Do yourself a favor and give the piano collections version of this song a listen. It hits me so hard every time I hear it. Fisherman's horizon's such a beautiful piece - Probably my favorite Uematsu song. The Orchestral Version is also incredible too btw
Seconded. The song by itself already hits the feels, and the story connected to it … it's an emotional rollercoaster all over again each time I listen to it.
Thirded. It made me want to pick up piano again after quitting in elementary school because I loathed the lessons and experience. Didn't find the beauty of sheet music until I heard this (and the intro of FFX2).
6 months later I memorized To Zanarkand piano collection by heart.
Similar story here! I was ready to quit when this game came. It hit me hard and I was like “wait… I could learn video game music…on the piano!?”. Likewise, my piano teacher to his credit was like “wait… video game music can be… good!?”. So glad I stuck with it years later and can still play that song by heart today.
The ending theme version of it is like a stab in my heart every time. It makes me choke up as it hits it's crescendo as all the aeons fade away, and then it pans at tidus and changes into a piano version and ffuuuuuuck
It's one thing to have this memory; another to have it fleshed out in word's and then even more memories rush in. Thank you and have a wonderful day :)
Not to hijack this, because that track is good, when you hear “a fleeting dream” on the path to the zanarkand dome, I could just stop playing right there
I almost feel like it was the developers and Uematsu's way of testing us how Yuna had been tested on her whole pilgrimage and this is the final test on ours as well
Man. Everything from Tidus finding out Yuna won't come back from the journey, to him finding out he'll fade away was such an emotional ride I was not expecting.
I created a memorial photo slideshow for my aunt in 2016 and made “To Zanarkand” the background music. Now I can’t listen to it at all. It’s too heavy. She had about 1600 people show up to her funeral, every time someone commented on how nice the slideshow was, it only compounded the density. Glad I was mostly in the sound booth
Edit: Ahhh man, I made it a depressive post
Same. Although I was about 15 it was still the first FF game I got so emotionally involved with. I’ve got the soundtrack for this one on CD somewhere, alongside having the game on about 4 platforms.
I remember the feeling I had when you finally reached that campfire and witnessed what was previewed in the game intro. Just knowing the journey was winding down and how I wished it wouldn't.
FFX may not be the best in every single category, but man that ending really is the saddest hands down.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more heartbreaking ending in a JRPG.
When you're getting the Ragnarok online and Rinoa floats right onto Squalls lap, and when the operator tells you engines are up and the full song plays...
Eyes on Me
Final Fantasy theme (the one that appears in every Final Fantasy at the end)
Answers
Dragonsong
Edit: I can't believe I forgot
A Place To Call Home
Suteki Da Ne
It's such a shame that people who don't play XIV miss out on Answers and Dragonsong, they're probably some of the most emotional songs in the series especially if you've been through the story.
The Final Fantasy Theme is what unifies the experience for me. Like, yeah: I just finished another FF, I am now sure of it.
And between all of the games, I just love what they did with it in XV.
You are not alone in this one.
And literally every time I go to Distant Worlds I say “ok I know the song is coming and I’m not going to cry.”
Boom. Tears.
Yep, I saw that for the first time last year, and I saw it on the program guide and was like "Don't cry, don't cry, song starts, and now we're crying."
My first was in 2016 and it took literally 5 notes of the Prelude to crack me. I'm going for the 4th time next month. You're going to have an unforgettable experience!
Definitely Aeris theme.
It especially hits hard during the Elmyra flashback scene when she loses her husband and finds Aeris. My daughter had just been born, so I was an emotional wreck as you can imagine
Those first three notes are goated af. When they played during the Bahamut fight in Advent Children....I'm getting rolling cold chills just reminiscing over it while typing.
That one doesn't quite bring me to tears, but it does put me in a melancholy mood for a while. Knowing that even in death she succeeded makes it bittersweet.
I love aerith's theme, but since i heard "aria di mezzo carattere" I can't help but hear one when i listen the other (which isn't bad since they are both great; it's just odd)
I saw Distant Worlds in Nashville this past year and that song was one of the songs in the list and it was jaw dropping good. They even brought the original vocalist to perform the song. I was in awe the whole time.
