Favorite RPG battle themes

[Bright Shield]

5. Lucia vs. Zophar - Lunar 2


This is probably the darkest theme on the list. It takes about a minute and a half in before it even starts to sound like a battle theme. Still, I like how the song starts off peaceful, then it gets dark, and then it gets epic. A pretty cool transition.

My Top 25 RPG Final Boss Themes #2- Lunar Eternal Blue - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7mdhKSEER0)



4. You're Not Alone - FFIX

Of all the FF battle themes, this one stands out as my favorite. Technically, it's not a pure battle theme. I'd still count it though, since it does play during a few battles.

Final Fantasy IX OST - You're Not Alone! - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKAoSY5bhSw)



3. Sinistral Battle - Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals


This is probably the most epic battle theme of all time. It perfectly captures the feel of evil villains dueling legendary heroes.


Lufia 2: Sinistral battle theme - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBnYGYa6l3M)


2. Flight - Xenogears

One word describes this song perfectly: heroic.

Xenogears OST - Flight - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc3CaS97hP8)



1. I'll Face Myself - Persona 4


This is my current favorite. It's just amazing, although admittedly not as epic as some of the others. Still, I really like the way this song is played. It gets you in the mood to kick some serious ass.


Persona 4 OST- I'll Face Myself - Boss Battle- - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7ErlkQIc4A)

[NeoCracker]

I knew there was a reason I liked you.

[Sephiroth]

I. Katayoku no Tenshi: One-Winged Angel
Final Boss Battle Theme: Sepher Sephiroth, Final Fantasy VII

actually also rank I:

II. Shadowlord
Final Boss Battle Theme: Nier Original - Nier Gestalt, Nier Replicant & Gestalt


__________________


III. Those who fight
Battle Theme: Final Fantasy VII

IV. Chrono Trigger Battle Theme

V. The Last Hunters
Battle Theme: Final Fantasy XIII-2

VI. The Decisive Battle
Boss Battle Theme: Final Fantasy VI

VII. Still more fighting
Boss Battle Theme: Final Fantasy VII

VIII. Forze del Male
(Final) Boss Battle Theme: Riku-Ansem & Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Kingdom Hearts

IX. Dark Messenger
Final Boss Battle Theme: Super Saiyan 4 Trance Kuja, Final Fantasy IX

X. The Extreme
Final Boss Battle Theme: True Ultimecia, Final Fantasy VIII

[Ultima Shadow]

Off the top of my head...


5: Lucia vs Zophar (Lunar 2, link in first post)
- just love this one. Starts out slow and soft, the builds up into dramatic awesomness in a perfect way etc. It's just awesome in general.

...and now, the next 3 in no particular order:

2-4: The Genesis (Persona 4) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXyh_FbIia4)
- The battle itself is great, if not perfect, in every single way. The theme is no exception. It's also very unique - having a much slower tempo than most boss battles. But that only makes it better, because the tempo fits the battle absolutely perfectly. There are also the feel of different stages of the song, switching between hope and despair etc.


2-4: The Battle for Everyone's Souls (Persona 3) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdMhTL5bZrs)
- This one is just pure kickass, and I could probably listen to it 24/7 without getting tired of it.

2-4: The Extreme (Final Fantasy 8) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX9xbioXoSY)
- To me, the best FF battle theme. It captures the atmosphere of the Ultimecia's final form perfectly. Pure creepy epicness.


1: Promised Pain (Xenosaga 3) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv7c0si2AEo)
- Yuki Kaijura is the one single person who, in my opinion, kicks Nobuo Uematsu's ass completely when it comes to making epic gaming music. And as far as RPGs goes, I think Promised Pain is her best piece. This song is almost as epic as epic can be (and my third fav VGM of all time).

[ShinGundam]

- Dungeon explorer 2 (PCE SCD)
10 - Boss - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s_SSSFJI7I)

-Alshark (Mega CD/PCE SCD)
My Favorite VGM 756 - Alshark - Fighting Smash - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr6gTI6MSxk)

- The original Star Cruiser (PC88)
Star Cruiser - Mini Boss - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4I6nWqJq0Y)

- Captain Tsubasa 2 (NES)
Captain Tsubasa 2 Nes Music - 04 Kojiro Hyuga's Theme (Toho Team) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wORTwHqcP3U)

- Soukaigi (PS1)
Soukaigi - Quake - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrHCkD8R_84)

[Jowy]

for everyone fond of the sinistral music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EzMOAswIYM)

Hunter's Chance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxYFSpQGU5Q) is what plays during the most fun part of FFIX.

Battle With Magus (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbbLN_GRSNI) is your reward for slaying all one-hundred beasts in Magus' castle.

Trisection (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVrQv36YFgg) gets you smurfing pumped to kill the soldiers trying to kidnap the princess and set the stage for at least eighty hours of your life.

When you finally reach the end of the Mana Fortress and The Oracle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJX-s41D3Dc) starts blaring, you know you're on the edge of your seat, ready to just abuse Lucent Beam over and over before this gets ugly.

And lastly, you wanted to chase down Luca Blight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX8fKtjpr_E) through the entire game. Make it count tonight, Variable Army!

