Who is the main villain in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Antagonist's identity, explained

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has captivated the RPG genre fans with its deep storyline and strategic gameplay. Set on the island of Lumière, the game introduces players to a society that is plagued by a ritual named Gommage. In it, a mysterious entity named Paintress inscribes a number on a gigantic monolith every year, causing all individuals of that specific age to vanish.

Considering this, it's understandable that many players would think that she is the primary antagonist. However, as we progress, it becomes clear that the true villain is someone completely different, and the Gommage ritual is not that evil.

On that note, this article explains everything about the main antagonist of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Note: This article contains major spoilers for the game. Read at your own risk.

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The lore of Renoir in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Renoir, also known as the White-haired Man, is the main antagonist of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Renoir is first encountered as the White-haired Man who ambushes Expedition 33 shortly after their arrival on the mainland. This encounter leads to decimation of the team and the death of Gustave. This initial encounter already paints him as a bad person, but his true identity still remains unknown.

We then discover that Renoir was the commander of the very first expedition named, Expedition 00. Upon reaching the mainland, he and another expedition member, Verso, became immortal. While Verso did not care about it, Renoir became obsessed with preserving the world within the Canvas, a fabricated reality.

For clarification, the Gommage ritual began long before Renoir became immortal. The ritual started after a catastrophic Fracture event occurred, that broke the world and trapped the people of Lumière inside an unstable reality named the Canvas. The first Paintress appeared after the Fracture event and did the Gommage ritual to keep the world from falling apart completely.

Renoirs wants to control this fabricated reality, even at the cost of countless lives. In contrast, the Paintress is actually a protective figure who was originally doing the ritual to maintain balance, but now also does it to prevent Renoir from taking control. Her actions, though severe and kills many innocents every year, were attempts to save the people of Lumière from the dangerous motives of the White-haired Man.

Aline's annual painting serves as a mechanism to prevent Renoir from accessing countless souls, effectively by sealing him away and safeguarding the world. The Gommage, in conclusion, is a very complex and debatable act of protection for the Lumière island residents.

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