InClair Obscur: Expedition 33, the main story might pull you along with its urgency and combat, but some of the most interesting moments are off the beaten path. What’s cool is how varied some of the side quests are. Some get weird, while others get surprisingly personal. You might end up helping a poet rediscover their voice or deal with a fashionista who treats the world like a runway.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - 8 Tips and Tricks We Wish We Knew Sooner
With these Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 tips, your combat, XP farming and exploration is made easier.
While it’s true that some side quests in this game don’t hit you over the head with importance, the best ones do. So if you’ve skipped a few of these already, it might be worth circling back.
Reward: Auto Shell
While moving through the Stone Wave Cliffs, you’ll come across a strange Nevron named Hexga. It’s slumped over, silent, with three empty slots on its back. That’s your clue. To help Hexga, you need tolook for three Rock Crystalshidden in the Tide Caverns nearby. One is found in a corner after you ride down a zipline. Another sits past a half-submerged building and you need to head up the slope behind a central rock to spot it. The last one is tied to a mini-boss. Walk up to a zipline without using it, and a glowing crystal will pop out, summoning the Rocher. Beat it, grab the crystal.
When you plug all three into Hexga, it finally shifts and stands, freeing up a collectible called the Auto Shell picto. This gives your team the Shell status automatically for three turns at the start of every battle. At this point, you can either let Hexga go or pick a fight. Fighting it now locks you out of future rewards, but if you’re planning to finish every Nevron quest and unlock the “Aiding the Enemy” achievement, you can always circle back later for the battle.
Reward: Auto Powerful Picto
When you reach the Floating Cemetery, you’ll come across a quiet figure named Chalier just off to the side of the entrance flag. He’s standing near a mound of bodies, looking like he’s waiting for something. Talk to him and you’ll be asked to pick a weapon for him. He’ll let you choose between a sword, a spear or a hammer. Once you’ve handed him the weapon, he walks into a nearby building, which is your cue to follow him in.
Inside, the conversation’s over. You’ll need to fight Chalier. Once you defeat him, he’ll ask you to finish him off completely. If you choose to do it, he gives you the Auto Powerful Picto. It automatically grants the “Powerful” status for three turns at the beginning of each fight, which can give you a bit of a head start in battle. But if you decide to spare him, there’s no item, though your choice still contributes to a larger in-game achievement called “Aiding the Enemy.”
8The Small Bourgeon
Reward: Colour of Lumina
There’s a quiet little detour involving a small white Nevron found inThe Small Bourgeon area. To kick things off, you’ll need to find something called Bourgeon Skin. You can get it by finding your way to Flying Waters and defeating a Bourgeon enemy near the Lumieran Streets rest point. From the flag, walk between two buildings and keep going until you see a lamppost. Then turn left there and you’ll find your target.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - The Small Bourgeon Quest Guide
A small, undersized Bourgeon just wants to be like all the rest. Kill his brethren to help him achieve this goal.
Once you’ve got the skin, make your way back to the Flower Field rest point, go past Goblu’s boss room, and explore west to reach the Bourgeon. Hand over the item and then step away from the area. When you come back, the Nevron will have changed into the Grown Bourgeon. As a thank-you, it gives you a Colour of Lumina. You could stop there, but you don’t have to. If you choose to fight it, be ready for a scrap. Winning the battle nets you five Colours of Lumina and a Polished Chroma Catalyst.
7Grandis Fashionist
Reward: Pure Outfits
There’s a curious character waiting for you in Monoco’s Station, rocking a red beret and calling themselves the Grandis Fashionist. For this side quest, you’ll need to have Monoco in your party. Once that’s sorted, go to the right side of the station after the Stalact fight and you’ll spot them standing nearby. The next series of events isn’t your standard fetch quest or fight; i’s more like a poetry pop quiz.
How to Complete Grandis Fashionist’s Poems in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
This fashionista wants to dress the ladies of Expedition 33 in the most elequant of outfits, but first you must finish his poem.
The Fashionist will challenge you, one character at a time, with a set of rhyming lines. Your job is to choose the correct response from a handful of options. Each correct answer needs to rhyme and include a comma. Lune, Maelle and Sciel will each get their own turn, and if you nail all three responses for a character, you unlock their Pure Outfit. That means you’ll need to repeat the process three times if you want the full set.
Rewards: Protecting Heal Picto, Three Colours of Lumina and a Polished Chroma Catalyst
You’ll find a glowing orb floating near the Esoteric Ruins, and that’s your starting point for the Portier side quest. The orb will give you a cryptic message about a sound echoing beyond the cliff, so your next move is to climb up the nearby ledge and find your way through the ruins up top. It’s not exactly a straight walk because there’s a maze inside. You’ll need to activate a few glowing switches to open up paths and eventually you’ll come across Wood Boards near a crumbled part of the structure. Take those back to the orb and Portier finally shows itself.
