Game Composer Breaks Down SHARA ISHVALDA Theme - Monster Hunter World Iceborne

Today we're listening to both phases of the Shara Ishvalda theme from Monster Hunter World Iceborne! I've played through all of Iceborne but honestly I didn't remember this theme at all. It was fun to go back and discover what makes this fight so immersive!
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[@DaviVasc]

Man, Ishavalda's fight was so intense I didn't even pay attention to the music when I fought him. Now that I'm thinking about it, there is another intense Iceborne fight where you probably couldn't pay attention to the music. Fatalis! I made a video about it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p36tdGN7adubd9E

[@androblade3009]

Alatreon is also one heck of a monster still haven’t beat him!

[@Ph4ntomSp1rit]

Also this man's looks at you the player, not the hunter.

[@matoi4294]

same for me i did him often to craft his armour but it feels like i heard his theme the first time

[@cwynwyn2934]

Fatalis's theme is great because once you fire the dragonator, you make him listen to YOUR boss music

[@TheUnofficialHunterChannel]

When will you do the nakarkos theme?

[@aroudight]

That wind instrument you are talking about is called Shenai (India) or Souna (Chinese), the instrument is often used in religious ceremony across many different religions and cultures. The reason for using that is because Shara Ishvalda is directly inspired from the Hindu god Shiva, the god of destruction and reincarnation. Apart from Shenai you can also hear a lot of south and south-east Asia rhythms in the track.

[@darkluxgames2347]

To add I believe it's physical appearance is also based around the Lotus flower. It holds its wings up above its body like withered petals or roots. The underside of the body also looks like the seed pod to a Lotus flower. I think the lotus is also symbolic of rebirth?

[@franzoloranzo7302]

The fact that shara looks inside the camera also implies he has reached enlightenment and knows he‘s not real

[@aroudight]

@@darkluxgames2347 Yeah, totally! In some depiction of Shiva, he will hold a lotus flower in his hand too.

[@TTVZFeet]

Yeah, shara'a design and even weapon and armor designed are all heavily inspired by Buddhism taoisn and middle eastern religions. Did you know that when shara opens its eyes it stares directly at the camera (player) instead of the hunter? This is becsuse of its reference from Buddha's (i think) all seeing eye that stares psst the body and into the soul. Freaky shit if you ask me.

[@xkringecarman4569]

You coulda told me it was an oboe and I woulda believed ya

[@untakenname3443]

13:10 My take on this is that it represents the unseen influence Shara has on the story. From the very beginning of the story, with a flock of disturbed Legiana flying in from an undiscovered landmass, to the tremors and earthquakes you encounter, it was all caused by Shara Ishvalda making intense vibrations and you don't even know that until the very end of the game (and the end of the song.) As for 14:04, one of the main points of the whole game (base game and Iceborne) is that no matter how crazy things may seem, we are all a part of an ecosystem that has been functioning for thousands of years. The most powerful elder dragons who might seem to be pure forces of evil are important parts of this ecosystem just as much as small herbivores, and we spend most of the game learning about how it works. Especially given the sequence at the end where we realize that Ruiner Nergigante was trying to kill Shara before we interrupted it, it's saying that Shara isn't exactly "good" but it is needed. Everything the monsters caused was a part of the natural order, and even what seems like human interference that could have destroyed everything is the way that this world's nature intended.

[@stygiandragon3865]

"The most powerful elder dragons who might seem to be pure forces of evil are important parts of this ecosystem just as much as small herbivores" You wanna exclude Fatalis real quick? XD

[@tofuteh2348]

They probablt just thought it sounded cool lol

[@Desinole83]

i mean even fatalis has a place, even if it is to kill humans. humans do cause a lot of problems after all. it feels kinda like when animals evolve to deal with something invasive if you think about it. nature does that a lot. fixes itself based on certain factors, even if said factors happen to be humans.

[@gustavokeyna3506]

@@Desinole83 it's like one of the NPCs says: he doesn't know why humans think they are so special, as they are just a small part of the ecosystem Fatalis has RIDICULOUS powers precisely to be able to exterminate another ridiculous force that can kill Elder Dragons = humans it's like nergigante killing the low tier elder dragons

[@TheMoonman4]

@@tofuteh2348 it does sound cool, but composers don't do this sort of thing for no reason

[@bigmoe9856]

13:56 "It feels harmonious" probably because it's Nihilistic. Not to be the 10 thousandth guy to bring up Shara's Camera Tracking Eyes, but, the heavy implication that Ishvalda can see the player themselves brings a unique context to the theme. The melancholy you hear comes from Shara Ishvalda recognizing the illusion of their world, that the hunters are mearly avatars of entities from beyond, how this war between The Infinite And The Divine is futile, and it will inevitably lose. The pain and agony, however, are its unanswered prayers. Whether or not it wins or loses is irrelevant. Win and you come back another hunt. Lose and you come back another game. This is the truth of its existence. What Shara likely wants...is to break free from this cycle all together. And it's trying, really hard. TL;DR: Buddhist Dragon tries to achieve Nirvana drops a mix tape that's still fire.👍 To answer the question of what Shara does, he just chills and digs tunnels in the continent that destabilize everything top side. His existence is not malicious, but, it's incredibly antagonistic to our own survival. This was a battle that was fated/needed to happen, sad as it may be, Life Begates Death. Edit: Also I love how we're literally journeying to the west side of the map to fight him, that's a detail I just realized today years after Iceborne

