History Leitmotif / VideoGames

* Destiny has several.

** Often times, a character's theme will be remixed as a sadder theme to fit the mood. For example, [[spoiler:Maya Fey's "Turnabout Sisters' Theme" becomes "Turnabout Sisters' Ballad," Shi-Long Lang's "Speak Up, Pup!" becomes "The Fall of the House of Lang," and Athena Cykes' "Courtroom Révolutionnaire" becomes "A Sad Memory."]]

** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreed'' has the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH1NFziHUxg chase theme,]] written by Jesper Kyd where you better start running NOW.
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' has "Ezio's Family." First played over the opening credits, remixed several times as "Earth" which [[spoiler:plays when Ezio recovers his father's Assassin robes]] and then as "Venice Rooftops," which plays during chases, races and courier missions (occasionally). Played in [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic all its glory]] over the credits of both ''II'' and ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood Brotherhood]]''.

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Atelier}}'' franchise, Hagel and Pamela, the two big recurring characters of the series, both have their own respective themes, with a different twist in each game. Pamela's is known as "Ghost Girl," while the title of Hagel's tends to vary from game to game, but nevertheless keeps the same basic sound.

* ''VideoGame/BioShock'' has a somewhat unusual example. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziFdpLRwyps main theme]] in the [[VideoGame/BioShock1 first game]] later went on to become [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KibRGZm-QNw Elanor's Lullaby]] in ''[[VideoGame/BioShock2 2]]'' which is the theme for your Little Sister in the game, Eleanor, and is the closing music for the game. Also of note is the track [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlu2z2gkhhI Cohen's Masterpiece]], the theme for a ''MadArtist'' which plays when he finishes his masterpiece (with your help)
** In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'' a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSdmEsnRjAI whimsical accordion ditty]] plays whenever the [[TricksterMentor Lutece Twins]] appear.

* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Contra}} Contra: Shattered Soldier]]'', Lance Bean has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thldXYYuQY8 Lance Lullaby]] while the Triumvirate has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fERHkdy_EfQ Senator]].

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEBOJBolTf0&feature=related Chaos Witch Quelaag]], ominous creepyness mixed with [[OneWomanWail Many Woman Wail]] and [[OminousLatinChanting Ominous Chanting]].
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVDo0ZRy5So&feature=related Taurus Demon]], suitably fast paced with shrieking violins and ominous chanting to match the player's surprise following the boss's DynamicEntry. Also used for the Asylum Demon.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_UJz04oGwU&feature=related The Moonlight Butterfly]], slow paced and would almost be describable as beautiful if not for your horrible memories of actually fighting the boss itself.

* If a piece of music in ''Franchise/DotHack'' has to do with the Phases, whether in the original or ''[[VideoGame/DotHackGU GU]]'' games, it will feature at least a few measures of a distinct and slightly creepy melody of bells at some point. You can hear it quite clearly about ten seconds into Gorre's original theme: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ANN4HGAMtI here.]] The eighth Phase, Corbenik, has his own [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCacMBIS2zI piano melody]] across the games, and snippets of Cubia's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyzlcb47dfY final music]] from the first games can be heard in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRNpSEz0k-g battle themes]] from GU.

** In the Dead Money DLC, Dean Domino seems to have "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTRQn-ijsrY Something's Gotta Give]]" as sung by Bing Crosby as his theme. "Begin Again", sung by Stephanie Dowling, is [[PosthumousCharacter Vera]]'s and possibly Christine's theme.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' was the first game in the series where many different characters are given leitmotifs. Nearly all of the protagonists have one, as do some of the villains, most notably Golbez with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKojJdtW0L8 "Clad in Black."]] Nothing says ''"Oh shit, I'm about to get my ass kicked by the BigBad"'' quite like those {{Ominous Pipe Organ}}s.
*** The "Theme of Love," Rosa and Cecil's relationship theme is so popular and well-known in Japan, it's now being included in many schools music books over there.

*** Terra's true character theme is "Awakening." Celes's character theme is the famous opera song "Aria Di Mezzo Carattere" played slower and more sad in tone.
*** [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic "Dancing Mad,"]] the music that plays during the party's final confrontation with [[BigBad Kefka Palazzo]], incorporates numerous letmotifs that, when you sit down, listen to them, piece them together, and [[FridgeBrilliance think about it]] sums up everything Kefka is so perfectly, it couldn't be the final boss music for anyone else but him.
** [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Sephiroth's]] leitmotif is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C77Eaq3CDQ "Those Chosen By the Planet,"]] which is played during his slaughter of [[DoomedHomeTown Nibleheim]], not the immensely popular '[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTxhh1Ins5I "One-Winged Angel."]] Or rather, that ''was'' the case in ''VII'', but due to its popularity, "One-Winged Angel" [[BootstrappedLeitmotif has become Sephiroth's leitmotif in all of his future appearances]].

*** "Melodies of Life," also from ''IX''. This song appears everywhere, from when the game starts to the ending credits.

** The leitmotif for ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' is "[[Franchise/FabulaNovaCrystallisFinalFantasy Fabula Nova Crystallis]]." Tracks containing this melody include two location themes, three event themes and a character theme with lyrics to boot.
*** Lightning's theme is also used as a battle theme, aptly named "Blinded by Light."

** Several important characters in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' have their own leitmotif that will play when they appear in conversations, including [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObBwgjg3kEU= "Oliver's Fall,"]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDGFPekXpFw= "Queen Elincia,"]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAAYQrzkYGQ= "Empress Sanaki,"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diFdSFVOsHI= "Mind of Izuka."]] The powerful Laguz Royals and Oliver have their own battle themes as well.

%% *** The motif shows up in pizzicatto form for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5tSYZE_GvY&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Just a healthy little walk,"]] the music that plays on the world map.
%% *** A slower, more serene version becomes [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2sT4ys8oWQ&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Dry your tears, love,"]] Emmeryn's theme music.

%% *** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1XVfcR2cvA&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Id,"]] the theme of the [[PlayerCharacter Avatar]] from Awakening, comes in several different flavors.
%% *** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaEu4kAWhQQ&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Serenity,"]] which plays during the beginning of the game and perfectly suits the idyllic nature of the Ylissean countryside.

** "Return" leads directly into [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bio99hoZVYI&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Purpose,"]] a TriumphantReprise of the Avatar's theme that plays over the final battle. It even incorporates the main ''Fire Emblem'' theme, complete with OminousLatinChanting! (Which is lifted from the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' rendition of the series' main theme.)

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeAh1WEUrU0 "A Little Friendship"]] is Ivan's theme. [[spoiler: It's also used for cutscenes focusing on Hama, which foreshadows the reveal that she's his sister.]]
** Isaac, Felix, and Jenna all eventually have their own [[BattleThemeMusic battle themes]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpTAxpqBxpM Isaac's theme]] is used in the first game for the majority of battles and will also play if he's present in the active/primary party after the groups join up. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFavD6Vq55Y Felix's theme]] is used for a large portion of the second game, and will also play if he's present in the "active/front party" after the groups join up. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjQLhg4hTxM Jenna's theme]] is used briefly in the prologue of ''The Lost Age'' when she's the only player character, and once the parties join up, [[GuideDangIt if she's in the active/front party and neither Isaac nor Felix are (meaning that Isaac and Felix are in the backup/secondary party)]].
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn9kAwhOIMQ Saturos and Menardi]] share their theme (simply named for them), along with a BossRemix [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG4bkp-NjaQ theme]]. Saturos, being Saturos, also has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD3SMmAFUjE his own boss theme]] when encountered alone, and it's hands-down one of the fandom's favorite pieces -- it even came back as BonusBoss [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kui8MlFol4g battle theme music]] in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn''!
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5egYkPJUe-U Agatio and Karst]] also share a theme (simply named for them) and a rocking BossRemix [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVqlbYdKpc0 theme]].
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRUOauz4ATE "There Goes Briggs!"]] inexplicably only plays in one of Briggs's cutscenes in ''The Lost Age''.

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' also uses leitmotifs extensively, particularly in the sequels. Kairi has 4 different variations on her leitmotif, while Sora only has one. Bosses also have their own leitmotifs. If a character is fought as a boss at some point in the game, their battle music will be a remix of their theme. Nearly all of Organization XIII's battle themes use the piano and are entitled "The 13th (Noun)." [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII "The Other Promise" and "Rage Awakened"]] are also remixes of [[spoiler:Roxas and Terra's themes, respectively]]. [[spoiler:Ventus's theme as well as Vanitas's battle theme in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' include strains of both Roxas and Sora's themes, due to their (rather intricate) connections to said characters.]]

*** In the series, certain bosses' battle music will sound suspiciously familiar. [[spoiler:Xion's boss music in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'' has strands of Sora's. Kairi's, Naminé's and her own theme as well as "Dearly Beloved."]]

** For ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'', the [[FireIceLightning Three Mage-Sisters]] have ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hhdDykbrVg Song of Supplication]].'' It gets remixed several times, as Zan Partizanne's theme, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZCTUM20Czc Forgotizanne Flash of Lightning]], [[spoiler:Void Termina's battle theme after the three sisters get forcefully sacrified by Hyness, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5l3Zz58264 The Star-Conquering Traveler]],]] and their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZlogxysD88 Celebration Picture, Let Them Know We're Happy.]]

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' and its sequel has for Crow Armbrust, "I'll remember you," the song played during the credits sequence [[spoiler:following his death. The melody of it is used in several other pieces, including the piece "Remaining Glow" played during and following his death and even "The Decisive Collision," which is actually the final boss theme of the original game, played during the first battle between Rean/Valimar and Crow/Ordine.]] "New Companions" is actually used in the original ''Cold Steel'' to introduce both Millium Orion and Crow, but its perky nature fits the personality Millium displays and it's used in several other scenes involving her, including in ''Cold Steel II''. [[TheHero Rean]] meanwhile gets [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH-Xxj22Kog Blue Destination]] as his theme in the second game.

** The Master Sword has one that plays in some form or another when it is climatically drawn from its pedestal in each game it appears in. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYujnFIkEao You know the one]]: "Dadadada dadadada dadadada dadadada daaaaah DAAAAAH ''DAAAAAH'' '''DAAAAAH!'''"

* The ''VideoGame/{{Lufia}}'' series has a few recurring themes through its games. Most notably [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFC3z4cir_A "The Last Duel," ]] for the [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Sinistrals' stronghold.]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbQL_b18Wzc "For The Savior"]] also gets a fair bit of use through some of the games when the Dual Blade comes into play.

* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', the ''Normandy'' and Commander Shepard share many of the same musical cues and riffs in their respective themes, appearing in all three games, suitably heroic sounding for both of them. The second game features a variation of this theme called "Suicide Mission", appropriate for the game's [[DarkReprise darker tone]]. Shepard in particular has a recurring violin and brass riff associated with them, noticable in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FE4NHBNi5Y Spectre Induction]]", "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXCM0lZxh4U The Normandy Reborn]]", "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCk4RiKH9H0 The End Run]]" and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Gnbkd7wkg The Fleets Arrive]]".

** "Appearance," the little riff that plays whenever Samus emerges from her spaceship/a save station when you start up the game in the ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy Prime]]'' series, has been the customary "loading save/new game start" song since the very first ''Metroid'' game.

* The soundtrack to ''VideoGame/Mother3'' is very heavily built on leitmotifs that recur in numerous variations throughout the game, including [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKzRhveK7sQ His Highness' Theme]] for scenes involving the Pigmask Army, the [[{{Sexophone}} saxophone]] line in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMRST8PixfA Magypsy's Home, Sweetie-Pie]] for the Magypsies (which actually serves as a MusicalSpoiler later on in the game if you're paying attention), and, of course, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idULzIIF950 Love Theme]], which will break your heart with its every appearance in the context of the game.
** ''VideoGame/{{Mother|1}}'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85XM_Nl7_oo "Eight Melodies"]] is another memorable example.

* Each main character (and some villains too) from ''VideoGame/OnimushaDawnOfDreams'' has his own theme. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg1Y8S8wNfc Soki's]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDhBvzLIThE Jubei's]] themes in particular are easily SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic.
* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest'''s most prominent leitmotif is that of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6rCpWMHEOw Spirit Tree]], which is also the main RecurringRiff. There are also themes for Ori themself([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Fhx2IEztw "Ori, Lost in the Storm"]]), Naru ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k6kg---YKg "Naru, Embracing The Light"]], whose motif is further elaborated upon in the backstory-exploring BonusDungeon from the UpdatedRerelease), Sein ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX85QCR6dxQ "Finding Sein"]], and "The Ancestral Trees"), Kuro ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzXNGRnOYP4 "Kuro's Tale"]], "Facing The Dark", "Fleeing Kuro", and "The Sacrifice"), and Gumo ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO2Dvgkaf8k "Gumo's Hideout"]] and "Breaking Through The Trap"). Furthermore, most locations have leitmotifs, such as Swallow's Nest (which has a DarkReprise when the forest falls to the decay and Naru dies), Sunken Glades, Moon Grotto ("Down The Moon Grotto" and the aforementioned "Gumo's Hideout"), the Ginso Tree ("Climbing The Ginso Tree" and "Restoring The Light"), the Misty Woods ("Lost In the Misty Woods" and "The Mists Cleared"), the Forlorn Ruins ("Home of the Gumon" and "Escaping The Ruins"), Sorrow Pass ("Riding The Wind" and "Completing The Circle"), and Mount Horu.

** ''VideoGame/Persona3'' specifically used about seven different versions of the Tartarus background music, representing the different blocks of the tower. The 'ground floor' rendition ends up more as the main soundtrack to the Dark Hour itself though. More notable, however, is the credits track, "Memories of You," wherein musical segments from "Your Memories" (one of the saddest-sounding songs in the game) and "Joy" (playing during some of the happiest scenes in the game) are both used. The game also used instrumental keys from the first verse of "Burn My Dread," and of "Memories Of You," for pivotal background themes. "Living With Determination" is the most noticeable example.

** Krauser also gets a theme in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3HhTZarVBg Island Ganado battle theme]], and during the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67qTza6SSYM quicktime event]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcxrPYrJk4k boss fight]] with him.
** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' gives Wesker a leitmotif, which is heard whenever he appears on screen, and is combined with [[spoiler:Jill's battle theme]] for the song "Two versus Two." Interestingly, Wesker loses his theme music [[spoiler:when he transforms into [[OneWingedAngel his final form]]]].

** In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'', the track [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqah6JOTnkI Fiend]] is associated with Fiend-class demon bosses. It also appears in arranged forms in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIMAGINE'', ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'', and ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'' in the same context.
** Pretty much everyone in the game has his or her leitmotif: Aradia has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UBZrXmOJPY Lady Aradia, Advent]], Gozu-Tennoh has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b70sdehPrSU Masura]], and many others, such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UBZrXmOJPY Hijiri]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4vfWk1Dp8U Isamu]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfHMoICw2uc Chiaki]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smCPySvfx9I Metatron]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_GdDjswJQo Beelzebub]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b70sdehPrSU Hikawa]], have their own leitmotifs. Of all these, though, Metatron's and Beelzebub's are notable for being remixes of their factions' themes from ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI''.
** One of the most recurring themes throughout the entire ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' franchise is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yhh5Ol7AZ8 Law theme]] that originated in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI''. Along with the aforementioned Metatron pre-battle theme, it appears as his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u2hQvJV9Q8 battle]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePzkTQPyhmY theme]] in ''Nocturne'' and ''[[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIMAGINE IMAGINE]]'', and, along with the ''Videogame/ShinMegamiTenseiII'' Law theme, as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1qS9LMuK8M the theme]] when battling [[spoiler:The Archangels]] in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV''.