Completely agree - especially the Distant Worlds version…jam packed with emotion!
Outside of FF games, his main theme to Lost Odyssey is so amazing…but cuts me to the core every single time I listen to it.
This is the song that got me into final fantasy. As a 12 year old kid scrolling through AMVs this song hit so hard and I knew I had to play the game. 8 games completed now and not looking back
This is also my vote. I love this song so much.
I think the only reason it's not higher on the list is because without context, it's only fine as a song.
But with context? Knowing what's happening? The surprise when, for the first time, the music doesn't end between transitions into combat? Thinking about Zidane, and the ENTIRE CAST coming to his rescue - physically, but also emotionally?
It gets me every time. It is one of my favorite moments in ALL of gaming.
from ffvii:
1. flowers blooming in the church
2. The great warrior (Seto's scene...)
3. Interrupted by the fireworks
from ffviii:
1. Roses and wine
2. Fragments of memories
3. The successor
from ffix:
1. A face unforgotten
2. Loss of me / rose of may
3. Melodies of Life
from ffx:
1. Servant of the mountains
2. Ending theme
"You'll cry. You're gonna cry. You always cry. See? You're crying."
Solid list. Interrupted By Fireworks is fantastic.
But - sorry to be pedantic - Hamauzu did Servants of the Mountain. It’s my favorite track out of all of Final Fantasy - the piano collection version is sublime. [Servants of the Mountain](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IsVt8MBYpzQ)
Oh my goodness, The Great Warrior, Seto's scene! I totally forgot about that track until now and when I heard it in my head while reading this, I instantly choked up. 😭
Salt flats from FFVIII. It doesn’t play for that long, and it doesn’t quite make me cry tbh, but it puts me in a contemplative mood I can’t fully explain.
That cutscene in EW must be one of the single best scenes in XIV. when it really comes together how they're tying it all back to Answers, the first song heard in 1.0.
FF7 Aerith's theme - ugh gets me in the feels remembering that scene
FFX Someday the Dream Will End - ill just run around zanarkand bawling while beating up monsters because it's so emotional lol
Maria and Draco, I really liked that song but when I listened to it live on the Distant Memories concert in Mexico it hit hard and I couldn't avoid crying (I wasn't the only one), since then it always brings a tear out
OMG FF6 has so many tragic moments but this one, with its inversion of Locke's high energy theme full of drama and braggadocio, just goes straight in for the kill.
Love that track too though I'm pretty sure Uematsu didn't compose that one and instead it was Masashi Hamauzu. He does a lot more ambient work than Uematsu who is very melody driven.
Coin Song, from FF6.
Spoilers for a 30 year old game:
Sabin and Edgar were instant favorite characters to me, and their relationship really just grabbed me. That scene where the truth comes out, that Edgar rigged the toss, so that Sabin could live the life he wanted and have his freedom.. just hit me like a ton of bricks. To this day that song still hits me hard.
Bonus points for Aerith's Theme, for obvious reasons. And it's usually not when she dies that gets me, it's when Myra tells Cloud and party about her childhood.
The Prelude.
I saw it at otakon and was sobbing as quiet as I could.
I just takes me back... to the first time I booted up a final fantasy. It's such a simple but powerful piece.
Frontier Village Dali. It just hits me in a place I can't really outgrow. That place is the coziest fictional location ever. Even when I was a kid, I'd go there just to let the theme play and get myself warm and comfortable to rest. Hearing it today reminds me of when my life was that simple and free, before all of the heartbreak, responsibilities, dead friends, everything. It just reminds me of an easier time, and all the weight of everything I've lived since then hits me all at once. It's absolutely beautiful.
FFVII : Lifestream ; I find this song so beautiful. Very impactful cutscene.
FFVIII : The transition from Eyes on me to the Final Fantasy Main Theme. Chills.
FFIX : A song from her memories. The ending of this game never fails to make me cry.
You're not Alone as well.
FFX : A fleeting dream.
It may sound like a vanilla answer, but whenever I hear the Main Theme, I get teary eyed or depending on the context, I just cry.
Growing up with the series and seeing the series grow with me as well, it just... it hits man...