[@manusiabumi7673]

About shara's camera tracking eyes, i always think it's simply because his eyes have athropied due to him spending most of his time underground yet still have functioning eye muscles so (in-universe) his eyes are basically just wandering randomly when you fight him, it's just the devs decided to synchronize the eye movements with your camera movements, making it as if he looks at the camera/player

[@adikavita436]

@@manusiabumi7673 But he does look at the camera/player through an optical illusion in the eye model, and the Buddhist and Hindu influences implies that Shara Ishvalda is kind of 'ascended', and can see the soul of the hunter, you. Also, its eyes are open when its in the rock form, and it looks directly at you in the cutscene, but I wouldn't be surprised if its eyes are atrophied due to being an underground creature

[@Hemuset]

Ah I deleted my comment after seeing you worded what I was trying to say much better. 👏 He's one of my favorite monsters for that whole themeing it has design wise, as well as musically.

[@justsomejerseydevilwithint4606]

interesting that you mention journey to the west, as that's from where I recognized another inspiration; Its Palico Armor features Guanyin's Petal Throne.

[@TheDenssy]

Something about the shara ishvalda threatening to collapse the whole continent from it's base remembers me to midgard serpent trying to cut the roots of the yggdrasil

[@Forveez]

The woodwind instrument is there to reinforce the Buddhist theme and inspiration. Gaijin Goombah does a great video on Shara Ishavalda's Buddhist design, you should definitely check it out. Great job btw 👍.

[@draw2death421]

Yeah im suprised he didint get that.

[@williansnobre]

I may be reading too much into it but there's also a theme of snake charming, which somtimes uses the Shawm. Shara is throughout the game said to be "singing" and it's song is attracting Elder Dragons (simbolicly snakes) to the new continent earlier than normal, while Shara itself is a Dragon (a simbolic snake) encased in rocks (a simbolic vase). Also there's a lot of sand in the battlefield which has some thematic relations to cultures that use the Shawm.

[@VEN0M415]

Monster hunter does a great job conveying how you should feel in any scene, im only starting off in the MH series with older games but already I can feel the care put into the game. Witcher 3 and Black Mesa/Half life/Portal and Deus Ex and Doom and Halo instantly come to my mind when thinking of memorable songs and I have to add Monster Hunter to my list now lol.

[@TheDiggus]

Since Shara Ishvalda has a lot of Hindu influences, I think the Intrument they used was a Shehnai. It's very similar the Shawm you mentioned. It really stuck in my mind because half a year later Bandai Namco released a Character for Tekken 7 that had a super similar sounding Intrument in his stage theme. That character is from Thailand and the instrument is another one in this broad family of instruments. Very creative use of Instruments and tallented Musicians in both cases. It's crazy how these composers allways manage to get a hold of these rare tallents.

[@Banana-cc5rx]

Leaning more towards Buddhism than Hinduism actually. But I guess they are kinda related

[@alloounou6900]

I can't see that things face without thinking of TerminalMontage's animation of Monster Hunter World. You guys are very right about it being weird.

[@HerpDerp]

Aye, comin' down like precipitation I ain't never met a limitation...

[@tristyn9821]

@@HerpDerp *intense screaming*

[@d34dstruck13]

Dammit, now I gotta go rewatch that

[@alloounou6900]

@@d34dstruck13 You should. I did lol.

[@deathbycat1261]

“You’ve done it hunters, Shara Ishvalda will never make a mixtape ever again” “Why didn’t any of you help us?” “The world is saved”

[@TheFermiParadoxAnswer]

I absolutely adore this guy’s theme, especially the second one, it’s so strange and chaotic, perfectly fitting for a creature like shara

[@BangHJL]

The best part of Shara's theme is the camp theme. Even though you're in a safe area, you still feel on edge.

[@darkluxgames2347]

The instrument representing Shara in the music does more of a call and response to the orchestra in the Iceborne section in part 2 to me. The hunter is there to kill it as it poses a threat. It might be fighting for its life because it was trying to terraform itself a home on Origin Isle, but it was destroying the ecosystem to do so. Furthermore, it's second phase theme is called A Single Bloom in an Eternity. Shara, assuming there's multiple, seem to be an incredibly rare occurrence in which they come to the surface possibly to build a nest for breeding or to have and raise young, possibly also like with some spider species (if I remember correctly) will have their young and then die. Or, perhaps this one is an adolescent trying to find itself its own home? It was merely presented to us as an ecological phenomenon that was to end in disaster, like Xeno'jiiva, if it was allowed to live.

