"Don't be Afraid", also known as "Don't Be Afraid", is the main battle theme of Final Fantasy VIII. It was composed by Nobuo Uematsu. The composition is in 5/4 time and has militaristic march overtones, most notably the horns and percussion elements.
Game appearances[]
Final Fantasy VIII[]
"Don't be Afraid" is the main battle theme, playing during almost every random encounter. It is the fourth track of the first disc of the Final Fantasy VIII: Original Soundtrack album. The battles fought as Laguna are accompanied by "The Man with the Machine Gun" instead.
It was released again on the Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack Revival Disc.
Final Fantasy XIV[]
Cloud of Darkness
An arrangement of "Don't Be Afraid" by Masayoshi Soken plays during the battles against the Cloud of Darkness and the Shadowkeeper in the 
Eden's Promise: Umbra and Eden's Promise: Litany Raids in Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers.
"Don't Be Afraid (Shadowbringers)" is track 1 on the Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers - EP3 digital mini album and track 57 on the Death Unto Dawn: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack.
Final Fantasy XV[]
"Don't Be Afraid" plays in the music player after the player buys the Memories of FFVIII soundtrack from Hammerhead for 100 gil. The Dissidia Final Fantasy version is also available on the Memories of DISSIDIA FF, available from Old Lestallum for 500 gil.
Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)[]
"Don't be Afraid - arrange - from FINAL FANTASY VIII" is one of the two default Final Fantasy VIII battle themes. It is an arrangement by Tsuyoshi Sekito. It is the sixth track of the Dissidia Final Fantasy Original Soundtracks second disc.
"Don't Be Afraid" can be automatically selected for battles including Squall or Ultimecia, or taking place at Ultimecia's Castle.
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy[]
"Don't be Afraid - arrange - from FINAL FANTASY VIII" appears as a battle theme. It can be automatically selected for battles including Squall, Ultimecia, and/or Laguna Loire, or taking place at Ultimecia's Castle.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT[]
The Dissidia Final Fantasy arrangement and the original PlayStation version can be bought from the shop for 3,600 gil.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call[]
Esthar City - Lunar Cry
"Don't be Afraid" is a Battle Music Sequence track, and is one of the songs newly added for Final Fantasy VIII.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy All-Star Carnival[]
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Don't be Afraid
"Don't be Afraid" is a playable Battle Music Sequence. It is available to the player by default.
| Difficulty | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Basic | Expert | Ultimate | Transcendent |
| N/A | 3 | 5 | 9 | N/A |
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line[]
This section is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.Final Fantasy Explorers[]
"Don't Be Afraid (from "FINAL FANTASY VIII")-FINAL FANTASY EXPLORERS EDIT-" appears in the game. It is track 38 on the Final Fantasy Explorers Original Soundtrack.
This section is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.World of Final Fantasy[]
A new arrangement called "Prismelody: Don't Be Afraid" (プリメロディ・恐れるな, Purimerodi Osoreru na?) by Shingo Kataoka plays when using Squall's Champion Medal.
Chocobo Racing[]
A remix of "Don't Be Afraid" by Kenji Ito named "FFVIII Circuit" plays on the bonus course of Deling City. It is the twenty-sixth track of the Chocobo Racing Original Soundtrack.
Arrangement album appearances[]
FITHOS LUSEC WECOS VINOSEC: Final Fantasy VIII[]
"Don't be Afraid" was orchestrated by Shirō Hamaguchi and included on this arranged album, published in 1999. It was conducted by Koji Haijima and recorded at Victor Studio.
Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy[]
"Don't be Afraid" was recorded in August 2007 in the Stockholm Concert Hall, Sweden, by Nilento studios, conducted by Arnie Roth and performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. It is track 5 on the album. The release of the album coincided with the start of the world-tour on December 4, 2007 in Sweden.
It was released again on the Distant Worlds and A New World Collections: music from Final Fantasy VIII.
