Summary
JRPGs are a wondrous blend of sprawling storylines, striking art styles and stirring soundtracks. Before you even reach the title screen, you’re usually offered a distillation of these qualities in the form of an intro. And whileTaleshas established itself with fans as a more irreverent JRPG series than most, it doesn’t stray from tradition in this aspect.
There are lots of reasons to love Tales: the unique combat system, the charming cast, the humour, the skits. Yet among its dedicated fans, one of the most-often discussed parts of Tales is the opening themes. Here are some of the best ones.
Performer
BoA
Tales of Graces enlisted the services of none other than the Queen of K-pop BoA herself for its opening. The result is a dreamy, evocative dance track that prepares fans for a deeply affecting story. Thanks to BoA’s fluency in both English and Japanese, there are two versions of the song.
Mamoritai (White Wishes) isn’t the most memorable song in Tales history, but it’s the established curtain-raiser to a game that many series fans still cherish. Its lyrics, filled with yearning, offer an earnest summary of the game’s central motifs.
Kankaku Piero
After five years without a new entry, the Tales series made a triumphant return withTales of Arise. The opening theme, Hibana, welcomes fans back with rousing vocals set to a spiralling rock instrumental.
Tales of Arise would go on to win Best RPG at The Game Awards 2021, solidifying fans' hopes that the series - and its brilliant opening themes - would be around for a long time to come. Kankaku Piero’s contribution was so well-received, in fact, that they would return to perform the opening theme for the game’s Beyond the Dawn expansion two years later.
Garnet Crow
Tales of Eternia’s Western version boasts a suitably epic, orchestral opening that conveys not only the adventurous themes of the game, but also the poignant nature of its plot.
However, you’d be doing yourself a favour by seeking out the Japanese version of the intro, which is a splendid hard rock arrangement by the band Garnet Crow. The breezy guitar riffs and bouncing rhythm section underpin a soaring vocal performance that sets the pace for a fantastic quest between worlds. When they called the song Flying, they weren’t lying.
Do As Infinity
Tales of Legendia is a solid contender for one of the most beautiful love stories in video games, and its Japanese intro, performed by Do As Infinity, conveys that perfectly with a tender, soothing piano ballad. The song explores themes of heartache and separation, which threaten the game’s lead couple throughout the story.
Tales of Legendia also marked the last time in the trend of the localized versions replacing the opening theme outright, and fans in the West are all the better off for it.
Yukari Yoshida
When you boot up Tales of Phantasia, one of the first things you’re met with is a beautiful cascade of city pop. Written by Toshiyuki Sekiguchi, this light, airy composition served for many fans as their first brush with this much-loved series. What makes it all the more magical is that it was one of the few pieces of SNES music to use a vocal track, featuring an elegant performance by Yukari Yoshida.
While it was unfortunately removed from the Western version’s intro, snatches of the song can still be heard in-game… from a singing dog, barking out the individual notes.
Flow
Like its heroine, Tales of Berseria’s opening theme is powerful and resolute. Symphonic strings are quickly overtaken by charging heavy metal, setting the tone for one of the more somber adventures in the series. The sheer electric energy of this track is sure to get you hyped for the game’s free-flowing combat and exploration.
Burn was performed by Flow, a group best known for performing the opening themes to several popular anime. You can count on the guys who recorded Colors for Code Geass to deliver a memorable song.
Day After Tomorrow
The other theme, With Everything I Can Do, plays second-favourite due to its guitar licks overriding much of the performance. However, it’s inspiring in its own right, and still ends in that famous fade-out. Luckily for fans, both songs are included on all modern releases of the game.
Bonnie Pink
Tales of Vesperia burst onto the scene in 2008 with a pounding piece of power pop. To the delight of many, this was the first opening theme in the series to use a vocal track for the localised version. Its jangly chords set the backdrop for its lyrical ode to friendship, one of the core themes of the series.
Composed and performed by Bonnie Pink, the song was performed in both English and Japanese for its respective regions. With the Definitive Edition, fans can choose which version they want to hear using the game’s language select menu.
Superfly
There are only two appropriate responses to Tales of Zestiria’s intro: goosebumps and chills. This ranks among the coolest opening themes toanyJRPG, let alone a Tales entry. Its hard rock beat and gleeful guitar instrumental make it an immediate success. It’s hard not to headbang along.
White Light is such a great song, in fact, that you have to earn it. The opening doesn’t play until you clear the game’s prologue. After that, congratulations: you’ll be greeted with this uplifting track every time you start up the game.
Bump Of Chicken
This is the one. Tales of the Abyss, both the game and the intro, mark the peak of JRPG goodness. With its furious guitar licks and soul-baring lyrics, Karma is the perfect accompaniment to the journey of its outwardly hard-edged, inwardly vulnerable protagonist.
You know a song is good when the game’s climactic battle boasts an epic orchestral arrangement of the very same composition. Not only is Tales of the Abyss one of the most definitive entries in the JRPG genre, it also has the best opening theme in the entire series. We couldn’t have asked for better.