** On occasion, their leitmotifs are changed to a completely different theme. Shadow's has changed several times in particular. At first he had [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 "Throw it All Away"]], then he had [[VideoGame/SonicHeroes "This Machine"]] (shared with the other members of Team Dark, Rouge and Omega), followed by Sonic Team's attempt to give him six in [[VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog one game]] depending on [[MultipleEndings the path you took]]. Most agree the song "I Am All of Me" was the theme of that game (thanks it part to playing during the opening FMV [[spoiler:and TrueFinalBoss]] as well as aptly describing [[KarmaMeter the nature of the game]]/[[AmnesiacHero Shadow's]] [[QuestForIdentity character]] [[IAmWho arc]]), but [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 the next game he's in]] decides to say it was the song from the good story of that game, "All Hail Shadow."
** Sonic has had to deal with the theme from the original series, then two versions of "It Doesn't Matter", and finally [[EleventyZillion a hojillion]] (read: seven) versions of [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 "His World."]]

** Mitsurugi's themes throughout the ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' tend to build up to a common motif, as heard in his themes in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgAQQKESKcQ Soul Edge]] (50 seconds in), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqFvRyGvGWk Soul Calibur]] (38 seconds in), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75cIxRe15i4 Soul Calibur II]] (51 seconds in), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iifCRyAGADs Soul Calibur III]] (1:46 minutes in), and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W891SR8oJTw Soulcalibur V]] (41 seconds in).

* ''VideoGame/Strikers1945'' has [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57gfEnYsRBA In the Name of Strikers] as its signature main theme.
** 1945 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNNOvBaBIfo II's version] makes it more military-sounding.
** 1945 III gives a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQGwbZwz9_A more modern interpretation] of the theme.
** Finally, the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S5M7-I6XS8 1945 Plus version] has the most patriotic version of all.

* ''VideoGame/ToTheMoon'' has the reoccurring "For River", [[https://youtu.be/SQUUq189NBA a simple, repetitive piano piece]] written by the main character. It underpins virtually every song in the game, including "[[AwardBaitSong Everything's Alright]]."

* ''VideoGame/WildARMs'' games naturally jump on the bandwagon. There's the series main theme, "Into the Wilderness," which plays once or twice at key moments in each game, usually the ending or introduction. In ''VideoGame/WildARMs1'', Boomerang has his own theme, which is slowed down for a "funeral dirge" late in the game. In ''VideoGame/WildARMs3'', Virginia has "Ready! Lady Gunner!" while the Schroedingers have "There's Only One Family Named Schrodinger." There are special boss themes for Janus and the Prophets.

*** And some actual background themes:

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyMysticQuest'' subtly pokes fun at the idea with the character of Tristam, whose leitmotif begins playing just before he appears on screen. The main character, Benjamin, apparently hears this music and begins looking around for him whenever it begins playing.

** There's also a leitmotif attached to an ''act''. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqkoMwtXKrI "Together We Ride"]] is the name of the song that plays when you recruit a new unit in all but a handful of the games in the series, starting from the first game. This one is so tied to the series that it was the ''Fire Emblem'' character music in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee''.

* Several characters in ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' have their own leitmotifs; for example, Godot's "Fragrance of Dark Coffee", which was used [[ThemeSongReveal quite cleverly]] later on.

** Ema's theme, "Turnabout Sisters 2005" is remixed and accompanies her every time she appears in a new game (renamed "The Scientific Detective" starting with ''Apollo Justice'').

** The "Objection!" theme of each game is considered the leitmotif of the main character; in ''Ace Attorney Investigations'', Edgeworth's "Objection!" theme is a remix of his theme song, "Great Revival".
*** ''Dual Destinies'' gives three such themes, one for each playable character: "Objection!" for Phoenix, "A New Chapter of Trials" for Apollo, and "Courtroom Révolutionnaire" for Athena. Apollo and Athena also have non-court variations of their themes ("I'm Fine!" and "Let's Do This!", respectively) that play when interacted with outside the courtroom setting.
*** Phoenix is the only character in the game with ''two'' themes; "Objection! 2001" (his leitmotif from his first game) is his standard theme, while "Pursuit ~ Cornered" (which plays at the climax of a trial) is used when he enters [[SuperMode Turnabout Mode]].
** Similarly, each of their "Pursuit" themes: the most outstanding is "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3R8tkvlAlk Pursuit ~ Cornered]]" from the first game, which is synonymous with Phoenix Wright's feats of badassery.

%% ** Dahlia has the calm theme ''Distant Image'', [[spoiler:and in the end it gets used for Iris as well]].

* The soundtrack to ''VideoGame/Mother3'' is very heavily built on leitmotifs that recur in numerous variations throughout the game, including [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKzRhveK7sQ His Highness' Theme]] for scenes involving the Pigmask Army, the [[{{Sexophone}} saxophone]] line in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0xaZxMZGUE Magypsy's Home, Sweetie-Pie]] for the Magypsies (which actually serves as a MusicalSpoiler later on in the game if you're paying attention), and, of course, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idULzIIF950 Love Theme]], which will break your heart with its every appearance in the context of the game.

** In the [[VideoGame/Persona1 first]] [[VideoGame/Persona2 two]] entries, every party member gets their own theme.
** ''VideoGame/Persona2: Innocent Sin'' had leitmotifs for every party member, with Maya's theme having the most variations.
** ''Persona 3'' specifically used about seven different versions of the Tartarus background music, representing the different blocks of the tower. The 'ground floor' rendition ends up more as the main soundtrack to the Dark Hour itself though. More notable, however, is the credits track, "Memories of You," wherein musical segments from "Your Memories" (one of the saddest-sounding songs in the game) and "Joy" (playing during some of the happiest scenes in the game) are both used. The game also used instrumental keys from the first verse of "Burn My Dread," and of "Memories Of You," for pivotal background themes. "Living With Determination" is the most noticeable example.
** ''Persona 4'' has two different versions of the regular battle theme that are used depending on the strength of the enemy. "I'll Face Myself" has two versions -- one used during major boss fights, and one used for the scenes afterwards.

*** Elizabeth: Doesn't have a specific theme, so instead the final battle music from ''Persona 3'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnhwsMvx49A "Battle Hymn of the Soul,"]] plays instead. Appropriate given she's the most powerful character in the story.

* ''VideoGame/Persona'' Series:

* ''VideoGame/DragonAge'' surprisingly only has a few.
** ''VIdeoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' has "Leliana's Song" (aka "In Uthenera"), which is Leliana's theme. All of the protagonist origins also have themes: "The Dalish", "Elves At the Mercy of Man", "Human Noblility", "The Common Dwarf", "The Dwarfen[sic] Nobles", and "Mages In Their Chantry".

* All six guests get their own themes in ''VideoGame/TheSeventhGuest'', and whenever two or more are present, their themes are blended together. For example, "Dolls of Doom" mixes Elinor's violin and piano motif with Temple's creepy circus organ track. The game's main theme, simply titled "The Game", has a metal cover on the OST {{with lyrics}} [[ExpositoryThemeTune that describe the overall story]], and [[ThemeTuneCameo it's used for a Simon-style music puzzle later on]].

** [VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Sephiroth]]'s leitmotif is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C77Eaq3CDQ "Those Chosen By the Planet,"]] which is played during his slaughter of [[DoomedHomeTown Nibleheim]], not the immensely popular '[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTxhh1Ins5I "One-Winged Angel."]] Or rather, that ''was'' the case in ''VII'', but due to its popularity, "One-Winged Angel" [[BootstrappedLeitmotif has become Sephiroth's leitmotif in all of his future appearances]].

* ''VideoGame/HarmoKnight'' has the first ten notes in the intro cutscene [[note]] Well, that cutscene only used half of it.[[/note]] be repeated throughout almost the entire game. [[note]] A piece of the overworld of [[GreenHillZone Marching Hills]] and [[SlippySlideyIceWorld Sleighbell Slopes]], and even one of the cutscenes.[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' has most major characters with one. Most notably, Rao has quite the, erm, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ3tGEbsKkE suggestive theme.]]
* ''VideoGame/ShounenKinindenTsumuji'' has Tsumuji's childhood friend Peach [[DoItYourselfThemeTune singing]] [[ImageSong her own song]] during certain cutscenes.
* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreed'' has the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH1NFziHUxg chase theme,]] where you better start running NOW. It's written by Jesper Kyd, so you know it's awesome.
* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' has "Ezio's Family." First played over the opening credits, remixed several times as "Earth" which [[spoiler:plays when Ezio recovers his father's Assassin robes]] and then as "Venice Rooftops," which plays during chases, races and courier missions (occasionally). Played in [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic all its glory]] over the credits of both ''II'' and ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood Brotherhood]]''. And don't lie. There were {{manly tears}}.
** And on top of all that, it's Ezio's theme in ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburV''.
** Comes in spades in ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood Brotherhood]]'', and in contrast to the previous game's somewhat sentimental mood brought upon the soundtrack, gives you a more badass flavor to them. To name a few:
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl6z2xZJOgs "Master Assassin."]] With assassins you can recruit in-game to help you, don't tell me you don't feel like a boss going around killing enemies and targets by summoning them.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C1mNIN0Uss "Borgia Occupation."]] It really makes a point reminding you that in the game, [[spoiler:the Borgia are reigning over Rome and you're to free it from them]].
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH64Z_CWM4Q "Borgia - The Rulers Of Rome."]] You can't help but feel the pressure the citizens of Rome feel from the Borgia rule when listening to this.

* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' uses Bastila's theme for foreshadowing as you approach the top of the Rakata temple.
** A subtle example: the music that plays during the character select screen is distinctive, but not really noteworthy to a first-time player. It's not until the second playthrough that players recognize it as [[spoiler: [[TomatoInTheMirror Revan's theme]]]].
* In ''VideoGame/LegendOfDragoon'', the character Dart has his own uplifting theme.
* The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series is in love with this trope. Creator/NobuoUematsu, the composer of much of its music, is known for creating memorable leitmotifs for characters, locations, and events. In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', for example, almost all of the playable characters (and some of the villains) have their own leitmotif (with the exception of the twin brothers Edgar and Sabin/Mashe, who share one). Terra's leitmotif, which is also the Overworld Map theme, is effectively the ThemeTune for that entire game. Even more well-known, though, are the {{Recurring Riff}}s for concepts that span more than one game, such as the Crystal Theme/Prelude, the Final Fantasy Theme/Prologue, the (much-remixed) Chocobo Theme, the Moogle Theme, and the Victory Theme.
** Terra's true character theme is actually called "Awakening." Celes's character theme is the famous opera song "Aria Di Mezzo Carattere" played slower and more sad in tone.
** [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic "Dancing Mad,"]] the music that plays during the party's final confrontation with [[BigBad Kefka Palazzo]], incorporates numerous letmotifs that, when you sit down, listen to them, piece them together, and [[FridgeBrilliance think about it]] sums up everything Kefka is so perfectly, it couldn't be the final boss music for anyone else but him.
** The ending music for ''Final Fantasy VI'' is often cited as Uematsu's magnum opus, as it takes new versions of every character theme, plus the main ''Final Fantasy'' theme (a total of fourteen pieces) and blends them together into a single 20-minute piece. It's impressive enough to make you forget you're listening to video game music.
** Likewise Yasunori Mitsuda, composer for some of Creator/{{Square|Enix}}'s other games, including ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}''. In a great case of combining forces, Mitsuda and Uematsu co-composed ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', which has some of the most memorable {{Leitmotif}}s.

** Contrary to common misunderstanding, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Sephiroth]]'s leitmotif is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C77Eaq3CDQ "Those Chosen By the Planet,"]] which is played during his slaughter of [[DoomedHomeTown Nibleheim]], not the immensely popular '[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTxhh1Ins5I "One-Winged Angel."]] Or rather, that ''was'' the case in ''VII'', but due to its popularity, "One-Winged Angel" [[BootstrappedLeitmotif has become Sephiroth's leitmotif in all of his future appearances]].
*** "One-Winged Angel" is actually a more complex and choir-accompanied rearrangement of "Those Chosen By the Planet" (not too dissimilar from how the 4th movement of "Dancing Mad" is primarily a battle piece rearrangement of Kefka's material). The confusion and mistaken belief that it's a completely different theme altogether is understandable, given how significantly expanded upon the character's material is, but if you pay close attention to the melodies that drive the whole piece, you'll notice how they are derived from his initial piece, expanded upon with additional notes and played at different speeds. The most obvious section comes when the choir chants "Sors Immanis, Et inanis."
*** "Those Chosen By the Planet" also appears in ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'' within the cue "Beyond the Wasteland" about one minute in. Ultimately, it has still remained as Sephiroth's character motif throughout the franchise's later entries, whereas "One-Winged Angel" is merely a battle rearrangement for him.
*** Perhaps compounding this is the fact that "Those Chosen By The Planet" is a rearrangement of "Sealed Book" from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'', used throughout to represent the Void.
** Like Terra, Cloud shares his motif with the game itself ("Main Theme of FINAL FANTASY VII"), but used in a way that's somewhat more complicated. The sweet and upbeat B section of the main theme is slowed down and rearranged for guitar and strings for moments to do with Cloud's love life ("Interrupted by Fireworks"); the gloomy and plodding second half of the Main Theme is used for TheReveal; and the main A-section melody, in a minor key, is used for moments focusing on Cloud's FakeMemories. Of those uses, when Cloud is beginning to get an inkling something is wrong, the melody is broken down just to the distinctive interval leap and played on an echoing out-of-tune piano ("Who Are You?"); when Cloud is having a mental breakdown the full melody line plays in a psychedelic, irregular time signature ("Who am I?"). On top of that, the distinctive interval is a ''[[ArcNumber seventh]]''.
** ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'' features no less than eight songs titled "Theme of Crisis Core (''Subtitle'')." The theme also appears in songs that don't follow this naming convention, such as "Burden of Truth" and "The Burdened."
** ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'' uses two different motives throughout, which can be considered "Vincent's Theme" and "Lucrecia's Theme."

*** In addition to that, perhaps the best usage of the theme outside of battling Gilgamesh himself came [[spoiler: during the fight against Necrophobe in ''V''. The boss just doesn't seem to die, and then suddenly [[ThemeMusicPowerUp you hear the theme]]. SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome for Gilgamesh.]]

*** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'', the themes are actually remixes of each place special(s) to the characters. Example, Ashe's theme is really the theme song of the creepy dungeon Giruvegin, and the Pharos, because that's where her ancestor placed the nethicite. You can also hear the theme of the Tomb of Raithwall.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' was the first game in the series where many different characters are given leitmotifs. Nearly all of the protagonists have one, as do some of the villains, most notably Golbez with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKojJdtW0L8 "Clad in Black."]] Nothing says ''"Oh shit, I'm about to get my ass kicked by the BigBad"'' quite like those {{Ominous Pipe Organ}}s.
*** Don't forget the "Theme of Love," Rosa and Cecil's relationship theme. The theme is so popular and well-known in Japan, it's now being included in many schools music books over there.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'''s soundtrack has so many leitmotif-using songs that it is actually one of the soundtrack's biggest criticisms (depending on whether you think they help tie things together, or simply make everything sound the same). Probably half of the 100+ songs in the game use the leitmotif of a previous song, and many of those that don't hail from earlier games in the series (the Crystal, Chocobo, and Moogle themes, for example).
*** Kuja's Theme, in one form or another, is guaranteed to show up any time that he does.
*** It also plays instead of the usual World Map theme when [[spoiler:half the party travels to Oeilvert under his orders to save the other half]]. This, combined with the airship's eerie scripted flight, really drives home how dire things are.
*** "Melodies of Life," also from ''IX''. This song appears everywhere, from when the game starts to the ending credits.
*** [[HopelessBossFight Bea]][[GuestStarPartyMember trix]] has three versions of hers, and they double as {{Mood Motif}}s. Though one of the three doesn't resemble the other two as much.
*** The piece "Zidane's Theme" is an interesting case. While we never hear an arrangement of his material with the same jovial tune that opens the track, "Unrequited Love" winds up being a more melancholic rendition of his theme and has more frequent usage by comparison [[spoiler:(even becoming a town theme later on in the game)]].

* ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead'' 1 and 2 feature the Magician boss leitmotif. The series also has the recurring "Game Over" and "Chapter Clear" ditties.

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' has leitmotifs for Bart (Bonds of Sea and Fire) and Chu-Chu (The Sky, the Clouds, and You) among others.

