Final Fantasy 10’s main theme was never intended to be part of the game, confirms composer Nobuo Uematsu
An unlikely journey
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Zanarkand is, arguably, one of the most haunting pieces of music ever composed for aFinal Fantasygame. However, in arecent interview with Japanese outletWeekly Ochiai,accomplishedFinal Fantasycomposer Nobuo Uematsu revealed that the legendary theme fromFinal Fantasy10had an unlikely origin.
According to Uematsu, “Zanarkand was actually not meant to be the theme forFinal Fantasy 10. There was a flute player from France who originally asked me to write a song for them to play during a recital. When I wrote the piece, I thought perhaps this sounded a bit too sad for a recital. So I set it aside for the time being.”
Uematsu went on to describe the theme’s strange route intoFinal Fantasycanon. “Sometime after [writing the piece], when I was making the score forFinal Fantasy 10, I was falling behind all while the producers were hounding me. So since that flute piece was unused, I just kinda meekly handed it to them. They listened to it and said ‘Yes! This is brilliant!”
This information comes courtesy of a translation from@aitaikimochi on Twitter / X.
Zanarkand’s haunting melody is synonymous withFinal Fantasy 10, fully embodying the role-playing game (RPG)’s somber, bittersweet tone.
Uematsu is famous for his towering accomplishments as a video game music composer. In addition to the iconicFinal Fantasy Preludeand mainFinal Fantasy Theme,Uematsu served as composer onFinal Fantasy 1through10and has musically contributed to almost everyFinal Fantasygame ever made.
Perhaps most famously of all, Uematsu is known forOne Winged Angel, the foreboding and dramatic theme of Sephiroth, the main antagonist fromFinal Fantasy 7. As you might expect, Uematsu’s music features prominently inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth,re-imagined by composers Mitsuto Suzuki and Masashi Hamauzu.
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An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.
A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.
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