Opera Singer Listens to: To The Edge || Final Fantasy XIV

[@MarcoMeatball]

A bit of endwalker spoilers here.

[@lomie0489]

Endwalker, so good that it overcame FF6, the first FF I beat as my favorite of the series. As much as I absolutely love ALL the banger music, it's the story, the plot threads they weaved since the beginning each new expansion revealing new dimensions of context that they built up that overcame the barrier of fond nostalgia 6 had stood triumphant on in for so long.

[@TheKarishi]

Endwalker Spoiler: *Soken Lives.*

[@ChrisMorray]

The thing that makes it is something I heard after I heard this song in-game. Soken's announcement of cancer. And while Yoshi-P was trying to pull himself together, Ishikawa (lead story writer) asked him about all the times she had Soken tweak this song to fit with the cutscenes better, all teary-eyed because she realized she was bossing around a cancer patient. Only for Soken to just give a thumbs-up, because he'd rather work so that he was reminded what he was battling cancer for. He didn't want to be treated differently so he could just keep going. That's the peak of passion and it shows in this song. And as far as I'm concerned it's not even the best song in the game. (It's Flow, can't beat Amanda's "welcome and well met, my brave little spark" I'm afraid).

[@Nirual86]

Hell those few in the know about it at the time went out of their way to allow Soken to keep working at the hospital while being treated because he insisted that pursuing his passion would give him the strength to fight off the cancer. And this was during the period where the pandemic hit the team (and the world in general) the hardest and the devs were already scrambling to keep the content cycle on track. Soken didn't even want anyone else to know about it, so they could keep working at their best. Yoshi-P knew of course, and probably some people on the HR side of things but everyone else thought he was just working from home like most of them had to.

[@sodathejunker]

I absolutely adore this song, all it meant and embodied in-game. But this moment during FanFest was so awe-inspiring. Music as a salve, a motivator, a statement, and a powerful emotional journey. That’s what this song stood for then and still does now in both contexts.

[@flavioromano8754]

Imo, tomorrow and tomorrow is better

[@OmegaGuess]

@@Nirual86 And his reward for all of this? "Do you know...La Hee?" The fucking madman.

[@Nirual86]

@@OmegaGuess I mean he's done stuff like this for previous fanfests too. Just this time, since it was all digital, the whole fanbase got to experience it.

[@Nirual86]

For "Scions and Sinners", I think its worth mentioning that the people of the First often call themselves Sinners, as they are struggling to survive against the Light and the Sineaters.

[@ashaman1]

I've been saying it my whole life that games are so much more than just moving pixels on the screen. Love your music interpretations.

[@MarcoMeatball]

Thank you ❤️

[@jtspender]

One of the things I love about this song is that most of the lyrics can have different meanings or different nuances depending on whether you interpret them from Elidibus' perspective, the your character's perspective, the perspective of the WoL's Elidibus is semi-summoning, the perspective of the original Ancients, the Ancients that are part of Zodiark, the Ascians as a group, or even the various peoples the Ascians manipulated or that you trying to protect. It's kind of a testament to how FFXIV has repeated and built on certain themes through the various expansions. That said, I think Elidibus' loss of memory is also pretty central to this song. While he thinks he has held onto the thing most important to him, his "duty", in losing his memories he's all but entirely lost his self. Kind of like how someone with Alzheimer's can sometimes "find themselves" when listening to familiar music, the sense I got from To The Edge is that Elidibus can only really find echoes of himself in battle when taking on the role of the hero his younger self aspired to be.

[@MarcoMeatball]

Absolutely all of this.

[@pallyxav7597]

Always remember that the songs in these fights are sung from the perspective of the being you are fighting more often than not. So if you know the story and listen, you will cry at how sad this song is.

[@debatinghealer]

When Ultima hears Maker's Ruin you know he's quaking in his boots

[@j0vian_796]

Normally i'm not the biggest fan of this style of music but this song has had such a profound impact on me, every time i hear this song i have to sing along with tears in my eyes. It's hard to explain and the struggle we've been through to get to this point both the player and Elidibus...this fight is truly a tragedy unfolding.