** "Dearly Beloved" and "Destati" are essentially leitmotifs for the entire series.

*** [[spoiler:The secret boss of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' (Mysterious Figure) has 3 other characters' theme in his battle music: Terra's theme, "Darkness of the Unknown" (Xemnas), and "Lord of the Castle" (Marluxia). Respectably, the last 2 were bosses in their games. It makes sense come ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance Dream Drop Distance]]'', where the Mysterious Figure is revealed to be a younger incarnation of Master Xehanort who is heavily involved in the creation of (the True) Organization XIII.]]

** Bass's battle theme in ''VideoGame/MegaMan7'', ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'' and maybe ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass''. It even returned as his Shop theme in ''VideoGame/MegaMan10''.

** The Wily Tower motif in ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'' has four variations; three for the stages, and one for the bosses.
*** Also, the Wily Castle motif in ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'', which has three variations.

* Done to death by fighting games, except for the ones that only have stage music as opposed to individual character themes.
** By far the most famous examples are the original character themes from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'', with Ryu's, Guile's, Ken's, and Akuma's themes quite possibly being the most awesome and prolific music of all. When ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' characters showed up in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'', they got remixed versions of stage music from the original ''Final Fight'' as theme tunes.
*** Guile's theme [[MemeticMutation goes with everything]].
** SNK has done this as well. Geese Howard's theme names always involve something "for Geese", but all of them are rearrangements of his theme from the original ''VideoGame/FatalFury'', which was titled "A Kiss for Geese". Afterwards came "Soy Sauce for Geese" (''Fatal Fury Special''), "A Kiss for Geese - Cyber Dub Edit" (''[[VideoGame/ArtOfFighting Art of Fighting 2]]''), "One More Kiss for Geese" (''Real Bout Fatal Fury''), "A Stiff Neck for Geese" (''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters The King of Fighters '96]]''), "Soy Sauce for Geese -End of The First Nightmare-" (''Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition''), and finally concluding with... [[PlayedForLaughs "Mustard for Geese"]] (''The King of Fighters 2002: Unlimited Match''). The only exception to the name rule thus far is "Kiss Geese Once More", from ''KOF: Maximum Impact''. Most games after ''[='96=]'' in which Geese is present, as well as his [[GuestFighter guest appearance]] in ''VideoGame/Tekken7'', have used remixes of "Soy Sauce For Geese", the most recognizable thanks to its flute.
*** Subverted with Iori Yagami, who had a new theme every game up till ''KOF 2000'', but they all had a kickass saxophone solo. Most of said themes are either entitled "Arashi no Saxophone" ("Stormy Saxophone") [[note]]"Arashi no Saxophone" in ''[='95=]'', "Arashi no Saxophone 2" in ''[='96=]'', "Cool Jam ~ Arashi no Saxophone" in ''[='97=]'', "Stormy Scream ~ Arashi no Saxophone 4" in ''2000'', "Arashi no Saxophone 5" in ''XIII''[[/note]] or, in the case of ''2003''[='s=] "Cool Jam 2" (and possibly ''XIV''[='s=] "Saxophone Under the Moon"), serve as an offshoot of the series.
** ''[[VideoGame/PipeworksGodzillaTrilogy Godzilla: Unleashed]]'' has a unique theme for each character, with a matching general motif for each of the four monster factions (ex. lots of rock for the mechanical Global Defense Force).
** ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood'' has used the same character themes since its debut. The most prolific ones are "The End of 1000 Years", used for Red Arcueid, and "For Crimson Air", used for Wallachia.
** ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' easily trumps everything else, though. Some characters have had the same theme, only differently arranged, from the first game, and every character has had the same theme since ''X'', and every UpdatedRerelease of ''XX'' uses the rearrangements from the original ''XX''. ''Xrd'' sadly replaces all the old themes with brand new ones, but Sol's new theme "Give Me a Break" (aka "Junkyard Dog") keeps little nods to "Keep Yourself Alive", such as playing the latter theme's characteristic opening riff at the end. The same goes for May, Chipp, and Baiken, whose themes ("Starry Story", "Flash Hider", and "-ROKUMON-") are deliberately modeled after their previous ones ("Blue Water Blue Sky", "Suck a Sage", and "Momentary Life"). In a twist, Axl's "A Slow Waker" is not based on "Make Oneself" from ''X'' and ''XX'', but "March of the Wicked King," his original ''[=GG1=]'' theme.
*** Characters with special relationships often get vs./rival theme music. To date, Sol and Ky have "Conclusion" (''[=GG1=]''), "No Mercy" (''X''), "Noontide" (''XX''), "The Re-coming" (''[=GG2=]''), and "Reunion" (''Xrd''). ''Guilty Gear XX Accent Core'' even gave new vs. music to Order-Sol and Ky, "Keep The Flag Flying." Similarly, ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters The King of Fighters '98]]'' gave two different vs. themes to the same fight: "Cool Jam" plays if the player character is Kyo Kusanagi vs. Iori Yagami, and "Esaka Forever" plays if it's Iori vs. Kyo. [[note]]Both themes were attributed to the characters in ''[=97=]'', a game that did not feature themes for most playable characters/teams (most stages instead had more ambient music and sounds), but this is notable in that these themes will specifically [[BackgroundMusicOverride override]] Kyo and Iori's default themes.[[/note]]
*** The above two traditions continue in the SpiritualSuccessor to ''Guilty Gear'', ''Franchise/BlazBlue'': each character has their own unique theme, in addition to "relationship" themes, such as "Under Heaven Destruction" for Ragna vs. Jin and "Imperial Code" for Noel vs. Jin (which doubles as the theme of the organization they both work for). Should come as no surprise: Creator/DaisukeIshiwatari is responsible for the music in both series.
*** Let us not forget the theme that plays when Carl and Relius Clover fight each other, the depressing and epic "X-Matic" ("Cross Matic"). Also, in Story Mode when a character appears on screen, their battle music usually plays (ex. Rachel is on screen and is not the player character, "Queen of Rose" plays).
** ''VideoGame/BloodyRoar'' and ''Bloody Roar 2'' for the [=PS1=]. You could choose whether the games played stage-specific songs from the arcade versions, or new character themes created for the console ports.
** ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCrossTagBattle'' is a {{Crossover}} game featuring the casts of ''[=BlazBlue=]'', ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'', ''VideoGame/UnderNightInBirth'' and, [[UnexpectedCharacter most unexpectedly]], ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''. Each character from the first three titles is represented by their theme from their home game, while the ''RWBY'' heroines get medley themes from the original ''RWBY'' soundtrack; Ruby for instance gets a mix of "This Will Be The Day" and "Red Like Roses Part II". Rivalry themes such as "Under Heaven Destruction" ([[TeethClenchedTeamwork Ragna/Jin]]) and "Nightmare Fiction" ([[EnemyMine Ragna/Hazama]]) also make a comeback as team themes. To top it all off, the main theme for the game "Crossing Fate" is set to have four distinct variations each done in the style of the four franchises' soundtracks.
* The ''Franchise/{{Sonic|TheHedgehog}} [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure Adventure]]'' [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 games]] used leitmotif liberally, having a theme for every playable character or character important to the plot. ''[=SA2=]'''s themes for Sonic, Tails and Knuckles used the same lyrics as their themes from ''[=SA1=]'', but used different melodies.
** ''Sonic Adventure 2'' really pushed this with "Live and Learn"; its lyrics, beats, and melodies kept popping up all over the game. Sonic's first stage incorporates "Live and Learn" in the lyrics, the four note decrescendo from the chorus is used in songs such as "Supporting Me", etc.
** And on occasion, their leitmotifs are changed to a completely different theme. Shadow's has changed several times in particular. At first he had [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 "Throw it All Away"]], then he had [[VideoGame/SonicHeroes "This Machine"]] (shared with the other members of Team Dark, Rouge and Omega), followed by Sonic Team's attempt to give him six in [[VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog one game]] depending on [[MultipleEndings the path you took]]. Most agree the song "I Am All of Me" was the theme of that game (thanks it part to playing during the opening FMV [[spoiler:and TrueFinalBoss]] as well as aptly describing [[KarmaMeter the nature of the game]]/[[AmnesiacHero Shadow's]] [[QuestForIdentity character]] [[IAmWho arc]]), but [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 the next game he's in]] decides to say it was the song from the good story of that game, "All Hail Shadow."
** Sonic has had to deal with the theme from the original series, then two versions of "It Doesn't Matter", and finally [[EleventyZillion a hojillion]] (read: seven) versions of [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 "His World."]]
*** "It Doesn't Matter" has resurfaced triumphantly in ''[[VideoGame/SonicStorybookSeries Sonic and the Black Knight]]'' with two different renditions. Less so, Tails' theme from ''Sonic Adventure 1'' and ''2'', "Believe in Myself" has been arranged as the theme of the Blacksmith (who is "played" by Tails).
** In [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1 the original]] ''Sonic'', in addition to the several versions of Sonic's theme (title screen, game over, continue, ending), Robotnik had two versions of his theme, one during the regular boss battles, the other, more intense version was played during the cutscene at the end of Scrap Brain Act 2, as well as the final battle.
** ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles''[='s=] mid-boss and main boss themes were variations on a common riff. In addition, there were two different versions of each stage theme for each act, sometimes, as in the case of Lava Reef Zone, sounding almost totally different. And the first half of the main boss theme was SuspiciouslySimilarSong to Robotnik's original theme (the games had a different composer than the first two).
*** This was topped by ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy Sonic Advance 3]]'', where each stage theme had no fewer than four variations -- one for its map screen plus one for each of the three acts. Somehow it never seemed repetitive, either: the map's theme was more low-key and served to introduce the melodic material, and then each act was a progressively more intense version of the same theme. One of these themes, in fact, was the GreenHillZone music from the original ''Sonic''; all too appropriate for a stage (Sunset Hill) which was itself a sort of [[NostalgiaLevel re-imagined]] and {{remixed|Level}} version of that place.
** ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' reuses Eggman's instrumental leitmotif from ''Sonic 2006'' and manages to build a new boss music out of it. Speaking of ''2006'', each villain had his own leitmotif, each with several arrangements for cutscenes and boss battles.
** The Saturn and PC versions of ''VideoGame/Sonic3DFlickiesIsland'' have a variation of the game's title theme appearing in every main level's track as a chorus/bridge section, while Robotnik's theme is given a more intense remix for The Final Fight.
* ''VideoGame/StarCraftI'' has a {{leitmotif}} in the form of the OminousLatinChanting heard during the first cutscene in its expansion ''Brood Wars'', which foreshadows the [[TheEmpire UED]] abandoning a colony under attack by the zerg. This theme can be heard playing in the background of several scenes in the [[VideoGame/StarCraftII sequel]], notably in the "betrayal" cutscene, which is a flashback to [[spoiler:[[ItWasHisSled Mensk leaving Kerrigan to the zerg on Tarsonis]]]]
** The Zerg get their own little theme in ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' that is made up of two parts; in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_1U7L_uDA4 Overture]], the two play at the same time with the female solo voice doing one part and the low brass doing the second.
** And later in the ''Heart of the Swarm'' expansion, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z-D9D_LzwA the Zerg's new Leitmotif of the same title,]] featuring a heavy percussion beat and an electronic noise that is made to sound alien and grimy, befitting [[HordeOfAlienLocusts the Zerg]]. Some variation of it (at the very least featuring the drum beat) plays frequently in the campaign, often at the point in the mission where you're supposed to [[AutobotsRockOut take your army]] and [[CurbStompBattle steamroll the enemy base]].
* The ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series actually had a soundtrack release made up of character themes.
** There's also a leitmotif attached to an ''act''. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqkoMwtXKrI "Together We Ride"]] is the name of the song that plays when you recruit a new unit in all but a handful of the games in the series, starting from the first game. This one is so tied to the series that it was the ''Fire Emblem'' character music in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee''.
** Absurdly used in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' with a trio of pirates with their own Leitmotif. Despite them being completely unimportant, to the point that they have less then half a dozen lines among them.
** Several important characters in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' have their own leitmotif that will play when they appear in conversations, including [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObBwgjg3kEU= "Oliver's Fall,"]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDGFPekXpFw= "Queen Elincia,"]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAAYQrzkYGQ= "Empress Sanaki,"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diFdSFVOsHI= "Mind of Izuka."]] The powerful Laguz Royals and Oliver have their own battle themes as well.
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' has a number of recurring leitmotifs, though not all of them represent specific characters.
*** The leitmotif at the beginning of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLIZd7NpTbo&list=SP58D398750F1219D8&index=2= Main Theme]] is repurposed several ways:
*** The motif shows up in pizzicatto form for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5tSYZE_GvY&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Just a healthy little walk,"]] the music that plays on the world map.
*** A slower, more serene version becomes [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2sT4ys8oWQ&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Dry your tears, love,"]] Emmeryn's theme music.
*** After [[spoiler:Emmeryn's death in Chapter 9]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWO4ff1HXYY&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Don't speak her name!"]] uses the motif in tandem with PlayingTheHeartStrings and LonelyPianoPiece for extra PlayerPunch.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A07Q7zCGOhU&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "It appears the capital was spared the chaos"]] incorporates the main motif into its second half. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83X7HGHIGWU&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Such bonds are the true strength of this army"]] is basically the same piece, repurposed for piano and percussion.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1XVfcR2cvA&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Id,"]] the theme of the [[PlayerCharacter Avatar]] from Awakening, comes in several different flavors.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaEu4kAWhQQ&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Serenity,"]] which plays during the beginning of the game and perfectly suits the idyllic nature of the Ylissean countryside.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4zU0eqCUG4&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Dilemma"]] is a more sinister version of the motif [[spoiler:which serves as a theme for the Avatar's doppelganger]].
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Vd53GnHFo&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Sorrow"]] speaks for itself. The most notable instance of it is when [[spoiler:Lucina attempts to kill the Avatar to prevent them from betraying Chrom]].
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jOVNF1Kh5U&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Darkness"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0SSYBWMbnE&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Return"]] make an appearance during the Endgame.
*** "Return" leads directly into [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bio99hoZVYI&list=SP58D398750F1219D8= "Purpose,"]] a TriumphantReprise of the Avatar's theme that plays over the final battle. It even incorporates the main ''Fire Emblem'' theme, complete with OminousLatinChanting! (Which is lifted from the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' rendition of the series' main theme.)

*** Vamp is accompanied by a surprisingly beautiful and sensual viola motif, and also [[SoundtrackDissonance campy flamenco flourishes with castanets and guitar when he murders people]]...

** Played straight however with Snake's leitmotif in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater''. It first plays when he's descending into Russia for Operation Snake Eater. It also plays for [[spoiler: his reappearance in ''[=MGS4=]''.]]

** Samus also got her own theme tune in ''Super''. Notable occurrences have included ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption Prime 3]]'' and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl''.
*** Except that what Brawl called "Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior" was just Super's Ending Credits tune. In ''Super'', the "Theme of Samus Aran, Galactic Warrior" is completely different.
** A truer example would be the little riff that plays whenever Samus emerges from her spaceship/a save station when you start up the game in the ''[[VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy Prime]]'' series.
*** That bit is called "Appearance," and it's been the customary "loading save/new game start" song since the very first ''Metroid'' game.

* Almost every opponent in ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' has a different one, which plays at the start of a round.

