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View Full Version : The Sword of Doubt/The Wavering Blade


Forsaken Lover
06-15-2016, 04:51 PM
So I don't know if any of you has ever noticed but FFIX and FFX's soundtracks both seem to have a real issue with their song names being translated differently. Like I first heard Beatrix's theme being called "Loss of Me" which made sense. But no, it's Rose of May.

Similarly, I first heard her boss theme called "Mystery Sword." But this video and the FF Wiki call it the two respective names in the thread title.
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I think that's some hardcore soundtrack dissonance. As in, whoever named the song, didn't know much about the game. Or the game writers just failed spectacularly. Beatrix in Burmecia and Cleyra is not "wavering." She does not show "doubt." She's very matter-of-fact about killing all of you and exterminating the rest of the rats.
Galuf
06-15-2016, 05:28 PM
a few songs in this game have multiple names.

like Final battle/Grand Cross.

its weird
Fox
06-15-2016, 11:54 PM
Rose of May / Loss of Me is an easy one just because it's a tricky translation from katakana spellings of English words. "rozu oubu mei" can quite happily be either!

As for Wavering Sword / Sword of Doubt... I think they actually make sense. Yes, Beatrix is super matter-of-fact about killing you, but we discover beyond that point that she does hold doubts towards Queen Brahne's actions. I think that's especially true the second time you fight her - once you escape Cleyra and stowaway on the Red Rose you hear her bitterness about not being appreciated for her work, and her resentment towards the Queen's desire for Eidolons and Black Mages when her own troops would have been more than enough to take Cleyra.

Final Battle / Grand Cross - This is one that got its weird dual name further down the line. In the original soundtrack, it's just 'Final Battle'. But when the Black Mages arranged it for their 3rd album in 2008... 'Final Battle' isn't distinctive enough. LOTS of games have a Final Battle! So they called their arrangement 'Grand Cross' and people have retroactively applied it to the original piece ever since.