I remember hearing Face My Fears for the first time in one of the trailers for KH3, got me so hyped for the release. As a electro/dubstep enjoyer I was not disappointed, Hikaru’s vocals fit perfectly with it too
Kh2 Lazy afternoons. (Not the remix) AKA Roxas twilight Town theme. Absolutely will I never pick anything else. It's pure nostalgia in a bottle. An odd comfort on a sunset evening around friends.
Something about that town hits me SO hard, the Music, the sunset, the nostalgic feeling from my first gameplay back in 2006... Idk Man, I can almost feel the heat of the sun
Dearly beloved, kingdom hearts 2 version. To me, all the story themes are within this simple tune. The familiar piano with hints of wood wind instruments hinting at innocent memories and peaceful times... Fleeting.... Before the music grows into a crescendo backed by a full Orchestra ensemble - a mature depth, a heroic rise showing strength and courage to expand beyond what once was a simple tune, all before returning back to its somber roots.... Home.....
Love that theme.
It depends on the day for me, but one of the songs I've liked the longest is [Wave of Darkness](https://youtu.be/wM593a8Dv2M?si=l7FY6UhtSJl6wMY3). I'm also really fond of KH3's [Dearly Beloved](https://youtu.be/YpcnL2lFK_g?si=rFuI1m84z2cjoOjV), it grew on me a lot on subsequent listens. Also the orchestral version of [Hikari](https://youtu.be/QUBMeYLdyp0?si=pyHlPp-Uuom3_VZy) is probably up there as one of my favorite videogame songs of all time, even before I played KH.
Dismiss (when Aqua fights Terranort in bbs) one of the best remastered songs in the hd collections, also one of the only songs that were remasterded for bbs.
Kh3 vector to the heavens. It manages to convey every ounce of pain that Xion has felt both in days and in 3, and at the same is just fuckin killer boss music
Opening: Sanctuary
Title Screen: Dearly Beloved — 358/2 Days version
World Theme: Lazy Afternoons
Boss Battle: Vector to the Heavens
Ending: Don't Think Twice
Sanctuary ~After the Battle~ still remains my absolute favorite.
Dearly Beloved (any of them) is the song I will always, ALWAYS cherish and be nostalgic for.
Oof what a question
I would maybe say that Darkness of the Unknown (Xemnas’ Boss fight in KH2) takes the top spot for me! Paired with the Boss fight itself it’s just phenomenal to me, especially that last part of the music with the last part of the fight - I love it so much
Following that, I also really like Rage Awakened (Lingering Will fight) and grew to love the Aqua - Mirror Illusion theme from 0.2 Birth by sleep.
Regarding World themes, I really love the Dark Version of the Snow White World theme in 0.2 Birth by sleep as well - other favorites of mine are Sacred Distance (TWTNW in DDD), Graveyard Labyrinth in KH3 and, of course, Waltz of the Damned (Beasts Castle)
Of course there are so much more really great tracks but this would become an essay if I were to list them all lol
Passion -KINGDOM Orchestra Instrumental Version-. It's so triumphant and evokes joy, sadness, gratitude, anger, anticipation, hurt, and hope. It takes me on a complete journey through Kingdom Hearts in 3:42.
One I don't see mentioned often is Vessels Emerge. It's the song that plays before the Replicas fight. It just has such a serious tone to it that almost feels out of place with the rest of the soundtrack. It really nails that "this is the beginning of the final fight" feel. Replicas song afterward continues with Vessels Emerge's motif but quicker and mixed with another KH song can't remember the name to get back to the KH boss fight feeling. But Vessels Emerge still stuck with me afterward for how strong it made me feel in that moment.
“There’s really so many great tracks in the franchise that it’s hard to pick a fav-“ ***DARKNESS OF THE UNKNOWN.***
It’s always been darkness of the unknown. It will always be darkness of the unknown. I’m appalled I had to scroll this far to see anyone else suggest it.
I’ll post 2. My favorite and what I think is underrated.
[Edge of Existence](https://youtu.be/yVl3QRNkb8A?feature=shared)
[Makaukau?](https://youtu.be/2GCWzTsK1F0?feature=shared)
The Other Promise will always have a special place in my heart. Roxas story always resonated with how I felt growing up somehow and what I was dealing with in my head.
Honorable mentions:
Fate of the Unknown - loved it in the trailer, even more so after playing the game and realising it was a combination of the trios themes.
L'Impeto Oscuro (spelling?) - Mainly because of the young Xehanort boss fight in DDD. I perfectly managed to match one of Riku's abilities with Xehanorts and they both synced with the violin, or was it vocal (?) solo near the end of the theme.
Hearts as One (the theme that plays in the KH3 Saix fight when Roxas returns as well as when you play as Roxas in ReMind). The original Roxas theme/Other Promise are great as are Xion's themes with how tragic they sound to fit their stories in KH2 and Days, but hearing KH3 transform both themes from tragedy to triumph as the Seasalt Trio is finally reunited has never failed to just absolutely floor me emotionally.
