Awesome Music / Final Fantasy XIV

This heart-poundingly popular game was the former Guinness World Record for most original pieces of music in a video game, so naturally it has quite the massive track list. Both Nobuo Uematsu and Masayoshi Soken had their hand in the game's score, and while their styles differ, players agree that both created a much beloved soundtrack.

Something to keep in mind as you read this section, due to Square's copyright rules for the music in XIV (only being legal if played over actual game footage) it's possible that the songs linked below may have spoilers for their respective boss fights, with the especially major spoilers having warnings. You've been warned!

---

Legacy (1.x)

• Most of the Legacy city themes were "nice". "Navigator's Glory", the theme of Limsa Lominsa, was awesome. Its only crime is being a little too short and thus tending to get a little tiresome if you spend a real long time in the city. But when you first got off the boat? Whoa. Navigator's Glory was so awesome it was the theme song for the pre-release website for a long time. It, thankfully, wasn't lost to time, as it has been preserved in the form of an orchestrion scroll that you can use and playback on your personal orchestrion anytime.
• "On Windy Meadows" is a pretty cool and chill guy, playing in the fields of La Noscea. A shame it's reserved for the Limsa Lominsa version of the opening cutscene.
• "Twilight Over Thanalan" rarely goes without mention, a sweeping piano track originally for Ul'dah, repourposed into cutscene music for more somber moments.
• "Tears for Mor Dhona", Mor Dhona's 1.0 theme, is imposing and truly awesome, later being reused for Heavensward's Palace of the Dead to capture the lingering dread as you delve deeper into the dungeon.
• "The Forests Pulse", the Black Shroud's 1.0 battle theme, is a mystically daunting track for fighting within the Elementals' domain.
• "Quicksand", Thanalan's 1.0 battle theme, goes in hard on the guitar while fighting some enemies. Eventually made its return in 3.5 as the theme of Sohm Al Hard Mode.
• When it was announced that Uematsu would not be contributing more tracks to XIV going forward after the leadership shake-up at the start of A Realm Reborn's development, people were worried. Who was going to replace him? Some guy named Masayoshi Soken? Who's he? He's never done a Final Fantasy game before! How could his music possibly be as good as the Maestro's? And then the Garuda fight was released. And we heard Fallen Angel. Everybody stopped worrying.
• And what did Soken follow that up with? "Good King Moggle Mog XII". It's "This is Halloween" combined with the Moogle Theme, and given ridiculously absurd and hilarious lyrics (which also describe the boss fight!). "Good King Moggle Mog, Good King Mog! Lord of all the land!"
• "Nemesis", the dungeon boss theme, is an intense orchestral track highlighting the insurmountable odds the adventurers face, but also their determination to win, come what may. It was used again for dungeons in ARR, where it was just as good.
• Soken then capped off his debut period, and Legacy XIV, with "Rise of the White Raven". A perfect final boss theme for the fight against Nael Deus Darnus, with REALLY freaky lyrics to boot. It makes its glorious return in 5.2 during the second phase of the Ruby Weapon trial.
• "Answers" is a wonderful combination of epic/awesome. Being played in the final scene of 1.0, it became one of the most memorable songs in the game's history. It comes back as the theme of the Final Boss of the Binding Coil storyline, Bahamut Prime himself. It's played in three sections for the three-phase battle, the best being the third part when he readies Teraflare. Epic. The song gains a powerful Meaningful Echo in Endwalker, playing at the time of Amaurot's Final Days, with Venat becoming Hydaelyn to sunder the worlds and restart life. In this context, it's become her manifesto on the meaning of life: to live is to suffer, but in doing so, mankind grows stronger.