** In ''Star Fox Command'', each character has his/her own background music.

* Quite a number of music in ''VideoGame/TalesOfEternia'' that runs different version of the same motif for Van Eltia and Shileska. Add in all the [=FMVs=] one can probably find 20+ of them.
* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' tends to use "Vampire Killer" to represent Simon Belmont (from the very first game), although in ''VideoGame/SuperCastlevaniaIV'' he got his own theme music, called "Theme of Simon". {{Dracula}} had to wait until ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood'' to get his theme music, "Dance of Illusions". When you fight the original ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania|I}}'' bosses before Shaft in ''Rondo of Blood'', the boss music from the first game, "Poison Mind", plays.
** And "Bloodlines", which first appeared as the music for the first level of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood'', seems these days to be affiliated specifically with Richter Belmont's frequent appearances in the games.
** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaJudgment'' was praised for its music, if not other things, and it took advantage of its fighting game setup to associate its characters with various themes from the series. It may not last, especially as each game introduces new heroes, but there's little reason not to think of "Iron Blue Intention" as Eric Lecarde's theme. Or give "Mad Forest" to Sypha Belnades.
* Approach a Trainer (or have them see you) in the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games and their Leitmotif will play, indicating what kind of Trainer they are. In normal gameplay, they only go on for a couple of seconds, but if you pause the dialogue to listen to the music, you'll be surprised how long they go on for (and how they're arguably better composed than the {{BGM}}).
** All Trainers have the same leitmotif in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon''.
** Another prime example specifically from ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue''/''Yellow'' is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjA4SgVDmh4 rival's (Blue's) encounter theme]], which plays whenever he comes on-screen and talks, usually challenging you to a match.
*** Actually, every rival gets one, but Blue's is the most notable.
** In addition to the rivals, many other characters get re-occurring themes, such as some of the professors, and important [=NPCs=] like [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Eusine]] ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSa_TGbJjCg "Eusine's Theme"]]) and [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Looker]] ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWQiP08u1Ds "Looker's Theme"]]).
** Many Legendary Pokémon have their own themes. The list includes Deoxys, Giratina, Arceus, Ho-oh, and Lugia. Additionally, many legendary trios/duos get their own common theme such as the Weather Trio (Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza) sometimes getting a slight variation unique to each member like the Legendary Beasts.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' series has leitmotifs for most major characters, most notably "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFajj7WInZU Zelda's Lullaby]]" (which first appears in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'') and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tse60SNufZc Ganon's Theme]]" ([[LeaningOnTheFourthWall which Ganondorf himself plays]] on an OminousPipeOrgan in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]''). In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', their themes are actually ''combined'' when [[spoiler: Ganondorf possesses Zelda for a boss battle.]]
** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJqN14qriHw main theme of the series]], which was the [[LevelOneMusicRepresents overworld theme in the first game]], came to be [[BootstrappedTheme seen as Link's own theme]]. Remixed versions of it play when the Links of various ''Zelda'' games from ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'' onward awaken to their destinies as heroes.
** There's also [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXEnAuzjgKU Midna's haunting theme]] from ''Twilight Princess'', which she [[http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=H_8SobLzsZE occasionally hums]], because she's just that awesome. The song has a few different variants that can be heard throughout the game when traveling the overworld, most notably "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoBRdekWKxI Midna's Lament]]".
** Saria plays her own theme song, the self-titled "Saria's Song". When she stops playing her ocarina to speak with Link, the Lost Woods goes completely silent. A remix of the song gets recycled as the theme for the Lost Woods/Sacred Grove in ''Twilight Princess''.
** [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]], gives us the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJQu3iTi54M theme of the titular evil mask]], which has a slew of variations that are heard in each of the four provinces of Termina, as well as the final boss fight.
** Also, Ilia (Link's BFF in ''TP'') and Aryll (Link's lil' sis in ''WW'') have their own melodies, as well as Tetra and her Pirates (though it's replaced as her theme by [[spoiler: ''Zelda's Lullaby'']] once her destiny is revealed.)
** The Master Sword has one that plays in some form or another when it is climatically drawn from its pedestal in each game it appears in. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYujnFIkEao You know the one]]: "Dadadada dadadada dadadada dadadada daaaaah DAAAAAH ''DAAAAAH'' '''DAAAAAH!'''"
*** Funnily enough, that's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvODpHnV9o4 the same]] ItemGet jingle that plays after every InexplicableTreasureChest and PlotCoupon, only drawn out and made more awesome. As befits the most awesome item in the game, of course.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yc7kp_ETGU Sheik]] also gets one in ''[=OoT=]'', as well as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8R0biN_OWk Kaepora Gaebora.]]
** Linebeck of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass'' has his own [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk5RBAqziW8 rather awesome theme,]] as do [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnRmYVyPfTI Oshus]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNo1QvrhGvU Bellum.]]
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'', "Zelda's Theme" is not initially present, but Zelda has a different leitmotif that subtly evokes it. Ghirahim also has an ominous yet whimsical theme that mixes in a pipe organ. ExpositionFairy Fi also has a beautiful one.
*** And, of course, there's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM3CyUgqWiM Groose]], whose theme evolves along with his character and ends up as what many think is one of the best songs in ''Skyward Sword''.
* In the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, each franchise has a victory fanfare. Franchises with multiple representatives tend to have several, giving fighters one based on their game of origin and/or their personality. For example, Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Daisy share a triumphant remix of the "Level Clear" theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'', while Bowser and Bowser Jr. utilize a powerful rock version of the song, and Rosalina has the outer space vibes of the ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' theme.
** The practice of multiple victory tunes per franchise began in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl Brawl]]'', where Meta Knight was the only one to have his own unique fanfare (a rock version of the ''Kirby'' theme). Datamining suggests that it was intended for ''every'' character would have had their own unique fanfare, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen but most of them were cut before release]], with future entries only somewhat using this idea, as previously noted.
** Each game has its own overall theme song, with ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee Melee]]'' arranging its theme song for the Battlefield stage and the ending theme of the original Nintendo 64 game (itself an arrangement of that game's opening theme) as the theme for Final Destination. ''Brawl'' featured a vocal theme song, performed in Latin, that was also remixed for Final Destination, a concept that would carry over into ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU 3DS/Wii U]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate Ultimate]]'', which would also have its own vocal theme performed in English and Japanese.
* It is very rare that a game in the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' series with King Dedede in it (as in, almost all of them) would fail to have his distinctive theme play when he's fought as a boss. And even if it doesn't play during his fight (or if he's not even fought), it will typically be used as the theme for the BossRush-style miniboss tower.
** Green Greens, the music of the very first level in the series, pretty much became Kirby's leitmotif and has appeared in almost every game.
** The theme of Gourmet Race from ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' would also become a recurring leitmotif for Kirby, particularly when Kirby goes into battle.
** All of the recent ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' games have their own unique theme songs, such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp6HNATHM1I Cookie Country]] from ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Suy3_3ZAq0 Spring Smash Factory]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkUvCSfW-NU Floral Fields]] from ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86jAXyN3LTM The Adventure Begins]] from ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheRainbowCurse'', and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYgRzVnRGRk The Noble Haltmann]] from ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot''.
** For ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'', the [[FireIceLightning Three Mage-Sisters]] have ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hhdDykbrVg Song of Supplication]].'' It gets remixed several times, as Zan Partizanne's theme, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZCTUM20Czc Forgotizanne Flash of Lightning]], [[spoiler:Void Termina's battle theme after the three sisters get forcefully sacrified by Hyness, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5l3Zz58264 The Star-Conquering Traveler]],]] and their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZlogxysD88 Celebration Picture, Let Them Know We're Happy.]]
* Every character in the ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars]]'' series has his or her own theme music which plays during their turn. There's also (in Dual Strike) no less than six different power-up themes; which one plays depends on the power level (Normal, Super, or Tag) and which faction is using it (Allied Nations or Black Hole). If you use a Tag Power with an Allied CO and a Black Hole CO in Vs. or War Room mode, the theme will even change when they switch places.
** Andy doesn't have a Theme. Andy has an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKBUyAR1S6I ANTHEM.]]

* In the video game ''Def Jam: Icon'', one of your character's weapons is the power to change the soundtrack to his own theme music which alters the world around you.
* ''VideoGame/RomancingSaGa 1'' and ''[[VideoGame/RomancingSaGa3 3]]'', ''VideoGame/SagaFrontier'' and ''VideoGame/UnlimitedSaga'' did this; each character having their own theme.
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' The smithy gang has its motif recurring in four songs:
*** The first use of the motif is in their own boss theme, where it is played by the oboe.
*** The second theme with the motif plays in any town that is taken over by the Smithy gang, it consists solely of a slowed down version of their motif.
*** The third theme has the motif played by the organ as an intro to Smithy's [[spoiler: first]] boss fight theme.
*** The last theme that contains the motif is played by the bass at [[spoiler: the second and final boss battle with Smithy]]
** ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' has theme music for certain villains (Mr L, Count Bleck and Dimentio).
*** ''Super Paper Mario'' also features a remix of pretty much every song in it. Most notably, the music for the fight against the BigBad is remixed [[spoiler:during the fight against the TRUE final boss]]. Bonus points also go to [[spoiler:Count Bleck's]] leitmotif for being a MusicalSpoiler: It is a remix of the "Memory" theme.
*** In ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'', [[ClassyCatBurglar Ms Mowz]] has her own [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x663wX2Drk8 theme music.]] As does Luigi, when telling you a story.
** Numerous characters in ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' have themes, including Peach, Bowser, Twink, [[GoldfishPoopGang Jr Troopa]], and the Star Spirits.
*** It should be noted that ''every'' boss in the entire ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' series has their own theme.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' has Bowser's theme, which receives an OminousPipeOrgan remix for the final battle.
*** To a lesser extent, "Inside the Castle Walls" can be considered Peach's theme, as it plays during her appearance in the beginning and ending cutscenes. Toad also has a unique little melody that plays whenever you talk to him.
** Characters have their own themes in the [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi Mario & Luigi]] series, such as Popple's unique boss music in the original, Bowser's Theme in some of the games, Fawful and Midbus' theme in [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]] and probably quite a few more.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXXJwpPvFcM Cackletta]] has her own as well.
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29__RHebRww Bowletta]] uses a sped up version of Cackletta's one.
** [[OverlordJr Bowser Jr.]] is actually given his own leitmotif in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'', which for some reason sounds like it should've fit the game ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' more. It's also even used for your battle against his Boomsday Machine.
** Captain Toad is also given one in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', which has stuck by the character ever since. It even gets an ominous remix for the final Captain Toad level in ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld''.
** World 1-1's theme has basically become Mario's by this point. It's also sometimes Luigi's, but more recently he's been given an upbeat remix of the ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' theme.
** E. Gadd has always used the ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' theme as his leitmotif, however, his version is slower and closer to the original than Luigi's.
** Peach uses, depending on the game, either the ending theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' or her castle theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''.
** Rosalina, of course, uses the Comet Observatory theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''. Like E. Gadd, this theme has shown up with her in almost every appearance.
** Everybody, both captains and sidekicks, get one in ''VideoGame/MarioStrikersCharged'' but while anyone who scores a goal will have their theme play, the captains will also have their themes play when they enter the field (if they're the home team) and when they win.
* Several characters in ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' have their own leitmotifs; for example, Godot's "Fragrance of Dark Coffee", which was used [[ThemeSongReveal quite cleverly]] later on...
** Godot also earns extra points by having his ''own'' theme music as his ''personal cellphone ringtone''.
** Damon Gant is frequently accompanied by his own, imposing organ music.
** Jake Marshall is also accompanied by a fitting Wild West theme.
** The confident Shi-Long Lang and utterly badass noir detective Tyrell Badd are both accompanied by their own equally badass themes.
** Klavier's theme music, "Guilty Love", is actually heard by other characters, although it's justified: it's the no. 1 hit of his band, the Gavinners.
*** It's largely hinted in-game that he actually plays a CD recording of "Guilty Love" [[BunnyEarsLawyer in the goddamned courtroom]].
** Also, Pearl's theme is simply a more upbeat remix of Maya's theme.
** Ema's theme, "Turnabout Sisters 2005" is remixed and accompanies her every time she appears in a new game (renamed "The Scientific Detective" starting with ''Apollo Justice'').
*** Despite being called a "2005" mix, the original "Turnabout Sisters" has a different melody and is used as the theme of Maya Fey (the original being called "Turnabout Sisters 2001" and also has "2002" and "2016" variations).
** The "Objection!" theme of each game is considered the leitmotif of the main character; in ''Ace Attorney Investigations'', Edgeworth's "Objection!" theme is a remix of his theme song, "Great Revival".
*** ''Dual Destinies'' gives us three such themes, one for each playable character: "Objection!" for Phoenix, "A New Chapter of Trials" for Apollo, and "Courtroom Révolutionnaire" for Athena. Apollo and Athena also have non-court variations of their themes ("I'm Fine!" and "Let's Do This!", respectively) that play when interacted with outside the courtroom setting.
*** Specifically for Phoenix, it appears "Objection!~2004" is his leitmotif starting with ''Trials & Tribulations'', as the "2013" and "2016" mixes of "Objection!" reuse the main melody of "Objection!~2004".
** Similarly, each of their "Pursuit" themes: the most outstanding is "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3R8tkvlAlk Pursuit ~ Cornered]]" from the first game, which is synonymous with Phoenix Wright's feats of badassery.
** In the early games, only important characters have their own theme, but in later ones, almost every witness has one.
*** One example in particular -- "Auspicious People" pops up in two consecutive games for one character in particular. (she's the only character to have the same theme introduce her) Who is that character? Lotta Hart.
** Dahlia has the calm theme ''Distant Image'', [[spoiler:and in the end it gets used for Iris as well]].
** Some characters share the same theme such as "Eccentric" so while not necessarily unique, they still have a character theme.
** Often times, a character's theme will be remixed as a sadder theme to fit the mood. For example, [[spoiler:Maya Fey's "Turnabout Sisters' Theme" becomes "Turnabout Sisters' Ballad," Shi-Long Lang's "Speak Up, Pup!" becomes "The Fall of the House of Lang," and Athena Cykes' "Courtroom Révolutionnaire" becomes "A Sad Memory."]]
* Every boss in ''VideoGame/LaMulana'' has their own boss battle music, but they all share a similar starting motif, which seems to be the leitmotif of the Guardians. (Said motif also shows up in "Giant's Cry", the Graveyard of the Giants theme...) Several [=NPCs=] - namely Xelpud, Mulbruk, and the Fairy Queen - have their own themes, and Lemeza's own theme is the Surface theme.

* And in the original ''VideoGame/WanganMidnight'' game, more characters have their own theme music.
* RPG ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos'' features Leitmotifs for many characters.
** The Malpercio has the impressive Ruler Of The Nine Skies.
** Recurring boss Giacomo uses the very catchy theme Chaotic Dance, which has electric and acoustic versions.
** In the prequel, a young Giacomo has the remixed Chaotic Dance 2.
** Spiriters (or maybe it is the Guardian Spirit itself?) also get their own theme, as implied by ''Baten Kaitos Origins: The True Mirror'', also known as the fancy battle theme music from ''Baten Kaitos''.
* ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' features Leitmotif for each of the factions, giving each a certain musical style:
** The Space Marines, befitting being futuristic knights, tend towards [[OminousLatinChanting Ominous High Gothic Chanting]].
** The Imperial Guard have militaristic marching music ranging from upbeat and heroic to ominous.
** The Orks have tribal chanting and war drums.
** The Eldar tend towards the OneWomanWail[=/=]EtherealChoir.
** The forces of Chaos go for OminousPipeOrgan meets DarkReprise of the Space Marines' music.
** The Tyranids of ''II'' go for DroneOfDread and PsychoStrings.
* In ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis'', we have Wild Dog's theme music and its arrangements in subsequent installments. It itself is a [[MusicalPastiche pastiche]] of the main [[RecurringRiff series theme]].
** ''Time Crisis 2'' also has General Diaz's theme, which appears in the musics for stage 2-1 and 3-3, the FinalBoss battle, and the ending.
** ''Time Crisis 3'' has a different theme tune than the other games, but it still uses elements from the original theme, ala SuspiciouslySimilarSong.
** The Terror Bites you fight in ''Time Crisis 4'' has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0WQYSTvW_Y this ominous tune]] play whenever they appear.
* In ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'', the three Special Infected (zombies with special abilities) have unique themes that play when they are attacking the players, but the Boss Infected, the Tank and the Witch, have motifs that play constantly whenever they are in the field of play.
** There are also quick little riffs that play when one of the three spawn. This builds subconscious associations among casual players and gives hardcore players (the ones who will poke around the games sound files to find these) something to listen for.
* Unusually for a western RPG, ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' gave leitmotivs to all the principal characters, including The Nameless One, all [=NPCs=] and all of the principal villains; all being variants on the same underlying theme used for every piece of music on the soundtrack.
* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' has a few of these, namely Frog's Theme, Magus's Theme, and Robo's Theme (which sounds strangely similar to [[MemeticMutation a certain song by Rick Astley]]).

