Line #23 Main/Leitmotif


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3	[[quoteright:350:[[Franchise/StarWars https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Imperial_March_large_4848.png]]]]
4	[[caption-width-right:350:Now found in [[https://web.archive.org/web/20171030051713/http://shirtoid.com/29031/imperial-marching-band/ more places]] than the music store.]]
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6	->''"Steve's dead now. From here on in, Steve's death will be represented by the oboe."''
7	-->-- '''Tom Servo''', ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S02E09TheHellcats The Hellcats]]"
8
9	A leitmotif (pronounced "Light-motif") is a recurring piece of music (or at least melody) that represents a character, action, or theme. This is a well-established technique used in almost every medium that involves music and story. The leitmotif technique was codified by opera composer Music/RichardWagner in the second half of the 19th Century. In his later operas, not only would every character have their own musical theme, but so did many objects, places, and even abstract ideas.
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11	Leitmotifs are often named simply "<character>'s Theme" or "<noun> Motif."[[note]]Though the name alone is not enough to establish it as a motif.[[/note]] They often make up the [[{{BGM}} bulk]] of movie and anime soundtracks, and a fair chunk of video game soundtracks as well.
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13	This is different from an ImageSong in that Image Songs exist only outside of the scope of the show that produced them. Compare with IAmSong.
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15	If a character with a distinctive-sounding Leitmotif is in a production or episode with NoFourthWall (or at least some MediumAwareness), one of their fellows may [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] how loud and annoying their theme music is. (To which the character will almost always reply, "What theme music?") Can become a ThemeSongReveal for audiences if (or after) they recognize the theme. The character might also have their leitmotif as their own ringtone, for a subtler joke; see also LeftTheBackgroundMusicOn.
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17	Note that if a character's leitmotif starts playing during an action scene, it's probably a ThemeMusicPowerUp and a wise {{Mook}} would start running.
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19	Can become a RecurringRiff when used throughout a long-running series. BootstrappedLeitmotif is such a variation, where a song that wasn't originally intended as a leitmotif later becomes one.
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21	One especially common leitmotif in video games is the BattleThemeMusic, associated with monster battles in general. (Since RPGsEqualCombat, especially when LevelGrinding RandomEncounters.) If a specific character's BattleThemeMusic is actually a remix of their Leitmotif, it may be a BossRemix.
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23	See also MoodMotif, StandardSnippet. SuperTrope to LoveTheme. Compare ArcWords, which is more or less the literary equivalent. Also compare AMFMCharacterization, when it's the character's music tastes that define them.
24	----
25	!!Examples:
26
27	[[index]]
28	* Leitmotif/{{Anime}}
29	* Leitmotif/FanWorks
30	* Leitmotif/{{Film}}
31	* Leitmotif/LiveActionTV
32	* Leitmotif/{{Music}}
33	* Leitmotif/ProWrestling
34	* Leitmotif/{{Sports}}
35	* Leitmotif/{{Theatre}}
36	* Leitmotif/VideoGames
37	* Leitmotif/VisualNovels
38	* Leitmotif/WebAnimation
39	* Leitmotif/{{Webcomics}}
40	* Leitmotif/WebOriginal
41	* Leitmotif/WesternAnimation
42	* Leitmotif/RealLife
43	[[/index]]
44
45	[[folder:Advertising]]
46	* Advertising/JakeFromStateFarm: The "Like a good neighbor..." tagline is punctuated by a jaunty five-note melody. Lampshaded in "Dunk" and "Storytime" where Chris Paul hears the notes and instantly assumes he's in a commercial.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Animation (Asia)]]
50	* ''Animation/NoonboryAndTheSuper7'':
51	** The "heroic" theme, which is the second most used leitmotif behind the theme song, is typically associated with Noonbory.
52	** Lunabory has a gentle theme with little twinkle sounds.
53	** Jetybory has a winds-heavy piece with zoom noises.
54	** Pongdybory has a weirdly mysterious theme with what sounds like an ocarina.
55	** Cozybory has a suspenseful theme with a synthesizer.
56	** Totobory has a theme comprised primarily of descending clarinet glissandos.
57	** Dozegury is associated with a horn.
58	** Rosygury is associated with the harpsicord.
59	* ''Animation/SimpleSamosa'': In the episode "Tutti Frutti", Tutti Frutti the [[AnthropomorphicFood anthropomorphic ice cream]] has a short, cheerful ditty which plays throughout the episode, with lyrics based on a well-known rhyme. The full set of lyrics only appears at the beginning of the episode; otherwise, only the "I scream, yeah, you scream, we all scream for ice cream, yeah!" part shows up.
60	-->''I scream, yeah, you scream, we all scream for ice cream, yeah\
61	Come on and have a scoop\
62	Any flavor, any fruit\
63	Nothing can be cooler than me\
64	I scream, yeah, you scream, we all scream for ice cream, yeah\
65	I scream, yeah, you scream, we all scream for ice cream, yeah''
66	* ''Animation/TicketyToc'': Tootero, a ButtMonkey owl, has a goofy-sounding song with owl hoots as some of the main instrumentation when he is on-screen.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Animation (Eastern Europe)]]
70	* ''Animation/MashaAndTheBear'' has several, the most notable being "Masha's Song", a lively polka highlighting the energetic and rambunctious nature of the character, and "Bear's Song", with beatboxing highlighting the Bear's [[BearyFunny playful and goofy]] nature.
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Audio Plays]]
74	* ''AudioPlay/TheSandman2020'': "The Song of Orpheus" is the melody for all of Orpheus's songs, such as the one he sings on his wedding day and the one he sings during "Thermidor". It also appears as part of the score at some points.
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Comic Books]]
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79	* ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'' stories always end with the eponymous character RidingIntoTheSunset and singing the RealLife old West song "I'm a Poor Lonesome Cowboy". Several {{animated adaptation}}s have used it, namely ''WesternAnimation/LuckyLukeDaisyTown'', ''WesternAnimation/LuckyLukeBalladOfTheDaltons'' (instrumentally) and the ''WesternAnimation/{{Lucky Luke\|1983}}'' animated series.
80	* Creator/AlanMoore wrote "This Vicious Cabaret" (complete with musical notation in the graphic novel) as the prologue to one of ''ComicBook/VForVendetta'''s chapters, using its dark and nihilistic verses in several later panels to set their tone. Interestingly, he then passed it on to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_J David J]] to make it into a real song[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TIImrcAaJI]] that was released on an EP.
81	* In ''ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'', Tarn, head of the Decepticon Justice Division has the classical Cybertronian piece, the "Empyrean Suite" as his theme song in universe.
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Pinball]]
85	* Creator/WilliamsElectronics' ''Pinball/{{Taxi}}'' plays a brief tune associated with each passenger that gets picked up, such as "Santa Claus is Coming to Town".
86	[[/folder]]
87
88	[[folder:{{Radio}}]]
89	* In ''Radio/TheGoonShow'' almost every appearance of Major Bloodnok is heralded by a specially-composed[[note]] by series composer/conductor Wally Stott, who later transitioned into Angela Morley[[/note]] fanfare. One one occasion, this is played with slightly by beginning the tune in grand, operatic style, before reverting to a fanfare at the end.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder: Tabletop Games]]
93	* Each villain in ''TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse'' gets one in the digital version as of the Rook City expansion that plays when looking at their entries in the Multiverse or after losing to them. The environments also have their own particular music that plays in the Multiverse menu and during combat.
94	** And now, as of this writing, 21 of the 36 heroes have Leitmotifs composed by the same guy who did the music for the game (with a little outside help).
95	[[/folder]]

Context Main / Leitmotif