Am I crazy or is this actually true?

[Wolf Kanno]

I'm doing some work for my music class and I'll be using an example from the FFVI soundtrack, but one thing I began to notice is the really funny inconsistency in the soundtrack. For instance, both Celes and Terra are the only characters not introduced with their actual named themes.

Terra has "Awakening" playing and Celes has "Under Martial Law". Celes' theme doesn't actually play until the scene with Locke before they travel to Thamasa. Now the real funny coincidence is that as far as my memory serves me, Terra's theme (as in the one she's actually named after) is never played during any scene with her in the game. "Awakening" is usually played instead.Terra's actual named theme is strictly the overworld map theme.

My question is simply this, am I right in this realization or have I overlooked something? I'm placing this in the VI forums cause I need some VI expertise on this.

[Mirage]

Well, Awakening is an arrangement of Terra's theme at least, and the track named "Terra's theme" is the overworld theme.

Whenever Terra-related stuff happens and there is a certain track for it, I think "Awakening" is used too. I'd say that's practically her theme.
edit
Oh, you said that too

[Flying Mullet]

I've noticed this before but I didn't give it much notice. If Relm had different music played when she was introduced other than her theme music I would say it's something to do with females.

Perhaps the two characters with natural magic get different treatment?

[Slothy]

I don't think you've missed anything because now that you mention it they definitely don't have their named themes play when you first meet them, and Terra's really isn't anywhere except the world map, though like Mirage said, Awakening is an arrangement of it obviously.

The only reason I can think of for Celes not being introduced with her theme is that it doesn't fit the scene at all. It's worth noting that Aria Di Mezzo Carattere bears a lot of similarities with Celes though it's transposed into a different key.

[Wolf Kanno]

The funny thing about Celes' theme for me, is that it plays after she does the opera. This kinda always gave me the impression that her true character wasn't apparent to the player until after that moment.

After studying much more of the Classical and Romantic era's of opera and music, I notice more and more how much VI is based as a whole on Romantic era operas.

[blackmage_nuke]

If by the "introduction" you mean that part where you get a little description and get to name your character you'll find Sabin doesnt have his theme played over it too.

[Zeromus]

I always wanted to know why the Overworld theme was named Terra's theme...
But I think is ok, she is the main character of the game... Even thought I think she is only the protagonist of the WoB part...
And if we consider her the protagonist in WoB, we can say the theme is playing in some of her moments, cause the whole WoB would be parts of her moments... If you notice it, in WoR the overworld theme changes, and there you don't have her as protagonist, I would risk to say that Celes is the main character in WoR... so I think the question is "why the WoR Overworld theme isn't called Celes Theme?" :P ... Well, I'm just speculating that Celes is the main in WoR, maybe there is no main in WoR, or is the more logic: just Terra again...
Hey, and what about the ending character themes? I don't remember which theme is played there for Terra... the Overworld-one or Awakening?

[Wolf Kanno]

If by the "introduction" you mean that part where you get a little description and get to name your character you'll find Sabin doesnt have his theme played over it too.

That's right, they play Coin Song don't they? :D


I always wanted to know why the Overworld theme was named Terra's theme...
But I think is ok, she is the main character of the game... Even thought I think she is only the protagonist of the WoB part...
And if we consider her the protagonist in WoB, we can say the theme is playing in some of her moments, cause the whole WoB would be parts of her moments... If you notice it, in WoR the overworld theme changes, and there you don't have her as protagonist, I would risk to say that Celes is the main character in WoR... so I think the question is "why the WoR Overworld theme isn't called Celes Theme?" :P ... Well, I'm just speculating that Celes is the main in WoR, maybe there is no main in WoR, or is the more logic: just Terra again...
Hey, and what about the ending character themes? I don't remember which theme is played there for Terra... the Overworld-one or Awakening?