[@electro_lux2232]

I have another theory. Despite being an elder dragon, a creature that defies the laws of nature so strong that can destroy everything, it's still a living being like every other monster. The same can be said for the hunters of the guild (born to protect the ecosystem), so I think that part of the ost is like making a contact with a whole new being, discovering some new type of living being that has never been seen before (during the fight we can pick up ??? materials) and only after we kill it we can determinate the name of the new being: shara ishvalda.

[@Kyfow]

Shara also resembles a lotus, his head is lotus shaped, his tail and wings look like uprooted roots, so the bloom is more literal too

[@KumoriRyuX]

It dawned on me when nergigante re-appears to deliver the killing blow that it and its runiner variant is a keystone species that acts as a moderator of the ecosystem to keep elder dragons in check

[@ogelpeace4610]

This theory about coming up to the surface to raise her young is brilliant. Shara means princess, so it is likely female. raising its young could be such a Rare and catastrophic occurrence, hence the songs name: “A single Bloom in an eternity.”

[@-TheLegendHimself-]

I just realized the five dragons are all trying to destroy the new world (except for the ones we haven’t seen)

[@unclesamxlr]

13:07 Maybe Shara is harmonizing with the hunter's thoughts and feelings? I think of this because Shara implicitly has a third eye thing going on. When it's eyes open during the fight, it is always looking at the player, not your hunter, kind of implying it is aware of the player's existence. That's my thoughts on it at least.

[@gajspalt]

Nothing like slaying Dragon Buddha as a final story quest.

[@marsimoto8980]

14:03 I believe shara ishvalda is one of the 5 Original elder dragons, those who have formed the world. He is the Mountains. So it's actually pretty sad that we kill an almost godlike creature, just for research 😥

[@lucaswinsor4469]

No....Nonono... We don't kill an almost Godlike creature for research, we kill an almost Godlike creature because it's destroying a continent.

[@marsimoto8980]

@@lucaswinsor4469 yeah that's nergi's job kinda but humans being humans I guess

[@zjuraeventide8949]

We didn't kill Shara, Nergigante did. Nergigante was already on its way to kill Shara, but we interupted it. Since neither the hunter nor Nerg could commincate there intentions, they ended up in conlict.

[@m_d_c_t]

@@zjuraeventide8949 That Nergigante couldn't pull it off, importantly, without the hunters weakening Shara first - that particular Nergigante was starving and exhausted, which is why it's so much weaker than all other Ruiner Nergigante you fight later. In this case, the hunters were just helping Ruiner out, in a weird way.

[@beardedzeus1337]

Like they say in the story nature finds ways to ensure its own survival, Shara Ishvalda threatened that survival. Ruiner Nergigante combined with the hunters was the solution. We never would've pulled off slaying it on our own and neither would Ruiner. So when we fought it and weakened it Ruiner swept in to finish it off before it could recover and kill us. Ruiner is a part of the natural food chain, meant to stop rampaging Elder Dragons near the end of their lives so that they don't corrupt and destroy the Elder Stream or the ecosystem they're currently in. (Much like the normal Nergigante in base World was hunting down Zorah Magdaros, which was very near the end of its life and if it had made it to where it wanted to go wouldve destroyed the entire New World ecosystem, so the hunters combined with Nergigante drove it off into the sea. where it's theorized that either the same one or another one formed The Guiding Lands with its death) Shara Ishvalda was hunted for good reason, not just for research.

[@99v6cam]

This song slaps so f’n hard (especially in phase 2), I was over here head-banging to it as the video goes and then you pause it to talk and i’m like, oh right, this is a breakdown. I get distracted by it when I actually fight Shara in the game because I get so into it. The amount for variety in percussion alone to get the oomph and tone is amazing. The tremolo’ing strings, the powerful brass, everything comes together so well to make a disturbing yet fantastic sound. So glad you got around to doing a breakdown of it. Thank you! I also feel like the part they used to loop it was great too. The first time I fought it, it’s first attack was the big forward beam and the way the music built up led right into it to where i thought it was a scripted first attack. It was amazing how well it fit.

[@ravengenesis8510]

Funfact : the eastern wind instrumental used a lot as horror movie's music in Indonesia (or maybe Thailand too?) So when i heard Shara Ishvalda's theme, i feel the horror and terror. And the gamelan thing in second phase.

[@liviekumori]

What's even more disturbing about this monster is that he isn't looking at the hunter, he is looking at you

[@lilfuzzballa]

Which fits so well with his hindu theme, because it's like his 3rd eye finally opens and he gains perception that's beyond the universe he's in. He can now see who is really in control...us.

[@BombaJead]

@@lilfuzzballa luckily he can't input read.

[@maskedmenreiki]

Fun Fact: (Immersion breaking though so be warned) His eyes don't actually move to follow the camera. They're completely fixed. What's actually happening is that his pupils are concave, so it looks like they follow you no matter what angle you're at. What this means, is that in a fight with 4 hunters... he can look at every single player simultaneously.

