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Rabona
Rabona Cathedral
Rabona Cathedral

VIZ Media name

Rabona[1] (en-us Speaker)

Variant

Name: Rabona[2][3][4][5] (de Speaker, es-es Speaker, it Speaker, ja anime Speaker), Ravona[6][7] (fr Speaker, it anime), Labona[8] (fr anime Speaker), 라보나[9] Labona (ko), Рабона[10] Rabona Speaker (ru), 拉波勒[11] Lābōlēi Speaker (zh-hk)
Nickname: Holy City[12]

Original name

ラボイ[13] Raboi Speaker

Region

Toulouse

Status

Extant

Geographic entity

City

Geographic features

In valley near river

Ties

Church of Rabona

Place name allusion

Unknown

Quote

...the place they call a Holy City?[14]

First mention

Scene 5, Anime Scene 3

First appearance

Scene 5, Anime Scene 3

Etymology[]

ラボイ is the standard legal transliteration in Japan for "Lavoy" Speaker, a common last name in France and Quebec. It means "the way/route/road" in French.

Place name allusion unknown. "Lavoye" is a commune in Meuse department in Lorraine, France. Allusion may be religious—in some French translations of the New Testament, Jesus says "Je suis la voie" (I am the way).

ラボイ may also be an attempted transliteration of Mac Raboy (1914–1967), US illustrator of Captain Marvel and Flash Gordon.

The full name of the city is 聖都ラボナ[15] (Holy City of Rabona).[16]

Most editions, including VIZ Media, translate ラボイ as "Rabona."[17]

Description[]

Rabona lies in a valley in western Toulouse near the Lautrec border. Nearest known town is Lacroix. See World Map. The area resembles the Loire Valley with its river and green rolling hills.

Rabona in manga
Rabona in manga

Walled city with cathedral at center. In the anime, a moat surrounds city, which is missing in the manga.

The city is the headquarters of the Church of Rabona, which forbids anything "unnatural," including magical items and Claymore warriors.[18]

The anime version of city is much wider and sprawling than the manga. The anime version shows suburbs[19] missing in the manga.[20]

Rabona is similar to the Vatican-like Vritanis in Berserk.

Rabona suburbs
Suburbs in anime

History[]

Operation Rabona[]

Emergency[]

A series of murders are taking place inside the Rabona cathedral. In the cold open of Anime Scene 3, Father Vincent has a meeting with Fathers Pario and Serene.

Claymore_Emergency_meeting_in_Rabona
Cold open of Anime Scene 3

Clare[]

Clare is sent on a covert operation to find the Yoma. Clare impersonates an antiques dealer traveling with her younger "brother," Raki.[21]

Clare takes suppressant, which changes her silver eyes to normal, but having the side-effect of impairing her Yoma Energy sensing, hindering her ability to find the Yoma.[22]

She runs into inference from two guards, Galk and Sid, during her nightly travels to and from the cathedral.[23]

Voracious Eater[]

After three guards are killed, Clare tells Vincent that she suspects a Voracious Eater.[24]

The Yoma nearly kills Clare. But she recovers to examine the cathedral staff, but all prove human.[25] When she realizes that the Yoma is impersonating a corpse, she confront the Yoma again.[26]

Claymore_Voracious_Eater_versus_Clare
Clare's secret

Clare kills the Yoma, but awakens herself. She asks Galk to kill her, but Raki intervenes and saves Clare.[27]

Agatha[]

Sister Latea[]

Rabona becomes more tolerant, though Claymore warriors are still forbidden. After Galatea deserts the Organization, she moves to Rabona and becomes a nun, Sister Latea, who works with orphans at a neighborhood church.[28]

A series of disappearances occur in Rabona. When Galatea detects an awakened being somewhere in the city, she lures a purge team from the Organization by releasing her Yoma energy, which is detected by a Claymore warrior. Limt assigns Clarice and Miata to track Galatea.[29] Galatea's plan is to enlist the aid of the warriors to fight the awakened.