A Realm Reborn

• "Torn from the Heavens" which is heard in certain dungeon bosses and 30-minute FATEs, deserves a special mention for being an epic Boss Remix for the Prelude theme. It ultimately ended up serving as the final boss theme of 2.0 following the revamp to Lahabrea's boss battle in 6.1.
• "The Land Breathes" and its various remixes for the first three areas where you start. Just like the other regular battle themes in this franchise, they get your blood pumping!
• "Hard to Miss", the theme of FATE boss battles. An aurally pleasing mix of violins and electric guitars.
• "Penitus", the final dungeon theme in ARR, sets the stage of storming into The Praetorium to destroy the Ultima Weapon. Though intense, it heavily utilizes the instruments associated with Garlemald's music to show that you're stepping into enemy territory.
• "The Maker's Ruin", initially the first boss theme of the Ultima Weapon, is considered the Warrior of Light's official leitmotif and would go on to be incorporated into every subsequent expansion one way or another, typically reused in appropriate moments around heroic struggles against the odds, such as Ascian Prime and the final showdown with the Warriors of Darkness. It starts slow but kicks into the high part of the song quickly, chanting "Unitas Crystalis" as the heroic sounding music spurs the heroes on united to fight to victory.
• "Ultima", the theme for the climactic boss of the main story arc, the Ultima Weapon. With high tempo percussion and a rousing chorus, this theme does a fantastic job of making your final encounter with the story's Big Bad suitably memorable and epic. The Eorzean Symphony version adds proper lyrics and Ominous Latin Chanting; making it even more epic. "Beat, the heart of Sabik!"
• "Thunderer" is used when you're fighting against the Ascians, and for exceptionally powerful FATEs like Behemoth, Ixion and Notorious Monsters in Eureka such as Pazuzu. Instead of feeling powerful, it's more to instil fear because of what you're fighting against.
• "From the Ashes", an ominous and melancholy organ instrumental version of "Answers", used when fighting Louisoix Leveilleur as Phoenix in Turn 12.
• "Thunder Rolls", Ramuh's theme, is quite unique for being very calm and eerie compared to the other primal songs.
• Shiva's theme, which has two parts, is nothing short of amazing.
  • Phase one, "Footsteps in the Snow", slowly but surely builds up the epic confrontation against the primal, up until Shiva decides to be done with you and casts Diamond Dust.
  • Then with a stomp of the heel, "Oblivion" kicks in, and is radically different from phase one. Opinions may differ on which you prefer, but most agree that both parts are awesome.
  • In the transition itself, there is a sound effect used to help cut off the first song, leaving a moment of silence - followed by a "snap" and then the shattering of ice to open Oblivion.
• "A Light in the Storm", the theme of Pharos Sirius, is wonderful with a solo female vocalist representing the Siren. Particularly notable for being extended from a 1:30 song which only played when you entered the dungeon to a 5:23 song which now loops for the entire duration of said dungeon (adding two new movements to the original and repeating a couple portions). That is how awesome that song is, and the change was really appreciated.
• Gilgamesh is back in FFXIV. Guess what remixed song plays when you fight him in-game (on an actual bridge, no less?). Ladies and gentlemen: Battle on the Big Bridge (FFXIV). Also, Enkidu is a rooster here. For reasons.
• The Syrcus Tower themes, both its regular ("Out of the Labyrinth") and battle themes ("Shattered"), are fantastic, especially for a remix of a song from Final Fantasy III. On a side note: yes, Soken just loves One Woman Wails.
• For one of the most acclaimed dungeons of the game, mainly for its atmosphere and its resolution, you have "Dark Vows", the deliciously dark and haunting theme of Tam-Tara Deepcroft (Hard) which will send chills down your spine. Please note the subtle Buddhist chanting (and, once again, the One-Woman Wail).
• "The Warrens", the theme from Snowcloak, is without a doubt the most soothing music you can hear in the game.
• "Unworthy", the theme that plays during the last section of the "Steps of Faith" trial, carries with it an unholy sense of urgency, as Vishap, a gargantuan dragon, is reaching the gates of Ishgard, with the organ, violins (via screeching notes), percussions and an eerie woman wail all coming together to make the player realize that if they don't stop the dragon fast, it is game over. Until patch 6.2, you would never hear it in-game, as the trial was heavily nerfed compared to release and players were able to kill Vishap long before he could reach the gates. The 6.2 update turned the trial into a solo-duty during which the song is guaranteed to play during the last part.

Heavensward

