There are multiple endings in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, but full stop, before you get too hopeful, there’s no “good” ending.
Following dozens of hours of parries, jumps, and gradient counters, you’ll return to Lumiere. This leads to an epic final clash (against someone you can likely predict but who we won’t spoil), after which you’re given a choice — and everything isn’t quite what it seems. You’ll be met with what seems an impossible decision, and it’s the only choice that truly matters in the game.
Read on to see how to get all endings in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, plus some thoughts about if there’s a best ending.
[Ed. note: This guide contains spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.]
Can you see all Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 endings in one playthrough?
It’s not technically possible to see both Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s endings in one playthrough. That said, after finishing the game and rolling credits, you can reload your save to spawn in right before the final choice, if you’d like to see both endings.
There are two endings to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33:
- Maelle’s ending
- Verso’s ending
Read on to see how to get both endings. And note too that there are no achievements or trophies behind the two endings besides the one you’ll get for reaching the ending.
How to get Maelle’s Ending in Expedition 33
Image: Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive via Polygon
Maelle’s ending of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is accessed by choosing to fight Verso as Maelle in a 1v1 battle reminiscent of the duel between Maelle and Gustave in the prologue.
This fight is more of a cutscene than an actual battle, and at this point in your playthrough, you should be more than able to take him down. Defeating Verso leads to a sad cutscene where Verso gommages, and on his way to the afterlife, he begs Maelle not to repaint him.
How to get Verso’s Ending in Expedition 33
Image: Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive via Polygon
The Verso ending of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is accessed in the same choice that allows you to get the Maelle ending. But instead of choosing to fight as Maelle, you must fight Maelle as Verso.
This will trigger a 1v1 fight exactly the same as the Maelle counterpart, except this time you’re on the opposite side of the ideology battle. Defeating Maelle leads to another sad cutscene of Maelle disintegrating in Verso’s arms. Verso consoles her and tells her that as long as she paints in the real world, she’ll never live an undesirable life.
Is there a true ending in Expedition 33?
Image: Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive via Polygon
While there is no definitive true ending in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the best ending in the title will depend… on you. It’s up to you to decise whose ideology you agree with in the game’s finale.
“For me personally, there’s no canon ending,” Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen told Polygon. “I think it’s very specifically something we wanted people to, it’s not meant to be an easy choice, and it’s not meant to be an obvious choice. And it’s okay if some people feel there’s an obvious choice, that’s totally cool. If players feel they gravitate towards one or the other, that’s great. But that’s really up to the player based upon who they identify with, based on their own lives and perspectives, what feels right to them.”
At its core, Clair Obscur is a story about grief, and the two extremes of how we deal with it. The title is Clair Obscur, after all. (The French version of chiaroscuro is a painting technique that strongly contrasts light and dark — same coin, two sides, that sort of thing.)
Maelle is tired of the suffering and pain of the lives she has lived. She wants to bring everyone back with the canvas, letting everyone live the long life they deserve, and she is willing to lose herself to the painting. Conversely, Verso believes that while life is unfair, it is essential not to get lost in fantasy while the real world passes you by. He is aware that the grief of his real-world death is tearing his family apart, and the only way to truly make things right is to move on. Neither side presents a perfect solution, but with a topic as complex as grief, you were never gonna get a neat resolution.
“Both endings are tragedies in their own way while also having some hopeful or some positive elements as well. They’re bittersweet,” said Svedberg-Yen. “That’s life, right?”