[@WinkleAbiding]

There is a second verse and bridge. I dont know why it isnt repeated in videos until like 10 mins in. Second verse: Rock of ages, we cast the first stone In our cages, we know not what we do Indecision, here at the crossroads Recognition tomorrows come too soon Follow blindly like lambs to slaughter At the mercy of those who ply the sword As our song wends dead underwater We're forgotten for now and ever more The lyrics to the second bridge i really love: Without a compass, wandering lost in lies of faith (faith slowly wasting away) Only alive when fighting death's amber embrace (our hearts beat loud unafraid) On hands and knees we pray to Gods we've never seen (Come shadow, come follow me) The final hour upon us, no more time to breath

[@whothewu]

The combined biblical and Milton (Paradise Lost) references in this song are so great, especially now with the Pandaemonium raids as well further cementing that thematic allusion to the ancients.

[@mlemlemmlemmlem]

It is only played once you proceed to the second part of the fight, as it gives details to show that we are now azem

[@sephirothcrescent5768]

This song is a song for both Elidibus and our WoL and it makes so much more sense when you start the Pandaemonium story where we are helping Elidibus before he became Zodiark's Heart.

[@thesunthrone]

This game is truly moving, because there's so much life to it's writing, its music and development. The game itself returned from the brink of death, through the overwork and passion of the developers under great management. Knowing that background, that's what this theme reminds me of - the story of Yoshida giving the speech to the developer team about the upcoming hell they will go through to remake the game. And it was Soken who cheers and says "Let's give it our all guys!" Which is why these tracks hit hard not just through their compositional genius and fantastic performances of the singers and the musicians, and not just the writing of the lyrics either. They carry even more meaning, beyond just the game, drawing in from reality itself around it. That's why back in 2017 when I knew nothing of the game and wasn't really captivated by it, the "Answers" trailer still moved me. There was just something so pure that transcended the need for context. And perhaps that is why these themes and this story resonates so much to me, as well. Like you, I lost my father to cancer as well, had his funeral a day before my 30th birthday, was utterly devastated, quit my job, just didn't know what to do. And then, six months later, I had the misfortune to witness my best friend's father's tragic passing as well. Barely recovered from the loss of my own father, and reeling from this strange experience of being present in another passing, somehow another friend brought up this game in a discussion and I decided to give it another shot. Perhaps these experiences are what primed me to enjoy the story more, these moments of profound catharsis present in this story and music both, as there are many times where I am truly moved to tears in a way I've never been moved before. The circumstances of these unfortunate souls may be fictional and dramatized, but the pain behind their burdens of duty is real. And perhaps the heaviest of them all is the burden we each must carry - the burden of our dreams that we wish to see fulfilled. We -must-, because no one else can do it for us. Our dreams, our tasks we must see to their end die with us. So through the darkest despair, we must push on.

[@sodathejunker]

For the longest time, “Like broken angels, wingless, cast out heavens gates” felt like it hit the hardest… but my good god when I came to the realization of the meaning behind “our past a message in a bottle, cast to sea”, profound is the perfect word. THAT line gets me right in the heart every time now.

[@froman1522]

Idk how far ahead they planned some of the decisions they decided to do for EW, but couldn't you also say that the message that the Ascians were metaphorically casting out to sea, was hydaelyn in the aetherial sea? That what became of them, and the decision she has to make back then, was essentially sitting there, drifting for eternity until a WoL would come along and give their "answer" to that message? Idk, seems kinda like a stretch, but just a thought.

[@sodathejunker]

@@froman1522 That’s just the beauty of it, and why it’s so profound! I actually hear it as many things, it’s the memories of the Amaurotines and the Ancient’s legacy being left residually in the world. That message cast to sea can be Emet’s Amaurot in the Tempest, Hydaelyn resting in the Aetherial Sea, or even the ultimate catalyst of Herme’s message via Meteion out into the Sea of Stars. Whichever intended initially, the music is, like Answers, so beautifully written and thematic that it’s likely these reinterpretations helped guide the writing even after it was released. Ishikawa was very directly involved in working on the song with Soken.

[@Nirual86]

@@froman1522 I'd say at this point they had definitely finalized the conclusion of this story. Not sure if that passage specifically refers to her though, since she was going against the wishes of most of the Ascians in the first place. But it does work.