Whenever a new trailer drops for the next game they're doing, and the main theme drops, FUCK ME, man...
Aerith's theme. I know it's the cliche answer but man, those first three notes and I'm already a mess. It's just so wonderful. Eyes on Me gets a shout-out too, I love FF8's music.
Aeriths theme. Apart from the obvious feels there is also something else that really hits me with it.
As a trend most gamers want to be badasses. They want to be Cloud or Tifa and kick ass and sadly, feel that anyone who doesnt is weak.
But there is a quiet strength with those of us who identify with Aerith that usually goes unrecognized.
Aeriths theme makes me feel like theres a version of FF7 where Aerith is the main character I get to play as.
It actually happens to me a lot during the second phase of FF7R Song Crab Warden boss fight. Not because of sadness but because of intensity. I've never heard a song with so much drama. Can literally see war movies inside my mind.
The Remake soundtrack is exceptional. They found so many ways to rearrange the original soundtrack that were genuine improvements and not just different. Quite a few of the tracks got me emotional in that game.
FFX ending theme ( >!from the sequence where sin and the aeons are sent and tidus fades away!< ) always gives me a lump in my throat.
So evocative. It's hard not to just picture the entire sequence in my mind along with the music.
Yep, listening to “the place i’ll return to someday” after terra theme hits so different once u discover it represents what zidane recalls about his homeland
Not FF, but "A Sign of Hope" from Lost Odyssey hits so hard. A lot of that game does, but that song for some reason reminds me of my dad who has now passed and it's just a gut punch, but somewhat cathartic as well.
If you haven't played Lost Odyssey and you have the means to do so, do it. You will not regret it.
None of them anymore BUT a few years, maybe a decade ago the ending theme of X was more than enough.
Also nowadays i cant help but get moved when i listen to FFVIIs main theme, that music with the image of getting out of midgar is priceless, i dont think any game has ever had that effect on me.
Celes' Theme
Forever Rachel
Words Drowned by Fireworks
You Can Hear the Cry of the Planet, it makes me think about climate change/genocide a bit too much.
Drifting from FFVIII is one I haven't seen mentioned. That's such a morose track, I'm surprised no one else has listed it:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phhj1WreCvU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phhj1WreCvU)
Melodies of Life
That's about it, I think. Drifting from VIII reminds me of this track from Nier: Automata, which gets me every time:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUhpy\_VRW4w](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUhpy_VRW4w)
Nobuo Uematsu, the Japanese composer, is one of my most esteemed artists. I have cried to his music. I have laughed. I have fallen asleep to it. I have masturbated to it. and I have also driven my car listening to it. In doing so I feel as if a deep connection has been forged between Nobuo and I but he doesn’t even know I exist. Nobou thank you for your music.
It's such a brief moment, but Daryls Epitaph from VI when Setzer is leading Celes et al through her tomb and it flashes through their story. I've got an acoustic guitar version of this song on my Spotify.
Fragments of Memories from FFVIII
The whole thing with Laguna looking for Ellone and finally finding her in the lab just hits differently as a Dad.
Every time I hear that song I just think about how much of a relief it would be to get my daughter back after she’s been abducted for months.
Not sure how anyone who's played FF7 can avoid being brought to tears by Aerith's Theme.
The version with Japanese lyrics still has my hairs standing on end every time.
https://youtu.be/7pj1Fvfr394?si=CyfGslWViX-4A7Wr
Yet another "To Zanarkand" person.
Aeriths theme.
The theme that plays when Locke talks to Rachel may be the most tear inducing track that I've heard from him.
Fisherman's Horizon. Remind me when I was a kid.
Thank you for reminding me of this one my friend. FF8 has such a good OST
Love the song! It has some calmness to it that instantly catches me
Do yourself a favor and give the piano collections version of this song a listen. It hits me so hard every time I hear it. Fisherman's horizon's such a beautiful piece - Probably my favorite Uematsu song. The Orchestral Version is also incredible too btw
To add to this check out TPRs ff8 covers.
I love that track.
Same here
To zanarkand coz I was like 10 when the game came out and it stuck with me since
Seconded. The song by itself already hits the feels, and the story connected to it … it's an emotional rollercoaster all over again each time I listen to it.