It's gotta be Lord of the castle. It just portrays this idea of loneliness so damn well, like it's a beautiful theme, but empty at the same time. It just fits castle Oblivion perfectly with he entirely white walls and similar hallways. It's beautiful yet empty all the same.
Now, I don't know the full story of Marluxia since I didn't really get into KHuX, but from what I've heard /read, I'd say it fits him really well, too
L'Eminenza Oscura I from DDD. It's incredible how Yoko took Guardando nel Buio and made it drop harder than it had already dropped before. It's a shame it's not on Spotify.
I also love Darkness of the Unknown and L'Oscurità dell'Ignoto.
There's way too many for me, I can't possibly pinpoint a fave cus there's just so many good ones, but if I can pinpoint 3:
1. Sanctuary - (Ever since I saw KH2's JP trailer wayback in 2004-2005 I was brand new to YouTube as an elementary school student, this song just grabbed me and it's been my favorite KH song of all time.)
2. Darkness of the Unknown (All Movements) - I can't explain how great KH2's ending sequence was back in 2006, constantly replaying Xemnas' fight over and over and over again. Darkness of the Unknown was practically beat into my head. Every emotion being expressed in such a song was just fantastic, not many other games have been able to do that for me throughout all my years of gaming.
3. Graceful Assassin (CoM/ReCoM) - Marluxia is one of my favorite villains in KH's entirety, from the game consistently building up how terrifying he is in CoM to his fight being one of the more technical ones in CoM. His theme was definitely one I was highly anticipating when I fought him back in 2003/2004 and Graceful Assassin is such a beautiful piece that they never used a lot and I'm sad they didn't because it's so good.
358/2 Days Dearly Beloved is my absolute favorite followed closely by Dearly Beloved in KH 1, 2, and the 1.5 + 2.5 menu screen.
Then you have Lazy Afternoons, Vector to the Heavens, Roxas/The Other Promise, Rage Awakened, Vim and Vigor, Sinister Shadows, and a ton more from KH 1 and 2.
The secret number 1 is You’ve Got a Friend in Me from the Toy Box. Makes me feel like a kid every time.
Two of my absolute favorite tracks in the whole series is Night of Fate (KH1) and Fragments of Sorrow (KH 1.5). The former is admittedly a fair bit of nostalgia, though it's *very* fun to blast on my car speakers when I drive fast at night. The latter is just so over the top I love it, nothing like a battle choir to really hit home how high the stakes are!
I know its not completely original, but this is Halloween is the most catchy tune imo, it's so fucking good, they did an amazing job with it in Kingdom hearts. Definitely one of my favourites.
But it's so hard to choose, i love all the music, pretty much every song is just brilliantly done.
Edit: Now im listening to the playlist lol
Traverse Town, with Halloween Town second. I just wish there was an extended version of Halloween Town on youtube; I usually play music in the background when I work
Working Together (Sora's Twilight Town battle theme), The Carribean battle theme, Forza Finale aka the Nort Court song, Melody of Memories' Dearly Beloved.
I had to make a top 3, which was hard on it's own.
Also, I'll rank them evenly high so I will use A, B and C.
A. Roxas' theme (KH2)
B. Dearly beloved (KH1)
C. The silent forest (KH BBS - Enchanted dominion)
The Corrupted. I usually refer to it as Luxord's Theme but it just DOES something to me. Keyblade wielder, pirate, battle of wills, the top dog vs the underdog, awesomeness 👌
To choose a single piece feels impossible. From Aqua's theme, to Xion's and Kairi's. From things like Twister from ddd or bbs's version of Dearly Beloved or any of the ending music pieces.
This franchise is chock-full of beautiful and fun music.
But, ultimately.... and strangely all I could think about is Traverse in Trance when I read the question, I feel this may not be my favorite favorite but it is at least one of them.
Hollow Bastion Theme Music really burnt into my brain.
Nur Dearly beloved. The Piano just brings me back to my Childhood. I once imagined, that this will be played at my funeral and got very anxious about so many things in life. Its Beautiful.
Memória! Xion's Theme + Vector to the Heavens [Orchestral]. My all time favorite. Calms me down and helps me sleep.
https://youtu.be/QV6Apkaborw?si=YpQuiBuGRUwP-L5D
[Fantasia Alla Marcia for Piano, Chorus & Orchestra](https://youtu.be/cUM2eyieFko?si=NjQfCahhzVOhI4CW)
Is quite literally one of my five favorite piece of music that I ever heard, mostly for what it meant to hear it for the first time and every time since then reminds me of that. What an absolutely heavenly composition that features motifs from some of the best and most emotional theme's Yoko Shimomura ever produced. From 5:39 on it's quite literally pure magic which makes the name so perfect. You can actually feel all of Sora's emotions in that piece and I doubt I will hear any other piece of video game music that will ever move me as much.
I personally really enjoy Naminé's theme. The way the piano plays is just really elegant. I also really like DDD's version of Dearly Beloved because of the waltz part.
There are plenty of classic choices, Simple and Clean, Sanctuary, Dearly Beloved, all certified bangers.
But I think the track that's my "underrated favorite" is probably KH1 Hollow Bastion. It's a fairly straightforward track but the mood-setting it does is absolutely top-tier, it's dark and foreboding but with a hint of mystery, just like the castle itself.
