Iron Maiden Jeanne
Birthplace: Mont Saint-Michel, France
Japanese Voice Actor: Yui Horie
Jeanne is an 11-year-old French shaman and leader of the X-Laws in the anime Shaman King. She's probably named after Joan of Arc, the French patron saint.
The "Iron Maiden" part of her name is literal—she spends almost all her time locked inside an actual iron maiden, deliberately keeping herself in a near-death state to grow stronger. She barely leaves it unless absolutely necessary, convinced that her suffering will somehow bring justice to the world. Her iron maiden got crushed at some point, likely beyond repair.
You'd recognize her instantly: striking red eyes, very pale hair, and an almost fragile look that somehow reads as extremely charismatic. English dub fans remember Tamao calling her a "princess" just from hearing her speak once.
Her Story
Not much is known about her family or background, but the series establishes that she was a French country girl who received a divine revelation at age ten while praying in a church. A cross of light appeared, and a mysterious voice told her the world would be destroyed by an evil force unless it was purged. She identified that force as Hao Asakura and decided right then to become a shaman.
Her Mindset
Jeanne's hatred of Hao runs deep—she genuinely believes he's ultimate evil. She sees herself as a kind of martyr, and she's soft-spoken and compassionate with the X-Laws, especially toward young Lyserg Diethel, whom she defended when Marco was being too harsh. But she's become detached from the rest of humanity, unable to see moral complexity. She kills anyone who won't surrender to her demands for peace without hesitation.
In a weird way, she and Hao aren't that different. Both believe they're saving the world, both kill indiscriminately for their cause. The main difference is that Jeanne genuinely can't see the deaths she causes as wrong—she's blinded by her own righteousness—while Hao is fully aware of what he is and what he's doing.
Her Appearance
Her armored form includes spiked sandals that dig into her feet (without actually piercing them) and a giant lock across her abdomen like a chastity belt. Both are meant to evoke self-flagellation. Even though she comes across as emotionless, her eyes will tear up when she's sad, and the eyes on the Iron Maiden's face cry blood when she does.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
