I recently watched the anime Claymore after its recommendation by a friend. It is described as follows:

The series is set in a medieval like world where humans coexist with creatures called Yoma sentient monsters that feed on human innards, a nameless and highly secretive organization has created an order of half-human, half-yoma warriors to protect humans from the yoma, for a large fee. The people of this world have dubbed these warriors as "Claymores" based on their gargantuan, unsheathed swords, or the "Silver Eye Witches", based on their appearances and seemingly cold nature toward others.

Claymores are in danger of losing control of their powers if they activate more than 80% of their demon strength, changing them into a form of yoma called an "awakened being".

It is the oft-told tale of the demon-hunting warrior. The twist is the very act of demon-slaying causes the heroine to become more demon-like, and the more formidable the Yoma, the more the heroine has to call forth her Yoma powers. It is ironic that the protagonist can only defeat her antagonist by becoming more like the latter.

This is reflected in popular culture and history. In warcraft, Illidan Stormrage, a demon-hunter, combats demons through calling upon demonic powers. In Bleach, Ichigo Kurosaki fights "hollows", evil spirits, by partially becoming a "hollow".

Does this hint at a fundamental aspect of the nature of "good" and "evil"; that perhaps successful confrontation of "evil" requires some element of "evil", in order to be truly "good"? For instance, to preserve the virtue of fairness, sometimes vengeance is an appropriate response, to punish "evil" with "evil". It is such a natural reaction that to do otherwise invokes the uncomfortable bitterness of "injustice". The irony is the role reversal that happens when the act of "justice" is played; victim becomes aggressor and the circle is complete.

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