Prelude (theme)

The "Prelude", also known as the "Crystal Theme", is a recurring piece of music that appears in most Final Fantasy games. It is often considered one of the most important themes in the series, as it is often heard on the file select screen, especially in the Finest Fantasy for Advance releases.

Interestingly, Nobuo Uematsu composed the Prelude as a last minute addition to the original Final Fantasy, and took all of 10 minutes to create it.

Final Fantasy
The "Prelude" plays in the opening, formation and World Map screens. This original version is also found on the fourth disc of the Final Fantasy Vinyls collector's album set.

Final Fantasy II
The "Prelude" plays in houses with healing Statues and at the Main Screen.

Final Fantasy III
The "Prelude" plays in the New Game screen.

"Prelude" is also part of the "The Evil Power of the Underworld" track on the Final Fantasy III: Eternal Legend of the Wind album.

Final Fantasy IV
The "Prelude" plays in the New Game screen, in the Crystal Rooms and during The End screen. In the DS version, it also plays during the minigame Rosa's Measured Meditations when training the Eidolon Whyt. Edward describes it as "a very difficult piece" in the Music Box section of the DS version.

Final Fantasy V
The "Prelude" plays in the New Game screen (GBA & iOS releases only) and in the Crystal Rooms.

Final Fantasy VI
The "Prelude" plays in the New Game screen, in the Beginner's House and during the "The End" screen.

Final Fantasy VII
The "Prelude" plays at the last part of the Game Over tune, in the opening credits, and after the credits in a space background. In the demo version of the game, a remix of the theme plays in the menu screen.

The theme is found on the Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack and the compilation limited edition album Final Fantasy VII Vinyl Limited Edition.

Final Fantasy VIII
The "Prelude" plays during the Game Over screen and also in the last parts of the game's ending theme. A variation very similar to the one from the Final Fantasy VII demo can be heard during the menu screen of the game's demo, although it uses slightly different samples and is a bit higher-pitched.

Final Fantasy IX
The "Prelude" plays during the game over screen and at the end (Blackjack game). An arrangement of it makes the Crystal World theme.

Final Fantasy X
An upbeat mix of the "Prelude" plays at the start of the game, when the player is introduced to Tidus in Dream Zanarkand. It also plays when the player first learns about the Sphere Grid. This version of the "Prelude" is meant to make players feel like they are in Zanarkand, whose background music is sharply different from the more ethereal and less city-like feeling of Spira.

"I remember this arrangement was the result of being inspired by the visualization of the game scenes," music director Keiji Kawamori has said. "A radio DJ appears right after the first scene where this song is played."

Final Fantasy XI
The music is present in the Final Fantasy XI Play page of PlayOnline and appears in the end of the opening movie. It also plays during the main theme, "Vana'diel March", and during various mission cutscenes.

Final Fantasy XII
The Prelude, with vocals, is played during the first part of the opening scene. It is similar to its appearance in Final Fantasy VII. It is titled "Loop Demo" in the original soundtrack.

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
The Prelude plays on the main title screen, when deciding to select a new game or not.

Final Fantasy XIII
Although not played on the intro or outro of the game like much of the series does, a portion of short and fast piano variation of the theme can be heard, mixed within the track named "The Sunleth Waterscape". A very different theme called "Prelude to Final Fantasy XIII" plays during the introductory movie.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
"Eclipse" contains an arrangement of the "Prelude".

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
A brief arrangement of Prelude can be heard at the end of the track "Ending Credits".

Final Fantasy XIV
The Prelude returns to the main series with "Prelude - Remembrance", the first track of the OST.

Final Fantasy Type-0
"Divine Protection of the Crystal" is an arrangement of the original "Prelude".

Elements of "Prelude" are heard within the track named "Peaceful Times". It has similar instrumental beats from Dissidia and Dissidia 012 as it was composed by Takeharu Ishimoto.

Final Fantasy Tactics
The "Prelude" appears in two tracks; the intro and outro of the track "P.R. Movie", and at the end of "Battle's End", the victory fanfare.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
A small version of the "Prelude" is played when St. Ivalice transforms into the world of Ivalice, after a formation of Undeniable Anxiety is played. The music is absent at the Original Soundtrack, though.