[@Ladywizard]

@@froman1522 Not just that but he had literally thrown out a message for us in the aetherial sea as a crystal to start the raid series

[@Graficcha]

One thing that really gets to me about this song is this almost blase sort of strained dignity, the refusal to panic or beg or burst into fury when everything is pushed to the brink, to the edge, if you will. The heavier male choir strikes me the hardest. This where I feel the tragedy of the ascians the sharpest, the part where I can feel their hope and love and you can't but sympathise and feel with them, for them, sharing in their feelings about their journey and what drives them. 'Riding home', like a worn-out but victorious army, yearning for family and peace and rest at the end of the long, long road, gaining resolve from the hope of reuniting with their loved ones. The thought of home pulls them forward. For that relief and happiness, they will endure the maddening trial of endurance before them, it'll all, all be worth it when they make it home. Like soldiers far from home they miss the ones they have been separated from, the ones that in their minds are still alive, out there, they just have to make it back to them, save them. Emet remembers what he cherished, and what else can you call that but love. Elidibus has forgotten, but he still feels it, that it was vital, it was important, and if he gives up on it or loses it, there is nothing left to fight for. This part, to me, is the core of what breaks your heart for them, because you want to give them their reprieve, their reward, their happiness, as a reward for their love and valour and gruelingly hard work. We don't like stories of heroes failing, we feel the bitterness and unfairness of a journey cut short with no resolution and no happy ending. An army dreaming of home, after all the pain and loss, and we have to go and make it so they will never arrive there. It feels cruel, and yet you cannot ever let them reach their destination as that means everyone else gets trampled in their path. You wished you could let them have what they desire, but you can't. 'Riding home' also sounds triumphant, but not in a victorious self-congratulatory way. It sounds like pure determination to not even conceive of the possibility of defeat, to hold your head high even as you stand on the sinking ship - we WILL ride home, we are on our way and we can see it within reach, for sure, no room for doubts, no space for overthinking or hesitating. 'It's not over till it's over', there is no convincing Elidibus to stand down or compromise. He is set in his path, implacable and proud of it regardless of how he suffers for it, carrying the pride of his people forward. And yet, 'don't lose hope'. Something I'm sure he needs to remind himself of often. This faith and unyielding determination don't come easily. Right now he's fighting with his back against the wall, alone, after thousands of years of agonisingly slow progress with the odds piled higher and higher against him with every Ascian slain and every plan thwarted. His desperation is clear, but his conviction, his pride, his devotion and love are stronger. What makes Elidibus so special to me is the sheer will of steel he shows, to the point where he tunnel-visions himself very deliberately because glancing aside to see the gaping chasm could break him. This effing song, man.

[@MarcoMeatball]

Man I loved reading this. Gorgeous.

[@arnoldgaarde7066]

Mann I so love your ability to put into words the feelings these songs bring out in us. And if you like me being a lone child that never had a farther and then lost his mother to cancer at age 30. The feelings you describe are spot on. Keep up the great work love your videos

[@MarcoMeatball]

Thank you and I’m sorry. Really.

[@SaraHungary]

It is really hard to choose one favourite song of FFXIV, but if I had to choose I definitely would go for To the edge. Everything in this song is so good.

[@1jidion]

with the history behind to the edge and its creation, how could it not be lol, this is literally soken fighting for his life while making this song

[@titaniumvulpes]

My interpretation of this song has always been that it's a call from Emet-Selch, freed from his tempering and now on his quest to help us (both by having Hyth give us the stone of Azem just before the fight, and by pulling us back from the rift mid-fight), trying to reach out to Elidibus and convince him to stop ("Brother, stay this descent to madness") or else to us to stop him if he cannot stop himself ("Come and save us, catch us before we fall"). That it's the same leitmotif as 'Neath Dark Waters, the theme of Emet-Selch's mournful creation, lends credence to this idea, as do later lyrics such as "In our cages, we know not what we do", "Follow blindly like lambs to slaughter", and "Without a compass wandering, lost in lies of faith" - Elidibus, still tempered, wouldn't understand that their worship of Zodiark was built on false promises and forced them to commit deeds they otherwise may never have dreamed of. "Deep inside, we're nothing more than scions and sinners", translation, "Elidibus, I know these people are fragmented, but I now realise that they're still people, they still have the souls of _our_ people, and I hope you'll be able to see that soon too."

