@bilbobaggins9167 Well, I'd argue that to be the case in Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild, but I think Tears of the Kingdom is by far the best as _selling_ that emotional throughline, and I think it's mostly owed to that final fall sequence. Giving the player control to have them catch Zelda immediately makes the event feel so much more impactful, and in a manner that I think is a cut above most scripted, unfailable set pieces like this. Giving the player the same skydiving controls that they've used the entire game helps mask the fact that their actions are incredibly limited. Whereas the rest of the BOTW-era games are pretty sloppy at truly connecting the player to the game world through Link, I think that this moment is an overwhelming success and by far the best ending moment for the series.
@@brycebitetti1402 I get what you mean, I just meant "Zelda is safe now" is how the vast majority of the games end. All of them except Link's Awakening, Majora's Mask, and I was going to say the Oracle games, but then I remembered she shows up and needs saving in those as well if they're linked. I still feel like reversing her supposedly permanent transformation at the end of TotK with very little explanation was a bit disappointing, almost kind of a rug pull. You spend all this time mulling over the repercussions of her decision and what it might mean going forward, only for it to end up not really mattering. But that's just me.
Dude, almost all of the music in this game had me tearing up. From the haunting theme of the abandoned Rito village, to the reveal of what happened to Zelda.
This! I hope he'll make more videos about the soundtrack... Frozen Rito Village is incredible. The Fi's theme reference during the memory where Zelda gets the master sword ... chills
The moment Zelda's Lullaby hits during the key-change in the dive sequence made me ball crying now as I watched the fckn video on it GOD this is Top 2 Games of All Time and she ISNT #2
same here, the way this game and especially its music manages to tie in references from previous games while making it feel so much more than just a reference is absolutely incredible
How about the inherently tragic and somber track of the Construct Factory. The melody bleeds sadness but also a quiet hope that one day it just may function again.
Few things in any video game have ever left me with a lingering feeling of "Oh no, what are we gonna be able to do about that?!" than discovering what happened to Zelda lol
The best part for me was descending into the Gloom Lair and the music slowly getting more intense... until you finally drop down the massive hollow and find Zelda's torch from the start of the game.
I also love in the final skydiving section the judicious use of single hand claps - a sound you can only produce by two hands connecting with each other. It’s a brilliant choice of instrumentation.
I love how they use Calamity Ganon's theme for the last portion of the Ganondorf fight. That theme, which was basically Ganon's theme in BotW, is nowhere to be found in TotK until that point. I thought they had just forgotten about it, which made me sad as I thought it was a great theme, until they suddenly blast it in your face at the peak of the fight to remind you (and especially Link) that this is the man responsible for the destruction of Hyrule 100 years before and basically everything that happened in BotW.
My favorite part of that reminder is that it's not the focal point of the entire arrangement. That suggests that all of your struggles over the course of the past 2 games, 100+ in-game years, 7 real world years, was just a small portion of his time spent destroying and conquering. It feels like he's using his music to rub in just how insignificant you are.
Fantastic analysis! 18:26 Another (maybe obvious) detail is how in the Main Theme part of the Final Dive, the erhu, which has been symbolically used for dragons throughout, is no longer included now that Zelda has been turned back.
I will absolutely cherish Tears of the Kingdom and its beyond ethereal finale forever. I have never felt so utterly captivated by any medium before. Everything from the descent into the deepest parts of the Depths, the cooperative fights with your allies, the absolutely brilliant sword duel with Ganondorf, the mind-blowingly high-production and sheer grandiose of the dragon phase, and the emotional climax with catching Zelda. Seriously this game was crafted by masters of the gaming craft and offers an experience unlike any other.
Best ending I've ever played in a video game without a doubt. I get that Tears of the Kingdom isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'll never understand how people can say it was bad and lazy when things like this exist. Everything from the descent to Gloom's Origin to that final quest completion marker is designed with so much love and care.
Ganondorf was easily the coolest enemy to fight. He really felt like the antithesis of Link, with how he could flurry rush & would use multiple weapons. The feeling of another genuinely skilled swordfighter was a really refreshing fight, especially since even the Yiga are super predictable in their fights. I had a lot of trouble trying to dodge Ganondorf’s attacks the whole time.
