When a soundtrack is as good as Kingdom Hearts II’s, it’s easy for some of the excellence to fall through the cracks. Here’s a tribute to one of the best tracks that we don’t talk about enough.
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The Kingdom Hearts soundtracks were composed by Yoko Shimomura. Kingdom Hearts is owned by Square Enix and Disney.
Other music featured, in order:
“Kairi” – Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix OST
“Dearly Beloved” – Kingdom Hearts OST
“Courtney Gears” – Ratchet and Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal OST
“Regal Ancestor Spirit” – Elden Ring OST
“Sinister Sundown” – Kingdom Hearts II OST
“Organization XIII” – Kingdom Hearts II OST
“Tsar Bomba” – Avatar
“Cloud Chasers” – Kingdom Hearts II OST
“Twilit Battle” – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess OST
“Villains of a Sort” – Kingdom Hearts II OST
“Lazy Afternoons” – Kingdom Hearts II OST
“Sacred Moon” – Kingdom Hearts II OST
“Entry of the Gladiators” – Julius Fučík
“The Organ Grinder’s Serenade” – Charles K. Harris
“Darkness of the Unknown” – Kingdom Hearts II OST
“Waltz of the Damned” – Kingdom Hearts II OST
“One-Winged Angel” – Final Fantasy VII OST
0:00 Everything is Good
1:00 What Is “Good” Boss Music?
2:51 Story Elements
3:52 Tasteful Dissonance
6:37 Motif Matrix
9:13 “Organization XIII”
11:13 ‘Cause That’s What It’s Called
12:18 Frantic Freefall
14:52 Sacred Moon
15:31 Clowns?
17:14 Clowns.
18:36 Final Judgement
The 13th Juggle.
I can confirm that I did… not think of the organization as clowns due to their music. I thought they were because of Demyx.
The line "…that give Axel and Roxas the two most compelling character arcs in the game, with no one in 3rd place." made me subscribe. Amazing video, most music analysis videos are bloated but this is amazingly well written and put together!
I have definitely thought "evil carnival" when listening to that bit from Darkness of the Unknown before. Never with 13th Struggle though. I think you could broadly tie it to "chaos" going back to that idea of loss of control or being unprepared for the fight. Also Luxord's battle is basically one long shell game so there's that.
need more kh vids like this… i love kh2 original ps2 music, the midi arrangements are just perfect
Great breakdown of the chromaticism in this piece!
I'm shocked to see no mention that the "green motif" is lifted straight from KH1's Forze del Male, which is also where the choice of pipe organ comes from.
…So I don't think it was INTENDED to combine with the glockenspiel to specifically evoke circus vibes, but it was still cool to get that interpretation from you.
I remember being so hype when this theme started playing when fighting Axel in Twilight Town.
Awesome video, I’d love to see you do an analysis of Xemnas’s various themes, and Forze Finale from KH3
luxord definitely has carnie energy
“A circus of clowns.”
-Clayton, Kingdom Hearts
This was such a great break down of a fantastic composition. Would love to see a video like this of some of the music from Megaman Legends 2. That game has an amazing OST
I'm a musician today because I heard this song ten years ago. This video makes me feel damn well justified!
The clown thing could also mean that their viewpoint is false and the song itself is pointing out that these characters are in the wrong/ just some clowns or something.
The clip of Axel’s “Two?!” Had my Cracking UP 🤣🤣🤣
Holy shit Organization 13 is just a group of clowns! Especially compared to the rEaL oRgAnIzAtIoN 13
You're gonna make me buy a PS4/5, grab the KH game bundles, and binge the whole damn series again. Please don't. This will be my 3rd binge…
What about “the deep end”?
Part of me wants to hate that you can play a single motif from this song and I'll immediately recognize it. I do hate you for the clown thing though. I'll subscribe at least.
Just want to point out the Organization 13 theme already existed before Chain of Memories. The motif existed inside Deep Dive from KH1.