* Nearly [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters every character of the large cast]] of the ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' has their own leitmotif. In fact, many have more than one. This large influx of [[AwesomeMusic/TouhouProject awesome music]] fuels not so much the fandom as it ''[[AdaptationDisplacement displaces]]'' it.
** There's even a leitmotif for the overall series itself. The unused theme ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGEEAhl0EDw Theme of Eastern Story]]'' has been adapted into the opening themes of all the Windows-era mainline shooter games. Particular use was made of the series of running eigth-notes.
** Another track of note is ''[[https://youtu.be/bTlA_Lfssp0 Kid's Festival ~ Innocent Treasures]]'', which is the self-composed theme of ZUN, the one-man development team behind the entire ''Touhou Project''.
--->'''ZUN:''' This was the most difficult song for me to write out of everything I've written so far. I guess you could say it's because it's my own theme. It's the theme song that plays when I make my entrance on a talk show, so writing this song was somewhat embarrassing.
* Every single character from ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'' has [[ImprobablyFemaleCast her]] own [[AwesomeMusic/VideoGames incredibly rockin']] theme song.
** From Hanzō Academy:
*** Asuka: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1SnVaYG4y0&list=PL691540D60273A3E8 "In My Grandfather's Name"]]
*** Ikaruga: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0Yas94IGYI&list=PL691540D60273A3E8 "Flying Swallow Wakes"]]
*** Katsuragi: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGUd2HxdPwk&list=PL691540D60273A3E8 "Anxious Blood"]]
*** Yagyū: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VM594kt_Gc&list=PL691540D60273A3E8 "Believe In Yourself"]]
*** Hibari: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYv2LZxfKhg&list=PL691540D60273A3E8 "I Have to Do Something!"]]
*** [[spoiler:Daidōji]]: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkOx2jLPTiE&list=PL691540D60273A3E8 "One I Must Protect"]]
* ''VideoGame/Persona2: Innocent Sin'' had leitmotifs for every party member, with Maya's theme having the most variations.
* ''VideoGame/Persona3'' and ''VideoGame/Persona4'' both used this incredibly strategically. No specific character leitmotifs, however...
** ''Persona 3'' specifically used about seven different versions of the Tartarus background music, representing the different blocks of the tower. The 'ground floor' rendition ends up more as the main soundtrack to the Dark Hour itself though. More notable, however, is the credits track, "Memories of You," wherein musical segments from "Your Memories" (one of the saddest-sounding songs in the game) and "Joy" (playing during some of the happiest scenes in the game) are both used.
*** The game also used instrumental keys from the first verse of "Burn My Dread," and of "Memories Of You," for pivotal background themes. "Living With Determination" is the most noticeable example.
** ''Persona 4'' is a little lighter on this. Two different versions of the regular battle theme are used depending on the strength of the enemy. "I'll Face Myself" has two versions -- one used during major boss fights, and one used for the scenes afterwards.
* ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' finally gave leitmotifs for the cast of both ''VideoGame/Persona3'' and ''VideoGame/Persona4'', plus one for OriginalCharacter Labrys.
** Yu: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBa1rjbkDHw "Reach Out To The Truth (P4 Arena ver.)"]] (If you can't guess from the title, it's a remix of the ''P4'' battle theme.)
** Yosuke: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQRa-YcefY4 "The Hero from Junes"]]
** Chie: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG0LHdrpuZE "Like a Dragon"]]
** Yukiko: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEq0RC-Yr64 "Princess Amagi"]]
** Kanji: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLPT8pQtTJk "A Pure-Hearted Beast"]]
** Teddie: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM9_9cvdJ38 "Teddie Circus!"]]
** Naoto: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxwJldg6bmY "Seeker of Truth"]]
** Aigis: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl5e-O12AFY "Heartful Cry (P4 Arena ver.)"]] (A remix of "Heartful Cry" from ''P3''.)
** Mitsuru: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw4M4vx287I "Missions for the Brilliant Executioner"]]
** Akihiko: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8stzdvrZTo "The Wandering Wolf"]]
** Labrys: ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGfjGZLHq7M "Spirited Girl"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0uVXzFK94A "The Ultimate"]]
** [[spoiler:Shadow Labrys: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYHfVerRHJs "Shadows of the Labyrinth"]]]]
** Elizabeth: Doesn't have a specific theme, so instead the final battle music from ''Persona 3'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnhwsMvx49A "Battle Hymn of the Soul,"]] plays instead. Appropriate given she's the most powerful character in the story.
** From ''[[VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax Ultimax]]'':
*** Rise: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8aKrycIUq4 "Twinkle*Star"]]
*** Junpei: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LPYjYZ7iTI "Mr. Easy-going man"]]
*** Yukari: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_2nvkev-UQ "Pink Sniper"]]
*** Ken [[AssistCharacter and Koromaru]]: ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6csaaP5dtA "Youthful Spirit"]]
*** SHO Minazuki: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRECunk3dO0 "The Joker"]]
*** [[SplitPersonality Sho MINAZUKI]]: ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9nq6QTeKqM "Blood Red Moon"]]
*** Marie (DLC): ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfscv0vPNm0 "XOXO For You"]]
*** [[spoiler:Tohru Adachi (DLC): ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAwEiXCIasU "Fool or Clown?"]]]]
*** Margaret (DLC): ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1iN41edczc "The Battle For Everyone's Souls Ultimax ver."]] (She's Elizabeth's older sister, by the way, and implied at several points across the series to be the StrongerSibling of the two.)
*** [[spoiler:The Malevolent Entity: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sioVb8BUeCE "Burning Inferno"]]]]
** In the [[VideoGame/Persona1 first]] [[VideoGame/Persona2 two]] entries, every party member gets their own theme.
** Additionally, "Poem for the Soul" has been the theme for the Velvet Room since ''Persona 1''; however, ''3'' is notable for turning it into an [[AwesomeMusic/VideoGames insanely rocking boss theme]].
* Every party member (and ''even'' bosses) in ''VideoGame/ManaKhemiaAlchemistsOfAlRevis'' and ''VideoGame/ManaKhemia2FallOfAlchemy'' have a distinctive theme. That way you have an idea of what kind of crazy stuff's about to go down.
* Alma gets her own leitmotif in the second ''VideoGame/{{FEAR}}'' game, which also serves as the game's main theme.
* ''VideoGame/WildARMs'' games naturally jump on the bandwagon. There's the series main theme, "Into the Wilderness," which plays once or twice at key moments in each game, usually the ending or introduction. In ''VideoGame/WildARMs1'', Boomerang has his own theme, which is slowed down for a "funeral dirge" late in the game. In ''VideoGame/WildARMs3'', Virginia has "Ready! Lady Gunner!" while the Schroedingers have "There's Only One Family Named Schrodinger." There are special boss themes for Janus and the Prophets.
** This is brought to a head for the remake of ''VideoGame/WildArms1'', where each major antagonist has their own theme, and they're all ''SugarWiki/{{Awesome|Music}}''. (Though Zed's new theme is a bit less awesome then his old one.)
* MMORPG ''VideoGame/{{Mabinogi}}'' has thematic music for each city, most dungeons, and nearly every NPC, as well as the main game theme; variations of which are used in certain cutscenes from the mainstream storyline quests. The soundtrack recordings include about 120 different pieces of music.
* In ''VideoGame/CliveBarkersJericho'', the same haunting piece of music (a lone choirboy, backed by a deeper-voiced choir) plays whenever the mysterious child (who later turns out to be [[spoiler:the Firstborn]]) appears during gameplay (with the exception of [[spoiler:the boss fight against it]]).
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' had William Birkin's theme, which had a variation for each of his mutations.
** Hunk's theme from the 4th Survivor scenario, which becomes more frantic the further you progress.
** Sherry, Ada, and Tyrant also had their own musical themes.
** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis'', the titular monster has many pieces of theme music, but the two most memorable ones are "Feel the Tense...", which plays whenever he is skulking around in the immediate area and is just ''made'' to make the player feel incredibly nervous, and "Nemesis' Theme", a much louder and more dramatic piece of music that plays whenever he enters the same room as Jill.
*** "Never Give Up The Escape", the spooky "[[NothingIsScarier empty room]]" music.
*** Alexia's theme ("Berceuse") in ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica Code: Veronica]]'', which also had different variations for her OneWingedAngel forms.
** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' gives Wesker a leitmotif, which is heard whenever he appears on screen, and is combined with [[spoiler:Jill's battle theme]] for the song "Two versus Two." Interestingly, Wesker loses his theme music [[spoiler:when he transforms into [[OneWingedAngel his final form]].]]
** [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil1 The first game]] had the mansion motif, which had different variations for the first and second floors, and further variations when you return to the mansion from the guest house, the haunting "bathroom theme", and also Tyrant's theme near the end of the game.
** Krauser also gets a theme in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3HhTZarVBg Island Ganado battle theme]], and during the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67qTza6SSYM quicktime event]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcxrPYrJk4k boss fight]] with him.
* Creator/LucasArts games in general deserve a special mention for developing a special sound engine just to allow the use of Leitmotifs dynamically.
** Several exist in the ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland'' series. Particularly prominent are the themes for [=LeChuck=], the Voodoo Lady, Stan, and Largo [=LaGrande=].
** In the Nintendo version of ''VideoGame/ManiacMansion'', each of the playable characters carried a CD player that basically played that character's theme. Razor's seems particularly popular with fans.
** While ''VideoGame/XWing'' was not the first to use true Leitmotifs in a space simulator (with ''VideoGame/WingCommander'' probably taking that honor), the iMuse system enabled using the various portions of the already huge ''Franchise/StarWars'' trilogy soundtrack and fitting them almost seamlessly into one another. For that reason, virtually any event that could occur during a mission had its own Leitmotif - to the point where it is possible to figure out roughly how a mission played out just by listening to a recording of its soundtrack.
* In the ''VideoGame/BackyardSports'' series, every playable character has their own theme song.
* ''VideoGame/UniverseAtWar: Earth Assault'' has a different soundtrack for each of the three factions, each with its own theme: the Hierarchy have heavy rock tracks, Novus have a techno/electronica vibe, and Masari have an orchestral soundtrack with plenty of OminousLatinChanting. It's worth noting that all the music here was composed by AwesomeMusic/FrankKlepacki.
* If a piece of music in ''Franchise/DotHack'' has to do with the Phases, whether in the original or ''[[VideoGame/DotHackGU GU]]'' games, it will feature at least a few measures of a distinct and slightly creepy melody of bells at some point. You can hear it quite clearly about ten seconds into Gorre's original theme: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ANN4HGAMtI here.]] The eighth Phase, Corbenik, has his own [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCacMBIS2zI piano melody]] across the games, and snippets of Cubia's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyzlcb47dfY final music]] from the first games can be heard in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRNpSEz0k-g battle themes]] from GU.
** Piros the 3rd, the AuthorAvatar of the game's creator, has a themesong involving upbeat '''''tuba''''' music that ''ALWAYS'' plays over the normal stage music whenever you invite him into your party. Only a few exceptions prevent this: When you're in a Root Town or fighting a Phase boss. No other party character in the game has theme music.
** Azure Kite gets "[[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Everything In These Hands]]" as his theme song. It is both fast-paced and dark, encompassing his mysteriousness and brutally efficient fighting methods, but also contains a calmer section reminiscient of Mac Anu's music, hinting at his true nature.
** Several romantic scenes in G.U. have "Shino-Honeysuckle" playing in the background.
** Also, every time you see Ovan, "The Epitaph is Told" plays.
** Most funny scenes (excluding those with Piros) have the song "Troublesome Girl", which may or may not be originally intended more-or-less for Atoli, hence the "girl" part of the title.
* ''VideoGame/SyphonFilterTheOmegaStrain'' has Logan's theme; a variation of the main ThemeTune, the Agency theme, Aramov's theme, Theme of Zeus, and Theme of Metaglobal, and each terrorist group has a characteristic [[BattleThemeMusic battle theme]].