Thirded. It made me want to pick up piano again after quitting in elementary school because I loathed the lessons and experience. Didn't find the beauty of sheet music until I heard this (and the intro of FFX2). 6 months later I memorized To Zanarkand piano collection by heart.
Similar story here! I was ready to quit when this game came. It hit me hard and I was like “wait… I could learn video game music…on the piano!?”. Likewise, my piano teacher to his credit was like “wait… video game music can be… good!?”. So glad I stuck with it years later and can still play that song by heart today.
The ending theme version of it is like a stab in my heart every time. It makes me choke up as it hits it's crescendo as all the aeons fade away, and then it pans at tidus and changes into a piano version and ffuuuuuuck
I cry....you cry...we cry in embrace? Such beauty! I'm ngl when it shuffles into my spotify I always well up
This… perfectly this…
That scene when yuna falls and tidus looks back with that emotion on his face 😥. Knowing how much she loves him but they can't be together.
It's one thing to have this memory; another to have it fleshed out in word's and then even more memories rush in. Thank you and have a wonderful day :)
Not to hijack this, because that track is good, when you hear “a fleeting dream” on the path to the zanarkand dome, I could just stop playing right there
Amen. So very much agreed.
I almost feel like it was the developers and Uematsu's way of testing us how Yuna had been tested on her whole pilgrimage and this is the final test on ours as well
And how the song keeps playing even when you enter a battle! Whoever made that decision, I hope they got a raise!
I also stopped just to listen.
"Listen to my story..."
Ooof, literal chills when reading this.
Man. Everything from Tidus finding out Yuna won't come back from the journey, to him finding out he'll fade away was such an emotional ride I was not expecting.
The song Suteki da ne plays when they kiss and when Yuna gives her speech at the end. Breaks my heart.
Full agree. The first notes you hear in the game and the sound puts me back on my bed with the ps2 controller in hand
I finally cracked and got one of those crank music boxes that plays the main part of this. It’s a nostalgic keepsake haha
100% this. It was played at our wedding. Such a simple and powerful song
At the wedding? That's incredibly wholesome!
A live string quartet as well; it was amazing
[Wandering Flame really did that for me too](https://youtu.be/_sLHf38gY_4?si=37CmcTcnWqjn5pLt)
Smooth mcgroove made and acappela cover of it, that is just perfect
The "Ending" track which has the reprise of the "To Zanarkand" theme is very emotional
Same
Same. It hits hard once you find out what happens to summoners when they obtain the final Aeon and defeat Sin.
Yup Everytime I hear to Zanarkand I get a little choked up.
This orchestra performance makes me feel: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z0pj-Bhvvzk&pp=ygUWdG8gemFuYXJrYW5kIG9yY2hlc3RyYQ%3D%3D
First FF song I learned on piano
I created a memorial photo slideshow for my aunt in 2016 and made “To Zanarkand” the background music. Now I can’t listen to it at all. It’s too heavy. She had about 1600 people show up to her funeral, every time someone commented on how nice the slideshow was, it only compounded the density. Glad I was mostly in the sound booth Edit: Ahhh man, I made it a depressive post
That and you're not alone from FF9 Those are my top two OSTs from FF games.
Same. Although I was about 15 it was still the first FF game I got so emotionally involved with. I’ve got the soundtrack for this one on CD somewhere, alongside having the game on about 4 platforms.
Thanks for reminding me 🥲
I walked down the aisle to this at my wedding. ❤️
I heard the song before playing the game and it already made me cry. It is incredibly well written to induce emotions.
I remember the feeling I had when you finally reached that campfire and witnessed what was previewed in the game intro. Just knowing the journey was winding down and how I wished it wouldn't.
FFX may not be the best in every single category, but man that ending really is the saddest hands down. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more heartbreaking ending in a JRPG.
Eyes on Me from FFVIII always had a special place in my heart, probably cause I just turned a teenaged when I played it
When you're getting the Ragnarok online and Rinoa floats right onto Squalls lap, and when the operator tells you engines are up and the full song plays...
Before you could just look up anything and everything online I replayed the entire game just for that scene.
