Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Director Says Attack on Titan Is “an Absolute Masterpiece” and Inspired the Game’s Iconic Character Uniforms

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been widely praised for its distinctive art direction, and developer Sandfall Interactive has now revealed that two of anime’s biggest franchises played a major role in shaping the game’s visual identity.

In a recent interview, CEO and game director Guillaume Broche explained that while the RPG draws inspiration from classic Japanese role-playing games, its memorable cast and presentation were also influenced by Attack on Titan and Bleach.

Attack on Titan Shaped the Game’s Visual Identity

Speaking with Automaton, Broche said Attack on Titan was one of the biggest inspirations behind the game’s story and character presentation.

He explained:

“One of the anime that inspired me for Expedition 33’s story was Attack on Titan.”

Clair Obscur Expedition 33 blends JRPG influences with memorable anime-inspired character designs. (Image via Sandfall Interactive, Kepler Interactive).

Broche added that the anime’s instantly recognizable military uniforms inspired the team’s approach to designing the Expedition members.

“When you see any character from Attack on Titan, you instantly know they’re an Attack on Titan character because of the uniform. That’s something I really wanted to bring over into Expedition 33.”

The director also praised the series, calling it

“an absolute masterpiece for me.”

Lead character and concept artist Alan Reynaud pointed to Bleach as another major influence during development.

According to Reynaud, the team admired the anime’s “super simple yet incredibly memorable” character designs and adopted a similar “rule of cool” philosophy when creating the heroes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

The combination of JRPG influences and iconic anime aesthetics has helped the game establish a unique identity, earning praise from both RPG fans and newcomers since its release.