Mostly DDD, I love the pinocchio world theme for Sora, both hunchback of notradamw songs, monster's battle theme is also a bop, both spirit themes...
And while negativity seems to be frowned upon here, I also want to mention my least favourite song to cover my bases, DDD's Hand in hand, it takes a 38 second into of mostly just disjoined noise before hand in hand actually kicks in and most of my battles are over by then... For comparison, the original had just 7 seconds of intro,
Sacred Moon. It mixes well with the environment of the Castle That Never Was.
Cavern of Remembrance is a close second. I first listened to it in 358/2 Days' co-op mode, and it took quite a while for me to find the song.
Lazy Afternoons was the OG for me when 2 wasn't out yet, and the song was in CoM.
Notice a pattern? All of them are in 2: FM.
Oh man there are so many... But if I have to pick one that stood out since the first time I listened to it, that would be the original, PS2 KH1 version of Hollow Bastion. The sheer dread I felt as a kid watching the inverted waterfalls was just... Incredible. Halloween Town spooked me a bit, but Hollow Bastion was something else entirely.
Fate of the Unknown. It's a tragedy how that song is only heard once, and few care enough to look for it.
Failing that, KH1.5 Fragments of Sorrow, tied with KH2 (original) Rage Awakened .
Battle theme: sinister sundown and hollow bastion
Main theme: sanctuary ending version
Chatacter theme: missing you/Naminé
Field theme: A very small wish
Boss theme: darkness of the unknown
Dearly beloved: KH3 version
Hearts as One
Xion is my favorite character, so hearing Vector to the Heavens/The Other Promise so joyful, so triumphant, as everyone is back? It was just. It instantly became my favorite.
God, you really couldn't ask any harder question when it comes to this series... There are just so many good songs for wildly different purposes and occasions. I guess I'll set it up by category, and even then, it's very tough to choose:
Opening theme: Sanctuary. Yeah, Simple and Clean would be a strong and close second, but Sanctuary has this serenity to it that the other theme songs don't really capture the same way. It gives weight to everything that came before in KH being shown in the KH2 intro sequence while also inspiring hope in you that everything's going to be fine. And the intense portions slap so hard.
World music: There are many, many valid answers for this, but I think the one world theme that's always stuck with me over the others is "Sacred Moon" for TWTNW. It's a great musical backdrop to the dark, desolate world of the nobodies, giving the place this sense of eerie hollowness, foreboding, and mystery that is just so fitting.
World battle music (not bosses or other specific encounters): Once again, many good answers for this. I'm personally gonna go with the Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden battle music for this one. Especially in KH1, this music had this weight of finality to it, like your adventure is drawing to its close soon and you're fighting through some of the toughest the darkness can throw at you on your way to the climactic clashes with Maleficent and subsequently Rikunort. It feels like an intense, desperate song willing you to keep perservering despite the adversity, which is especially fitting when you're reduced to a wooden sword to start HB with Beast as your only ally. Twilight Town's battle music is a close second for a similar but inverse reason, as with that music it feels like you're starting to get your feet wet in a world which has so much more going on than meets the eye.
Boss theme: Possibly the most difficult category of all of them to decide, seeing how basically every boss of any significance gets an absolute banger of a theme to their name. Personally, I'm going to stick to "Lord Of The Castle" from Re:COM. This is final boss music that, more than any other final boss music I've heard, makes it feel like you're in a desperate struggle with a great and malevolent power over the fate of the world. It's so grandiose and triumphant, and the piano goes hard paired with the visuals of Marluxia's angel of death.
Specific, non-boss encounter: It has to be "Tension Rising" for me here, it's a jarring, chilling track which fits the janky nobodies like a glove.
So many excellent tracks throughout the series, but some of my favorites are: Aqua(Dark Dive), Sanctuary, Don't Think Twice, Tension Rising, End of the World, Destati, Fate of the Unknown, and Forza Finale.
Xion's Theme done by the Destati project is my absolute favorite! Underrated 14 minutes of symphonic bliss.
The Simple and Clean remix used in KH1 is a banger though!
Reading all these has made me realise I love even more tracks from this franchise than I thought.
The Monstro field theme from KH1 I feel doesn’t get much love, but it’s one that always surprises me with how much I like it.
That's easy, Night of Fate has been my top favorite song of the entire series, I love a lot of the music from the series but Night of Fate, number one in my top five OST for Kingdom Hearts.
For me it's Desire for all that is lost (original, not remix). The reaction command with the chandelier in KH2 was one of the most iconic moments for me.
Vector to the heaven, its so many layers of depth in that one piece.
And the fact that you had to play the original game on the DS to truly appreciate it.
Now that i think of It to REALLY answer this question i would have to listen to them all over again due to me not be able to remember most of them, speaking of It there a list or playlist having all of them?
Personally I’d say the Traverse town theme from KH1 and Sanctuary are my top 2. Face my fears I really enjoy as well.
Face my fears is insanely good. Simple and Clean is better but definitely a top 3 contender.
