Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - All Party Members, Ranked

Ensuring you have the right party members is crucial for a successful role-playing game (RPG). A fantastic group turns an adventure into a friend-filled expedition. They are enjoyable to control, their characters mesh well, and their individual tales and histories show complexity and authentic growth. Most importantly, they’re hard to part with. The finest RPGs have left lasting impacts, largely due to their captivating casts.

The acclaimed RPG title from 2025, “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33“, follows suit, faithfully acknowledging and appreciating the classic RPGs that have captivated gamers. It’s evident why these games are beloved – “Expedition 33” boasts an exceptional ensemble cast. They are charming, complex, superbly acted, and skillfully written. They can evoke laughter, tears, and most importantly, they seem genuine. In a game where every party member is outstanding, which character from “Expedition 33” stands out as the cream of the crop?

Voiced By: Billie Fulford-Brown

In Expedition 33, Sophie serves a single purpose: to create an emotional connection with the players. Throughout the prologue of Expedition 33, she’s the one character that can be controlled. Sophie is Gustave’s charming ex-girlfriend who is about to undergo Gommage in this story. Since her age is at least 33, The Paintress marks her for erasure.

In the initial stages of the game, players will only have a brief chance to control her, not in combat situations but she still leaves an indelible mark. During the introduction, gamers will find themselves rooting for her reunion with Gustave. Once that happens, she is swiftly taken by the Gommage, thereby showcasing the high stakes of Expedition 33. By creating a character players can grow fond of and then taking her away promptly, the game effectively makes the player’s desires align with those of Gustave and his team in Expedition 33.

Voiced By: Charlie Cox

In many role-playing games (RPGs), there has been an attempt to rekindle the enchantment of a particular experience, yet it seems that Expedition 33 might have come the nearest. Initially, players develop an affinity for Gustave, not just due to his likable and endearing nature, which is brilliantly portrayed by Charlie Cox from Daredevil, but also because they believe him to be the primary, sword-wielding protagonist. However, a surprising twist unfolds when he meets an untimely demise.

Around halfway through the game, Renoir (Andy Serkis) ended up defeating Gustave – an unexpected turn of events that hadn’t been hinted at earlier. After a grueling multi-phase boss fight, this was meant to be a relaxing interlude before moving forward. However, it turned out to be a surprising and heartbreaking moment. Despite this sudden twist, Gustave’s temporary replacement in Verso could make him seem less significant during the latter part of the game. Mentioning him again later would bring back those suppressed feelings all over again.

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Voiced By: Kirsty Rider

Every team requires a dedicated individual who stays committed to the task at hand, without question or hesitation. In the case of Expedition 33, that person is Lune. Unlike most characters in RPGs, Lune isn’t annoying or frustrating about her focus. Instead, she tends to be correct more frequently because she is undoubtedly the team’s most intelligent member. Her relentless pursuit of knowledge about the world and Verso is charming. At the same time, she carries a heavy burden of not knowing what happened to her parents, who embarked on a previous Expedition, despite feeling that she was born to be another research partner for them.

In the course of the game, it is very likely that Lune will be a constant presence in players’ parties due to her powerful abilities, similar to a traditional Black Mage character. Lune’s unique feature is the “Stains” system, which accumulates nodes each time she uses elemental attacks. These nodes can then be spent to boost the power of non-elemental attacks. For most part of the game, she is one of the strongest characters. Yet, much like other Black Mages, Lune loses her edge towards the end of the storyline and in additional postgame content.

Voiced By: Shala Nyx

At the opposite end of Lune lies Sciel, characterized by her relaxed and adaptable nature during group activities. Despite this, her past is shrouded in deep sorrow. Before embarking on Expedition 33, Sciel experienced one of life’s greatest heartaches when her husband passed away on a sea voyage. Overwhelmed, she attempted to swim out into the ocean until her strength gave out. Upon regaining consciousness, she found herself back in Lumière, where she discovered that she had been pregnant at the time and her suicide attempt resulted in a miscarriage.

