There’s no shortage of amazing and well-developed characters inClair Obscur: Expedition 33, and the main playable characters are all incredible for their own unique reasons. However, there are also a ton of NPCs throughout the game that are equally interesting and full of potential. Despite the fact that I know we will never be able to play these various NPCs, I can’t help but imagine what specialized skills and abilities these characters would have given what we learn about them from the game itself.
Warning: This list contains spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.While the six playablecharacters inClair Obscurare incredibly dynamic and entertaining, the imagination runs wild when it comes to NPCs and what would be possible if we could dive into combat with characters such as Renoir, Sophie, or even Noco,Monoco’s best friendand adorable Expedition 33 companion. Even if it’s almost certainly never going to happen, it’s worth looking at what we do know about some of these NPCs and speculating about what gameplay might be like if they were indeed playable.
10Sophie: Gustave’s Dancing Partner
We Get A Fleeting Glimpse At Sophie’s Gameplay In The Prologue
Sophie is the only NPC inClair Obscurthat we actually get a chance to control,even if it’s for a brief and fleeting moment in the Prologue.While you can explore Lumiere as Sophie during the Prologue and even “fight” against her with Gustave in their dance display for the painter, you never get a chance to use any skills or combat mechanics for her, unfortunately. This is a huge tease for players, especially when you don’t know yet what’s in store for her during the Gommage.
Sophie clearly has sword-fighting skills equivalent or even better than Gustavegiven their Prologue dance sequence, but she was also part of theAquafarm 3 project that Scielwas involved with. There’s a ton of potential here for what kind of unique gameplay mechanics Sophie could have, especially in terms of melee sword-fighting abilities akin to Gustave’s.
9Tristan: A Close Friend To Lune That We Lost Too Soon
Tristan Is Killed Early During Expedition 33
Tristan was one of Lune’s closest friends and dearest confidants, and he was practically part of her family. Like Lune, he was an apprentice to her parents and presumably had access to the same depth of knowledge as her. He had known Lune since they were just six years old, and weonly get a few clues about his character through Lune’s dialogueand a short interaction with him during theFestival in the Prologue.
He is also part of Expedition 33 and ostensibly had the skills and know-how to put up a good fight, and could possibly even have a similar set ofskills as Lune, though we never find out. Sadly, while he was able to gain cover during the initial attack when Expedition 33 starts their journey, he is snatched away from behind a boulder and is presumed dead,though this is never technically confirmed.
8Emma: Gustave’s Sister Would Likely Have Serious Skills
Emma Is Maelle’s Ward & Gustave’s Sister
Despite having one of the most important and inspiring monologues in the entire game, we don’t spend very much time with Emma, Gustave’s sister and Maelle’s ward. It’s fascinating how much she stands out even in the limited time we see her on screen, but even more interesting is speculating about her power and possible abilities. As Maelle’s ward, it’shard to imagine she is incapable of putting up a fight.
Emma was also in a relationship at some point in the past with Lune’s eldest brother Sol, who likelywould have passed on a few tips and tricks to her.To boot, as Gustave’s sister, it’s very likely she is capable of incredible feats, despite believing it’s somewhat futile to pursue the Paintress at all. She might be a pacifist in many regards, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have a few tricks up her very fashionable sleeves.
7Noco: Monoco’s Very Best Friend & Fellow Foot Enthusiast
Noco Would Be More Than A Tiny Version Of Monoco
Noco is easily one of my favorite NPCs in the game and would be mytop choice of Gestralsto play as next to the beloved Monoco. Unlike many other NPCs, welearn quite a bit about Noco’s possible prowess in battle, given that he is Monoco’s mentor and vice versa. Gestrals are reborn in the Sacred River after they die, and Monoco and Noco took turns as each other’s guardian.
Monoco eventually skips the queue waiting forNoco to be resurrected, and Noco ends up back at the Gestral Village with no memory of Monoco.
WhileMonoco has skillsbased on the feet of the enemies he collects, Noco would fight more like the various merchants you encounter and battle throughout the game. It would be very interesting to get to play as Noco and see his merchant fighting abilities, which would likely be enhanced considerably givenhow special Noco is to the coreClair Obscurexperience.