[@lilfuzzballa]

@@maskedmenreiki yeah I saw that video. The technical side of how they had to achieve is doesnt really ruin it for me, in fact it makes complete since that they did it this way, because it would probably be a technical disaster for them to make the eyes physically track the camera, and not only that but have 4 separately instanced tracking eyes that follow each of the 4 players individually. It would be too much for the devs. If it was a single player only game then maybe they could have done it. But the simple fact that they went into that level of research and effort to find a more practical way to make the monster "track" all 4 players simultaneously, not only makes Shara seem more supernatural, but also goes to show how much care they put into their MH games.

[@lilfuzzballa]

@@BombaJead lol

[@TheBestestKitty]

14:20 As far as I remember, Shara Ishvalda is not a mournful creature, and not something we're supposed to feel bad for; it's sucking the life out of the everstream and disrupting the ecology- even of the Elder Dragons who themselves are disruptive. What this might be referencing is its ties to Hindu thought and mythology, and the philosophies within. It's also not necessarily malevolent either, just making its nest in a very unfortunate spot forcing us to put it down, lest it destroy the entire continent.

[@FateburnXVII]

it's always nice to hear commentary of music and how others feel about it xD

[@teero121]

Yes, finally more MH music! My obligatory request for you to do a video on AT Nergigante's theme. Congrats on your new OST release btw

[@LastRemote94]

I love this theme, definitely my top 7 from world/iceborne, because it uses "Gamelan". A music instrument from my country, and it's sounds good ...this theme is special

[@KaineReiN]

I think it’s more of a “caklempong” since it’s more melodic and more notes compared to gamelan with limited notes. Edit: it’s still great and feels close to our culture and I love it

[@LastRemote94]

Never heard of that (sorry). But yeah, you probably right ...it's wonderful!

[@arapaimagold8088]

Whatever it's, it isn't a xylophone.

[@gnobba]

13:05 hey Davi, the part where it becomes harmonious could be a nod to how Shara ishvalda uses sound to move around (soften the ground) underground and the whole story of iceborne is around the movement of legiana and valkana as they are (unintentionally?) lured by shara's "song". So maybe the iceborne theme is Shara ishvalda's song and now it can be heard clearly by the hunter (as there are no rocks in the way) that's why it is harmonious?

[@ihavehalfaheart6497]

Personally after fighting him his music became one of my favourite, and I love how the music is coordinated with his transformation, I already knew his music but man when you're fighting him it's all so intense, I loved every second of the battle

[@TheDenssy]

The way they capture the essence of every monster in their music themes is incredible, the talent of MH composers is something outside of this world

[@killerbeat2554]

The Camp also has separate tracks for both phases. They have this tranquil and ancient feel to it.

[@ShadowKaiserin]

Shara's music made such an impact on me when I fought it that the first time I heard "The Dark Spell", the theme that plays in seliana when his quest is in rotation, after coming back from a quest, it gave me this horrible foreboding feeling. Not to mention, the sky turns red and is adrift with rushing clouds the whole time to signify that he's around. WorldBorne was and is just the best at making me shudder at the implication of what the final bosses are capable of.

[@OskeoSmartical]

To me, the meaning of the Shawms playing the Iceborne motif in harmony with the orchestra before a sting of pain illustrates that both Shara Ishvalda and The Hunters are a part of this living world, and both the devastation Shara caused and her death at the hands of The Hunters, are expressions of nature working as intended.

[@DissedRedEngie]

I just love how Shara has a "f**k you specifically" attack.

[@ShadowFox1412]

Your comment of not remembering what the soundtrack sounds like due to being immersed in said fight is such a mood. Key moments in the soundtrack stand out but unless you sit down and listen to just the soundtrack alone it almost doesn’t register.

[@sansotandrea4063]

The moment I got into that cutscene and discovered shara for the first time, heard that music for the first time is when i knew this was the best game I had EVER played Also the second phase soundtrack really isllustrates the panic that i felt when he reveals his true form. That sense of impending doom, that thought of "welp imma triple cart this one" The last part about the theme becoming harmonious together for me it's like: shara was the whole reason what we do in Iceborne happens, and this is the end it's his last goodbye, that's what i think.

[@andymoore8835]

Great monster hunter breakdown as always. I’d love to hear you tackle some themes from the Kirby series! It’s boss music is always so interesting. I certainly think you’d get a kick out of astral birth void and two planets approach the Roche limit. Both songs have an interesting use of lemotifs. I don’t know enough about music to dissect them in depth

[@fatalis-quest1709]

Few series can compare to Kirby when it comes to final bosses, especially in terms of music. I definitely agree with your suggestions.

[@Mariofredx]

I was thinking two planets and sword of the surviving guardian

[@andymoore8835]

@@Mariofredx sword of the surviving guardian is an excellent choice as well. I was just throwing out the big “oh man final boss” themes but there’s other stand outs like that one, dedede’s theme, and the dream friends’ themes. Taranza has a really good one as well

[@spacemegalodon5049]

I can't remember if you did this already but covering Oltura's themes would be cool.

[@GymGamer13]

I was so hyped for this :D (i heard the secret in your livestream) xD

[@DaviVasc]

Only true gamers knew in advance that this upload was coming.

