Even though I didn't vote for it, Zozo is actually one of my fave locations in VI. Maybe next Census I'll do least favorite and see.
Even though I didn't vote for it, Zozo is actually one of my fave locations in VI. Maybe next Census I'll do least favorite and see.
True beauty exists in things that last only for a moment.
Current Mood: And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe. Maybe this year will be better than the last. I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself. To hold on to these moments as they pass...
Next round, and its a musical number!
Favorite Final Fantasy Composition.
I totally should have limited this down to three entries. We had 51 distinct tracks, but thankfully some clear winners emerged from this crowded field.
Runner Ups (1 Vote)
Final Fantasy IV
Prologue/ The Main Theme of Final Fantasy
Welcome to our Town!
Prelude
I was a little disappointed that IV didn't get as much love.
Final Fantasy V
Dear Friends
I'm even more disappointed with V's showing.
Final Fantasy VI
Celes Theme
Decisive Battle
Grand Finale
Forever Rachael
Locke's Theme
Cyan's Theme
To no one's surprise, VI had the most tracks nominated overall. Hint hint... I'm sure a few people are rolling their eyes now, BoB and Karifean...
Final Fantasy VII
The Great Warrior
One Winged Angel (AC Version)
Those Chosen by the Planet
On Our Way
J-E-N-O-V-A
Those Who Fight On!
I was mainly surprised that some of these tracks didn't get more noms. I really thought most of the battle themes would get a second vote, and considering how well Cosmo Canyon did for locations, I was expecting The Great Warrior to do better. Of anything, with the VII hype going on, I was expecting this game to get more love. It ranked third overall.
Final Fantasy VIII
Roses and Wine
Compression of Time
Breezy
Balamb Garden
The Promise
The Stage is Set
The Extreme
The Castle
If I was Vivi22 and doing these announcements, I'd probably make a snappy comment about how a lot of you have terrible taste in music as VIII had the second highest amounts of noms overall. Granted, a good chunk of these noms came from like three people. I actually like a lot of these tracks, though I was really surprised that an obvious fan favorite didn't even rank. Looks like the VIII fans are becoming hipsters.
Final Fantasy IX
Melodies of Life
Freya's Theme
Over the Hills
Rose of May
Ukulele de Chocobo
This was another one that surprised me. Considering how much love this game gets in this forum, I was expecting a few more tracks from this.
Final Fantasy X
To Zanarkand
Via Purifico
Not my favorite score, but some solid choices none the less. I'm just grateful Thousand Words didn't make it here.
Final Fantasy XI
Ronfaure
Selbina
I honestly wasn't expecting something from XI, but I'm always happy to see some of the lesser loved entries get some love.
Final Fantasy XII
The Beginning of the End
XII has an underappreciated score, so happy to see it got at least one nom.
Final Fantasy XIII
Blinded by Light
Despite my animosity for this game, if there was a track to single out, this would be it. Surprised more by who voted for it honestly.
Final Fantasy XIV
Prelude ~ Discoveries (XIV)
Shadowbringers
Answers
Dragonsong
Wasn't surprised by XIV getting love since I knew a lot of the active forum plays it.
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Crazy Chocobo
I would be surprised if I didn't know who voted for it.
Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning's Return
Meeting You
Was a little more surprised to see this one actually.
Fourth Place (2 Votes)
Man with the Machine GunThe theme song for everyone's favorite doofus journalist. Most people would agree that the highlight of the Laguna sequences is getting to hear this awesome battle theme. I personally love it more than Don't be Afraid. This was the highest ranking FFVIII Track.
One of the most iconic tracks from Final Fantasy VI. How many of us were caught flat footed when the lyric option appeared on screen? Glad to see the song rose above the riff raff, but a little disappointed it didn't get any higher than fourth place.
Aria di Mezzo Carattere
Battle on the Big BridgeAt least you people didn't completely disappoint me on the FFV front by neglecting this awesome track. Associated now with the most spectacular joke villains in the series. It has the distinction of being one of the most well beloved battle themes that isn't a final boss theme.