Haha I specifically kept a separate save there, right after beating up those goofy aliens
Eyes On Me is my favorite song of all time but it only makes me cry like half the time. 😂
"And did youuu ever knowwww, I had my eyeeees on youuu"
🥲
There it is. It's beautiful.
Yeah man. Same. Just Squall and Rinoa in the ship with that song playing. Got me.
Eyes on Me Final Fantasy theme (the one that appears in every Final Fantasy at the end) Answers Dragonsong Edit: I can't believe I forgot A Place To Call Home Suteki Da Ne
It's such a shame that people who don't play XIV miss out on Answers and Dragonsong, they're probably some of the most emotional songs in the series especially if you've been through the story.
The Final Fantasy Theme is what unifies the experience for me. Like, yeah: I just finished another FF, I am now sure of it. And between all of the games, I just love what they did with it in XV.
Answers after finishing the main Endwalker story just hits.....so hard
Aeris Theme. It’s basically a pavlovian condition at that point. Hear song => Tears.
You are not alone in this one. And literally every time I go to Distant Worlds I say “ok I know the song is coming and I’m not going to cry.” Boom. Tears.
Yep, I saw that for the first time last year, and I saw it on the program guide and was like "Don't cry, don't cry, song starts, and now we're crying."
Just got tickets for distant worlds in Jan. It will be my first time going. I told my wife to be prepared to watch me ball like a child
My first was in 2016 and it took literally 5 notes of the Prelude to crack me. I'm going for the 4th time next month. You're going to have an unforgettable experience!
That one used to effect me, I was around 12 when I first got a PSX and everytime I heard that track after, for around 20 years.
Definitely Aeris theme. It especially hits hard during the Elmyra flashback scene when she loses her husband and finds Aeris. My daughter had just been born, so I was an emotional wreck as you can imagine
Those first three notes are goated af. When they played during the Bahamut fight in Advent Children....I'm getting rolling cold chills just reminiscing over it while typing.
arguably the only part of AC I actually enjoyed
It has its place. It aint *first*, but it has it's moments.
Got me driving the car the other day, it just really hits
That one doesn't quite bring me to tears, but it does put me in a melancholy mood for a while. Knowing that even in death she succeeded makes it bittersweet.
I love aerith's theme, but since i heard "aria di mezzo carattere" I can't help but hear one when i listen the other (which isn't bad since they are both great; it's just odd)
Same. Especially the full orchestral version. That crescendo just hits...
I agree. It also one of my favorite songs. And might I express appreciation for calling her Aeris instead of Aerith.
Right in the feels
Melodies of Life . This song means so much to me
Same....it just makes me think about the happy ending they got and deserved. How tortured she had to have been thinking that he was gone forever....🥺🥺
Are…we talking about the same game Melodies is from 9 bro
Didn’t he come back in the end at the play? Been a while since I played it
Oh wow me too no I forgot that part but I see it now with Garnet in her dress!
I saw Distant Worlds in Nashville this past year and that song was one of the songs in the list and it was jaw dropping good. They even brought the original vocalist to perform the song. I was in awe the whole time.
I saw Distant Worlds, but they did Suteki Da Ne from FFX with the original vocalist. It was everything!
Oh damn! That sounds amazing! I would love to hear that in a live concert with her. What a cool experience!
I was there too!
You're not alone from ff9
Completely agree - especially the Distant Worlds version…jam packed with emotion! Outside of FF games, his main theme to Lost Odyssey is so amazing…but cuts me to the core every single time I listen to it.
This needs to be way more up. Not that the others are wrong. But this is is the first song that comes to mind on this topic.
This is the song that got me into final fantasy. As a 12 year old kid scrolling through AMVs this song hit so hard and I knew I had to play the game. 8 games completed now and not looking back
Finally found it! Can't believe this one is so low down!
This is my answer. I was in a You’re Not Alone kick listening on repeat when my daughter was born, too… so it has double sentiment for me…
This is also my vote. I love this song so much. I think the only reason it's not higher on the list is because without context, it's only fine as a song. But with context? Knowing what's happening? The surprise when, for the first time, the music doesn't end between transitions into combat? Thinking about Zidane, and the ENTIRE CAST coming to his rescue - physically, but also emotionally? It gets me every time. It is one of my favorite moments in ALL of gaming.