• "Dragonsong", the main theme of Heavensward, is a beautiful but tragic song of a thousand-year war waging on because of the sins of humanity causing it.
• The Heavensward cinematic trailer plays a lonely song simply titled "Heavensward". Having barely escaped the fallout of 2.55, it truly tells the struggle of our hero who only has themselves and the remaining Scions left to rely on.
• "The Heavens' Ward" arranges "Dragonsong" into a grand, foreboding piece backed by chanting and punctuated with strings that wouldn't feel out of place in Final Fantasy Tactics, befitting the pinnacle of the Ishgardian church and its thousand-year crusade.
• Sohm Al's Theme, "Slumber Eternal". A combination of Chanting, drums and pure awesome.
• "Contention", the theme for Hraesvelgr's roost, the Zenith, which also plays during emotional moments in the story. A somber piano melody accompanied by a soft violin in the background that will bring a tear to the eye of even the most hardened gamer.
• "The Mushroomery" is a remix for Heavensward, one many players probably hadn't heard in ages: Matoya's Cave. Quite soothing.
• "Imagination", from the Aetherochemical Research Facility of Heavensward and "Unbreakable" for the Fractal Continuum.
• "Stone and Steel" for hunts and general heroic moments in Heavensward and beyond. The march of the beginning and the trumpets later in give a sense of awe as you prepare for the big encounter with a sense of hope. This theme is notably used when you come to finally face down Nidhogg, The Warriors of Darkness and finally but by no means least Fray coming to lend you a hand against Myste in the finale of the Stormblood Dark Knight Quests.
• Ravana, much like Shiva, has two themes to his name.
  • Phase one, "The Hand that Gives the Rose", combines a militaristic overture with a majestic waltz.
  • His second phase, "Unbending Steel", is similarly militaristic, with a basso profondo proclaiming the joy of endless war.
• "Limitless Blue" and "Woe That is Madness", for Bismarck, are fitting themes for a gigantic and majestic flying whale, with the vocals giving an otherworldly feeling to the whole fight.
• "Heroes", the Final Boss theme of Heavensward. A panic-inducing theme with an inspiring chorus. Perfect for a fight against essentially the Knights of the Round. Then it gets wonderfully remixed into "Heroes Never Die", heard in the Extreme version's phase one of the fight.
• With the Warring Triad's debut into the game as boss fights (yes, THAT Warring Triad), it's natural that they have a remastered version of their original boss theme, "Battle To the Death". They also have their own themes for phase two:
  • Sephirot the Fiend gets an epic Industrial Metal Villain Song titled "Fiend". "Say My NAME! Sephirot!"
  • Sophia the Goddess's theme, "Equilibrium", is a mystical but haunting melody of an abused daughter pleading for the goddess' guidance away from her grieving mother.
• Alexander Raids:
  • The boss theme for the Alexander raid series, "Locus", is incredibly catchy with its techno vibes, giving a mechanical and futuristic feel to the whole song. That chorus will remain in your head.
  • The Manipulator's theme, "Metal", an oppressive techno death metal song with hate-filled lyrics by the Illuminati leader about restoring Alexander at the cost of all life. You wouldn't think a song with onomatopoeia making up half the lyrics could be sinister, but there you are.
  • Brute Justice from Alexander Midas takes "Locus" and "Metal" and proceeds to combine and remix them into a 70's mecha- and/or sentai-style battle theme known as "Metal - Brute Justice Mode". It's every bit as amazing (and cheesy) as this sounds.
  • Cruise Chaser's theme, "Exponential Entropy", in Alexander's 11th floor is an electronic, pounding tune going forwards and backwards to show the power of Chaser.
  • For the 12th floor of the Alexander raid, we have a final boss theme dedicated to the titular primal, "Rise". Goblin hip-hop never sounded so awesome. Say it with us: Sonic BOOM!
• "Voidal Manifest", the final boss theme of the Shadow of Mhach Alliance Raid series, is an epic and sweeping piece that's pretty certain to get you pumped.
• "Revenge Twofold", the theme for bosses from 3.4. A newer theme that does an amazing job of building up the tension and dramatic epic feel that a boss fight should contain complete with a choir of vocals, most notably the final battle with The Griffin/Ilberd on Baelsar's wall, fitting for the payback you are finally able to unleash on him. The Eorzean Symphony version replaced the chanting at the beginning with Dravanian lyrics, making it seem like a duet between the dragons and Ishgardians.
• "Scale and Steel" (major spoiler alert!), originally used in the fight between Omega and Shinryu, then later reused in the first phase of the final boss in Stormblood, perfectly encompasses the clash against a deadly primal.