Main Theme of Final Fantasy VIII'm happy this track made it at least this far. This is probably my second favorite map theme in the series and it really embodies the feel of the game if you ask me. I still get chills leaving Midgar and hearing this theme start to play as you enter the world map for the first time. Sad it couldn't get any higher though...
What may come as a shock for some is that I'm indifferent to this track despite being attached to my fave entry in the series. It's a good track, don't get me wrong, but I actually liked Dark World better. I do appreciate its uplifting change to the World of Ruined though.
Searching for Friends
Dancing MadI'd be shocked that this wasn't higher on the list if it wasn't for the fact that final boss themes just didn't do well overall in this census. A real shame too since this track really does showcase Uematsu's skills. So much so that he was actually sweating bullets when it came to composing One Winged Angel cause he really wasn't sure he could top this track.
Third Place (3 Votes)
This is that moment where my dissenting opinion about this entry has me scratching my head, but hey some people love this track enough so that it got to have its very own tier. I do like the uplifting rise in the track though.
A Fleeting Dream
Second Place (4 Votes)
You're Not AloneThere's the IX love I was talking about. In the early tallies this was neck and neck with the top tier but just lost out at the very end. Easily one of the coolest tracks during an iconic moment in IX. While IX didn't get that many noms, at least it had one with a strong finish.
EoFF's Favorite Tracks (5 Votes)
Aerith's ThemeEasily one of the most iconic character themes from VII and the one associated with the biggest moment in the game. This is a gorgeous piece and no surprise for me that it reached number one. Everyone knows their going to ball their eyes out when the remake gets to this moment.
Terra's ThemeThe actual most iconic theme from VI and the most beloved character theme from the game. I remember someone mentioning how this track was OCRemix's VGM equivalent to Freebird. Seriosuly, there are like a bajillion remixes of this song. Funny enough, I consider Awakenign to really be Terra's theme.
True beauty exists in things that last only for a moment.
Current Mood: And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe. Maybe this year will be better than the last. I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself. To hold on to these moments as they pass...
I’ve expressed my love for Blinded by Light numerous times, though!
Well Terra is relatively high up for me, just not high enough to make it into my absolute top list. It's not about just being good but being better than the competition in the end, which is a pretty darn powerful one. Seriously, FF VIII's score is totally deserving of the love it gets.
Besides that, glad to see A Fleeting Dream edging out a couple more votes. You're Not Alone is less surprising but hey, not gonna complain.
Yes, but I didn't think you thought of it as "Top Five" material. In fact, for someone who argues with with me about the greatness of IX's score, I'm surprised I nominated more tracks from it than you did.
As for VIII's score, I think the only other thing that surprised me besides the absence of some of its more popular tracks, was the fact Roses and Wine was nominated, cause I honestly feel its one of the most underrated tracks from the game. With that said, I'm still in agreement with Fynn that its not Uematu's best work with the series. I really can't understand the appeal of Balamb Garden's theme for instance. It's clever that Nobuo is using a similar tone for a Japanese High School bell, but the track is so elevator music overall. The kind of track begging to be zoned out.
True beauty exists in things that last only for a moment.
Current Mood: And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe. Maybe this year will be better than the last. I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself. To hold on to these moments as they pass...
As I’ve said on multiple occasions, I hate making top music lists because it constantly fluctuates and greatly depends on my mood. Despite the fact that FF music has always meant a lot to me, I’ve never sat down to come up with a list because it’d be obsolete the next day, if not earlier. The five I gave you are the five I came up with then, which I cant even remember without checking my Mognet. Chances are today you’d get a completely different list, likely one with something from IX in it
Balamb Garden’s theme honestly is just a nostalgic destresser for me. I can recognize it isn’t that special of a piece, but it does tend to make me feel at ease because it’s such a familiar tune for a game that has a lot of memories behind it for me.
