History Main / ThemeMusicPowerUp

** [[RebuildofEvangelion Rebuild]] gives ''Shinji'' his own Theme Music Power up with [[http://youtu.be/9xiLqf2VZj0&feature=related Sin From Genesis]], a remix of Beast II that plays over his [[spoiler: epic beatdown of Zeruel.]]

** However, the music returns as a counter charge is ordered, and the cavalry make yet another music-backed charge to the line of Mûmakil...only for the music to be cut off as if someone pulled the plug from the sound system, or if the orchestra themselves had fled the battlefield upon realizing what a terrible idea charging fifty foot elephants with horses was. Incidentally, the music is cut off at the exact moment that one of the warbeasts swings its tusks, sending a horseman screaming into the air, then smashing more aside with its feet. It takes another few minutes (film-time) before anything resembling victory seems possible...''and then the Nazgul, including the Witch-King, show up.''

** King Theoden gets one when he declares that [[GondorCallsForAid Rohan will fight alongside Gondor]].

* ''Super Metroid'''s FinalBattle, where the remixed Crateria theme starts thundering over Samus' HeroicSecondWind against Mother Brain.
** Samus does have her own theme music by this point in the series, which plays over her revival (both times) in ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'' and over ''Super Metroid's'' opening text crawl and end credits. It also gets an orchestral remix in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Brawl''.

* Speaking of ''{{Metroid}}''... Late in ''Metroid Zero Mission'', Samus is stripped of her armor, and is forced to retreat from a pack of murderous space pirates who can kill her in one shot. She gets two consecutive Theme Music Power Up moments:
** After gaining a new, more powerful version of her armor in the Chozo Ruins, Samus gets the "got item" theme, but instead of the [[ShoutOut version found in the 8-bit NES Metroid]], [[http://youtu.be/jBOE2zMxFgw it sounds more like the Metroid Prime-and-later versions]]. Sends chills up and down the spine.
** Samus then retaliates against the pirates with a vengeance, now able to destroy ''them'' in one shot, with an [[http://youtu.be/wEPmfXUQGgw up tempo version]] of the ''Brinstar'' theme song blaring all the while.
* The final boss of ''MetroidPrime'' is accompanied by the already slightly creepy, OminousLatinChanting filled main menu music, warped to sound even stranger and more alien. Given that the main menu has the interior of a metroid for its backdrop, this really drives home just how ''wrong'' the final boss is, even compared to life energy sucking floating fanged jellyfish.

* ''MetalGearSolid3'' invokes the song ''Snake Eater'' if the player is running out of time in the final battle [[spoiler: with The Boss]].
** ''MetalGearSolid4'' plays with this, where playing certain songs on the IPod provides ingame bonuses. Naturally the ridiculously awesome ''MetalGearSolid3'' theme (''Someday, you walk through the raaaaaaain, some day you'll feed on a treeeee frog!'') makes you almost unstoppable.
*** Then there's the finale of ''[=MGS4=]'', where [[spoiler:a final fistfight with Liquid Ocelot comes in four parts, with theme music from each main game of the series (and matching health bars) for each section, until the music runs out of steam and it's just two old men throwing their last ounces of strength at each other.]]
** MetalGearRisingRevengeance does something similar with the Winds of Destruction. Normally, the music is instrumental. But when Raiden begins to push them to their limits, [[LetsGetDangerous their attacks begin to change]] and the songs begin to add vocals.

*** In what can only be described as MoodWhiplash, the 6th game has a slow, sad version of the theme, as [[spoiler:Iris and Colonel reveal that they are going to fuse, deleting them]] to get rid of the Cybeast inside the titular character, then "You're Not Alone" plays as the event actually ''happens''.

* The director's cut of ''TheExpendables'' has "Diamond Eyes" playing in the climax of the film as the eponymous team charges into the courtyard, shooting and tossing hand grenades left and right. In the theatrical version, it was a WastedSong despite Sylvester Stallone personally commissioning the song for use in the film.

