Who Are The Strongest Fighters In Manga Claymore?

I still get a rush thinking about the power dynamics in 'Claymore' — there’s raw might, tactical brilliance, and then there’s those characters who mix both. I’d group the strongest fighters into two camps: the top-tier Claymores (before awakening) and the powerful awakened beings. On the Claymore side, Teresa is the archetype: astonishing speed, precision, and that almost serene brutality. Miria and Ophelia also deserve shoutouts — Miria for ridiculous speed and reflexes, Ophelia for her uncanny perception and control in a fight. These are fighters who could take on multiple Yoma and other Claymores and still look composed afterward.

On the awakened side, Priscilla is the obvious terrifying figure — her awakened form and sheer destructive potential make her a ticking apocalypse. Isley is another heavyweight; he’s not just strong, he’s cunning and versatile, and his fights reveal an ability to manipulate battle conditions. Riful stands out too; her powers give her dominance over terrain and minions in ways that few others can counter. There’s also a small list of other awakened beings and rare Claymores who demonstrate one-of-a-kind techniques that make a duel unpredictable. In short, if I’m picking an all-time power rank, Teresa and pre-awakening elite Claymores lead the human list, while Priscilla, Isley, and Riful top the awakened roster. For me, the joy is in watching how these abilities clash — it’s not just who’s stronger but who adapts fastest, and that’s what makes the fights stick in my head long after I close the book.

If I try to boil down the strongest fighters in 'Claymore' into a quick, clear picture, I think of three tiers: elite Claymores, awakened monsters, and the outliers. Teresa sits at the top of the elite Claymore tier — her speed and technique are repeatedly shown as superlative. Right beneath her are the likes of Miria, Ophelia, Deneve and Galatea: individually they’re phenomenal, and together they can contest serious threats. Clare climbs the ladder too as the story progresses, becoming notably formidable by the later arcs.

For awakened beings, Priscilla is the scariest name most fans will say first because her awakened form brings raw destructive power and near-invulnerability. Isley and Riful are other awakened heavyweights who combine unique abilities with intelligence; they aren’t just big threats, they’re tactical ones. Then there are fighters who blur lines — some Claymores with special techniques or insane willpower can punch above their weight and change the calculus of a fight. Ultimately, who you consider the strongest can depend on whether you value speed, technique, destructive power, or adaptability, and that’s part of why the combat in 'Claymore' keeps me replaying scenes in my head.

Every time I think about who the absolute heavy-hitters are in 'Claymore', my brain goes into fight-scene replay mode — the panels, the dust, and those final, awful silences after a big clash. For me, it starts with Teresa. People toss around rankings, but Teresa’s presence in the early chapters is just staggering: she moves like a storm, she has that terrifying calm, and her ability to slice through threats while making it look effortless puts her on the short list of the strongest humans-turned-warriors in the series. Her confrontations feel surgical yet brutal, and you can see why other characters and readers treat her like the benchmark for raw Claymore power.

Then there’s Priscilla, but she’s a very different kind of peak. Once she awakens, she becomes this enormous, almost mythic menace — not just strong, but resilient and grotesquely adaptable. As an awakened being she outclasses pretty much any non-awakened Claymore in terms of destructive capacity. I also have to mention Isley and Riful; they’re examples of awakened beings who aren’t just brawny but strategists in their own right. Isley’s cunning and special techniques make him a nightmare to face, and Riful’s domain control and monstrous abilities are on another level entirely.

Finally, I like to throw in the group of elite Claymores who, even if they aren’t the final bosses, are absolute killers: Miria, Ophelia, Deneve, Galatea — each brings something critical (speed, control, regeneration, tactical sense) that lets them stand up to far larger threats. And Clare — she grows into her strength in surprising ways, so if you ask me later in the story she’s absolutely notable. Rankings can be subjective — personal taste and which fights you value most will change your list — but those names are the ones I keep coming back to whenever I reread 'Claymore'. I still get chills reading Teresa’s scenes, honestly.