Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ending explained – Who should you side with?

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“Be careful! This post reveals key details about the game’s final moments. If you’d rather discover it yourself, stop here!”

33rd Expedition’s tale is one of the game’s standout features, reaching its thrilling climax when you attack Lumiere and face Renoir. Yet, the story doesn’t conclude there. Following Maelle reconciling with her father, they venture into a peculiar new zone marked by a canvas depicting a hollow boy image.

Following a dispute among your siblings, you’ll find yourself in a position where you must decide whom to support during the forthcoming showdown. We will outline the potential outcomes of each decision and the significance of each ending scenario.

If you side with Maelle

In contrast to her conversation with her father in the previous scene, Maelle plans to stay in the canvas shelter until it ultimately ends her life, similar to how her mother lived. Overwhelmed by the sorrow of Verso’s actual death and her own damaged condition due to the fire, she has no interest in living in the real world.

Overpower Verso, and you’ll witness a distressing spectacle where she implores him to halt, but he falls on deaf ears. Later on, we find Maelle employing her abilities as Paintress to heal Lumiere, including Gustave, and they all gather to observe a painted representation of Verso performing a piano concert. This scene is as stunningly captivating as it is unsettlingly twisted.

If you side with Verso

Though the painted replica might not be the genuine article, he perceives that the child depicted on the canvas is a lingering fragment of Verso’s spirit, one that appears weary and yearns for respite. This is why he lashes out at Maelle and chooses to violently expel her from the canvas and obliterate it.

Overpower Maelle, and Verso will carry out this action, forcing Maelle against her will and departing with the boy. Later, we witness her and the entire family in the real world, participating in Verso’s funeral. As Maelle – now known as Alicia again – bids farewell to her brother for the last time.

Who should you side with?

In this situation, you’re faced with a tough choice, as neither option comes with in-game benefits. Essentially, it boils down to whose perspective seems more valid to you: Is Maelle’s decision to remain on the canvas until it takes her life, compelling Verso’s spirit to continue painting, a self-centered approach to cope with her sorrow? Or is it unjust to make Maelle linger in a world where she exists as a spectral version of herself, having lost an eye, her voice box, and her brother?

You have a challenging decision ahead, since neither choice offers any rewards within the game. In essence, it comes down to which argument you find more convincing. Is Maelle’s plan to remain on the canvas until she perishes, forcing Verso’s spirit to keep painting, a self-serving strategy for dealing with her grief? Or is it unkind to expect Maelle to continue living as a ghost in her own body, having lost an eye, her voice, and her brother?

Making the choice is truly painful, whichever path you take, as there’s no definitive solution; it’s simply about choosing what feels morally correct to you.

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2025-04-26 11:16