Whenever I talk about KH music, I occasionally like to bring up how a majority of songs in KH1's ost had this sort of parade marching band feel to them while KH2's ost felt more like a waltz. The 13th Struggle, being from the transition between both games, also feels like a transition between the two. And do you know what a good ol' parade and waltz can have in common? That's right! A JESTER! Checkmate Clowns!
YEAHHH i’ve been waiting for someone to talk about all of the motifs of the organization theme in the soundtrack, it’s so pleasing when you recognize the melody
Such an awesome theme. Especially when it plays during the final fight of the prologue against Axel and Axel's sacrifice by the end of the game.
Two? (Amazing video, loved it)
I wasn't expecting Courtney Gears battle theme as a reference because almost nobody remembers it (pun not intended xD) but oh gods it's such a good starting point. I really love how u explain all, the memes, the draws, the analogies and specially the blocks, they were very visual and helpful for me since I have 0 musical knowledge (well now I have a bit🤣👌)
And the clown part may have sense, I'm not used to see clowns or go to carnivals, so zero relationship to that music. But maybe because of their tricks, themes and the fact that they are toying with us in some ways (and that I thought that alxel was a pierrot the first time i saw him) that it kinda makes sense to. But seriously, they also are a buch of clows literaly sometimes xD
thanks for the amazing video, I'm sure gotta suscribe, like, and may even ring the bell in honor of this clows xD
I would have never guessed that you were going to bring up clowns, but I'm glad you did. Good video
I hope you get to other game series with other fantastic tracks like the yakuza series or the SMT/Persona series.
Kingdom hearts and eureka seven ost go so hardv
I never thought that the Org=clowns, but I certainly have always thought that the movements and instrumentation being adjacent to a dark circus or carnival was a part of the threatening nature of the song. I guess, like a clown, it's easy to assume it's malevolent instead of cheery or playful. It's the twinges of chaos and insanity, results of the instability and desires that are present in the brooding parts of the Organization XIII track / motif.
The looping theme lets us fall into this chaos and back out to brood about it again and again, very much like our secret doods in hoods.
I think their are a few moments where Xemnas is call a "ring leader" or something. And we have a guy who uses a sitar as a weapon for some reason? Among other such things.
Not to mention it's revealed that the organization is being played for fools. Their was never any plan to restore their hearts, and in addition to that, if they had just waited and lived a bit and formed bonds and healthy relationships with each others and other people they would have grown hearts of their own anyway.
Clowns are a sort of successor to court jesters, who were also called… FOOLS. Which is pretty apt for the organization 13.
TALK YOUR TALK OMG NEVER RELATED TO A VIDEO SO MUCH
also did this guy just like teach me basic music theory in 20 minutes
I never thought the Organization XIII were clowns but,
I do think some of the nobodies look/act like clowns.
Anyways great video
Absolutely loved the video! Haven't seen enough videos breaking down video game tracks in this style, and this song was an excellent choice!
Also a rly Great Track is Vector to Heaven/The Other Promise in KH3
I heard it enough trying to best Larxene in Chain of Memories on the GBA. Then, they made the remake on the PS2, and I have yet to complete the first Larxene fight in that.
I have not tough of clowns but i have tough of the looping motifs with short inclines in downward melodies were a way of painting the madness of organization members or maby how their words shake Soras mind. For that the carusell would fit as a symbol for madness
Love the graphics representing the music, they were helpful and look slick. I feel like I learned a bit too, great job on this one.
Clowns came to mind, when I first encountered Axel, specifically, and the music seemed to fit that. The marks under his eyes don't give the impression of what they're meant to be, and I feel like that's actually the point. The Organization is a group of nobodies: beings that only "remember" emotions. As Yen Sid put it, they desperately try to display their old feelings, in vain. It's all an act. They initially empty shells, yearning to reclaim their lost identity. A clown is not a person, but a person can take the role of a clown. The clown, itself, is a caricature of a person. Nothing more, nothing less. The paint they wear is similar to the "shell" of a nobody. Clowns often perform in situational acts, where they logically "attempt" to display the reactions of a person, however inappropriately. They lack true human nature, and flounder about, trying to fake it, like dusks. The Organization members are the nobodies that had a strong enough sense of identity to be the most convincing.
