The following contains major spoilers forClair Obscur: Expedition 33.
If its immediate success has proven anything, it’s thatClair Obscur: Expedition 33has a lot going for it. Already one of 2025’s Game of the Year picks,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33has everything a great RPG needs, from a captivating story to a breathtaking world, as well as one of the most engaging and rewardingcombat systems in an RPGto date. One thing players might discover rather quickly, however, is how they can often manipulate combat scenarios with the use ofClair Obscur’s most powerful element: Fire. By keeping stacks of Burn on their enemies at all times (most enemies, anyway), players can whittle away at health bars with ease and even take down some of the game’s toughest bosses.
Many RPGs with elemental mechanics, should they favor one element over the other, often do so without any explanation or reason for it.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, on the other hand, justifies its preference for fire in its story. This justification roots itself deep inClair Obscur’s narrative, though, to the point that one must complete Act 2 to know the truth. Once that truth is revealed, althoughClair Obscurdoesn’t outright say “This is why Fire is so powerful,” the reason for that becomes clear.
Why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s Fire Element Is So Powerful
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s World Is Actually One Big Painting
During the concluding cinematic sequences ofAct 2 inClair Obscur: Expedition 33, players learn that the Paintress isn’t who they thought she was, and neither is the world they’ve now become familiar with. In reality, the Paintress is actually Verso and Maelle’s mother, though she is merely an artificial version of her real self. The world ofClair Obscuris, in truth, a massive painting constructed by Verso himself in the real world. This all becomes apparent when everyone in the world fades away shortly after the Paintress is defeated and then at the game’s conclusion.
In the real world, there are at least two factions: Painters and Writers. While not much is known about Writers yet, Painters are able to create things by painting them on a Canvas. As a Painter, then, Verso painted the world ofClair Obscuron a Canvas and that world came to life, along with all the world’s inhabitants. However, after Verso was killed, the Paintress entered the Canvas and reshaped it. This is precisely why everyone is"gommaged" inClair Obscurwhen the Paintress is defeated within the Canvas, as her demise releases Renoir from the Monolith, after which he uses his Chroma to begin dismantling the Canvas.
Fire’s Power in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is a By-Product of the Paintress' Grief
As far as whyFire and its ability to inflict Burnare so powerful inClair Obscur, that comes down to Verso’s death. In the real world, Verso and Maelle (who is actually called “Alicia”) were caught in a tragic house fire. Alicia managed to make it out alive, although her entire body was scarred by it, and she lost her voice and one eye as a result. However, Verso was not so lucky. The fire ended up claiming Verso’s life, leaving his mother Aline to grieve.
The world ofClair Obscuris, in truth, a massive painting constructed by Aline, Verso and Maelle’s mother, in the real world.
Unable to handle the loss, Aline entered Verso’s Canvas and then reshaped it to immortalize his memory, leading to her becoming the Paintress as a result. In other words, the reason theelement of Fireand its Burn effect are so powerful inClair Obscuris because fire is the very thing that took her son’s life. In essence, the power of Fire inClair Obscuris a by-product of the Paintress' grief, and it explains why it is not only overpowered in the game but also its most prominent element.