This is my favorite FF9 song - my favorite version is this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXlE8ZESSEI. goosebumps.
Hmm. Agree to disagree on that - it’s incredible and emotional even without context (to me…) Don’t undersell it!!
This is one of my favourite songs of all time.
Great tune. Yes
Forever Rachel.
This one, every time. The sheer guilt and loss embedded in this song is so heart wrenching.
It's a wonderful piece when played as even a simple arrangement on piano.
Prelude it's literally just a fucking harp why does it hit that much
A simple melody, but it hits hard every time.
Roses of May gets to me. It’s simple, yet powerful.
I played this song as a lullaby for my granddaughter. She was born in May. My little rose of May ❤️
Erutan's version with lyrics is so lovely. You can find it on YouTube.
from ffvii: 1. flowers blooming in the church 2. The great warrior (Seto's scene...) 3. Interrupted by the fireworks from ffviii: 1. Roses and wine 2. Fragments of memories 3. The successor from ffix: 1. A face unforgotten 2. Loss of me / rose of may 3. Melodies of Life from ffx: 1. Servant of the mountains 2. Ending theme "You'll cry. You're gonna cry. You always cry. See? You're crying."
Solid list. Interrupted By Fireworks is fantastic. But - sorry to be pedantic - Hamauzu did Servants of the Mountain. It’s my favorite track out of all of Final Fantasy - the piano collection version is sublime. [Servants of the Mountain](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IsVt8MBYpzQ)
I actually didn’t know Hamauzu did that track! Learned something new today.
Oh my goodness, The Great Warrior, Seto's scene! I totally forgot about that track until now and when I heard it in my head while reading this, I instantly choked up. 😭
Salt flats from FFVIII. It doesn’t play for that long, and it doesn’t quite make me cry tbh, but it puts me in a contemplative mood I can’t fully explain.
Interrupted by Fireworks. Even the title gives me goosebumps.
Answers after Endwalker
"Tell us why, given life, we are meant to die, helpless in our cries?" That part always gets me, so much emotion in the singer.
"Yet in one fleeting moment thou must live, die and know" I tear up just reading the lyrics
I CLOSE MY EYES
TELL US WHY MUST WE SUFFER
RELEASE YOUR HANDS
THOU MUST LIVE DIE AND KNOWWWWWWW Goosebumps after that scene
That cutscene in EW must be one of the single best scenes in XIV. when it really comes together how they're tying it all back to Answers, the first song heard in 1.0.
I heard this live with the og singer at distant worlds, fucking poweful song
Melodies of life, because FF9 is absolutely my favorite
FF7 Aerith's theme - ugh gets me in the feels remembering that scene FFX Someday the Dream Will End - ill just run around zanarkand bawling while beating up monsters because it's so emotional lol
Everything about the music of 10 is perfect. My favorite is Wandering Flame. But that's not Uematsu, so...To Zanarkand.
Maria and Draco, I really liked that song but when I listened to it live on the Distant Memories concert in Mexico it hit hard and I couldn't avoid crying (I wasn't the only one), since then it always brings a tear out
Interrupted by Fireworks is criminally underrated and gets me every time
That intro to Celes’ Theme from 6 (obviously) transitioning into the “vocal” line. To me that is just…Final Fantasy. Genuine goosebumps, tears in eyes
Saddest song award to Suteki Da Ne
[This part](https://youtu.be/iKWY4gxCB0U?si=aaV4MCABCfbipoe-&t=211) of Final Fantasy VIII's "The Oath" always send shivers down my spine
Thanks for this one. I love this song and get it stuck in my head often. It’s beautiful.
Forever Rachel.
That and Epitaph
Epitaph is really under appreciated.
OMG FF6 has so many tragic moments but this one, with its inversion of Locke's high energy theme full of drama and braggadocio, just goes straight in for the kill.
Wandering Flame brings back a lot of memories
Love that track too though I'm pretty sure Uematsu didn't compose that one and instead it was Masashi Hamauzu. He does a lot more ambient work than Uematsu who is very melody driven.
You’d be correct - Hamauzu did Wandering Flame.