Stormblood

• "Revolutions". Unlike the mournful Dragonsong that came before, Revolutions plays more like a march to well revolt.
• Stormblood, in its launch trailer and the game itself, gives us a little something aside from everything else: the Garlean anthem for Ala Mhigo, "The Measure of Our Reach". With a tenor choir backing it up, it sounds epic and has vibes similar to the Legend of the Galactic Heroes national themes (not to mention the actual anthem of the USSR).
• And then, at the end of the game, there's "The Measure of His Reach" A.K.A. the true, original version of the Ala Mhigan anthem. It's sung off key, by uncoordinated singers. This is why it's awesome - it's the game's cast, and all the rest of the citizens of Ala Mhigo and all the rest of the Resistance, singing it in spontaneous celebration at the city's liberation. It's one of the most genuine songs in the entire game (even if the scene itself falls victim to a bit of unfortunate Special Effects Failure).
• The dungeon boss theme "Triumph", for Stormblood is pretty epic sounding, especially when you realize that the lyrics are an Ala Mhigan chant, calling on you to remember the sacrifices of all the brothers and sisters of Ala Mhigo that died fighting for liberation, before telling you to continue the fight.
• The daytime theme of the Azim Steppe, "Drowning in the Horizon", is a gorgeous tune with tribal-inspired chanting and percussion that represents the native Xaela tribes of the region. Its nighttime version, "He Rises Above", is a more peaceful version where the tribes slumber for the night.
• Doma Castle is the climax of the Doma arc; you've successfully rallied the Xaela tribes, you have the support of a Doman militia, and Hien's controversial but bold plan to flood the castle has gone off without a hitch. What kind of song plays? A sombre but powerful ballad? A heroic orchestral piece? Or how about its actual theme, "Gates of the Moon", which could best be described as traditional Japanese funk. A four-to-the-floor kick drum beat accompanies a rocking shamisen and an epic string rendition of the Yanxia theme.
• Your first major trial in Stormblood is against the kojin kami Susano, who has multiple boss themes. Phase one is "Revelation" an instrumental with a fun and festive drum beat that fits Susano's revelry for combat.
• Lakshmi, meanwhile, has the Bollywood-esque "Beauty's Wicked Wiles", her followers singing about their dreams of bliss.
• The Final Boss theme of Stormblood "The Worm's Tail" (major spoiler alert!), kicks in for phase two after Zenos grows bored of fighting and decides to take it to the heavens above. The setting, the chorus of vocals, facing down Zenos inhabiting the primal Shinryu among the heavens. It makes you think, "this...THIS is a battle fitting the Warriors of Light". Even more epic is the Eorzean Symphony version, which has been given the same treatment as "Ultima"; adding proper lyrics and Ominous Latin Chanting.
• From Omega Deltascape Savage, we get a new remastered version of Neo Exdeath's theme "Final, Not Final". Nothingness won't strike us down soon, Exdeath!
• The music for the Byakko fight introduced in patch 4.2.
  • The phase 1 theme, "Answer on High" - which is re-used for the first phase of Suzaku and Seiryu's fights as well - is a slow, chugging rock song with traditional Japanese instruments that sets the stage for the fight with the great auspices.
  • The second theme, "Todoroki", plays during the transition where you are thrown up and fall through the sky. The fast shamisen arpeggios and ethereal synths emulate the feeling of being swept up in a swirling tornado.
  • The phase 3 song and Byakko's theme proper, "Amatsu Kaze", is notably the first boss theme partially sung in Masayoshi Soken's native Japanese tongue (and by Soken himself!). It's a hard rock song that again has traditional Japanese instruments accompanying it. The lyrics are about Byakko's ostracization because of his white fur, but how his friendship with Tenzen encouraged him to harness his rage and the power of the storm. Soken's vocals do an amazing job at capturing Byakko's raw fury, especially during the chorus.
• The Unending Coil of Bahamut (Ultimate) gives us an extremely difficult boss rush of the original coils. While the raid recycles some tracks for most of the raid, the final phase with Golden Bahamut plays Beyond Redemption. Clearly taking inspiration from the Flames of Truth CGI movie, we are given quite possibly one of the greatest Orchestral Bombings in gaming history.
• For Omega Sigmascape V.4, we get Dancing Mad, completely remastered. And the Savage version of the fight adds the fourth phase, also remastered. That familiar pipe organ builds as the arena is bathed in golden light and Kefka, now in his god form, descends from the sky with that smile glued to his face that says "Yeah... NOW you're screwed." as the theme kicks into full swing. It's like you're a kid again, playing Final Fantasy VI for the first time.
• Patch 4.3 brings Earth, Wind, Water as the Background Music for The Swallow's Compass. It's a short but elegant remix of the theme played in Yanxia. Considering that The Swallow's Compass is the royal mausoleum of the founding father of geomancy, it also serves as a preliminary theme for Geomancers as well.
• Wayward Daughter (massive spoiler alert!) plays during the third phase of the fight against Tsukuyomi. An extremely tragic theme that makes sense once you consider the context behind the reasoning for the fight against the boss, making good use of having the vocals be primarily in Japanese. This track won the first place in the Fan Favorite Music Poll in mid-late 2018 for a very good reason.
• Patch 4.4 gives us A Land Long Dead, a somber remix of Penitus from The Praetorium that highlights the aether-drained wasteland of The Burn.
• Sunrise, Suzaku's theme. It's a beautiful song with Japanese lyrics that expresses Suzaku's emotions from meeting, loving, and losing Tenzen, allowing it to stand out from Byakko's more aggressive sounding theme, helping serve to contrast the two auspices.
• eScape, from the Alphascape V3.0 fight. A very fast-paced battle theme with robotic-sounding vocals fitting for something out of Omega. The song takes a lot of queues from Imagination and Unbreakable from the Aetherochemical Research Facility and the Fractal Continuum, respectively.
• Heartless and From the Heavens, used for the Alphascape V4.0 Normal and Savage versions respectively, are combined Boss Remixes of "Torn from the Heavens" and "The Maker's Ruin". Considering the Alphascape V4.0 Savage had Omega assuming the form of Final Fantasy logo characters and a Weapon-type enemy, it is an epic theme befitting the battle.
• A Pall Most Murderous from The Ghimlyt Dark is a reprise of three themes at once, blending together to make a an exciting fight in an all-out warzone. It opens up with "Triumph", Stormblood's Leitmotif, shifting into "The Measure of His Reach", the Ala Mhigan anthem, and then "Imperial Will", the theme of Garlemald. This song tells you that this means war.

