Clair Obscur: Expedition 33has one of thebest RPG partiesin recent history, with each character being well developed both in the plot of the game and from a gameplay perspective, with each one playing extremely differently from the others. This allows for many unique party layouts to fit the player’s preferences.

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While making a definitive worst to best list of these characters would be next to impossible due to them all having their uses, with none of them being a bad party member, if one were to analyze them all based on each of their strengths and weaknesses then it becomes possible to construct the following ranking of the best party members in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

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Topping off the list is the game’s first non-protagonist party member: Lune.Luneis a magic specialist and has access to various elemental spells which will not only hit enemies right in their weaknesses but also inflict various status effects on them. Each spell she casts will also give the player a magical stone on their UI which can lead to the player being able to cast more powerful spells via special combinations.

While Lune’s magic has a great opportunity for high damage output, she sadly falls to the bottom of this list simply because other characters have the capacity to outclass her without having to worry about her magic stones mechanic. While that doesn’t make her useless by any means, it’s hard to justify putting her in the front row.

Screenshot of Lune’s art in Clair Obscur

The Breaker

Placing fifth on this list is the first party member in the game:Gustave, played by the ever-fantastic Charlie Cox. This old man is one of the beefiest party members in the game. If one were to put their status point allocations into his defense, vitality, and might, he can become a veritable boss destroyer as they struggle to damage him, combine that with his self-heal skill and you’ve got a recipe for a fantastic tank.

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While Gustave is a great party member and useful in just about any situation, there is one large spoiler-related reason he falls low on this list: he is only in your party temporarily. His kit may be fantastic and he’s perfect for a tank role, but it just would feel wrong to put a character who is only in a single act of the game high on this list.

Screenshot of Gustave from Clair Obscur

The Blue Mage

Placing at the halfway point on this list is the only non-human party member in the game: Monaco,the Gestral. This Gestral man has been Verso’s companion for decades and loves to get into fights. While he may not be as involved with the main plot as certain other party members, he’s still a great presence to have around and adds a lot to the party’s dynamic.

What truly makes Monaco shine in combat is his skills, which are what Final Fantasy fans know as Blue Magic. If a new type of enemy is defeated while Monaco is in the party, he will obtain one skill which belongs to that enemy. This allows Monaco to essentially take on any role the player wishes, whether it be a support unit who buffs the party or a powerhouse who destroys everything. If you are challenging a hard boss, you can’t go wrong with putting this Gestral in your lineup.

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If you’re curious about Monaco’s role in the canvas, take note of the dog in the Act III prologue.

The Protagonist

The third best party member in the game is the game’s second protagonist:Verso. In many ways, Verso’s playstyle is a better version of Gustave’s due to him replacing him. With simialr stats and even a few shared skills, Verso perfectly slips into the tank void left on the wake of Gustave’s absence. Even with his tendency to lie about things like theflying stone, he is always endearing to the audience.

What truly seperates Verso from the initial protagonist though is his gimmick, which full takes advantage of the game’s parry system. By perfectly countering enemy attacks, Verso’s rank will increase all the way to Rank-S, allowing him to perform super damaging attacks that are great for clearing out end-game bosses.

Screenshot of Monaco’s art in Clair Obscur

The Astrologian

Scielis one of the most unique party members in the game, as her gameplay is centered around inflicting enemies with stacks of cards via her spells that influence how much damage, or what effect, her other attacks may have. This means that any player who used Sciel must think several turns ahead in order to inflict massive damage. This not only makes her extremely fun to use but super satisfying once the player successfully does thousands of damage with a good combo.

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While Sciel is great for most situations in the game, her kit does have one fatal flaw: the only elements she has access to are physical and dark. While there aren’t many enemies which resist or absorb dark magic, the few who do can make her kit useless for an entire battle. Because of this weakness, she just barely misses the first place slot on this list. It’s also a shame that she has the hardest tounlock swimsuit

The Artist

When discussing who is the best party member in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the answer will inevitably beMaelle, themanor’s resident. From a story perspective, so much of the game revolves around her development that it would be wrong not to at least consider her, and from a gameplay perspective no other character in the game can come even close to the amount of damage she provides.

If one were to put all of Maelle’s stat points into her luck and agility and equip her with the right weapons, then there’s a good chance that she’ll instantly destroy even the game’s super bosses in a single hit, and if she doesn’t then she can always just use her Grommage skill to deal millions of damage mid-way through the battle. With damage like that, no other party member comes even close to Maelle in this ranking.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

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