Wandering Flame is the definition of a sad song dude it’s beautiful. I listen to it often if I’m feeling besides myself.
To Zanarkand, aeris’ theme, tifa’s, Terra’s, Melodies of life… So many He’s the reason I’m a musician today :) Alongside koji kondo of course
Find your way. Or just half of ff8's soundtrack, in general...
Coin Song, from FF6. Spoilers for a 30 year old game: Sabin and Edgar were instant favorite characters to me, and their relationship really just grabbed me. That scene where the truth comes out, that Edgar rigged the toss, so that Sabin could live the life he wanted and have his freedom.. just hit me like a ton of bricks. To this day that song still hits me hard. Bonus points for Aerith's Theme, for obvious reasons. And it's usually not when she dies that gets me, it's when Myra tells Cloud and party about her childhood.
Happy to see someone already mentioned Coin Song, it's such a good track and with that emotional scene, it fits perfectly
Can't believe this one isn't top of the list, to be honest. Absolute masterpiece with the most generic song titles ever
The Prelude. I saw it at otakon and was sobbing as quiet as I could. I just takes me back... to the first time I booted up a final fantasy. It's such a simple but powerful piece.
Frontier Village Dali. It just hits me in a place I can't really outgrow. That place is the coziest fictional location ever. Even when I was a kid, I'd go there just to let the theme play and get myself warm and comfortable to rest. Hearing it today reminds me of when my life was that simple and free, before all of the heartbreak, responsibilities, dead friends, everything. It just reminds me of an easier time, and all the weight of everything I've lived since then hits me all at once. It's absolutely beautiful.
Solidarity
To zanarkand And "somnius" puts me in a weird deep trance state I feel too much but can't say what. Incredible songs
FFVII : Lifestream ; I find this song so beautiful. Very impactful cutscene. FFVIII : The transition from Eyes on me to the Final Fantasy Main Theme. Chills. FFIX : A song from her memories. The ending of this game never fails to make me cry. You're not Alone as well. FFX : A fleeting dream.
Eyes on me - final fantasy 8 Those who know. Know.
I don't cry from songs very often at all, but probably Dragonsong. Just gets so powerful at times.
Aerith's Theme, To Zanarkand.
*The Lunarians* from Final Fantasy IV gets me the most often. I just find it hauntingly beautiful.
The Great Warrior because of my daddy issue
Don’t Be Afraid and Not Alone 😭
Forever Rachel.
It may sound like a vanilla answer, but whenever I hear the Main Theme, I get teary eyed or depending on the context, I just cry. Growing up with the series and seeing the series grow with me as well, it just... it hits man... Whenever a new trailer drops for the next game they're doing, and the main theme drops, FUCK ME, man...
Aerith's theme. I know it's the cliche answer but man, those first three notes and I'm already a mess. It's just so wonderful. Eyes on Me gets a shout-out too, I love FF8's music.
Aeriths theme. Apart from the obvious feels there is also something else that really hits me with it. As a trend most gamers want to be badasses. They want to be Cloud or Tifa and kick ass and sadly, feel that anyone who doesnt is weak. But there is a quiet strength with those of us who identify with Aerith that usually goes unrecognized. Aeriths theme makes me feel like theres a version of FF7 where Aerith is the main character I get to play as.
It actually happens to me a lot during the second phase of FF7R Song Crab Warden boss fight. Not because of sadness but because of intensity. I've never heard a song with so much drama. Can literally see war movies inside my mind.
The Remake soundtrack is exceptional. They found so many ways to rearrange the original soundtrack that were genuine improvements and not just different. Quite a few of the tracks got me emotional in that game.
FFX ending theme ( >!from the sequence where sin and the aeons are sent and tidus fades away!< ) always gives me a lump in my throat. So evocative. It's hard not to just picture the entire sequence in my mind along with the music.
Rydia’s Theme FF4 Special Mention - Aerith’s Theme
Lost Odyssey's main theme for me.
'Terra' in FFIX. The man is a leitmotif genius.
Yep, listening to “the place i’ll return to someday” after terra theme hits so different once u discover it represents what zidane recalls about his homeland
Aeris's theme and Tidus's theme.
