The Monolith represents one of the most challenging and rewarding sections in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This massive dungeon brings together elements from every area you've explored, creating a final test before facing the Paintress. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the size and complexity of this area, don't worry, this guide will walk you through every step.
Getting Ready at Camp
After defeating the second Axon, Sirene, you'll return to camp with some important upgrades. The most crucial item you'll receive is Maelle's Barrier Breaker weapon, which is exactly what you need to break through the Paintress's protective barrier.
Before heading to the Monolith, take time to strengthen your relationships with your companions. You can boost Sciel and Lune to Relationship Level 5, while Monoco can reach Level 4 (though you'll need to fight him for this one). Maelle and Esquie's relationships aren't available for upgrading just yet.
After raising your relationship levels, don’t forget to allocate your attribute and skill points according to your preferred build. Visit the Curator to upgrade your weapons and Lumina, and make sure to write in Gustave’s Journal to keep track of your journey.
Also, be sure to “Check Up on Others” at the campfire, this action will trigger an important cutscene. Once everything is done, go to sleep to continue your adventure.
The Monolith Entrance
With the Barrier Breaker in hand, it’s time to head to the Monolith, the northernmost area of the map. Here, you’ll find a massive glowing barrier that can now be destroyed using Maelle’s new weapon.
When you reach the Monolith area, activate the Expedition Flag: The Monolith Entrance. Walking toward the Paintress triggers your first battle with her, but don't expect to win this one. This fight is designed to show you just how powerful she is, you literally can't damage her at all.
Just keep attacking for 2-3 turns each, and the battle will end automatically, and you will be transported to the inside of the Monolith.
Inside the Monolith
Once transported inside the Monolith, activate the Expedition Flag: Entrance. What makes this dungeon special is how it recreates areas from your entire journey, giving you a chance to revisit familiar themes with new challenges.
If you haven't brought Monoco back to earlier areas since recruiting him, this is the perfect opportunity. Having him in your party lets you collect more Nevron legs and abilities as you encounter familiar enemy types.
Follow the main path across the grapple points until you reach an area with a waterfall. You'll face three Lanceliers here, defeat them to earn the Weapon - Lanceram (Level 15) and grab the Colour of Lumina they were guarding.
The world shifts to black and white as you climb the nearby hill. These monochrome sections contain story scenes that add depth to the experience, so take time to watch them. Go through a portrait frame to restore color to the world.
When the path splits just before the next Expedition Flag, head left first down the magic ropes. You'll encounter various enemies, including Portiers, Abbests, and Lanceliers. At the bottom of the second rope, look for a Paint Cage.
- The first lock is on the wall of the huge rock in the center.
- The second lock is right beside the magic rope you used earlier.
- Near the magic rope, there is a small pathway with the third lock behind.
Breaking all three locks rewards you with a Revive Tint Shard. Head back up using the magic rope and follow the main path, activating the Expedition Flag: Tainted Meadows.
Tainted Meadows
The Tainted Meadows section recreates the peaceful Spring Meadows area with a darker twist. Follow the path and kill the patrolling Portier just ahead. After defeating it, you will immediately find yourself on a split, let’s cross the bridge on the left side first.
Eliminate the patrolling enemies, then head down the slope. Hug the left wall until you reach a lower platform where you'll find a Colour of Lumina. After collecting it, return to the slope area, where you can kill the Évêque.
This is the same enemy you encountered earlier in Spring Meadows, but this version is noticeably stronger. Now, Évêque can cast eight protective shields on itself, making the fight more challenging. It's highly recommended to equip shield-breaking skills to efficiently break through its defenses.
If Monoco is in your party when you defeat it, he can learn a new ability called Évêque Spear. It also drops Pictos - Cleansing Tint (Level 15) and Resplendent Chroma Catalyst.
After defeating the Évêque, continue along the main path and eliminate the Volesters and Clair ahead. After defeating them, Monoco will acquire Clair’s Foot. Move forward and climb the nearby ledge. Shortly after, you'll encounter the second black-and-white memory scene.
If you’ve been following the story closely, this scene will likely reveal the true identity of the Paintress. After watching the scene, turn left and head towards the dark cave towards the Tainted Waters area.
Tainted Waters
This section brings back memories of the Flying Waters region with its aquatic theme. You'll start by fighting groups of Brulers, Crulers, and Démineurs, earning the Weapon - Brulerum (Level 15) and Weapon - Cruleram (Level 15).
Look for the narrow seaweed-lined tunnel on the left side of the first room. This leads to Mistra, a Gestral Merchant who sells valuable weapons, including Fragaro and Veremum. Fragaro is a really good upgrade for Monoco for now. If you're feeling confident, defeat him in combat to earn Pictos - Powering Cleanse.
