Game Composer Reacts to STARSCOURGE RADAHN from ELDEN RING
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- Опубліковано 1 бер 2024
- Everybody is super hyped for the upcoming Elden Ring DLC, so now is the perfect time to revisit some classic ELden Ring music, or in my case experience it for the first time. I've been hearing about the Starscourge Radahn theme ever since the game came out. Today is the day I finally listen to it!
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Hey if you're getting warmed up for the Elden Ring DLC, I have an entire playlist of videos on Elden Ring music you might want to watch: ua-cam.com/video/pTss2Ot6atk/v-deo.html&pp=gAQBiAQB
Have you seen the DLC trailer yet?
Can’t wait for the dlc!!!
You should check out Armored Core 6's OST!!!
Radahn single-handedly held back the stars, and it took a coalition of warriors to defeat a weakened version of him after he fought Malenia to a standstill. The theme to me sounds like warriors singing his story and conquests and the last bit sounds like a farewell at a funeral giving honor to a mighty legend.
This description honestly made me tear up a bit. He isn't exactly a good person from what I understand lore wise but they still made him into such a magnificent character and easy to empathize with without him even saying a word. I didn't like radahn on my first playthrough but suffice it to say he's grown on me a lot.
@@Desinole83Why wouldn't he be a good person ?
@@Desinole83 The man learned gravity magic so he could still ride his favorite horse. That's not even a joke. It's actual lore.
@parkerluciani7048 Radahn isn't some completely evil person or anything but given the fact that he is a massive fan of Godfrey he also idolizes the Golden Order even so far as to do so inspite of how Radagon treated his mother. Furthermore he learned gravity magic not only for his horse but to hold back the stars which are the very source of power for his family and the Carians. I think Radahn is bad ass but his choices do come with some questions.
@@parkerluciani7048 being a supporter of the golden order despite having clear issues in its own systems. Holding the stars in stasis, by doing that also the halting the fate of his own family, more specifically his sister. also to access the expansion, radahn and mogh have to be defeated, I'm guessing his existence was also impeding miquella from achieving his goal, which is probably why Malenia and him battled. He also invaded leyndell, or at least he tried but was repelled by Morgott.
People overlook his flaws simply because of the little detail about him and his horse. From all the pieces of lore we have regarding him, we can form a conclusion that Radahn was afraid of change, so he did everything within his power to keep the status quo (including learning gravity magic to keep his tiny horse) despite all the flaws in the current system
The second half of the soundtrack makes me think that its supposed to be a funeral song for Radahn
It 100% is the case. This fight was always meant to be a celebration of war, and a funeral for a warrior who spent his entire life on the battlefield.
That's a sentiment a lot of people seem to share.
Yes, the second part is a requiem, the fight is a gladiatorial festival to give General Radahn, who has lost his mind and become a shell of his former self but remains yet undefeated, an honourable death.
@@greenhydra10 Not only a sentiment, I think it is pretty much implied by the NPC that holds the festival in the game, he wants the general to have his honorable death so that he can be relieved of his duty.
@@AugustoXRock its literally stated in his items if i am not mistaken
Before we begin, allow me to paint you the full picture. General Radahn is cursed ever to wander. Eaten from the inside, by Malenia's scarlet rot, his wits are long gone. Now he gathers the corpses of former friends and foes alike, gorging on them, like a dog. Howling at the sky. -Jerren, one of Radahn's closest friends. Radahn is a tragic figure, once the mightiest of the demigods, now just a wandering corpse, with still enough power to hold back the stars from moving. During the battle the tarnished and his buddies that came to the festival funally give him what he deserved, a noble warrior's deat. Very good analysis!
1st phase: you fight a monster.
2nd phase: you fight a demigod.
3th phase: you fight a general name Radahn.
Post-fight phase: You cry. :(
the last part of the song, if I understood correctly, is sung by the warriors who give the last salute to Radan before his death. Radan has lost his mind, but at last he will find peace and they sing about it, farewell to the great warrior
You hit the nail on the head
I've always had a different take upon the ending of the song. I have always felt that throughout our battle with Radaahn, our blows and cuts are draining his blood and therefore draining the scarlet rot out of him drop by drop. By the end of the battle he has no longer gone mad, but has regained most of his sentience.
Seeing the hundreds of corpses and tattered warbanners of hunts past, Raadahn yet again crosses his blades against a worthy foe. Another battle to prove himself as the heir to the Elden Ring.
to me this is a funerary march to him from his men
@@Dizzifying1I don't think that's how diseases work.
@@JackWilkosIt's a blood based affliction... in an immortal demi-god. Surely our understanding of medicine applies to Raadahn and the Elden Ring universe in general 🙄
Starscourge Radahn was an incomprehensibly powerful warrior. A Demigod child of the Golden Order which was a master of weaponry and especially Gravity Magic. His power with Gravity Magic being so potent that he quite literally locked the stars in place in the sky earning his epitaph "The Starscourge" or "Conqueror of the Stars".
