This secret superboss in Clair Obscur wrecked me—Simon’s insane

TL;DR: Simon is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s secret superboss locked behind obscure steps, level 95+, perfect parries, and a full gear grind. Beat him and you earn serious bragging rights.

The day a “side boss” absolutely wrecked me

The first time I heard about Simon in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, it sounded like the usual JRPG rumor mill: “There’s an optional superboss, he’s harder than the final boss, he’s hidden in some secret area.” I’ve dodged Emerald Weapon in FFVII and wiped a tear after beating Malenia in Elden Ring, so I assumed I’d waltz in with my endgame party, take a few bruises, grab that trophy, and move on.

Instead, Simon turned me into paste. Repeatedly. For hours.

Here’s the kicker: I love a good mechanical skill check. But Simon isn’t just “harder numbers.” He’s a two-phase exam you only pass if you’ve actually learned how Expedition 33 works—dodges, parries, resource management, the whole toolbox. On paper, the guide stuff is clinical: optional superboss, level 90+ recommended, 1,237,500 EXP reward, the Simoso weapon for Verso, and the “Peace at Last” achievement. None of that captures what it feels like to dive into The Abyss and see “You died” flash because your parry was two frames off.

So yeah, part of this is a guide to where Simon is and what to bring. But more than that, it’s my argument that Simon is the real final boss of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33—and also where the game both shines and grinds your gears.

Finding Simon is half the battle (and kind of nonsense)

The game doesn’t exactly hand you a neon arrow. First, you must:

• Complete the main story. Simon is locked behind the endgame narrative.
• Unlock Esquie’s swimming ability to traverse underwater zones.
• Gain SK’s flying ability after beating the Patrons.

Once that’s done, the “big reveal” is… an unmarked water portal between Sirene and Visages on your world map. No ominous shrine, no cryptic statue—just swim around until you poke the right patch of ocean. I only found it by reluctantly alt-tabbing to a community guide. Once you dive in, you hit Renoir’s Drafts via portal. There, a compact gauntlet awaits:

• A camp flag on the right confirms you’re on track.
• Optional mobs to farm Lumina to the left.
• Two mini-boss creations to the right you can stun or skip.
• A second camp flag marks the gauntlet’s end.
• A tree-shaped portal leads you to a cliff you’re forced to jump off—no prompt, just a blind dive into The Abyss.

That cliff jump nails the vibe: you’re committing to something irreversible. But gating your game’s hardest fight behind an unlabelled puddle? That’s opaque design, and it’s worth calling out.

The level 90 lie and the gear arms race

Every guide says “be level 90+.” Sure, you can technically show up at 90. You’ll also technically punch a brick wall by hand. After getting shredded at 90, I swear the real sanity checkpoint is more like 95+. A few levels of buffer make the difference between surviving combos and getting one-shot.

Then there’s gear. The game expects you to roll in with the best Pictos (those are the skill slots you pick before battle), maxed-out weapons, and a raft of consumables. I’ll give credit: Clair Obscur doesn’t hard-lock you into one “correct” party. You can use whatever squad you love—so long as they’re fully kitted:

• Weapons upgraded to their highest tier.
• Pictos loadouts that actually synergize with your strategy.
• Defensive and elemental mitigation stacked over greedy damage.
• Maxed consumables: heals, revives, stat boosts.

Yes, it feels like a gear arms race. But when you finally snag Simoso for Verso—3,228 Power, Light element, A-rank Vitality—it’s the pay-off a superboss should deliver. Not a simple sidegrade but an actual endgame flex.

Phase One: The fake sense of security

Simon’s fight is a two-phase battle. Phase One is a liar. It’s intense but manageable, with readable patterns and breathing room. The trick is to treat this as your training ground, not a DPS sprint:

• Watch his telegraphs.
• Practice your parry timing until it’s muscle memory.
• Conserve resources—don’t blow all your cooldowns.

I learned the hard way: I tunneled for damage, burned my item stash, and stumbled into Phase Two broken. Instead, flip the mindset—Phase One is your lab. Nail down parries, learn the safe windows, and build confidence before he rips your life bar off.

Phase Two: The game finally stops holding back

Phase Two rips the training wheels off. Patterns accelerate, damage spikes, and your margin for error slims to zero. If you’re still spamming heals and hoping for tankiness, you’re done. You need perfect parries—no excuses.

This is where players from Sekiro or old-school action games shine, because Simon demands the same precision. His combos are consistent, his tells are clear, and the fight punishes complacency. My loop looked like this:

• Attempt 1: panic button mash, instant wipe.
• Attempts 2–10: hit the same strings and die.
• Attempt 11 onward: land back-to-back parries, see the matrix, feel the fight click.

The moment Simon fell—last party member on fumes, items gone—the blue EXP banner popped: 1,237,500 EXP. The Simoso drop. “Peace at Last” unlocked. The lore snippet in his journal. Everything felt earned.

Why Simon is the real final boss

I know the story ending of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ties its themes together neatly. It’s a solid narrative cap. But mechanically, it never demanded the precision Simon did. You can mash your way to the credits with sloppy play. Simon won’t let you get away with that.

He’s the moment the game stops pretending it’s okay to button-mash and asks, “Did you master me?” That’s a level of design and thematic payoff most modern JRPGs shy away from.

Conclusion

Simon in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t just a difficulty spike—it’s the ultimate test of your understanding of the game’s systems. From the opaque path to reach him, through two brutal phases, to a reward that actually feels earned, Simon stands as the truest final boss.

Whether you’re a completionist, a casual fan, or a newcomer to Clair Obscur:

• Completionists: Embrace the grind—level 95+, gear up fully, and lab out those parries.
• Casuals: Consider skipping Simon on your first run. Enjoy the main story, then come back when you’re ready to suffer gloriously.
• Newcomers: Learn the basics—get comfortable with dodges, block, and parries in earlier fights before diving into The Abyss.

Beat Simon, and you’ll truly earn the title of Expedition 33’s champion.