* In ''VideoGame/CaveStory'', QuirkyMinibossSquad-member Balrog and BigBad The Doctor each have their own theme that plays during their cutscenes: "Balrog's Theme" and "Tyrant" respectively. There's also "Jenka" which first pops up in Jenka's house, then serves as the music for the Labyrinth--this is the first clue the player is given that Jenka figures big in the island's backstory.
* The soundtrack to ''VideoGame/Mother3'' is very heavily built on leitmotifs that recur in numerous variations throughout the game, including [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKzRhveK7sQ His Highness' Theme]] for scenes involving the Pigmask Army, the [[{{Sexophone}} saxophone]] line in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0xaZxMZGUE Magypsy's Home, Sweetie-Pie]] for the Magypsies (which actually serves as a MusicalSpoiler later on in the game if you're paying attention), and, of course, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idULzIIF950 Love Theme]], which will break your heart with its every appearance in the context of the game.
** It could be argued that each enemy has a Leitmotif, however some enemies share the same theme. That said, with there being 250 music tracks in the game, it's reasonably safe to say that most enemies (and bosses) have their own themes.
** ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound}}'''s [[TheDragon Dragon]] Pokey has a theme that follows him everywhere as do The Runaway Five, and the SoundStone melody also acts as one for Ness and the journey as a whole after you've found all of its pieces. Paula also has a Leitmotif, but it's not heard as often.
*** ''VideoGame/{{Mother|1}}'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85XM_Nl7_oo "Eight Melodies"]] is another memorable example.
* In ''Franchise/MassEffect'', the ''Normandy'' and Commander Shepard share many of the same musical cues and riffs in their respective themes, appearing in all three games, suitably heroic sounding for both of them. The second game features a variation of this theme called "Suicide Mission", appropriate for the game's [[DarkReprise darker tone]]. Shepard in particular has a recurring violin and brass riff associated with them, noticable in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FE4NHBNi5Y Spectre Induction]]", "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXCM0lZxh4U The Normandy Reborn]]", "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCk4RiKH9H0 The End Run]]" and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Gnbkd7wkg The Fleets Arrive]]".
** Saren's leitmotif in [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]] also doubles as the "[[GameOver Critical Mission Failure]]" music, subtly conditioning the player to hate him throughout the entire game!
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7bE3hUwylQ "Vigil"]] from ''[[VideoGame/MassEffect1 Mass Effect]]''. In the first game it plays during the startup menu and [[spoiler:when Vigil himself appears to tell you the fate of the Protheans, Sovereign's plan, and how Shepard can stop the Reapers from returning.]] In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' it plays when Shepard briefly reunites with members of his squad from the first ''Normandy'': a reminder of the sense of wonder the first game held, in direct contrast to the second game's much darker feel. It plays again in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' after [[spoiler:the genophage is cured, finally giving the Krogan hope, and when the Geth and Quarians reunite, if you managed to convince them to make peace.]] You can vaguely hear it in the War Room as well. And finally, it plays during [[spoiler: the DistantFinale with the Stargazer telling Shepard's story to a young child.]]
** [[ManBehindTheMan Sovereign]] gets a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrae8w5anwI theme]] that, besides from being ominous and quietly forceful, actually forms the base for several other tracks and is partially recycled for other [[spoiler:Reaper music]]. It sounds like Dune music and perfectly describes up the Reaper threat until the third game.
** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' the Collector ship that [[spoiler:destroys the Normandy and kills Shepard]] has a distinct percussive, syncopated leitmotif that appears in every single track that features the Collectors.
*** Likewise it's been twisted and deepened but if you listen carefully you can hear [[spoiler: Vigil's theme]] almost buried in the background of the collector's theme, hinting that [[spoiler: the Collectors are Reaperised Protheans]].
** Songs that happen during the suicide mission share, in parts, a distinctive, dramatic, SugarWiki/{{Awesome|Music}} melody. This is most obvious in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTsD2FjmLsw Suicide Mission]]" and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCk4RiKH9H0&feature=related The End Run]]".
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_6BDTHXaB8 Every squadmate in the second game has their own theme song]], which form the primary background music during their recruitment and loyalty missions.
* The [[http://www.queststudios.com/quest/kq2rts/kq2music/kq2music.html soundtrack]] to the ''VideoGame/KingsQuestII'' FanRemake uses these to powerful effect. The soundtrack remixes and gives full MIDI treatment to not only music from the original game, but weaves in musical references to ''other'' games in the series at the Air Gem tests. It uses a couple internal ones, like an instrumental version of the AwardBaitSong for Valanice and integrating [[spoiler: Grandma and Possum's themes]] when Graham is confronting the vampire.
* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has 2 different entire soundtracks depending on your karma. If you do evil stuff, you get a dark brooding soundtrack, if you do good actions, you get an upbeat heroic sounding soundtrack. The major factions also have respective leitmotifs, which are integrated into the FinalDungeon theme depending on which side you have chosen.
** In the Dead Money DLC, Dean Domino seems to have "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTRQn-ijsrY Something's Gotta Give]]" as sung by Bing Crosby as his theme. "Begin Again", sung by Stephanie Dowling, is [[PosthumousCharacter Vera]]'s and possibly Christine's theme.
** ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' has distinct leitmotifs for each of the four main factions, which in turn are incorporated into the "Quest Clear" jingle for their respective quests. There are also a number of regional motifs, such as the uileann pipes melody in Diamond City and Goodneighbor, and the accordion-based theme in swamp and coastal areas.
* ''VideoGame/BioShock'' has a somewhat unusual example. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziFdpLRwyps main theme]] in the [[VideoGame/BioShock1 first game]] later went on to become [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KibRGZm-QNw Elanor's Lullaby]] in ''[[VideoGame/BioShock2 2]]'' which is the theme for your Little Sister in the game, Eleanor, and is the closing music for the game. Also of note is the track [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlu2z2gkhhI Cohen's Masterpiece]], the theme for a ''MadArtist'' which plays when he finishes his masterpiece (with your help)
** Don't forget the one cello note for the radio "communications" coming from the Rapture leader.
** In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'' a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSdmEsnRjAI whimsical accordion ditty]] plays whenever the [[TricksterMentor Lutece Twins]] appear.
* The ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'' series has several, eg "Theme of Adol" and its remixes, "Feena", "Lilia", "Theme of Chester", "Karna", "Leeza", "Eldeel", "Niena", "Theme of Lovers"(Stoker's theme), "Theme of Kefin", "Olha", "Successor of Almarion"(Ernst's theme), "The Depth Napishtim", etc.
* Basically, every ''Creator/{{Rare}}'' videogame has its own recurring main theme.
** ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' series has two main motives, along other recurring themes, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C3m5Lno_20 Banjo-Kazooie Main Theme]], which appears in tracks such as ''Overture'' of the three main games, first game's ''Final Battle'', ''Cloud Cukooland''; and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTztR_y9iHc Gruntilda's lair]], featured during the final battles and in tracks like in ''Grunty Industries'' or ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy0Vqw9grMw#t=2m08s LOGBOX 720]]''. Both also appeared in many games' cutscenes.
** ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'' has some recurring themes, the most famous is "Windy", played in the hubworld and in musical tracks such as "Barn Boys", "Give us our money back, honey" and "The Ugga Bugga's". Ze professor Von Kriplespac's theme is played during the battle with The Little Girl, when Conker is in the Windy's harbor and during the second assault in the remake.
*** ''Live & Reloaded'', remake of ''Bad Fur Day'', also features a recurring theme, that plays during the game intro, and briefly as game over in the Chapter X, as well as in "Doon I" and in "The Ditch".
* The ''VideoGame/{{Lufia}}'' series has a few recurring themes through its games. Most notably [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFC3z4cir_A "The Last Duel," ]] for the [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Sinistrals' stronghold.]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbQL_b18Wzc "For The Savior"]] also gets a fair bit of use through some of the games when the Dual Blade comes into play.
* The ''VideoGame/SpaceChannel5'' series has quite a few themes for certain characters, mainly [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVKw_gs2WAA&feature=related Ulala]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAxo6avG4MI&feature=related President Peace]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pccNgDzDuIY&feature=related Pine]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3ozUZqji8s&feature=related Purge]].
* ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'' used a guitar riff associated with Chuck Greene, and in the final-final boss battle an extended version of the riff is played for the fight theme. Both the riff and the fight theme can be classified as SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic.
* In ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'', every playable character has his/her own theme song.
** Many of the Creator/{{Marvel}} themes are [[BootstrappedTheme Bootstrapped Themes]], with Spider-Man, Hulk, Doctor Doom, Shuma-Gorath, ComicBook/IronMan[[note]] Iron Man is a weird case. It was first used as stage theme, then as a straight leitmotif for War Machine, ''then'' the latter was made Iron Man's leitmotif in ''[=MvC3=]''.[[/note]] and ComicBook/CaptainAmerica having their themes first used in ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroes'' as stage themes (Sentinel's theme was also used for his ''VideoGame/XMenChildrenOfTheAtom'' stage). Played straight with ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, ComicBook/{{Storm}}, and ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}, who use their character themes from ''VideoGame/XMenVsStreetFighter'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfTheSuperheroes''.
** Wolverine is an interesting example of this, as up until ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'', he had ''five'' different themes; a new one for each game he appeared in between ''[=MSH=]'', ''[=X-Men: CotA=]'', ''[=XvSF=]'', ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroesVsStreetFighter'' and ''[=MvC1=]''. ''3'' was the first game to actually remix a theme of his. Some of the other X-Men characters got different themes for each game they appeared in, as well.
*** Actually, all of Wolverine's themes are arrangements of his theme from ''X-Men: Children of the Atom''. It's just that it's been so '''heavily''' remixed with such different tones each time that [[CommonKnowledge people who casually listen to each arrangement will miss it]]. This is also the case with all of the other ''X-Men'' characters' themes (Gambit and Omega Red are the only exceptions) prior to ''[=MvC2=]''. In the case of Wolverine, Hideyuki Fukasawa (the composer of ''[=MvC3=]'') took the original ''[=MvC=]'' arrangement of his theme and made a more straightforward remix of it.
** [[Franchise/AceAttorney Phoenix Wright]] is unique in that he is the only character in the game with ''two'' themes; "Objection! 2001" (his leitmotif from his first game) is his standard theme, while "Pursuit ~ Cornered" (which plays at the climax of a trial) is used when he enters [[SuperMode Turnabout Mode]].
* In ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent'', there's a musical cue that sounds when an enemy is near.
* All six guests get their own themes in ''VideoGame/TheSeventhGuest'', and whenever two or more are present, their themes are blended together. For example, "Dolls of Doom" mixes Elinor's violin and piano motif with Temple's creepy circus organ track. The game's main theme, simply titled "The Game", has a metal cover on the OST {{with lyrics}} [[ExpositoryThemeTune that describe the overall story]], and [[ThemeTuneCameo it's used for a Simon-style music puzzle later on]].
* Each main character (and some villains too) from ''VideoGame/OnimushaDawnOfDreams'' has his own theme. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg1Y8S8wNfc Soki's]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDhBvzLIThE Jubei's]] themes in particular are easily SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic.
* Nearly everyone has one in ''Getter Love!!'' To quote [[http://www.inverteddungeon.com/triacesuperfan/getterlovereview.html the review]]:
--> A wide array of musical styles are present in Getter Love, and the songs match the personalities of the girls and the feel of the game to a tee. The popular cute girls [Ayumi and Natsuki] have peppy cheerful J-Pop tunes (luckily without the vocals). The classy girl [Makoto] has a smooth, jazzy piece, and Shizuku, [[MeaningfulName whose name means “drop of water”]], has a song that is serene like a trickling stream in the woods. My favorite song, belonging to my favorite girl Kiiro, has an almost Hindi feel to it complete with chanting melodic vocals. For those fond of Asian music, Meifa is [[NationalStereotypes stereotypically given a traditional Chinese song, gongs and all]].
* All of the characters in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' have at least one that is used their Meet the Team video and/or in the game's menu. They are as follows:
** Heavy: The main theme (simply titled "Team Fortress 2"), as he's almost the main character of the game.
** Soldier: "Rocket Jump Waltz", "The Art Of War"
** Engineer: "More Gun" (based on Wilco's "Someone Else's Song")
** Demoman: "Drunken Pipe Bomb"
** Scout: "Faster Than A Speeding Bullet"
** Sniper: Not in the game for copyright reasons, but his is a rearrangement of the ''Film/MagnumForce'' theme.
** Spy: "Right Behind You", "Petite Chou-Fleur"
** Medic: "A Little Heart To Heart", "MEDIC!"
** Pyro: "Dreams of Cruelty", [[spoiler:"Do You Believe in Magic"]]
** In the "Freak Fortress" mod, quite a few of the [[ImplacableMan titular freaks]] have one of these, which lets you know [[ThisIsGonnaSuck what you're about to face]].
* ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'' series:
** Patterson's theme from the first game, which was reworked in ''Frontline''
** The Axis theme throughout the series.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg1qnHR1iUE "Taking Out The Railgun"]]
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O7eXhQ1Xnc "Panzer Attack"]] (also heard in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btU3YXWMhFA "Panzer Blockade"]] and the third part of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w38-QCmz-sQ "The Rowhouses"]], et al.)
** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e3p6nKIgvA The U-Boat]]" (returns in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja7W_tOUFEg "U-4902"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwmGBAkI110 "Shipyards of Lorient"]] in ''Frontline'', the latter of which also incorporates Sturmgeist's theme mentioned below)
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtU0Cmx3Jqk "Attack on Fort Schmerzen"]]
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYfkad4Ko5A "Nordhausen"]] (also used in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWaI5f9TSVI "Schmerzen" rework]] from ''Allied Assault'')
** Sturmgeist's theme from ''Frontline'' (in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq3eRXmboC4 "Manor House Rally"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2FkuE4eS0Q "Sturmgeist's Armored Train"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4HlBOgb42k "Escaping Gotha"]])
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgPZfQb50JY "Clipping Their Wings"]] (the Gotha facility theme in ''Frontline'', also appears in "After the Drop" and near the end of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5X7D-m0DTA "Kleveburg"]])
** "Escaping Gotha", the second Gotha theme, which plays in the levels "Enemy Mine" and "Stealing the Show".
* The ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' series, being chock full of SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic, has a few {{Leitmotif}}s in use.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeAh1WEUrU0 "A Little Friendship"]] is Ivan's theme. [[spoiler: It's also used for cutscenes focusing on Hama, which foreshadows the reveal that she's his sister.]]
** Isaac, Felix, and Jenna all eventually have their own [[BattleThemeMusic battle themes]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpTAxpqBxpM Isaac's theme]] is used in the first game for the majority of battles and will also play if he's present in the active/primary party after the groups join up. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFavD6Vq55Y Felix's theme]] is used for a large portion of the second game, and will also play if he's present in the "active/front party" after the groups join up. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjQLhg4hTxM Jenna's theme]] is used briefly in the prologue of ''The Lost Age'' when she's the only player character, and once the parties join up, [[GuideDangIt if she's in the active/front party and neither Isaac nor Felix are (meaning that Isaac and Felix are in the backup/secondary party)]].
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn9kAwhOIMQ Saturos and Menardi]] share their theme (simply named for them), along with a BossRemix [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG4bkp-NjaQ theme]]. Saturos, being Saturos, also has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD3SMmAFUjE his own boss theme]] when encountered alone, and it's hands-down one of the fandom's favorite pieces -- it even came back as BonusBoss [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kui8MlFol4g battle theme music]] in ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn''!
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5egYkPJUe-U Agatio and Karst]] also share a theme (simply named for them) and a rocking BossRemix [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVqlbYdKpc0 theme]].
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRUOauz4ATE "There Goes Briggs!"]] inexplicably only plays in one of Briggs's cutscenes in ''The Lost Age''.
* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty: VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' had a particularly striking one used throughout the game (composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, which was sadly ignored by later composers for the series.
** Too be fair, ''Modern Warfare 2'' also had multiple striking Leitmotifs, such as the Opening Titles, Contingency (TF141's theme), Extraction Point (Ranger theme), and the distinctive climax heard during Guerilla Tactics (Militia theme). Safeguard is also used for two notable chase sequences, the Snowmobile escape and the Jeep escape.
* In perhaps one of the first video game leitmotifs, Baron Von Blubba in ''VideoGame/BubbleBobble'' is always accompanied by a short, ominous riff whenever he appears on screen.
* WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H_sYtmqgP4 gets his own]] in ''VideoGame/DonaldDuckNoMahouNoBoushi''.
* In ''VideoGame/StarControl'', at the end of each battle, the game would play a short "ditty" specifically belonging to the winning ship's species. This went much further in ''VideoGame/StarControlII'' where each (of over 20) species got its own theme music, accompanying any interaction with members of that species.
* In ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'', all the characters have a unique theme that plays whenever they're fought. There's also an item that replaces the stage BGM with the controlled character's theme when equipped. The themes range from heroic/ ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HiROVmI9KA Masamune]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78tvji5ukbc Yukimura]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qwqV_5p9_I&feature=related Ieyasu]]), villainous ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL_Tu-n_zAM Mitsunari]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjPM1gZCbvc&feature=related Tenkai]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_yphFhOjHo Nobunaga]]) or sometimes just plain silly ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glz-fuY0P8c Yoshiaki]] or [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20T2vfjz8Gk&feature=related Hideaki]]).
* ''VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon'' has its own main theme song, "Gotta Stay Fly", which has a variety of brief and major appearances throughout the game, either in the rock portion or the orchestral theme. It is most notably used during Bishop's nightmare, then [[spoiler:a different version when he actually is over Miami reliving his nightmare for real and facing it anyway]], and finally the full song over the end credits.
** Markov has a bit of his own leitmotif, a sad song that plays when he is first introduced and [[spoiler:in full during [[FinalBoss your last dogfight with him]]]]. Its title is "Mrs. Krista Yoslav", who is kind of important. [[spoiler:She was Markov's wife, who was killed by a botched NATO bombing run, leaving him a BrokenAce who just wants revenge. She ''is'' his leitmotif]].
** ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'' has short Spanish guitar pieces that signify the arrival of an enemy ace.
** ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'''s super-submarines Scinfaxi and Hrimfaxi have a recurring track, in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5UAxGNslNo "Ballistic Missile"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtfBZjCcnF4 "Scinfaxi"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL4RBZV7Wjc "Hrimfaxi".]]
** There is also a tune that appears in the tracks [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X5BZYLrk1Q "8492"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekrk1umqmrc "Mask"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilaZwwVyjm8 "Grabacr"]], alluding to the fact that [[spoiler: the Osean "8492nd Squadron" are actually working for the Belkans, operating secretly as henchmen of the Grey Men who are masterminding the war between Osea and Yuktobania.]]
* In the ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'', Maxi's theme appears to be [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQt1N6UpNdA Sail Over the Storm]]. It's used in both the first and third games, and the first 10 or so seconds appear again in the fifth game.
** Mitsurugi's themes throughout the ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' tend to build up to a common motif, as heard in his themes in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgAQQKESKcQ Soul Edge]] (50 seconds in), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqFvRyGvGWk Soul Calibur]] (38 seconds in), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75cIxRe15i4 Soul Calibur II]] (51 seconds in), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iifCRyAGADs Soul Calibur III]] (1:46 minutes in), and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W891SR8oJTw Soulcalibur V]] (41 seconds in).
*** The one in ''Soulcalibur II'' is technically Taki's theme, but the motif is most common with Mitsurugi's themes.
** Link in ''II'' had the standard Legend of Zelda theme playing, but only when he was in the match on the Olympus Shrine stage. Additionally, the "Item Get" jingle played when he won instead of the standard victory theme.
** All characters in ''V'' have an assigned Leitmotif; the song select menu has the characters' pictures next to each title showing which ones.
* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' doesn't have background music much, but it does have boss themes. Examples include...
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEBOJBolTf0&feature=related Chaos Witch Quelaag]], ominous creepyness mixed with [[OneWomanWail Many Woman Wail]] and [[OminousLatinChanting Ominous Chanting]].
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVDo0ZRy5So&feature=related Taurus Demon]], suitably fast paced with shrieking violins and ominous chanting to match the player's surprise following the boss's DynamicEntry. Also used for the Asylum Demon.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_UJz04oGwU&feature=related The Moonlight Butterfly]], slow paced and would almost be describable as beautiful if not for your horrible memories of actually fighting the boss itself.
*** And some actual background themes:
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnikoPzFrz0&feature=related Daughter Of Chaos]].
*** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6GK8HhjQQE Firelink Shrine]].
* ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' has several characters with one. [[TheRival Yasha]] however, stands out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dead9SkT_xg here]].
* ''VideoGame/WarioLand'' and ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' have some for various characters. From ''VideoGame/WarioMasterOfDisguise'':
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szby_3IkA4c Count Cannoli]] has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baFVLzcbcxM two]]
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5dUjqv6a1I&feature=relmfu Carpaccio]] has one.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrtmv0OToWo Tiaramisu]] has one
** In ''VideoGame/WarioWorld'' onwards Wario seems to use [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0jYd_G8DKQ something like this]] based on the Greenhorn Ruins theme.
** In ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' you've got [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_MTDXaEI7E Ashley's theme]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rNxXeSV12M Mike's Theme]] both of which ended up in Brawl. Possibly Mona Pizza also counts as one of these for Mona.
* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'', the main character is a Dragonborn, and his leitmotif is suitably named [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsnRQJxanVM Dragonborn]]. It plays as part of the main menu screen and, for added awesomeness, it often plays when a dragon attacks the player providing a nice musical backdrop for an epic dragon fight.