Final Fantasy VIII Chips[]
The song is part of the 8-bit arrangement album as its third track, arranged by BOKKADENcI. It is the first section of the mash-up with the tracks "Force Your Way" and "The Winner".
Final Fantasy Series Acoustic Arrangements[]
Arranging video game music as someone who is a bit of an originalist means that I want to change as few notes as possible. However, sometimes there's no avoiding making a few changes in order to acoustically recreate the joy one feels when playing the game. I approached this arrangement with the goal of helping you freshly relive your experiences playing the game—quite the task given that you may have heard the song many times over. I think the arrangement turned out quite exciting, and I personally recall taking the guardian forces Quetzalcoatl and Shiva to the battle against Ifrit in my first playthrough—that's how thrilling I found it. I hope that players of the game will experience the same thrills as well.
Tsubasa Ito
"Don't be Afraid & Force Your Way" was arranged by Tsubasa Ito, performed by Atsuki Yoshida (violin), Mei Mishina (viola), Kirin Uchida (violoncello), Seiya Yoshida (contrabass), and Ren Tsukagoshi (guitar). It is track 8 on the album.
Live performances[]
"Don't be Afraid"'s orchestral arrangement from FITHOS LUSEC WECOS VINOSEC: Final Fantasy VIII was performed in several live concerts.
20020220 music from Final Fantasy[]
"Don't be Afraid" was conducted by Taizo Takemoto and performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra at the Tokyo International Forum on February 20, 2002. It is the fifth song of the line-up and eight track of the concert's live recording album.
More Friends - Music from Final Fantasy[]
"Don't be Afraid" was conducted by Arnie Roth and performed by the World Festival Symphony Orchestra at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles on May 16, 2005. It was the fourth song of the concert.
Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Returning Home[]
"Don't be Afraid" was included in the third version of Distant Worlds, and was the third song of its line-up, and the third song of the album of its live recording. It was conducted by Arnie Roth and performed by the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra.
Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy The Celebration[]
"FINAL FANTASY VIII : Don't be Afraid" was performed live and recorded as track 7 on the album celebrating Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary, conducted by Arnie Roth and performed by the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra. It is the orchestra arrangement of Shirō Hamaguchi.
Compilation album appearances[]
Square Enix Battle Tracks Vol.3[]
"Don't be Afraid" was included in this compilation of Square Enix battle themes from games released between 1999 and 2000. It is the second track of the album.
Final Fantasy Vinyls[]
"Don't be Afraid" is included on the third disc of this collector's edition set.
Final Fantasy Heroes[]
"FINAL FANTASY VIII : Don't be Afraid" is track 16 on the album.
Final Fantasy VIII Vinyl[]
"Don't be Afraid" is track 4 on side A of disc 1 of the album.
Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Tracks 1987-2017[]
"Don't be Afraid" appears as track 67 of disc 1 on the album celebrating Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary.
Time and Again 2: Final Fantasy XIV Raid Dungeon Themes[]
"Don't Be Afraid (Shadowbringers)" from Final Fantasy XIV is track 11 of disc 2 on the album.
Heroes and Villains[]
"Don't be Afraid" is track 5 on side B of the Heroes and Villains First album.
Final Fantasy Series 35th Anniversary Orchestral Compilation Vinyl[]
"Don't be Afraid" from FITHOS LUSEC WECOS VINOSEC: Final Fantasy VIII is track 1 of side A on disc 2 on the album celebrating Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary.
Appearances outside Final Fantasy media[]
Hongey Judaa Na Hum[]
"Don't be Afraid" appears on the 16th episode of the Indian TV soap opera Hongey Judaa Na Hum.[1]
WMU Bronco Marching Band[]
On September 29, 2012 the Bronco Marching Band of the Western Michigan University performed "Don't be Afraid". It was a special marching band arrangement.[2]
RTM TV1's Dialog[]
"Don't be Afraid" is also appears as an intro theme for a Malaysian primetime current affair talkshow program "Dialog", produced by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) back in 2009. Aired on TV1.[3]