[@ekx5120]

8:07 It's the Iceborne theme followed by a short version of the Monster Hunter theme ^^ 9:07 OMG this has got to be the HOTTEST INTRO to a phase 2. I lost my sh*t with the 'fliute" going crazy, it sounds like a siren, an alert. It also feel like people running away from a threat. Like a warning that the real fight now starts. This was my introduction to weird time signatures. And the dischording trumpets (?) to me sound 'live", it's sounds like a threat is here and it's BIG. To me it doesn't sound Middle-Eastern but South-East Asian, somewhere between India and Indonesia because of the instruments in phase 2 and the design of the monster and the armour sets. I believe the intention with a name like Shara Ishvalda had to do with Buddhist symbols or sth. Freaking love your videos, you're awesome.

[@tytuszieziulewicz809]

The ancient vibe may also refer to the title "old everwyrm" that shara has.

[@AyBee9725]

Having come back to this video after MH Sunbreak, I remember Ishvalda staring right at the screen (ie the player not the Hunter character avatar they control in game), the Gore Magala weapons in Sunbreak have an eye that does the same thing…

[@AveryCreates]

Rise and Sunbreak, and Stories 2 are my MH experience thus far. But I'll be honest I think Shara Ishvalda is my favorite elder dragon despite never fighting it myself. I wonder if it will ever appear in future titles. Doubt it but maybe. Oh and not that anyone asked but Kushala Daora would be #2.

[@Chireiya]

Shara Ishvalda's theme stood out to me immediately, even when fighting it for the first time, because it just sounds so different. The unusual instruments highlight that Shara isn't from that part of the world, and always gave me an Indian/southeast asian kind of feeling, as mirrored by the very hindu looking design of Shara and its armor. Glad to see some more Iceborne vids from you! Still hoping for that Velkhana (normal and AT) video and Kulve Taroth!

[@unlimited971]

Someone analysed shara ,weapons ,design and feature. It s very underrated ob the thematic .check it

[@tammywacha]

I think the harmonious shawm mixed with the rest of the orchestra is phase 2 to form the Iceborne theme calls back to the story when Shara caused the mysterious song heard throughout the game.

[@Ruiner_Meracles]

I think shara is one of my top elder dragons. His attack concept is really fascinating to me

[@bobsmith8405]

Absolutely one of my favorite themes! So glad you're caught up on Iceborne, I would have loved to see some first time reactions to some of these fights/themes. While there isn't exactly anything calling Shara evil, he does have that God like, Hinduism theme around him and his apperance even down to his name and eyes. Perhaps that os why the music becomes harmonious as Shara like the other elders are considered to be gods/deities. Now that you're caught up on Iceborne could you do a video on Nameille's theme?

[@Sleepy_Dandelion]

Yeah!! Idk why, but some parts of it for me sound like something out of Evangelion.

[@Vipera217]

I always feel a sense of finality in World/Iceborne soundtracks because they integrate an older theme or even the game's main theme on it. Like Daora using the Fortress theme, and Narga using Pokke Village theme. "Pride of The Nameless Hunter" even uses both World and Proof of A Hero. So this theme using Iceborne main theme really fits the climax of the story.

[@xenotundra3346]

I think you're spot on with the shawm and the percussion being signifying of the two forms, the part you were missing was that the sound of the Shawn is trying to emulate both the cultural theme as well as the air blasts and beams that it starts using once the rocks come off. The 'song' it uses to burrow through the earth.

[@TierMax]

Hey, this video was really interesting! I liked all the different parts and reactions, and the reminders and details that you point out. My take on that ending part where the wind thing harmonizes with the rest seems like it's sort of hiding away as shown with it blending in with the orchestra. All though the game, you never know about the thing. You just hear the noises... Which brings me to the second part. It is resonating with everything else. The wind instrument represents shara, and it is resonating with the ground and air around it to make sounds. So yeah. Also, as a future video suggestion, can you check out the MH3 Flooded Forest theme please? Really cool if you checked it out

[@thebigbingbongboss8777]

I always think The park were it becomes harmonious 13:6 is when shara finally opens he’s eyes and sees you not the hunter but you if focus on the fight you see that shara’s eyes look and follow the camera not the hunter your controlling he’s looking at you the part were it becomes harmonious is that as if he’s finally know who you really are it is if he knows he’s in video game breaking the fourth wall just like he did with looking at you/camera

[@remotan1127]

Ive been waiting for this video to be made Great job👍

[@ImWhyMortalsCry]

I always get goosebumps at 12:43 to 12:58 no matter how often I listen to this theme

[@AmariTakahashi]

The part with the Senai playing the Iceborne theme reminds me of a cutscene where the Field Team Leader talks about the commission being a part of the nature or the natural cycle of the New World (or something to that effect)

[@evilmandrake]

I think another aspect of using the shawm is the it creates a tight, focused vibration in it's sound, which is similar to Shara Ishvalda's "vibration lasers," as I have now dubbed them.