6Renoir: The Lion King
Renoir Has A Range Of Attacks That Would Be Incredibly Fun
Renoir is easily one of the most complex characters in the game, but in terms of combat, he might have the most interesting set of skills and abilities of all themain bosses inClair Obscur.In particular, we see his foreboding lion beast form enter near the end of Act 2, which isonly one of his many incredible abilities.He also has the ability to summonthe various Axons, to disappear or vanish people from an encounter, and even to summon meteors from the void.
Renoir’s various attacks throughout the game would beincredible in the form of a playable version of his character,with limitless build potential and countless ways to incorporate his moves into interesting weapons and/or weapon bonuses. If they were ever to make an NPC playable in a future DLC or sequel, Renoir would be an obvious option.
5Clea: The Best Healer In The Game
The Clea’s Life Pictos Is A Teaser For What She’d Be Like In Combat
Clea would be ripe for an adaptation as a playable character, and we even get a taste of what her skills would include with the Clea’s Life Pictos. There’s no doubt she’d bean incredible character for a support build,with the ability to heal fully at the beginning of each turn and likely would be able to heal the party to boot. But this would just be the tip of the iceberg for a playable version of Clea.
She could also function largely as a “summoner class,“insofar as that would be possible inClair Obscur.When you faceClea in Flying Manor, she has the ability to summon various types ofChromatic Nevron enemiesto aid her in battle and attack the party.
4Aline: The Paintress Might Be Too Powerful For Her Own Good
Playing As The Paintress Herself Would Be Fascinating
The matriarch of the Dessendre family, Aline, is the force behind the Paintress and would likely be more powerful than any other playable character in the game. She is literally unlimited in terms of abilities, becausethe Paintress can do things that no other being in the Canvas can.
Summoning the Giant Brush of Lightwould be among my top choices of skills and/or weapons for Aline and/or The Paintress, while the ability to tear through the Canvas itself and summon void lightning would be amazing. She would also have various Chroma attacks and even support skills such as Protection and Healing.
3Golgra: All Hail The Chef
The Strongest Gestral In The Entire Village
Golgra, the “Head Chef” of the Gestral Village, is hands-down one of the toughest Gestrals inClair Obscur. Many players struggle to take down Golgra, especially early in the game, and there’slimitless potential for what she might play like in combat.It would be fun to see her adapted as a playable character that incorporates many of the melee attacks we see when we fight her, but expanded to include some more complex martial skills that are largely unexplored.
Golgra could easily be developed as another “martial class” in the same style as Verso, who focuses largely on physical attacks as opposed to other characters who incorporate Chroma-based skills and mechanics.Golgra would be a top choice after Nocofor me in terms of Gestrals that I’d like to play as inClair Obscur.
2Simon: The Abyss Stares Back
There’s No Stronger Boss Than Simon
There’s probablyno more obvious choice for a playable character than Simon,who is easily the most powerful anddifficult “secret” bossin the entire game. Simon has three phases, an incredible weapon that has double and triple follow-up attacks, and can even erase the entire party from the encounter with the snap of his fingers.
Simon was single-handedly able to take on and defeat the Axons, and he would easily be one of the most OP characters in the game if it were ever to happen.
Simon also just looks very cool, and I’d love to be able to explore the Continent with him, find new outfits for him, and I’d especially love to see how his various skills would be adapted into a playable form. On top of all that,Simon has one of the best backstories in the game,and I’d love to see a DLC or sequel that explores Simon’s story even further.
1Trash-Can Man: You Can’t Hide From The Gommage
I’m Only Half-Joking About Playing As Trash-Can Man
While it might sound like I’m having a laugh, Trash-Can Man is an NPC that I have been incredibly interested in learning more about from the very beginning (literally). If you don’t know about Trash-Can Man, he’s one ofClair Obscur’sbest-kept secrets— a character who literallyhides in a trash can during the Prologue to avoid the Gommage.
You can also revisit the Trash-Can Man in Act 3 for a small reward and to learn his fate.
I would absolutely love to see a playable version of the Trash-Can Man, mostly to see how developers would manage to pull it off. What exactly would his move set be, and how would he be able to use the Trash Can to his advantage? It might seem ridiculous, but I’m only half-joking when I say I’d love to see a playable version of this hilarious NPC inClair Obscur: Expedition 33.