The first reward you will get is the Protecting Heal Picto, which adds the Shell status to allies you heal in combat. Then you’re faced with a choice. You can walk away or attack Portier on the spot. If you go for the fight, you’ll earn three Colours of Lumina and a Polished Chroma Catalyst, but doing so makes Portier vanish for good.
Rewards: Gustave’s Pure Outfit, Three Polished Chroma Catalysts and a Recoat
There’s a side quest tucked away in Gestral Village involving a character named Karatom. He’s a small inventor with big plans to build something called the Ultimate Sakapatate. But he’s stuck – he needs a rare Blue Mushroom to finish the job. You’ll find it in Esquie’s Nest, a cave you can access after completing the tournament and getting the password.
Once you’re inside Esquie’s Nest, go to the large cavern, drop down to the right, and look for glowing mushrooms near the water. That’s where the Blue Mushroom grows. Bring it back to Karatom and you won’t just get a thank-you. Instead, you’ll have to fight the machine he built alone, as Gustave. It’s a rematch from an earlier boss, but this time there’s no team to back you up. After the fight, you get Gustave’s Pure Outfit (white and gold), three Polished Chroma Catalysts and a Recoat.
4Benisseur
Rewards: Recovery Picto, Three Colours of Lumina and a Grandiose Chroma Catalyst
Out in theRed Woods, you’ll find a fountain, where you have to drop 90,000 Chroma. Once you cough that up, Benisseur shows up. It’s not a fight right away, though. If you chat with it, it’ll reward you with the Recovery Picto, which gives you back 10% health at the start of every turn.
After the exchange, you’re given a choice: leave things be or attack Benisseur. If you go the combat route, you’ll get three Colours of Lumina and a Grandiose Chroma Catalyst as a reward.
3Troubadour
Rewards: Healing Parry Picto and Resplendent Chroma Catalyst
In the Stone Quarry during Act 2 you’ll meet a Nevron named Troubadour. This guy doesn’t want to fight anymore like some other NPCs. Instead, he wants you to help him learn restraint, so you’ll face a test in which he blasts orbs from his trumpet. You need to absorb the green ones and parry the red. It’s not overly complex, but it does take a bit of focus.
How to Complete the Troubadour Quest in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Bust a move with the Troubadour questline in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Clear all three phases and he’ll reward you with a Healing Parry, which is adefensive pictothat would come in handy as you progress. Troubadour then puts the ball in your court: leave him alone or take him on in battle. If you choose to fight, he doesn’t hold back. Win and you will walk away with a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst.
2Danseuse Teacher
Rewards: Lune’s Danseuse Outfit, Grandiose Chroma Catalyst and Augmented Counter III
The Danseuse Teacher side quest can be found in the Frozen Hearts region in Act 2. To get things rolling, go to the Glacial Falls Expedition Flag, turn around and take the nearby staircase. Keep walking along the railway tracks until you come across a group of Danseuses. The tallest one is the teacher, and she’s the one who’ll challenge you to this quest.
Once you accept her invitation, you’re thrown into a parrying challenge where the goal is to block every single one of her attacks without messing up. If you succeed, she rewards you with the Danseuse Outfit for Lune, which is purely cosmetic but stands out. That could be the end of it, or you could take things further by choosing to attack her right after the performance. If you do, it triggers a boss battle. Win that, and you’ll collect a Grandiose Chroma Catalyst and Augmented Counter III.
Rewards: Healing Tint Shard, Three Colours of Lumina and a Chroma Catalyst
You’ll run into a strange creature namedJarwhile exploring Spring Meadows. He’s a Nevron stuck in place, holding an unlit lamp and quietly waiting for someone to lend a hand. To get things going, you’ll need to find a special kind of resin. It’s found behind some barrels near a bridge in the Indigo Tree area, not far from the Expedition 81 rest point. Once you’ve got it, go back to Jar and shoot a flame at his lamp to light it. That’s all it takes to finish the quest and you’ll get a Healing Tint Shard as a thank-you.
But then comes a choice. You can walk away or you can fight him. If you choose to attack, get ready for a battle. Beat him and you’ll walk away with three Colours of Lumina and a Chroma Catalyst. If you leave him alone, however, he’ll stick around, which may pay off later. There’s even an achievement tied to helping all the Nevrons, and if you unlock it, you’ll be able to visit Jar again for more rewards.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - 10 Best Secrets and Easter Eggs
A list of the best Easter eggs hidden within Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