After buying what you need, head back towards the main path and hug the left wall to get a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. Keep following the path until you find and activate Expedition Flag: Tainted Waters.
From here, immediately kill the enemies ahead. Next, look to your right to see a pathway, head there, and kill the Démineur. At the end of the path, look to your left to see what looks like a wrecked ship’s remains. You can crawl under it and find a Colour of Lumina behind the boxes.
Now, return to the open area and head to the left side. You'll find a sloped path covered with seaweed, enter it, and continue across the grapple points. At the end of the path, you'll encounter an optional boss, Chromatic Bourgeon.
Optional Boss: Chromatic Bourgeon
The highlight of Tainted Waters is the optional Chromatic Bourgeon boss. This enhanced version of the towering Bourgeon enemies you've faced before packs significantly more health and power.
The most challenging aspect of this fight is the Consume ability. Now, this move can remove two of your party members from battle until the boss is Broken, so it’s crucial to bring high Break-damage skills, such as Monoco’s Stalact Punches. Time your Break strategically, only use it after the boss consumes your allies to bring them back quickly.
Another key attack to watch for is Miasma, a combo of four consecutive fluid strikes that not only deals heavy damage but also inflicts the Exhaustion status. Exhaustion prevents your characters from gaining AP for several turns, severely limiting your combat options.
The Chromatic Bourgeon is weak to lightning damage, so make sure to prioritize lightning-based attacks and abilities to maximize your efficiency.
Victory rewards you with Sciel Weapon - Bourgelon (Level 16), Bourgeon Skin, 5 Colour of Lumina, and 2 Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. Don't forget to grab Pictos - Stay Marked from behind where the boss was standing.
After defeating the boss, head back across the grapple points and follow the main path. Kill the enemies blocking the path, granting Monoco a new Obscur skill. Follow the pathway, climb the magic rope, and activate the Expedition Flag: Tainted Sanctuary.
Tainted Sanctuary
The Tainted Sanctuary brings back the mystical atmosphere of the Ancient Sanctuary. Proceed ahead and head right to get a Colour of Lumina. Head back and take the path between two Gestral statues. You'll face Robust and Ranger Sakapatates, earning Weapon - Sakaram (Level 15) and Ranger Sakapatate’s skill for Monoco.
Continue along the path, but before entering the pathway with Gestral statues, look to your left to get a Colour of Lumina. Continue ahead and you will find yourself in the center of the area, with a huge towering totem in the middle. Kill the patrolling enemies here and look for Chroma x2,130 under the totem.
From the entrance, head right to see a small alleyway with a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst along the way. From here, follow the main path until you find yourself at a split, then take the left path, and crawl under the rock. Kill the enemies here, and you will find a Paint Cage.
- The first lock is on the middle part of the huge totem.
- Go near the ledge and look left for the second lock.
- The last lock is inside the Paint Spike in the same area as the Paint Cage.
Successfully opening this Paint Cage rewards you with Pictos - Random Defense. After this, head back toward the crawl space and kill the remaining enemies up front. Proceed to the lantern-filled cave and activate the Expedition Flag: Tainted Cliffs.
Tainted Cliffs
Follow the spiral staircase and grab the Resplendent Chroma Catalyst on top of the platform. Continue across the grapple point and get the Chroma x4,260 along the way. Proceed towards the main path, and you will watch another black and white short scene. It’s kind of obvious now who the figure is.
Continue along the main road, and you will find multiple enemies, including Greatsword Cultists and Reaper Cultists. The Reaper Cultists on the right side drop Weapon - Chation (Level 15), kill them, and get the Chroma x2,130 they were guarding. Just behind them, there is a platform for a Pétank.
Follow the right side of the cliff, and you will find the Pétank on the bottom platform. Before chasing it towards the platform, look behind the broken windmill on the right for a Colour of Lumina.
Now, chase the Pétank to the platform behind the Cultists you defeated earlier. Follow it along the left cliff and engage it on the platform. To defeat this Pétank, you need to shoot its core using free-aim. Once hit, it will release an orb that begins to float around. Make sure to hit the orb again with precise free-aim shots, and perfectly time all counter-attacks, otherwise, the Pétank will flee after 3 turns.
Defeating it rewards you with 5 Resplendent Chroma Catalyst, 5 Colour of Lumina, and a Recoat.
After defeating the Pétank, head back towards the windmill. There is a small ledge just before the windmill. Look to the right, and you will see grapple points toward the floating picture frames. Grapple until you reach a lighthouse, and behind it, you will find a Recoat.
Now, proceed to the main path, grabbing Chroma x4,260 under the statue at the intersection. The main path will be towards the right, however, there is a magic rope on the left, leading to a deep underground. Let’s explore that first.
