Wondering how old Maelle is in Expedition 33? If you’re a few hours into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you’ve probably had the same double-take a lot of players did. Gustave says Maelle has nine years left, yet she doesn’t act or get treated like someone in their mid-20s. The game drops just enough information to confuse you until you understand how the Gommage works.
What is Maelle’s Age in Expedition 33?
Maelle is 16 years old at the start of the game. The game confirms Maelle’s age multiple times, either directly or indirectly. Although some early dialogue can make it sound like she is old, later scenes make it clear.
One of the clear confirmations happens during a relationship cutscene where a character remarks on something being “pretty dark for a 16-year-old.” That line alone stops the debate, but the in-world logic also lines up perfectly once you know how the Monolith’s countdown works. So yes—16 is her official, canonical age during Expedition 33.
Gommage Countdown
During the conversation, Gustave tells Maelle she has 9 years before her Gommage, according to which she’s 24 right now. However, the number on the Monolith goes down by one every year. At the game’s start, the Monolith reads 33. Every year, Maelle gets one year older, and the Monolith’s number drops by one, and that means time closes in from both directions.
Here’s how it actually counts:
- Start of the game:
- Monolith number: 33
- Maelle’s age: 16
- After 1 year:
- Monolith: 32
- Maelle: 17
- After 9 years:
- Monolith: 24
- Maelle: 25
Gommage happens when their age overtakes it at the moment the number changes. That’s why Gustave mentions nine years, and that’s the reason Maelle is still a teenager during Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Who is Maelle?
A Young Girl Under Gustave’s Care
Maelle lost her parents to the Gommage at the age of three, went through a bunch of foster families in Lumière, and then ended up with Gustave and his sister Emma, who gave her a home. Emma refers to herself and Gustave as Maelle’s guardians, not peers or companions. Gustave is both her older brother and father figure, who has protected her and taken care of her since Maelle joined the siblings’ family, and that dynamic comes through often in their conversations.
Why She Joins Expedition 33 So Early
At 16, Maelle is much younger than the rest of Expedition 33. Most people don’t volunteer that early. Maelle does, and that decision tells a lot about her. She doesn’t see the Expedition as a last stand against death. To her, it’s an escape:
- a way out of Lumière
- a chance to see the world she has been locked away from
- an opportunity to define herself before the countdown defines her
That mindset can be of a teenager who has grown up under a literal death clock, far more than it fits someone in their mid-20s.
Many players believe Maelle is older simply because of the way she carries herself. She is composed, introspective, and emotionally guarded. Living under the Gommage forces people in Lumière to mature fast. Maelle has been aware of her expiration date for as long as she can remember. Since she grew up an orphan, it’s no surprise she doesn’t behave like a carefree 16-year-old. The game emphasizes this difference – she is young, but she hasn’t been able to act like it.
