The story behind the Clow Cards

The Clow Cards are the magical cards used in the manga and anime by Sakura.

The Cards were created by the half-English, half-Chinese sorcerer named Clow Reed. They are the result of the combination of Eastern and Western magics and formed the basis for a new kind of magic unlike any other seen so far. To contain the incredible power of the cards, after his death Clow had the card's sealed in the Clow Book, only to be released when the "chosen one" appears.

The cards represent a combination of Eastern and Western magic centered on the concepts of natural forces and elements. The original Clow Cards fall under a specific sign, sun or moon, corresponding to the guardians Keroberos and Yue.

The cards can only be controlled under your command if you become it's owner. In order for it to be yours, you must sign your name, otherwise they can run loose again. The card will go to whoever binds it's power, meaning the one who defeated it.

Each Clow Card has its own personality, ranging from good-natured to violent and its own powers that are mostly centered around an elemental force or performing a specific task. When in use or acting on their own, the cards assume alternative forms that vary from card to card. All cards appear to be able to float. Example: the Sword was floating immediately before it was captured.

Most of the cards may be seen represented in four ways: most of the time a beautiful woman or pretty girl dressed or holding an object according to its power (Arrow, Windy, Bubbles), an animal related to the power (Jump, Change, Dash), an object (Sword, Shield, Float) or a Man (Old or Young) dressed or holding an object according to is power (Time, Firey).

While in the anime there is 53 Clow Cards, in the manga there was just 19.

The Clow Cards alphabetically: 

• The Arrow
• The Big
• The Bubbles
• The Change
• The Cloud
• The Create
• The Dark
• The Dash
• The Dream
• The Earthy
• The Erase
• The Fight
• The Firey
• The Float
• The Flower
• The Fly
• The Freeze
• The Glow
• The Hope
• The Illusion
• The Jump
• The Libra
• The Light
• The Little
• The Lock
• The Loop
• The Maze
• The Mirror
• The Mist
• The Move
• The Nameless Card
• The Nothing
• The Power
• The Rain
• The Return
• The Sand
• The Shadow
• The Shield
• The Shot
• The Silent
• The Sleep
• The Snow
• The Song
• The Storm
• The Sweet
• The Sword
• The Through
• The Thunder
• The Time
• The Twin
• The Voice
• The Watery
• The Wave
• The Windy
• The Wood