I would argue that you omitted (perhaps for brevity) the best/worst part of the final boss: The descent. all the way from Gloom's Approach, is so incredibly menacing.
i was so scared, i had to keep pausing and taking a minute to calm down. the music was just so ominous, it really felt like something horrifying was about to be waiting for me
Yes! The panicked violin trills (not sure what they’re called). The piano chord that strikes as you enter the Forgotten Foundation and its theme starts playing again with the reversed vocals. The chanting voices building and the reversed vocals fading away as you reach the chamber where Ganondorf was once imprisoned, now a deep chasm. And how, as you walk towards the ledge above Gloom’s Lair, the music builds and builds, and the reversed vocals return with urgency, sounding almost panicked. How, as you dive off the platform, the music _crescendos,_ driving home that feeling of finality, that there’s no turning back now.
This ending music? Masterpiece. Your analysis of the ending music? Masterpiece. Masterpieces all around. Phenomenal job. I'm not crying, you're crying, shut up.
This ending was so fucking incredible. You've broken down exactly how it was done through the music. Well done. And why does Dragondorf explode? BECAUSE IT'S AWESOME THAT'S WHY. That was the dopest explosion I've ever seen in a game. DON'T DIMINISH THAT
Finally, someone mentions how awesome that explosion was! I do like how it did the same "light bursting out of it" thing as it did with the previous bosses, as well as the blights from BOTW, leading you to expect he'd explode in a similar way. Then he turns into an orbital death ray and fucking nukes Hyrule. The camera shake too... And the follow up, with Link standing on the Light Dragon, Master Sword in hand, bracing against the shock wave, as the red sky fades into a brilliant blue and the camera pans out... I could keep going, but long story short I *love* the ending to this game.
It's an incarnation of evil that has most definitely consumed an entire energy source _way_ bigger than its head (even if it had a container with the ability to shrink into an easily-portable and thus consumable size). It's an amplifier on top of a being that was already pretty powerful, and you just destroyed the containment apparatus for its amplifier. Is it any wonder all that energy suddenly went "k bye lol" in the most violent fashion possible?
Yeah. First thing I thought was the rings around the explosive beam looked nuclear. An intense choice considering who made the game and I believe there is some symbolism implied.
@@beeenjammmins Absolutely, I think there are allusions both to nuclear tragedies and (potentially unintentionally?) struggles around the coronavirus pandemic
FINALLY someone is talking about this. As a film and game composer, I think it was a genius way to program the music that maximizes the impact of the ending. It ties together both games perfectly and creates such an emotional and powerful moment for every player no matter how they play. They do this with the intro too and a few other sequences throughout the game. Nintendo knows how to do music!
I straight up gave Tears of the Kingdom a standing ovation in my living room after the ending, and all the music underscoring the whole ending sequence is a huge part of why I did. I can’t really think of many other games that gave me chills by the end like TOTK did - and your analysis goes a long way to helping me appreciate why!
@@kamikazilucasits okay. Its because they do borrow motifs from their most popular songs and because they shifted to a more atmospheric style, which is less catchy but more emotionally fitted to the game.
I love this game so much. The music was so great- and the foreshadowing of one of the VERY FIRST trailers ending with an er-hu playing Zelda's Lullaby is one of the most emotional musical developments I've ever experienced.
18:53 What I especially love about this one is that Zelda's Lullaby is already an emotionnal motif by itself at that point, but the upper key change just brings that dose of TRIUMPH to it, it's like the music is yelling "OMG GIRL YOUR PLAN WORKED I'M SO PROUD NOW COME BACK TO US"
I believe the ending of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be heralded as one of the greatest video game endings of all time, and it wouldn't have come anywhere near that distinction if it wasn't for all the music.