3-way combat[]

But the plan goes awry. During the bungled execution attempt, Agatha attacks the city. Galatea ends up fighting both warriors and Agatha, as Agatha destroys the city.[30] The 3-way fight ends with Galatea, Clarice and Miata defeated.[31]

The seven Ghosts arrive—Miria, Deneve, Helen, Cynthia, Tabitha, Yuma and Clare.[32] After a swift engagement, Agatha is killed.[33]

As a result, Rabona changes its policy on Claymore warriors.[34]

Return to Rabona[]

After the Claymore Rebellion, the Ghosts and Raki return from Sutafu by boat.

Clare[]

Meeting[]

That night in the town hall, Miria explains the situation to the Rabona guards and the Claymore warriors. But Sid insists that the human guards will stay and defend the city with their lives, repeating what he said during the early Clare arc.[35] Miria apologizes for asking them to leave and even allows Clarice to stay.[36]

Then Sid tells Miria that upon Miria's request, he and the guards gathered something unnamed to be used for some unknown purpose.[37]

The next day, Raki and the Ghosts free Clare. Twin towers explode in Rabona. Inside each tower, a female awakened recovers from being hurled back by the Destroyer–Priscilla combat.

Two combats[]

The towers burst apart as they awakened into huge tapeworm- and origami bird-like forms. The Tapeworm awakened has tapeworm-shaped tentacles. The Origami awakened has a Smiley head.[38]

Origami awakened[]

A craving for flesh and blood overtakes the awakeneds. Rabona guards attack with spears. As Origami lands in the street, archers fire flaming arrows from the rooftops above. But neither spears nor arrows have any effect.[39]

Miata then Clarice attack. Clarice is thrown back, but is rescued by Cynthia and Yuma.[40]

Origami attacks Sid, who is yanked back by Deneve.[41]

Tapeworm awakened[]

Miria and Clare dodge Tapeworm's attack. Tapeworm bristles with dozens of armless torsos, each identical—only one contains the vital organs, according to Tabitha. But the Ghosts' Eyes, Tabitha, notes that the situation is complicated by the awakened's Yoma aura spread evenly among the torsos.[42]

Miria and Clare race to find the vital core. Clare realizes her movements are those of Rafaela, who used a Yoma energy membrane technique, allowing Clare to sense movement beyond her peripheral vision. Miria and Clare reach the last torso and together they make the final strike.[43]

Galatea[]

Deneve and Co. still confront Origami. Miata again attacks and creates a massive wound, but Origami instantly regenerates. Deneve observes that only a single attack that destroys most of the body will work.[44]

Helen winds up her arm 55 times for a Drill Sword attack. Before Origami can escape, Galatea uses Yoma Energy Alignment and Control to immobilize her. Helen's attack destroys Origami.[45]

Showdown[]

Cassandra[]

Later they intercept the awakened Cassandra. With the help of Octavia's party and the male awakeneds, a series of engagements ensue.

During this time, members of the Next Generation arrive at the city.

Europa[]

Europa suddenly leaves the battlefield, hunger overtaking her urge to fight Cassandra. Europa cannot resist the smell of human entrails from the Holy City of Rabona.[46]

Meanwhile on the ramparts of the city, Galatea senses Europa's approaching aura, whose quality is unlike those of the two awakeneds that invaded Rabona before. Clarice asks what should they do.

The Next Generation warriors from Organization Headquarters are assembled behind them, which include Audrey, Miata, Rachel, Dietrich, Anastasia, Rafutera and Nike. Galatea announces that now is the time to defend their ground. [47]

Additional details[]

Notes[]

  • An interview with Norihiro Yagi in Jump SQ, August 2010[48] shows two books in Yagi's library that may have inspired Rabona and the surrounding countryside:
    • The Most Beautiful Villages of the Loire[49]
    • German Castles and Palaces,[50] which may have influenced the design of the city fortifications

References[]

Tankōbon Claymore volumes cited are VIZ Media (en-us) editions, unless otherwise noted. Manga scenes (chapters) not yet translated cite Shueisha tankōbon (ja) editions. Manga scenes not yet published in tankōbon form cite Jump SQ (ja) editions. Fragments of Silver Omnibus (総集編 銀の断章 Gin no Danshou) 1–3, Shueisha, are only available in Japanese. Anime scenes (episodes) cited are FUNimation (en-us) editions, unless otherwise noted.