[Bolivar]

Too many to name, I'll just say Man with the Machine Gun from FFVIII, FFVII's battle them and One Winged Angel, many of the Shining Force songs, and Hitoshi Sakimoto's work in FFTactics, Tactics Ogre, and the Valkyria Chronicles series.

[Pete for President]

There is only one right answer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB6sOhQan9Y

Edit: alright maybe two right answers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbTI_Bzy29I

[Loony BoB]

Still More Fighting. Everything else is alright, but... Still More Fighting wins, easily, for me.

NOTE: I don't count one-off themes as "battle themes". Why? I don't know. For me they come across as themes for that specific enemy rather than a battle theme that is repeated over and over.

[I Took the Red Pill]

versus Miguel from Chrono Cross aka Prisoners of Fate

[Skyblade]

Choosing five favorites will be nearly impossible, so I'll go with some less popular awesome pieces.

- Shining Force II:
Battle Theme 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qunj0fbMi9Q)

On the OST, this theme is part of the track "The Warrior's Awakening" (SF2 had a symphonic OST which combined multiple tracks together).

These games had simply awesome battle themes, and there were literally battles where I would just sit back and listen to their music.


- Shining Force:
Circus Tent Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tyyj4U3Jcs)

This theme only gets better when you realize that it is a faster paced, battle version of the main town theme of the game (which is why it was not Mishaela's theme, even though the remake used it that way, it was originally the theme for battles in the towns).


- Shining Force:
Mishaela's Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJH68pNp1DY)

See? She has her own music, and it's awesome too.


- Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness:
Cipher Peon Battle Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSdeJcWX14w)

Quite simply the best Pokemon battle theme ever.



No time for more, I'll have to put them up later.

[Pike]

Remember when they made Pokemon Trading Card Game for Game Boy?

The gym leader battle is the best battle theme ever.

VgMHWxN2U_w

Prove me wrong.

you can't

[Sephiroth]

Prove me wrong.


It is a simulated Trading Card Game and not an RPG. Yugioh or Duel Masters or whatever are also no RPGs. At least I don't know any game of them which is an RPG.



Eh, it's debatable. The World Championship style ones don't count, but games like the Pokemon CCG for Gameboy or Yugioh Spirit Caller do have their own stories and progression systems, so you can definitely make an argument that they're RPGs.


Except that's just a minimum of what an RPG has. Every single thing would be an RPG then. Story does not automatically make an RPG and every game with a story or even many games without a story have a progression system. Having some RPG elements does not immediately define something as an RPG. I also don't say some sports games are RPGs just because you can train stats and reach a goal or that Catherine is an RPG because it has a story, even character development, which is important and you need to find out ways to progress. So it is not an RPG.



Pokemon CCG is sooo broken though. Just load a deck with Charmander, it's evolutions, and a ton of Fire Energy, with a couple potions. You'll keep reshuffling until you get a Charmander on your first turn, and then the enemy is just toast.

No one would play Charizard like this if you mean the Classic Edtion one but with Double Energy which is burnt and used for a quick move, before it needs Fire energy - in case there is enough time for a "before", but then it does need them any longer. And against a quick-efficient deck even that des not help. I have a deck with only 12 Pokémon and this one is only about quick and efficient moves. The winning chance is very high, I even had it in the real TCG.

[Skyblade]

Prove me wrong.


It is a simulated Trading Card Game and not an RPG. Yugioh or Duel Masters or whatever are also no RPGs. At least I don't know any game of them which is an RPG.

Eh, it's debatable. The World Championship style ones don't count, but games like the Pokemon CCG for Gameboy or Yugioh Spirit Caller do have their own stories and progression systems, so you can definitely make an argument that they're RPGs.

Pokemon CCG is sooo broken though. Just load a deck with Charmander, it's evolutions, and a ton of Fire Energy, with a couple potions. You'll keep reshuffling until you get a Charmander on your first turn, and then the enemy is just toast.


3. Sinistral Battle - Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals


This is probably the most epic battle theme of all time. It perfectly captures the feel of evil villains dueling legendary heroes.


Lufia 2: Sinistral battle theme - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBnYGYa6l3M)

This one reminds me an awful lot of Trombe!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot-0-KyPd0Y)

[Bolivar]

- Shining Force:
Circus Tent Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tyyj4U3Jcs)

This theme only gets better when you realize that it is a faster paced, battle version of the main town theme of the game

mind blown

[Pike]

Prove me wrong.


It is a simulated Trading Card Game and not an RPG. Yugioh or Duel Masters or whatever are also no RPGs. At least I don't know any game of them which is an RPG.

I am well aware that it's not an RPG. But it was so good that it needed to be posted anyway.

[Roogle]

5. Lucia vs. Zophar - Lunar 2


This is probably the darkest theme on the list. It takes about a minute and a half in before it even starts to sound like a battle theme. Still, I like how the song starts off peaceful, then it gets dark, and then it gets epic. A pretty cool transition.

My Top 25 RPG Final Boss Themes #2- Lunar Eternal Blue - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7mdhKSEER0)


This song is a great final battle theme. The Sega CD has a special boss battle theme for the first form of Zophar. It is a different take on this track. I liked that song a lot, but, unfortunately, it was replaced by the normal boss battle theme in the Playstation remake.