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

* A very literal variant in GirlGenius; Agatha (the main character) starts playing a very complex version of the music she always hums while working during the final battle. As an added bonus, it controls the clanks (robots) she's made.

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', whenever Ichigo is about to kick some serious ass, his ImageSong ("Number One" by Hazel Fernandez) would kick in. This was subverted at one point: Ichigo moves to attack an unusually powerful badass, and his ThemeMusicPowerUp stops almost as soon as it starts when his opponent blocks the attack with a single finger. Yeah, that's right... [[spoiler:Aizen]] is so tough he can even defeat your ''theme music''.
** As [[http://youtu.be/BXCVzlGsZP4 this video]] shows, "Number One" did provide a ThemeMusicPowerUp, but for the wrong character. "Number One" allows Renji to display some awesome, but as soon as Ichigo jumps into action, the fickle theme song is cut down by [[spoiler:Aizen]]'s finger of doom.
** Ironically, the first proper use of the Image Song in the series was when it was used by the series' FakeUltimateHero to rescue Ichigo with his "Ultimate Attack".

** Number One returns in a rock form called Chokkaku when Ichigo returns from his little training exercise in the Dangai. [[spoiler:The very next action involves Aizen talking shit, then getting grabbed by the face and forcefully removed from the scene.]] It's safe to say its power returned.

* In BleachThe3rdPhantom, whenever a character activates their Bankai [[spoiler: or Release, in Grimmjow's case]], an instrumental version of the game's theme song plays. Same with the cutscene where you acquire (depending on Free Time choices) either Rengoku, Rasen, Shunko, or [[spoiler: Bankai.]]
* In ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamland'', [[http://youtube.com/watch?v=KNCLuYBYwfQ whenever Kirby gets a Super Ability]].

** Some of the effects last until the next day/turn however, even though the theme is replaced by your respective enemy theme during their turns. Weather effects caused by CO powers can even last up to 3 days.
** Also happens when Will/Ed appears in the middle of Hope Rising to save everyone from [[spoiler:Greyfield/Sigismundo]]. His normal theme plays, yet before he arrives, you have no CO, so you have the no CO theme until he rolls up.
* An observed property of the upcoming game ''Fable II'' is that the more rhythmically you kick ass, the more awesome the BGM becomes.

*** EndofEvangelion It's not enough that Asuka triggers a giant cross shaped explosion when she breaks out of her coma and starts tearing the Geo Front apart in Unit-02, the music shifts accordingly. The previous scenes had a dark musical score to accompany the scenes the JSSDF invading Nerv HQ. This changes suddenly to a loud and triumphant music that plays as Asuka comes to term with her past, overcomes it, and finally just starts tearing things apart. The Director of the English Dub even calls Asuka the brightest, happiest character in the entire movie during this particular scene. The music that plays when Asuka is fighting the Mass Production Eva Units can count as well, depending on the viewer.
* ''KaraNoKyoukai'' has Shiki's unofficial theme "[[http://youtu.be/1S14VL19Lbk&feature=related Seventh Heaven]]" played [[http://youtu.be/sOxyZ0YLbOI&feature=related several dozen]] [[http://youtu.be/w57JZtN27SM&feature=related times over]] [[http://youtu.be/314TVIcT5Jc&feature=related the course]] [[http://youtu.be/QfIulXK_qw8&feature=related of]] [[http://youtu.be/wcOqNCpthxc&feature=related the]] [[http://youtu.be/p-PhhFacqdg&feature=related series]], but it gets kicked up a notch or two for [[http://youtu.be/7480ZmNOB98 her]] [[http://youtu.be/44arxEXjK2g&feature=related fight]] [[http://youtu.be/Ne-U0n5vFD0 scenes]].
** Whenever YukiKajiura and the strings and chimes of Awesome strike up, not only is the unkillable going to be killed, it's going to be ''spectacular.''
* ''The LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'': Lina has the same music anytime she casts Dragon Slave (and Giga Slave and Laguna Blade). Also somewhat distorted on the Battle Music (same every time -- ''ikinashi oodate'') and totally distorted for Amelia and Gourry (with ''douchuuki'').