  1. Claymore 2, Scene 5, p. 12
  2. Claymore 2, Tokyopop, Scene 5, p. 12
  3. Claymore 2, Ediciones Glénat España, Scene 5, p. 12
  4. Claymore 2, Star Comics, Scene 5, p. 10
  5. Claymore, avex trax Anime Scene 3
  6. Claymore 2, Glénat Édition Française, Scene 5, p. 12
  7. Claymore, Yamato Video, Anime Scene 3
  8. Claymore, Kazé Anime, Anime Scene 3
  9. Claymore 2, Daewon CI, Scene 5, p. 12
  10. Claymore 2, Comix-ART, Scene 5, p. 12
  11. Claymore 2, Culturecom, Scene 5, p. 12
  12. Claymore 2, Scene 5, p. 15
  13. Claymore 2, Shueisha, Scene 5, p. 12
  14. Claymore 2, Scene 5, p. 15
  15. Claymore 2, Shueisha, Scene 5, p. 12
  16. Claymore 2, Scene 5, p. 12
  17. Claymore 2, Scene 5, p. 12
  18. Claymore 2, Scene 5, p. 15; Claymore, Anime Scene 3
  19. Claymore, Anime Scene 4
  20. Claymore 23, Scene 128, pp. 66–67
  21. Claymore 2, Scene 5, p. 7; Claymore, Anime Scene 3
  22. Claymore 2, Scene 5, p. 17; Claymore, Anime Scene 3
  23. Claymore 2, Scene 5, p. 38; Claymore, Anime Scene 3
  24. Claymore 2, Scene 6, p. 62; Claymore, Anime Scene 3
  25. Claymore 2, Scene 8, pp. 133–143; Claymore, Anime Scene 4
  26. Claymore 2, Scene 9, p. 159; Claymore, Anime Scene 4
  27. Claymore 3, Scene 11, pp. 45–58; Claymore, Anime Scene 4
  28. Claymore 14, Scene 74, p. 21
  29. Claymore 13, Scene 73, p. 96
  30. Claymore 14, Scene 75, pp. 66–69
  31. Claymore 14, Scene 77, p. 122
  32. Claymore 14, Scene 77, p. 125
  33. Claymore 15, Scene 77, pp. 10–37
  34. Claymore 15, Scene 80, p. 80
  35. Claymore 2, Scene 9, p. 170; Claymore, Anime Scene 3
  36. Jump SQ, August 2012, Claymore, Scene 128, pp. 344–349
  37. Jump SQ, August 2012, Claymore, Scene 128, pp. 350
  38. Claymore 23, Scene 131, pp. 165–167
  39. Claymore 23, Scene 131, pp. 168–170
  40. Claymore 23, Scene 131, pp. 171–173
  41. Claymore 23, Scene 131, pp. 174–175
  42. Claymore 23, Scene 131, pp. 176–179
  43. Claymore 23, Scene 131, pp. 180–187
  44. Claymore 23, Scene 131, pp. 188–189
  45. Claymore 23, Scene 131, pp. 190–193
  46. Jump SQ, June 2013, Claymore, Scene 138, pp. 687–690
  47. Jump SQ, June 2013, Claymore, Scene 138, p. 691 693
  48. Jump SQ, August 2010, p. 771
  49. The Most Beautiful Villages of the Loire, by Hugh Palmer and James Bentley, Thames & Hudson November 2001
  50. German Castles and Palaces by Uwe Albrecht, Vendome Press, December 1, 1999
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