Original Claymore

Lore & Background

Long before the rise of the current hierarchy, in a forgotten age of pseudo-medieval warfare, the first successful fusion of human and Yoma was achieved through strict biological grafting and surgical implantation. These early subjects were not soldiers of any modern nation, but rather the result of dark experiments conducted by the very founders who established the Organization to manage them. Unlike later Claymores who bear numbers, these primordial hybrids remained nameless, their existence serving as the foundational proof that a human soul could coexist with Yoma flesh without immediate loss of sanity. Their legacy is not one of specific battles recorded in history books, but of the terrifying biological breakthrough that allowed the creation of an army of half-human, half-demon warriors to hunt Yoma across the fantasy lands.

In Their Own Story

The original M18 Claymore was a 9.25-inch long device held in a plastic case with three folding spike legs. Internally, it contained 12 ounces of C-3 explosive behind an array of 0.25-inch steel cubes, weighing about 2.43 pounds total. Unlike the later version, it lacked the iconic 'FRONT TOWARD ENEMY' marking and was barely more than a prototype with an effective range of only 90 feet. In 1954, Picatinny Arsenal issued a request for proposals to improve the M18. Guy C. Throner at Aerojet had independently conceived a similar design; he partnered with Don Kennedy to submit a proposal, securing a $375,000 development contract. The criteria demanded a weapon under 3.5 pounds that could achieve a 100 percent strike rate on a man-sized target at 55 yards, using fragments traveling at 4,000 feet per second.

Reader's Guide

The M18 fell far short of Picatinny's requirements. Initial improvements replaced steel cubes with 7/32-inch hardened 52100 alloy ball bearings, but these spalled into ineffective fragments when hit by the explosion's shock, and blast energy leaked between them. After lead engineer Dr. John Bledsoe left for Rheem Corporation, William Kincheloe joined the project. Kincheloe suggested using softer 1/8-inch steel 'gingle' balls found in foundry processes. These did not spall; instead, they deformed into aerodynamic shapes similar to .22 rimfire projectiles. Using a homemade chronograph, engineers clocked these balls at 3,775 feet per second. The team also introduced a poured plastic matrix to briefly contain the blast, converting more energy into projectile velocity. These changes led to the improved M18A1, which became widely used.

Did You Know?

• In the manga canon, there is no 'Original Claymore' with a specific name; the first successful hybrids were anonymous subjects whose identities were erased by time.
• The term 'Claymore' in this universe refers exclusively to female human-Yoma warriors; male hybrids like Raki are never designated as Claymores.
• Early experiments often resulted in total failure, with subjects either losing their humanity immediately or dying from rejection of the Yoma cells.
• The creation process relies entirely on biological grafting and surgical implantation, involving no magic or alchemy whatsoever.
• Unlike later numbered Claymores, these ancient predecessors possessed no formal rank or designation within the Organization's hierarchy.