** A bit different in the final season, in which the new addition to the cast -- the Sailor Starlights -- had an appearance theme very different to the traditional "sudden and loud" ones: starting quiet and subtle and then getting louder during the close-up on them.

* Ichigo of ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''; whenever he was about to kick serious ass, his ImageSong ("Number One" by Hazel Fernandez) would kick in. This was subverted at one point: Ichigo moves to attack an unusually powerful badass, and his ThemeMusicPowerUp stops almost as soon as it starts when his opponent blocks the attack with a single finger. Yeah, that's right... [[spoiler:Aizen]] is so tough he can even defeat your ''theme music''.
** As [[http://youtu.be/BXCVzlGsZP4 this video]] shows, "Number One" did provide a ThemeMusicPowerUp, but for the wrong character. "Number One" allows Renji to display some awesome, but as soon as Ichigo jumps into action, the fickle theme song is cutdown by [[spoiler:Aizen]]'s finger of doom.

** More recently, the BigBad and/or his [[EvilMinions Arrancar]] get classy, suspenseful Latin-style music in the background whenever they're making a grand entrance or are about to kick big-time ass. (This is in keeping with their Spanish-tinted theme.)

* ''GuiltyCrown'' does this when the main character [[PowersInTheFirstEpisode gets his powers at the end of the first episode,]] with a song called [[http://youtu.be/m9LxXsq0KQE Bios]], composed by the wildly popular J-Pop band Supercell and sung in GratuitousGerman. Don't let the mangled pronunciations get you; it's only because the singer is Japanese. Take a good look at the actual lyrics and you'll see that not only is the German grammar flawless, but the lyrics also allude to the ordeals the characters in the actual show face. As of winter 2011, there were also several cases of AutobotsRockOut, and at that point the show was only halfway through ''season one.''

** Similarly, anytime you start to hear Yanmaani (the song's title is "Nowhere") in the background in ''{{Madlax}}'', the titular character is about to kick serious amounts of ass with inhuman skill. It's so prevalent that The Other Wiki even mentions it. It is a joke among fans that the word gives Madlax super powers.

* ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'' has the OP theme "For Real"; it's not surprising that the rockin' guitar version brings the pain to you, but what's more interesting is that the gentle, tinkling piano version can either be the theme to character growth and introspection... or the warning that Genjo Sanzo is about to deliver a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown on whoever's in his way -- complete with some snarky deconstruction of whatever BS the poor yutz was trying to spout at the time.

* During episodes 18 and 19 of the ''[[Anime/YuGiOhGX GX]]'' dub, the duelist who purloined Yugi's deck and was dueling Jaden kept having musical overtures from the previous series playing. Towards the end, they were even being played in the same musical style as a lot of GX music.

* ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' seems to have a {{leitmotif}} that appears on the soundtrack whenever she finally joins battle with a particularly powerful enemy. (If you've seen the show, you'll recognize it as a disco-style instrumental with oddly majestic sweeping strings playing the melody.)

** ''Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann'' plays this down to the very basis of each part of the trope. There's the various power-up versions of 'Rap Is A Man's Soul!'(AKA [[MemeticMutation 'ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWAH']]) One for Kamina, one for [[spoiler:Gurren-dan, after Kamina's death]], and [[OneWomanWail "Libera Me From Hell"]]. Along with these are 'Ten Wo Tsuke/Pierce the Heavens With Your XXX!' (Occurs in Episodes 1 and 8, when they first break through to the surface and the first Giga Drill Breaker), "Happily Ever After" (Insert Song, used in Episode 11 when Simon has his famous HesBack moment), and the full version of the show's theme, Sora Iro Days, used when [[spoiler: the cast fight on top of galaxies against the Anti-Spiral.]]