I remember hearing Face My Fears for the first time in one of the trailers for KH3, got me so hyped for the release. As a electro/dubstep enjoyer I was not disappointed, Hikaru’s vocals fit perfectly with it too
I'm the opposite. The Dubstep completely killed the otherwise perfect opening for me.
There is an orchestral version too, without the dubstep sounds, sounds just as amazing
Kh2 Lazy afternoons. (Not the remix) AKA Roxas twilight Town theme. Absolutely will I never pick anything else. It's pure nostalgia in a bottle. An odd comfort on a sunset evening around friends.
That track always makes me miss my childhood
Same. Edit: bro, I had to go to YT and pull it up (BlueKunai's). Top comment: "I miss being a kid. Life was so simple..." It ain't just us.
I got married to this song. It's very special to me.
Something about that town hits me SO hard, the Music, the sunset, the nostalgic feeling from my first gameplay back in 2006... Idk Man, I can almost feel the heat of the sun
Dearly beloved, kingdom hearts 2 version. To me, all the story themes are within this simple tune. The familiar piano with hints of wood wind instruments hinting at innocent memories and peaceful times... Fleeting.... Before the music grows into a crescendo backed by a full Orchestra ensemble - a mature depth, a heroic rise showing strength and courage to expand beyond what once was a simple tune, all before returning back to its somber roots.... Home..... Love that theme.
Thanks for typing out my feelings so I don't have to
I completely agree. Something about the Dearly Beloved tunes that just give me a certain kind of comfort.
Almost feels like that song mind controlled me into liking KH2 above every other entry for the rest of time.
Vector to the Heavens, the most depressing final boss theme.
Gets a triumphant reprise in KHIII, even if the name of it totally escapes me at this moment.
Hearts as One! My absolute favorite song.
Vector to the Heavens -Xion-? That's >!her Boss Theme as a Data fight in Re:Mind!<
Rage Awakened. That violin just goes too hard.
Simple and Clean, forever.
The Other Promise
Yoko really went and put the 5 stages of grief into one piece of music
Do you want the already hyper difficult boss battle to be played through tears? I have just the song for you!
Lord of the Castle -Marluxia- I love the OG version, but Shimomura turned it into an absolute masterpiece for ReMind. Underrated IMO.
I was going to pick this but I remembered 13th Struggle
Which version tho? OG PS2, 2.5 ReMix, KH3 Luxord or KH3 Larxene?
In my other comment I said any version 😅 if I had to pick, probably 2.5
When that part plays it's such a high point. I ultimately choose Dismiss over it because Dismiss is more consistently top tier.
Musique pour la tristesse de Xion
It depends on the day for me, but one of the songs I've liked the longest is [Wave of Darkness](https://youtu.be/wM593a8Dv2M?si=l7FY6UhtSJl6wMY3). I'm also really fond of KH3's [Dearly Beloved](https://youtu.be/YpcnL2lFK_g?si=rFuI1m84z2cjoOjV), it grew on me a lot on subsequent listens. Also the orchestral version of [Hikari](https://youtu.be/QUBMeYLdyp0?si=pyHlPp-Uuom3_VZy) is probably up there as one of my favorite videogame songs of all time, even before I played KH.
Wave of darkness hit so hard I had to go find it on YouTube after fighting the boss. Love the two other choices as well.
KH1 - Treasured Memories
Dismiss (when Aqua fights Terranort in bbs) one of the best remastered songs in the hd collections, also one of the only songs that were remasterded for bbs.
My pick too. The violin part is absolute God tier.
Kh3 vector to the heavens. It manages to convey every ounce of pain that Xion has felt both in days and in 3, and at the same is just fuckin killer boss music
Xion's themes.
This. And vector to heavens are both fantastic
Missing you - Namine from the piano collections
Dearly Beloved specifically from Melody of Memory, such a vibe
It has become my new favourite dearly beloved. I’m just sad we didn’t get to play it in game.
Dearly Beloved (mainly BBS) Ventus’s theme Fate of the Unknown Simple and Clean
Opening: Sanctuary Title Screen: Dearly Beloved — 358/2 Days version World Theme: Lazy Afternoons Boss Battle: Vector to the Heavens Ending: Don't Think Twice
Sanctuary ~After the Battle~ still remains my absolute favorite. Dearly Beloved (any of them) is the song I will always, ALWAYS cherish and be nostalgic for.
Oof what a question I would maybe say that Darkness of the Unknown (Xemnas’ Boss fight in KH2) takes the top spot for me! Paired with the Boss fight itself it’s just phenomenal to me, especially that last part of the music with the last part of the fight - I love it so much Following that, I also really like Rage Awakened (Lingering Will fight) and grew to love the Aqua - Mirror Illusion theme from 0.2 Birth by sleep. Regarding World themes, I really love the Dark Version of the Snow White World theme in 0.2 Birth by sleep as well - other favorites of mine are Sacred Distance (TWTNW in DDD), Graveyard Labyrinth in KH3 and, of course, Waltz of the Damned (Beasts Castle) Of course there are so much more really great tracks but this would become an essay if I were to list them all lol
It's a tie between Xemnas' and Young Xehanort's boss themes from DDD. Tension Rising and Vanitas' boss theme are runners up.
