Review
MAJOR story spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are included in this article. Players who have not finished the game should proceed with caution.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a lot of characters in it, but the party size is small. Players can only bring three party members to battle and then switch them out afterward without the need for save points. While they’re all great, not many of these characters are the strongest in the game.
Some of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s villains and NPCs rank much higher with their powers only briefly touched upon in the game. Let’s rank out all of their powers from start to finish and determine who is the strongest. If players haven’t finished the game, then they shouldn’t read on because there will be massive spoilers ahead to fully determine these rankings. Even the names could be a spoiler, so with that said, let’s get to it.
WARNING! Major spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 start here.
8 Simon
The Strongest Expedition 0 Member
Simon is one of the strongest optional bosses in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, who will take a lot to go down. Like Verso, Simon belonged to the first Expedition, aka Expedition 0, but somehow lost his mind after the others became immortal.
He strikes hard, and if players aren’t careful enough, he can void downed party members out of existence, making an already tough fight nearly impossible. Simon has a lot of powers to keep players down, but since this is a video game, he can be defeated, thus negating his nebulous accomplishments.
7 Verso
Defying Death
The real Verso died in a fire within the real world, so the one players meet in the game is a copy who only exists in the Painted dimension. While not as strong as the original is thought to be, Verso is still a powerhouse in battle and in cutscenes.
He can withstand deadly blows, and there’s even a great part back at camp wherein he cuts his body in two, survives, and even communicates as if something isn’t amiss. Through willpower, Verso is also able to overcome Maelle at the end of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 if players choose wisely to get the good albeit sad ending.
6 Alicia (Painted)
Moving Through Time
Alicia appears in two forms in the game. The one who players meet first is a copy of the original who exists in the Painted world, so let’s call her Painted Alicia. The true Alicia in reality, who the Painted version resembles the most, was horribly burned in a fire.
The other Alicia is Maelle, who is actually being controlled by the real Alicia, which is confusing. Confusing aside, Painted Alicia can stop time by turning everything black and white and choosing who can and who cannot move in this reality. She can also warp The Manor somehow, so overall, Painted Alicia’s powers are more mysterious as Maelle doesn’t share them even when awakening her memories.
5 Esquie
Happily Hiding Power
Esquie doesn’t fight with the party and is instead a loyal friend who acts like a vehicle for boating players around the ocean, and flying them around in Act 3. Verso and Monaco have a conversation at camp about how Esquie is the strongest creature in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Players only get a glimpse of his power when he is seen flying through the air and knocking a beast seemingly into orbit with a simple touch. This is the only real demonstration of his power, and other than that, players have to rely on word of mouth, but that’s good. He only exists in this Painted world, though, so his stature is diminished by the end.
4 Aline
The Paintress Grieves With Her Brush
Aline is the woman behind The Paintress in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, who first jumped into this Painted world to grieve her son’s death: Verso. This sadness gave birth to The Paintress, and Aline did not want to leave.
Now, her powers are a bit mysterious because the game doesn’t fully explain them beyond nebulous godhood, but it is a fact that she helped create the clones of Verso, Alicia, and Renoir alongside her persona. Even though players kick Aline out of this Painted world, her strength outside is still important as one of the known Painters of Paris who could easily return to wreak havoc on this dwindling canvas.
3 Renoir
A Father With Good Intentions
Renoir is split into two forms in the game because there is the version Aline creates, and then there is the real Renoir. The real version is not met until The Paintress is put down, and it seems like a happy reunion between Maelle and him.
However, Renoir has a twisted plan akin to The Paintress’ and Maelle wants no part of it. Like all Painters, Renoir has the power of creation and is a strong opponent who outlasts Aline in the Painted World. However, he is ultimately defeated, retreating to live on in the real world back in Paris.
2 Maelle/Alicia
Born To Balance The Odds
Maelle starts as a decently powered character, but in Act 3, her true power awakens. That does not include the aforementioned Painted Alicia’s powers, but there is something equally powerful: Gommage. She learns to tap into the very power that haunted her people for years, as The Gommage blinked them out of existence.
Now it’s hers to use for story purposes, and if players unlock it via Gradient Attacks in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Maelle is easily the strongest party member that players can use in the game, but beyond that, she is a Painter in the real world, so her true potential is left masked like her double.
1 Clea
The Power To Paint And Erase
Clea is the most mysterious character in the game because the real version is only given a brief cameo. What players know is that she helps maintain Aline and Renoir while they are in the Painted world and eventually assists Maelle as well. She has a doppelgänger version and appears as a secret boss who, like Simon, is a terror.
Maelle reveals that the real Clea is the only Painter who can both create life and erase others. She also mentions how she was the favored daughter in her family, especially after the real Verso died. This is another word-of-mouth situation since the optional boss is only an echo of what the real Clea is capable of, but all signs point to her being a gifted creator.