Honestly, this was the hardest question for me. I couldn’t even tell you for sure which ones I for sure voted for (though I did vote Roses and Wine!) the problem is that i wasn’t in a place where I could look up songs when I was doing the list; so, some songs that I could hear in my head that I really liked weren’t nominated simply because I couldn’t think of the name. There are also just too many tracks from too many games that no matter what I put, I felt bad for not including stuff from other games. They basically all have standout tracks to me that feel deserving of this list. Also, doing this list has just made me really want to play some Theatrhythm: Curtain Call.
Well then, let’s have a duel! I can fire up my copy any time Did we ever exchange friend codes?
Let's move onto characters.
Runner Ups (I vote)
Final Fantasy II
__white_mage_shirma_and_minwu_final_fantasy_and_3_more_drawn_by_sazanami_waveman__7c4d8f8221d02f.png
Minwu
I'm happy that at least one NES era FF got some love for this contest, and Minwu does deserve it.
Final Fantasy IV
Cid
Kain
I was a disappointed by IV's showing in this census, a little surprised too that fan favorites like Rydia and Cecil didn't even place.
Final Fantasy V
Galuf
Gilgamesh
Not surprised FFV had a weak showing since its always had a stigma against it for its plot and cast. Still, these were some great choices.
Final Fantasy VI
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Edgar
I think the bigger surprise for me was VI's weak showing. It only had the second highest amount of noms from its entry.
Final Fantasy VII
__sephiroth_and_tifa_lockhart_crisis_core_final_fantasy_vii_final_fantasy_and_final_fantasy_vii_.jpg
Sephiroth
Tifa
I was also surprised VII didn't do better considering the current hype train for it. I figured the recent demo would have had people voting this entry up. It had the third highest amount of noms.
Final Fantasy IX
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Zidane
Garnet
Kuja
Steiner
Freya
The IX love continues to be very strong on this forum. No complaints from me.
Final Fantasy X
Seymour
Rikku
Tidus
X had a better showing than I first thought it would. I think the lack of Yuna was the only thing that really surprised me.
Final Fantasy XI
__black_mage_shantotto_and_tarutaru_final_fantasy_xi_and_etc_drawn_by_excel_shena__sample-6edd03.jpg
Shantatto
Happy to see XI got some love, and hey, its a character I even know.
Final Fantasy XIV
Zenos
For an MMO, XIV did better than I expected overall for this competition. Again, not surprised considering how many active members play it but still happy to see it get love.
Final Fantasy XV
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Ignis
Noctis
Prompto
You know, considering the kickback this game got from the forum, I'm surprised this game got some noms. While no one made it pass the first round, at least most of the boy band has fans on this forum.
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Caius
Only two non-mainline entries made it on this list, and this is the first one. I can't really say much about Caius since I never played XIII-2, but most people say he's the best part of it.
Fifth Place (2 Votes)
Final Fantasy VI
Kouhaku.Kuroboshi.580499.jpg
Kefka
Locke
Celes
Most of these choices don't surprise me, though special note goes to Kefka for being one of two of the highest voted villain of this census.
Final Fantasy IX
__quina_quen_and_zidane_tribal_final_fantasy_ix_and_etc_drawn_by_shirou_vista__93a6aed33975f6e9c.jpg
Quina
Quina has always had a place on this forum despite the fact they are such a divisive character for many. I'm glad my Blue Mage eating machine made it far.
Final Fantasy XII
__ashelia_b_nargin_dalmasca_final_fantasy_and_final_fantasy_xii_drawn_by_hankuri__a53fd7a7c7a3e2.jpg
Lady Ashe
I feel the most surprising thing about XII's performance is that while it didn't get as many character noms, they did get a lot of votes to rise in the ranks. Ashe is probably my favorite leading female character in the series so seeing her here makes me happy.
Final Fantasy XIII
lightning-punch-o.gif
Lightning
I will never understand the love this character gets. Perhaps because I dipped out of the XIII trilogy and lost a lot of her characterization, but at least its nice to see her and Ashe helping break stereotypes within the franchise.