* Every character in ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Fever's'' 15th Anniversary gets some sort of Leitmotif. In Fever 1 and 2, a special song plays during the cutscene before facing the final boss; [[http://youtu.be/PdaBbIByvTQ Phony Demon King]] for Popoi in ''Fever'' and [[http://youtu.be/3ZnsF5eZIb0 Resurrection of the Ancient Spirit]] for Strange Klug in ''Fever 2''. In the Normal Course of ''Fever 2'', you hear [[http://youtu.be/40O66cO1_3Y this]] before facing the boss, Lemres.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Parodius}}'', the player ships have their own dogfight themes, which would be played as they would fly in space in order to reach the next destination. The original characters (of Parodius) have their own original themes, while playable quest characters from other Konami-games [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW-X3_w1ljY&list=UUcgBRZ4vO8rDtRfi6L7Tc3Q&index=14&feature=plcp would have their iconic tune implemented on their theme]] or [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de0iJ8PmjoA&list=UUcgBRZ4vO8rDtRfi6L7Tc3Q&index=8&feature=plcp it might be even be shortened remix of a theme from their games.]]
** Same for the bosses too: for example the Hot Lips-boss is being always fought to 'Can Can'.
* In ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'', [[BigBad General Morden]] and his [[TheDragon Dragon]] Allen O'Neal usually use [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF5PlhFXEZ8 Assault]] as their main theme whenever they appear or when they're involved, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJnhP8bqvQM though the latter uses it as his boss theme in 7]].
* In ''VideoGame/EvilGenius'', each of the five Super Agents has their own theme that plays when they arrive at the IslandBase.
* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'': Lu Bu's theme, an auditory OhCrap if there ever was one. His ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'' counterpart Tadakatsu Honda also has a theme.
* Whilst avoided in ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'', it is especially prominent in ''VideoGame/Portal2''. In fact, just about every character that was given a distinct personality in the game (meaning the exclusion of Chell and some throw-away comic relief characters) was given a Leitmotif to match.
** Just about every track that was made for a scene featuring Wheatley contained at least a segment of a waltz-like minor piece. This tune is first heard in the background of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuC6fqK1swQ The Courtesy Call]], but is most commonly recognized as [[DarkReprise the climax]] of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df4mSvMiPmw I AM NOT A MORON!]], the track that plays in the scene where [[spoiler: Wheatley becomes drunk with his newfound power of the mainframe and betrays you]].
** While "Music Of The Spheres" is initially presented with an eerie grandeur to support the ominous atmosphere of the old company ruins, the majority of its renditions take the form of laid-back bleepy-bloopy background music to the old test chambers. Most prominent examples of this would be "You are not Part of the Control Group" and "Forwarding the Cause of Science"; these, combined with "Incindiary Lemons", are key to Cave Johnson, Caroline, and the old chambers.
** [=GlaDOS=]'s Leitmotif can first be heard in the game's opening menu, and later as the first half of 'Don't Do It.' The song is a variation of the theme from "Music of the Spheres", which gives off a glimmer of the repressed Caroline personality. In addition, [=GlaDOS=] [[spoiler: While still attached to Aperture's mainframe,]] has a distinct three note bass octave that sounds out whenever she has taken the upper hand.
** The concept of destruction has its own theme that is first heard when [=GlaDOS=] tosses Chell down the incinerator to recover a dual portal gun. Notably the bass sequence of this theme often accompanies [[spoiler: Wheatley's theme, hinting at his destructive nature.]]
** The stalemate resolution button has its own leitmotif, an energetic, techno melody that can he heard at the end of "Don't Do It" and at the start of "Your Precious Moon".
** The turrets also sort of have two different leitmotifs, once again, as a product of their duality. [[spoiler:Especially notables as some of their themes foreshadow the "Carra Mia Addio" ending piece.]]
** Doug Rattman is possibly the most confusing character of all when it comes to leitmotif, though he is almost immediately associated with is "Exile/Vilify" by National, an obscure song that can be found in the game, but only playing on a certain radio in a rat den of a specific level.
** There is a track on the soundtrack titled "Reconstructing More Science" which briefly features practically all leitmotifs from the game; it is not used anywhere in the game, but instead is the third of three bonus tracks each found at the beginning of each volume of the soundtrack. It does get a small appearance at the end of "Caroline Deleted", also at the end of the game.
** "9999999", used in the first version of the main menu and upon returning to [=GlaDOS=]' chamber after Wheatley's plan comes through, contains a somewhat sped-up version of the percussion heard in "Forwarding the Cause of Science" and "The Reunion".
** "Concentration Enhancing Menu Initializer", not present in the game, is a techno version of "There She Is".
** The music of the final battle, "Bombs for Throwing at You," Features [=GlaDOS=] and Wheatley's themes struggling for dominance over one another, while the baseline of the destruction theme is blazing over both of them.
* In ''VideoGame/TheNightOfTheRabbit'' all of the Magician characters - de Hoto, Molena, and [[spoiler:Zaroff]] - have a theme tune that is a variation on the main menu music.
* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'':
** In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'', the track [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqah6JOTnkI Fiend]] is associated with Fiend-class demon bosses. It also appears in arranged forms in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIMAGINE'', ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'', and ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIVApocalypse'' in the same context.
** Pretty much everyone in the game has his or her leitmotif: Aradia has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UBZrXmOJPY Lady Aradia, Advent]], Gozu-Tennoh has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b70sdehPrSU Masura]], and many others, such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UBZrXmOJPY Hijiri]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4vfWk1Dp8U Isamu]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfHMoICw2uc Chiaki]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smCPySvfx9I Metatron]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_GdDjswJQo Beelzebub]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b70sdehPrSU Hikawa]], have their own leitmotifs. Of all these, though, Metatron's and Beelzebub's are notable for being remixes of their factions' themes from ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI''.
** One of the most recurring themes throughout the entire ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' franchise is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yhh5Ol7AZ8 Law theme]] that originated in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI''. Along with the aforementioned Metatron pre-battle theme, it appears as his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u2hQvJV9Q8 battle]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePzkTQPyhmY theme]] in ''Nocturne'' and ''[[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIMAGINE IMAGINE]]'', and, along with the ''Videogame/ShinMegamiTenseiII'' Law theme, as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1qS9LMuK8M the theme]] when battling [[spoiler:The Archangels]] in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV''.
* ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' appropriates the main menu theme from ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'', in various forms, throughout the game.
** The BigBad, Zinyak, whenever making a physical presence, tends to be accompanied by a booming theme with noise reminiscent of industrial work.
* Many of the attendant themes in ''VideoGame/ToukenRanbu'' have bits of melody that sound similar, often of characters who are connected in one way or another. For example Namazuo's and Honebami's themes sound alike, and the two are close siblings.
* Every ''VideoGame/{{Awesomenauts}}'' character has a theme that plays upon selection, composed with their respective personalities and and character traits in mind. In addition, when a character gets three kills in a row without dying (a killing spree) a remix of their theme plays.
* ''VideoGame/GrimFandango'' has numerous character themes, though they only ascend to leitmotif for a few characters. For example, there's: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YnWIepijG4 "Domino"]] (his introduction) and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHCgkdFhBY0 "Domino's In Charge"]] (after [[spoiler:he's revealed to be a villain]]), as well as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3HC9JOwAYo "Coaxing Meche"]] (she hates Manny) and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q41xhqgTryM "Manny and Meche"]] (during [[spoiler:the ending]]).
* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Contra}} Contra: Shattered Soldier]]'', Lance Bean has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thldXYYuQY8 Lance Lullaby]] while the Triumvirate has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fERHkdy_EfQ Senator]].
* ''VideoGame/DoubleDragonNeon'' gives Skullmageddon one of these, which is actually a remix of one of the cave themes from the NES version of ''Double Dragon 1''.
* ''VideoGame/Strikers1945'' has [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57gfEnYsRBA In the Name of Strikers] as its signature main theme.
** 1945 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNNOvBaBIfo II's version] makes it more military-sounding.
** 1945 III gives a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQGwbZwz9_A more modern interpretation] of the theme.
** Finally, the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S5M7-I6XS8 1945 Plus version] has the most patriotic version of all.
* ''VideoGame/VectorThrust'''s main theme makes it into nearly every piece of music composed for the game.
* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' gives leitmotifs to all of its characters, usually based on the series they came from--for instance, if you've brought Getter-1 from ''Shin Manga/GetterRobo Armageddon'' with Ryoma at the controls, you often get a rendition of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaJw6lqGFew HEATS]] by Hironobu Kageyama, while Amuro Ray in the Nu Gundam from ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack Char's Counterattack]]'' fights while [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmuf1GaUSyA the Char's Counterattack main theme]] plays in the background.
** Special mention goes to Elzam von Branstein AKA [[PaperThinDisguise Ratsel Feinschmecker]], whose leitmotif, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCmTJVew_tY Trombe!]], is [[MemeticMutation notorious]] for its ability to [[BackgroundMusicOverride override any other soundtrack that's playing at the moment,]] including thematically important ones such as boss themes.
* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' gives the titular Freddy Fazbear a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZOOx40rE3k music-box rendition]] of "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toreador_Song Toreador]]" from ''Theatre/{{Carmen}}'', which only plays when Freddy is on the move or all the lights have gone out and he's preparing to kill you horrificially.
** [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys2 The sequel]] has [[spoiler:The Puppet, whose theme is a music box rendition of ''My Grandfather's Clock;'' should you let its music box run out, it's very quickly replaced with Pop Goes the Weasel.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}} 2'' handles this in a unique way. Olimar and Louie don't have signature themes; instead any music playing is rendered in a straight 4/4 beat whenever Olimar is in control, and in an off-kilter swing beat whenever Louie is in control.
** ''Pikmin 3'' has a few, more traditional leitmotifs for the various characters. The first seven notes of ''2[='=]s'' main theme are associated with the Pikmin themselves, and the tune that was used for discoveries and gathered treasures has become indicative of Hocotate as a whole. The new protagonists from Koppai have their own motif, and finally, the final boss has one. [[ActionGirl Brittany]], [[TheCaptain Charlie]], and [[BigEater Louie]] each get their own theme when they are introduced, as well.
* In ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'', most large monsters either play this trope straight with their own BGM tracks whenever they're present and engaged in combat with you, or avert it by having the standard map BGM or MiniBoss BGM play instead. The Khezu, on the other hand, is notable for inverting this trope: To represent its inability to see its target, there is ''no'' music whenever you fight it, unless [[BackgroundMusicOverride another large monster is fighting you at the same time]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has [[{{Understatement}} quite a few]], though some of these are because a character will have conventional music and a BossRemix of the aformentioned piece. Out of the 101 tracks on its soundtrack, only eleven do not contain some sort of leitmotif. The most widespread and truest leitmotif, however, would be the opening sequence song "Once Upon A Time', which appears in the tracks "Start Menu", "Home", "Hotel", "Can You Really Call This A Hotel I Didn't Receive A Mint On My Pillow Or Anything" and "[[TitleDrop Undertale]]". If you go for GoldenEnding, "Hopes and Dreams", "SAVE the World", "Bring It In, Guys!" and "Last Goodbye" will appear.
* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'' has leitmotifs both for the Stalker (which plays when he makes an appearance) and for [[spoiler:the Operators]] which is played [[spoiler:during the climax of the Second Dream quest]] and in the Transference Room in the Orbiter afterwards).
* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest'''s most prominent leitmotif is that of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6rCpWMHEOw Spirit Tree]], which is also the main RecurringRiff. There are also themes for Ori themself([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Fhx2IEztw "Ori, Lost in the Storm"]]), Naru ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k6kg---YKg "Naru, Embracing The Light"]], whose motif is further elaborated upon in the backstory-exploring BonusDungeon from the UpdatedRerelease), Sein ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX85QCR6dxQ "Finding Sein"]], and "The Ancestral Trees"), Kuro ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzXNGRnOYP4 "Kuro's Tale"]], "Facing The Dark", "Fleeing Kuro", and "The Sacrifice"), and Gumo ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO2Dvgkaf8k "Gumo's Hideout"]] and "Breaking Through The Trap"). Furthermore, most locations have leitmotifs, such as Swallow's Nest (which has a DarkReprise when the forest falls to the decay and Naru dies), Sunken Glades, Moon Grotto ("Down The Moon Grotto" and the aforementioned "Gumo's Hideout"), the Ginso Tree ("Climbing The Ginso Tree" and "Restoring The Light"), the Misty Woods ("Lost In the Misty Woods" and "The Mists Cleared"), the Forlorn Ruins ("Home of the Gumon" and "Escaping The Ruins"), Sorrow Pass ("Riding The Wind" and "Completing The Circle"), and Mount Horu.
* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheWillOfTheWisps'', in addition to reusing the main theme (most prominently as a ThemeMusicPowerUp) and Ori's and Naru's leitmotifs from the first game, introduces new leitmotifs for characters and locations such as Ku ("Ku's First Flight", "Separated By The Storm", "Reunification"), Kwolok ("The Eyes of Kwolok", "Kwolok's Hollow", "Kwolok's Throne Room", "Kwolok's Malaise"), the Wellspring ("The Ancient Wellspring", "A Look Inside"), the Decay/Shriek ("Ash and Bone", "Escape With the Memory of the Forest", "Shriek's Tale", "Shriek and Ori"), the Wisps/Seir ("Amelioration", "Fading of the Light", "Escaping The Sandworm"), Baur ("Baur's Reach", "A Snowy Skirmish", "Baur's Peak"), the Luma Pools ("Luma Pools", "Resolution in Paradise"), and Mouldwood Depths/Mora ("Shadows of Mouldwood", "Mora the Spider", "The Darkness Lifted").
* In ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' games from ''VideoGame/Halo4'' onward, the Master Chief's leitmotif is "[[https://youtu.be/RzIJV8XrCEI 117]]". The melody shows up as a RecurringRiff in several different songs.
* In the ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'' games, there is a particular theme that is heard in the music for My Moon in the original game, the sequel and the Vita version.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbfl4xRR9v4 The Meanies]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM902S0TT9Q Newton]] have these as well.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' and its sequel has for Crow Armbrust, "I'll remember you," the song played during the credits sequence [[spoiler:following his death. The melody of it is used in several other pieces, including the piece "Remaining Glow" played during and following his death and even "The Decisive Collision," which is actually the final boss theme of the original game, played during the first battle between Rean/Valimar and Crow/Ordine.]] "New Companions" is actually used in the original ''Cold Steel'' to introduce both Millium Orion and Crow, but its perky nature fits the personality Millium displays and it's used in several other scenes involving her, including in ''Cold Steel II''. [[TheHero Rean]] meanwhile gets [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH-Xxj22Kog Blue Destination]] as his theme in the second game.
* ''VideoGame/{{Aquaria}}'' has a specific twelve-note melody woven throughout almost all of its music. It turns out that [[spoiler:it's part of what the FinalBoss remembers of the song his mother sang to him before she died]]; it's probably also the ''literal'' source of the Verse that Naija taps into to change her form.
* ''VideoGame/NeedForSpeed'' uses leitmotifs mostly for when police show up in-game and engage in a pursuit, replacing the in-game music tracks with composed pursuit music
** Leitmotifs are much more prominent in Need for Speed: Carbon, where each type of car (tuner, muscle, or exotic types) has a certain genre of music play when you're driving that type of car (electronic, rock, and rap/hip-hop respectively). Each boss in the game also has a song that plays for them when they show up, with Angie (21st street crew) having [[https://youtu.be/cyjmd00s-_Q Hurricane by Kyuss]], Kenji (Bushido crew) with [[https://youtu.be/3ER93-X2eJw Fighting in Built up Areas by Ladytron]], Wolf (TFK crew) with [[https://youtu.be/LkEx5_92HLI After Party by Dynamite MC]], and [[spoiler: Darius (Stacked Deck crew) with [[https://youtu.be/5sh50lzdyQU Hype Boys by Sway]] ]]
* ''VideoGame/MoshiMonsters'':
** The "you know I've got Moshlings on my mind, uh-oh" lyric from the song "I Heart Moshlings" and the associated background music play when a Moshling is being washed.
** An instrumental version of song "Big Bad Bill is a Woolly Blue Hoodoo" is sometimes used in the jungle and/or in scenes with the Woolly Blue Hoodoos, however, this is unreliable and sometimes a scene like that happens without the tune, especially during the mission "Monster Movie Mystery", which used a different theme.
** "Super Moshi March" is an upbeat song and an instrumental of the chorus is sometimes (although not always) used in scenes introducing/focusing on the Super Moshis.
** A jaunty sea-shanty type tune was used both when using the map in the mission "Voyage Under Potion Ocean" and when cleaning the ship.
** C.L.O.N.C. (the group of main antagonists, it stands for Criminal League Of Naughty Critters) is sometimes associated with Dr Strangeglove's song "The Doctor Will See You Now", though not always.
** There's also a theme that played whenever a character got spa treatment.
** The song "Welcome to Jollywood" is associated with most of the area Jollywood, the exceptions being the market (which has a strange, jaunty theme), the TV studio (which has another theme) and the retreat (which has slow flute music that's also used for the Walla Walla Watering Hole.)
** There's one particular theme that's used for a variety of things that don't really have much in common, including the "Thump a Glump" game and the apple bobbing game.
** One tune crops up a lot, often in stores. Bizarre Bazaar uses that tune played on "boing" sound effects, Rare 'n' Scare uses a gothic version of the song, etc. It was also used in an elevator and to summon Coco Loco.
** A variation on the "Bongo Colada" song plays while making drinks at the Food Factory. The Food Factory also has the themes for making pizza, cupcakes and slopcorn, the former two of which sound kind of similar.
** One tune plays in the Underground Tunnels, and can sometimes be heard quietly playing in the background of some streets.
* ''VideoGame/ToTheMoon'' has the reoccurring "For River", [[https://youtu.be/SQUUq189NBA a simple, repetitive piano piece]] written by the main character. It underpins virtually every song in the game, including "[[AwardBaitSong Everything's Alright]]."
* ''VideoGame/DetroitBecomeHuman'' has leitmotifs for each of its main characters, appropriately titled (Name)'s Theme that play during crucial moments involving the character.
** In addition, Connor and Kara have both of their themes combined into [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48H8x7HUOtU one]]. Aptly, it plays during their scenes.
* While not straight-up theme songs, each playable character in ''VideoGame/MDK2'' has their own distinct collection of tracks with their own unique style. Kurt's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zYz7F1FtmU is a mix of orchestral instruments and techno beats]], Max's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2ofxrCo6QA is hard techno with the occasional electric guitar]], and Dr. Hawkins' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlixbzWp7WI is pure orchestral]].
* Similarly, while [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Yoshi]] has picked up a theme song of sorts with the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nghTrcPBp3s title theme]] to ''VideoGame/YoshisStory'', he's most often associated with a pair of bongo drums or a woodblock [[VariableMix layered over whatever music is playing at the moment.]]
* In ''VideoGame/ShovelKnight'' each boss has a battle theme, which is a remix of the music from the preceding level music. Plague Knight, who has his own story, has ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc6iIij7FgA The Vital Vitriol]]'', which gets remixed for his stage, Specter Knight's version of the stage, his hub world, and for [[spoiler: his final boss, Plague of Shadows.]]
* ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'' uses multiple leitmotifs. Its two main leitmotifs are the main "Hollow Knight" theme from the menu screen, and the Pale King's theme ("White Palace"), both of which play throughout the soundtrack.
* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s3uLEmw8fM Time Gear]]" is this for ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers'', with variations of it playing at the most emotional moments of the story. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdIdtWIktvA title theme]] is a more minor one.
* In the ''VideoGame/{{Atelier}}'' franchise, Hagel and Pamela, the two big recurring characters of the series, both have their own respective themes, with a different twist in each game. Pamela's is known as "Ghost Girl," while the title of Hagel's tends to vary from game to game, but nevertheless keeps the same basic sound.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Celeste}}'', each of the characters has a distinct leitmotif. Madeleine has "First Steps", which is also the game's overall RecurringRiff; her ShadowArchetype "Badeline" has a DarkReprise of said theme, first heard in "Resurrections"; the ghost Oshiro has a {{Theremin}} motif; and Theo has an acoustic guitar theme, prominently heard in "Madeline and Theo". A few locations, such as the Mirror Temple and the Core, also have their own themes. The ''Farewell'' DLC has "Joy of Remembrance" representing the old lady who Madeline dubbed "Granny," recently deceased.
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'': In the DS remake, each chapter has its own unique adventuring music, specific to the characters and their quest. Once you've assembled all eight of the chosen, changing the party leader will change whose adventuring music you hear.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'':
*** An upbeat tune called ''Olé! Sylvando!'' plays whenever the eponymous character makes a scene.
*** Cetacea, the legendary flying beast of Erdrea has ''Flying Whale Cetacea''. In Act Three following Cetacea's upgrade, her main theme changes to ''Heavenly Flight''.
* ''VideoGame/NoStraightRoads'': Nearly every boss in the game has leitmotifs sprinkled into their stage music that later make a comeback during the actual boss theme, and later [[spoiler: when you're helping them reclaim their districts.]]
* ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'': Each traveler has a personal melody, and a signature pre-boss battle song that uses elements of that melody. The game's towns share a few as well, and the theme from the title screen shows up in other songs throughout the game.
* ''VideoGame/HenryStickminSeries'': Every major faction has one- the Toppat Clan, the Government, and the Wall.
* ''VideoGame/DragonAge'' surprisingly only has a few.
** ''VIdeoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' has "Leliana's Song" (aka "In Uthenera"), which is Leliana's theme. All of the protagonist origins also have themes: "The Dalish", "Elves At the Mercy of Man", "Human Noblility", "The Common Dwarf", "The Dwarfen[sic] Nobles", and "Mages In Their Chantry".
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' has "Hawke Family Theme" which is the theme for any of the Hawke children, but specifically the protagonist. Additionally, "Fenris Theme" and its lyrical variant, "Mage Pride", are both considered Fenris' motif.
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' has none in the base game, but the DLC Trespasser has "Lost Elf Theme", a motif for Solas and [[spoiler:"Dark Solas Theme"]] a variant of the former.

