Clarissa

**Status** | Determinant by player choices

**Clarissa** serves as Oxenfree's somewhat unwitting antagonist. She used to date Alex's brother Michael before his death the year prior to the game's beginning.

Clarissa is voiced by Avital Ash.

## Personality

### Official Bio

To any outsider, appears to have the world on a string. Extremely popular among the students (and well-liked among parents and teachers for her seeming ease at attaining good grades), she nonetheless has a darkened edge that comes with her coldness to strangers and general anxiety for the future. She used to date Alex's late brother, Michael, and she holds Alex responsible for his untimely death.

## Appearance

Clarissa is taller than all of the other character in-game, aside from Jonas. She has short red hair and reddish-brown eyes. She wears a blue v-neck shirt with jeans, a gray jacket, and brown knee-high boots.

## Background

Clarissa lives in Camena with her family, she is best friends with Nona. She is very popular at school and is said to have been the homecoming queen for several years running. She also grew up around Alex, having once pushed her into a pool in 6th grade, and is neighbors with Ren.

Around the time of Nona's last birthday, a mutual friend of theirs was involved in a car accident, causing Nona to cancel her birthday plans so she could visit them in the hospital instead. Afterward, Clarissa still came to Nona's house with a huge birthday cake and stayed up to watch movies with her.

One year prior to the beginning of Oxenfree, Clarissa had been dating Alex's brother Michael for around three months. The three of them went to Edwards Island together so they could all hang out. As Clarissa and Michael got closer to graduation they considered moving to New York together. However these plans were dashed upon Michael's untimely death, drowning while swimming with Alex, an event she holds Alex responsible for.

After Michael's death is it implied that Clarissa may have gone into therapy to help with her grief, though she claims it has not worked.

## Relationships

* Alex - Clarissa and Alex seem to have always had a somewhat antagonistic relationship while growing up. Once Clarissa began dating Michael she tried to reach out to Alex, understanding that Michael thought very highly of her and not wanting to make things weird for Alex. However after Michael's death their relationships became strained, with both having resentments towards each other fuelled mainly by their grief. When playing "marry, screw, kill" if Alex says she would marry Clarissa then Clarissa will call her out on the lie. However, if Alex says she would sleep with her then she makes no protest because she is aware that she is attractive.
* Michael - Clarissa and Michael dated previous to the events of Oxenfree, and the two are shown to have a healthy relationship, with both of them caring about what Alex thought. Depending on player choices, it is possible for Alex to convince Michael to stop dating Clarissa before he dies. It is unknown whether or not this ultimately effects Clarissa differently, as she still responds with the same amount of grief to his death. She will always blame Alex for his death no matter what.
* Nona - Nona is one of Clarissa's best friends who she claims to "love like a three-legged puppy." Nona is one of the few people who will see Clarissa further than just the popular hot chick at school, recognizing that Clarissa is a wholesomely good person because of their closeness and friendship. Sometimes, due to Nona's more subdued personality, Clarissa is slightly controlling of her and her actions, but Nona doesn't seem to mind and rather idolizes and mimics her.
* Jonas - Upon meeting Jonas, Clarissa is appalled at the idea that Jonas was Alex's new step-brother. Somewhat implying the idea that Jonas is a replacement for Michael. The two do not interact much in-game, so for the most part, the relationship is negative-neutral.
* Ren - Possibly due to Ren and Nona's relationship, Clarissa will state that she views Ren as a friend (though, will "downgrade [him] to a creepy neighbor" in the beginning of Oxenfree). The two do not interact much in-game, but Clarissa will purposely try to get Ren to admit his crush on Nona during the Beach scene.

## Endings

### Made up with Clarissa

If Alex is kind towards Clarissa then they can make up by the end of the game. Clarissa goes on to study English lit at college and gets a dog. She still talks with Alex, though not often. She is also now scared of the ocean.

### Made Clarissa Hate Alex

Clarissa moves to the east coast, drops out of college, and works at a boutique. She is also now scared of the ocean.

### Preserved Relationship With Michael

If Michael is prevented from dying then he and Clarissa can still be in a relationship while Clarissa goes to college. The two of them will make plans about dropping everything and moving to New York City.

### No longer with Michael

Clarissa and Michael are no longer dating.

### Sacrificed Clarissa

If Alex chooses to go through the portal during the games climax and sacrifice Clarissa then she will be erased from time. No one will remember her apart from Alex, who thinks about her every day. Alex will go on to doubt if she did the right thing.

## Trivia

* Clarissa's worst fear is dying with too many regrets.
* She plans to get an ampersand tattoo on her ring finger once she moves out of her parents' home.
* According to Nona, she taps her nails when she's bored.
* She has a sister.
* She has a dog named Charlie, and gets another dog after one version of the ending.