** Subverted in episode 25 where an attack is launched, a power up song starts... and the missile is harmlessly crushed before it can reach its destination. In all fairness, that wasn't the main theme song anyway.

** In episode 2, when Kamina and Simon hijack the Gunzan, later named Gurren, the SurprisinglyGoodEnglish song "Gattai Nante Kusokurae" (AKA "To Hell with Gattai") starts playing.

** During the final battle with the Anti-Spiral in the second movie, a new version of Sora Iro Days plays. It blows away the series final battle in sheer awesomeness and badassery, and must be seen/heard to be comprehended.

** Similarly, Nanoha gets an awesome variation during her fight with Quattro. As Nanoha's Area Search finds Quattro, the background music shifts from Quattro's synth-organ {{Leitmotif}} to Nanoha's [[http://youtu.be/TsSjvKOdL8M "Ace of Aces" battle theme]]
** The aptly named [[http://youtu.be/0cXSIxhGaJ4 "Shooting time"]] signals when a hero gets up, sometimes after a memory or speech, and lays the smackdown on one of the villans, preferably with a WaveMotionGun.

** When Cagalli shows up in the Akatsuki to help defend ORB from the ZAFT attack in Destiny and the song "Honoo no Tobira" plays. Basically, the ORB forces go from on the ropes to fighting chance, [[spoiler: to winning the day when Kira and Lacus show up]]

** The first opening song, "Days", also lends itself to a ThemeMusicPowerUp for Renton and Eureka in episode 32.

** In part I, the titular character had several "[[HeroicSecondWind commence recovery and ass-kicking]]" tunes. "The Raising Fighting Spirit" was the most common, but several were held in reserve for really stand-out occasions. To beat [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Neji]], Naruto had to bust out ''three'' of these in a row ("Avenger" followed immediately by "Heavy Violence" followed immediately by "Strong and Strike").

** In part I, whenever Orochimaru's theme music started playing the other guy was screwed. The normal version meant they were merely scared half to death and weren't going to dare stand up to him; the "fight" version was reserved for horrible [[CurbStompBattle Curb Stomping]].
* [[Manga/{{Hellsing}} Seras Victoria]] transforms into a Draculina and tears through her enemies as Suilen's beautiful, haunting 'Zakuro' plays in the background.

* The ''ShakuganNoShana'' cast get one in the climax of the fight against [[spoiler:Sabrac]] in Season 2.

* In ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn'', there is separate theme music for "Look, someone (usually Tsuna) is no longer failing at life!" and "Oh, by the way, I acquired some new way to kick your butt. SORRY FOR NOT TELLING YOU!" ... as well as everything else, to the extent that it's possible to tell what's going on just by listening to the background music.

** The dub did this a couple times, as well. In the match against Roark, the English ''Diamond & Pearl'' theme played. During a Contest with Dawn's rival Ursula, they played ''Battle Frontier'' (replacing the line "It's the Battle Frontier!" with "Let the battle begin!"), and the final DP episode had ''We Will Carry On!'' syncing up to the Flint vs Cynthia battle.

* Inverted in ''Anime/ParanoiaAgent'', where the Theme Music belongs to BigBad Lil' Slugger. If it starts playing, you're ''extremely'' screwed -- Slugger gets the powerup.

** ''MacrossFrontier'' does this a lot, especially episode 7. In episode 14, [[spoiler:it's subverted -- "Sagittarius 9PM Don't Be Late" plays as Sheryl goes into combat for the first time... only for her to be immediately shot down.]]

*** In episode 24, [[spoiler: [[InvertedTrope it is inverted horrifically]] for the Frontier fleet, as Ranka sings "Do You Remember Love?" ''for the Vajra'', which proceed to overpower the human forces]].
*** The entirety of episode 25 [[spoiler: is pretty much THE defining example of Macross {{Theme Music Power Up}}s, combining almost every song in ''Frontier'' plus "Do You Remember Love?" ]]

** [[http://youtu.be/cK6MK3LTGG4&fmt=18 "dreamenddischarger"]] takes this to another tier entirely. So does [[http://youtu.be/hg9XPcPKYAQ&fmt=18 "the excecutioner"]], but only for the BigBad.