[@nhall129]

The section at the end actually struck me as conveying the intelligence of Shara Ishvalda in spite of it’s size Throughout the song it seems like the monster is raging like any other, with the horns feeling uncontrolled Then at the end, it feels like a call and response, like it’s learning from the melody of the theme Then you have the end, when the rest of the orchestra hits that low note while the horns go higher than the rest It very much brings to mind Shara towering over the hunter, while it literally stares you in the eyes

[@lordecramox7394]

I did request this last video, so I'm sorry if you don't like repeat requests, but I would recommend Roar of Dedede from Kirby and the Forgotten Land. It's by far the best Dedede theme and one of my favorite boss themes in general.

[@KumoriRyuX]

my take on 12:45 is that this harmony represents that shara is not some evil and destructive force but part of the ecosystem and this is the realization of the two sides being one and the same

[@99v6cam]

FINALLY, IT IS HAPPENING!! (haven’t listened to it yet, just had to comment in celebration)

[@yachisan]

Man, I’ve been trying to figure out what those “bell”/“mallet” instruments have been for YEARS. I’ve heard them in many different songs and themes but I can’t wrap my head around it for the life of me. They’re probably one of my favorite instruments for how exotic and ethereal it can sound (if used right) and the closest thing I got to finding its most similar sound is the Bianzhong Bells from China… 😭

[@clawsandteeth7846]

For the first phase theme it's likely the bonang (kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqHHdqCnorqopdE). The second phase, the saron (kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXibloVjjsmghNE). Both instruments are Indonesian. Look up "Gamelan Gong Kebyar" or "Gamelan Gong Gede" if you want to hear them played traditionally.

[@yachisan]

@@clawsandteeth7846 Hmm.. the Gamelang Gong sounds the closest to it, though at the same time not really. 🤔

[@clawsandteeth7846]

@@yachisan I think the similarities aren't as apparent in the battle themes because parts played by the bonang and saron are accompanied by strings which subtly change the sound. In the "chase/camp" versions they are much clearer.

[@dudeguy1894]

I think the mallet sections in the second phase alternate between 9/8 and 4/4, and I can't get enough of it.

[@ogelpeace4610]

Yes! My fav monster and my fav score in monster hunter. Thank you for this breakdown. I learned so much more.

[@levyata8964]

I love the brass at 9:40. So good

[@justsomejerseydevilwithint4606]

The Shara Ishvalda Palico Armor features a floating seat of pedals, the throne of Guanyin, the Bodhisattva, goddess of compassion and a prominent character in The Journey To The West. She also, Notably, has achieved Enlightenment, sort of like peering through the screen at you...

[@AugustoXRock]

Yaaaaay! Shoutout to Banter that gave us today's spoiler in the Realms of Magic livestream XD

[@99v6cam]

Yeeee!

[@olivewooled1297]

Have you listened to the terreria calamity OST? If you haven't you should listen to it on stream, it's extraordinary.

[@hmmpotato7463]

that would be cool

[@inreisen]

I agree it's so good

[@jonarhax3388]

I feel like the shamisen might represent the hunter because at first it's all scary like the hunter doesn't know what they're up against, and in phase 2 it's not as disturbing and more in tune with the music because the hunter knows what they have to do

[@Aaron-od9ul]

The wind instrument is called the Sharnai, as listed on VGMDB, album number 88859. 🙂

[@androblade3009]

The part of the theme at 12:30 always caught me off guard as well. The theme itself is terrifying and energetic like shara but, that part comes out of nowhere with a very tragic sounding melody. If I’m going to guess the rest of the theme is your hunters point of view while that part is shara’s. Maybe Shara herself is scarred of you. Think about it you found her out here and forced her out of her armor and, she is throwing everything she’s got at you but you still push on. What is triumphant for the hunter maybe terrifying for shara as she sees you as her inevitable end. Just my own theory though.

[@gageburton4153]

Loving the Monster Hunter content! 10/10. Not sure if you’re done with Dark Souls and Elden Ring tracks, but I would love to hear Slave Knight Gael’s ost and Maliketh, The Black Blade’s ost respectively.

[@NikanaTenno]

really like Shara's theme. it stuck in my head for weeks.

[@woahmama]

What I think is really interesting about last bosses in iceborne and base game (without updates) respectively represent two types of fear of unknown - one, Xeno looks like a weird alien from space and by Safi design with her "stars" on wings it confirmes somewhat it's "alien" origin and Shara seems to be on the opposite end - an unknown weird creature coming from the ground suggesting that some weird creatures lurked underground that whole time and existed for maybe thousand of years without our knowledge. Both also have designs that contrast with the rest of the game with Xeno neon like look, weird blue energy and face that looks like has multiple eyes and blue blood, and shara almost looking like from an entirely different culture or type of animal entirely unknown, it's eyes are looking at the player, almost as if that monster knew more than it seems and also it's interesting that Iceborne is mostly well... ice related and last boss is opposite of that, it's almost in a dessert like setting with hot sun and dry rock, almost like symbol of what would happen if that creature reached the surface on new world. I think I love Shara more out of the two because they went all the way with fear and disturbing factor but in unique way, in full hot sunlight which is not common for horror elements, usually they are kept in the dark, but here the fact that we see the creature in detail actually works more in favor of the disturbing elements, along with this music that also feels out of place but still lingers on the Iceborne theme because it's a conclusion to the story.