This is only my own personal interpretation, and may not reflect the intended presentation.
This video was really enjoyable to watch! The way you put it made understanding the track composition very easy and interesting! And don’t get me wrong I do believe KH3s OST and remixes are fantastic, but I feel like the original tracks are much more.. clearer, if that makes any sense. I never considered the clown motif now and I cannot unhear it LOL 🤡 (p.s. have you seen the 20th anniversary KH vinyl collection!! I’m so excited to pop it into my record player and enjoy the journey from 1-3! (..but no bbs soundtrack :C))
I've never seen anything like the Clown connection… but to the idea's credit:
Consider the exact lore of the Organization. They are elite Nobodies, who managed to maintain their sense of self though not their Hearts, and are unified by the express goal of Xemnas to craft an artificial Kingdom Hearts and use its power to make themselves complete. Back in the day, we didn't think about the potential connections between Xemnas' goal and the Seeker of Darkness' goal from the first game, also involving Kingdom Hearts. Then when we're introduced to Master Xehanort he tries to do the same thing ten years earlier. Even then, we didn't really make the connection.
Then DDD happened. We learned in that game that Ansem and Xemnas, while leading their own lives and having their own personalities, were completely aligned with Master Xehanort's will. Summon, or locate, or create a version of Kingdom Hearts and use its power to become a god and remake all reality.
This plan was known by only two or three members of the Organization, including Xemnas himself. Everyone else truly believed that they would be getting replacement Hearts and becoming human again. They didn't even realize that some of them were already regaining their lost Hearts, and subconsciously denied their own emotions. Xemnas and Xigbar lied to them. The rest were the perfect Fools.
And, therein is my point. The Organization was never what it truly appeared to be on the outside. Instead, it was a collection of Fools; pawns in a game they didn't even know was being played, manipulated by a hand they couldn't see, fighting and dying in a struggle for a cause that was ultimately meaningless. And what are Clowns but an extreme evolution of the Fool?
Always did think of the theme as befitting for an overwhelming yet immersive display of buffoonery.
Unironically always thought it had a carnival/circus of death vibe and never talked about it because I assumed everyone thought this way lmao.
9:52 Funny thing, even though the Organization theme wasn’t present in the chain of memories version of 13th struggle, you can actually hear it in one of Marluxia’s battle themes, titled Graceful Assassin
Kingdom Hearts OST literally gives me life
8:34 On that note of "It's about having control taken away from you", EVERY time that The 13th Struggle plays for a boss fight, Sora is alone, and usually by virtue of the Organization's manipulation. Throughout CoM, Sora fights alone with only brief spells of help from his friends by collecting and playing their cards. In Roxas v Axel, Roxas has just had everything he knew torn away from him and now has to fight for his life since his execution has been ordered. In Sora v Luxord, Luxord has just trapped all of Sora's friends with a card trick before engaging Sora in an attempt to draw out Roxas. In KH3 during the endgame fights, Mickey is trapped in a card the moment you arrive, forcing you to fight solo to save him. In the Re Mind data fights, a data recreation of Sora goes through the gauntlet solo
I mean the Clown Theorie is interesting 😃 I always thought of them or a few at least as tricksters that play with you. And some have powers that suit the trickster look.
And clowns aren’t that far from a clown so yeah I guess I know what you mean 😂
🤡
You know, I used to think I didn't really understand much about how music works on a technical level. Watching this analysis, I realized that what I actually know is absolutely jack all.
I personally like dilemma more. Especially if the boss has some sort of dignity shown mid-battle like xaldin…
Not that I hate struggle, I like it too actually
"This piece isn't about being out of control, it's about having control taken away from you"
Oof, Roxas is gonna feel that when his summer holidays end
"This piece isn't about being out of control, it's about having control taken away from you"
Oof, Roxas is gonna feel that in the end of summer holidays