Shadowbringers

• Shadowbringers, which shares the name with the expansion, is a far cry from the other themes. A rough heavy metal guitar accompanies a male singer who sings not only of the endtimes but the end that awaits all life. However, the singer and chorus begin to sing of clutching onto hope despite it all, ultimately showing that the main theme of Shadowbringers is defiance even in the face of oblivion. This is notably the first FFXIV main theme not composed by Nobuo Uematsu, but by Masayoshi Soken. This also plays during the first phase of the final boss fight of Shadowbringers, Hades, and the cutscene leading up to it. Notably, the area it plays in is called the Dying Gasp, with the weather surrounding the area called Termination, perfectly setting the stage for the final showdown.
• The Dark Which Illuminates the World, the theme of the Crystarium, underlines the magnitude and scale of Shadowbringers' hub city, being the biggest one to date. As the last bastion of hope for The First, it exudes hope and resolution for the world's redemption.
• Then when the night returns to The Crystarium, Knowledge Never Sleeps becomes available to listen to. Starts out serene, but then swells back to the grandiose tone associated with it complete a breathtaking vocal verse.
• "Pain in Pleasure", the Everlasting Light theme of Eulmore, is one part regal, two parts eerie. The city lives up to being an extravagant paradise, but is also telling how off it feels, with everyone living blissfully in ignorance. After the end of the main story, the track is replaced with "Indulgence", a cheerful waltz representing the city's reform.
• Sands of Amber, the theme for Amh Araeng, is an incredibly mellow, ethereal song that suits the desolate desert landscape to a "T."
• "Paradisaical Predicaments" is Shadowbringers' answer to "Imperial Will". Since there's no Empire to deal with throughout the First, this is used whenever dealing with enemies like Ran'jit, Emet-Selch or finally Elidibus.
• High Treason plays whenever you're in a situation that has a lot on the line and it's now or never as you and your allies hold the line. It mixes the feeling of being hopeful that you'll make it and the feeling of all will be lost if you fail. This song overrides Kholusia's map theme when you're nearly ready to storm Mt. Gulg and confront Vauthry.
• What Angel Wakes Me, the theme of the boss fight against Titania, is a whimsical piece sung from the King of the Fae's perspective where they regale the player with how much fun they will have tormenting them. You are guaranteed to never have the lyrics "Fa la la la la!" leave your mind!
• After finding the murals following your battle with the third Lightwarden, there's the somber and hauntingly beautiful Tears in the Rain, which accompanies Emet-Selch's tale of the end of the world that came before The Sundering. This is the moment that finally pulls back the curtain on the true motivations of the Ascians and why they're so desperate to cause the Rejoinings, and is the first moment where Emet-Selch's mask of a trollish schemer begins to slip and reveal his sorrow over the loss of his home and his people, with the greatest tragedy of it all being that no one could remember that it happened.
• Full Fathom Five, the theme of The Tempest, manages to be mystical and melancholic at the same time. Being the place where the fallen Ascian city of Amaurot rests, it's only fitting. Even more breathtaking is Neath Dark Waters, the theme of the recreated Amaurot. A Lonely Piano Piece backed by the ticking of a clock, emphasizing the nature of a peaceful but bygone time. It even got an awesome remix!
• Then comes the final story dungeon's theme, Mortal Instants. This version is filled with both absolute epicness and despair, at the horrors happening. The ancient world is ending, and there's nothing the Warrior of Light and scions can do about it.
• Both phases of Shadowbringers' final boss fight with Hades bring awesomeness to the table. First comes a shortened alternate cut of Shadowbringers main theme, "Who Brings Shadow", and the second phase busts out "Invincible", a massive choral orchestration in a similar vein to "The Worm's Tail" but with the heroism dialed past eleven, fittingly enough since this is Zenos's great-grandfather you're fighting.
• Tomorrow and Tomorrow (warning: footage contains spoilers for the ending of Shadowbringers), the absolutely beautiful vocal theme from the the last part of the first post-final boss cutscene. A sorrowful song befitting the scene of Emet-Selch telling the character to remember that the Ascians once lived before his death, and the following moments involving the Crystal Exarch. The lyrics carry an additional heartwarming sound to them as well.
• Tomorrow and Tomorrow - Reprise is a beautiful piano solo version that is saved for more emotional scenes throughout the story.
• So what happens if you mix the Syrcus Tower theme with Omega's eScape? You get the theme of The Twinning: A Long Fall. The bassline is infectiously catchy, and is sure to get you hooked before the guitar jumps in.
• The theme of Akadaemia Anyder, "Shadows Withal", is a very relaxed jazz theme that stands out from the utter chaos breaking out through the dungeon. In fact, it's a remix of the Ascians' theme "Without Shadow", though you'd certainly be forgiven for not noticing given the wildly different instrumentation.
• Eden is basically a love letter to Final Fantasy VIII. So what do you hear when you take on the Guardian Force itself? An awesome remix of "Force Your Way", complete with an epic One-Woman Wail to remind us that we're dealing with the very first Sin Eater.
• The last boss fight of The Copied Factory (the first part of the "YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse" series) takes place to a bombastic version of the ending theme of NieR: Automata, "Weight of the World - Prelude Edition", turning it from a melancholy and bleak song to an epic battle theme. 2B may be "only one girl", but (represented by the Final Fantasy Prelude melody being woven into the song) she has twenty-four Warriors of Light by her side for this fight.