[@handtomouth4690]

In fact Shara is weak to ice, lol

[@wolflithay6380]

The music is creepy and terrifying but also super beautiful. I feel such existential dred when fighting shara. when i first fought him and he stared at me…. I bout lost my mind it was so terrifying

[@pwnsage]

Good take as usual. Something I do want to mention is that just listening to the music on its own kind of doesn't do justice to the sound design of the start of his second stage theme, since there are a lot of non-music sounds lost. Primarily, there is a stretch of eerie almost-silence when Shara is breaking free from its armor, followed by Sharah letting loose this loud, haunting roar that shatters mountains around you, and prompts the second theme to kick into full gear swiftly afterwards while the dust is just finally settling and you can see your foe's true face. It's utterly stunning the way it all comes together, and is in my opinion one of the best monster 'transformation' scenes in the series because of it.

[@ssctiyo4735]

The thing about World's music is that you feel like you're out of this world, like Xeno/Safijiiva's alien and otherworldy appearance and power which gives you the cosmic horror vibes. And Shara Ishvalda here makes you look like you're fighting a deity driven mad.

[@SomeKittyCat]

Fun fact: Shra Ishvaldas Eyes are not tracking the Hunter but the Camera. Meaning its directly staring at you for the whole fight.

[@Kur0627]

The begining of the theme is epic and gargantuos like shara ishvalda's entrance itself , impling how menacing and obscure the nature can make the monsters to be.

[@LAMBO3601]

What I love about Shara is how powerful and evil it looks. I mean big alien Boi creates and destroys mountains every time he roars. And his theme sounds ancient and weird. He gotta be a Top Five Monster right behind Athal Ka and the Gores.

[@pascalkramer7395]

Since you already did videos about the theme melodies about two of the three black dragons, did you consider doing the same thing with the Dire Miralis theme? It is my all time favourite fight theme of all of Monster Hunter and totally badass. Great video as always

[@marsimoto8980]

07:41 wow I never noticed that :) davi you are awesome!

[@pepergirl001]

Shara Ishvalda was just part of the ecosystem, another link as the Admiral says. Although if you go by the Tale of the Five, and the theories there after, then he was/could be the Dragon of Mountains, one of the original 5 dragons that created the world

[@razzvania]

I know it's a long stretch that you ever see this message, but I would love to hear your opinion about the Amatsumagatsuchi theme from Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. It's a really cool song with 2 very different parts (representing the calm and fury of a storm). Anyways I love your videos and the way you explain musical terms in an easy way. Keep it up =)

[@DaviVasc]

I see everything. Thank you for the suggestion :)

[@Eterky]

When listening to the theme more closely (thanks to your videos, TY for that), the melody we can ear at 5:10 (on piano, I think) is the exact same we hear in Seliana when Shara Ishvalda reappear. As for me, the Shawn sound kinda mysterious in a scary way, like the fear of the unknown. When we first fight Shara, we don't even know what the heck we're fighting, all that we know is that the monster in front of us is creepy as hell and has murderous intentions towards us. 13:27 just a wild suggestion. Shara, if I recall right (it's been a long time), shaped the part of the new world where the commission settled. He has been not far from us from the beginning and he's a hidden part of the story until we find him. IDK I just try to find some sense...

[@The_Zxirius]

Hey Davi thank you again for a great video I was waiting for this song. I have a question for good sir, do you plan to analyze the Hades soundtrack? I would love to see your explanation, specially the vocal complexity of the soundtrack. If you read this thank you n_n you deserve a baby Brachy for Christmas

[@mokadelic4037]

Mokadelic 1 secondo fa The part where you talked about the song suddenly becoming harmonic it's in my opinion related to the fact that the Shara Ishvalda was the primary cause of all the changes in the ecosystem and the missing link of all the hunters investigation; it happens in the second phase because it's when it manifests its true power: shaping the earth while moving in the underground, causing the earthquakes; also yeah, it's not actually the "bad guy" of the story, but his geosismic activity was out of control, causing the migration of Legianas and the awakening of Velkhana, which triggered a massive changing in the ecosystem which was potentially very dangerous, and therefore the hunters needed to kill it right there, right now. edit. I haven't played World in many months so feel free to correct me if I got any of the lore messed up!!

[@meglo03]

Man, that face at 9:50, and what an accurate statement. I love this theme, it's one of my favorites to listen to when I come back to Iceborne's soundtrack.

[@ankylosaur4724]

Hey, if you ever get a chance you should have a listen to Vaal Hazak's theme. I was focusing so much on not letting my health drop due to simply existing in Rotting Vale, I didn't really listen to it and it sounds very good to me.

[@loading...5882]

Hey Davi could you do a similar video to the one you did with each village theme? Where you’d rank each of the monster themes that you’ve listened to and put them into a tier list

[@Austenite75]

Everybody gangsta untill shara open his eyes. And yes there is a myth story book in the hunter's room that tells the story about 5 original elder dragon that help create the world, shara is suppose to be one of them that create the islands (but wether this is true or just myth is still questionable).