He was greatly loved and respected by his warriors under his banner who were known as the "Redmanes" who were considered to each and every one be accomplished warriors said to "know no weakness" and who fought with unmatched ferocity. They were considered to be among the strongest warriors and knights in the Lands.
During the Shattering, the war that plunged the world into the horrible state it is when we play through the game, he and Malenia (another Demigod) fought to a stalemate at the "Battle of Aeonia" but they were both left horrifically crippled by their battle and their armies left shattered.
Malenia was plunged into a several thousand year coma and her Scarlet Rot destroyed Caelid (Radahn's land) and infected several other places throughout the game with the horrific effects of it.
Radahn was infected with the Scarlet Rot which quite literally rotted away his sense of self rendering him little more than a feral beast fighting off of muscle memory even as his body is rotting away and falling apart. This has been going on for untold thousands of years.
His soldiers are holding what they call the "Radahn Festival" to give their once noble and beloved lord a Warrior's death and to put him out of his misery. Unfortunately even weakened, rotted away, and delusional as their lord has become he's simply too strong for almost any warrior in the land to put to rest so they need to gather champions from far and wide to gang up on him to put him out of his misery.
It's unknown how long the Festival has been held for but given the amount of weapons found throughout the wailing dunes (there's more than could be explained away by the Battle of Aeonia) it's fair to say that it's been held quite a few times and simply failed each and every time.
The first phase music is more about intimidating and getting across his power to the listener but also how degenerated and beastly he has become. You are facing a Demigod who at one point was considered the strongest of them all and despite the fact he is a shadow of his former self he is still an absolutely monstrous force to be reckoned with.
The second phase, once you've cut him down to half health and proved your worth and potential to actually put him to rest the song becomes a Funeral march. Those chanting in the background heavily implied to be the Redmanes themselves as the battle progresses (the Redmanes are heard singing throughout Castle Redmane while you're on your way to fight Radahn and they are very close to the same voices heard in Radahn's OST). This is no longer a battle, it is a funeral procession for quite possibly the greatest and most beloved warrior to ever live.
Just curious but what evidence is there that implies Malenia was out for thousands of years? Time lengths are difficult to determine in this game.
@@unholyzell well currently our only frame of reference is our arrival in the Lands Between and remarks made by George R.R Martin who created the base lore for the game. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe he is quoted as saying that his job was to write what happened about 2-5 thousand years before the current events of the game. Given that Malenia lays dormant until we disturb her we can infer that we are the first to do so especially since she is guarded by another Boss and some of the highest scaled basic enemies in the game like Haligtree Soldiers and Haligtree Knights. It is unlikely that another would come this far.
@@unholyzell it just literally almost every souls game, time is weird, you don't know how long the shattering is already happening, or whether our tarnished is late to the party. Even in Dark Souls time is kinda a plot thingy as well, some kind of time cycle convoluted bs.
There's basically no way its been more than like 500 years judging by the state of the remaining people and land, and George R.R. Martin has indeed created the story but he's not very reliable, other things he's said about the game have been false (like when he said it was a sequel to dark souls)
The amount of time might be exaggerated as something incomprehensible like 5000 years but it doesn't really make sense
Radahn is a hero in Elden Ring, widely regarded as the strongest of his kin. A fateful battle left him sick and witless, wandering the battlefield in a demented state. Our role as the player is to give this hero an honorable death. Phase 1 is the horror of his power. Phase 2 is a funeral march.
To quote Blaidd, "What a sick way to fight, eh?" is appropriate for phase 1, while for phase two "The glory of the clash is shared by Radahn and you."
"And, hah! Did you see that, afterwards? A falling star, right before our eyes! I can't fathom how Radahn was holding back something of that scale. He was a living legend, if ever I saw one."
Fun fact about Radahn, he mastered gravity magic because he loved his sickly horse and became too big to ride. It is also said that the man fought the stars and won. He's holding them in stasis with his mastery of gravity magic.
The horse is called Leonard too!
Maliketh's theme is also really worth listening to
Yes for real!
yeah phase 2 is quite somthing, yet many poeple complained about maliketh s ost not being epic , to me the soundtrack fits maliketh really well
@@jeofthevirtuoussand That last section is awesome, possibly the best single section from any boss theme.
My favorite soulsborne tracks, It's so fucking good, and the fact that it picks up from the farum azula's ambiance is crazy!
@@jeofthevirtuoussand i think phase 2 represent death. Especially with the strings that make some "scary" chords (im not musician but u know what i mean)
Radahn's soldiers likely see him when he does his meteor move, and they realize that Radahn's time has come. The second half is a funeral march, they are singing one last song of praise and of mourning, that Radahn ended up like this but now gets the death of a warrior.