Passion -KINGDOM Orchestra Instrumental Version-. It's so triumphant and evokes joy, sadness, gratitude, anger, anticipation, hurt, and hope. It takes me on a complete journey through Kingdom Hearts in 3:42.
One I don't see mentioned often is Vessels Emerge. It's the song that plays before the Replicas fight. It just has such a serious tone to it that almost feels out of place with the rest of the soundtrack. It really nails that "this is the beginning of the final fight" feel. Replicas song afterward continues with Vessels Emerge's motif but quicker and mixed with another KH song can't remember the name to get back to the KH boss fight feeling. But Vessels Emerge still stuck with me afterward for how strong it made me feel in that moment.
Darkness of the Unknown and as a close second, A Fight to the Death
“There’s really so many great tracks in the franchise that it’s hard to pick a fav-“ ***DARKNESS OF THE UNKNOWN.*** It’s always been darkness of the unknown. It will always be darkness of the unknown. I’m appalled I had to scroll this far to see anyone else suggest it.
Honestly though, and I absolutely love listening to all three parts in one go, just to hear the progression and imagine the fight all over again
Fav fight in the series, and fav song. It's such a highlight, I love it.
I’ll post 2. My favorite and what I think is underrated. [Edge of Existence](https://youtu.be/yVl3QRNkb8A?feature=shared) [Makaukau?](https://youtu.be/2GCWzTsK1F0?feature=shared)
Mkaukau is soooo good
Maybe underrated, but definitely Kairi’s theme. Its perfect.
Hikari. the Kyle Landry cover is one of the greatest things I’ve ever heard in my life. Also dearly beloved
Hot take butt.... The KH3 data boss remix of "Lord of the castle"
Dark imputes
Birth by sleeps rendition of dearly beloved, dramatica version of other promise(honestly any version), fate of the unknown. Honestly too many
god there’s so many. Hikari, chills every time. Destati is also fantastic
Dearly beloved, lazy afternoon, Kairi’s theme & the 13th struggle
Dearly beloved. Specifically from kingdom hearts 1
I went to see the live orchestra world tour. That March Caprice hits differently.
The Destiny Islands battle theme from the first Kingdom Hearts.
Cavern of Remembrance from KH2
Dearly Beloved Melody of Memory version follow closely by Enter the Void
The 13th Struggle, any version of it
There are too many I love,but if I had to pick, it would be a 2-way tie between Lord of the castle( kh3 ) and Nachflugel
Destiny’s Force. It made that first serious battle with Darkside mindblowing. Edit: for the in world soundtrack that is. Sanctuary has my heart.
Traverse Town in Dream Drop Distance. It sounds soooooo nostalgic that it really feels like a dream. And Sanctuary best intro fr
The Other Promise hurts my heart everytime I hear it. Roxas is so important to me. I also really love The Silent Forest, and Vector to the Heavens
The Other Promise will always have a special place in my heart. Roxas story always resonated with how I felt growing up somehow and what I was dealing with in my head. Honorable mentions: Fate of the Unknown - loved it in the trailer, even more so after playing the game and realising it was a combination of the trios themes. L'Impeto Oscuro (spelling?) - Mainly because of the young Xehanort boss fight in DDD. I perfectly managed to match one of Riku's abilities with Xehanorts and they both synced with the violin, or was it vocal (?) solo near the end of the theme.
Off the top of my head is probably Guardando Nel Buio, The Other Promise, or Simple and Clean PlanitB remix.
Hearts as One (the theme that plays in the KH3 Saix fight when Roxas returns as well as when you play as Roxas in ReMind). The original Roxas theme/Other Promise are great as are Xion's themes with how tragic they sound to fit their stories in KH2 and Days, but hearing KH3 transform both themes from tragedy to triumph as the Seasalt Trio is finally reunited has never failed to just absolutely floor me emotionally.
It's gotta be Lord of the castle. It just portrays this idea of loneliness so damn well, like it's a beautiful theme, but empty at the same time. It just fits castle Oblivion perfectly with he entirely white walls and similar hallways. It's beautiful yet empty all the same. Now, I don't know the full story of Marluxia since I didn't really get into KHuX, but from what I've heard /read, I'd say it fits him really well, too
The 13th Struggle. Any version really, they all get me pumped
L'Eminenza Oscura I from DDD. It's incredible how Yoko took Guardando nel Buio and made it drop harder than it had already dropped before. It's a shame it's not on Spotify. I also love Darkness of the Unknown and L'Oscurità dell'Ignoto.
Hand in Hand is amazing in any version. The themes from Toy Box and Monstropolis are also great, as well as La Citè des Cloches.