[@oxcadav6058]

I adore this theme and this videos! Could you do next Namielle or Ahtal-ka?

[@KillerChairYT]

Just like you i did not quite remember the theme, but it is indeed very good at fitting with the general design of the monster. I'm gonna keep hoping for you to get around to Namielle btw My personal favorite monster, and i love just how well the theme makes sense for it as well.

[@SplinterForSale]

I think the harmony between the Seliana theme and Shara's instrument is referencing that Shara, during combat, does not always looks at the hunter but sometimes at the camera as well. In Harmony with the player but disturbing as well.

[@Gargorok.]

In Iceborne they mention how everything has its place in the balance of the world, even the Nergigante you fight before Ishvalda returns to finish and probably eat it, as his place is to return balance by consuming the elders with overflowing power. By harmonizing the hunter and monster instruments in the theme it may suggest this balance. Also love how in the story the monsters would hear an alluring song Ishvalda makes when using its flute like wings but when we reveal its true form the song is very disturbing and probably killed us many times

[@CypressPunk34]

Shara is disruptive to the environment in Monster Hunter World but is also a natural part of that world, his disruptions serve their own purpose on a grander scale. Perhaps the melancholic tinge it adds to the iceborne theme is a combination of its 4th wall breaking gaze (it always looks at the camera, never the PC) and the fact that you are killing it. It wants to be part of the world (thus the harmony with the theme) and is crying out because it knows that it will die in this battle.

[@ijanthesukijan]

Eyyy, now this is the one I've been waiting for

[@Dave_Chrome]

I think this monster was an absolute perfect end to Iceborne and it's story, we did get postgame DLC of course but Shara being the official final boss was great. I'm still salty we never got Arch Tempered Shara lol Such a solid set of themes! I don't think they could be any better

[@ciphymasterofmedia9104]

Arch tempered shara with an even crazier version of its current theme would've done a lot for the monster! Despite how much of an impression it makes upon its first appearance, it immediately gets nearly forgotten afterwards in favor of the guiding lands and the other post game fights tied to them. Also it's gear is not that good in comparison to other weapons and sets you could get.

[@arapaimagold8088]

Yeah, I'm still salty they didn't create that Chakravartin armor.

[@BiWhiteEUW]

Your channel is gold

[@TheMoreriss]

Hey Davi, Great one (like always). Hope you have a nice day

[@mida05g]

0:56 that gave me the vibes of a huge train getting into movement slowly

[@swaggercat9000]

9:44 I made that same face watching that charge blade try to do whatever they were trying to do lmao

[@strikerali2160]

Hi Vasc! So to answer your question at the end… Shara Ishvalda was traveling throughout the game underground and the vibrations/noise it made agitated other monsters like Velkhana. Now I like to speculate a lot, and believe Shara Ishvalda was traveling to search for a new place to thrive and get more food etc. So the fact that we hunted it knowing that is pretty sad especially once Ruiner Nergigante finished it off.

[@terrorsanity]

Frostpunk - The City Must Survive. Really good one.

[@LunarDelta]

It would be amazing if you could analyze "The Dalmasca Estersand" from Final Fantasy XII. It perfectly represents Hitoshi Sakimoto's signature orchestral style: rhythmically complex and highly textured with grand, epic overtones and virtuosic melodies that are more a part of the song's overall texture than things that stand out on their own. It's honestly quite an incredible piece.

[@marcosa.6054]

I feel like at the end of the day, basically all monsters in MH are animals, even the Elder Dragons. While some are more intelligent than others, there's no active malice in what there're doing; Shara Ishvalda isn't bringing destruction because it's malevolent, it just happened that the place it chose to make its nest and the way it does so would bring great harm to everything around it. I think the more somber moment at the end of the song is a reference to this. Shara doesnt even know what the hunter is other than a predator attacking it in is nest, it doesn't or perhaps even can't really understand why it's being harmed other than maybe thinking it's a territorial battle or someone trying to attack and eat it.

[@GrimmHooke]

One thing I wanted to mention that I don't think you did is that the percussion keyboard in the 2nd phase of the fight sounds very much like a lithophone! It's a keyboard a bit like a xylophone, but it's specifically made of rocks - which fits with Shara's theming extremely well.

[@Spamkromite]

I really like the first form because I like big earthy dragons that carry the weight of the world upon their bodies. I dubbed it "Atlas" until they tossed at me that weird name. When it shed the rock and saw that abomination, then is when I paid attention to the music and I was like "abducted" by that alien bastard. My friends were panicking everywhere while I was trying to locate where the weak spot was as I use a weapon that makes more damage to it and that has no deflection if I fail finding it. The music carried our confusion down to the last poke that took the elder wyrm down.

[@Alice-the-Bibi]

In my opinion it becomes melanchonic as a reminder that Shara isn't really a bad guy, but an living creature that's trying to survive in a harsh and dangerous world, much like us hunters. He's just part of the ecosystem, like they tell us in the game after beating him.