Radahn also realizes this, and with clarity of mind, he uses some of his most powerful attacks as he lives his final moments, dying with honor, finally felled by a warrior powerful enough to put him to rest
The change in the last part is the fight going from a celebration of war, of general radahn's might, to a manly funeral for a legend. It was after all, the goal of the fight. To fight the formerly strongest of the demi gods, and to finally bring his glorious life on the battlefield to an end. The song encapsulates radahn's army chanting for him. First to highlight his might, and then his departure with honors.
general radahn was a great general who'd prefer to die in honorable battle, but instead he was made into a ravenous beast. so you fight him in a festival held in honor of giving a great warrior an honorable death. when the fight starts he's basically a rage beast with the skill of a seasoned warrior. the farther you get his health down the more he seems like his old self, and instead of seeing you as a possible meal he begins to fight you as a worthy enemy. it seems like the music is telling this story.
14:25
"The track evolving from nothingness to something"
Thats a pretty accurate way to describe the fight. As soon as thay second phase hits you see Radahn shining with purple electricity and using power we couldn't even imagine. Thats him summoning his old strength and remembering, on some level, the great warrior he is.
For me the last part is a hommage to a great warrior, the kind of song you give to a Honorable warrior who fought until the end.
Radhan is that kind of man, the goal of fighting him is to put him at rest of his unending duty, duty wich he still hold even rotten by the scarlet rot.
Radhan, you were a good guy.
Wow I never realized how incredibly beautiful the ending of his soundtrack is.
I love the way u describe the melody , radahn was a General, the history says that he was fighting Malenia (a goddess who can spread a virus that corrodes everything she touches.) and Radahn was infected by this virus (the rot) so he becomes a mindless beast, in the fight against us , he regains a little of his consciousness, and in the end, we free him from his misery.
This track is so fucking good. A marching funeral, a honorable death to the strongest demigod.
This is genuinely one of the best themes I've ever heard in gaming, It's so fucking good.
I really love this theme, you can hear lots of strength and epicness, but also a hint of tragedy. Im going to the Elden Ring concert in London in April, I cant wait to hear this.
Ugh, wish i could go as well
I tried desperately to get tickets for that but they all sold so quick 😢
@@ITzPromazterz I know the Paris one sold out quick, but the London one still has tickets left.
@@uncleol only expensive ones unfortunately, unless they’ve had some cancelled
@@ITzPromazterz Ok I see now, they are basically all gone, a month or two ago I remember there were only a few seats taken.
most heroic theme in Elden Ring
Hearing this together with pre-patch Radahn was another level of imposing. Also the last section is just amazing. Radahn is the usual tragic warrior character and this OST sums up his character perfectly. Your idea of the melody sounding mindless is exactly what’s happening during the fight. Radahn is a mindless Beast which only lives to fight on but deeply inside him there is an honorable general. The woodwinds at the end depict the end of the great battle he and his army participated in all these years. Radahn lost everything in battle but his spirit could not be broken. But who did all of this to him? If you’re ever trying out the game yourself you definitely don’t want to meet that person.
If a friend plays ER I'll tell him to unplug his PS from the internet so he can fight prepatch Radahn. That fight was brutal and memorable.
@@lepyrolink182 It's funny how pre-patch Radahn is praised for what was essentially broken hit boxes.
They patched the hit boxes and accidentally nerfed him a bit. The nerf was then undone, but they kept the fixed hit boxes. Too many people have heard the first part and not the second.
@@elias.t yeah, but with those fixed hit boxes for some reason it feels substantially easier than the first version. Even the broken version, though extremely hard, was beatable. Not saying it was a bad fix, but beating prepatch radahn really gave a sense of accomplishment that the fix version can't.
@@elias.t no, he's nerfed, i remember he could get you out of torent with just one arrow, now it takes 2, has less hp and resistances
General Radahn is a character that can really be defined as one of the true heroes in Elden Ring, but a tragic hero. This guy is such a likeable and well-respected character with almost no characters having anything negative to say about him. His arc is similar to that of Artorias in Dark Souls.
This guy is such a likeable character in fact that he literally learned gravity magic just so his massive stature wouldn't crush his beloved horse Leonard, which you can see him riding.
By the time you meet Radahn, youre not meeting him for real. He's a shell of his former self and mindless due to the Scarlet Rot eating away at him, howling at the sky and sustaining himself on human flesh. A festival is made in his honor to put him out of his misery and give him a proper send-off. That's why this song feels almost militaristic but chaotic still in a sense. It's a send-off to a truly respected hero. That's also why it feels a little sad in tone at the end.
Here we are waiting for the DLC...and howling at the sky.
Sky: "Big angry meteor says what?"
Player: "Wha-?"
*BOOM*
When he was alive, Radahn was possibly THE strongest warrior of the age, and one of the greatest mages too. But then he did battle with Malenia, a demi-god of plague and rot, and though he won, it was a pyrrhic victory, as she unleashed her full power before escaping. The land around the battle-site is coated in rot and decay, and though Radahn survived, the disease rotted his mind and much of his body, leaving him a broken shell of what he was.
