This song seems like any old rock ballad until you sit down and really take a look at the lyrics, the emotions, the ethos of everything that’s going on. It really is shockingly deep and I think a treatise on life itself, in a lot of ways.
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Videos Used:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG8op2o8omQ&t=6s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW7b8Mo_SFU&t=167s
Credits:
composed and arranged by Masayoshi Soken, with lyrics written by Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and vocals by Jason Charles Miller. The lyric concept was conceived by Natsuko Ishikawa.
FINAL FANTASY is a registered trademark of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
© SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.
source
A bit of endwalker spoilers here.
It doesn't hit harder than my dad
Playing this fight, thinking about Emet Selch's last words, thinking about the spectre of Hythlodeus, all I could think was "what if things were different, could we have been friends?" I think a lot about Elidibus, how even as our enemy, even as an Ascian committed to restoring Zodiarc and their paradise, he stayed friendly, even willing to work with us at times because a part of him saw how horrible the calamities were. After all, he was the one who helped bring the Warriors of Darkness to the Source in the first place. Up until the very last moment when he realized he was the last Unsundered and desperation took over. Even if he had to do horrible things, he wanted to do things right. To be a beacon of hope and light for all.
When Zodiarc was no more, and the vague remnants of Elidibus spoke to us in the crystal tower, I cried for his passing. Truly he more than any other Ascian, perhaps even Hydaelyn, knew how much it hurt to fight to the edge.
Home is fucking the music
This was a great video! I do have a different interpretation of some of lines however, taking this as a companion piece to it's fellow excellent song Shadowbringers, it is made clear that it is a twist but for perspective, (to the point Shadowbringers spoilers the entire twist of the expansion but its hidden by applying it to the First and the Sineaters) for the Acians Dark (represented by Zoidark) is good, while light (represented by Hydelan and her champion) is evil and is the bringer of the end of their world. (Via the sundering) Thus while Eldibus has wraped his visage in the image of the Warrior of Light, he is still the heart of Zoidark and would bring shadow to restore the old world. While willingly or not, (depending on the PC dialogue choices) the PC has taken the title of Warrior of Darkness, their actions to bring the night on the First has nothing to do with Darkness, instead using their blessing of Light to contain the Lightwarden's corrupted light and later using it to kill Hades. (Hydelan even later telling them to seek light everlasting) This and other Acians deaths is why Eldibus sees the PC as Death incarnate and is even referenced in one of the only two references to the PC in the song lyrics, (Amber being the color Azem is tied to)
"Only alive in fighting Death's amber embrace."
Despite this I do think on some level Elidbus, like Hades, realized what they were doing was wrong, as wording in both songs give their enemies the title of Heaven, (though the word is also used to describe the undsundered world) while comparing themselves to demons. Which is why I don't think Eden was used here, sure its also a paradise but mankind fell from Eden partly from being tricked. Furthermore in the only other line referencing the PC directly Elidbus calls for the PC to save them. (Brother is most likely used as the "canon" Azem is male according to promotional trailers)
" Brother stay this descent to madness. Come and save us. Catch us before we fall"
Its only when as Eldibus in the song sees his enemy as a person that the two foes see why they fight do the tears of this tragedy fall like rain and in it the distinction between Light and Darkness fade.
I started playing XIV as a way to cope with losing my mom to cancer and having my life completely upended because of it, so it means a lot to me to hear this analysis from someone who's gone through similar, and understands some of the same things I felt while playing. I'll never forget attending an in-game watch party for the Primals concert stream during fanfest, shout chat delving into wails of despair as Soken talked about his battle with cancer, followed by mass relief when he said it had gone into remission. Absolute mad lad lmao
"To the Edge" has got to be one of, if not my favorite track from the whole game and Seat of Sacrifice is still my favorite trial.
One of the things I love about this song is that most of the lyrics can have different meanings or different nuances depending on whether you interpret them from Elidibus' perspective, the your character's perspective, the perspective of the WoL's Elidibus is semi-summoning, the perspective of the original Ancients, the Ancients that are part of Zodiark, the Ascians as a group, or even the various peoples the Ascians manipulated or that you trying to protect. It's kind of a testament to how FFXIV has repeated and built on certain themes through the various expansions.
That said, I think Elidibus' loss of memory is also pretty central to this song. While he thinks he has held onto the thing most important to him, his "duty", in losing his memories he's all but entirely lost his self. Kind of like how someone with Alzheimer's can sometimes "find themselves" when listening to familiar music, the sense I got from To The Edge is that Elidibus can only really find echoes of himself in battle when taking on the role of the hero his younger self aspired to be.
Bro, u definitely need to listen to Adam Smasher theme from Cyberpunk 2077
This strikes in everyway, for ppl losing what they loved, and who else know it best when the 1.0 failed for the high expectation, the brinks of failure of the whole studio, that person fight his disease in secret, and the really saga of final fantasy – the legend born in despirate. Piece by piece, they are passing the message and the spirit within it. For game, but not just for game.
This song was so amazing and for me really was the emotional high point of Shadowbringers given everything that led up to it and the scenes that followed. It and Soken are a huge part of why many people refer to Shadowbringers as the best RPG they have EVER played. So amazing and such a cool fight, even if we wipe once or twice to a sprout figuring out the mad clicky mid fight scene 🙂
Yeah dude. Shadowbringers is so complex and every new layer you discover is sublime.
