Clair Obscur Expedition 33: Pictos Guide

In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Pictos are one of the key sources of character power and play an important role in completing the entire game. Once a Picto has been equipped by a character and used in 4 battles, it can be reassigned to any other hero using Lumina Points. These points allow you to activate the Picto in passive mode, combining it with other already “unlocked” Pictos. The only limit on the number of active Pictos is the total number of accumulated Lumina Points, which allows you to combine multiple effects at the same time.

But as good as all this sounds, not all Pictos are the same, and not all Pictos are equally useful in battle. In this guide, I’ve gathered what I believe are the best Pictos you might need. I’ve also divided them to show which Pictos are absolutely essential at each stage of the game.

Top Early-Game Pictos in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

I'll start with the best Pictos for each stage of the game. I’ll explain why they’re good, where to find them, and of course their stats.

Dodger

Dodger is, in my opinion, one of the most useful Pictos at the start of the game, especially if you’re confident in dodging attacks. It gives you 1 AP for every Perfect Dodge (but no more than once per turn), helping you regain action points between rounds. I recommend assigning it to a character who needs high AP costs to activate abilities—it's best suited for Gustav. Since this Picto only requires one Lumina, it’s worth unlocking as early as possible and then using it as a Lumina effect rather than as an active Picto. Plus, later in the game it’s convenient to use it to fill an empty Lumina slot.

• Effect: Grants 1 AP per Perfect Dodge. Activates once per turn.
• Location: Spring Meadows
• Level: 1
• Speed: 12
• Critical Rate: 3%

If you’re unsure about your dodging skills or simply can’t do it consistently, it’s better to consider Dead Energy, which gives 3 AP for every defeated enemy. While this Picto is absolutely useless in duels, it’s great for fights against multiple enemies. After killing the weakest enemy, you’ll get bonus action points that can be spent on stronger attacks against the remaining enemies. It works as a very solid alternative, but Dodger still shines brighter.

Attack Lifesteal

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get Attack Lifesteal right at the start of the game; however, as soon as you unlock it, you should immediately assign this Picto to the frailest member of your team. This Picto allows the character to recover 15% of their health when performing a basic attack, which is quite powerful for the early game. It’s perfect for quickly restoring health without having to waste a turn on Healing Tint, while still keeping the ability to attack. Additionally, it helps maintain a decent health level during battle, especially in the early stages of the game when you’re frequently using basic attacks to replenish AP.

• Effect: Restores 15% HP when using a basic attack.
• Location: Ancient Sanctuary
• Level: 4
• HP: 88
• Critical Rate: 8%

I recommend assigning this Picto to Sciel. Since she’s a very fragile character with low defense but high damage, this will help her stay in the fight longer and avoid dying too quickly—while also saving turns that would otherwise be spent on healing.

Strongest Pictos for the Mid-Game Phase in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Mid-game is the part of the game you need to approach carefully, as the difficulty starts to ramp up and prepares you for the late-game challenges. So now, I’m going to tell you about the Pictos that will really help you get through this stage successfully.

Double Burn

This Picto works well for almost any character, but I especially recommend it for Maelle or Lune.

• Effect: When applying the Burn effect, it applies two stacks instead of one.
• Location: Visages
• Level: 11
• Attack Speed: 132
• Critical Rate: 7%

Double Burn doubles the number of Burn stacks applied, significantly boosting passive damage during battle. It was especially useful in the final boss fight of Act 2: I used Maelle’s Rain of Fire to apply a Burn stack, and Double Burn instantly doubled the effect. After that, I could safely activate Combustion, which consumes up to 10 Burn stacks for extra damage, without worrying that the burning damage would disappear too soon.

Second Chance

This Picto appears closer to the end of the mid-game but is incredibly useful for the big final battle of the act — you get it shortly before that fight, so I recommend equipping it right away.

• Effect: Revives with 100% Health. Activates once per battle.
• Location: The Monolith
• Level: 16
• HP: 1,107
• Critical Rate: 8%

Second Chance allows a character to revive with full health once per battle, saving you from having to spend Revive Tints or Action Points (AP) to bring them back. As with other Pictos, I recommend unlocking the Lumina for Second Chance so you can apply it to all party members if the upcoming fight feels too difficult. If you prefer to give it to just one character, it’s best to choose Sciel or whoever has the lowest health and defense.

Best Endgame Pictos in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

And of course, we can’t forget about the late-game stage, where choosing the right Pictos becomes crucial, as enemies get tougher and your build truly demands attention. Here are a few Pictos that, in my opinion, are absolutely essential in the endgame.

Painted Power

The first must-have Picto for the endgame can be obtained by defeating the boss The Paintress in The Monolith location. This Picto is absolutely vital for getting through Act Three.

• Effect: Damage can exceed 9,999
• Location: The Monolith
• Level: 16
• HP: 1,844

When this Picto is equipped, Painted Power allows a character to break the 9,999 damage cap, unlocking the ability to deal truly serious damage. Make sure to unlock the Lumina for this Picto as quickly as possible and apply it to all your party members. The game’s final battles will really put you to the test, so increasing the damage limit is critical; just make sure your characters have high enough skills and attributes to fully take advantage of this power.

Gradient Fighter

The last Picto on the list that you absolutely must have for the endgame is Gradient Fighter. This Picto is obtained closer to the end of the game, and you need to have it for the final boss battle.

• Effect: +25% damage with Gradient Attacks
• Location: Lumiere
• Level: 16
• Speed: 182
• Critical Rate: 18%

Gradient Fighter gives +25% damage for Gradient Attacks, making these powerful strikes even stronger. Since Gradient Attacks cost little Lumina, you can apply this Picto to all your characters if you have multiple party members using Gradient Attacks. Personally, I mostly use the Gradient Attacks of Sciel and Maelle, so I assigned it to Sciel to boost her dark abilities.

If you’re not that interested in Gradient Attacks, here’s a solid alternative: Augmented Counter 3—it grants +75% damage to counterattacks, if you can pull them off successfully.

Table of the Best Pictos in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

And who would I be if I didn’t give you a useful table with all the strongest Pictos you’ll need in the game? This table isn’t structured as a ranked list but rather in a random order—each Picto complements the others well or serves as a solid alternative.

Of course, these aren’t all the Pictos—just the ones I personally consider among the strongest. These Pictos are especially effective when combined; for example, Painted Power and Cheater allow you to deal massive damage, especially when paired with Maelle’s skills like Stendhal and support from Sciel and Lune.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – A Game Made for Improvisation

The developers of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have given us a vast playground for experimentation and improvisation with our builds. An incredible number of mechanics, multiple character progression layers, the unique Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Weapon system, and so much more. Your characters can become incredibly powerful with the right approach. So be sure to follow our blogs and guides to make your playthrough truly exciting and enjoyable.