* DonaldDuck [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H_sYtmqgP4 gets his own]] in ''VideoGame/DonaldDuckNoMahouNoBoushi''.

* Quite a number of music in VideoGame/TalesOfEternia that runs different version of the same motif for Van Eltia and Shileska. Add in all the [=FMVs=] one can probably find 20+ of them.

* Approach a Trainer (or have them see you) in the ''Pokémon'' games and their Leitmotif will play, indicating what kind of Trainer they are. In normal gameplay, they only go on for a couple of seconds, but if you pause the dialogue to listen to the music, you'll be surprised how long they go on for (and how they're arguably better composed than the {{BGM}}).

* Several characters in ''Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune'':

* And in the original ''Wangan Midnight'' game, more characters have their own theme music.

* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 2}}: Innocent Sin'' had leitmotifs for every party member, with Maya's theme having the most variations.
* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' both used this incredibly strategically. No specific character leitmotifs, however...

* ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'' finally gave leitmotifs for the cast of both ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', plus one for OriginalCharacter Labrys.

** In the [[VideoGame/{{Persona 1}} first]] [[VideoGame/{{Persona 2}} two]] entries, every party member gets their own theme.

* If a piece of music in ''Franchise/DotHack'' has to do with the Phases, whether in the original or GU games, it will feature at least a few measures of a distinct and slightly creepy melody of bells at some point. You can hear it quite clearly about ten seconds into Gorre's original theme: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ANN4HGAMtI here.]] The eighth Phase, Corbenik, has his own [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCacMBIS2zI piano melody]] across the games, and snippets of Cubia's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyzlcb47dfY final music]] from the first games can be heard in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRNpSEz0k-g battle themes]] from GU.
** Piros the 3rd, the AuthorAvatar of the game's creator, has a themesong involving upbeat '''''tuba''''' music that * ALWAYS* plays over the normal stage music whenever you invite him into your party. Only a few exceptions prevent this: When you're in a Root Town or fighting a Phase boss. No other party character in the game has theme music.

* The soundtrack to ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'' is very heavily built on leitmotifs that recur in numerous variations throughout the game, including [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKzRhveK7sQ His Highness' Theme]] for scenes involving the Pigmask Army, the [[{{Sexophone}} saxophone]] line in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0xaZxMZGUE Magypsy's Home, Sweetie-Pie]] for the Magypsies (which actually serves as a MusicalSpoiler later on in the game if you're paying attention), and, of course, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idULzIIF950 Love Theme]], which will break your heart with its every appearance in the context of the game.

** Videogame/{{EarthBound}}'s TheDragon Pokey has a theme that follows him everywhere as do The Runaway Five, and the SoundStone melody also acts as one for Ness and the journey as a whole after you've found all of its pieces. Paula also has a Leitmotif, but it's not heard as often.

* In ''[[Franchise/MassEffect Mass Effect]]'', the ''Normandy'' and Commander Shepard share many of the same musical cues and riffs in their respective themes, appearing in all three games, suitably heroic sounding for both of them. The second game features a variation of this theme called "Suicide Mission", appropriate for the game's [[DarkReprise darker tone]]. Shepard in particular has a recurring violin and brass riff associated with them, noticable in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FE4NHBNi5Y Spectre Induction]]", "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXCM0lZxh4U The Normandy Reborn]]", "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCk4RiKH9H0 The End Run]]" and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Gnbkd7wkg The Fleets Arrive]]".

** ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' has distinct leitmotifs for each of the four main factions, which in turn are incorporated into the "Quest Clear" jingle for their respective quests. There are also a number of regional motifs, such as the uileann pipes melody in Diamond City and Goodneighbor, and the accordion-based theme in swamp and coastal areas.

* VideoGame/DeadRising2 used a guitar riff associated with Chuck Greene, and in the final-final boss battle an extended version of the riff is played for the fight theme. Both the riff and the fight theme can be classified as SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic.

** Many of the {{Creator/Marvel}} themes are [[BootstrappedTheme Bootstrapped Themes]], with Spider-Man, Hulk, Doctor Doom, Shuma-Gorath, ComicBook/IronMan[[note]] Iron Man is a weird case. It was first used as stage theme, then as a straight leitmotif for War Machine, ''then'' the latter was made Iron Man's leitmotif in ''[=MvC3=]''.[[/note]] and ComicBook/CaptainAmerica having their themes first used in ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroes'' as stage themes (Sentinel's theme was also used for his ''VideoGame/XMenChildrenOfTheAtom'' stage). Played straight with ComicBook/{{Magneto}}, ComicBook/{{Storm}}, and ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}, who use their character themes from ''VideoGame/XMenVsStreetFighter'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfTheSuperheroes''.

* In ''Videogame/EvilGenius'', each of the five Super Agents has their own theme that plays when they arrive at the IslandBase.

* Whilst avoided in ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'', it is especially prominent in ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}''. In fact, just about every character that was given a distinct personality in the game (meaning the exclusion of Chell and some throw-away comic relief characters) was given a Leitmotif to match.

* ''DoubleDragonNeon'' gives Skullmageddon one of these, which is actually a remix of one of the cave themes from the NES version of ''Double Dragon 1''.

* In ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' games from ''VideoGame/{{Halo 4}}'' onward, the Master Chief's leitmotif is "[[https://youtu.be/RzIJV8XrCEI 117]]". The melody shows up as a RecurringRiff in several different songs.

*** Subverted with Iori Yagami, who had a new theme every game up till ''KOF 2000'', but they all had a kickass saxophone solo. Most of said themes are either entitled "Arashi no Saxophone" ("Stormy Saxophone") [[note]]"Arashi no Saxophone" in ''[='95=]'', "Arashi no Saxophone 2" in ''[='96=]'', "Cool Jam ~ Arashi no Saxophone" in ''[='97=]'', "Stormy Scream ~ Arashi no Saxophone 4" in ''2000'', "Arashi no Saxophone 5" in ''XIII''[[/note]] or, in the case of ''2003''[='s=] "Cool Jam 2" (and possibly''XIV''[='s=] "Saxophone Under the Moon"), serve as an offshoot of the series.

* ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler: Each traveler has a personal melody, and a signature pre-boss battle song that uses elements of that melody. The game's towns share a few as well, and the theme from the title screen shows up in other songs throughout the game.

* MMORPG ''VideoGame/Mabinogi'' has thematic music for each city, most dungeons, and nearly every NPC, as well as the main game theme; variations of which are used in certain cutscenes from the mainstream storyline quests. The soundtrack recordings include about 120 different pieces of music.

* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest'''s most prominent leitmotif is that of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6rCpWMHEOw Spirit Tree]], which is also the main RecurringRiff. There are also themes for Ori themself([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Fhx2IEztw "Ori, Lost in the Storm"]]), Naru ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k6kg---YKg "Naru, Embracing The Light"]], whose motif is further elaborated upon in the backstory-exploring BonusDungeon from the UpdatedRerelease), Sein ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX85QCR6dxQ "Finding Sein"]], and "The Ancestral Trees"), Kuro ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzXNGRnOYP4 "Kuro's Tale"]], "Facing The Dark", "Fleeing Kuro", and "The Sacrifice"), and Gumo ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO2Dvgkaf8k "Gumo's Hideout"]] and "Breaking Through The Trap"). Furthermore, most locations have leitmotifs, such as Swallow's Nest, Sunken Glades, Moon Grotto ("Down The Moon Grotto" and the aforementioned "Gumo's Hideout"), the Ginso Tree ("Climbing The Ginso Tree" and "Restoring The Light"), the Misty Woods ("Lost In the Misty Woods" and "The Mists Cleared"), the Forlorn Ruins ("Home of the Gumon" and "Escaping The Ruins"), Sorrow Pass ("Riding The Wind" and "Completing The Circle"), and Mount Horu.

* Nearly [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters every character of the large cast]] of the ''VideoGame/TouhouProject'' has their own leitmotif. In fact, many have more than one. This large influx of [[AwesomeMusic/{{Touhou}} awesome music]] fuels not so much the fandom as it ''[[AdaptationDisplacement displaces]]'' it.

* Every party member (and ;;even'' bosses) in ''VideoGame/ManaKhemiaAlchemistsOfAlRevis'' and ''VideoGame/ManaKhemia2FallOfAlchemy'' have a distinctive theme. That way you have an idea of what kind of crazy stuff's about to go down.