Current Events > Best final boss themes?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'll start off with two and a half.

First and a half:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OkSmLK1jUg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlGr9S4_wR8

The second is of a different style of best:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8YOoQ-Py88

What speaking final boss theme do you wish to bring to the table?

Fine, have one winged angel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkZGFNCS6iQ

Sorry TC but those tracks in your first post are horrendous. I couldn't stomach anymore than a minute of each.

Folks have these to rescue your eardrums from the crap the TC has posted:

Coils Of Light Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcoLNTG1tTo

Japanese version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVZ6nxAGJZU

Eternal Return
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQkkVTsayko

Now see here, I can see that not everything is for everyone.

But your awesomeness is the same.

Let us both agree that those are awesome. But that you are just from another fandom.

Or prefer to go it slow.

I MEAN MUSIC WISE DANGIT.

"I am Atomic" is quite the thing. It may as well be the final boss theme for a bad end (of the enemy). Still, here it is without those pesky words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QPnw8Gl38c

In case you wanted it. This is more a "YOU are the final boss" sort of thing (where "you" is this particular nuclear powered isekai protag), but yeah.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McO2P-Hfq0Y

Don't let go of your dreams

Grand Finale - Bowser's Inside Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouUeRx0OHPw

Serpent Devouring the Horizon - Bravely Default
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRFgviKp5hA

This one is different since it's technically three tracks, the second being a transitional piece, but they are all intended as one:
The One They Call the Witch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol5FOedxSrY

Moment of Truth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeeYFS5ps6k

Daughter of the Dark God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mYvc8fsnQs
All from Octopath Traveler

Trails to Azure
https://youtu.be/h8CmfRgxvVQ?si=upMxMljVfd3xr66k

Soul of Cinder from Dark Souls 3:
https://youtu.be/ooCb7rwKfBI

Metroid Prime from Metroid Prime:
https://youtu.be/WaIoLwVQJes

Radagon theme from Elden Ring:
https://youtu.be/e5yW9UvbolU

Shara Ishvalda from Monster Hunter World:
https://youtu.be/IOrA8IEXTOw
https://youtu.be/CFQj0sATr3o

BA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aHQnDTd1y4

I will always love you Zeromus

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HDwcst2fS_A

And the new epic Final Fantasy remix

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zoybL0KJXqM

CassandraCroft posted...

Sorry TC but those tracks in your first post are horrendous. I couldn't stomach anymore than a minute of each.

Folks have these to rescue your eardrums from the crap the TC has posted:

Coils Of Light Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcoLNTG1tTo

Japanese version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVZ6nxAGJZU

Eternal Return
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQkkVTsayko

Grigori fight theme in DD is better than Coils of Light imo. Both serve a different purpose and are great for their respective atmosphere though.

Sephiroth_C_Ryu posted...

What speaking final boss theme do you wish to bring to the table?

Challenge accepted.

Mana Khemia - Stigmata
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipNKfOEdDDM

Koumajou Densetsu II - Rose-Killing Carmilla
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfGbyEzHlMo

Ys: The Oath in Felghana - The Strongest Foe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pzcqZTVfDI

Etrian Odyssey III - Their Own Brand of Justice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPvBxglPNRI

Mega Man Zero 4 - Falling Down (okay this is actually the arranged version >_>)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UNTW8hFcpk

Lagoon - Prince of Darkness (this is also the title screen theme lol)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItmfBTgwLcQ

.hack//infection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_77cNXRZ0Q

DOOM Eternal: Icon of Sin
https://youtu.be/9KnlsZzB42I

Maria from Atelier Ayesha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVcc16o0SaY
^Give this a listen, seriously. I don't even have context for the fight but it's really damn good.

The Azure Arbitrator from Trails to Azure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8CmfRgxvVQ
^GIVE THIS A LISTEN TOO

Majestic Roar from Cold Steel 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY3YczOUGcM
technically not the final boss theme, but for the actual final boss it's just the final dungeon music that plays

Keep Your Faith from Persona 5 Royal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRjvpcXhcd8
^Better than the lyrical version in my opinion.

Battle For Everyone's Souls from Persona 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO54NPnSiYc
^I have this song to thank for getting me interested enough in the series to try it out.

I could be here all night really. This is just for JRPGs, and there are several I didn't list yet.

Tyranthraxus posted...

