History Leitmotif / Anime

* ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'' has several, though most seem to be more for specific scenes rather than the characters themselves. A few examples include the different themes that accompany [[TransformationSequence Final Fusion]], [[MemeticMutation Symmetrical Docking]], [[CombiningMecha Big Volfogg's combination sequence]], and [[DisappearsIntoLight Goldion]] [[DroptheHammer Hammer]]. Additionally, there are other songs that seem to play in less specific situations, such as the AnimeThemeSong playing during some of the titular [[HumongousMecha GaoGaiGar's]] more excellent moments.

* Used InUniverse in ''Manga/{{Monster}}'', where the eccentric underworld figure [[DepravedDwarf "The Baby"]] likes to be introduced to The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and has a grammophone installed in his office specifically to have it played during first encounters. The song is also included in the anime, but was removed from international releases for copyright reasons and replaced with a generic song for instead.

* Used InUniverse in ''Manga/{{Monster}}'', where the eccentric underworld figure [[DepravedDwarf "The Baby"]] likes to be introduced to Music/TheRonettes' "Be My Baby". The song is also included in the anime, but was removed from the international releases for copyright reasons.

* ''Anime/PrincessTutu'' has leitmotifs for most of the major characters, pulled from (mostly) Romantic-era classical music. Fakir's theme is Music/LudwigVanBeethoven's ''Coriolanus'' Overture, Mytho's theme is the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from ''Theatre/TheNutcracker'' (and later episodes use Siegfried's Funeral March from Music/RichardWagner's ''[[Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung Götterdämmerung]]'' when he's in danger, as well as "the Immortal Beloved" theme from the ''Siegfried-Idyll'' for his true prince form [[spoiler:which are appropriate since his true name is Siegfried]]), Princess Tutu's is "The Waltz of the Flowers" from ''The Nutcracker'', Drosselmeyer's is the Grande March from ''The Nutcracker'' (often arranged in a minor key and played on an ominous organ), Rue has several piano pieces by Satie for her themes, Ahiru has ''The Nutcracker'' Overture (that has several different arrangements for her changing moods), Edel's organ plays a slowed-down version of "The Dance of the Automatons" from Léo Delibes's ''Coppelia'', [[spoiler:can you say [[ArtificialHuman foreshadowing]]?]] ...even Professor Cat gets one--the Wedding March, of course! This isn't even going into some of the ''other'' leitmotifs used to represent various themes in the anime, or the fact that every episode has its ''own'' major musical theme named in the title card.

** Rei has three different ones, not counting reduxes thereof in the AlternateContinuity movies. [[spoiler:[[CloningBlues Guess why.]]]]

* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'' has a few good examples, but the one used with the most consistency is definitely "Nagato's Confession," a cool, stoic electronic tune. "How Promising" is also used pretty often and usually means Haruhi's about to pull some harebrained scheme again.

* ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'' has a couple. The main heroes' Leitmotifs are pretty subtle, but the not-quite-main characters (especially the [[BlackAndGreyMorality morally ambiguous]] sorts) have some very apparent ones, which sometimes serve as foreshadowing or add a flashbacky layer of emotional poignancy, especially when dead or absent characters' motifs turn up in the later series, Revolution. Rezo's theme in particular is an elegant, rather catchy little melody.

* The anime adaptation of ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' has two main ones: ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad5TszNUVYI Swordland]]'' as Kirito's leitmotif, and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKzojxmFB4c Luminous Sword]]'' as Asuna's. Swordland is, quite appropriately, the most remixed song in the series, having no less than four different versions. For the Phantom Bullet arc, we have ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS-UjCmrJh0 Gunland]]'', then there's ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5gyDemXonE Let's Join Swords]]'' from Ordinal Scale, and lastly, from the Alcization Arc, we have ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXoRO7DP1OU Sacred Swords.]]''

* ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' used a lot of leitmotifs. The names for the Homunculi's themes were named in Japanese even in the English release, with multiple levels of [[MeaningfulName meanings]]. For instance, Lust's theme, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq5lClW_M0M "Aishou,"]] can mean "Sorrow", which is appropriate--and also a clue that nobody with that music can be totally evil--or "prostitute", because, well, she's [[MsFanservice Lust]].

* In the anime of ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'', the brief appearances of the TortureTechnician Mr. Chick are accompanied by a faint, upbeat and ''very'' unnerving whistling tune. [[EvilOldFolks Szilard Quates]] has an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtzPn8dQuO4 appropriately menacing one too.]] It's usually used when he's [[TheAssimilator committing an act of pure evil]].

* [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XUhVCoTsBaM The Pillar Men theme (Awaken)]] from ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency'', every time the titular antagonists show up. Kars, the BigBad, eventually gets his own, [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=htDB8SuLrng "Avalon",]] [[spoiler:once he uses the Stone Mask and the Red Stone of Aja to become the UltimateLifeForm.]]
** As of [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Part 3]] of''Franchise/JojosBizarreAdventure'', the song "Stardust Crusaders" is always accompanied by a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown courtesy of Jotaro Kujo and his Stand Star Platinum...with complimentary "[[BattleCry ORAORAORAORA!]]"
** Expanded upon in [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable Part 4]] with the song "Breakdown", sharing the same general melody, but with a 'hip', rougher edge more fitting of [[TheNineties its current decade]].
** Part 4's villain Kira Yoshikage gets [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9yGGNohmAT0 a pretty neat one]] as well, which due to severe MemeticMutation has become instantly recognized for the climatic musical swell.
** For Part 5, Giorno gets [[https://youtu.be/2MtOpB5LlUA "Il vente d’oro,"]] the finale of which usually plays when one of his [[IndyPloy insane plans]] is about to pay off.

* The "Julia" music box theme from ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' certinally quallifies, as it harkens Spike's myth arc.

* In ''Anime/CyberpunkEdgerunners'', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZiy96EMmXI I Really Want to Stay at Your House]]" serves as this for the romance between David and Lucy. [[spoiler:This leitmotif becomes heartbreaking at the end, as it plays when Lucy finally reaches the moon... after David gets killed by Adam Smasher while helping her escape.]]