary skills. However, Clare refuses to give up, and uses her Yoki-reading skill to dodge the enemy's attacks. Together with Miria, Clare attacks the Awakened Being and kills him. Throughout the entirety of the battle, Galatea, an "eye" for the Organization, reads the Yoki of the four Claymores from a great distance and informs her overseer, Ermita, of the progression of the battle.
11	"Those Who Rend Asunder (Part 3)"	6/12/07 (Japanese)
As the four Claymores recover from their injuries, Miria suggests that the Organization has purposely sent them on a suicide mission, since she discovers that they are all troublemakers who may have partially Awakened. Deneve proves this theory by intentionally exceeding her limits in order to heal her wounds. To the Claymores' surprise, she does not Awaken from the process. Miria warns the group to avoid top five Claymores: Alicia, Beth Galatea, Ophelia, and Rafaela. She advises the group to avoid fighting them due to their power.
12	"The Endless Gravestones (Part 1)"	6/19/07 (Japanese)
Clare is sent to engage another Awakened Being with another team. However, much to Clare's surprise, the team only consists of herself and Ophelia. To make matters worse, Ophelia's lust for blood and the threat of the Awakened Being places both Raki's and Clare's lives in jeopardy.
13	"The Endless Gravestones (Part 2)"	6/26/07 (Japanese)
Clare fights Ophelia and loses her right arm as a result. Irene, who was presumed dead, saves Clare and severely injures Ophelia. Frustrated about the untimely demise of her brother at the hands of Priscilla and her defeat by Irene, Ophelia becomes enraged and Awakens. Clare recuperates and Irene decides to teach Clare her "Quick Sword" technique.
14	"Qualified to Fight"	7/3/07 (Japanese)
Shortly after Clare leaves, Irene is confronted by Rafaela. Elsewhere, aided by addition of Irene's right arm and the newly-acquired "Quick Sword" technique, Clare fights Ophelia. During the battle, Ophelia finally realizes that she has Awakened, and becomes paralyzed with shock. Partially thanks to encouragement from remnants of Ophelia's humanity, Clare manages to defeat her.
15	"The Witch's Maw (Part 1)"	7/10/07 (Japanese)
Unable to contact Clare for three months after Ophelia's Awakening and death, the organization decides to send Galatea to track her down. In the meantime, Clare searches for Raki, while disguised and with her energy suppressed, in a local town. She nearly runs into a party of Claymores on a hunt for an Awakened Being. The next day, a bloody and shredded Claymore limps into the town and tells Clare that the party was captured. She sets off to rescue them as, unbeknownst to her at this point, they are being tortured into Awakening.
16	"The Witch's Maw (Part 2)"	7/17/07 (Japanese)
Clare arrives at a cave inhabited by two Awakened Beings: the "Abyssal One" known as Riful of the West, and her lover and protector Dauf. In her confrontation with Dauf, Clare is rescued by Galatea. They come to learn of a secret arms race between the three Abyssal Ones of the North, West, and South and Riful's intentions to raise as many Awakened troops to join her side as she can before their inevitable confrontation. As Galatea buys time by distracting Dauf, Clare races to save Jean, the only Claymore capable of penetrating Dauf's heavy armour.
17	"The Witch's Maw (Part 3)"	7/24/07 (Japanese)
Clare manages to bring Jean back from an Awakened state, gaining her loyalty, and returns to help Galatea. Together, the battle shifts and Dauf is defeated, though Riful saves his life. Clare finally lands a hit on Riful and so she explains about the Northern Kingdom and the name of its ruler, Isley. Galatea returns to her mission objective to return Clare to the Organization, but decides to abandon it.
18	"The Carnage in the North (Part 1)"	7/31/07 (Japanese)
Rubel and Rafaela confront Clare and Jean, and Rubel gives Clare a mission to go to the northern lands along with twenty-three other Claymores to confront a horde of Awakened Beings and the Abyssal One Isley. He also mentions that Raki has gone there, giving Clare even more incentive to go. Once there, Clare is reunited with Miria, Helen, and Deneve. The twenty-four gathered Claymores divide into five teams and are soon confronted by three Awakened Beings. The creatures literally strike first and attack them in the town of Pieta.