BA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aHQnDTd1y4

Hell yeah, real Boss music right here.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tz82xbLvK_k&pp=ygUQSG9wZXMgYW5kIGRyZWFtcw%3D%3D

Why it took this long for Hopes and Dreams to pop up

I'm playing through FFVI pixel remaster so might as well throw this out there:

https://youtu.be/g6UgxJtHIVY?si=yU0bwCM5Y57o9eqC

Arise chicken.
https://youtu.be/sRJ8i7CXrUU?si=Z1HbY7qgx17W64E6

SMB3 still a contender
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-xih93YIwk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9jQAbsJ9vY&pp=ygUXZGFya25lc3Mgb2YgdGhlIHVua25vd24%3D

Rabi Ribi - Truth Never Spoken
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kxSC2Otj6U

FTL: Faster Than Light - Last Stand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tAShpPu6K0

Super Meat Boy - Carmeaty Burana
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6rcIkWW-K0

Plants vs. Zombies - Braniac Maniac
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzL8GugPslM

While I agree it's not as iconic or great as some others here, it is very good yet overlooked one.

https://youtu.be/3zSwzJ1dMNA?si=UAeLFrlYNIh1vcLC

Per other notes, the definitive version of The Azure Arbitrator follows. Loop is 7:40.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4-eqVc_G0U
The Trails series offers several other behemoths. The next song is entirely sung in English.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRBEZYmjneQ
The next two are similarly styled. Don't miss 2:45 on the first one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XInGhdbrSI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dga3Vw1NQ0
This last sample is the magnum opus of a composer who left us nearly a decade ago. It has an official arrangement like The Azure Arbitrator if you enjoy it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1GhOzlGXQk

From other series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFpvOGCBSTg
https://youtu.be/o8tiJ8oHfao?t=53
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFNr-iYzd9c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZmyljxDkPQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVCGASdoTZA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UhptprZLJg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNHtrSM1RU4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WDJLFlSqMA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5REoVhfVSk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR8HcBxaQsk

From the Zelda series, Spirit Tracks' soundtrack is criminally underrated, and the latter includes Zelda's theme in the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk_xjIFlfZA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikfDbug2i48

I thought of a few more noteworthy ones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4RUegWPdis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMD5XJ1GrTU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCiJGl9NOBQ

Super_Slash posted...

Maria from Atelier Ayesha
^Give this a listen, seriously. I don't even have context for the fight but it's really damn good.

While I would recommend the game as a personal favorite, you get a sampling of the scenario from the Unskippable video.
https://youtu.be/B4YsfG7oadE?t=18
They rightly poke fun at the introductory sequence, but the event theme is called Guidance and furnishes the leitmotif for the final boss theme. The older man guides Ayesha in learning alchemy to save her sister. The sister, Nio (from nioi, smell), appears as a spirit to her across the adventure as she follows flower fragrances towards the answer. The entire soundtrack is recommended if you have no intention of ever playing the game, but the final fight is very atmospheric in light of everything else despite lacking challenge.

https://youtu.be/tMCXMg8p9sc?si=6hNgIG9p3jh5MJMr

Bowser's inside story is a favorite as well. Since the original/enhanced was already posted, may as well ad the MOI cover now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipVrglfEXLA

FL81 posted...

Challenge accepted.

You had me when you posted Mana Khemia.

Speaking of Atelier, the single game with the best OVERALL soundtrack may just be Atelier Iris 2. Seriously, so much incredible work done on the soundtrack of it.

Maria is pretty good too. Not at all what you would expect from a final boss theme. But Ar Tonelico 2 did it first. Which has not been mentioned in text here, though perhaps I just missed it since I skipped the ones with no descriptor before making this post since I just wanted to make the post without opening every no-notes single link. Lazy, yes. Anywho.

In case its not one of the un-noted ones I skipped because of just being a list of 8 youtube links with no descriptors, AT2's final boss theme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8YOoQ-Py88

Incidentally, a nice surprise to see FTL here. It had... definitely music that helped it. Not sure I would say its awesome overall, but hell if it didn't give a proper feeling for its own setting's final boss.

zinformant posted...

While I would recommend the game as a personal favorite, you get a sampling of the scenario from the Unskippable video.
https://youtu.be/B4YsfG7oadE?t=18

I skipped it because he was talking over perfectly good music.

On a side note for you Metroid Fans. A certain youtube composer released a teaser for his upcoming album based on Metroid Dread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dJSlER-WxU

If its anything like his last stuff, it will be one heck of a cover. And maybe some of you think Dread's soundtrack is underrated. Well, he will be making some covers.

Are mods allowed? Oh,wait, it is MY TOPIC.

Yes, mods are allowed.

Two from Terraria's Calamity mod since it is a bit of a shifting thing what the final boss is/was.

Lets just go with the Devourer of Gods and the Jungle Dragon. In reverse order. For DoG we'll go with the mix of his whole "arc."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GcPA3C0QeI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjOj_6cMGEY

This: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfgUfqeSxg8&list=PL2CD1114090D4149C&index=18 into https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6id1B1Lyq8&list=PL2CD1114090D4149C&index=19&pp=iAQB8AUB

Also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrc5lv0O8yo but spoilers abound.