By the way, I think To the edge really answers the questions posed in Tomorrow and Tomorrow.” Who fights? Who flies? Who falls? For who weeps the storm? The days of our years gone, our souls soaked in sin…
This song isn't the only thing having a breakdown :^)
(It was me during and after the fight)
1:35 If I may, I think it's more than that. I think it's, in large part, the voices that literally make up his being. Remember, this Elidibus is a primal entity born of both his people's hope for salvation and their very beings. Y'shtola points out that he can't be sure, after all these years, that he's still speaking with his own voice. The voices are both those without and within.
you gotta do ori and the blind forest ost review, one of the most beautiful games to play and has an amazing ost if you haven't tried it
This song and story at this point was a deeply spiritual and almost religious experience for me. Also I remember bursting into tears when I saw emet. And the lyrics yeah it just gets more relatable the more I go through
One thing that really gets to me about this song is this almost blase sort of strained dignity, the refusal to panic or beg or burst into fury when everything is pushed to the brink, to the edge, if you will.
The heavier male choir strikes me the hardest. This where I feel the tragedy of the ascians the sharpest, the part where I can feel their hope and love and you can't but sympathise and feel with them, for them, sharing in their feelings about their journey and what drives them.
'Riding home', like a worn-out but victorious army, yearning for family and peace and rest at the end of the long, long road, gaining resolve from the hope of reuniting with their loved ones. The thought of home pulls them forward. For that relief and happiness, they will endure the maddening trial of endurance before them, it'll all, all be worth it when they make it home.
Like soldiers far from home they miss the ones they have been separated from, the ones that in their minds are still alive, out there, they just have to make it back to them, save them. Emet remembers what he cherished, and what else can you call that but love. Elidibus has forgotten, but he still feels it, that it was vital, it was important, and if he gives up on it or loses it, there is nothing left to fight for.
This part, to me, is the core of what breaks your heart for them, because you want to give them their reprieve, their reward, their happiness, as a reward for their love and valour and gruelingly hard work. We don't like stories of heroes failing, we feel the bitterness and unfairness of a journey cut short with no resolution and no happy ending. An army dreaming of home, after all the pain and loss, and we have to go and make it so they will never arrive there. It feels cruel, and yet you cannot ever let them reach their destination as that means everyone else gets trampled in their path. You wished you could let them have what they desire, but you can't.
'Riding home' also sounds triumphant, but not in a victorious self-congratulatory way. It sounds like pure determination to not even conceive of the possibility of defeat, to hold your head high even as you stand on the sinking ship – we WILL ride home, we are on our way and we can see it within reach, for sure, no room for doubts, no space for overthinking or hesitating. 'It's not over till it's over', there is no convincing Elidibus to stand down or compromise. He is set in his path, implacable and proud of it regardless of how he suffers for it, carrying the pride of his people forward.
And yet, 'don't lose hope'. Something I'm sure he needs to remind himself of often. This faith and unyielding determination don't come easily. Right now he's fighting with his back against the wall, alone, after thousands of years of agonisingly slow progress with the odds piled higher and higher against him with every Ascian slain and every plan thwarted. His desperation is clear, but his conviction, his pride, his devotion and love are stronger.
What makes Elidibus so special to me is the sheer will of steel he shows, to the point where he tunnel-visions himself very deliberately because glancing aside to see the gaping chasm could break him.
This effing song, man.
You got something not quite right. Elidibus isn't the Warrior of Light. He's embodying the Warrior. WE are. We've ALWAYS BEEN. There's a cutscene earlier, an Echo scene with a fragment of his memory, of Elidibus looking at the Warrior's back and he says something to the effect of "even sundered and broken, you never gave up fighting", referring to the Warrior of Light who was Elidibus' Inspiration much in the same way that we are the Inspiration for *G'raha*. Note that as the Echo scene fades, he's reaching out to the Warrior of Light and finds himself facing *us*.
When you can't say anthing but the music can 😭😭
And can i request?? Well, it's another game, Moon Halo from Honkai Impact 3rd
And did you know Honkai Impact 3rd had Amazing Grace cover as well??
Thank you for making a breakdown of this song! It's one of my favorites from FFXIV & hearing you break it down in a way for me to understand why I feel the way I do when I listen to this is great!!!
There's one thing listening to this game's story and soundtrack have taught me, beyond genre, beyond everything: I love music.
I came in here expecting you to not have played or know much about FFXIV. I'm happily surprised.
Honestly, ever since Soken beat cancer and wrote this song, imo his music has just ascended to entirely new heights and that is reflected in Endwalker
Can I request or suggest a few songs? xD
-Wayward Daughter
-In the Balance
-Fiend
-Metal
-Hic Svnt Leones
Its a nice touch that Elidibus, the last unsundered, stands against us as the Warrior of Light, with the new knowledge of the elements brought to us in ShB, we can recognize him as sort of the embodiment of stagnation, of what was. So we can stand against him as the opposite, The Warrior of Darkness, sort of an embodiment of change, of what IS.
Hey Marco, can you do a review on divinity original sin 2's power of innocence ost?