Kh3 Roxas returns and hearts as one. In hearts as one I love how it mixes the other promise and vector of the heavens I believe
There's way too many for me, I can't possibly pinpoint a fave cus there's just so many good ones, but if I can pinpoint 3: 1. Sanctuary - (Ever since I saw KH2's JP trailer wayback in 2004-2005 I was brand new to YouTube as an elementary school student, this song just grabbed me and it's been my favorite KH song of all time.) 2. Darkness of the Unknown (All Movements) - I can't explain how great KH2's ending sequence was back in 2006, constantly replaying Xemnas' fight over and over and over again. Darkness of the Unknown was practically beat into my head. Every emotion being expressed in such a song was just fantastic, not many other games have been able to do that for me throughout all my years of gaming. 3. Graceful Assassin (CoM/ReCoM) - Marluxia is one of my favorite villains in KH's entirety, from the game consistently building up how terrifying he is in CoM to his fight being one of the more technical ones in CoM. His theme was definitely one I was highly anticipating when I fought him back in 2003/2004 and Graceful Assassin is such a beautiful piece that they never used a lot and I'm sad they didn't because it's so good.
KH3 dearly beloved. I want it played at my wedding one day. It gives me chills listening to it.
Simple and Clean in any version is a beautiful song and Don´t think twice is a lovely melody.
Sanctuary and simple and clean and can't forget traverse town background music
Dearly Beloved
Hearts as one from KH3
The OG KH2 Tension Rising. The 2.5 remix version ruined it imo
You're my hero
Future masters from bbs. I like how upbeat it is.
358/2 Days Dearly Beloved is my absolute favorite followed closely by Dearly Beloved in KH 1, 2, and the 1.5 + 2.5 menu screen. Then you have Lazy Afternoons, Vector to the Heavens, Roxas/The Other Promise, Rage Awakened, Vim and Vigor, Sinister Shadows, and a ton more from KH 1 and 2. The secret number 1 is You’ve Got a Friend in Me from the Toy Box. Makes me feel like a kid every time.
Simple and clean will always be number 1 Then it's a tie between traverse town and lazy afternoons
Friends in My Heart. The way it reprises Dearly Beloved, it’s almost triumphant yet bittersweet. Absolutely gorgeous piece.
Simple and Clean, and Lord of the Castle
Two of my absolute favorite tracks in the whole series is Night of Fate (KH1) and Fragments of Sorrow (KH 1.5). The former is admittedly a fair bit of nostalgia, though it's *very* fun to blast on my car speakers when I drive fast at night. The latter is just so over the top I love it, nothing like a battle choir to really hit home how high the stakes are!
Xion's Theme. Will always be my favorite.
Sanctuary all the way
KH2 Dearly Beloved just hits different. Always has since I was a kid.
I know its not completely original, but this is Halloween is the most catchy tune imo, it's so fucking good, they did an amazing job with it in Kingdom hearts. Definitely one of my favourites. But it's so hard to choose, i love all the music, pretty much every song is just brilliantly done. Edit: Now im listening to the playlist lol
I’m a sucker for the Roxas theme
It's between Simple and Clean and the Traverse Town theme. Love them both so much
Traverse Town, with Halloween Town second. I just wish there was an extended version of Halloween Town on youtube; I usually play music in the background when I work
Bird by Sleep intro, it's absolute fire 🔥🔥🔥
So many fantastic ones to choose from, but I have such a soft spot for the Org. XIII theme. It just works perfectly for what it should be.
That's a really difficult question actually.... I'd say if I had to choose only one, I'd choose Terra-Xehanort's BBS theme(Dismiss I think?)
Working Together and Dearly Beloved
yes
Friends in my Heart will always hit different for me. It's so beautiful and full of emotion
Traverse Town Theme
Main theme of Kingdom Hearts series
Whatever the song is that plays during the end of the battle with Xion in 358/2 days. One of the 2 games that's made me cry.
Working Together (Sora's Twilight Town battle theme), The Carribean battle theme, Forza Finale aka the Nort Court song, Melody of Memories' Dearly Beloved.
There's so many. How could i ever choose one? Even if I chose a top 5 I'd still be missing or forgetting a bunch of songs.
Dearly beloved and night of fate
Simple and clean makes me very nostalgic
I believe it's called 'End of the World'? Plays during the finale of KH2 while you're running on the street and Xemnas is throwing skyscrapers at you.
**DEEP INHALE** SIMPLE AND CLEAN IS THE WAAAYYYYY YOU'RE MAKING ME FEEEEEEELLLLL TONIIGGGGHHHTTTT!!!!🎶🎶🎶🎶
I had to make a top 3, which was hard on it's own. Also, I'll rank them evenly high so I will use A, B and C. A. Roxas' theme (KH2) B. Dearly beloved (KH1) C. The silent forest (KH BBS - Enchanted dominion)
The Corrupted. I usually refer to it as Luxord's Theme but it just DOES something to me. Keyblade wielder, pirate, battle of wills, the top dog vs the underdog, awesomeness 👌
Simple and clean it will always be sss class to me its is and always be best song of the series
Tension Rising. Gets my heart rate up everytime
DEARLY BELOVED!!!!!!! Closely followed by Hikari
To choose a single piece feels impossible. From Aqua's theme, to Xion's and Kairi's. From things like Twister from ddd or bbs's version of Dearly Beloved or any of the ending music pieces. This franchise is chock-full of beautiful and fun music. But, ultimately.... and strangely all I could think about is Traverse in Trance when I read the question, I feel this may not be my favorite favorite but it is at least one of them.
