I’ve been hesitant to write this article as the Final Fantasy XIII series is controversial for many fans. The combat system isn’t up to snuff, some of the characters come off as annoying, and the overall story goes into a malaise of confusing narratives as the trilogy proceeds. However, Masashi Hamauzu and the other composers created stunning tracks for this trilogy, and they deserve more credit. As we celebrate Final Fantasy’s 35th anniversary, let’s look back at these underrated soundtracks.

“The Promise / Serah’s Theme” By Harpsona

One of the first themes we hear in Final Fantasy XIII is the beautiful “The Promise.” It starts off with a stunning piano melody, letting the wonderful instrument shine. After 20 to 30 seconds, the piano is joined by a beautiful string section that adds to the dramatic piece. Whenever “The Promise” is played, you really feel the somberness of the song, thanks to the lovely playing by the orchestra and the composition itself. Harpsona performed a stirring cover of the song with the harp’s beautiful tones, and she actually won a GameGrooves Quick Fire Cover Contest with it.

“The Sunleth Waterscape” by Insaneintherainmusic and Julia Henderson

Final Fantasy XIII is not afraid to take risks with its soundtrack, and that’s true with “Sunleth Waterscape.” It’s an upbeat track with a catchy melody and thrilling percussion to accompany it. What makes it risky, however, are the vocals. You don’t often have an explorable area accompanied by vocal music in a JRPG. Nevertheless, it totally fits as “we chase the tender light” of the forested area. The characters in the game are trying to embrace a new way of life as they “clear all the blues away” and “hope is what [they] simply need to proceed.” The song perfectly fits the vibe of this segment of the game and brings a smile to the face of any JRPG gamer.

Insaneintherainmusic and Julia Henderson did a wonderful job of adapting this song into jazz. It has a wintry vibe as the melody is pumped up for a new sound. Henderson’s vocals are fantastic in the piece, and despite this cover being six years old, the composition by both of these artists is impeccable.

“blinded by Light” by ToxicxEternity

We can’t move past the first game without mentioning the epic battle theme “Blinded By Light.” The stakes in this piece rise as the strings build, and the percussion begins to thunder down our ears. Then, 27 seconds in, the guitar elevates the piece and ups the ante. The flow of the piece is amazing as it comes in and out like the tide on a beach. The boss battle theme “Saber’s Edge” is also an outstanding piece with a grandeur of deep drumming and an unwieldy playing of the piano. Thankfully, these battle themes are still remembered to this day, and just 10 months ago, ToxicxEternity put out an extremely cool version of “Blinded By Light” and accentuated the exhilarating build to the main chorus.

“Full Speed Ahead” by DS Music

If you thought Final Fantasy XIII’s battle themes are incredible, the sequel stepped it up even more. There are simply too many to choose from for this article, so let’s go with “Full Speed Ahead,” a piece that references “Blinded By Light” and “Noel’s Theme” in a rock fashion. The bombastic drumming, gorgeous melody, and jazz-style piano playing all make for an exciting battle theme that keeps us fighting Tonberres and Flanborgs over and over again. There’s also an electrifying guitar solo in the middle. DS Music, Lacey Johnson, GuitarSVD, ViolinGamer, and MusicOnTheDLo all came together to create a thrilling cover of the track, and Johnson and ViolinGamer both nailed their solos in the piece.

“New Bodhum” by Joe Muntal

I’m sorry, VGM community, but it’s an absolute crime that there’s only one cover of “New Bodhum” out there from Final Fantasy XIII-2’s OST. This track is simply captivating with its plethora of percussion instruments, exciting flares of the guitar, and riveting piano playing. Just like “The Sunleth Waterscape,” there’s also a vocal track that captures the mood of your surroundings in the game. As this piece is heavily drum-focused, it makes sense that Joe Muntal covered the piece and absolutely nailed his drum cover of the track. This instrument is arguably the best part of “New Bodhum.”

“Lightning’s Theme” by Lighty

Unfortunately, Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns has the weakest OST in the trilogy, but there are some highlights worth mentioning. The Distant Light version of “Lightning’s Theme” is astonishingly stirring with its deeply emotional piano and sweeping strings that follow the sorrow of the now hollow character. Lighty does a great job of bringing the same emotion of the track in their cover. In fact, it says in their video description that the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack is the reason why they began to learn piano.

“Crimson Blitz”

One last track to mention in Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns is the outstanding “Crimson Blitz,” a remix of “Blinded By Light.” It expands the scale of the original piece with electronic elements, a greater emphasis on drums, and a de-emphasis on guitars to make the main chorus stand out more.

I’ve only scratched the surface of the music of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, but hopefully I’ve proven that these soundtracks deserve more credit than ever before. Hamauzu and the other composers on the project truly shined as they took risks and added a wonderful flow to each of the pieces. Maybe one day Square Enix will revisit these songs with a remastered trilogy–fingers crossed.

Why The Final Fantasy XIII Trilogy Has Some of The Best Music In The Series