FBM: Overworld Themes Part 3: Twilight Princess

Continuing our series on Overworld Themes, today I will be looking at Twilight Princess. Nothing else.

My primary reason for singling out this one game’s overworld is due to the way its music is used. You do not just hear the Hyrule Field theme while in the field itself, but there are also a considerable number of other areas in the game which use the same notes for their primary refrain. This is present to a much smaller extent in some other Zelda games, but none as prevalent as Twilight Princess. Its overworld theme serves as much more than just your usual Hyrule Field music; it is a theme song for the game as a whole, the notes of which ring synonymous with its main events.

Jump in to see some examples of how Twilight Princess‘s theme is used!

Below, I have compiled a playlist that includes every track I could find from Twilight Princess that repeats the familiar five-note refrain of “Hyrule Field.” They are in the order one would usually encounter these songs in-game and range from short, 10-second celebratory fanfare to fuller five-minute compositions. Some are as adventurous and rousing as the main theme, while others are calm and beautiful. The versatility with which this theme is used is astounding.

Track: Various
Game: Twilight Princess (GCN, Wii)
Composers: Toru Minegishi, Asuka Ota, Koji Kondo

…and I still don’t think I even got them all. Anyways, I will be focusing on just a select few of these tracks, but you can feel free to listen to the rest in the playlist as well. It’s a truly diverse set despite all of them sharing a certain five-note refrain.

Hyrule Field
We will start with the primary version of the song, Hyrule Field itself. This rousing, fanfare-like march is an excellent throwback to classic Zelda overworlds with plenty of adventurous spirit in it. It has a rousing feeling to it that lends urgency and purpose to your travels, like you really are embarking on an epic adventure.

This is one of my favorite Hyrule Field theme iterations in the entire series. It sounds awesome, and it always feels great to ride through the field with this music playing. Plus, the way it transitions to the night-time version is gorgeous.

You don’t actually hear this theme until you properly leave the forest for the first time. It’s almost like the song is heralding the true start of your journey. In that way, this is pretty much Link’s theme song. It always plays during parts of the game that mark a momentous point or great achievement for him.

Fanfare
Some examples of great achievements marked by this music are the tracks titled “Seize Fanfare” and “Master Sword.” These play when Link successfully tames Epona again and later when he draws the Master Sword from its pedestal. These are both moments of triumph for the Hero of Twilight, and are characterized as such by the playing of his theme song.

These are short tracks, only about 10 to 30 seconds long, meant to simply evoke a feeling of accomplishment. They do so through their use of just a short bit of a familiar track. The original Hyrule Field’s rousing mood is kept, and combined with the familiar tune it feels . . . good. It feels like you’ve taken another step in your journey, like this was a grand achievement worthy of regard.

Areas
Hyrule Field is not the only area in Twilight Princess to make use of this track’s refrain. Two notable areas that also adapt the track for their use are “Gerudo Desert” and “Snowpeak.” I find these to be excellent examples of how varied the theme can be.

For example, the Gerudo Desert tune keeps a lot of similarities to Hyrule Field. Still, it sets itself apart; this isn’t a rousing adventure march. This is the tense music of a savage desert that is ready to take your life in an instant. There is still some feeling of adventure here, but it is somewhat dampened by the intensity and barren feeling of the track.

On the other hand is Snowpeak. I already covered this tune individually some months back, but I feel it still deserves another mention. Still retaining that familiar five-note set, this track reduces it to a soft, mellowing tune befitting a frozen wasteland. It is neither rousing nor adventurous, or even tense. It is chilling. Right to the bones, this song makes you feel cold while still retaining the familiar essence of the Twilight Princess Hyrule Field theme.

Events
Finally, there are some sections of the game in which Link’s journey takes a different turn from before. These are usually story-related or are characterized by a specific set-piece moment or a memorable gameplay sequence.

By far one of the best tracks in the game, one of these story bits is the song “Midna’s Lament,” also called “Midna’s Desperate Hour.” Played almost entirely on piano, this adaptation of the Hyrule Field theme is just gorgeous and carries a completely different attitude than any of the others. Rather than adventurous, it’s tragic. Rather than giving you a rousing feeling of going forth to fulfill your destiny, it makes you feel an urgent need to help your friend. This mellow track truly shows that the notes do not define a song’s mood.

Another story event is the Hidden Village, in which Link is pitted against twenty enemies with bows in a classic Western-style town shootout. The music fits that to the letter. Retaining the familiar tune of Hyrule Field once again, this track opts for guitars, whistles, and rapid taps of percussion to bring a wholly new Western feel to the track.

Conclusion
Twilight Princess really strove to create a continuing theme throughout. It did so by taking its overworld theme and adapting it into many other variations that, while still different in their own ways, added a feeling of unity to the music in the game. In this way, its overworld theme became much more than just an overworld theme; it was the entire game’s theme music.

How did you like Twilight Princess’s music? Did you enjoy the consistency of its tracks in using this familiar refrain, or did you find it to be overused? What are your favorite tracks from the game? Let me know in the comments! I always read your responses even if I can’t reply back!