Dear 8-Bit Music Theory- Guy, your wish is my command: I can´t express enough how impressed I am by your analysises. I am a teacher for music on secondary school (college) and I often use your videos in my classes and damn, you would give a fantastic teacher!! I consider myself to notice a lot of stuff, that is going on, while I listen to music, but you bring this to a whole other level. The way you transcribe the music, your didactic skills...this is top notch. And on top of that, I really become emotional, especially when you talk about the music in Zelda games. Zelda is one reason, why I began to play the piano, when I was 10 years old: the little ocarina melodies in Ocarina of time. In the meantime, I felt, that this music was special, but of course I never knew why. Your videos make me somehow connect to my younger "me", when I was 10 years old. A big thank you goes out to you!!
I absolutely love how sparingly the game uses the "familiar" themes, like the original LoZ theme. It sets up a level of anticipation and catharsis that I haven't seen in any other series before. It feels like a reward, being able to hear them, and MAN do those moments have a ton of weight because of it.
I love the Ganondorf reveal. Every time I watch it and rewatch it, I always get a big fat smile on my face because it’s just so cool. Probably top 10 of my favorite boss fights ever
That final catch track is just so great narratively. The Main Theme at the start is blaring at us that this is a time for action, you have to _do something._ *1* The transition to Zelda's Lullaby emphasizes why, because it's _Zelda,_ right there, _just like when you failed her before._ *2* And the resolution to the LoZ Series Theme denotes the difference from then. It's different because you are Link, you are _The Hero,_ and this time you are going to *save her.* And you do. *3* *1* -> *2* -> *3* It's about the _situation,_ to it's about striving for _her,_ to it's about _you_ finally redeeming your failure and triumphant.
With a lot of discourse on how this game is artistically a homage to Hayao Miyazake’s universes, have folks noticed how the final boss theme and dragondorf theme could very well be nods to The Demon God theme from Mononoke and Dragon Boy theme, respectively?
I SCREAMED when I saw this in my sub box. This game gave me so much unrivalled emotional payoff in so many ways and this whole section of music really exemplifies everything they did right with Tears of the Kingdom.
I feel like I'm going to watch this video every month for the rest of my life. What a perfect summation of the absolute epic amazing ending to a masterpiece game.
Great video as always 8bit! I’d also add at 12:05 that we also hear the BoTW theme for each of the “Blight Ganons” and to my knowledge, this is the only time it’s used in the ToTK ost. They say on that one for quite awhile before finally unleashing it!
Man, your ears are so refined to capture the minutiae in your transcriptions. Was in tears for the whole second half of the video, thanks for your hard work. 🙏
Manaka Kataoka knew what the fuck she was doing when she sat down and penned this. So obvious that this is talent and brilliance pushed beyond the limits by a passion for the craft. This game is the crowning achievement in the franchise.
Wow. The composers and game developers of TOTK are absolute geniuses. I don't know how people come up with compositions like this, but I'm enormously grateful because it creates such an incredible experience! Thank you for breaking down why this ending was so impactful!
11 месяцев назад
The ending of TotK is incredible, in every way, the battle, the build-up, the music! It really is an incredible achievement. I love the Zelda franchise but they tend to have not so great endings, TotK really nailed it. But, more than that, the way you explain the musical part of this ending is magical! Really a great video!
you forgot to mention how in the 1st phase even though it starts off slow it slowly goes to a higher rate, showing that the first few moments of the fight are Link and Ganondorf sizing eachother up, feeling how they fight, once that tempo picks up it shows that they are more familiar with their styles and they start to pick up the pace
Aww, the title almost made me get my hopes up for a video about Spirit Tracks, whose final battle sequence is one of the best musical moments in all of Zelda
A faster variation of the Calamity Ganon theme during phase 3 was fucking genius, and the moment where the piano finally takes center stage before the final blow against the Demon Dragon will live rent free in my head forever. Actually, that whole climax of the Demon Dragon theme was just pure goosebumps all the way through.
My BF doesn't play the zelda games but i literally cry from the music and the emotions they evoke. Because its also the story. The callback to catching zelda, the absolute resolution you get with most of these games. Literally the only thing that would make me happier is if there is a post game play mode where you can start restabalize the world you care so much about
I was really hoping someone would do a video on this and I'm so glad it was you. That final dive hit even harder when I watched @Player 5 speedrun it - all the sections came one after another. Nintendo hit it out of the park with this cinema-worthy ending.