The theme of the first phase sounds like Radahn when you finally fight him; his mind is entirely gone, but he's MASSIVE and still possessed of his instincts as a warrior. Every attack is incredibly heavy and potent, and more than one of his attacks literally shake the earth you're fighting on. The second phase's theme sells the idea that Radahn really was incomprehensibly powerful; he held the very heavens still with his magic, and even now, half-dead and near-mindless, he's still one of the most dangerous beings you'll encounter in the game.
But the finale of the song is a funeral dirge for one of the greatest warriors to have lived, a farewell to the great General Radahn.
So yes, there are plenty of similarities and parallels to Ludwig, in fact.
Man I miss these Elden Ring reactions. I hope he makes more of these, I love how in depth he goes in his explanations
The march like rhythm part is I think accurate since Radahn lead an army.
Once considered the mightiest of the demigods, Radahn's mind rotted away and he was cursed ever to wander, left only with his might and ferocity. The dirge at the end is symbolic of what you, the player, are sent to do; to deliver him an honorable death.
When you can read the lore on Radahn dude is one of the most impressive characters in the lands between
Makes me emotional every time i hear that last part
So cool that the melody comes in via the chorus. It feels like the chaos is coming from Radahn, driven mindless by the Scarlet Rot. And like the chorus, chanting, melody comes from the people mourning/fighting him; whether that be the warriors assembled to fight what is effectively an MMO-style Raid boss, or meant to be symbolic of the soldiers he was general to.
I'd recommend listening to Pontiff Sulyvahn. The OST is so good.
It's one of my favorite OST of DS3!! And Pontiff Sulyvahn an is also one of my favourite bosses!
The transition from peaceful to chaotic is just perfect
Oh man, we need God-Devouring Serpent now haha, a.k.a Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy. The second phase of that one is my favourite in the entire game. It's incredible.
And we can listen to it TOGETHA.
@@thomasboys7216AS FAMILEEEEEEEE
4:45 This is my favourite part of the entire track, and it's unfortunately really short, the drums sounds like a medieval march of some sorts while the choir sets the seriousness of the fight, you heard tales and stories of General Radahn, seeing him in person and fighting him is another story, it also kinda sounds like a fast heartbeat, there's so much anticipation up to the Radahn festival, that when it's finally there, the song kinda represents that anxiety that was build up through the hype of fighting Radahn before the festival, and now there he is, charging at you, the giant General that was once loved and feared, now a terrible madman thing, the drums at the same time sounds like horses running, which is fitting considering 90% of this fight is done using Torrent, and Radahn in his own steed, Leonard.
My favorite part too
Always amazes me how you get the boss spot on with just the music. Especially talking about mindlessness, as Radah had pretty much lose his mind to the rot. Your video’s always make me happy 🙏🫶
The song is a testament from Radahn's men to their general.
It started out mad because he is gripped by an inescapable insanity, suppressing his glory that reveals itself in bits from the layers of a festering rot.
I'm so happy you finally made a video for this soundtrack! General Radahn is my favourite from software boss and my favourite boss track from Elden ring. The chaos from the first half being this crazed demi god going berserk, stricken with the scarlet rot then flowing into a heroic chant for a warrior who only wished to die with his men heroically. Radahn is a fantastic boss, I love his humble character in the lore, he only wanted to be remembered as a fierce soldier just like Godfrey...
It's not just a boss theme, it's a send-off for a great fallen hero. We're there to put him to rest.
16:33, its honestly amazing how you're able to even identify some of Radahn's background story and lore. Because Radahn did not have control of himself anymore at this point and his wish before that state was to die a heroes death. To die it battle. So you describing it as redemption is so amazing. Good work!
Radahn’s theme is one of my favorites in elden ring. He was one of the mightiest warriors during the shattering war, a general who led one of the strongest armies of his time, and a gravitational sorcerer powerful enough to control the heavens. His boss fight is essentially us and a bunch of other warriors trying to put him out of his misery after he was driven to insanity.
Me too, second phase just too good
There is also the chorus in Redmane Castle before you start the boss fight, so I think this is a case of in-universe music.
I like how as you go through the phases it feels as if your getting closer to the real him in both music and through battle, by the end he’s throwing all he has at you despite his weakened self
I like to think the choir that starts when the phase two madness ends its all radhan soldiers showing up in the boss arena to chant a requiem for their general who is close to finally have his deserved death, if there is ever an elden ring cinematic media i want to see that happen
I've waited for you to cover this song for a very long time, the emotions in this song are incredible, good analysis as always !
This is my favorite theme in the game , it is so unique and badass
Been waiting two years for you to cover this one ❤
I've never seen this game played before, but I've been watching carefully while you reacted. Interestingly, every time you were identifying something happening, and then a change happening, etc., I found myself wondering, "OK...am I thinking the wrong way here? Is the BIG GUY the good or the bad guy?! I found myself wincing and wishing things like, "Do you think you two could just forget your differences, and let each other be?"
