This was a hard list. This might be the hardest list out of all of them, actually. This is the (as of the time of writing this) most recent expansion of FFXIV, meaning it’s the last part of my XIV favorite song lists. I love the Endwalker OST. I think overall, it has the highest number of tracks I absolutely love. The base game, the raids, the side content, it’s all so strong, and I firmly believe there is not a single bad track in the entire list, only songs that I don’t personally vibe with, and even then it’s like, not even that much lmao.
The hardest part of this list was thinking what I didn’t feel right including; a part of me as I’m writing this is thinking “fuck it dude top 20 let’s do it”, but I’m gonna hold strong and say: I love Pandaemonium. I love the remixes, I love the medleys and covers. I want to make this list a little varied! So I’m trying not to go too ham.
5. Finality
This right here? This spot was the reason this list was so hard. The next 4 songs were locks, but I was like “what song hit me enough that it lands right above honorable mentions?” And after several listenings of every song you see on this page, this was the guy that did it. This is the final dungeon boss theme for this expansion, and that intro? Sold me. I know whenever I hear this song, I am getting ready for a fight for the literal end of the world. This song SOUNDS like the apocalypse. I love the heavy hits, especially the use of bass drum (like the opening bass drum roll??? fuck dude). I love how sorrowful the orchestra sounds, yet still loud to give you that sense of intensity. Not to mention, the choir version of Footfalls? My god man, this is a banger, but less in the sense that you’re dancing along to it, and more to the sense that it gets you pumped the fuck up every time you hear it.
4. With Hearts Aligned
I couldn’t not put something from the final trial. It’s an amazing fight. But I felt bad choosing The Final Day, cause, while glorious, it is ultimately a medley of songs from past expansions (which to be fair, is why it fucks).
This, is Endwalker specific. And not only is this Endwalker specific, this is generally considered to not be The Endsinger’s final boss theme, but your final boss theme. Your friends all praying for you, the guitar shredding like the intro cutscene, the strings rising the song further, and to top it all off in the intro? The Maker’s Ruin. The Theme From Phase 1 Of The Ultima Weapon. You’re hyped at this point. You’re powerful, you’re undefeatable, your friends are giving the coolest fucking power of friendship speech you’ve ever fucking heard, and then the vocals come in. Everyone’s favorite part of Footfalls finally shows its head of “yeah, this is the main song this is from.” Singing about our song of hope, which, as far as I’m concerned? Is you. On wings of hope, you rise up through the night, higher (oh higher!), carrying our song, cradled fast within your arms, that it’s chorus might ring for all (side note: this is also all the achievement names for the msq). This song is hype incarnate. This song is you conquering over despair, and bringing light to the entire universe. This. Is. Your. Song.
3. Flow Together
Before any of the patch content came out, this was my favorite song. If this didn’t exist, The Ewer Brimmeth would be right here, but this is my absolute favorite version of this melody. This is the fight against Venat (Hydaelyn), but also the final credits song. It’s honestly beautiful. The vocals give it that elegance perfect for the person who’s Basically your mom, but the band gives it a roughness befitting a sparring match between two Azems. My absolute favorite part starts after the song gets a little heavier, beginning at “Deep dark, far away~”. The lyrics here are so meaningful, the guitar is beautiful, and the melody itself brings me to tears; it goes into this wonderful electric/acoustic type solo, and then doubles down. It takes all the same strengths as the part before it, and increases it (I know there’s an official music term for this but I can’t think of it and I’m too busy tearing up to google it!!!). Listening to the lyrics itself, which applies to normal Flow (same song with no band), it means so much for the meeting between you and Hydaelyn, or Venat in this case. She’s talking to you. She’s asking you what your journey’s been like. She’s telling you she’s watched and listened to you all this time, and saying how you can rest. And I’m sure this meaning can be turned into anything, but that’s what I get out of it, and it’s what hits me the hardest (I am literally choking up writing this; the chokehold this goddamned song has on me I swear to god).
2. White Stone Black
We’re exiting the emotional Styrm-won’t-stop-crying corner, and entering the realm of hell and demons, the castle of bangers. Pandaemonium has my favorite soundtrack out of any one section in the entire game. Literally every song in this raid fucks (even Scream and I don’t even really care for that song!), and if I didn’t have self restraint this whole list would have been Top 5 Pandaemonium Songs.