From a gameplay perspective, Sciel stands out as the character with the most intricate mechanics. This is due to a system called “Foretell” that she employs. When using Sun abilities, she sets Foretells on enemies; subsequently, these Foretells can be consumed to execute powerful Moon abilities. By managing this process skillfully, Sciel unlocks Twilight abilities for enhanced damage potential. Although it may seem complex initially, in the post-game content, her moveset primarily involves boosting party strength with All Set and doubling the power of their next attack with Fortune’s Fury. Mastering Sciel will significantly increase your chances of overcoming superbosses in Expedition 33.

Voiced By: Ben Starr

In Expedition 33, the character known as Verso makes his appearance immediately following Gustave’s demise, and interestingly enough, he carries on exactly where Gustave had left off. A previous member of Expedition 00, which dates back 67 years, Verso shares Gustave’s objective: to overcome The Paintress. Throughout Expedition 33, however, Verso remains enveloped in an air of mystery. As the sorrowful history of the Dessendre family begins to unfold, though, Verso’s connection to this narrative only serves to make his part in it even more poignant.

Verso is far from perfect. His hidden truths, his deeds, and his history can be hard to accept at times. Yet, it’s challenging not to feel compassion for him. Moreover, since Verso isn’t part of Expedition 33, he offers players a chance to delve deeper into other team members by fostering relationships with them. He even has the option to court Lune or Sciel. This dynamic would have felt forced with Gustave, but it fits seamlessly with Verso. In terms of gameplay and character development, Verso effectively fills the void left by Gustave, ultimately emerging as a compelling protagonist on his own.

Voiced By: Jennifer English

The majority of Expedition 33 were individuals who would have continued their journey in the following year regardless. They embark on a last-ditch effort to survive, but Maelle is different – she’s young and still had many years ahead of her to live. For Maelle, life in Lumière never felt right, and she didn’t understand why. Joining Expedition 33 offered her more than just an extended future; it was a chance to find her place in the world. The demise of her guardian and close confidant, Gustave, intensified Maelle’s determination to surpass Renoir and The Paintress. Throughout Expedition 33, Maelle’s narrative arguably carries the deepest emotional resonance among any team member, with Verso being the only character who might rival her in depth and significance.

In gameplay, Maelle was extraordinarily powerful, earning numerous Platinum Trophies for her players. Her strength was such that Sandfall Interactive had to update her abilities due to builds capable of wiping out a superboss’s health in a single strike multiple times over. Even after the nerf, she remains the character with the highest potential damage output, making her an essential choice for the main party, particularly during postgame play.

Voiced By: Rich Keeble

Unlike Maelle or Sciel who carry the primary narrative and have heavy backstories, Monoco stands out for his humor. As a unique Gestral among combat party members, Monoco is not human and offers an amusing dynamic. In his role as a Blue Mage, he has an extraordinary ability to transform into various foes and utilize their attacks by keeping their severed feet, which can be quite comical. However, it’s important to note that these enemy abilities Monoco possesses can be exceptionally powerful, making him one of the game’s strongest damage dealers.

However, it’s his dialogue and writing that make Monoco stand out as one of the most compelling characters in Expedition 33. The bond between Monoco and Verso could very well be one of gaming’s finest examples of a bromance. Their conversations feel so authentic that you’d think Rich Keeble and Ben Starr have been friends for life, with Sandfall simply capturing their daily interactions on tape. Monoco exhibits a mix of egotism and laziness. He’s just as likely to give up an argument as he is to hold his ground steadfastly. In a game brimming with humor, Monoco might just be the funniest character.

Voice By: Maxence Cazorla

Instead of engaging in combat like the other party members after the prologue, Esquie doesn’t fight but rather functions as a support character. As the group searches for Esquie’s missing comrades, who are rocks, it becomes evident that he possesses extraordinary abilities, including swimming, diving, breaking through barriers, and flying. Essentially, he serves as a mobile toolbox in classic RPGs, resembling a boat or an airship.

In simpler terms, Esquie is a large, adorable plush toy that’s hard not to love, even for grumpy folks like François. Instead of making players feel “Whoo!” which is more serious, Esquie often elicits a playful “Whee!”, but can also evoke a mix of “Whee Wooo, Whee Whoo” during emotional and heartfelt scenes. Esquie’s character is lively, possibly due to the wine he carries around in his huge stomach. It’s difficult not to smile when Esquie talks, and overall, he stands out as the best companion in Expedition 33 due to his usefulness on the overworld.

2025-06-02 05:23

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – All Party Members, Ranked