Then I thought, "Well, that's silly." One of them has to win, and the other one has to lose, but my heart was telling my head, "NO!"
That's REALLY unusual for me in a game. When I'm in a conflict, no matter what the game is or how different the situations, in general, are, I'm still concentrating on, "OK! I'm here to take you out, and take you out, I WILL!" Then that's settled, in my mind, and I persist until it's over and I have WON. That's all there is to it. It's the way I play. I'm a warrior in real life, and when I'm playing a game, I'm the same way.
BUT...I still kept feeling sorry for the BIG GUY (Radahn, I take it). I almost wanted him to win, and yet...I knew he had to die. WOW! What a true conflict of EVERYTHING!
You did a tremendous job of making all of that basically clear to me, through the music, and I don't know how many times I was about ready to see the victory happen, but then feeling like, "NO! Just leave, and let this be!" However, since I knew he couldn't, I kept feeling like, "Stop being such an infant!" Seriously! There were missed chances, and not much "grace" or "finesse." I felt like the one who was SUPPOSED to win was actually hesitant TO win, but he finally HAD to, but...YIKES!
Very interesting, and I loved your descriptions. THANK YOU!
"Champions, welcome!!!"
Your analysis is always spot-on
General Radahn is a tragic character who is inflicted with Rot down to his bones; he becomes a mindless monster, waiting for his final defeat
That's why this track is so dissonant and chaotic at the beginning and evolves to this heroic March-like theme
I also thought that it sounded like some requiem, would suit ❤
One aspect that I have not seen mentioned is that in the (very good and weirdly funny) manga adaptation, the knights of Castle Redmane, which overlooks this battleground start singing and chanting in unison towards the end of the fight.
What I like about this is that it implies that the chanting and singing that we hear at the end of the track are Radahans soldiers giving a dirge as the tarnished warriors face him in battle.
It is not a dirge of sorrow, but of joy as their general dies in a battle against a coalition of warriors, he dies the way that he would have wanted.
Lore context
So, the reason that a lot of Radahn's theme is so messy is that we face him after he's been cursed by Melenia, another boss I recommend listening to. Melenia is capable of becoming a goddess and has been chosen to do so by the Outer Power of scarlet which embodies rot, the cycle of life and death. When they faught Melenia won but Radahn was powerful enough that he pushed her to the very edge. She drew upon her outer power and afflicted Radahn with a disease that consumed his mind and spirit leaving him an insane shell of his former self. Even still, he is one of the mightiest figures in the game. By fighting him we're redeeming him with a warrior's death
This is a genuine question(!) Is there a larger meme or conspiracy going on where people just try to spell Melina or Malenia wrong on purpose? I have seen every imaginable spelling of these two names in comment sections. Anything from Melania to Maleyna. Please if there is such a conspiracy, I want to know. Its really triggering my ocd
@@Tim_593 No such conspiracy. A lot of the lore was just written by GRRM and if you're familiar with his work he tends not to vary his names much and they're weird so it gets hard to keep it all straight.
@@amberblackwell5614 There are many in this game tho. Godrick and Godfrey, Malenia and Melina, Ranni and Renna, Morgot and Mohgwyn, Radahn and Rykard. They are all somewhat simmilar and you see or hear from them only a few times troughout the game that you can confuse them easily if you only play once.
@@pakee2352That's exactly what I'm saying.
Malenia didnt really win the fight. Radahn was considered the strongest of the demigods and malenia had To abandon her pride as A swordswoman by knocking them both out with A weapon even she despised To "meet his match" bringing the fight To a standstill.
Your reactions are amazing and there is always something new to learn. I am only sorry that the reaction does not include the chorus before the battle.
I love this song but after this I love it even more. The comparison to Ludwig was spot on. Something I never picked up on until you said it
This is my favorite boss soundtrack in FromSoft's history. There's nothing quite like it in any of their other games. The final fanfare with the choir belting in celebration of this warrior that we're putting to rest, it's just incredible.
I just love the implication that Radahn's soldiers, who have manned the walls of Redmane castle for countless years, fought off the rot-twisted monstrosities roaming their ruined home for countless years, and watched warriors come and fail to give their general peace for countless years, finally... *finally* see something they have never seen before. They see Radahn begin to falter. And, as one, they raise their voices in song. A song to honour your strength. A song to honour his legacy. And a song to honour his passing, at long last.