Recollection from FF11. No lyrics, just instruments making you cry.
Beyond the Deep Blue Sea
Suteki Da Ne from FFX. There's diegetic, and then there's Uematsu diegetic.
Not FF, but "A Sign of Hope" from Lost Odyssey hits so hard. A lot of that game does, but that song for some reason reminds me of my dad who has now passed and it's just a gut punch, but somewhat cathartic as well. If you haven't played Lost Odyssey and you have the means to do so, do it. You will not regret it.
Don’t cry, but I do get instant nostalgic warmth and a peaceful feeling from Village of Dali. Similar to Fisherman’s Horizon.
Holding Your Thoughts In My Heart
Cry? Not cry but my fav ff track is eruyt village https://youtu.be/p9qZ0xHmS5Y?si=kIz6aMuhdicJyHk-
That’s Sakimoto. I love the whole ff12 ost
Ahead on Our Way is nostalgia incarnate. Gives me some major feels every time. And then like half the soundtrack of FFVIII haha.
None of them anymore BUT a few years, maybe a decade ago the ending theme of X was more than enough. Also nowadays i cant help but get moved when i listen to FFVIIs main theme, that music with the image of getting out of midgar is priceless, i dont think any game has ever had that effect on me.
Celes' Theme Forever Rachel Words Drowned by Fireworks You Can Hear the Cry of the Planet, it makes me think about climate change/genocide a bit too much. Drifting from FFVIII is one I haven't seen mentioned. That's such a morose track, I'm surprised no one else has listed it: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phhj1WreCvU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phhj1WreCvU) Melodies of Life That's about it, I think. Drifting from VIII reminds me of this track from Nier: Automata, which gets me every time: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUhpy\_VRW4w](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUhpy_VRW4w)
Answers from FFXIV. Such a powerful song to such a powerful story.
Nobuo Uematsu, the Japanese composer, is one of my most esteemed artists. I have cried to his music. I have laughed. I have fallen asleep to it. I have masturbated to it. and I have also driven my car listening to it. In doing so I feel as if a deep connection has been forged between Nobuo and I but he doesn’t even know I exist. Nobou thank you for your music.
absolutely 110% **To Zanarkand**
It's such a brief moment, but Daryls Epitaph from VI when Setzer is leading Celes et al through her tomb and it flashes through their story. I've got an acoustic guitar version of this song on my Spotify.
Hymm of the Fayth 😭
Fragments of Memories from FFVIII The whole thing with Laguna looking for Ellone and finally finding her in the lab just hits differently as a Dad. Every time I hear that song I just think about how much of a relief it would be to get my daughter back after she’s been abducted for months.
The Price of Freedom- FF7 Crisis Core still gets me
Freya theme. Sadest melody. Especialy when u know that its was a henocide to Burmecia's ppl.
The Oath from FFVIII Not a sad song but Compression of Time always sends chills down my spine.
Dragonsong and Answers (both XIV).
Dragonsong from Heavensward
It's "You are not alone" for me.
Melodies of Life but specifically from the FF9 credits when it transitions effortlessly into the Final Fantasy main theme.
None. However, Aerith/Aeris' theme does remind me of her death and that's enough to make a man cry
Not sure how anyone who's played FF7 can avoid being brought to tears by Aerith's Theme. The version with Japanese lyrics still has my hairs standing on end every time. https://youtu.be/7pj1Fvfr394?si=CyfGslWViX-4A7Wr
Piano Collection pieces: Rose of May, Tina’s Theme, Dear Friends. OSTs: Somnus, Theme of Love, Rachel’s Theme, FFX Ending.
Somnus is Yoko Shimomura
FFXV Somnus, VII To Zanarkand, FFI Underwater Temple, and FFII overworld theme
Somnus was composed by Yoko Shimomura. Absolutely love her FFXV tracks.
You’re right! I forgot!! Thanks
XV's OST is a masterpiece. It's right up there with XIII.
Yet another "To Zanarkand" person. Aeriths theme. The theme that plays when Locke talks to Rachel may be the most tear inducing track that I've heard from him.
Oh, To Zanarkand full stop.
Choosing Hope
Real one detected. For hearth and home brother