[@ocelotslime]

Its a nice touch that Elidibus, the last unsundered, stands against us as the Warrior of Light, with the new knowledge of the elements brought to us in ShB, we can recognize him as sort of the embodiment of stagnation, of what was. So we can stand against him as the opposite, The Warrior of Darkness, sort of an embodiment of change, of what IS.

[@kikukat8780]

It's so strange and comforting in a way that there is an mutual understanding that brings us together over pain and loss, especially through a medium like music and video games. Growing up, I was told that video games were for kids and only meant for entertainment but playing them for over 30+ years of my life, you learn that they can bring not just joy but an understanding of sadness, that you are not alone. This game brings me to tears over and over again with its amazing storytelling, music and humanity. We may be great warriors of light in our own stories, but as with great heroes, must overcome our own difficulties to move on... but, we don't have to go at it alone. :) Amazing video Marco. Thanks again for all that you do!

[@MarcoMeatball]

Thank you!!!!!

[@justinkedgetor5949]

What makes me sad is that all the people we share our journey with on these games all eventually disappear. Whether it be something irl or they lost interest in playing. It always gets me sad to never hear from anyone anymore. From my experience this is like 95% of the time and it just sucks. Having so many fun times together only to be lost to the sands of time and be memories forgotten.

[@hasseo1]

1:35 If I may, I think it's more than that. I think it's, in large part, the voices that literally make up his being. Remember, this Elidibus is a primal entity born of both his people's hope for salvation and their very beings. Y'shtola points out that he can't be sure, after all these years, that he's still speaking with his own voice. The voices are both those without and within.

[@MarcoMeatball]

That’s a completely valid and likely accurate take!

[@hasseo1]

@@MarcoMeatball Aw thanks, bud.

[@humphreytam]

Such a joy watching you talk about music. I have no formal musical trainings but is in an all men chorus for the last seven years. The passion whenever you talk about music really comes through in these video.Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!

[@Lancun]

The whole chant of "One Brings Shadow, One Brings Light" can be used for so many pairings in this expansion. Ourselves and Ardbert. The Warriors of Light and Darkness. Hades VS the Player, the Arbiter of Zodiark's Shadow against the sole Lightwarden of Norvrandt. The Player VS Elidibus, the one who brought night to Norvrandt against the last threat standing to flood it with light. But the pair I most associate it with is Hades and Elidibus. One brings Shadow, One Brings Light. Tumbling through time, the eons that have passed and the memories that have faded in their seemingly endless fight to bring back their home. It's a chant reserved for the main theme of Shadowbringers and the trial fights with these two unsundered.

[@MsIvalane]

Oh wow really just coming for us down here in the comments section; my heart can't take it ☠☠

[@MenrvaS]

"Deep inside, we are nothing more than scions and sinners" "In the rain, do light and darkness fade" My favorite lines from the whole song. It is basically "we are not so different" trope, but the delivery is far more poetic. Deep down, we are both good and bad, but when it comes to loss, sorrow, and suffering, there is no good or bad anymore because we both can understand how painful it is. It is not about good and evil anymore, it is about understanding and empathy. Beautiful.

[@lunasilver9223]

When I heard this song for the first time, I was thinking:" this is completely different from the previous song, why?" Then I knew that SOKEN already knew he had cancer when he wrote this song. Maybe he wrote this song for himself too.

[@ryokophreak]

That must have been tough as hell. Fighting cancer and going through chemo during covid so no friends of family could come visit. But he said working on the song helped him fight on. And now we get to hear him do FF16 too! Man is an inspiration.

[@CrystVeno]

Actually the lyrics were written by Koji Fox with concept from Natsukawa herself.

[@mariawalker2982]

Thank you, Marco, for creating these videos! It brings me very positive feelings when i watch your music analysis. It's incredible:3

[@midnightmustelid8643]

I started playing XIV as a way to cope with losing my mom to cancer and having my life completely upended because of it, so it means a lot to me to hear this analysis from someone who's gone through similar, and understands some of the same things I felt while playing. I'll never forget attending an in-game watch party for the Primals concert stream during fanfest, shout chat delving into wails of despair as Soken talked about his battle with cancer, followed by mass relief when he said it had gone into remission. Absolute mad lad lmao "To the Edge" has got to be one of, if not my favorite track from the whole game and Seat of Sacrifice is still my favorite trial.