We want more of souls music
Radahn is a general in a massive army and controld an entire region of the lands between. His name commands respect throughout the entire game. Second to godfrey he is the ultrimate the embodiment of a soldier and a warrior. In the game his soldiers chant a small chorus to welcome you to his festival. I think that last part of the song is those soldiers realizing Radahn's end is nigh as our characters brings him down. they are singing him a truly bitterswert farewell as his death was their goal in the game because radahn was lost in mind and they vowed to bring him an honorable death in battle
General Radahn has been reduced from a fearsome warrior to a mindless beast. The begging of the track is slow, muddled, cloudy, steady and unyielding. Just like him, turned into a mindless vessel steadily fighting onward from muscle memory as the scarlet rot deteriorated his wits. The ending of the track is a testament to who he once was, the heroic chanting being the men he spurred in battle as a once heroic figure.
The first half is definitely the march of Radahn's great army. It makes me feel that they were an orderly fighting force, with lines and formations that were impossible to break while fighting with incredible skill. Just devastating. And the fact that it's playing during his fight feels like affirmation that you're doing it for them, for the soldiers who fought for him and fell on the battlefield where you fight him.
The second half is _all_ Radahn himself. I feel as if he's fighting not for his life--that's long gone--but to preserve his legacy. Even though he'll die, you and the world will remember him. Maybe at the start of the fight, he was a mindless dog, as you were told. But I think the battle with him reawakened him. He knows it's too late for him. So he's going to give it his all for one last bout and die with honor, not to disease eating him from within.
For me, the entire first phase part of the music reminds me of Radahn being a true general. Fighting wars to gain the glory of the Elden Ring and holding the stars back so he can protect those he cares about. The kick, when the second phase hits, is just about Malenia, and her releasing the scarlet rot. The music right after that reminds me of Radahn turning in the beast we see in the game. And then, the most glorious part, is just about us and our fellow warriors trying to put him down so he can deserve hororable death that he has always wished for. This music is just awesome, and I love it!
You should listen to This City Bleeds for You, it's pretty epic.
Also The Dark Lord's Wrath from Miitopia, absurdly underrated soundtrack
As a non-musician, I find it so fascinating how you're able to transcribe melodies so quickly and easily like in 6:28
Charging towards Radahn with like 10 summons was definitely one of the highlights of my first Elden Ring playthrough. It's something we've never seen before in a Souls game. And to this day, it's one of the only boss fights ever that FromSoftware actually nerfed.
finally. my favourite Soundtrack from the game 😭 everytime i hear Radahns Soundtrack i feel sad and proud at the same time. i cant explain. i want to cry but at the same time i feal Power. its sooo good.
Darkness Of The Unknown is literally my favorite piece of music ever made and shows exactly why Yoko is my favorite composer of all time and i would love to see you do a reaction and breakdown of it. Anyways other than that tank you for all you do and have a wonderful day and look forward to seeing you again.
Radahn is very much a Gilgamesh or a Beowulf type character. A leader with awe-inspiring strength. My favorite boss in the game
First half is a retelling of the legend that is the Starscourge, and his relentless military campaign against even the likes of Malenia, the undefeated swordswoman. The second half is a military oriented farewell as they give him the death they all know he would want after being afflicted with the scarlet rot for what could be eons at this point.
You've opened my eyes to Radahn's theme.
In game, in an age long past, Radahn had the duty to hold the stars in place, he was a warrior but studied Gravitational Magic in Raya Lucaria (his mom's school). So he was a great sorcerer aswell.
Radahn fought his stepsister (Malenia) in the past and the battle came to a draw since she nuked his province with her disease (Scarlet Rot).
Radahn did not lose but was infected by Malenia's rot that ate away his body till he lost his mind.
As the ages passed, Radahn lost all his sense of life and acts like an animal gorging on corpses of former friends and foes alike.
But even though his sanity is gone, his duty as a hero of holding back the stars still remains deep inside of him.
You've mentioned how we can find some melody in the midst of all the chaos in his theme, as if it represents his mind being rotted but deep inside of it, you can hear that he's there somewhere.
And in the end of the music, it almost sounds like that when we finally grant him an honorable death, Radahn gets a glimpse of his long lost memories from times of greatness when he was a hero of the people.
General Radahn was a hero. He held the stars in the skies using gravity magic, and he earned a castle in his homage and an army to follow him. At one specific point in history, he fought his half sister Malenia, the Severed. She was born corrupted by Scarlet Rot, a kind of 'disease' that destroys little by little EVERYTHING organic in its way. Malenia's scarlet bloom flowers for the first time as she was getting beated into a pulp by Radahn, unleashing her Scarlet Rot and corrupting part of the Lands Between forever. Radahn was comically large and a demigod, so he didn't die, but he lost his mind, being eaten from the inside by the rot, forever wandering in the battlefield. (he also used gravity magic to mount his little horse called Leonard lmao)
You should listen to gurranq (or maliketh) theme. Its a piece of art
Radahn was the strongest demigod in the lore. A peerless warrior who wielded the power of gravity magic atop his loyal steed, eventually he put tgat power to work to wage war against the very cosmos, putting the very stars themselves into a stasis to keep the world's fate frozen.
