The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a masterfully executed game, and the music is no exception to that. The various musical tracks, no matter how long or short they are, fill the game with a unique life. Each music track is carefully crafted and is so apparent when you listen to them separately from the game.
If you’ve played Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you might be immediately struck by the familiarity of the remixed soundtracks, but the masterful playing of Tears of the Kingdom’s music hardly stops there. It’s easy for the music to blend into the background, but you really should take a moment to soak in it.
10 the depths
The Depths are dark and sinister, holding lingering secrets and unparalleled melancholy. Whatever monsters exist down there have been so thoroughly tainted by the Darkness that anything they touch is tainted by it. The Depths’ music captures this perfectly, with echoes deep and ominous as you enter this uncharted land.
Listening to this track, you can close your eyes and feel right at home, with the darkness that seems unyielding stretching for miles at a time. There may be an occasional note of hope, but that too will soon be consumed by what lurks in the shadows.
9 Horse God Theme
The Horse God theme is one of the most unique and interesting experiences in Tears of the Kingdom, mixing a flute version of the stable song and the Great Fairy song. It gives an indication of the Horse God’s ties to horses and stables (with the new introduction of the Malanya bed) and to the Great Fairies.
While it may take a minute to locate where the Horse God has taken up residence, the music is a pleasant and memorable surprise when you visit.
8 lookout landing
Lookout Landing is a remarkably calm, hopeful and inquisitive song, which makes sense given that it exists to search and discover. The people gathered in Lookout Landing, whether they’re Hylian, Zora, Rito, Gerudo, or Goron, are there because they want to be.
They are researching the Uprising and its causes (and the aftermath, such as the ruins of Zonai and the Deeps). But they are also looking for Link and Zelda, still holding hope in their hearts that they will find the missing duo, and their inquisitive nature refuses to allow them to stop their work.
7 Lucky Clover Gazette Theme
The Lucky Clover Gazette cheekily mixes steady music with a much more inquisitive melody. It honors what the Lucky Clover Gazette used to be and ties them (and their missions, potential princess sightings) to what they are now.
As investigative reporters, it’s natural for them to be curious, and they’ll do almost anything to satisfy that burning curiosity. This music helps Lucky Clover Gazette fit in comfortably with the rest of Hyrule, while maintaining a distinctly unique feel.
6 Great Fairy Fountain
The Great Fairy Fountain’s music is masterfully conducted, though to hear it, in all its magical glory, you’ll need to unlock the Great Fairies through the Stable Trotter side quests. Once you finally manage to do that though, you can be bathed in the ethereal beauty that is the Great Fairies and their music.
This music is light and enchanting, with soft, humming undercurrents that you might wish would take you to whatever wonderland the Great Faeries originated from.
5 Dragon’s Head Island
It can take a bit of work to navigate the main quest before reaching Dragonhead Island and being able to experience the upbeat music there, but it’s worth it. For a moment on Dragonhead Island, you can finally feel a sense of true serenity.
And yet, in that serenity, there is still an undeniable sadness and longing that lingers around the edges, gnawing at your fingertips and begging you to help uncover the truth of the matter. Dragonhead Island is beautiful but so lonely because you can’t share it with someone else.
4 molduga battle theme
Molduga Battle Theme is fast-paced, similar to the fight itself and reminiscent of its desert setting. This song will be over before you know it and you might end up hunting more Molduga just to enjoy this fast and energetic song.
While it has deep repetitive strumming at its core to indicate that this is an intense fight, the music is encouraging throughout your fight, invigorating you and encouraging you to continue on your path. When all is said and done, you’ll be rewarded with a satisfying conclusion and some goodies at the end of your fight.
3 Master Kohga’s Battle Theme
Master Kohga’s Battle theme is unique among other themes in Tears of the Kingdom, combining electric and acoustic instruments to create fun and upbeat battle music. You can occasionally hear voices in the back, and while they don’t say anything particularly intelligible, it’s easy to pretend it’s Yiga’s soldiers cheering on his boss as he faces off against Link.
Unlike some other battle themes, this one isn’t particularly intense and dark, reflecting the light-hearted, almost silly encounters Link has with Master Kohga.
two Ganondorf’s Theme
Ganondorf’s theme music is justly somber, reminiscent of the Depths and the darkness that has begun to spread across Hyrule. It’s intense and terrifying, especially compared to the upbeat music that permeates the rest of Hyrule.
Drumming heavily and humming in the back of your mind, Ganondorf’s theme dominates almost every other song, generating a feeling of deep unease in the pit of your stomach. Once it builds up, the brief quick spurts followed by the slow build again give way to Ganon’s powerful nature. And yet, in the background, you can hear brief hints about his origins as the former King of Gerudo.
1 the main theme
What’s better to take the top spot than the main theme of Tears of the Kingdom? It perfectly encapsulates the awe and wonder as you wander through all areas, new and old. It’s a wonderfully hopeful song that wraps the game around in an arc of pure fascination.
However, on the edges lingers darkness and Ganon, a reminder of what awaits you and Link at the end of the story. However, you probably can’t help but feel excited to delve into the tale of Hyrule and its twist after hearing it.