[@XieRH1988]

One fond memory I have is this song actually debuted before patch 5.3, normally a day before the patch launches, yoshiP will do a live reading of the patch notes. It just so happened that during the reading of 5.3’s patch notes, To The Edge was snuck in as BGM at one point and I recognised it from the chorus (which was in the 5.3 trailer) and the moment I heard what it was and realised it was ‘new music’... it was amazing (also I had guessed initially that it was gonna be the 5.3 dungeon track cos I thought anything that might spoil the trial would not be shown beforehand).

[@Lordwhizzkid]

So potential Endwalker spoilers, I'll say up to 6.0 and including the raid series: One of the lines of the song that you brought up "To begin, we first must see the end!" is something that Elidibus all but says himself in Endwalker before he takes you to Elpis: "Where to begin... Ah. The end." I find this incredibly poetic as it's also in the Chorus with "Yes, time circles endlessly" and the background line (Pointing to the edge). While I don't think that was completely intentional, it actually reveals a little bit about Endwalker in of itself, with time circles endlessly relating to how we travel back, and how that circle allows us to find what caused The Final Days, and it's "Pointing to the Edge" (of creation). Like I said, I don't believe this to be intentional, but it's a wonderful piece of insight looking back on it now. Something I also truly love about this song is the pure framing of it. Everything about the verse is hazy, it's hard to know what's being sung, what instrument is playing what line. And this really mimics how Elidibus feels atm. Right now he's in this lost haze of what his purpose is. In Verse 1 "Brother, stay this descent to madness. Come and save us, catch us before we fall" immediately into "Riding home - riding home. Finding hope, don't lose hope". This shows us what was heavily implied in 5.2 & 5.3, where Emet Selch was the one keeping Elidibus straight on his mission. Every time he falls away Emet would come back and guide him correctly, remind him what this was about. We see this in a short story released about the same time, "Ere Our Curtain Falls". And all this time we have that ticking, and the song being the same melody as 'Neath Dark Waters. The song, the lyrics, the melody, the writing, EVERYTHING is telling us that he does not know what his purpose is. It's there, it's fuzzy, but it's unstoppable. And then, clarity. The chorus comes in and it is bright, the voice is no longer heavily changed. And it's Elidibus' revelation. That Good or Bad, Light or Dark, none of it matters when despair hits us. And that everything always comes to an end. From what we know of Elidibus, and more importantly of Themis, I think this hits really hard. Since I feel from what we know currently, Themis felt like his task as Emissary could last forever, and that he'd never be done being in service to the star, potentially even after leaving the Convocation. It feels genuinely beautiful to me to see this potential revelation from the complete opposite direction, starting from the revelation, then working back to see how he created the previous world view for himself. I'll be very curious to see how much more of him we get, as I think he's an incredibly deep and interesting character. To finish this massive thing off, I'll also put another line you brought up, and follow it up with what someone else has pointed out, all credit to /u/Nicotoa on the "To The Edge" with Official Lyrics video on KZbin: "Like broken angels, wingless, casts from heaven's gate." and Venat's "No more shall men have wings to bear him to paradise. Henceforth, he shall walk."

[@rayoza2607]

I’m glad we got someone like you to breakdown XIV’s music/lyrics to the core… and edge. Vocalists and singers know how to project the feelings and soul needed to bring life into each lyric sung even though it’s not of their own personal experience. Appreciate you, Marco!

[@MarcoMeatball]

My absolute pleasure ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@xLeenix]

To the Edge is one of my favorite of ffxiv, nothing else to add :D thank you :3

[@MarcoMeatball]

🥲

[@BanzaiBN]

Maybe you should do "Who Brings Shadow", it's probably the peak music of Shadowbringers and it has the same leitmotiv as To the Edge. Your first feelings and explanations (only 2 minutes in haha) are already on point, this is incredible

[@MarcoMeatball]

I mean I have thousands of hours in the game 😂

[@BanzaiBN]

@@MarcoMeatball Yeah haha I know, it's really cool to have someone that reacts to FFXIV OSTs but also actually plays the game and cares about the story, it gives so much more depth to the commentary

[@MarcoMeatball]

@@BanzaiBN oh! ❤️

[@Nirual86]

I mean a lot of the lyrics are repeated in "To the Edge" to begin with. I guess the "correct" order would've been to do "Who Brings Shadow" first. But there is still merit in comparing the two themes and discuss how these same lyrics are provided in a different context. Against Emet-Selch, we brought the light (of the absorbed Lightwardens) against his shadow. Against Elidibus, he brought the light (representing himself as the Warrior of Light) while we are seen as the shadow (the Warrior of Darkness, who returned the night to the First).