** One aversion however, is Jackal, a powerless dynamite-{{Spam}}ming mook, who manages to live all through that music. And Ken was just fucking with him all that time anyway... up until Jackal calls upon Devil Rebirth.
* ''VisionOfEscaflowne'' does this sometimes. When the Dance of Curse starts playing expect some serious fighting.

** General Rule. If you are watching One Piece and ''Overtaken'' plays? Crowning Moment of Pure Awesome in the works. No exceptions.

* ''Anime/OutlawStar'' - [[http://youtu.be/pIlk_bL_Uyg CRASH!]]

* In Gaiking, should you happen to be hearing the sound of trumpets - it means Daiya is about to kick ass.

* ''KeroroGunso'' example. In episode 103, just as [[spoiler:the Garuru platoon has utterly defeated the Keroro platoon, Natsumi is down and Keroro himself has been transformed into a psycopathic frogchild version of himself, Fuyuki snaps him out of it...cue the first opening theme as Keroro rallies the troops. 3! 2! 1! FIRE!]]
* ''RevolutionaryGirlUtena: TheMovie''. "Let's go, Utena. To the outside world." ''~ Oooohhhh, yeeeaahhhh... ~''

** Black Star also has HarmoNIZE.
** Played straight in recent a recent chapter as Soul[[spoiler: can make a keyboard out of his arm and play whatver music will make a person go insane.]]

* Anime/CowboyBebop. In the final episode as [[spoiler:Spike goes on a rampage against Vicious and his former crime syndicate]], the next five minutes of awesome are shown with See You Space Cowboy, an arrangement of The Real Folk Blues, playing in the background. CrowningMusicOfAwesome with saxophone and piano!
* In ''{{SD Gundam Force}}'' episode 52, the 3rd opening theme ''Taiyou Ni Kougarate'' plays when the heroes begin their ultimate attack on the BigBad

* The second anime of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' has the fight against Sloth, where Olivier Armstrong is [[spoiler:cornered and [[LargeHam her brother]] gloriously saves her with his supreme manliness complete with an epic theme song that could only be described as the armstrong national anthem.]] The exact same thing happens a few moments later when [[spoiler:Izumi's husband and aforementioned brother meet for the first time.]] Starts around 3:00 in [[http://youtu.be/X8RU0gWfWz4 this video]].
* ''Manga/ShamanKing'' poses a subversion in [[spoiler:the final fight, where all main characters are fighting the villain Hao/Zeke, and the main theme starts playing. Everyone is sure Hao is going to get his powered-up rear kicked, when the song suddenly stops and the tide is turned, changing the song to Hao's fighting theme]]

** Also, [[http://youtu.be/Qx6YL1ld0iY Gensou Koroshi (Illusion Killer/Imagine Breaker)]] is Touma's [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin trademark music for whenever he does something awesome.]]
* In ''[[Manga/ToAruKagakuNoRailgun A Certain Scientific Railgun]]'' we have [[http://youtu.be/eGAA4IFEPb0 only my railgun]], which plays when Misaka faces the AIM dispersion field beast (By giving a [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming pep talk]] to [[IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight the part of Saten's consciousness inside the beast]]). Kiyama-sensei even expressed awe at how much more powerful Misaka could be when fighting seriously. "This is...Level 5..."

** From the same episode, the second OP [[http://youtu.be/SDwJuD77KHU Judgelight]] plays during [[spoiler:Misaka vs Telestina's HumongousMecha during the highway chase.]]

