Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Ending—Maelle or Verso? All Endings and Twist Explained

2025’s blockbuster hit, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has garnered not only the title of the year’s biggest success but also one of the most popular and critically acclaimed games ever produced. Contributing to its immense popularity are its modest development team and budget-friendly price point of $49.99. Yet, it is the captivating narrative combined with a melodious, hard-to-resist soundtrack that transforms this nostalgic RPG into a game that countless players have yearned for in their gaming lives.

In a nutshell, Expedition 33 embarks on a mission each year, following an annual event known as the Gommage, where individuals reaching a certain age or older are wiped out. This year, the people of Lumiére aim to eliminate The Paintress, who seemingly triggers this event, in order to secure a longer lifespan for their civilization. However, as Expedition 33 departs post-67th Gommage, they soon discover that the world’s secrets are far more intricate than initially thought. What unfolds at the end of Expedition 33 and in its thrilling conclusion? Let’s find out!

Tragedy That Preludes the Expeditions

The Dessendre Family Is at the Center of Expedition 33’s Story

At first, it seems like the catastrophic event preceding multiple expeditions is known as “The Fracture.” This incident involved the separation of Lumiére, a city reminiscent of Paris, into two parts: one part remained on the mainland while the other was isolated on a distant island. In the years that followed, the residents of Lumiére endured heartache as loved ones vanished annually, and others set out on journeys from which they never returned.

The heart-wrenching event that sparked the story of Expedition 33 was the one that befell the Dessendre family – specifically, their home was set ablaze by their rivals, the Writers, during their ongoing feud. The Dessendre family consisted of five members: Renoir and his wife Aline, along with their three artistic children – Verso, Alicia, and Clea. They were part of a creative faction known as the Painters, who were embroiled in a bitter conflict with another faction called the Writers. Tragically, during this feud, the Writers torched part of the Dessendre Manor, resulting in Verso’s death and Alicia’s severe burn injuries. Although Alicia managed to survive, her physical appearance was disfigured, and she found it difficult to speak.

A Clash Within a Canvas

Explore a World Painted By Verso, Being Torn Apart By His Family

In the realm of Expedition 33, being a Painter for the Dessendre family is far more enchanting than it is in our everyday existence. As artists, they breathe life into their imaginary universe. To put it symbolically, they pour their emotions, spirit, and awareness into their craft. These Painters can effectively immerse themselves in these realms to traverse, play, and create. However, they can only spend a confined period within their canvas as their physical selves remain outside, in the actual world. Following Verso’s demise, the surviving Dessendre members are deeply saddened, with Aline, their matriarch, growing increasingly withdrawn.

In the manor, there lingered a solitary artwork created by Verso, who was more passionately drawn to music than painting. This masterpiece embodied his imaginative realm of Lumiére, as well as a race of people called the Gestrals – namesakes of the Dessendre family’s dogs. For the Dessendre family, this artwork held the final remnants of Verso’s spirit in existence.

In this rephrased version:

Alice makes her debut, unwilling to depart, as she recognizes that this specific location holds some essence of Verso. Alice persists in keeping her physical self within the painting for extended durations. Concerned for his wife and preferring a conventional mourning routine, Renoir steps onto the canvas himself. Renoir then tries to erase the artwork, but Alice objects, giving birth to The Paintress in the process. A fissure occurs, trapping Renoir beneath the monument.

This revised text maintains the original meaning while using more contemporary language and a smoother flow for easy reading.

In simpler terms, the artist’s abilities are restricted, and her painting of the number on the monument indicates the remaining time she has before the artwork is completely wiped out, much like a phone battery running out. Initially, the inhabitants of Lumiére thought that The Paintress was responsible for the Fading (Gommage), but it was actually Renoir who was erasing people.

On the canvas, Aline produces replicas, or “painted” relatives from her family. The initial encounter with a Renoir character is one such replica, crafted to hinder explorers from reaching The Paintress. Similarly, Verso, Clea, and Alicia were made. The genuine Clea, however, harbors vengeance against the Writers and steps into the canvas to liberate her parents.

Inside, Clea possesses the ability to modify other people’s creations, which she uses to generate Nevrons as a destructive force against explorers and drain The Paintress of the vital energy Chroma required for survival. Displeased with her mother’s painted replica, Clea erases it and employs it to mindlessly produce Nevrons instead. Later, Clea develops feelings for an explorer from the first expedition, Simon, whom she empowers significantly, apparently intending to manipulate both sides of her parents’ conflict.

Throughout the journey, the painted Verso accompanies Expedition 0 together with his father and his beloved, Jules. Following Jules’ discovery of Verso’s immortality, he ends Jules’ life to safeguard his secret. However, the painted Verso yearns for the conservation of the canvas, along with Aline and the painted Renoir. After many decades of forming friendships with expedition members only to witness their demise, and remorse over what he did to Jules, the painted Verso’s perspective begins to shift. He gradually seeks an end to this conflict.

Who Exactly Is Maelle?

What Connection Does Maelle Have To the Dessendre Family?

