You've probably spent hours perfecting your parries, leveling up Gustave, and thinking you’ve finally mastered the "reactive turn-based" rhythm of Sandfall Interactive's masterpiece. Then you hit The Abyss. Suddenly, there he is. Simon. If you’ve played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you know that Simon isn't just another boss; he’s a wall. A tragic, 50-million-HP, three-phase nightmare that makes the Paintress look like a tutorial.
Honestly, the first time I saw his health bar in Phase 3, I thought my game was glitched. It’s not. He’s the definitive "Superboss" of Expedition 33, and if you aren't prepared to play perfectly, he will send you back to the Expedition Flag in seconds.
Who Exactly is Simon? (The Lore You Might Have Missed)
In a game where everyone is racing against a countdown to death, Simon’s story is particularly bleak. He wasn't always a monster at the bottom of a pit. Simon was actually a member of Expedition Zero, a close friend to Verso, and the lover of the "painted" version of Clea.
His fall from grace is basically a masterclass in manipulation. The real Clea—the one who created the nevrons—tricked him. She disguised herself as his lover, granted him godlike powers, and then used him as a pawn. By the time you find him in Renoir’s Drafts, he’s succumbed to the influence of Renoir and lost his mind. He’s a remnant of an obsession, guarding the bottom of the Monolith. If you read the journals scattered around Old Lumière, you’ll realize he’s also the one who took down the Hauler. He’s literally the guy who killed the giant you see rotting earlier in the game.
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How to Survive the Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Simon Encounter
If you’re going in at Level 70, stop. Just don't do it. Most players recommend being at least Level 90+ before even attempting this. You need Esquie’s ability to swim underwater to even reach him, but once you’re there, the real work begins.
Phase 1 and 2: The Warm-up
The first two phases are really a test of your parry window knowledge. Simon has a slow sword swing that turns into a three-hit combo. It looks easy, but the timing is just off enough to catch you if you’re button-mashing. In Phase 2, he starts his "Light Speed" attack. He floats, delivers heavy swings, and basically requires you to have the pattern memorized.
The "One HP" Strategy
You might notice that a lot of high-level players are running builds where they stay at 1 HP. It sounds insane, right? But because Simon can one-shot you regardless of your defense, building for Glass Cannon and At Death's Door is actually the meta.
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- Vital Pictos/Luminas: You absolutely need Second Chance (for the auto-resurrect) and Cheater.
- The Breaking Death Trick: This is a bit of a "pro gamer move." Every time one of your characters dies, it actually fills Simon’s break bar. If you use Second Chance, you can basically cycle deaths to stun him.
- Maelle is the MVP: With the Lithium or Medalum weapon, Maelle can deal tens of millions of damage in a single turn. One player on Reddit recently clocked a 28 million damage hit using her Gommage gradient attack while Simon was stunned.
The Team Setup That Actually Works
Don't just bring your favorites. You need a specific engine to generate AP and Gradient charges.
- Sciel (The Support): Build her for utility. You want Fortune’s Fury and Intervention. If you have the Litheson weapon, she can apply Greater Slow to Simon and Greater Rush to your team.
- Maelle (The Finisher): She needs to be in Virtuose Stance. Use Swift Stride to get her there instantly. When Simon is stunned, her damage multipliers are what actually end the fight.
- Monoco or Lune: These are your setup characters. Lune is great for stacking Burn, which helps Maelle transition stances. Monoco is great for applying Defenceless and Marked.
Why This Fight is Controversial
Some people hate this fight. I’ve seen the Steam forums—players are complaining that Simon removes too many of the kits we spent 60 hours building. He steals shields. He ignores defense. He forces you into a very specific "parry or die" playstyle.
But that’s kind of the point of a JRPG superboss, isn't it? It’s supposed to be a final exam. If you can beat Simon, you’ve mastered the mechanical soul of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It’s a test of whether you actually learned how to time those parries or if you just coasted on gear stats.
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Actionable Insights for Your Next Attempt:
- Stop Leveling Defense: Unless your weapon specifically scales with it, those points are wasted against Simon. Put everything into Might, Agility, and Luck.
- Farm 400+ Luminas: You need the specific combinations of Energy Master and Augmented Attack to keep your AP high enough to use your best skills every turn.
- Equip Anti-Stun: Simon has a specific attack that will lock your characters out of their turns. If your healer or buffer gets stunned, it’s game over.
- Practice the Triple-Parry: Don't even worry about attacking for the first five minutes. Just stand there and learn his rhythm. Once you can parry his 3-hit combo consistently, the fight becomes a lot less scary.
Beating Simon is the ultimate bragging right in the community right now. Take your time, get your levels up, and remember: it's all about the rhythm.