Spoiler Warning: Certain playable characters are introduced quite a few hours into the campaign (10+ hours, in some cases), so please be warned that they are covered by this article. Minor spoilers regarding the premise and basic details about the characters are also included.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took the world by storm by delivering a gripping dark fantasy story and blending turn-based JRPG-style combat with real-time mechanics. Developed by Sandfall Interactive, the game has a fascinating hook that is established incredibly well by the prologue, which reveals the existence of the Paintress. Counting down from 100, each year the Paintress paints a new number, causing every person of that age to die at the end of the cycle. To try and put an end to this annual tragedy known as the Gommage, people who are (usually) set to die head out on expeditions to try and defeat the Paintress.
Expedition 33 is the current crop of heroes, and that leads to Clair Obscur's playable characters. With strong personalities, great voice acting, and unique gameplay abilities, these characters are a big reason why the game is as great as it is. Let's highlight them, focusing primarily on their usefulness in combat.
There are technically eight playable characters in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, but only six of them are available in combat. While the other two are interesting figures in their own right, only the battle-ready characters in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be ranked.
6 Gustave
Using The Power Of Thunder And Cybernetics
Gustave is the starting character Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. He uses swords and guns to get the job done, and his special trait is centered around his Overcharge ability, which is focused on his cybernetic arm. The more Gustave attacks, the bigger his Overcharge ability will get until players can unleash its max charge for a massive lightning-based attack.
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The cool thing about Overcharge is that Gustave will comment on the charge level, whether it’s weak, mid, or powerful. Beyond his Overcharge, Gustave has a decent balance of support and other lightning-based skills, from boosting the party’s attack to creating a chain of thunderbolts; however, other characters have more variety. It’s also worth mentioning that Daredevil himself, Charlie Cox, does a good job at his portrayal, even though the character arguably looks more like Robert Pattinson.
5 Monoco
A Fuzzy Blue Mage
Monoco is the last character players recruit in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Design-wise, Monoco looks a bit like a snow baboon, but faceless. He behaves like a Blue Mage from the Final Fantasy series, and Monoco does not have a skill tree, unlike the other characters. If players have Monoco in the party, they will collect monster legs at the end of the battle, which then give him abilities.
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He has a wide range of support and offensive skills, including party buffs, healing spells, and nearly every element under the sun, from fire-based attacks to dark-based ones. Because he’s introduced so late in the campaign, it can feel like a lot of work to build Monoco's character up by relocating monsters and filling up that skill tree. Those who put the time in can build a very strong character, but the time sink can be a bit unappealing.
4 Sciel
Heart Of The Cards
Sciel might be the best character in the game because of her lighthearted personality. Plus, she uses a double-ended scythe, which is a cool weapon for an RPG that even the Grim Reaper would be jealous of. However, playing with her is another story, as her Foretell abilities can be hard to understand, similar to the timesink required to master Monoco. Sciel can essentially be described as a tarot master, and every technique in her repertoire will build Sun and Moon cards.
Combining these cards will put her into Twilight mode, which will strengthen attacks. Most of these attacks are dark-based, so she's good against enemies weak to dark attacks, especially some bosses; however, she excels as a support figure. She can heal the party or herself while dealing damage to enemies, and she can boost her allies' stats and debuff enemies. Compared to other character combination attacks, her powers will take a while to get used to and may not fit every playstyle.
3 Lune
A Mage Like No Other
Lune can best be described as a mage in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. She joins Gustave as the second party member, and she can control most of the elements, including fire and ice. She can attack enemies individually, but most of her best elemental skills target groups. Whenever players use one of her spells, it will generate a Stain or several corresponding to that element.
Players can bank four Stains at a time, and these can then be used for special attacks; conversely, some spells will consume Stains to make them stronger. As with Sciel, it can be tricky getting Lune's right combos at first, but elements are a lot easier to understand than tarot cards. Character-wise, Lune comes across as a bit cold at times, but she is likable and no one can deny her power. Plus, she has some of the best healing spells in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, making her a necessary addition to every lineup.
2 Verso
A Strong But Slightly Late Addition To The Roster
Verso is the fifth party member in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and he uses sword techniques similar to Gustave. Instead of lightning, Verso uses light-based attacks for his element, and many of the late-game enemies and bosses are weak to it. He has some support abilities as well, but they are not as good as his elemental or physical sword strikes.
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His specialty is called Perfection, which runs on a letter grade system that starts at D and works up to S. The higher the grade, the more damage Verso will do. Also, some techniques are better in certain letter grades or cost less AP, so there is a bit of strategy involved in whether players want to be weaker and use less AP or stronger and consume more. Overall, though, Verso is a powerhouse, and due to having more skill variety, players will probably use him as one of their mains.
1 Maelle
Standing Her Ground
Maelle uses swords too, but unlike her male counterparts, she has a bit more finesse in battle as a trainer fencer. Maelle’s specialty in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is her Stances, which can boost attack or defense in various ways. Using skills will switch or boost these Stances, and getting to know them all can be the key to victory. There are some solo fights in the game, and Maelle is strong even by herself.
Stances are great, but Maelle's main strength is her fire-based attacks, most of which can Burn enemies. Burned enemies will take damage over time, and the more stacks of Burn they have, the more damage they will receive. It’s the easiest way to take down some of the hardest bosses, which goes to show just how destructive a force fire can be. With support from other characters, Maelle can become a god of death that can rival the power of The Paintress, which is why she is easily ranked number one.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- April 24, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Kepler Interactive
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
