Eyes on Final Fantasy Soundtracks - Boss Themes

Is it really June already? Where's the year gone!? Summer has started and the long summer solstice has been and gone for another year and we're probably all enjoying kicking back in the summer weather. However it's not all work and play and whilst we started the climb last month we still have a battle to round out before we can really relax.


Last month we looked at Battle Themes. I guess "looked at" is a rather polite way of putting it considering we went over every main Battle Theme in the series so far. Exhausting? It sure was! It's a fitting follow up then that this month we'll look at the themes that complement some of the longest, or if you're lacking Phoenix Downs the shortest, battles in the series. *dun dun duuuuuun* Yes, Boss Themes!

"Oh nooo but there's so many Boss Themes we'll be here all day!" I hear my 4 loyal readers exclaim. Don't worry, it's summer, everyone is happy so I'll spare you. For now...

Boss Themes are often quite memorable - particularly the adaptations of character themes for boss battles. At times they may get the adrenaline pumping, at others they'll leave you exasperated as you get made short work of and at other points you'll probably wish you'd saved earlier. Whatever happens, though, as soon as the theme kicks in you know trout is about to get real.

On the note of keeping it real; this month I'm just going to hit you with my 6 favourite Boss Themes. Why 6? Well 5 is just so conventional, and we have to mix things up once in a while. It has nothing to do with my indecisiveness at all. Along with these 6 you'll also find official and fan-made re-arrangements. Let me know what you think of them!

Now before you all flip tables in rage at the lack of One Winged Angel, Exdeath or Maybe I’m A Lion. I’m deliberately leaving all the major/final boss themes for a future edition! Well then let’s get started. You might agree with my choices or you might think I'm a stark, raving mad fool - in which case I invite you to show me the errors of my ways and reply with your Top 6 Boss Themes!

Without further ado...



6. Final Fantasy II – Battle Theme 2

I really wanted to get the 8-bit original in here but had a hard time tracking it down. Just take a moment and listen to this and imagine it as a series of 8-bit beeps and picture yourself slaying 8 colour sprite dragons and monsters. How quintessentially late 80s/early 90s does this boss theme sound? It starts off with a rather dramatic intro straight into pounding drums and stringwork before slowing down slightly so as not to send the adrenaline rushes into overdrive. It’s also worth noting here that it takes over a minute before the theme loops around – considering some of the other battle themes at the time were looping in 40 seconds or less this was pretty long by Uematsu’s standards. The intro itself makes for a very epic loop.

The Dissidia re-arrangements always provide an interesting spin on classic themes and this one is no exception. It sounds familiar yet so, so different at the same time and had a very out of this world vibe to it.



5. Final Fantasy IV – Battle 2

It’s a nice little touch that the boss theme starts off with the standard Final Fantasy battle 3 second introduction. Perhaps Uematsu really wanted to toy with us – this is just a normal battle guys… what’s that, you’re dead? AHAHAHAH… I mean, oh dear how could that have happened!? I dig this theme as it’s structurally quite simple with an alternating set of two melodies that then kicks off into an amazing crescendo at 0:37 that certainly had me bopping along. If this doesn't give you memories of being a Dragoon and kicking some serious rear then I don't know what will!

Sole Signal over at OverClocked Remix provides us with a very interesting and high tempo remix of this theme.



4. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles – Monster's Round Dance ~Rondo~

So, this one sounds very different eh? I did originally pencil in Final Fantasy VI's Boss Theme here but I thought the non-main series titles needed a bit of love too. This theme really captures the cute nature of Crystal Chronicles but despite sounding light and airy it also has an aura of urgency about it. When you're fighting a Giant Enemy Crab with your 3 buddies and trying to dodge bubbles (yes those mean bubbles) and thunder strikes it can be quite easy for stuff to go horribly wrong. The other thing I really like about this track is at 1:59 - you think it's just repeating itself over and over but then you suddenly get hit by a moment of River Dance-esque windpipe work. If you never played Crystal Chronicles just imagine yourself running around forests, beaches, castles and swampland trying to get the better of giant wildlife that would love nothing more than to have you for lunch. Fresh, without the side salad.



3. Final Fantasy IX - Battle 2
Wow how dramatic is this track? From the menacing low key piano notes to the drum beat that emphasises each string strike and that that alternating speaker segment at 1:25 onward. Stereophonic drama! Compared to the relatively upbeat nature of the standard Battle Theme in Final Fantasy IX this track is a massive change in pace – it really gives the feel of a struggle, that our ragtag bunch of adventures may have bitten off more than they can chew. Much like that time they had to fight Nova Dragon atop the Lifa Tree on the way to Memoria. For me this is what a classic boss theme should be, something far heavier and dramatic than the standard battle theme. Even if you were simply fighting yet another Malboro a theme like this would make the fight instantly more intense... actually thinking of Mal-STATUS AILEMTS-boros, maybe they should all have this as their theme!

What's that? It needs to sound a bit more metal to be a Malboro theme? Well a guy named Tom and his Final Heaven project has your covered with his metal rendition.


2. Final Fantasy X – Enemy Attack

This is very similar to Final Fantasy IX’s theme in a few ways and I really had a hard time trying to decide which way around to put these two. In the end X got ranked higher because rather than going for the constant adrenaline of previous themes it does a very good job of setting the tension until 0:45 when the crescendo kicks in. But! Just as it could potentially start going on for a tad too long it smoothly slides back down into the loop again. Every time I hear this theme I immediately think of fighting Evrae atop of the Airship with Tidus and Rikku barking out orders to "move out" or "move closer" and Evrae giving precisely 0 smurfs as it Photon Torpedo's the party. For some reason it also reminds me of a boat being stranded in a storm too...

YouTubers CrazyGroupTrio have made a piano cover of this theme that sounds ever bit as dramatic as it's counterpart.


1. Final Fantasy VII – Still More Fighting ~ Boss Battle Theme

This is probably the clichéd choice but there really is something about the guitar and keyboard work of this track. It sounded much more modern than previous themes and really fit the tone of the game. Every time that pre-battle screen blur happened and this theme kicked in you knew you were in for a challenge or, at the very least, a fun battle! The fast beat and the guitar intro immediately make me sit-up, shuffle to the edge of my seat and slump into my huddled concentration position. Of course, bopping along like a spanner in the process! Whether you’re kicking Palmer’s rear or wrecking the Motor Ball at the end of the highway segment - this theme kept the blood pumping throughout. Just like life itself, there's always still more fighting to go!

Just when you thought it couldn't get any more Rock 'N' Roll, The Black Mages are here to prove you wrong with their version. Prepare to head bang to the guitar solo at 1:50!


I’m sure someone probably disagrees with my assessment. No doubt someone found Final Fantasy X’s theme bland or will be upset that I didn’t give Final Fantasy VIII a mention! Let me know in the comments what you thought – and even better, give me your top 6! You’d be surprised that it’s not as easy as it sounds! *audience groans*

Here’s a small little challenge for you. You may remember in the last edition that we noticed that Nobuo Uematsu tends to use sets of 3 repeating melodies to form the majority of Battle Themes. How many Boss Themes stuck to this rule?