*** And now with Mizuno leaving, TMPU has fallen to the east maiden [[spoiler: Keito.]]

* Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt plays Fly Away (Now) during pretty much any scene which tops the awesomeness of the previous scene in which Fly Away (Now) was played.
** It is fairly common before Ep. 5, but afterward becomes less and less common until the ClimacticBattleResurrection at which point you will cheer and applaud when it plays.
* ''Zoids: New Century Zero''- [[http://youtu.be/KjK0HusMU7Y Strike Lazer Claw]]!
* Happened a few times in ''SonicX''. Exactly ''which'' theme music it was varied.

* When ''Manga/FairyTail'''s Dragon Slayer theme starts playing, expect much ass kicking and property damage to ensue. This theme tends to be reserved for the seriously close fights; for more standard epic beatdowns, they use Natsu's main fighting theme.
* ''Anime/RurouniKenshin'' has an unusual example of this trope. Kenshin's personal kick-ass music is an acoustic guitar theme that plays whenever he does something {{badass}}. Which is fitting considering the character.
* ''IrresponsibleCaptainTylor'' likes to [[PlayingWithATrope play with this]]. Whenever StraightMan Lieutenant Yamamoto tries to do something awesome and profound, his theme-tune starts up - a militaristic, MusicToInvadePolandTo-ish piece that brings to mind ToshiroMifune's samurai-era masterpieces. Only for it to, inevitably, be interuptet by Tylor's easygoing comedy-movie-style theme when Tylor interrupts his badassery with something utterly stupid that nonetheless somehow manages to save the day. He even manages to throw down the occasional RecordNeedleScratch, usually followed by a few seconds of complete silence while everybody in the area stares at him in gobsmacked disbelief.
* In ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'', Mami has a [[http://youtu.be/0QEa4TiHDBA&feature=related pretty awesome one]] when transforming into her magical girl outfit.

* We get a very literal example in Senki Zesshou Symphogear in which Symphogears [[spoiler:are actually activated by the girls singing their theme songs.]]

* The director's cut of TheExpendables has "Diamond Eyes" playing in the climax of the film as the eponymous team charges into the courtyard, shooting and tossing hand grenades left and right. In the theatrical version, it was a WastedSong despite Sylvester Stallone personally commissioning the song for use in the film.

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty4: ModernWarfare'' has this in arcade mode when you reach a x8 score multiplier. While it is not the official theme of the game that plays and your abilities don't change, it does indicate that you have killed a huge amount of enemies in a short time, so it is more of an indication of how bad ass you are.

** ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' did it best with the Super Sonic theme - music that tells you immediately that all bets are off.
*** With the ''Adventure'' series giving each playable character theme song, said theme tunes were often used as leitmotifs, which ended up having this effect at times. Take, for example, ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2''. Dr Eggman's Egg Golem. In the Dark Story, Eggman moves to strike Sonic, to his own theme music. Then Sonic's theme tune suddenly takes over. Sonic dodges the attack, jumps on the Golem's head, and - [[CrowningMomentofFunny with a TERIAAAAA!]] - delivers a single flying kick to the mind-control device on the Golem's back, which destroys it and sends it attacking Eggman instead.
** ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' used several times in Sonic Generations. In the Shadow rival battle, the stage's music gets replaced by Live and Learn or All Hail Shadow, when Sonic or Shadow (respectively) gain full power of the power-up they're chasing.

* Locke's theme is the standard ThemeMusicPowerUp in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''

* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' uses this by ''default''. The music that plays during any unit's Attack animation is often it's series theme song. Same for the non-BadassNormal characters in the OriginalGeneration games, until the remake gave everybody their own. In all SRW games, they will also play the trope completely straight at appropriate moments in the plot, and will play an entire game's theme song when some ''serious'' beatdown is about to commence. Through the Alpha and OG series', Elzam Branstein's "Trombe!" is so BadAss, overrides almost all other theme music (even bosses), and results in much ass-kicking. Particularly from Alpha 3 onwards, there is the option to change the unit's battle music, with exceptions (such as "Goldion Hammer" and "Goldion Crusher", which only play during their attacks -- their BadAss attacks). In addition, the Sound Force from Macross 7 literally defeat enemies by singing at them -- and can also power up your other units with their music.

* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou''. You're about to face down the final boss alone, leaving you practically powerless. Suddenly, your friends [[MyNameIsInigoMontoya decide to stop being unconscious and help out]]. Cue the SurrealThemeTune.

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' has this used ''against'' the party in the optional Arena battle with four previous Tales characters; at first, the game is playing [[http://youtu.be/cxH5zaTQHzk "Everlasting Fight,"]] which is a medley of previous Tales battle themes. If you don't defeat them fast enough, Reid will activate Aurora Wall...
-->'''Reid:''' ''We will not'' '''''LOSE!!'''''
::...revive any of his fallen party members, deal tons of damage to you, and a remix of [[http://youtu.be/W70Rr2wFWQ8 "Eternal Mind"]] suddenly starts up. This is about when any average player goes "OhCrap."

* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'': Fly Me to the Moon.

* In ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', when you've got the Gym Leader down to their last Pokémon [[http://youtu.be/6FPz7yklWrA&feature=related this music cues up.]]

* ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'' has -three- ThemeMusicPowerUp moments. [[http://youtu.be/L53gjP-TtGE&ob=av2e "Power" by Kanye West]] plays when you [[spoiler:parachute onto a rooftop party held by the Syndicate and take the building over for the Saints.]] Later, in a wrestling match with the head of the Luchadors, Killbane, and you have to fend off a ton of his lackeys with a {{chainsaw|Good}}, you get [[http://youtu.be/3jYcW1nEsGk You're The Best Around.]] Finally, [[spoiler:The Boss is forced to choose between killing Killbane before he skips town or rescuing Shaundi and Viola from a STAG plot to blow up the Statue of Liberty expy and frame the Saints. If you choose the latter, [[http://youtu.be/4UpqLhYQz28 this]] plays. There are no words.]]

* Forget opening a can of ass-kicking; If [[http://youtu.be/cUs8FEsDUZ4 Emiya]] or [[http://youtu.be/q52bJ3E19DU Sword of Promised Victory]] starts playing in ''[[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fate/Stay Night]]'' you know that Shirou and/or Saber are about to open a whole case of ass-kicking.

** In fact, the use of this trope verges on being a ''gameplay element'' -- whenever you present the correct evidence at a contradiction, [[MusicalSpoiler the cross-examination theme will]] ''[[MusicalSpoiler always]]'' [[MusicalSpoiler stop as Phoenix objects]], in preparation for the heroic music to start up once he points out the contradiction. If you're wrong, the music will just keep going as he takes a penalty. Save right before every objection you're not sure of, and wait for the music cue with your finger on the power switch in case you were wrong...

* Remember Edgeworth's awesome theme song from the second game? The one that became the BigDamnHeroes theme song for the next two games? It's received a remix on his own game, ''AceAttorneyInvestigations'', to be his Objection! theme. And on the second one, it's basically the ground stone for every theme involving him.

** And finally, the battle with Giga Skullmegeddon in ''DoubleDragon Neon'' has [[http://youtu.be/jxgwZiCM6wA the main theme play during the final showdown.]]

* This was also done by ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. Whenever EVA-01 is about to kick some ass and tear some unfortunate Angel a new one, either [[http://youtu.be/nt4ldDExzhU The Beast]] or [[http://youtu.be/oHRBFTWSguY The Beast II]] plays. The Beast II is even used for such moments in the crossover ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' games. Also, in the series' original ''MindScrew'' happy ending, when Shinji realizes his whole life doesn't need to revolve around piloting EVA-01 and he can live a happy life without it, two versions of the show's theme "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" are played, a strings version, [[http://youtu.be/LKy7PnjsDX8 The Heady Feeling of Freedom]], and a piano and guitar version, [[http://youtu.be/nWEt_VgLOWY Good, or Don't Be]], in succession.
** [[RebuildofEvangelion Rebuild]] gives ''Shinji'' his own Theme Music Power up with [[http://youtu.be/9xiLqf2VZj0&feature=related Sin From Genesis]], a remix of Beast II that plays over his [[spoiler: epic beatdown of Zeruel.]]

