Claymore

When a youma, a shapeshifting monster that preys on people, tears into a remote village, a silver-eyed swordswoman appears with only a blade across her back. Clare is one of the Claymores, engineered by mixing human and youma blood so she can hunt those monsters. After Raki loses his family and is saved by Clare, the villagers exile him, and he ends up traveling alongside her as she moves between settlements eradicating youma. As they fight, more about the organization that produces Claymores and Clare's own history comes into view, along with the heavy personal cost that comes from using part-monster power in the name of vengeance.

Adapted from Norihiro Yagi's manga, the anime debuted in 2007. Yasuko Kobayashi handled the series composition, and the TV run condensed and reshaped several manga arcs for a televised audience.

The show didn't rack up major industry awards, yet it earned steady respect among genre fans and reviewers. While not an awards magnet, Claymore's tone and character focus secured it a durable audience and ongoing discussion in anime circles.

Claymore left a visible mark on dark fantasy anime, especially through its striking image of silver-eyed female warriors and its bleak, warrior-on-the-road atmosphere. That visual and thematic identity has inspired fan art, cosplay, and comparisons in later series that favor morally gray protagonists and grim worldbuilding.

Audience reaction has been largely positive, reflected in an 8.143/10 user score from 347 votes. Critics and viewers often point to the show's themes of identity, what it means to be human versus monster, revenge, and the toll of violence. The evolving bond between Clare and Raki is frequently singled out as the emotional center that grounds the darker action.