Undertale Orchestrated - Battle Against a True Hero

Conceptualizing this piece was actually pretty straightforward. I spent lots of weeks just playing the track in my head, imagining how it would sound in grand fashion. I found myself subconsciously tapping out different kinds of rhythm ideas to replace the drum pattern of the original. After it was a couple sessions of hammering out my percussion ideas inside Studio One. This track uses about 20 percussion instruments total. If this was played by a real orchestra, they'd probably have to perform this in a warehouse!

This track is split into the obvious three acts. In the the original track, the motif in each act was repeated quite a few times before moving on to the next part. I wanted to avoid having my version have any noticeable repetition, so I layered counter-melodies on top of the original, and extended them out with some transformations. This along with the instrumentation allowed the "story" of the music to really come out. This is how I would interpret it in the context of the battle.

The first act is jumping straight into the battle. I treat Undyne as the "True Hero, as she draws on her DETERMINATION for newfound strength, in order to battle you, the murderous player. The opening starts out focused on intensity. Both of the player and Undyne are jumping around, trading blows, with little time to think. As the battle progresses, we reach the second act, the escalation of the battle. The original tune here has a more distinct melody. It is also the same tune used in the pacifist/neutral run to encourage the player not to give up. Ironically here in the genocide run it now applies to your opponent, who is the one fighting for good. I imagine for the player character to go on a rampage, she must be dead inside and void of compassion. Therefore, the emotion here all comes from Undyne as she fights bravely.

Obviously the battle does not go in Undyne's favor, and as she slowly succumbs to more attacks, we see the desperation in her eyes. Perhaps both the player and Undyne remember in some alternate universe where they shared some good memories together. They were actually besties, and went on adventures together. What happened to that reality? Instead here they are fighting to the death. Kinda tragic, I would think. I thought it would be fitting to have the strings soar above the original rhythmic melody, as if Undyne was crying out from the depths of her soul. But alas her end has come. At the very least, her sacrifice served a purpose in helping the others of her kind escape you, the evil player.

Overall, I drew heavily on Hiroyuki Sawano and Hans Zimmer's style, most notably Zimmer's Mombasa track from Inception. I made a couple callbacks to my previous Undertale tracks, including the one motif I added in "An Ending." This is the last boss/battle music I'll arrange from Undertale. From now on, any future arrangements I'll do will be the more soothing and serene tracks. That'll balance out my entire musical reinterpretation from Undertale.

Includes both looped and non-looped versions.

Original Song composed by toby fox
Arrangement by Jeremiah Sun

Undertale is available on Steam

[rachelhughes]

first orchestrated version that does the song justice.

[skycendre]

I love how in the middle of the video, as Undyne's HP is reaching zero and the song is getting sadder, suddenly her HP are restored and the rhythm gets epic again. It made me shiver all over.

[aidan]

This hero, one of the only monsters who stood in your way in the Genocide route and who actually posed a threat, the hero who never gave up, even in the times when it seemed like there was no hope left for human and monster kind,
Is the same woman....







Who burnt her house down trying to make spaghetti.

[cataquackwarlord]

You know, this version of the song, with a more threatening overtone, makes me feel like you're on the opposite side of the battle. Rather than being the ultimate bad killing off the world's last hope, you are the world's last hope fighting against the final boss.

[XanduIsBored]

Best orchestration of this song yet. Killer job!

[MrKeyblademaster]

Why is it my favorite songs in the Undertale OST are in the ONE route I refuse to play!?

[asylvis]

You know what I love best about this orchestration? It’s just as undying as the character it’s composed for. Just when you think it’s over, it’s done, it flares back to life with just as much vigor and passion, right up till the very end.

[Phoenixfirex]

That feel when you're rooting for an antagonist.


And before some smartass "Corrects" me...
Protagonist: Main character of a story. Can be Good, Neutral or Evil.
Antagonist: Character that acts as obstacle to the Protagonist. Can be Good, Neutral or Evil.

[scaqter]

This sounds like Zelda's and Undertale's OSTs combined. Absolute masterpiece

[Teachermook]

This was where I stopped my one and only attempt at a genocide run. I... i could not do it.

I could see Alphys rooting her on.... and then.... I fall, her cheering tearfully.

I never went genocide again after that.

[TheCmanPLPro]

You've got a serious knack for creating such powerful pieces. Beautiful work dude!

[DyaMetR]

Keep coming back for ths beautiful piece.

[EKG]

Also- if you ever want to use color footage for the battles, let me know! -Kloudy

If you came here from my video: THANK YOU!