Final Fantasy XIV
tumblr_pusck680wy1w2kl17o2_500.png.jpg
Emet-Selch
I have not played XIV so I don't really have much to say here except that this guy is the other high ranking villain on this Census. Go play Shadowbringers people.
Final Fantasy Tactics
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Ramza
The highest ranking non-mainline character on this list. Ramza has the distinction of being my favorite main character in the franchise. Glad to see him get love.
Fourth Place (3 Votes)
Final Fantasy VII
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Aerith
Cloud
Not surprised these two made it so far, I almost feel like they got the same amount of votes because most of the people on this forum support the CloudxAerith paring so here they are alone together in this category.
Final Fantasy VIII
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Laguna
Ah yeah, my favorite underdog from VIII. I always feel a bit bad for Laguna and his friends cause they always seem to get downplayed or forgotten in story discussions of the game. Laguna added a lot of levity to VIII and I appreciate that.
Final Fantasy X
Final%20Fantasy%20X%2003.jpg
Auron
If there was to be a high voted character from FFX for me, Auron is a good choice. He had a good backstory and he's a snazzy dresser. Someday I wish SE would give up on making FFX sequels and instead just give us our damn prequel starring Auron and Jecht.
Third Place (4 Votes)
Final Fantasy VI
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Terra
Terra has had a real surge in popularity in the last decade or so. I'm guessing its because of Dissidia, but I am not complaining that she's the highest ranked character from VI. Great theme and a powerful story arc.
Final Fantasy XII
FB_IMG_1465247919822.jpg
Balthier
I find it amusing that for a game that gets a lot of flak for its characters, Balthier ranked in third place. As I said, XII didn't get many noms for characters but the ones who did got a lot of love. Who can blame them for not loving this leading man?
Second Place (5 Votes)
Final Fantasy VIII
__squall_leonhart_final_fantasy_viii_and_etc_drawn_by_eni_yoyogieni__4f35dd53f15d43e6f5436339252.jpg
Squall
While VIII also gets a lot of flak for its cast of characters, like XII, the ones who did got a lot of love and I can't blame them for Squall. He's honestly one of the best written characters within the mainline series. So I'm happy he ranked second overall.
First Place (8 Votes)
Final Fantasy IX
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Vivi
No surprise here. Most of the forum has a soft spot for IX and Vivi is unequivocally the most beloved character from this game. Who can blame us, he out woobied Terra of all people. I appreciate the fact that in a series filled with summoners and super soldiers, it's the iconic Black Mage that people still gravitate to.
True beauty exists in things that last only for a moment.
Current Mood: And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe. Maybe this year will be better than the last. I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself. To hold on to these moments as they pass...
Few surprises on this one I suppose, though I did expect FFVI and the main four of VII to score better.
Yeah IX got the most character noms overall, though it was interesting that only one of them made it past the runner up phase. VI had fewer than I thought it would, as I figured it would have been the entry that had the most noms due to the large cast. Suprised Sabin and Shadow didn't get noms. VII was also a surprise for me as I really expected more of the cast to show up. Specifically Yuffie, Vincent, Red XIII, and some of the Turks. I was more surprised by Sephy and Tifa's weak performance.
The character poll was really more about underdog entries like VIII and XII who had one or two really strong characters get high ranks. This is all especially interesting when we get to the final question which I'll post later today.
True beauty exists in things that last only for a moment.
Current Mood: And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe. Maybe this year will be better than the last. I can't remember all the times I tried to tell myself. To hold on to these moments as they pass...
Selbina from FFXI is an absolute banger. Everyone give your ears some love and stick it on.
Surprised only 1 FFV track in this, it has the best OST! But you all made it up by voting Galuf in the list I'd have voted if i was around to know aboot it
The best song from XIV is actually Moebius(Orchestral Version) Unfortunately it only plays at the very end of Alexander Ultimate so many may not have heard it so here you GO!
All the songs in that fight are great really but that one is the best!