[@GoldenXShark22]

ah yes, this song and this character left such an impact on me that it inspired my favorite DnD character that i've played. the character was an homage to ascians and specifically elidibus. And after more than a real life year's worth of two campaigns, his story came to a very warm happy end. (almost didnt, many many times.) its my way of showing my love for soken and ishikawa's work. cheers!

[@ilitsa]

Your comment about hitting rock bottom and picking up the pieces resonates so much with me. When this song came out, I was in the middle of a 3-month hospital stay with a spinal injury, coming to grips with the fact that I wouldn't walk back out. This song is so amazing because it doesn't speak to just one hardship. It can be attributed to every good and bad moment we have.

[@MarcoMeatball]

Oh my gosh. Huge hug to you. Thank you for sharing.

[@madelinerodgers9072]

Even with all the wonderful gems Endwalker gave us from Flow to With Hearts Aligned no song has even put a lump in my throat as quickly as To the Edge has even now it’s still my favourite song

[@adryensantos9135]

The level of passion you have for this song is so high you sound like a pastor preaching at church. I love it!

[@MarcoMeatball]

🫠

[@TheUndyingCrystal]

"A wall-mounted sword and shield to mark your victory in a battle of like wills." -Trophy of Light decoration. He truly was our contrast, a mirror to represent our unbreakable will, our purpose to save the world against all odds. He was effectively the main character of his own story/game, the only difference was that our protagonist won in the end.

[@silverhand9965]

"He was effectively the main character of his own story/game" I mean, if we want to be technical, the Warrior of Light is indeed the main character of the first FF game 🤔 But that's being a bit pedantic 😝

[@CasualCoreK]

That's what was so great about Shadowbringers: we find out that the Ascians ARE RIGHT, it's just that so are we and our "rights" are ontologically incompatible. We're denied the satisfaction of vanquishing villains because only heroes showed up to the battle, so what can you do but cry?

[@SpartanMK5]

Everytime I hear "One brings Shadow, One brings the Light" and "Two toned echoes tumbling through time" those 2 lines can apply to SO much of 14 stories.

[@shipperwolf7090]

I plan on having "all things change--drawn to the flame, to rise from the ashes" tattooed on me. Bc I played through ShB at one of the lowest points of my life, and the game, the comraderie, story, and characters really helped me through it.

[@MarcoMeatball]

Amen

[@EonanAvery]

I feel this so much! Did you get that tattoo done? I would love to see it.

[@shipperwolf7090]

@@EonanAvery not just yet! Life keeps interrupting my tattoo-savings attempts 😅 But it's gonna happen this year. Along with an Emet-Selch sigil tat 🤞

[@serpentsaurus7969]

This was such an incredible culmination of the events in Shadowbringers - and everything that came before it. This boss fight was the perfect note to end on. Thank you for this video!

[@SMNtheNight]

There's one thing listening to this game's story and soundtrack have taught me, beyond genre, beyond everything: I love music.

[@MarcoMeatball]

Big time.

[@Lightforeverandever]

You know, in raw honesty, im so glad i found Marco and his reaction analysis and commentary on music, im so glad he exists, im so glad hes on youtube, im so glad hes well and i want him to conrinue being well, and im so glad people appretiate him. Always be well mr Marco. Youre an amazing human being that i admire so much it makes my eyes wet. And im being literal. To explain why, from my separate perspective as a person, would be an essay and i dont wanna do that to the comment section. Id prefer to explain to the man himself but i know we ll probably never meet.

[@Pherond]

Love your coverage as always, man! I love when people more musically-inclined than I can really deep-dive into Soken's genius! It helps us who always had the ear for music, but making/creating it wasn't really in the cards :D

[@shd_samurai9676]

It's amazing that Elidibus fights as hard as he does, for the wrong cause granted, because of our influence on him as Azem.

