History Main / ThemeMusicPowerUp

** Even detractors of the prequels admit that one of the coolest moments in the series is near the climax of ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' when just as the heroes are ready to flee the scene, a door opens, a cloaked figure appears (Darth Maul), and the first few notes of the "Duel of the Fates" theme [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W57UTi3pHTc are heard]].

* In ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', as Sam trains with the shield to face [[spoiler: a rogue John Walker]], the show's theme "Louisiana Hero" plays in the background.

** Most people will never be able to hear The Propellerheads' "Spybreak!" without thinking of the lobby shootout scene again.

* The main theme of ''Film/OnceUponATimeInChina'' plays whenever Jet Li's heroic lead, Wong Fei Hong, takes on the forces of evil in said-movie-series.
** It's traditional to use that for Wong Fei Hung's theme song in any movie about him. Example: Creator/JackieChan's Film/DrunkenMaster plays it when Fei Hung is winning his fight against the BigBad.

** At the end of ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'', Jack Sparrow's confrontation against the kraken is made even more awesome by the remix of ''He's A Pirate'' that plays during it.
*** And then abruptly turns tragic as the heroic strings drop into a dying fall... just as the ''Black Pearl'' is pulled beneath the waves.
*** In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'', Jack Sparrow comes over the sand dunes in Davy Jones' Locker in a reference to his first entrance.

** The ''Series/StarTrekPicard'' episode "Vox" plays the most bombastic and triumphant version of the ''TNG'' theme when [[spoiler:Geordi reveals the resurrected ''Enterprise''-D and Picard and his officers take her out to stop the Borg's latest gambit to assimilate Starfleet and destroy TheFederation]].

** Swedish composer Ludwig Goransson seamlessly integrated Bill Conti's themes in ''Film/{{Creed}}'' quietly and subtlety, only to deliver the full on "Gotta Fly Now" anthem in the 12th Round of The Big Fight, when you know shit just got real.

If a ThemeMusicPowerUp is defeated, then it's TheDayTheMusicLied. If it's in particularly spectacular fashion, it may end with a RecordNeedleScratch or by LettingTheAirOutOfTheBand (or, if you're ''really'' unlucky, a LastNoteNightmare).

* ''Film/JamesBond'' is in the rare and enviable position of having ''two'' [[ThemeMusicPowerUp Theme Music Power Ups]] -- the "James Bond Theme", and the music from the opening titles of each movie. See the [[http://youtu.be/2WgVUzVxUkM pre-credits sequence]] from ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'' for a particularly badass example. On the other hand, if the opening song is a ''VillainSong'', Bond had better watch out when it starts playing on the soundtrack. Example: Film/GoldFinger's aerial raid on Fort Knox, set to a thunderous version of his TheVillainSucksSong.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'' has a general rule: if the [[http://youtu.be/HcZ9kQ1h-ZY "Force Theme"]] is playing, it's because the characters are doing something epic. If the ''title'' theme plays, it's because they're being just plain badass.
** ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' gives Luke a big ThemeMusicPowerUp in the Sarlacc pit scene.
** The Emperor gets one as well when his rather creepy theme plays as he [[ColdBloodedTorture electrocutes Luke with Force lightning]]. Has elements of TheDayTheMusicLied, though, since that's when [[spoiler: Darth Vader returns to the Light side of the Force and saves Luke.]]
** [[spoiler: The moment where Vader lunges at the Emperor to save his son, a bombastic version of The Force theme plays signifying the end of Darth Vader and the return of Anakin Skywalker.]]
** Also, of course, there is a general rule in all ''Franchise/StarWars'' films that if you can hear Imperial March, it means TheDragon is being awesome again.
** Even detractors of the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels admit that one of the coolest moments in the series was near the climax of ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' when just as the heroes are ready to flee the scene, a door opens, a cloaked figure appears (Darth Maul), and the first few notes of the "Duel of the Fates" theme [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W57UTi3pHTc are heard]].
** In the original film, the power up music comes at an interesting moment: when Luke shuts off his targeting device the score shifts from tense to triumphant. It means he's decided to trust the Force and is on the path to becoming a Jedi. Actually blowing up the Death Star is just a detail.
** And true to form, the Force Theme again plays in The Force Awakens after being curiously absent all film [[spoiler: when Anakin's saber is picked up by Rey, and reveals that she, not Finn is in fact the heroine of the story and the next lead Jedi.]]
** ''Film/TheLastJedi'' strikes up [[spoiler: the Falcon's {{Leitmotif}} from "TIE Fighter Attack"/"Into the Death Star" during its GunshipRescue moment at the Battle of Crait]].
** A variation of "Princess Leia's theme" plays when [[spoiler: she uses the Force to survive the First Order's destruction of the Resistance flagship.]]
** And let us not forget the utterly thrilling music composition that plays when [[spoiler: LUKE SKYWALKER makes his epic return to delay the attacking First Order forces, enabling the Resistance to escape.]]

** The classic "Throne Room Fanfare" gets a truly spectacular reprisal in ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' when Lando Calrissian returns in the ''Millennium Falcon''...[[spoiler:leading a [[TheCavalry massive fleet]] composed of '''THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF SHIPS''' coming to the aid of the Resistance in their time of greatest need.]]

* The first twenty seconds of the track "Beelzeboss" from ''Film/TenaciousDInThePickOfDestiny'' act as a ThemeMusicPowerUp for [[{{Satan}} the Devil.]]

** ''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'' takes this concept and runs with it. As an anniversary series for the franchise, the Gokaigers not only get a ThemeMusicPowerUp from their own theme, but the theme music of whatever past sentai team is getting spotlighted that episode.

* When Aerith and Zexion played ''OneWingedAngel'' in the murder-off in ''Webcomic/AnsemRetort'', it was intended to [[BrownNote stop Cloud]]. They didn't figure out until too late that it was also Axel's ThemeMusicPowerUp.

** Inverted in the ParkingGarage scene where his theme appears in a sad, minor-key version [[spoiler: because the entire Detroit police force has turned on him and is firing at him while he struggles to defend himself]].

* When watching the original 1989 ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}'', the minute you hear any version of Danny Elfman's classic Batman theme, there's gonna be some kicked ass. No questions asked.
** This applies to ''Film/BatmanReturns'' as well.
** This also happens in the Nolan films. Zimmer's Batman anthem is maybe less memorable than Elfman's, but it's always there when Batman kicks serious ass (listen to the score in the "Swarm of Bats" scene from ''Film/BatmanBegins'').

** However, since the song is actually performed by Rum Tum Tugger, it could be argued that Tugger is actually trying to convince Mistoffelees that he can [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre do the magic that needs to be done]].