19	"The Carnage in the North (Part 2)"	8/7/07 (Japanese)
The five teams defeat the three Awakened Beings. Some of them suffer serious wounds, but there are no casualties. Raki is shown wandering in the ruins of a town already destroyed by Yoma, and meets a child-like Priscilla. Priscilla takes a sudden liking to him, and Isley, Priscilla's caretaker, invites Raki to go home with him and Priscilla.
20	"The Carnage in the North (Part 3)"	8/14/07 (Japanese)
Raki, who remains determined to protect Clare, persuades Isley to teach him swordsmanship; meanwhile, Priscilla continues to express a seemingly innocent and peaceful liking for Raki. Deneve confronts her captain, Undine, and the two reconcile by revealing their motivations for becoming Claymores. Flora, Clare's captain, distrusts Clare because of her borrowed arm, but accepts it after Clare reveals it came from Irene. Undine returns to her team and addresses them rather kindly, puzzling the other Claymores. In the distance, Isley orders his lieutenant, Rigardo to bring along the full manpower of his Awakened followers to annihilate Pieta.
21	"Invasion of Pieta (Part 1)"	8/21/07 (Japanese)
Clare and the rest of the Claymores prepare themselves for the next wave of Awakened Beings. Raki, Isley and Priscilla head towards Pieta while the Claymores prepare themselves. The Claymores perform well against the onslaught of Awakened Beings, causing Rigardo to enter the fray to prevent any more casualties. Displaying his power, he dispatches four of the five captains, killing Veronica, Undine, and Flora instantly, and dealing a blow through Jean's abdomen.
22	"Invasion of Pieta (Part 2)"	8/28/07 (Japanese)
Clare and the rest of the surviving Claymores continue their battle against Rigardo. Meanwhile Raki is comforting Priscilla, and Isley tells him the horror of her past. As Rigardo begins to exclusively attack Miria, the other Claymores attempt to help, but are easily repelled by Rigardo. Even Miria is quickly outmatched by Rigardo and as she is about to be slain, Rigardo's arm is removed by a seemingly Awakened Clare.
23	"Critical Point (Part 1)"	9/4/07 (Japanese)
As Raki travels towards Pieta, Clare reveals that she only allowed her legs to Awaken, granting her a massive increase in speed. However, her speed is uncontrollable, allowing Rigardo to regain the upper hand in the battle. Rigardo, excited at the prospect of a worthy opponent since his defeat at Isley's hands, releases his full power. Raki arrives and witnesses the partially Awakened Clare. Determined to avenge Jean's apparent death, Clare releases dangerous amounts of energy, and eventually slashes Rigardo into pieces as Jean regains consciousness.
24	"Critical Point (Part 2)"	9/11/07 (Japanese)
Unable to return to her normal state, Clare requests that Helen decapitate her so she will not Awaken, while Raki cowers in an alleyway. Meanwhile, Priscilla recognizes Clare's energy, and, believing her to be Teresa, has her memories return. Noting Priscilla's presence, Clare gives chase to Priscilla. Intrigued by the situation, Isley orders his forces to remain on the sidelines as he observes the situation. In response to the situation, the Organization dispatches Galatea to examine the conflict in the north.
25	"For Whose Sake"	9/18/07 (Japanese)
The fight between Clare and Priscilla rages on inside of a volcano while Isley observes the battle. Priscilla, who does not realize that she is an Awakened Being, easily repels Clare, who she believes to be Teresa. Meanwhile, Jean and Raki travel towards the battleground. As Clare is about to be killed by Priscilla, Miria, Helen, and Deneve save her. They manage to acquire an advantage, but Priscilla fully releases her power, as she had not fully Awakened at that point. She effortlessly defeats the three Claymores. Determined to avenge Teresa, Clare fully releases her energy in an effort to defeat her.
26	"To the Successors"	9/25/07 (Japanese)
Clare, nearly fully Awakened, continues the battle, but Priscilla still dominates the fight with apparent ease, until Clare, spurred by flashbacks of Teresa, finally hits her with multiple devastating attacks. Priscilla reverts to her human form and is about to be killed when Raki intervenes, but Clare, unable to control herself, attacks him as well. Jean takes the blow instead and, although fatally wounded, manages to have Clare revert to her human form, leaving Clare tormented with grief for the death of her comrade. Priscilla is then retrieved by Isley. In the last scenes, Miria, Helen, Deneve, and Clare announce their wish to leave the Organization and depart on separate journeys, with Helen traveling with Deneve, and Raki with Clare.