So, here is part two of my list for my pick of the top 10 themes from Dark Souls II, with so many boss themes to choose from its been pretty hard to pin them down to just 10 but there has certainly been plenty here.
Anyway, so with that said let's take a look at the themes that made it into the top 5.
5. Skeleton Lords
At No.5 is the theme for the Skeleton Lords, which is admittedly a pretty silly boss fight but actually surprisingly quite an enjoyable one that involves ALOT of running around an arena being chased by alot of skellies! In fact this fight actually reminded me alot of the Deacons of the Deep boss fight from Dark Souls III, which is also kind of fun in a daft way!
Anyway as for theme (again by Motoi Sakuraba) by heck its a real cracker and I just love the way it kicks in and right from the get-go this one really does grab you. Its a great mix again of orchestraion and choral voices and it even has a section that I believe is played on a harpsichord (but I might be wrong about that!) that gives the theme a Renaissance/Baroque feel to it. But its the choral section that really stands out in this track as its just great as it so well composed.
So, while the Skeleton Lords is a pretty silly boss fight that isn't much of a challenge (albeit a fun one nonetheless) it has one of the best themes in the game and its more than deserving of its place at No.5 in the list.
4. Vendrick
At No.4 is the theme for King Vendrick, who must rank as the saddest character in Dark Souls II and this is actually one of the most downbeat and emotional themes in the game and it also happens to be one of the very best (composed again by Sakuraba).
As for what's so great about it, well I think I just love that rather menacing opening sequence but its then followed by a really sad section, which perfectly captures the hollow shell that Vendrick has become as he wanders aimlessly around a crypt, dragging his sword and it takes some doing to aggro him before you fight. Its actually one of themes in series that get me a little emotional I have to admit as Dark Souls II is surprisingly perhaps the most upbeat of the three Souls games but Vendrick's reveal of his fall from grace is unquestionably the game's most poignant moment and this theme nails this to perfection.
So, Vendrick's theme is both sad and haunting and it really stands out as one of the very best in the game that more than deserves a place here in the top 5.
3. Old Dragonslayer
So, at No.3 is the theme for Old Dragonslayer, who is a boss that appears to be wearing he exact same armour as Ornstein from the original Dark Souls game and his theme here is without a doubt a real cracker.
As for the theme itself it was composed by Yuka Kitamura and its another of those themes that just grabs you straight away and its a wonderful mix of orchestration and electronic music but it just has a great sense of urgency to it and it keeps building itself up in the early stages so well. The mid-section of theme is quieter but again it slowly builds itself up yet again with the choral voices and the horns building up the tempo before it bursts into action game.
The only disappointing thing about the theme here is its again used for a pretty mediocre boss as the Old Dragonslayer, is just a poor man's Ornstein as he really doesn't present a very interesting challenge in the game and Ornstein and Smough worked so well as a fearsome duo but the Old Dragonslayer on his own just isn't that appealing.
Despite this though, I just think this is easily one of the strongest themes in the game and it deserves its spot at No.3.
2. Fume Knight
So, in the runner-up spot is the theme for my personal favourite boss from Dark Souls II, the Fume Knight, who can prove to be a pretty stern challenge in the game (well until you get used to his moveset that is!) and appears as a DLC boss.
But what about the Fume Knight's theme? Well in a word, its awesome! This theme totally grabs you by the throat and sucks you right into the fight and it starts with such an unusually menacing sound from the choral voices but its then followed by its wonderful main theme section, which again captures the danger of the fight and a sense of impending doom as the Fume Knight is certain to seal your fate time and time again! However what I really love about this theme is the mid-section as it kind of really departs from the rest of theme and it gives it a slightly poignant feel before it returns to its main section again before finishing off with its doom-laden choral voices and its main part again.
Overall, I just think that the Fume Knight's theme is just as towering as its boss in the game and its superb mix of orchestrations and choral voices and by heck just a great theme, which probably doesn't get the love that it might deserve from the Souls community (at least I think!).
So, for these reasons I think the Fume Knight more than deserves the runner-up spot.
And that means my pick for the best theme of Dark Souls II is....
1. Sir Alonne
Yep! This one of course will come as no surprise as the theme for the DLC boss, Sir Alonne, speaks for itself as it stands on its own as one the very best in the game if not the whole series and it has a real epic feel to it that makes feel like it belongs to Dark Souls III's soundtrack!
Sir Alonne must easily ranks as one of the most frustrating and challenging bosses in the game but his arena is without a doubt one of the most elegant in the game as you fight him in a room with an impeccably polished marble floor and his tough and somewhat unpredictable moveset makes him quite a test in the game.
As for his theme (again by Yuka Kitamura) its just great, it kicks off perfectly with a choir and then the orchestration starts and its the choral voices that really make this theme work so well as they often provide the backbone of some of the finest themes in the Souls series and this one is no different. The early section orchestrations are also wonderful and the fight's mid-sections for the choir are great too. What's also refreshing is the theme does have quite a bit of emotional weight to it but it never feels downbeat or melancholy at any time, instead it captures the excitement and danger of the battle against Sir Alonne.
So, for me, Sir Alonne's theme stands out as the very best in Dark Souls II as its perfect mix of orchestral strings and choir voices and it basically is just great and it is a very deserving winner for this list.
Right, so that's me for now and I will be back again sometime soon with my pick of tracks for Dark Souls III, which overall is a tremendous soundtrack, so there will be plenty to choose from for sure.
So, till then its bye for now!
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