Outside, Alicia yearns to lend aid, and Clea hesitantly grants her access. Yet, as she steps in, the intensity of her parents’ dispute disrupts her arrival. Alicia suffers memory loss and is reborn within a painting, adopted by anonymous guardians who christen her Maelle. At three years old, Maelle is left on the streets, striving to find acceptance in Lumiére. She has always felt out of place in Lumiére, leading her to join Expedition 33 at just 16, forgoing many years of life’s pleasures.

Following the defeat of the painted versions of Renoir and The Paintress, the genuine Renoir, who had earlier disguised himself as The Curator, is liberated. As a secret ally to Expedition 33 throughout their adventure, The Curator (the real Renoir) wished they could vanquish The Paintress. Once completely free, the authentic Renoir wipes out all inhabitants of Lumiére, except for the painted Verso and Maelle.

Currently, Maelle recovers her identity as Alicia, which in turn restores her Paintress abilities. Simultaneously, her hair turns white, a characteristic shared by all painted clones. Besides her Gommage powers, she can also revive individuals who have undergone Gommage. In the city of Lumiére, during Expedition 33, they encounter the genuine Renoir, defeat him with Aline’s assistance, who re-emerges from the canvas, and subsequently remove him from the artwork.

In this instance, the group discovers the final remnant of Verso’s spirit – and surprisingly, this lingering essence is the ethereal boy who appeared frequently throughout the narrative. Overworked and exhausted, the little Verso keeps his canvas vibrant through constant painting, much like in Ursula K. Le Guin’s tale “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” where a utopian society persists due to the ongoing torment of a young boy.

In the story, when the colored Verso extends a hand to guide the smaller Verso off the painting, offering it a chance to find peace, Maelle steps in. She’s reluctant to let go of the canvas, yearning for Lumiére and others like Sciel and Lune to stay alive. This dilemma sets up the final decision for the players: Will they choose to be like Maelle, resist the colored Verso to preserve the canvas? Or will they side with the colored Verso, erase the painting, compelling the Dessendre family to ultimately move forward?

Given that “Clair Obscur” refers to the concept of light and darkness as it applies to contrast in art, it seems appropriate that a piece should embody either the bright or the shadowy aspects.

Holding On: The Maelle Ending

It’s Too Tough To Say Goodbye

Engaging with either Maelle or Verso, gamers find themselves immersed in an emotionally intense clash. Emerging victorious from this seemingly effortless struggle, players are rewarded with the resolution they’ve chosen. If you choose to stand as Maelle, a triumphant outcome will see the vibrant Verso fading away. Desperate and pleading, he implores Maelle to halt his artistic endeavors, repeatedly crying out, “I don’t wish for this existence.” Overwhelmed with tears, Maelle expresses her longing for the lifetime with her brother that was cruelly taken from them. His last words echo, “Assist me…assist me.

Following this, Lumiére is once more inhabited by its former residents, among them Gustave, Sophie, and the husband of Sciel. The citizens of Lumiére gather at the Opera House for a performance. Despite the general cheerfulness, a hollow look can be seen in Maelle’s eyes. She understands that this grand spectacle is nothing more than an illusion, but she doesn’t mind. She has her brother by her side. The setting transitions to black-and-white, as an aged and painted Verso steps onto the stage to play the piano.

With the refurbished Verso about to perform, it’s evident he’s suffering, trapped in a perpetual existence that neither he nor what remains of Verso’s spirit desires. This realization comes when there’s no longer a need for the Paintress to be pursued and Lumiére’s people have no cause to rise against Maelle. As Verso prepares to play, Maelle gazes at him callously, her painted visage replacing her own; a symbol that Alicia, in the real world, is gradually succumbing to death so she can spend more time with her brother. The instant painted Verso starts playing, the screen fades to black, and the ominous credits unfold on this somber conclusion.

Letting Go: The Verso Ending

A Cycle Of Unchecked Grief Must End

In essence, the Verso ending can be considered the favorable one, as it doesn’t feel right to bid farewell to characters we’ve grown fond of. It’s neither the ideal nor the usual choice that encourages players to disrupt a cycle of vengeance and sorrow. Unfortunately, the relentless grief of the Dessendre family has wreaked havoc not just on them but also on the splendid world of Verso and its denizens. Their efforts to pay tribute to his memory have unfortunately distorted his memory to suit their desires rather than what Verso might have envisioned. Consequently, the remnants of Verso continue to endure.

Following Maelle’s loss, both she and Alicia were removed from the picture, their shared awareness returning to reality. The painted Verso was granted permission to stop creating and close down his world, which he had depicted. In this process, the painted Verso bid farewell to his cherished childhood friends, Esquie and Monoco, his significant other, Sciel or Lune, and a party member who remained unromantically involved, all of whom were also erased.

After thoroughly erasing the canvas, the Dessendre clan re-enters reality, finding resolve to face their sorrow over Verso’s passing and unite as a family in their journey towards healing. At Verso’s graveside, Renoir and Aline cling to each other, Alicia cherishes her Esquie plush toy, while Clea looks on intently. The scene then shifts to a final glimpse of the Expedition 33 team members. The upcoming destiny for the Dessendre family remains uncertain, but they’ve now mustered the courage to face it hand in hand.

2025-05-10 22:46

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