[Warning: This piece includes spoilers for Clair Obscur’s late-game Act 2 reveals.]

I love a serious story as much as the next person, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is incredibly serious. It starts with hundreds, likely thousands, erased from existence before an expedition of a couple dozen go off to fight the Paintress, the deity-like being responsible for said erasure of Lumière’s citizens. Most of those expeditioners shockingly die rather quickly. Like I said — serious. But Clair Obscur can also be incredibly goofy, and no character straddles both the serious and the goofy better than Esquie.

You meet Esquie early on in Clair Obscur, around when you encounter the obsession-worthy Gestrals, battle-ready little dudes. You’re barred from entering Esquie’s nest until you learn the password, which is a resounding, “GET OUT OF MY WAY!” (though, that isn’t actually the password – sorry for shouting). Once........

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