• Lyhe Mheg, the central area for The Dreamspinners, features The Garden's Gates, a cheery, happy tune taking some leitmotifs from "What Angel Wakes Me", Titania's theme. Considering the Garden of Dreams is a dreamy Sugar Bowl, it fits the tone of the place quite nicely.
• Insatiable serves as the boss theme for dungeons within Shadowbringers. Unlike the majority of other dungeon themes, which are heroic sounding, this one is full of gritty guitars and heavy beats with sorrowful vocals which serve as a reminder that the heroes in Shadowbringers are fighting a desperate battle for survival, and are not fighting from a position of strength.
• Patch 5.2 introduces Anamnesis Anyder, and with "Floundering in the Depths" it is basically the jazzier version of "Riptide," the theme to Sastasha.
• For the first phases of the Sorrow of Werlyt bosses (excluding the final boss), the Scions and Sinners arrangement of "Ultima" was used and it hits hard out the gate, adding blaring guitars and heavy drums on top of the ominous chanting from the original.
• Eden Shiva gets a heartrending remix of her theme in Return to Oblivion, serving for the final boss in Eden's Verse.
• Once players advanced Ishgard's restoration far enough in the 5.21 patch, "Hearthward" plays in the Firmament, in which several instruments (acoustic guitar, harp, piano, flute, violins, bagpipes) come together to deliver a, at first, peaceful but then bombastic, hopeful and full of positive energy reprise of the city theme song.
• As a sendoff to your adventures in The First, The Heroes' Gauntlet plays "Where All Roads Lead" a medley of all the overworld themes in Norvrandt, which perfectly encapsulates the urgency of you fighting and scrambling to The Crystarium. The themes that play are even in order of the Gauntlet too, starting from your flight from Eulmore (Kholusia), crashing into Amh Araeng, getting teleported to Il Mheg, then making your way through Lakeland, with the Rak'Tika Greatwood capping it off.
• "And Love You Shall Find", the theme of Terncliff, is a hauntingly serene and somber melody of a peaceful but downcast town under Garlemald's control, befitting the Sorrow of Werlyt's story.
• Patch 5.3 introduces one of the best boss themes, "To the Edge" (massive spoiler alert!), to serve as a Triumphant Reprise of the Amaurot and Shadowbringers main themes, especially since the boss in question has taken on the primal form most suited to defeating you: the Warrior of Light! The song gained an extra level of awesome poignancy when Soken revealed he had written it while in the hospital fighting cancer, unbeknownst to even most members of the development team. If you want a more chill and laidback take of this, there's also the Lounge Jam arrangement. Now performed by the Primals.
• The final boss of the Puppet's Bunker, the second tier of the YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse has "Torn from the Heavens/The Dark Colossus Destroys All (Medley)" for the final boss theme against Compound 2P, walking mass of bodies made to resemble not only 2P, but her sword as well.
• "Freshly Glazed Porxies", the theme for Matoya's Relict, is what happens when Banjo-Kazooie meets Matoya's theme.
• "Don't Be Afraid", the theme for Eden's Promise: Umbra, heralds the Cloud of Darkness from Dissidia.
• The third part of Eden's Promise is "The Legendary Beast", the beast this time being Fatebreaker, a Primal made up of both Ryne's jailer Ran'jit, and her liberator Thancred.
• Patch 5.4 gives some seriously powerful music, especially with "Promises to Keep", the theme for the final battle against Eden's Promise, since you're fighting not only to save Gaia, but also drive out the Ascian responsible for not just Eden, but the Flood of Light to begin with!
• The Savage Version of Eden's Promise: Eternity gives the long-awaited FF14 version of "The Extreme," a fitting final battle theme against the Oracle of Darkness, Gaia.
• "The Black Wolf Stalks Again," the second theme for the Emerald Weapon battle as the Oversoul reveals Gaius van Baelsar as the dreaded Black Wolf who conquered Werlyt. Take "Imperial Will", mix in some heavy rock guitar that shreds, and you get this.
• Paglth'an's theme, "Seven Flames", is a hard rock remix of the amaal'jaa beast tribe theme as the Eorzean Alliance fights through not just tempered forces of all sides, but also Meracydian dragons from the Allagan era. It also helps that your ace up the sleeve is Tiamat.
• "In the Arms of War," the only boss theme for Diamond Weapon, is a new version of "Ultima" for the last and greatest of the Weapons to date. It also doubles as a Triumphant Reprise for the newly upgraded G-Warrior with G-Savior Mecha Expansion Pack, that just conveys the determination of those involved to end the tragedy and woe caused by the Weapon Project and would fit right into a Mecha genre anime's sound track.
• "Kainé (Final Fantasy Main Theme Ver.). Keiichi Okabe caps off the final raid of YoHRa: Dark Apocalypse with an absolutely beautiful arrangement of both Kainé's theme and the leitmotif of the entire Final Fantasy series.
• "Wrath of the Harrier", the adrenaline-pumping theme of the final boss of the Dalriada, the Diablo Armament, combines the dueling motifs of Bozja and Wrath of the Eikons into one rocking tune as the fate of the country hangs in the balance in the face of this diabolical Allagan superweapon.
• The Rak'tika daytime theme, titled "Civilizations," is suitably awesome due to its fitting of the primeval woods and the secrets and wonders that they hide, but doubles as a Crowning Moment of Funny unintentionally. The opening words were already a meme among the players. The song is nonsense lyrics, but the first words are unmistakable in pronunciation, and it's very common on a Hunt Train for that to flood the shout chat. But they became more iconic when Soken appeared on the 2021 Fan Fest stage, Otomotones in hand, and after testing them asked the immortal words:
  "Do you know... La-HEE?"