[comicallycorrect]

Undyne's motives have always been simple; Fight as hard as I possibly can and give everything I can possibly give for what I believe in. And she believes in her friends and her King more than anything. That is such a freakin beautiful thing, wouldn't you say? *It fills me with Determination. HP was fully restored. [You feel.... Like the wind will carry you onward... Upward.... and Higher, as we march to a brighter world!]

[gaminggranny]

* "...heh... "It's nothing"...



* No...
* s-somehow, with just one hit...
* I'm already... Already... D... damn it.... Papyrus... Alphys... ASGORE... Just like that, I... I've failed you.
*No... My body... It feels like it's splitting apart. Like any instant...
* I'll scatter into a million pieces.

* But... Deep, deep in my soul.
* There's a burning feeling I can't describe. A burning feeling that WON'T let me die.

* This isn't just about monsters anymore, is it?
* If you get past me, you'll... You'll destroy them all, won't you?
* Monsters... Humans... Everyone...
* Everyone's hopes.
* Everyone's dreams.
* Vanquished in an instant.

* But I WON'T let you do that.
* Right now, everyone in the world... I can feel their hearts beating as one.
* And we all have ONE goal. To defeat YOU.

* Human. No, WHATEVER you are.
* For the sake of the whole world...
* I, UNDYNE, will strike you down!

* You're gonna have to try a little harder than THAT."

[gojifankotm]

This remix takes an already great video game song and turns it into a ten minute god. Damn. EPIC. The piece starts off the same as the original, then immediately grabs your attention with a sudden burst of strings. Then the percussion. Oh good GOD the percussion. Having 20 of the damn things was an unbelievably genius decision. At first it's emotional but TRIUMPHANT, you feel like you're really one the battlefield with Undyne as she throws everything she has at the player with every bit of strength, every bit of hope, every bit of DETERMINATION she has to save. EVERYONE. Using the horns to carry the main melody was an excellent idea, as the triumphant sound that just EXPLODES through the orchestra. The middle section is used as a time of reflection, and the density of the orchestra drops down to a few instruments while the piano carries the main melody, absolutely nailing the emotion of the battle. It feels empty, and vulnerable. And then a quire is added, providing a link to the previous song "The Earth Refused to Die" and providing a sense of hope that the true hero will strike down the true evil. Then, everything begins to build back up towards that final section, and the end of the battle. The entire orchestra comes back with the main melody with this more somber section, until everything drops out except the flute with an unbelievable sense of finality and emotion. I can't sing the praises of this piece ENOUGH. This needs far more appreciation than what it has already.

[Ness_Dreemurr]

this is epic. I have been anticipating this for a while. thank you.

[aldritchhunter]

I may be a bit late to the party, but I think this song belongs to a different setting, and it's one I've thought of on the spot:

Undyne is steeling her nerves. This human, no, WHATEVER it is will not get past her. She will fight and die to protect her home. She takes a hit that would kill her, and stumbles back. She can feel it, she can feel her body breaking. But she won't. Her body, no, her SOUL is unwilling. She can't die here. She WON'T die here. Through sheer will, she puts herself back together. She snarls at the human. "You're going to have to try a little harder than THAT!" The battle ensues, and now, Undyne has total control of the fight. She can sense strange deja vu, as if this has happened before, but that sense shatters once she realizes the human, somehow, can't keep up with her. Undyne has the absolute advantage, and the human is losing ground fast. Undyne shouts: "This ends here and now!" With one final barrage of spears, she'd done it. She's won. Then, something... compels her. Before the human's soul shatters, Undyne takes it and absorbs it. She can feel herself pulsing with new power, but it's fighting against her. She manages to calm the soul, and it properly merges with hers. She's exhausted for now, but soon, she'll head to the barrier, and free her kind. Their war with humans... is finally over.

[marcinpilarski]

The song is beauiful, but one moment is just perfect
3:18 a little variation from the leitmotiff
It is so freaking perfect for me...


Lol when I was listening to it, after this moment a thunder struck loudly...
God too thinks it's perfect

[khkeymaster]

I've loved the undertale fandom since day 1 (despite it being called toxic, with fair reasoning). I love this fandom because it has some really creative people and with an extremly awsome base line made by Toby fox, managed to create amazig peices of art in all forms (mods, comics, stories, peotry and ESPECIALLY the music). Yet knowing this, this is the FIRST version of Battle against a true hero that I not only like, but in my opinion, is far superior to ANY version ever made (including the original). You, second narrator, are a prime example of the best that this fandom has to offer. Thank you for this and your other themes. I would personally love to see your rendition of the main theme Undertale. Regardless keep up the good work!

TL;DR
love this fandom and this is some good shit XD