History Main / BootstrappedLeitmotif

** Similarly, [[spoiler:The [[PosthumousCharacter Fallen Human]] (whose actual role in the plot beyond their PlotTriggeringDeath is [[WildMassGuessing ambiguous, at best]]) is most prominently associated with both the aforementioned "MEGALOVANIA" and the game's opening tune, "Once Upon a Time". Thanks to a popular fan animation, "Megalo Strike Back"[[note]]a song by Toby Fox that predates ''Undertale'', but like "[[VideoGame/TheHaloweenHack MEGALOVANIA]" was composed for an ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' [[https://sleepytimejesse.bandcamp.com/album/i-miss-you-earthbound-2012 fan project]][[/note]] is often considered to be their battle theme.]]

** Similarly, [[spoiler:The [[PosthumousCharacter Fallen Human]] (whose actual role in the plot beyond their PlotTriggeringDeath is [[WildMassGuessing ambiguous, at best]]) is most prominently associated with both the aforementioned "MEGALOVANIA" and the game's opening tune, "Once Upon a Time". Thanks to a popular fan animation, "Megalo Strike Back"[[note]]a song by Toby Fox that predates ''Undertale'', but like "MEGALOVANIA" was composed for an ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' [[https://sleepytimejesse.bandcamp.com/album/i-miss-you-earthbound-2012 fan project]][[/note]] is often considered to be their battle theme.]]

** Similarly, [[spoiler:The [[PosthumousCharacter Fallen Human]] (whose actual role in the plot beyond their PlotTriggeringDeath is [[WildMassGuessing ambiguous, at best]]) is most prominently associated with both the aforementioned "MEGALOVANIA" and the game's opening tune, "Once Upon a Time". Thanks to a popular fan animation, "Megalo Strike Back"[[note]]a song by Toby Fox that predates ''Undertale'', but like "MEGALOVANIA" was composed for an ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' [[https://sleepytimejesse.bandcamp.com/album/i-miss-you-earthbound-2012]][[/note]] is often considered to be their battle theme.]]

** Similarly, [[spoiler:The [[PosthumousCharacter Fallen Human]] (whose actual role in the plot beyond their PlotTriggeringDeath is [[WildMassGuessing ambiguous, at best]]) is most prominently associated with both the aforementioned "MEGALOVANIA" and the game's opening tune, "Once Upon a Time". Thanks to a popular fan animation, "Megalo Strike Back"[[note]]a song by Toby Fox that predates ''Undertale'', but like "MEGALOVANIA" was composed for an ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' [[VideoGame/TheHalloweenHack fan project]][[/note]] is often considered to be their battle theme.]]

** Similarly, [[spoiler:The [[PosthumousCharacter Fallen Human]] (whose actual role in the plot beyond their PlotTriggeringDeath is [[WildMassGuessing ambiguous, at best]]) is most prominently associated with both the aforementioned "MEGALOVANIA" and the game's opening tune, "Once Upon a Time". Thanks to a popular fan animation, "Megalo Strike Back"[[note]]a song by Toby Fox that predates ''Undertale'', but like "MEGALOVANIA" was composed for an ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' fan project[[/note]] is often considered to be their battle theme.]]

** Similarly, [[spoiler:[[TheSociopath Chara,]] the [[PosthumousCharacter first fallen human]] (and whose [[GreaterScopeVillain actual]] [[LemonyNarrator role]] in the plot beyond their PlotTriggeringDeath is [[WildMassGuessing ambiguous, at best]]) is most prominently associated with both the aforementioned "MEGALOVANIA" and the game's opening tune, "Once Upon a Time." and even "Megalo Strike Back" which isn't even in Undertale]]

** The melody of "Ghost Fight" seems to have been intended as a general mini-boss theme, but ended up being more associated in both the fandom and official materials with perennial EnsembleDarkhorse [[CuteMonsterGirl Muffet]] through her boss fight's remix of it, "Spider Dance", than many of the actual ghost characters. The one ghost that escapes this is the Mad Dummy, who keeps the motif in all of their fights, [[spoiler:including their fight as Mad Mew Mew]].

** The melody of "Ghost Fight" seems to have been intended as a general mini-boss theme, but ended up being more associated in both the fandom and official materials with perennial EnsembleDarkhorse [[CuteMonsterGirl Muffet]] than any of the actual ghost characters.

** ''Duel of the Fates'' had become the leitmotif for the Prequel trilogy as a whole, even though it was primarly scored for ''[[Film/ThePhantomMenace The Phantom Menace]]''. In ''[[Film/AttackOfTheClones Attack of the Clones]]'' and ''[[Film/RevengeOfTheSith Revenge of the Sith]]'', the score was used, respectively, the scene in which Anakin goes to rescue [[spoiler: his mother]] from the Tusken Raiders and for segments of the FinalBattle between [[spoiler: Yoda and Palpatine]]. Although Maul actually has a [[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Darth_Maul%27s_Motif separate motif]] in The Phantom Menace, "Duel of the Fates" has since become his leitmotif [[spoiler:particularly with its use in ''Film/{{Solo}}'']] despite it originally serving as a battle theme.