I would say Terra is the main protaganist of the WoB and its her story that really pulls everything together so I have no real qualms of her named theme being the overworld map theme. As for the WoR, though Celes is sorta the main lead, she herself is not the central part of the story told in the second half which is why I don't think her theme is the Overworld map theme.

As for the ending, you can't say for sure cause all the character themes are reworked as leitmotifs to make the main theme so technically it doesn't matter sense Terra's Theme, Awakening, and Terra's part of the Ending theme all use the same motive to make her leitmotif. God I've been spending too much time on my music homework. :cry:

Anyway the point is that all three are still different but carry a central theme. Just like the one we also here in the Opening Theme.

[Zeromus]

As for the ending, you can't say for sure cause all the character themes are reworked as leitmotifs to make the main theme so technically it doesn't matter sense Terra's Theme, Awakening, and Terra's part of the Ending theme all use the same motive to make her leitmotif. God I've been spending too much time on my music homework. :cry:

Anyway the point is that all three are still different but carry a central theme. Just like the one we also here in the Opening Theme.

Yeah, that's right... but I think the themes for every character are still pretty identifiable in the ending song, but I remember there were one or two characters who did not get their themes mixed in the ending song for their presentations or at least I did not recognized them clearly when played the game... I was trying to bring back to mind if it was Terra's theme one of them... but can't remember very welll =/ ... (and now it's kinda late to start listening music cause it's everyone sleeping at this hour... at least in Chile :B )

[Vyk]

Its probably more important to be appropriate than consistent. I probably would have made similar judgement calls

[blackmage_nuke]

Terra's theme is played towards the end of her section in the ending theme but really only 1 or 2 bars are used and its in a different key.

[Greatermaximus]

What would really get ya is the rough drafts on who they were going to be in addition to the type of music intended for them.

Unable to be used in the game "I'm not in love" fits Terra but they had to think of something new. :D

[Tacirn]

Could be Terra's theme could just mean the world's theme since Terra also means earth.

[Saber]

Could be Terra's theme could just mean the world's theme since Terra also means earth.

This is what I was going to say. Maybe Awakening is Terra's theme in world of balance. It fits cause In WoB she does Awaken. Although Terra in a lot of Final Fantasy games is the world, thats probally why its on the world map. and when the world dies (WoR) Terra's theme was changed cause well Terra (the world) changed.

[blackmage_nuke]

Could be Terra's theme could just mean the world's theme since Terra also means earth.

This is what I was going to say. Maybe Awakening is Terra's theme in world of balance. It fits cause In WoB she does Awaken. Although Terra in a lot of Final Fantasy games is the world, thats probally why its on the world map. and when the world dies (WoR) Terra's theme was changed cause well Terra (the world) changed.

In the original Japanese her name is Tina

[VeloZer0]

Just a thought, are these themes explicitly named in the design process, or is that something that could potentially happen after the fact? Because they could very well have working titles while the game is being made and then be properly titled afterwards.

[Wolf Kanno]

I would think they are explicitly named. Nobuo mentioned in an interview that Sakeguchi asked him to make individual themes for every character in the game. Something Nobuo wasn't too thrilled about either (http://www.g-wie-gorilla.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=136&Itemid=18).

[Flying Mullet]

I knew it!

I do not actually feel that Final Fantasy is in any way 'my' series. I think one can say that the original Final Fantasy ended with part six. From Final Fantasy VII onwards, a lot of new, younger people came aboard the development team and it wasn't possible to point to an actual author of the game. Before, there was a set team with equally important contributors. Everything that came after part six I don't really consider my work anymore.

[*Laurelindo*]

If you ask me then I would say "Awakening" and "Coin Song" are Terra's and Sabin's respective theme.
There's no actual reason to doubt that either, because why would Overworld Theme necessarily have to be Terra's "real" theme?
Might as well be the one that plays during her introduction, otherwise you could say that "Searching For Friends" is Setzer's theme or something.
And "Coin Song" is very similar in melody to Edgar's Theme, so it would make sense that Edgar's twin brother has that as his own theme - it even expresses that sorrow Sabin probably felt when he left.