Endwalker (All spoilers unmarked)

• "Endwalker - Footfalls" combines elements from "Torn From the Heavens", "Heavensward", "Triumph", and "Shadowbringers", symbolizing the end of a tale a full decade in the making and serving as a beautiful throwback for those who stuck around for the entirety of the story of Hydaelyn and Zodiark. Not only that, but the song uses Bookends in a positively incredible way. The first part of the song is somber and melancholy, representative of the impossible odds the heroes are going up against... and then the final part of the song is a Triumphant Reprise of the first, with the singer having gone from mumbling out the lyrics to belting them out at the top of their lungs, and with "fade away" being replaced with "forge ahead," underscoring the heroes' determination to persevere even in the face of the seemingly hopeless odds.
• "The Nautilus Knoweth", the night theme of Old Sharlayan, is a relaxing tune to unwind to after a long day of study, or to continue your studies on a more relaxed pace.
• "Vibrant Voices", first played when meeting the alchemists of the Great Work, is the catchy and ethnic day theme of Radz-at-Han that befits the bustling commerce and trade Thavnair is famous for.
• "On Blade's Edge", the dungeon midboss theme, is equal parts determination and desperation as you fight your way through whatever stands in your way from subduing the threat at hand.
• "Finality", the final boss theme for Endwalker story dungeons, is a riveting piece showcasing the uphill battle you and the Scions face to avert the Final Days, with plenty of ominous melodies in the first part. It then does a 180 with a triumphant orchestral section representing your heroic resolve with chanting at the background, then ends with an intense section as if good and evil are clashing. Then the song loops and you get to enjoy it again.
• "Neath Dark Waters (Scions & Sinners)" is a piano-solo arrange that, compared to its original incarnation in Shadowbringers, feels much more hopeful in this story's context. Though the story of the Ancients ends here, their legacy lives on through you.
• "Endcaller", the boss theme for the first Endwalker trial against none other than Zodiark himself, carries with it a weight and intensity you'd normally expect from the final boss of an expansion, not the first. Orchestral booming working with tandem an ominous choir with a dark, high energy mix of snippets from Endwalker's main theme works perfectly for a fight that has loomed over the players heads for nearly a decade, and carries a gravity on par with the confrontation with Emet-Selch... and it's still only the level 83 trial.
• "Sky Unsundered" is the theme of Elpis, a mystical, beautiful melody that matches the otherworldly beauty of the unsundered world. "Miracle Works" is a higher tempo version of Sky Unsundered that serves as the theme of the Ktisis Hyperboreia dungeon.
• "Flow" is essentially Venat's theme, a beautiful melody that recounts her memories watching over her protégé, the current Azem, like a mother watching her child grow over the years. There's also the band rendition titled "Flow Together" when you spar against her. It keeps the same motherly tune, but the additional guitars reminds you that she's a grade-A badass that once was the seat of Azem.
• "Your Answer" is titled exactly as it is. Another arrangement of "Answers", it's your answer to Hydaelyn's question - whether you should flee Etheirys or stay and fight. The song comes full circle to reflect the Warrior of Light's resolve to save the world from the Final Days.
• "Close in the Distance" plays in the final zone of Endwalker, capturing the struggle at the end of a long journey and yet with the faith of everyone in them they must forge on. Though its first iteration, "Echoes in the Distance", starts distant and droning, as everyone sacrifice themselves to alter the landscape, the song starts to clear up as the end starts to near. At the very end, when the Warrior of Light is left alone after the last and closest of their companions, the Leveilleur twins, are sacrificed to open the final path to where the Endsinger awaits, the lyrics become clear that this is journey's end, but not one to give up. Heart heavy with the loss of their companions they struggle on, the Dynamis around them conjuring spirits that recall memories of those they have encountered and their words of friendship, respect, faith and love they have had on their long journey being recalled as they take the final heavy steps to the end. A very powerful piece that has driven players to swell up. Even after completing the main story of Endwalker, the song continues to echo throughout the zone, reflecting its denizens' newfound desire to live.
  • It now has an official video recapping the Warrior of Light's entire journey since ARR. Prepare to get emotional.
  • The PRIMALS version exudes power. A lonely but hopeful tune is transformed into one of strength and determination to forge ahead.
  • And then the community organized for their own version, with various individual singers and several streamers performing a line or two each through the first half of the song, while a Limit Break bar slowly fills in the upper corner. When that bar fills, the "camera pulls back" to show one thousand players raising their voices in united hope and defiance.
  • And then (it just doesn't stop with this song!) it was performed by the Eorzean Symphony, featuring clips from the official video mixed in with shots of the musicians and vocalist, and then an Audience Participation moment that is Awesome, Heartwarming, and Tearjerking all at once.
• "Close in the Distance" is followed up by "Of Countless Stars", an epic orchestral track for unflinchingly charging through the horrors of the Dead Ends.
• "The Final Day", the Endsinger's theme, is a mix of rearrangements of the final boss themes that have come before. Opening on a high energy mix from the opening of "The Worm's Tail", moving on to an equally fast paced rendition of "Ultima", giving way to a darkly intense version of "Heroes", and finally reaching its climax on a heroic variation of of "Invincible". The entire sequence comes together into a culmination of not just the Warrior of Light's triumphs, but a piece worthy of the entity that is ultimately the root of most of the events having lead to this moment.
• Following the Endsinger's boss theme, the second half plays "With Hearts Aligned". The Scions send their prayers for you as their light of hope pierces through the darkness, mixing the last verse of "Endwalker - Footfalls" with "The Maker's Ruin", which has since been established as the Warrior of Light's theme. This isn't her boss theme, this is yours, representing the hope that will end the song of oblivion.