Monolith Mime
Down below, you’ll encounter a Mime, protected by Clair and Obscur. The strategy is similar to previous Mime encounters, but this time, it’s best to focus on eliminating its allies first. After defeating Clair and Obscur, use Maelle’s shield breaker skill to remove all 8 shields at once. Then, proceed to break its invisible wall to finish it off.
Defeating the Mime rewards you with Maelle Haircut – Voluminous. Now, let’s head back to the top using the previous magic rope.
Once at the top, follow the path marked with lanterns. Defeat the group consisting of Hexga, Obscur, and a Greatsword Cultist. After the fight, immediately check behind the rock pillar on the right side to find Pictos – Weakness Gain. Next, look to the far left of the area for a climbable ledge. Climb up to obtain Chroma ×2,130.
After getting everything, head back down and go through the exit. Follow the set of grapple points and activate the Expedition Flag: Tainted Battlefield.
Tainted Battlefield
The Tainted Battlefield recreates the chaos of earlier combat zones with crashed airships and debris scattered everywhere. Right after activating the flag, immediately look to the right to get a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst. Proceed through the wooden bridge, and before killing the enemy on the ledge, go behind it and jump down the ledge to get a Colour of Lumina. Head back up and defeat the group of Troubadour and Chaliers, earning Weapon - Troubadim (Level 15) and Pictos - Longer Shell (Level 15).
Jump down from the ledge and immediately turn right to eliminate the patrolling enemies. Continue along the side path until you reach the end, where you’ll find a Colour of Lumina. After collecting it, head back to the main area. When the road branches, take the left path to defeat more patrolling enemies. Then, climb the magic rope on the right side to obtain Chroma ×2,130.
Head back down and follow the main road, then eliminate Clair and her group. After defeating them, look to the right and pick up the Chroma ×2,130 located behind the broken cannon. Continue along the main path, and before passing through the small opening, climb the slope on the left to find a Colour of Lumina.
Once you’ve collected it, go through the narrow opening and follow the path through the large door until you reach a tombstone. From there, look to your left and enter the cave, this will lead you to the Manor.
The Manor
The path eventually leads to the familiar Manor, but this time you enter through a greenhouse on the top floor. You'll find Record - L'Amour D'une Mère and Journal - Aline here before making your way back to the main entrance. After getting these collectibles, go down the stairs at the back end of the greenhouse.
After exiting the Manor, follow the path and pass through the tombstone. Continue along the grapple points until you reach the snowy area, then activate the Expedition Flag: Tainted Hearts.
Tainted Hearts
Tainted Hearts brings back the train station atmosphere with multiple paths to explore. Follow the path and you will once again watch a black and white scene. After the scene, head onwards to the open area. There are some things here we can explore first.
First, head down the right path. On the right side of the crane, you'll find a Colour of Lumina on a train platform. Continue along the path, defeat the patrolling enemies ahead, and collect the Chroma ×4,260 at the end of the platform.
Then, head back to the path split and take the left route. Here, you'll encounter an optional boss: Gargant.
Optional Boss: Gargant
This challenging boss can summon snowstorms that reduce visibility and use Freeze attacks that completely immobilize your characters.
Gargant shifts between Ice Stance and Fire Stance, absorbing damage from matching elements while taking extra damage from opposing ones. In Ice Stance, use fire attacks for maximum effect, and vice versa. The boss can also use other elemental attacks without penalty.
Key attacks to watch for include a devastating 6-hit combo with pauses before the fifth and sixth punches, and a 4-hit combo that can damage your entire party.
Killing this optional boss grants you 3 Resplendent Chroma Catalyst.
Paint Cage
After defeating Gargant, look to the left and grapple across the gap to find another Paint Cage.
- The first lock is located beneath the ice wall, along the path leading to the entrance.
- The second lock is right above the Paint Cage, between the hanging train and the cliff.
- Head toward the cliff and look to the right, the final lock is just behind the ledge.
This Paint Cage contains Pictos - Empowering Parry, a valuable enhancement for defensive players. After grabbing it, head back towards the Gargant area.
Climb the handholds to the right of where Gargant stood to find Melosh, another Gestral Merchant. He sells Healing Tint Shard and, if defeated, Pictos - Greater Defenceless and Sciel Weapon - Garganon. You'll also find Pictos - Enfeebling Attack in the snow across the merchant.
Now, head back to the main path and defeat the enemies guarding the gate. After passing through the first gate, turn left and grab a Colour of Lumina behind the pillar. Continue toward the cave ahead, use the grapple, and look for a Resplendent Chroma Catalyst tucked between a pillar and some rubble on the left.
Next, speak to the Faceless Boy to trigger a teleport to Tainted Lumière. After the brief cutscene, activate the Expedition Flag: Tainted Lumière.
