Sandfall Interactive’s debut title,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33,has captured the hearts of gamers worldwide. The interactive turn-based RPG breathes new life into the genre with its innovative mechanics, mesmerizing graphics, and captivating story.The characters inClair Obscur:Expedition 33make a strong impressionfrom the beginning. This aspect of the game flourishes further in Act 2 as players can start building relationships with other main characters. InExpedition 33, relationships are more than just dialogue, as they carry meaningful gameplay impact.
As players engage in one-on-one interactions with each main character, not only is new information about characters discovered, but new skills are also unlocked. These abilities, calledgradient skills, play a crucial role in determining the outcome of battles. The best relationship in the game remains subjective, as players enjoy different interactions and chemistry between characters. This list focuses on the relationships in the game that offer the most valuable rewards through skills unlocked by progressing relationship levels. It’s written to help players prioritize characters and complete the necessary tasks to maximize these bonds for the best in-game benefits.
Starting Skills
Chalier Combo, Stalact Punches
The oddball of the group, Monoco, might not be human, but this fierce gestral with an unyielding fighting spirit is exactly the kind of ally players need to face down the relentless Nevrons. Monoco boasts an impressive variety of skills, giving players the flexibility to build him in different ways based on the party’s needs. On top of his regular abilities, the friendly gestral also unlocks three powerful gradient skills as players deepen their bond with him.
The first skill,Mighty Strike,is a simple way to deal high single-target damage. This skill is mainly used for setting up a strong almighty mask skill. At relationship level 5, Monoco gains access toSanctuary, one of the rare skills inExpedition 33capable of generating shields for allies — an invaluable asset when facing formidable foes. His final gradient skill,Break Point, is the crown jewel of his arsenal, granting players the ability to shatter an enemy’s stance on command. This proves especially useful against heavily defensive enemies who typically take ages to wear down.
However, powerful skills come at a price, and timing their use is crucial to maximizing their impact. While Monoco’s gradient abilities fill some niche roles and can enable creative strategies, their situational nature means they’re not always essential, placing Monoco lower on this ranking list.
Offensive Switch, Percee, Spark
Maelle joins the party a little later in the story, but it’s evident from her introduction in the prologue that she’s a vital member of the team. As the youngest in the group, she struggles with trust issues,yet her impressive support skills quickly prove her worth. In dangerous encounters, Maelle’s abilities help keep the team alive, making her an indispensable ally in perilous situations.
Maelle’s first gradient skill,Virtuous Strike, delivers respectable damage for a low AP cost. However, the true payoff for investing time in leveling up her relationship comes with the gradient skills unlocked at relationship levels 5 and 7.Phoenix Flame, the first of these, is a clutch ability designed to turn the tide in dire moments. When activated, it inflicts ten stacks of Burn on all enemies while simultaneously reviving fallen allies with 50% to 70% of their health. It’s a lifesaving move that can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Her final Gradient attack,Gommage, isn’t just stylish in name and animation — it’s also incredibly useful. While it may not shine during boss encounters, it proves invaluable by instantly eliminating weaker enemies regardless of their remaining HP, allowing players to concentrate on tougher threats. Maelle stands out as a fan-favorite thanks to both her personality and versatility, effortlessly fitting into offensive or defensive roles.
Focused Foretell, Twilight Slash
The fourth party member, Sciel, is a well-rounded character who can attack, heal, and buff, but is oriented towards an offensive build. This is also evident from her gradient skills, as they help players deal massive damage to enemies. Sciel’s first gradient skill,Shadow Bringer, is one of the best skills in the game, and players receive it for free in Act 2. This ability deals a high amount of dark damage for a low cost. The skill also stacks Foretell for Sciel with each hit, which can be utilized later to empower her skills.
Doomis the second gradient skill, which unlockswhen Sciel’s relationship level is raised to level 5. This ability, apart from dealing high single-target dark damage, also debuffs enemies heavily by casting powerless, defenseless and slow on them for the next three turns. Her final skill,End Slice, does require some setup before performing, but it’s worth it as it deals an immense amount of damage in proportion to the Foretell accumulated since the beginning of the battle.
Assault Zero, From Fire
Joining Expedition 33 in the second act of the game, Verso’s relationship progress works a bit differently from the other characters. As players assume the role of Verso, they will have to talk to Esquie, another major character, to gain Verso’s gradient skills. The reason Verso ranks so highly on this list is because of his third gradient skill:Angel’s Eyes.
Easily the strongest gradient skill in the game, Angel’s Eyes carries the potential to deal extreme physical damage. Each hit also stacks 1 Perfection, which plays a vital role in Verso’s combat mechanics. Perfection increases his damage output, and some skills have additional effects that only unlock at specific perfection levels. The same gradient skill also allows Verso to revive once in battle, further extending the utility of the skill. However, his other gradient skills,SabotageandStriker, are not particularly impressive. While they deal decent damage, they are not worth wasting a gradient skill on when fighting enemies.
Immolation, Ice Lance
The first party member to regroup after the incident at the shore of the main continent, Lune has always been one of the most reliable characters inClair Obscur: Expedition 33. Coming with a diverse set of skills,Lune can fit in various molds according to the player’s wish. This diversity can also be seen in Lune’s relationship levels, as she comes with one of the most diverse gradient skill sets in the game.
Her first skill,Tremor, removes shields from the enemy. Lune’s second gradient skill,Tree of Life, is her best and most used skill. With it, she can heal the group and cleanse any debuffs, making this skill extremely useful as it can turn the tides on the enemies without wasting a turn. Her final skill,Sky Break, comes with the ability to attack all enemies at once, dealing extreme damage. The element of damage dealt by this move depends on the stain used, giving it the power to annihilate enemies despite their specific resistances. Lune is an explosive package of versatility and players should prioritize their relationship levels with her.
