It should go without saying, but there are massive spoilers for the ending of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in this guide. Please proceed with caution.
There are a lot of ups and downs and twists in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Players start the game knowing that every year, everyone of a certain age will disappear during the Gommage, and that's caused by the Paintress who painted the number on the Monolith. Later on, the expeditioners will learn that there's someone who doesn't get erased by the Gommage, and they're killing every expeditioner who landed on the Continent. The next twist is when players understand that the Paintress was actually protecting people from getting erased, and the one who's commanding the Gommage is someone who wishes to delete the painted world. However, all this is done out of love and grief, not hate or resentment.
This theme of grief continues when players must make a choice and decide the fate of the canvas. Carefully choosing whether they should fight as Maelle or Verso in Expedition 33 is required, as each leads to a different ending. In fact, this choice will also answer the question of did Gustave die or does Gustave come back in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Should You Fight As Maelle Or Verso In Expedition 33?
When players are given the choice to decide the fate of the Canvas in Expedition 33, the two choices are:
- Fight as Maelle
- Fight as Verso
The person players choose to fight as will affect the ending, since the two expeditioners have different wishes regarding the Canvas.
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Verso wishes to erase the Canvas, which aligns with Renoir's will, deleting everything and everyone inside, including himself. Meanwhile, Maelle wishes to keep the Canvas intact and live in it, so that she doesn't have to suffer in the real world and can stay with the family she found inside the painting, including her dead brothers, Gustave and Verso.
Although the story ends after making this choice, players can return to the save file before fighting the real Renoir to continue exploring the world. This will also unlock the New Game Plus feature in Expedition 33.
Fight As Verso In Expedition 33 - A Life To Love Ending
If players fight as Verso and beat Maelle in the duel, then Maelle is forced to leave the Canvas. The real Verso's soul will follow Verso and stop painting, ultimately ending the painted world.
In this A Life to Love ending, players will experience a cutscene where the Dessendre family gathers around Verso's grave and finally face their grief. Renoir holds Aline close as he supports her in the dark times, while Maelle finally accepts the loss of her brother and her current physical state. A Life to Love is arguably the "good" ending in Expedition 33.
Fight As Maelle In Expedition 33 - A Life To Paint Ending
If players choose to fight as Maelle in Expedition 33 and beat Verso, Verso will disappear, and the real Verso's soul will continue painting.
Using her power as the paintress, Maelle repaints Lumiere and returns it to its glorious state. However, it's apparent from her face that she's not entirely content with her decision. There are some glimpses of regret in her expressions, which may stem from the fact that she's fully aware that this life isn't real.
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Although the previous painted Verso begged Maelle to be unpainted, she decides to bring him back anyway, as she's unable to let go of her grief—it's clear that staying inside the Canvas doesn't help. This time, Maelle painted Verso as a pianist, a role he wishes to take as an artist, different from the rest of the family, who are painters. However, although it seems like he's living the dream, the scene feels ominous. Verso slowly approaches the piano, looks at Maelle, and sees that her real self is in a bad condition due to prolonged exposure to the Canvas.
Despite promising her father that she wouldn't lose herself inside the Canvas, Maelle drowns deep.
Did Gustave Die Or Does Gustave Come Back In Expedition 33?
At the end of Act I, Gustave died in Expedition 33, and his role is replaced by Verso, who has the same weapon and similar movesets as Gustave. From here on, there's only one way for Gustave to come back in Expedition 33, and that's by fighting as Maelle and choosing the A Life to Paint ending.
After removing the obstacles that stop her from living her life in Verso's Canvas, Maelle brings back everyone in Lumiere, including Gustave and Sophie, both of whom died at the beginning of the story. This means that Gustave can come back, but at the cost of Maelle's real life.
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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
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