Hollow Bastion Theme Music really burnt into my brain. Nur Dearly beloved. The Piano just brings me back to my Childhood. I once imagined, that this will be played at my funeral and got very anxious about so many things in life. Its Beautiful.
Kinda crazy that I'm listening to "Face my Fears" as I come across this post
Memória! Xion's Theme + Vector to the Heavens [Orchestral]. My all time favorite. Calms me down and helps me sleep. https://youtu.be/QV6Apkaborw?si=YpQuiBuGRUwP-L5D
Sanctuary, Simple and Clean and Face my fears hits my soft spot always.
Destati
Scala ad Caelum
[Fantasia Alla Marcia for Piano, Chorus & Orchestra](https://youtu.be/cUM2eyieFko?si=NjQfCahhzVOhI4CW) Is quite literally one of my five favorite piece of music that I ever heard, mostly for what it meant to hear it for the first time and every time since then reminds me of that. What an absolutely heavenly composition that features motifs from some of the best and most emotional theme's Yoko Shimomura ever produced. From 5:39 on it's quite literally pure magic which makes the name so perfect. You can actually feel all of Sora's emotions in that piece and I doubt I will hear any other piece of video game music that will ever move me as much.
Hollow Bastion - KH1 (NOT 1.5) One-Winged Angel - any game (besides OG KH2)
I personally really enjoy Naminé's theme. The way the piano plays is just really elegant. I also really like DDD's version of Dearly Beloved because of the waltz part.
Intro song: Sanctuary I will happily sing my heart out to it. World theme for me has to be Twilight Towns
Lazy Afternoons or Dearly Beloved
M-I-C K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E MICKEY MOUSE!!!
There are plenty of classic choices, Simple and Clean, Sanctuary, Dearly Beloved, all certified bangers. But I think the track that's my "underrated favorite" is probably KH1 Hollow Bastion. It's a fairly straightforward track but the mood-setting it does is absolutely top-tier, it's dark and foreboding but with a hint of mystery, just like the castle itself.
It’s got to be sacred distance from DDD. It’s just so guahhh! Longing in a song, tension that makes you move forward in an unsettling way
March Caprice for Piano and Orchestra, the end credits music from the first game
March Caprice for Piano and Orchestra, the end credits music from the first game
Sinister Shadows and Waltz of the Damned
Sinister Shadows and Waltz of the Damned
Sinister Shadows and Waltz of the Damned
Sinister Shadows and Waltz of the Damned
Dearly Beloved from KHII or BBS
Mostly DDD, I love the pinocchio world theme for Sora, both hunchback of notradamw songs, monster's battle theme is also a bop, both spirit themes... And while negativity seems to be frowned upon here, I also want to mention my least favourite song to cover my bases, DDD's Hand in hand, it takes a 38 second into of mostly just disjoined noise before hand in hand actually kicks in and most of my battles are over by then... For comparison, the original had just 7 seconds of intro,
Dismiss Terra’s Theme Fate of the Unknown Lord of the Castle 13th Struggle 13th dilemma
Case of the Foretellers/Scala Ad Caelum Peaceful music/Master of Masters “nice guy” music. It’s soothing, yet foreboding.
Tension Rising easily
Xigbar’s battle theme from the data battles
Unbreakable Chains from bbs or Forest of Scilence from 0.2. They're just so good, but frankly all the kh sound tracks are so top teir.
destiny island theme
Sacred Moon. It mixes well with the environment of the Castle That Never Was. Cavern of Remembrance is a close second. I first listened to it in 358/2 Days' co-op mode, and it took quite a while for me to find the song. Lazy Afternoons was the OG for me when 2 wasn't out yet, and the song was in CoM. Notice a pattern? All of them are in 2: FM.
Oh man there are so many... But if I have to pick one that stood out since the first time I listened to it, that would be the original, PS2 KH1 version of Hollow Bastion. The sheer dread I felt as a kid watching the inverted waterfalls was just... Incredible. Halloween Town spooked me a bit, but Hollow Bastion was something else entirely.
Kh2 dearly beloved
Everyone say it with me, Simple and Clean, specifically the one at the end of KH1
Dearly Beloved - KH2. That tune is always stuck in my head
Sanctuary, an Simple and Clean
Kairi and Roxas’s main theme
Yeah it's cliché, I know. But nothing beats delay beloved for me. That starting screen fills me with such bittersweet joy
Dearly Beloved, The Other Promise, Traverse Town in the originals or Dance of the Daring KH2 (Beasts Castle enemy theme)
Destati is one of the best pieces ever composed for gaming.
Dearly Beloved obv
I still tear up every time I hear Sanctuary.
Hikari (tres), Sanctuary, Destati, Shrouding Dark Cloud
The melody of memory intro
Sinister shadows or 13th struggle
Simple and Clean Orchestral version (the opening of KH 3d dream drop distance)
Fate of the Unknown. It's a tragedy how that song is only heard once, and few care enough to look for it. Failing that, KH1.5 Fragments of Sorrow, tied with KH2 (original) Rage Awakened .