Final Fantasy: Unlimited
A portion of the intro is played in the track "Top Title". The track can be found in Final Fantasy: Unlimited - Music Adventure Verse 1.

Dissidia Final Fantasy
The "Prelude" plays in the new game menu, and at the start and the end of the Opening FMV.

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light
A remix of the theme can be heard in the background of the ocean theme.

Vocal Collections
Vocal arrangements of the Prelude are featured in the music albums Final Fantasy: Pray and Final Fantasy: Love Will Grow.

Pray
The version that appears in Pray is only a multilayered vocalization of Prelude's central melody.

Lyrics

 * Dream in your heart
 * I feel in asleep night
 * But there is only stars
 * Like tears of the moon
 * Like silent moon


 * And on and on
 * So the sad will fall and fall
 * But I think all the dream
 * Is true any day, for anyone


 * Love in your eyes
 * I feel in clear sky
 * But there is only winds
 * Like sighs of the earth
 * Like weeping earth


 * Still on and on
 * So the pain will blow and blow
 * But I wish all the love
 * Is free any day, for anyone.

Final Fantasy IV: Celtic Moon
"Prelude" is arranged and performed in the style of Irish Celtic music on this album.

Final Fantasy IV: Minimum Album
The album contains a remix of the Prelude, called "The Prelude (Crystal Mix)".

Piano Collections: Final Fantasy IV
This album contains a piano arrangement of the theme performed by Reiko Nomura.

Piano Opera Final Fantasy I/II/III
This album contains a piano arrangement of the "Prelude" theme from the original Final Fantasy, titled "Prelude ~ Opening".

Guitar Solo Final Fantasy Official Best Collection
"Prelude" is the second track on the Guitar Solo Final Fantasy Official Best Collection album, which consists entirely of solo classical guitar arrangements of tracks from the Final Fantasy main series, performed by Yuji Sekiguchi.

Final Fantasy Remix
A remix of the song by DJ duo Ante is included on this album.

20020220 music from Final Fantasy
"Prelude" is part of the "FINAL FANTASY" Final Fantasy-Final Fantasy III Medley," performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Distant Worlds II: More Music from Final Fantasy
"Prelude" is included in this live recording of an orchestral concert, performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

Tour de Japon: Music from Final Fantasy
The original "Prelude" from the original Final Fantasy was part of the "Final Fantasy Medley I-III 2004", a piece performed during a concert tour featuring music from the Final Fantasy series that toured Japan from March 12th to April 16th, 2004.

SQ Chips
The song appears in the SQ Chips VILLAGE/VANGUARD Customer Bonus edition of the 8-bit arrangement album featuring tracks from several Square Enix games. It is the first track in the bonus CD.

Beer SQ
The song appears in the pub-theme style arrangement album as its eighth and last track.

Chocobo Racing
Titled "Crystal Legend", composed by Kenji Ito, it is a synthesized child version played before the last race in the Story mode.

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales
The Prelude that can be heard is supposed to be the from the original Final Fantasy, but has a second melody that started to sound in the Final Fantasy VII's Prelude. It sounds in the mini-games' preludes and endings.

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon
Titled "A Memory Returned", arranged by Yuko Takahashi, it is the arrange version from Final Fantasy XI "Prelude".

Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring
There are two versions, depending on the Soundtrack selected, played at the Reactor arena.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
While Yoko Shimomura composed most of the soundtrack, the theme still appears. The track is named Conversation with Culex and plays after Mario defeats Culex, a hidden Easter Egg character.

Kingdom Hearts
A sample of the Prelude can be heard in the track "March Caprice".

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
In the song titled "Naminé", part of the Prelude can be heard in the background, although the final part of the sample has a slightly faster pace than the rest of it.

Merchandise
A music box that plays the "Prelude" has been released by Square in 2002, known as Final Fantasy XI Music Box. The music boxes were made in limited numbers and only available in Japan. Unlike the music box for Final Fantasy V and the "Aerith's Theme" music box, this one is not made of wood but of clear plastic, with the text "Final Fantasy XI" on the cover.