The music during the first four Temples is also noteworthy in how it adds a layer of instrumentation and intensity for every MacGuffin you unlock out of the 4-5 locked MacGuffins. The Wind Temple music was probably the most memorable for me in this way. It was a major highlight during what was otherwise a series of lackluster dungeon/puzzle experiences.
I have loved the Zelda series practically since I was old enough to care about things. The games have never brought me to tears before, but when the final legendary theme rises as Link reached out for Zelda the waterworks came on. Such a fantastic scene.
Holy crap, man, I was tearing up just watching and listening to this! Also, if I had to guess, I would say he explodes at the end because of how big the atomic bombs have become in the Japanese aesthetic consciousness. That explosion was very much nuclear-bomb-coded - with the horizontal rings blasting out and the huge, vertical cloud lingering - and Ganon in BotW and TofK could easily be interpreted as a metaphor for the destruction and pollution of the natural world, so I would interpret his explosion as a final, last-ditch effort to destroy and corrupt using the ultimate physical evil - a nuclear blast.
That finale paid homage to so many Zelda games, it literally gave me all the feels. I do not believe there will ever be a Zelda game that can top what that did for me emotionally at the end. And I seriously question if there will be any other video game that does it either. It hit all the nostalgia and the tension and the highlights and made everything matter. Tears of the Kingdom is a masterpiece in my book. And I've been playing Zelda games since the NES.
Thanks for making this. I was waiting TOTK content from you for and you chose what I wanted the most. The ending of this game is probably one of my favorite gaming moments ever and the music played a big part of that. Last Catch is brilliant.
Perhaps more than this absolutely brilliant compositional technique, the fact that so many previous themes got quoted in every single one of these pieces of music just takes all of the emotions we have tied up from our previous experiences with the series and smashes us over the head with them. Not gonna lie, I cried multiple times throughout the ending sequence of this game.
I know almost nothing about music theory and notes, but this was so fascinating 😮 your breaking down the dragon fight and last catch theme literally gave me chills and made me emotional 😭 thank you!
Tears of the Kingdom really feels like the perfect way to end the Legend of Zelda franchise. Like, obviously they won't do that, they like making money off the series, but so much about Tears of the Kingdom feels like the culmination of the entire 37 years of the series. And this ending is no exception. Honestly, if this actually was the final LoZ game they ever made, I think I'd be happy
I heard what you were doing with those chords leading up to 6:54, and the *proper* resolution was to continue with the two-chord stab from the opening of FFVI, thank you very much.
It's been months and I still am sent to the 4th dimension when I listen to that third trailer theme and that's before the GAME even begins. Ffs just listening to the dragon music in the background of this video is squeezing my heart
Finally took the time to watch this video! Exceptional analysis! Thank you for letting me experience that emotional rollercoaster ending again but now with the music analysis! How freaking good is Zelda music 🥹🥹🥹🥹🫶
My goodness, the sheer amount of history associated with the Zelda series, I cannot begin to imagine how much of a treat it is to compose for it. So much work is already set down for it, and the power of bringing those old leitmotifs back is so... Ineffable. This is why I love music
The most impressive part of the game about the music was if i remember when i got that sword... total silence, i remembered how far the silence is a part of music.
I'm actually reminded of your video on the Mount Wario music from Mario Kart 8. In that one, you also went over ways that the composer had to dynamically transition from section to section without knowing exactly how long it would take you to get from one to the next. It seems like Nintendo really sees the value in this technique and puts a lot of effort into implementing it.
Great video! As always! That change in section of the the music depending on where you were in the last part reminded my of Control (the maze part - no more comments about this to avoid spoilers). Definitely a memorable moment, to say the least!
Yes! The music on that last dive got me so good. Obviously you couldn't fail, but I was so into the emotions of the narrative that first time I played the ending, that didn't take me out of the moment
without a doubt my favourite instance of the main zelda theme in this game is during the extra cutscene. with that amazing panning shot its AAAA SO GOOD!