He later fought his little sibling, the peerless swordswoman Malenia, who afflicted him along with all of caelid with her scarlet rot. By tge time you fight him his mind is fully consumed by the rot, and he is little more than an insane monster...but interestingly, he STILL remains an incredible warrior even now. And he STILLholds the stars to this day. A drmigod truly worthy of the title od Legend
I need to see him listening to gris ost, it's beautiful!
8:03 that part for me feels like pure might on display and a job to do, to set thing right
He's right on point by the way. Radahn starts out as this distant, mighty demigod. He towers over you and he's going to destroy you, as he is beyond you. But as the fight progresses, it goes from an onslaught with a mighty demigod to a funerary combat for a great warrior, letting him sleep in honor and glory rather than his meandering state of hollow madness. His ability to get the tone and feel just right is a testament to his comprehension as a musician and to Miyazawa as a composer.
A lot of people are talking about his climatic duel with Malenia, but I'll add that his history leading up to it is incredible:
He was born the son of the Carian Queen and a champion of the Golden Order, and he embraced both halves with his mastery of magic and unmatched martial strength.
Godfrey, the first Elden Lord and hero of the war on the giants, was his personal hero and he yearned to become as great as him one day, so he adorns himself with a lion motiff.
His ascent to power began very humble and somewhat humorous: his childhood friend was a horse named Leonard, but he quickly outgrew his scrawny mount and could no longer ride him.
To solve this problem, he rode across the country to Sellia and mastered the power of gravity to lighten the burdon.
In his studies he learned of the incredibly powerful alien beings which sometimes fell to earth. One of them was his teacher, an Alabaster Lord.
He was then inspired to declare war on the stars so that he could earn a place in history alongside Godfrey, and WON. He basically surrounded THE ENTIRE WORLD with a forcefield that freezes falling stars, ending the threat of aliens crashing to earth.
He literally learned how to harness the power of gravity itself on a global scale...just so he could ride his tiny horse, but then decided to fight outer space, win, and then founded an entire knightly order of warriars because he could.
Even in his current broken state, he still rides his steed Leonard into battle and still holds up the whole sky (though Fallingstar Beasts and Astels are litered around the Lands Between now, as he is getting weaker).
His boss fight is just a gathering of the greatest warriors and Champions giving this immovable titan with a heart of gold one last hoorah before laying him to rest.
Lovely getting to hear the entirety of each theme, when I usually steamroll him before either track gets the chance to build up fully… he was nerfed into the ground unfortunately
Great Video! There are two Soulsbourne-Songs I would highly recommend checking out: Dragonslayer Armour from Darks Souls 3, and Erdtree Knights from Elden Ring
General Radahn. His soldiers sing for him, while he is in a constant chaos.
I've been waiting for this one for over an year!
Your take on going from chaos to order makes a lot of sense Davi, in battle Radahn has been stricken by a horrible sickness that consumes his sanity, and by the end it seems like he regains a bit of his consciousness, just in time for you to finally end his life, it is quite tragic.
The 'religious chanting' that you suggested is something that must be coming from the lore that a lot of people pointed out in the comments. The battle with Radahn is widely understood to be a funeral rite for him, it is like they are singing their goodbyes to their general.
Also, Radahn is probably the most beloved character in the game's lore.
10:12 was so inspiring❤! Love your videos Davi
Finally you got to play my favorite ost of all time 🔥🔥 shame on you youtube for not recommending this to me
This dude arrested the heavens basically from hospice. Mightiest of the demigods!
phase 1 your fighting a mindless rabid animal, all that's left of him, second phase is nearing the end of his life, it's like the proper, respectful, glory filled send off fit for a warrior, someone finally being able to defeat him
One of Radahn's big motifs is "gravity" and holding back the stars. The way the song evolves from chaotic and dissonant to harmonious and definite reminds me of a cosmic event, like the forming of a star. The way gravity pulls these chaotic forms together, and makes them into a coherent whole. There is something triumphant, awe-inspiring and fortunate about how these natural events take place, and the music evokes that for me. I love these videos, the energy you bring and the new perspective you provide when listening to these tracks. Thanks so much!
Now Maliketh !
Twas super cool interpretation of radahn theme... i think you should listen to maliketh theme, i think you may like it
With Radahn's OST, I see it as being sung by his army and it follows the battle in more of a lore way.
The start of the song is his army chanting to his might and power, as well as his past glories with the disturbing themes coming through because the rot has driven him into being more like an borderline mindless animal than the general he used to be.
But as you go through the battle, he starts using more of his gravity magic, he gets stronger as the fight reminds him of who he is.
Then he disappears, the music cuts out briefly, only for him to come crashing down from space like a meteor. The music kicks back up into full swing with a much more heroic tone because you are now fighting Radahn in his full glory, he's not just acting out as an animal anymore.