Also also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVOGQc1tLJ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFi1oFwDNiY

Lots of good already posted so I'll post two that I've been listening to recently

Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 - Solaris Phase 2
https://youtu.be/qAx3hTZeyBw?si=CS9wnF9lje7QltzM

The game itself might be hot garbage but damn if that isn't a kickass final boss theme

Sonic Unleashed - Perfect Dark Gaia
https://youtu.be/SWMcIB7XIi0?si=yuVPdorifxWtTAJb

Just a real good one, probably my favorite final boss theme in the series

People posted a lot of good bangers already but here's a couple I believe that were missed.

Shadow Hearts- Imbroglio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJfhsgsVaTo&ab_channel=ShadowHeartsWikia

Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow- Champion Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXgAj5KdAC0&ab_channel=Pokeli

Pokemon Legends Arceus- Giratina's Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u39QcvgF4FQ&t=136s&ab_channel=Pokeli

Castlevania The Dracula X Chronicles- Dance of Illusions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLJJRJY1Tcs&ab_channel=CastlevaniaInternational

Resident Evil 2 Remake- Last Judgement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PpV3aiRS_I&ab_channel=Ivarov23

Resident Evil Code Veronica- Theme of Alexia Type 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFySmkjsmuc&ab_channel=EmogirlMarina

Xenogears- Deus Awakening
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx3bhCFpTw4&ab_channel=EthanMichell

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


He also did some covers of Metroid already. Since this is a final boss theme topic, lets put his Lavos and Mother Brain covers in here.

Chrono Trigger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwX1tHijZMs
Super Metroid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2NTAER1B2c

Also, for some reason I just remembered Zwei. Which I haven't even played but a while back, I just came across its final boss theme and its pretty cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTqwGW5ZKYc

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yGq2MFdKiuw&t=448s&pp=ygUbYnVnIGZhYmxlcyBmaW5hbCBib3NzIHRoZW1l

Bug Fables fucking rules

I reallllllllly liked FFXVI's final battle theme, All as One. The lyrics really drive it home for me.

https://youtu.be/ldXgvfZzXwg?si=n9MEGaYMEk54FW8s

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - It Has To Be This Way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYAPgPH9hsI

Vince McMahon - still counts, dammit!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uc3V8NxKWw

The original One Winged Angel is one my favorite pieces of music ever, and of course Dancing Mad is a classic, but I'm assuming those have already been posted.

Awakening from Xenogears. Everyone seems to prefer "The One Who Bares Fangs at God" theme for the second (much easier) fight, but I prefer this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E4Xz3EzUu8&ab_channel=Boomerang78

Of course, how could I forget, Hopes and Dreams from Undertale. Probably second to OWA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz82xbLvK_k&ab_channel=Misaki

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KDP1I58vCtQ

Justin2Krelian posted...

Of course, how could I forget, Hopes and Dreams from Undertale. Probably second to OWA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz82xbLvK_k&ab_channel=Misaki

Don't worry, I remembered it for you. =)
(post #19)

Also, Ilias-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P29F8lD4Wvg

Quorthon109 posted...

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - It Has To Be This Way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYAPgPH9hsI

CLASSIC

Justin2Krelian posted...

The original One Winged Angel is one my favorite pieces of music ever, and of course Dancing Mad is a classic, but I'm assuming those have already been posted.

Awakening from Xenogears. Everyone seems to prefer "The One Who Bares Fangs at God" theme for the second (much easier) fight, but I prefer this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E4Xz3EzUu8&ab_channel=Boomerang78

One of my favorites ever. The only issue with Xenogears' soundtrack was there weren't enough songs in it (so many got recycled over the 70-hour length of the game). Each individual song is awesome, though.

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth Final Boss Phase 2
https://youtu.be/Crz9ZwMeoOI?si=fwDtRfhteBHHXR_v
Wild ARMs 2 VS Lord Blazer
https://youtu.be/rBuWNO1mxcI?si=j7yakleIaesAQnE9
Wild ARMs 3 Losing the Inescapable Nightmare, an Unending Reality (technically not final boss, but it is phase 1 of the final gauntlet of fights)
https://youtu.be/ubJRyBtanAY?si=aKqGkHvYDTUSOW2I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYOpjK1ZriI

The fight itself might have been ehhhh, but this is a top-tier LoZ track.

I know it's not technically the final final fight, but while I personally like the 'upbeat yet melancholy wandering piano' vibe as sort of an end to a long journey track, it's not something I would put on a pedestal in a room full of hyper-critical CEmen and say 'this is good shit!'

ProboBum posted...

Wild ARMs 2 VS Lord Blazer
https://youtu.be/rBuWNO1mxcI?si=j7yakleIaesAQnE9

When I think about "heroic final battle! Rah rah rah, let's do this!" there are two tracks that come to mind. The above from Wild ARMs 2, and this from Lunar SSSC (literally titled Go! Go! Go!):

https://youtu.be/rwNdGU9VGwc?si=dPhNKIONr8IJ48nD