Perfect Chroma Catalysts in Expedition 33: Locations & Best Uses

Why this matters (and how I learned the hard way)

After spending a solid 40+ hours cleaning up Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s endgame, I finally mapped an efficient route for Perfect Chroma Catalysts and, more importantly, figured out which weapons actually deserve them. I wasted two catalysts early on chasing sidearms I never used again-don’t make my mistake. The breakthrough came when I realized two things: the total is limited (10-11 per run pre-NG+) and the level 33 passive can radically change a weapon’s performance. One upgrade can turn a tough 30-minute superboss fight into a consistent 10-15 minute run.

How Perfect Chroma Catalysts work (and when to spend them)

“The Perfect Chroma Catalyst is the ultimate resource to upgrade weapons to level 33.” That’s not flavor text-it’s the defining endgame lever. Catalysts are extremely rare and limited (expect 10-11 in a complete pre-NG+ playthrough), and you’ll need one per weapon to break the cap to 33. At 33, base power spikes and many weapons unlock or supercharge a passive that dramatically improves uptime, procs, or scaling.

Concrete example: my Scaverim jumped from 909 damage at level 14 to 4,197 at level 33, before factoring in attribute scaling and the passive. Across the board, it’s common to see your level 33 weapon push past 8,000 power with maxed attributes. That’s why planning matters: don’t dump catalysts into every toy you like. Pick 2–3 mains you’ll carry into the hardest content.

What finally worked for me was this rule: “Plan your progression-don’t spend catalysts the moment you get them.” Play an hour or two with a candidate weapon at level 25–30, learn its cadence, then commit. If the level 33 passive doesn’t synergize with your build, save it for one that does.

Pre-superboss checklist (save yourself wipes)

• Recommended level: 70 minimum for most superbosses; 99 strongly recommended for Clea, Amour Dépeint, and Simon (especially on Expert).
• Stat priority: stack Speed first for safety and DPS uptime; then your primary damage stat; finally survivability.
• Kit: bring high-tier tonics, a stack of your best heals, and element-resist charms for the Bishop fights (Fire/Ice/Lightning).
• Practice plan: spend a couple of “learning pulls” just reading moves—don’t be afraid to reset after two mistakes to save resources.
• Expectations: each superboss took me 10–30 minutes per clear, depending on build and familiarity.

All Perfect Chroma Catalyst locations (and the route I use)

There are 10–11 catalysts in a standard run (11 if you hit every condition). Here’s my route, with fight notes and pitfalls I hit myself.

1) Suspended Manor (Manoir suspendu): Lampmaster, Three Bishops, Duelist, and Clea

This zone is your biggest haul. You’ll get catalysts from the Lampmaster, the three elemental Bishops (Flame, Ice, Lightning), the Duelist, and Clea (the zone’s final boss). I do them in this order: Lampmaster → Bishops → Duelist → Clea. It frontloads practice and pays off in catalysts for later challenges.

• Lampmaster: watch for lantern toss feints; the safe punish is after his triple-swing into lantern plant. Don’t chase him into the lantern explosion—bait it, backstep, then commit.
• Bishop of Flame: equip fire resist; most openings come after the leaping slam (two hits free) and the long flame breath. Don’t roll backwards—roll through the breath cone.
• Bishop of Ice: slow fields are death if you panic roll; walk out, then dodge the icicle volley sideways.
• Bishop of Lightning: count to three on the chained dashes; parry the last one or dodge diagonally towards him.
• Duelist: this one punished my greed. Two-hit strings only. His delayed thrust is a parry trap—wait for the shoulder drop.
• Clea: on Expert, I only felt comfy at 99. In phase two, she chains an AOE into a gap-closer—heal only after the gap-closer.

Common mistake: I tried to brute-force Clea at 82 with a slow weapon. Speed fixes so much here; that’s when my clears stabilized.

2) The Workshop (L’Atelier): Talk to the Faceless Boy after Lampmaster

After beating the Lampmaster, return to The Workshop hub and speak to the boy near the portal (the Faceless Boy). He hands you a catalyst once he acknowledges the Lampmaster’s defeat. I missed this for hours because I never looped back—don’t forget it.

3) Eternal Tower (Tour Éternelle): Floor 11, Trial 3

Clearing Trial 3 on Floor 11 rewards a catalyst. Amour Dépeint lurks on this floor too, and he’s a proper gear check. I recommend bringing your best single-target DPS tool and saving burst for his paint-wave sequences. Expect 15–25 minutes per clear at level 90+ on a solid build.