** "The Force" theme is used whenever a force-sensitive good-guy character does something important that's related to the Force. It is very calming to hear, and usually will get Star Wars fans pumped-up. Examples include the passing (death) of important Jedi or a Jedi's first time meditating. See [[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Binary_Sunset here]] for more info.

** After this theme appeared in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros64'' as his stage theme, it was immediately adopted as the new leitmotif for Fox and his games starting with ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'', ignoring any previously established motifs in ''VideoGame/{{Star Fox|1}}'' (SNES) and ''Star Fox 64''.

** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'' continued the trend with Venom's Stage [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqe3XMO9tEo theme]]. Even though Venom had an entirely different theme in all previous titles (one of which, ironically, was used for Corneria, the other Star Fox stage in the same game), the theme has become so synonymous with the ''Star Fox'' series that it couldn't be helped.
** The original ''VideoGame/StarFox'' Corneria theme is also very popular, though it took ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' three games to finally implement the theme into ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl Brawl]]''[='s=] soundtrack.

** In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'', Fox gets "Space Armada" from ''Star Fox'' as his leitmotif in the Subspace Emissary, and "Main Theme (Star Fox)" as his Classic Mode credits music. "Area 6" is in the game, but is instead used as ''Falco's'' unlocking battle theme. Likewise, "Main Theme (Star Fox 64)" is used for Falco's Classic Mode credits theme.

** When the Demi-Fiend from ''Nocturne'' appears as a BonusBoss in ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'', he's accompanied by the basic battle theme from that game. It doubles as a subtle [[TakeThatAudience Take That Player]] moment as well, implying that the Demi-Fiend sees the party as nothing more than another random encounter to walk all over.

* In ''VideoGame/OriAndTheWillOfTheWisps'', Ku's leitmotif, heard in "We Named Her Ku", "Ku's First Flight", etc. was derived from the main melody of the Inkwater Marsh BGM, "Separated By The Storm", which Gareth Coker composed well before he had a dedicated theme in mind for the character. The original non-specific Prologue music cues were subsequently discarded and replaced with variations of her theme, including the aforementioned two.

*** ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'' also used a slower, more dramatic rendition of the "Castle Lololo" theme from ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'' as the theme for Dyna Blade, and the games that released after the anime followed suit (particularly ''VideoGame/KirbyAirRide'' and ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''. However, Kirby games in the mid-2010's eventually decoupled the "Castle Lololo" from Dyna Blade, featuring the theme in other contexts instead.

** ** ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'' also used a slower, more dramatic rendition of the "Castle Lololo" theme from ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'' as the theme for Dyna Blade, and the games that released after the anime followed suit (particularly ''VideoGame/KirbyAirRide'' and ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''. However, Kirby games in the mid-2010's eventually decoupled the "Castle Lololo" from Dyna Blade, featuring the theme in other contexts instead.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''
* While OlympusMons in the series have had their own unique leitmotifs since ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokémon Crystal]]'', the ones hailing from ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' ([[AnIcePerson Articuno]], [[ShockAndAwe Zapdos]], [[PlayingWithFire Moltres]], [[UltimateLifeForm Mewtwo]], and [[SecretCharacter Mew]]) shared the same battle music as all other wild Pokémon, resulting in them getting remixes of the track in later games.

* While OlympusMons in the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series have had their own unique leitmotifs since ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokémon Crystal]]'', the ones hailing from ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' ([[AnIcePerson Articuno]], [[ShockAndAwe Zapdos]], [[PlayingWithFire Moltres]], [[UltimateLifeForm Mewtwo]], and [[SecretCharacter Mew]]) shared the same battle music as all other wild Pokémon, resulting in them getting remixes of the track in later games.

* Due to being one of his most iconic cartoons, MickeyMouse has been increasingly associated with the ''WesternAnimation/SteamboatWillie'' theme. The theme song to [[Series/TheMickeyMouseClub his fan club]] also started referring to him over time once it fell out of the public eye.

* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', "Drifting Soul", is an emotional ballad about one's purpoes in the world, and plays during several moments in the game when a major aspect of a character is revealed or their resolve is cemented. It is most famous for playing when [[spoiler:Nia finally embraces her [[CannibalisticSuperpower Flesh-Eater Blade nature]] and confesses to Rex.]] Subsequently, in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'', [[spoiler:a battle remix plays when Nia is in the party, essentially cementing it as her leitmotif.]]

** Similarly, [[spoiler:[[TheSociopath Chara,]] the [[PosthumousCharacter first fallen human]] (and whose [[GreaterScopeVillain actual]] [[LemonyNarrator role]] in the plot beyond their PlotTriggeringDeath is [[WildMassGuessing ambiguous, at best]]) is most prominently associated with both the aforementioned "MEGALOVANIA" and the game's opening tune, "Once Upon a Time."]]

* LetsPlay/TommyInnit often plays the [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing Able Sisters theme]] during his streams, to the point where they become his leitmotif.

* In ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'' the use of Mahler's Sixth Symphony, first movement has become associated in the minds of fans with character Oskar von Reuenthal.