In summer 2000, at the young age of 16, I wrote an embarrassingly terse review of the Final Fantasy V soundtrack. Granted, everything about this entry in the acclaimed series seemed novel at the time, given its lack of official localization until around the same time as Final Fantasy VIII. But there was, and is, so much more to say about this soundtrack than “you need to hear it for yourself, it’s pretty good!”
So here I am, 25 years later, giving Uematsu’s score to Final Fantasy V the in-depth analysis it rightly deserves.
Let’s start with something fun: battle themes. Final Fantasy V Original Sound Version boasts five battle themes in total, something that seems merely adequate today but bordered on excessive in the early 1990s. “Battle 1” is the game’s standard battle theme, used for all random encounters. It includes the trademark rush of arpeggios and bass groove in its intro, then thrusts the listener into a series of fast-paced harmonic change-ups and modulations. Melodically, it’s not the most interesting piece on the soundtrack, but the song’s structure and overall pacing make it a classic.
“Battle 2” is the boss battle music used for most of the bosses throughout the game. Whenever I listen to this one, I can’t get over how on-point that compressed timpani sounds. That’s about as realistic as anything got back in 1992. Melodically, this one is pretty simple, but it’s also easy to recall and sing back. So it’s something of an earworm!
The next battle theme may be the single most recognized piece of music from Final Fantasy V. Yes, it’s “Battle at the Big Bridge,” the music that becomes the battle theme for our recurring comic relief villain/rival, Gilgamesh. Here we find massive arpeggiations, killer riffs, that A part trumpet melody, and some of the best synthesized bass and rock organ that could possibly come from a 16-bit console. For analysis at even greater detail, 8-bit Music Theory’s video on this piece offers some great analysis with transcribed sheet music to help follow along.
The final two battle themes are “The Decisive Battle” and “The Final Battle.” The former plays any time the party squares off against the game’s antagonist, Exdeath. However, “The Final Battle” is saved for that special moment at the end of the game where Exdeath transforms into Neo Exdeath. I would argue “The Decisive Battle” is the superior track here, with that crunchy guitar chord synth hitting hard and those bass line triplets and building percussion hinting at what Uematsu would do in the next game (hint: “Dancing Mad”).
“The Final Battle” arrives with a faster tempo and increased use of both minor and diminished chords. It serves as a fine send-off to the game’s combat, but I do think it’s not quite as listenable as “The Decisive Battle.” Fitting, then, that you only hear this song once per playthrough.
Let’s talk overworld themes. Things start simple with the unassuming “Four Hearts,” which uses the game’s main theme as a key melodic motif, now made light and jaunty with some effective percussion. The first flight theme, used when riding the wyvern Hiryu, is entitled “Spreading Grand Wings.” Featuring a flurry of 16th note arpeggiation and a catchy melody, this one is unforgettable.
Two more flight-based themes come in before we get any new “walking” overworld music. First is “Mambo de Chocobo,” which plays when you fly on the rare black chocobo. This version of the chocobo theme is memorable for its mambo instrumentation, as well as the voice sample on the upbeat at the end of each loop: “hoo!” Shortly after this on the tracklist, we’re greeted with the triumphant “Airship” theme, matching the brisk pace and regal vibes that Uematsu has written in virtually every airship theme prior to Final Fantasy V. There’s something so distinctive about these tracks—you hear them and immediately go, “Oh okay, we’re flying in an airship.”
Things get more intense as Bartz and friends find themselves in “Unknown Lands,” the overworld music found in the parallel world that Galuf and Krile come from. This world map theme is more somber, bouncing between major and minor keys. In my most recent listen to this one, I noticed this drag triplet reverberated percussion line that sounds so smooth under the arpeggiations and sustained melodic lines. Very cool.
But if you want to go ‘deep’ with this music, we have “Beyond the Deep Blue Sea.” This marks the return of the submarine (first seen in Final Fantasy III). This is my favorite of all the overworld themes, with a 6/8 rhythm and harmonies based on major, minor, and dominant 7th chords. Aspects of this piece can also be heard in “Troia” (FFIV) and “The Serpent Trench” (FFVI), both in terms of instrumentation and structure.
Nearing the end of Final Fantasy V‘s soundtrack, we are treated to another chocobo track, “Boko’s Theme.” This is a more straightforward version of the classic melody, used specifically when riding Bartz’s friendly yellow chocobo. Then, for our final bit of overworld music, we have the merged world music “A New World.” This piece has a more pronounced melody than “Unknown Lands,” but it lacks the nuance and decorative touches of the second overworld theme. It is, nonetheless, an enjoyable and somber piece of music.
We still have a handful of town, dungeon, and character themes that are worth celebrating. First and foremost, “Reina’s Theme” (aka “Lenna’s Theme”) is a gem, every bit as evocative and memorable as FFIV‘s “Theme of Love.” The bass resonance is just so smooth and impressive for its time, helping to round out the soundscape of otherwise upper-range instruments.
One of the early town themes, “Cursed Lands,” is used in the fiery town of Karnak. The swing tempo (hitting the first and third notes on triplets) in both the drums and synth organ melody is just too cool. This is a relatively short piece, but it comes with such an unforgettable sound.
Impressive as it is, I don’t think it can hold a candle to “Home, Sweet Home.” This is the music reserved for Bartz’s hometown of Lix, and it might be my favorite piece of music on all of Final Fantasy V‘s soundtrack. Uematsu keeps the instrumentation limited to synthesized wind and strings, with a mix of bowed and plucked strings. The piece is a midtempo waltz made with love and care, melody and harmony coming together perfectly for the ultimate earworm. Pay attention to it.
For something silly and unforgettable, I give you “What?” This music plays in moments of interaction with strange people, animals, or otherwise humorous situations. Its first major use, as suggested by the tracklist order, is when Bartz has to wrestle down the black chocobo for the first time to get those fire crystal shards. Melodically, the piece is little more than a two-measure loop. But the cute upbeat decoration—first a triangle, then an exaggerated moose call on a bongo drum—is undeniably fun and memorable.
Two more tracks I would call your attention to: “Prelude to the Void” and “Dear Friends.” The former serves as Final Fantasy V‘s penultimate dungeon theme, where your party wanders through all kinds of mismatched zones before reaching the final-final crystalline void. The retro-future sound of beeps and whistles pressed against a strong brass melody strikes me as one of Uematsu’s coolest musical moves (he does it again in the Front Mission spinoff game Gun Hazard, as well as plenty of tracks in FFVI).
As for “Dear Friends,” this four-minute guitar piece serves as the musical epilogue to Final Fantasy V, and it comes with a similar level of care and detail as “Home, Sweet Home.” Given this piece also served as the title for the game’s official arranged album and has been reproduced at many Final Fantasy concerts, I think it is definitely revered by Uematsu, the dev team, and fans round the world.
Before signing off, I’d like to note the excellent packaging with Final Fantasy V‘s soundtrack. Depending on the version you purchase, the album may be two separate jewel cases that slide into a larger sleeve, or it may be one standard jewel case. In either instance, however, the booklet and/or separate disc covers feature some lovely artwork from Yoshitaka Amano. This is just one more reason for collectors to consider hunting down the physical artifact.