4) Renoir’s Sketches (Esquisses de Renoir): Chromatic Creation and Simon (Abyss)

Defeat the Chromatic Creation for one catalyst. Then push the secret Abyss level unlocked at the end of Renoir’s Sketches to face Simon. Simon can drop two catalysts—this is where hitting 99 pays off. He’s relentless; what finally worked was tightening my dodge discipline and saving invulnerability for his sweeping multi-hit combos.

Tip: Simon staggers if you consistently weave quick attacks between his big tells. Commit to short strings—never three hits if you didn’t just dodge a heavy.

5) Act 3 trashman check (Homme de la Poubelle)

If you interacted with the Trashman in the prologue, revisit his spawn spot in Act 3 to find a catalyst. This is missable and condition-based. I walked past it twice—hug the exact corner where he first appeared and check the ground prompt.

What to upgrade to 33: practical recommendations

Because catalysts are limited, prioritize weapons with strong level 33 passives that match your build. Here’s what consistently performed for me and squadmates running different playstyles:

• Verso: Simoso is already 33 baseline, so your catalyst goes into Sireso. Its level 33 scaling and passive make it a monster in drawn-out fights, and it handled Amour Dépeint better than any other Verso option I tested.
• Monoco: Joiro is my go-to upgrade. At 33, it smooths out stamina pressure and lets you maintain aggression without getting clipped by recoveries.
• Sciel: Charnon shines in hybrid setups. The level 33 passive pairs well with high-Speed allocations, letting you stick to bosses safely.
• Alt pick: Scaverim. If you like direct damage curves, the jump from ~900 to 4,000+ base by 33 is immediate value, and its passive at cap is straightforward to leverage.

General rule: feed your mains first. I spent my first run’s catalysts like this—primary DPS, secondary boss-specific counter, and one comfort pick for learning new encounters. Splitting five catalysts across five weapons felt cool but made none of them amazing. Two maxed mains carry harder than a scattered arsenal.

Before committing, open the weapon details screen (Inventory → Weapons → Details) and read the level 33 passive. If it’s a conditional proc you’ll rarely trigger with your playstyle, pivot to a weapon whose passive is always on or easy to proc.

Fight-specific tips that saved me time

• Bishops element counters: swapping in the matching resist charm cut my deaths by half. It’s worth one trip to the menu.
• Duelist rhythm: treat it like a parry exam. If parries aren’t your thing, stick to quick single hits after his whiffed thrusts.
• Clea phase shifts: heal immediately after her gap-closer, not after the AOE. I kept dying sipping too early.
• Amour Dépeint burst windows: after the paint-wave, his recovery is longer than it looks—two free heavies or one heavy + ability.
• Simon stamina discipline: never enter his spin without full stamina. If you do, disengage and reset—greed is a wipe.

Common mistakes (I made them all)

• Spending the first catalyst immediately. Wait until you’ve tested your endgame kit; you only get ~11 before NG+.
• Ignoring Speed. On paper, raw damage looks better; in practice, Speed keeps you alive and increases real DPS by letting you stay in range.
• Trying Renoir’s Abyss undergeared. Simon on Expert at sub-90 felt miserable. Hit 99 if you can.
• Forgetting the Workshop hand-in. The Faceless Boy reward only triggered for me after a reload—if he’s quiet, leave and re-enter the hub.
• Over-upgrading collection pieces. Pick your two mains; everything else can wait for NG+.

Advanced min-max tips

• Time-to-clear tracking: if a boss takes you over 25 minutes consistently, your weapon choice or passive synergy is off. Swap and retest before spending a catalyst.
• Element swap for Manor: carry two loadouts—one tuned for Fire/Ice/Lightning. Swapping mid-route saved me potions and paid for itself in faster clears.
• Practice pulls: set a “two mistakes and reset” rule. It kept my consumable economy healthy across 10+ boss attempts.
• Route efficiency: do Suspended Manor first for multiple catalysts, cash in the Workshop turn-in, then Eternal Tower 11F Trial 3, then Renoir’s chain, then the Act 3 Trashman check. You’ll enter the hardest fights with more level 33 power.

Wrap-up: your endgame plan

Perfect Chroma Catalysts are the backbone of Expedition 33’s endgame power curve. They’re rare, they’re limited, and they’re worth careful planning. Grab the easy ones first (Manor chain + Workshop), prep for Tower 11 and Renoir’s Sketches, and only then tackle Simon and Expert Clea with a tuned build around your level 33 passives. If you hit a wall, don’t be afraid to rethink your mains. Once I stopped spreading upgrades and committed to Sireso + Charnon, my “impossible” fights dropped to 10–15 minute clears. You’ve got this—plan smart, spend smarter, and enjoy the power spike when your weapon hits 33.