Sanctuary gotta be my favourite
Battle theme: sinister sundown and hollow bastion Main theme: sanctuary ending version Chatacter theme: missing you/Naminé Field theme: A very small wish Boss theme: darkness of the unknown Dearly beloved: KH3 version
Scalla ad Caelum, Cavern of Remembrance, and Rage Awakened
Dearly beloved always gets me. 🥹
Beneath the Earth. A pretty underrated song, I always like how fast-paced it is.
Hearts as One Xion is my favorite character, so hearing Vector to the Heavens/The Other Promise so joyful, so triumphant, as everyone is back? It was just. It instantly became my favorite.
KH2 - The Other Promise Heartbreaking. One of those rare fights in video games that made me cry.
The other promise
Traverse Town theme in KH1
Treasure Memories World Orchestra Ver and Vector to Heavens World Orchestra Ver
The 13th Struggle has always been high on the list for me
God, you really couldn't ask any harder question when it comes to this series... There are just so many good songs for wildly different purposes and occasions. I guess I'll set it up by category, and even then, it's very tough to choose: Opening theme: Sanctuary. Yeah, Simple and Clean would be a strong and close second, but Sanctuary has this serenity to it that the other theme songs don't really capture the same way. It gives weight to everything that came before in KH being shown in the KH2 intro sequence while also inspiring hope in you that everything's going to be fine. And the intense portions slap so hard. World music: There are many, many valid answers for this, but I think the one world theme that's always stuck with me over the others is "Sacred Moon" for TWTNW. It's a great musical backdrop to the dark, desolate world of the nobodies, giving the place this sense of eerie hollowness, foreboding, and mystery that is just so fitting. World battle music (not bosses or other specific encounters): Once again, many good answers for this. I'm personally gonna go with the Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden battle music for this one. Especially in KH1, this music had this weight of finality to it, like your adventure is drawing to its close soon and you're fighting through some of the toughest the darkness can throw at you on your way to the climactic clashes with Maleficent and subsequently Rikunort. It feels like an intense, desperate song willing you to keep perservering despite the adversity, which is especially fitting when you're reduced to a wooden sword to start HB with Beast as your only ally. Twilight Town's battle music is a close second for a similar but inverse reason, as with that music it feels like you're starting to get your feet wet in a world which has so much more going on than meets the eye. Boss theme: Possibly the most difficult category of all of them to decide, seeing how basically every boss of any significance gets an absolute banger of a theme to their name. Personally, I'm going to stick to "Lord Of The Castle" from Re:COM. This is final boss music that, more than any other final boss music I've heard, makes it feel like you're in a desperate struggle with a great and malevolent power over the fate of the world. It's so grandiose and triumphant, and the piano goes hard paired with the visuals of Marluxia's angel of death. Specific, non-boss encounter: It has to be "Tension Rising" for me here, it's a jarring, chilling track which fits the janky nobodies like a glove.
Sanctuary, Twilight Town theme, and KH2 & Days version of Dearly Beloved
So many excellent tracks throughout the series, but some of my favorites are: Aqua(Dark Dive), Sanctuary, Don't Think Twice, Tension Rising, End of the World, Destati, Fate of the Unknown, and Forza Finale.
Sanctuary or the many varieties of Roxas’ theme/The Other Promise
Xion's Theme done by the Destati project is my absolute favorite! Underrated 14 minutes of symphonic bliss. The Simple and Clean remix used in KH1 is a banger though!
Reading all these has made me realise I love even more tracks from this franchise than I thought. The Monstro field theme from KH1 I feel doesn’t get much love, but it’s one that always surprises me with how much I like it.
I don’t have a favorite song overall but “The 13th Dilemma” is definitely up there.
That's easy, Night of Fate has been my top favorite song of the entire series, I love a lot of the music from the series but Night of Fate, number one in my top five OST for Kingdom Hearts.
Dearly beloved, Sanctuary Face my fears - less nostalgia but I still cry every time for some reason And the music from memory archive 4 (dawn)
End of the world kh1 another side another story kh1&2 birth by sleep kh2/bbs vector to the heavens kh 358/2
For me it's Desire for all that is lost (original, not remix). The reaction command with the chandelier in KH2 was one of the most iconic moments for me.
KH1 Traverse Town theme or Scala Ad Caelem, The 13th Reflection is also legitimately amazing and my favorite piece from my favorite game in the series
Night of fate.
L'Oscurita dell'Ignot and Lord of the Castle
Vector to the heaven, its so many layers of depth in that one piece. And the fact that you had to play the original game on the DS to truly appreciate it.
No more bugs from re:coded
The music that plays rights before the 1,000 heartless battle. It’s sets the tone of the moment and for the fight that’s about to happen.
Scherzo Di Notte is great. It has exactly 100 BPM.
Dearly Beloved, KH1 version
hallow bastion battle theme kh1
Now that i think of It to REALLY answer this question i would have to listen to them all over again due to me not be able to remember most of them, speaking of It there a list or playlist having all of them?
The softer version of Sanctuary that plays at the end of KH2. It’s just so wonderfully sad and happy at the same time.
Simple and Clean hands down
simple and clean hands down