[Roogle]

Yes, it is true that Terra and Celes are the only characters to be introduced without their character theme playing.

I believe this was intentional on a certain level to differentiate these two characters from the other characters. Incidentally, these two are considered the main characters by people in other communities. The Final Fantasy VI Advance and the Final Fantasy III message boards at GameFAQs constantly have a debate about the main character of the game is.

[*Laurelindo*]

Yes, it is true that Terra and Celes are the only characters to be introduced without their character theme playing.All characters except Celes have their theme playing (because why would Terra's Theme be the Overworld theme, when a similar yet different one is always playing during all her scenes?), and Celes' theme is not playing because it didn't fit the situation when you meet her;
otherwise everyone would have their themes played.

I am actually pretty sure that this is how it was supposed to be:

Terra's Theme - "Awakening"
Edgar's Theme - "Figaro Castle"
Sabin's Theme - "Coin Song"
Overworld Theme #1 - "World Map Theme"
Overworld Theme #2 - "Searching For Friends"

[Goldenboko]

Yes, it is true that Terra and Celes are the only characters to be introduced without their character theme playing.All characters except Celes have their theme playing (because why would Terra's Theme be the Overworld theme, when a similar yet different one is always playing during all her scenes?), and Celes' theme is not playing because it didn't fit the situation when you meet her.
Otherwise everyone would have their themes played.

I am actually pretty sure that this is how it was supposed to be:

Terra's Theme - "Awakening"
Edgar's Theme - "Figaro Castle"
Sabin's Theme - "Coin Song"
Overworld Theme #1 - "World Map Theme"
Overworld Theme #2 - "Searching For Friends"

Either that's what Nobou meant, or he was angered about having to make themes so he screwed with the names xD

[*Laurelindo*]

Well I don't know, but personally I have always liked to think of Awakening and Coin Song as Terra's and Sabin's respective themes.
Kind of makes sense as well.

[Wolf Kanno]

The only monkey wrench in the problem with saying Coin Song is Sabin is that if you don't talk to the Matron then you do hear "Edgar and Sabin" when you first physically meet him on Mt. Kolts. This kinda still keeps Terra and Celes unique as both do not have their actual themes played when you actually physically meet them. If my memory serves me correct, doesn't Awakening sometimes play when Terra isn't even present?

Really, Terra's theme is everywhere in the VI soundtrack cause its used as a leitmotif in Awakening, Metamorphosis (a track that is really more associated with Espers than Terra)as well as the Opening and Ending themes. I feel Terra as the first character the player uses and the one (due to amnesia) that the player can relate to makes her a bit of the main character in the first part of the game so it does make sense the world map theme is also her theme (personally I think Cloud's theme in VII is the world map theme as well). Often times I feel the themes are also played just to represent the theme of what's happening in the story.

Granted I do feel Awakening should be her theme as its easily the best version of her theme and the one that I feel really does express her personality. I think where I might disagree with you is that I feel Coin Song is just as much about Edgar as it is about Sabin but being twins it is hard to think of them as separate entities sometimes.

[blackmage_nuke]

The only monkey wrench in the problem with saying Coin Song is Sabin is that if you don't talk to the Matron then you do hear "Edgar and Sabin" when you first physically meet him on Mt. Kolts.

If I recall you HAVE to talk to matron before you return to Edgar in the throne room to trigger the next scene

[Roogle]

Yes, as far as I know, it isn't possible to progress in the game until you talk to Matron. Sabin is introduced as a character much earlier than before he joins the party, and this allows Edgar to speculate that Sabin had lived at the cabin north of South Figaro. If Sabin was not named, that dialogue wouldn't exist, would it?

[Wolf Kanno]

Been awhile since I played VI and I usually head straight for Matron but I guess you're right Roogle and BN. :D