* TheExpendables has "Diamond Eyes" playing in the climax of the film. The eponymous team charges into the courtyard, shooting and tossing hand grenades left and right.

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty4: ModernWarfare'' has this in arcade mode when you reach a x8 score multiplyer. While it is not the official theme of the game that plays and your abilities don't, it does indicate that you have killed a huge amount of enemies in a short time, so it is more of an indication of how bad ass you are.

Compare AutobotsRockOut, MostWonderfulSound, PowerUpMotif, and MusicForCourage.

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).

OminousLatinChanting, the OneWomanWail or the CherubicChoir are popular choices for this, as are a techno beat or [[ThePowerOfRock heavy metal riff]].

Sometimes near the end, the series ThemeSong will play, allowing ''every'' good guy to kick some major rear at the GrandFinale. This is a LastEpisodeThemeReprise.

** Number One returns in a rock form called Chokkaku when Ichigo returns from his little training exercise in the Dangai. [[spoiler: The very next action involves Aizen talking shit, then getting grabbed by the face and forcefully removed from the scene.]] It's safe to say its power returned.

*** From the same fight, after Greymon blacks out (Parrotmon is a [[EvolutionaryLevels level higher]] than Greymon, so he's having some trouble) Tai uses the whistle to wake him up for round two. We don't hear too much of the song, [[CurbStompBattle as round two is much shorter.]]

* In ''Manga/DragonBall Z'', when Cell goads and torments Gohan to transcend his Super Saiyan power, Gohan does exactly that, to a tune called "Demon vs. Demon" (in some translations). A fitting name, considering what Gohan basically becomes in this state. An alternate translation is "Spirit vs. Spirit"; the concepts aren't as different in Japanese as in English, but both translations fit the scene pretty well.

** ''DragonBallKai'' is no stranger to this, bringing in all kinds of new songs for old characters. In particular, Vegeta gets his own insert song while powering up against Freeza, and Trunks who is definitely no stranger to insert music gets a whole new theme titled "Tatta Hitori no Senshi" for his powerup against Cell, even if it does end up a CurbStompBattle in Cell's favor, it's still a pretty badass song. It should be dually noted that both songs are sang by the person's respective seiyuu.

* In [[Manga/DragonBall Dragon Ball Z Raging Blast 2]], when you activate Raging Soul, the battle music turns from normal to the theme song sung by [[JAMProject Hironobu Kageyama]].

* Subverted ''twice'' in a very short time in the LordOfTheRings film ''Return of the King.'' After the Riders of Rohan and Gondor coalition forces have routed the orc forces, and the king has shouted "Make safe the city!", the triumphant music abruptly [[http://youtu.be/z-klKeZG69I&feature=related fades away as the audience hears what sounds like a distant rumble of thunder,]] and swiftly turns includes the bellows of the towering Mumakil war-elephants-on-steroids and the warchants of their riders, the Maori-reminiscent Haradim.
** However, the music returns as a counter charge is ordered, and the cavalry make yet another music-backed charge to the line of Mumakil...only for the music to be cut off as if someone pulled the plug from the sound system, or if the orchestra themselves had fled the battlefield upon realizing what a terrible idea charging fifty foot elephants with horses was. Incidentally, the music is cut off at the exact moment that one of the warbeasts swings its tusks, sending a horseman screaming into the air, then smashing more aside with its feet. It takes another few minutes (film-time) before anything resembling victory seems possible...''and then the Nazgul, including the Witch-King, show up.''

* We get a very literal example in SenkiZesshouSymphogear in which Symphogears [[spoiler:are actually activated by the girls singing their theme songs.