And then finally, towards the end of the song it changes one more time. You and your chosen allies (if you summoned them) have proven to be a match for Radahn, he's finally having one last glorious battle against people who are worthy of it and his soldiers start singing a funeral dirge for their general.
Radahn was a badass and I love the idea that his soldiers sing for him in his last battle since that's the sort of respect and admiration he'd managed to gain from his people.
Thank you... as always, you helped me understand the music... and it's nuances. Appreciate you Davi...
DAVI YOU MADMAN, I JUST BEAT RADHAN YESTERDAY, AND THEN YOU POST THIS
Amazing work, as always!
Looking forward to hearing more from you on this game :) If you're trying to decide on stuff to review, I think one of your early ER reviews (the multi-part one) was based on a mislabeled source, you haven't actually done Margit's song yet, you wound up doing Malenia. Margit's is pretty interesting.
It feels always good to see your theories in soulsborne musics. Personally, i recently felt nostalgic about Dark Souls 3. ANd then after a fight against the demon prince, i found their them very, terrifying and struggling. I recomand this one to you.
The first phase reminds me of Jesper Kyd's work in Freedom Fighters. Brassy, chanty, and marchy.
i imagine the first phase of cacophonous sounds represents the battle between Malenia's army and Radahns army starting, and as the song progresses through phase 2 it becomes more focused on the battle between the 2 demigods themselves. and the very last ending chord that shows "vulnerability" is Malenias scarlet aeonia blossoming ceasing the fight from continuing fighting after losing their pride
Something I really love with the choral bits that I don't think is a spoiler- there is a short track called "Song of Honor" that it draws from, that plays in the lead-up to Radahn. They had the men from the symphony they collaborated with become an impromptu choir to record it, and it somehow worked. It's only about a minute long but to me it feels like part of the same song, and creates the buildup. It seems you've kept yourself innocent of the game and I am excited for the day that you see first hand what was going on here.
Radhan is also called "General Radhan" , on his first phase you can somewhat hear like a "march" or something
The "chaotic" 2nd phase start is tied to the fact that Radahn basically man-drops himself as a meteor which is signified by the explosion
General Radahn, in the past, was a phenomenal warrior and charismatic leader, who led his Redmane Knights into battle. So renowned in the field of battle he was that he challenged the stars and, "in a crushing victory" stopped them in the skies. In the Shattering he fought Malenia, she who has never known defeat, into a standstill. However, this would come at a tremendous cost, as he was inflicted with scarlet rot, devouring him from the inside, and he eventually went mad. Now, a shadow of his former self, mindlessly eating corpses, he just roams the area. So the Redmane Knights, throw the Festival of War, a celebration where the strongest warriors gather to challenge Radahn, known throughout the land as "Mightiest of the Demigods". It's like the song is chaotic at the start, illustrating the chaos of battle, and progressively builds into a heroic finale, marking the glorious end of such an esteemed figure..
For a fun flip on Fromsofts work, have you considered the Armoured Core 6 OST?
It's very synth-y but has a lot of depth to it, I personally would be really interested in seeing you cover Contact With You, which is partially the theme of an early boss but is also somewhat the theme of your own rebirth in many ways, but I think the most popular song is Steel Haze (Rusted Pride), a much later boss/character theme, itself a variation an earlier version just called Steel Haze
Radahn falls under the character archetype of the Herculean hero, a renowned and honorable warrior, a demigod beloved and respected by many. And his story, like the story of most in Elden Ring, is the story of his downfall, after one fated battle with another demigod, Malenia the Blade of Miquella, leaves him and the lands around him corrupted by plague, his mind eaten away at as he's left as nothing more than a savage beast.
The music, much like Ludwig's theme, begins as something very much along the lines of a monster, but as the battle ensues the music begins to turn toward more heroic themes, as you are finally giving Radahn a warriors death and putting his pale reflection to rest.
I mean I would say it makes sense for Radahn to be something beyond our comprehension. Fighting off an entire warrior festival while being eaten alive by scarlet rot, only alive because of his burning within as he protects his horse while holding back the stars themselves
the little perfect harmony you mentioned could be a reference to radahns mind, somehow being able to slightly control himself because he’s rotting from the inside after malenia nuked whole caelid with her scarlet aeonia. radahn took the bomb for his alliance, for caelid. when he goes into second phase, it’s like the scarlet rot lets him no choice but to let free some more of his power, what could explain the chaotic beginning. and the outer world vibes you get is because he held the stars back from colliding with the lands between and he’s still doing it while you fight him. unfortunately we never got to see prime radahn but he was the mightiest out of the demi gods before he got scarlet nuked.
radahn is human don’t worry 😂 but the aspect in the last part of his theme you mention as heroic and human is, that radahn is aware that this is his last fight. in his castle they’re doing a festival for him because his hunger can’t be satisfied. the festival is the reason why friends and enemy’s are fighting against radahn once in a while. all that radahns alliance want is a glorious and honorable death for their general and mightiest of demi gods.