Anyways, to this one specifically: not enough people get to experience this wonder, because it is locked behind savage content, being Phase 2 of the final boss in the second set of fights. The phase begins with a horrific transformation, and the song itself is this intense droning synth on top of these heavy guitars, adding onto the creepiness and intensity, the main Shadows Withal melody previously used in Embers and generally associated with Lahabrea (cause it was his facility) turning into this terrifying chanting chorus (Silence…. holding us to violence. Violence… swearing us to silence.); Then the bop starts. The percussion ramps up, there’s this really cool trancy noise in the background (that low key reminds me of super monkey ball), and the song gets heavier and more chaotic with all of the instruments and layers happening at once. The main meat of the lyrics also start at this point, with that heavily filtered screaming creating another layer of intensity and terror. This whole song represents this fight perfectly with the horror vibe and chaotic instrumentation (did you know a synonym for chaos is pandaemonium (did you know this bit also works for FFI and II)). There’s also the peak of the song, when the less demonic voices take up the lyrics, and this is really where the dance floor energy creates itself (if you look up the Fortnite dance Infectious, I am always doing that in my mind to this song). it’s an earworm, it’s a head banger, it’s creepy and terrifying, it’s an absolutely beautiful mess of a song and I am so glad it’s getting a Primals cover.
1. Hic Svnt Leones
What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk, have at you!
I’ll start this by talking about the main Pandaemonium motif. I was originally disappointed it wasn’t the classic tune used in II and IX, but it has really grown on me, especially because this raid series is its own entity. XIV doesn’t always have to be a theme park (although I do love when it is don’t get me wrong). It’s normally creepy, ghostly, and very befitting of the horror gothic death castle that is this raid. Love the arrangement, and the notes hit JUST right. You enter the raid, you do the first 3 fights, and you’re expecting this really heavy classical (is it baroque? is that the genre?) vibe for the entire raid series cause that’s the vibe it gives off!
Then you get to surf rock Dracula. And you remember “Oh yeah I’m playing Final Fantasy XIV!”. Hic Svnt Leones is my absolute favorite version of the Pandaemonium motif (but believe me, Ancient Shackles and Athena are CLOSE FUCKING SECONDS), and my favorite song in Endwalker period. Taking that amazing melody, with the amazing combination of guitar and organ creating this classical/modern fusion that exemplifies what makes XIV’s soundtrack so unique and awesome. The lyrics with the filter and again, the melody, are addicting, and extremely fun to sing alongside to. And then you realize what you’re singing along to? It’s talking about death, violence, murder, demonic creatures and rats and rot and blood and all sorts of horrific topics, about how you’re gonna lose your mind and break your soul and your bones are gonna burn AND IT ALL SETS THE ATMOSPHERE FUCKING PERFECTLY! YOU’RE FIGHTING ANCIENT TERRORS DRACULA IN THE DEMON CREATION CASTLE OF COURSE IT’S GONNA BE SINGING DEATH AT YOU! The lyrics go so raw: “Here in the valley your death casts no shadow”? God Fucking Damn. The “ooooo ooo” in the chorus is super strange, but I also love it? Continuing that really weird surf rock vibe this song has for some reason?? But then also going right into the haunts of the damned with the really deep choir, and then the raspy, rotten, creepy voice whispering about how it’s gonna open you up and reveal the black inside and it’s just. Fuck man. This song fucks. The melody is amazing, the atmosphere is perfectly horrifying, the lyrics go hard, and I could honestly listen to this song, not to mention this entire raid, for hours.
Honorable mentions go to the entire soundtrack, but more specifically: Footfalls, The Ewer Brimmeth, The Labyrinth, Divine Words, Vibrant Voices, On Blade’s Edge, Home Beyond the Horizon, Garlemald Express, As The Sky Burns, Sky Unsundered, Miracle Works, Your Answer, Close in the Distance, The Final Day, Carrots of Happiness, Where Daemons Abide, Ancient Shackles, One Among Wonders, Radiance, In The Balance, Hippo Ridin’, Embers, Rhythm of the Realm, Dedicated to Moonlight, Dreamwalker, One Amongst The Weary, Fleeting Moment; Athena, The Tireless One; Myths of the Realm, and finally, all of the remixes and covers: The Day Will Come, Tower of Zot, Welcome to Our Town!, Troian Beauty, Battle 2, Battle With The Four Fiends, Forged in Crimson, Voidcast Savior, Ultima’s Perfection, Crimson Rise, The Final Battle (FFIV), and The Red Wings.
i really did try to keep that list reasonable but jesus fuck the music team was on some shit this expansion