Tainted Lumière
The final major area before the ultimate confrontation recreates the beautiful city of Lumière with a dark twist. You'll face Gold, Steel, and Ceramic Chevalières around the central fountain, with one group dropping Pictos - Perilous Parry (Level 15). Go to the left path and look for a Recoat between the golden rocks.
Follow the narrow path on the left and grapple across the gaps to trigger a black and white scene. Once it ends, grapple across the next gap and eliminate the patrolling enemy ahead. From here, stick to the right wall, pass through a flower market, and collect Chroma x4,260 up ahead. After collecting it, defeat the enemy on the left.
Now, backtrack to the intersection with the golden rock wall, then turn right and head down the stairs. Enter the alley directly in front, where a harp is placed, and grab the Colour of Lumina beside it.
Continue along the main path until you reach a great tree. Take the right path here and look for a Colour of Lumina in the right-hand alley. Then, grapple across the gaps, defeat the patrolling enemies, and at the end of the path, you’ll find Journal – Expedition 70 and another Colour of Lumina.
Return to the main path and proceed through the golden tunnel opening. Right after exiting the tunnel, immediately turn left and go up the stairs to find a Colour of Lumina at the end. Next, take the narrow road beside the stairs and grapple across the gap. Head up the stairs ahead to face an optional boss: Clair Obscur.
Optional Boss: Clair Obscur
The most challenging optional boss awaits in an outdoor seating area accessible via grapple points and stairs. The Clair Obscur represents the ultimate test of your skills before facing the Paintress herself.
Countering this boss is fairly simple, as it charges its blades before attacking, giving you a clear visual cue. Watch for the glowing blades to know exactly when to parry or dodge.
Before focusing on Clair Obscur, it’s best to clear out the side enemies, Clair and Obscur, since they can buff the boss with Enrage and shields, making the fight significantly harder.
Victory rewards you with Verso Weapon - Dreameso, Pictos - Breaking Attack (Level 15), 2 Resplendent Chroma Catalyst, and 5 Colour of Lumina. You can also loot Lune Weapon - Lithelim from the table behind where the boss stood.
After clearing this area, head back to the main road and defeat the remaining Clair and Obscur. Then, proceed toward the cave opening and activate the Expedition Flag: Tower Peak.
Tower Peak
Tower Peak marks the end of your journey through the Monolith. This is your last chance to prepare before facing the final boss series, so make sure to rest, check your equipment and Pictos, and assign any remaining skill points.
Boss Fight: Renoir
The White-haired Man returns for your ultimate confrontation, and this time, you actually have a chance to win. The fight occurs in two phases, making it one of the longest boss battles in the game.
Renoir has no elemental weaknesses, but you can still inflict burning debuffs with fire attacks. These provide valuable damage over time throughout the lengthy battle.
The most dangerous attack in Renoir's arsenal is Vanish, which permanently removes a party member for the entire battle. You cannot revive vanished characters, making this ability incredibly threatening. Perform a Gradient Counter, just as his sword moves toward the black orb he summons.
At 50% health, Renoir enters his second phase by summoning a lion-like Lumina beast. He restores to full health and gains Enrage status, allowing him to attack twice per turn. The Lumina beast adds new attack patterns, including claw combos, launch attacks, and spinning tail swipes.
| Move | Description |
| Range Attack | 4-hit combo: slash → projectile → slash → slam. |
| 6-hit Combo | Dash + 3 melee → pause → 2 melee → pause → explosive hit. |
| Pool of Chroma | Slams ground, sending a Chroma wave at party; jump to dodge. |
| Gathering Chroma | Charges Chroma, unleashes 3 AoE explosions. |
| Vanish | Summons black orb and swings at it twice, the second being a Gradient Attack. |
| Claw Attack | 3-hit combo: two swipes → pause → slam. |
| Launch Attack | Swipe → jump → long-range pounce; dodge and jump to evade. |
| Tail Attack | Spinning tail slam as Gradient Attack; counter with Gradient timing. |
Key strategies for this fight include saving your most powerful abilities for the second phase, always attempting to Gradient Counter the Vanish attack, and focusing fire damage to stack burning debuffs. The fight is long but manageable with proper preparation.
Beating Renoir will trigger an emotional and lore-important cutscene, so make sure to watch it! Victory rewards you with Verso Outfit - Renoir's Suit, Pictos - Second Chance, and 3 Resplendent Chroma Catalyst.
To Monolith Peak
After defeating Renoir, the next step is to head to Monolith Peak and face the game's ultimate boss. So get ready! Use the Expedition Flag to quickly travel to the Continent, and stop by your camp to upgrade everything before the final battle.