• "Carrots of Happiness", first heard in the Sage reveal trailer, is a happy, jazzy tune as you explore the M.C. Escher-esque architecture of Smileton, the loporrit housing facility on the moon.
• "Dynamis" plays whenever the characters in the scene understand each other. A tender piano piece that is strongly linked to the Elpis flower, and is played during key moments of the story, notably when characters are overwhelmed by emotions, such as Jullus breaking down after being offered a kind gesture by the same people he despised and feared, and Meteion when she recalls Hermes's words, leading her to silently burst into tears. It also serves as one of Meteion's themes.
• "Hic Svnt Leones", which plays on Asphodelos: The Fourth Circle, is what happens when Castlevania music gets a grunge rock facelift, and it rocks.
• After clearing the 6.0 MSQ, Radz-at-Han's day theme changes to "Vibrant Voices", a Bollywood-flavored rendition of "Flow" that all but demands you get up and dance.
• Just in case you haven't had enough of hearing "eScape" from Alphascape V3.0 and The Twinning, it's back again. The Primals' cover of eScape appears in-game in The Stigma Dreamscape as you battle through waves of Omicrons, the denizens of Omega's homeworld. In the "The Omega Protocol" duty, you battle against Omega in their beetle form to start off. Associating this form with Alphascape V3.0 might lead you to think that the music will be eScape, right? Nope. It's reserved for a different part where Omega discovers the existence of dynamis. The fight's mechanics kick it up a notch, with all of Omega's forms appearing at once sometimes, so to hold back with the music was an amazing choice: an awesome, intense song for an awesome, intense moment.
• "In The Balance", the theme of Nald'thal and the final boss of Aglaia truly captures the duality of the twin Traders, the people of Ul'dah offering prayers of prosperity and to be judged worthy to pass on to the afterlife. A theme befitting Ul'dah's patron deity.
• Upon stepping through the Voidgate, you're greeted with this game's version of "Troian Beauty", a somber reprise of the original town theme that sets the mood of the fallen castle and the endless night of the Void.
• With your final boss fight in the Fell Court of Troia pitting you against Scarmiglione, first of the Four Fiends, what better way to throw a bone to the Final Fantasy IV fans by playing a nostalgic but epic arrangement of IV's iconic Battle Theme 2! This fight also gets used for the battles against Cagnazzo at the end of Lapis Manalis and the Octomammoth at the end of the Aetherfont.
• The battle against Barbariccia is set to a new arrangement of Battle With the Four Fiends, which includes part of the original version from Final Fantasy IV.
• The descent into Abyssos starts off strong with "Silent Scream", which emphasizes just how dangerous creatures like the Proto-Carbuncle are. And the following two raids trade the strings and piano for vocals with the appropriately-named "Scream". The latter is sung from the perspective of the two fallen Keywardens; the lyrics describe their inevitable descent into insanity as they are twisted and warped against their will, and realizing that they have no chance to go back to who they were before. That's only scratching the surface as the rest of the song deals with their newfound thirst for blood as they hunt their prey, and telling their potential victims to scream all they want because no one can hear them as everyone went mad in Pandaemonium.
• The theme for three out of four bosses in Euphrosyne, "Rhythm of the Realm", is a catchy tune that truly encapsulates the feeling of divine revelry, and feels more like you're dancing with the gods than fighting them.
• "Dedicated to Moonlight" is a joyous prayer to Menphina, the goddess of love, to be guided by her love. Amidst the gorgeous vocals and melody, the violin absolutely tears it up.
• Not to be outdone, the final of the Four Fiends, Rubicante, comes in with his own arrangement of "Battle of the Four Fiends", Forged in Crimson, which was arranged by Kenichi Maeyamada, who did his own cover of the song long before this! The lyrics have even been posted on the game's official blog.
• Dreamingway puts his ears for music to good use with "Dreamwalker", an EDM remix of Footfalls that's sure get everyone on the dance floor.
• "Fleeting Moment", the theme of P11, reprises the Amaurot Leitmotif once more as befits a fight with Themis, but in a new manner. Where previous uses of the melody were somber and melancholy, "Fleeting Moment" finds a new joy and energy that transforms the familiar notes into a happy reflection of the sunlit Amaurot in its prime.
• The final arrangement of the "Battle of the Four Fiends", titled "Voidcast Savior", is a variation of the theme that never lets up on the brass instruments or the choir. But it doesn't stop at the Four Fiends arrangement either; partway through the theme, it transitions to an arrangement of Final Fantasy IV's main theme, instruments still blaring to accompany the epic battle between the self-proclaimed savior of the void and you, the savior of your own world, then onto the good ol' Final Fantasy prelude.
• "Athena, the Tireless One", the final boss theme of the Pandaemonium raid, incorporates all of the previous Pandaemonium music mixed into an amazing distorted trance filter based on "White Stone Black", and twists their meanings into exalting Athena instead of their original meanings, as if Athena herself was singing about her godlike powers and putting everyone under her.
• Rounding off the collection of Final Fantasy IV remixes is Zeromus' theme, a blood-pumping drum and bass rendition where it's now or never, and you only have this one chance to win. Once Zeromus is on the backfoot, the music transitions to the Red Wings' theme. Originally, it was to portray how terrifying the Red Wings are. Here, it's simultaneously an Oh, Crap! and a victory march as Zeromus has widened the cracks between the shards, but the voidsent is clearly getting desperate.

Dawntrail

• "Open Sky - The Theme from Dawntrail", starts off upbeat, which is quite a pleasant change from previous expansion themes and that works quite well thematically. Whereas you've been fighting tooth and nail to save worlds before, this expansion is effectively the Warrior of Light's well-deserved vacation. Or so it seems. The song transitions from an upbeat rock theme with a piano backing before eventually transitioning to a heavy rock instrumentation, complete with distorted vocals before switching back to the upbeat tone. As the tone of the track changes, the lyrics contain brief mentions of what come before the Dawntrail story, with each line a reference to each expansion in order:
  From the ashes, we're reborn
  To the heavens as we ride
  Fighting through the storm
  Leaving our shadows far behind
  As we walk right to the end

---