I spent a long time compiling the files and listening to the in-game music to try and understand how it works, because it is ridiculously dynamic, with you unlocking sections of each piece as the battle continues. One of my favorite details is that if you go into the final fight without having unlocked any sages, the "Sages Appear" part of Phase 2 never plays. Instead, it just jumps straight to the Phase 3 section before leading into the Calamity Ganon theme. So much of the game's music not only fits the scenario, but adapts with it in these key moments, and that blows my mind. I'm also a huge fan of how somber the music is in the 2 cutscenes before the Dragon part of the fight. Whenever draconification is present as an element, the music really reflects how it's this unnatural, disturbing sacrifice, but especially for Ganondorf, since there's no beauty or selflessness in his sacrifice. And yeah, the sheer number of references in the Dragon sections is insane, not just in the leitmotifs but also in the instruments being used. Zelda's theme, a few of Ganondorf's leitmotifs from this and past games, BotW's theme, TotK's theme, the intro from TotK, etc. And of course the Erhu being a sound exclusively used in relation to the Dragons really drives it home.
my jaw literally dropped when I heard the Calamity Ganon theme during the Ganondorf fight. And then of course I almost passed out when I heard the original main theme. You did a great analysis of this, and you're awesome!
I think he explodes because he was supposed to be an immortal being and by dying it releases a huge amount of divine power that wasn't meant to be freed like that. Like the death of a star
Woah, never had the chance to play the game, but this must have felt so good playing and living the music at the same time * . * They did more than an incredible job on this game music (And you too did amazing, I felt everything just by watching your explanations !)
I always knew that this song was brilliant ever since I first heard it during my final battle. But I never realized just HOW MUCH of a Masterpiece it really was. Down to bringing back OoT's Ganondorf's theme but the amount of layers that song really has outside of the build up and the nostalgia. I never realized that the song removes some of the tension when the sages come in to help you fight I've said it before and I'll say it again, Nintendo Music is HEAVENLY!!
Gosh. All the callbacks to the themes just had me so emotionally invested. I’m a huge sucker for them when they’re used and just hearing the ending through without playing it with all the adrenaline has me tearing up my kingdom. Zelda music is one of the best!
The themes in the Zelda series just inherently carry so much emotional impact. I can only imagine hat a privilege it must be for composers to work with these legacy melodies.
I would absolutely LOVE a video that speaks to how articulation plays into the performance as much as dynamics. Not sure how difficult that would be, but if anyone could find a good way to represent it, that'd be you.
For me, it wasn't just a climax to a 150 hours of gameplay, or even 2 games of that size, it was the climax to 35 years of Zelda and Link told in the best possible way. In my head cannon, that was the real and true ending to their unbelievably epic tale.
Man. During the dive I lost track of Zelda and spent over five minutes rotating the camera in every possible direction trying to find her in what was, as far as I could tell, an infinite expanse of empty air. The drama… doesn't play as well when that happens.
Literally the most perfect finale in gaming, and I can't imagine how it'll get topped. BotWs gameplay, and story, leading into this absolute perfect ending, and the more time you put into both just made the ending feel that much better. Bravo, Nintendo
Why does he explode? Because he's a DRAGON. You kill him by stabbing the master sword into a Secret Stone, an incredibly powerful magical stone. All that magic suddenly has no host to control it, so it just gets released as a massive shockwave.
The little motif of the original legend of zelda theme when link goes to catch zelda was what made me cry the first time I played the game. Every link earns his blaring powerful crescendo moment of that theme(or a quiet peaceful one). This link earned his TWICE. Each time going through hell to save the princess. Most links only have to do it once, he had to fight Ganon twice and both times he came out victorious. That swell of the original theme just hits different than anything else in the world.
Why does he explode? Power overload from the incredibly powerful magical artifact that's now part of him and that you just shattered. Makes sense to me.
I still see this as on par with Outer Wilds' ending, since they were able to make you feel so much emotion with just 1 song that you always heard throughout your travels. Both endings can't help but make me tear up
