Renoir destroys the landing party. Axons are described as unbeatable. Then the survivors of Expedition 33 defeat Sirène and Visages. Were their predecessors really that incompetent?
Not remotely. The old journals record expeditions opening paths, entering the Monolith and even reaching the Paintress. Their problem was getting that knowledge back to Lumière. This article contains spoilers from mid-game and later journals.
1. Why did the survivors keep winning after Renoir?
The disastrous landing makes later victories seem absurd.
“We can't win!” “We won.” “Wait, what?”
A player's victory does not prove an enemy was easy in the story. Allies, equipment, tactics and routes left by previous expeditions all matter. [1][2]
2. What are Sirène and the Axons?
Axons are immensely powerful beings. Sirène, associated with dance, music and charm, and Visages, associated with masks and emotion, are the two central Axons on the main path.
Expedition 58's journal says Axon hearts hold power that might become a weapon against the Monolith's barrier. Verso and Renoir reportedly tried for years to defeat them without success. Later content mentions four Axons overall, but not four identical main-story boss fights. [2][3]
3. What the previous expeditions actually accomplished
| Expedition | Recorded action |
|---|---|
| 39 | Explored the masks around Visages |
| 40 | Approached the Monolith by air and hit a barrier |
| 41 | Fought many Nevrons and counted kills |
| 43 | Lost every submarine to a sea creature |
| 55 | Tested music-based weapons in Sirène's territory |
| 57 | Brought siege engines to battle |
| 58 | Investigated Axon hearts and the barrier |
| 60 | Passed the barrier and reached the Paintress |
| 64 | Used radios between teams and suspected interference |
| 67 | Used explosives to reach deep into Sirène's area |
| 69 | Built climbing handholds for later expeditions |
| 70 | Entered the Monolith and installed grapple points |
| 78 | Attempted an operation with airships |
Reaching Sirène's domain is not proof of defeating Sirène. The journals document Expedition 67's approach and Expedition 69's work near Visages, not victories against those bosses. [2][4]
4. Expedition 60: muscles versus a supernatural barrier
William's diary is outrageous. The team trained relentlessly, removed their cumbersome uniforms and reportedly forced its way through the barrier using physical strength alone. They reached the Paintress. [2][5]
“Weapons?” “Muscles.” “Armor?” “Removed.” “Barrier?” “Passed.”
They then realized the Paintress was not the whole answer. The others headed toward a threat beneath the Monolith while William tried to warn Lumière. His last journal entry fears that swimming across the sea would take longer than he had left. His attempt is documented; a successful delivery is not.
Strong enough to pass a magic barrier, but still no return ferry.
5. Expeditions 69 and 70 were road builders
Expedition 69 drew maps and installed handholds on cliffs. It was less glamorous than fighting, but later explorers needed those routes.
Expedition 70 reached the Monolith's interior and installed the final grapple points. Charlotte called it a gift to the expeditions yet to come. Her team was then defeated by a Nevron. [2]
No return does not equal no progress: equipment, paths and journals could remain on the Continent for those who followed.
6. Were Expeditions 60 and 70 made up of people aged 60 and 70?
No. The number followed that year's number on the Monolith; it was not the average age of a team. When the number was 70, people aged 70 or older were erased. The group departing afterward could not all be seventy-year-olds. [1][3]
Many volunteers faced erasure the following year, but younger people like Maelle were allowed to join. Earlier eras did have older residents, so recruiting several adult age groups is an interesting idea. The actual average ages of these two expeditions are unknown.
7. Why didn't just one person return with the information?
It is inaccurate to say nobody in history ever returned. Community records describe two survivors returning from Expedition Zero. Later missions, however, had little success passing their discoveries home. [3]
The Continent is separated from Lumière by sea. Expedition 43 lost its submarines, 40 was blocked in the air and 64 used radios between field teams without demonstrating a safe link all the way to Lumière. [2]
Nor is an absolute prohibition on retreat established: William tried to return. The hard part was having a safe route and enough time.
City: “Any updates?” Continent: “Huge discoveries!” Sea: “You'll have to get past me first.”
8. Would an enormous army have worked better?
Pooling adults from different age groups could divide combat, treatment, mapping, transport and supply. But earlier teams had already tried large battles, heavy weapons, submarines, gliders, radios and airships. [2][3]
Losing one enormous force would also strip Lumière of workers, food producers and technical knowledge. Numbers alone do not overcome attacks that strike whole groups.
A more promising hypothesis separates scouting and construction crews, combat teams, and protected supply and return crews. That is a proposed strategy, not established game lore.
9. Does Expedition 33's success mean the older teams were weak?
The 33 team has capable members, equipment and inherited routes. Expedition 34's journal even alludes to Gustave's ideas for drawing a new kind of power from Pictos. [2]
“Unkillable Axon” was a character's assessment, not a universal law. A player can retry, learn attacks and upgrade equipment; those advantages cannot be converted directly into an in-world power ranking.
“Previous teams were useless?” “They installed a path INSIDE the Monolith.” “Okay. Respect.”
10. The tragedy was not failure to discover, but failure to report
Earlier teams explored sea and sky, opened routes, reached the Monolith's interior and even crossed the barrier. Expedition 33 built on those accomplishments.
The tragedy is how much knowledge, bought with lives, failed to reach Lumière.
Expedition 60: “We know what's beyond the barrier!” City: “Come tell us!” Expedition 60: “Where's the boat?” Sea: “One more swimming workout.”
Saving the world needed a way forward—and a way to bring the answers back.
References (5)
- SEGA公式『クレール・オブスキュール：エクスペディション33』作品概要（モノリスの数字、消去、遠征の目的）。 sega.jp
- Dawnborn, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — All Journals（ゲーム内日誌の文字起こし。第34、39～41、43、55、57、58、60、64、67、69、70、78遠征隊を参照）。 dawnborn.com
- Clair Obscur Wiki, Expeditions（第0遠征隊の帰還者、遠征番号、部隊編成に関する補助資料。ファン編集であり公式確定資料ではない）。 clair-obscur.fandom.com
- Neoseeker, All Expedition Journal Locations（各日誌の発見地点確認）。 neoseeker.com
- Gamer Guides, Expedition 60: William（第60遠征隊の日誌と場所の別資料）。 gamerguides.com