[@Xatmias]

This song hits me the same way, i lost my younger brother, he took off his life, i hit rock bottom, my life literally fall off to pieces and i thought that i couldn't be happy again, i lost all hope on life, but somehow, i started to regain strenght again and here i am, living my life to the fullest, not only for my, for my brother too. This song is extremely powerfull and the message it brings is also extremely powerfull. I totally share your appreciation to this theme, because, strangely, we connected with the lyrics on the same way. Soken is a god and FFXIV truly changed my life

[@HimitsuYami]

I love how you're not just reacting to the music, or explaining meaning, you're also very clearly enjoying the song for the song's sake too. You looked like you were having to resist singing out loud lol

[@PostTimeskipSam]

Thank you for making a breakdown of this song! It's one of my favorites from FFXIV & hearing you break it down in a way for me to understand why I feel the way I do when I listen to this is great!!!

[@MarcoMeatball]

You’re welcome!

[@Spookybluelights]

The reason I ended liking ShB over EW was because everything about ShB feels just so much more *personal* for *everyone.* Heros *and* 'villains.' It's the expansion about *you.* About your place in everything. The sacrifices you happily make for the people you love and have journeyed with. Your fate, as the music in EW puts it when referring to ShB. 'To The Edge' is the best example of this for everything that you detailed in your lyric analysis. It feels like desperation, it feels like resignation, it feels like futile struggle, it's spite of ones own grief. It's such a complex song that gets to literally the heart of what everyone involved is fighting for. It is such an affecting piece of art.

[@alibutterfly82]

5.3 hit for me at such a perfect time in my life... we were in the midst of the pandemic, and my life had basically been upended such that I was getting ready to move out "on my own"/with my partner, for the first time. Everything was terrifying and it felt like my life was ending, in some respects. I know that sounds overly dramatic, but that was where I was at, at that point. Every time I hear it now, it kind of both takes me back to the extreme empathy/pity that I feel for the Ancients in the context of XIV's story, but also it takes me back to where I was at in my own life when it came out (and the relief I feel since then, knowing things have worked out)... and then it layers on top of THAT, Soken's struggles that I know he was dealing with while composing this. All adds up to mean it's a better bet than not that I will end up teary at some point during most listens of this song... Which is such a weird thing to try to explain to someone who might be listening to it more casually, because the "sound" without taking the lyrics into account doesn't SEEM sad. And yet, here we are. I love this song though. One of my favorites in the game. I have a lot of favorites from XIV, to be fair, but this is consistently towards the top of the list for the way that it intertwines with both the game's stories/characters and my own life.

[@joteaesa6514]

seeing your passion for this song brought tears to my eyes. I have loved this song and all the different versions of it Neath dark waters etc. since I got to the tempest. I spent hours just listening to neath dark waters crafting and gathering.

[@DayleDiamond]

Minfilia spelled out the plot of the Scions and Asians: "For those we lost, for those we can yet save."

[@PetarBladeStrok]

Awesome & emotional breakdown. Love these videos. FFXIV OST & story is beyond beautiful.

[@chrisoconnor5571]

This song was so amazing and for me really was the emotional high point of Shadowbringers given everything that led up to it and the scenes that followed. It and Soken are a huge part of why many people refer to Shadowbringers as the best RPG they have EVER played. So amazing and such a cool fight, even if we wipe once or twice to a sprout figuring out the mad clicky mid fight scene :)

[@umbrikasumi299]

_“The rains have ceased, and we have been graced with another beautiful day. But you are not here to see it.”_

[@dnnu]

Great video as always. I love To The Edge, it's one of my favorite pieces, being really intrigued by Elidibus since his first appearance and seeing him evolve into this deeply duty ridden person who lost himself along the way was truly an amazing journey. More so now with Endwalker

[@burtwonk]

By the way, I think To the edge really answers the questions posed in Tomorrow and Tomorrow.” Who fights? Who flies? Who falls? For who weeps the storm? The days of our years gone, our souls soaked in sin…

[@MarcoMeatball]

Yea!

[@EonanAvery]

it's such a masterpiece. The fact that Elidibus transformed into the first Warrior of Light + this incredible song i got so bashed away with emotions, wow. after Soken told about his battle against cancer it hits so different, it got even deeper. Whenever i'm in this fight all the other WoL's writing that they're fighting for Soken, it gives me goosebumps.

[@asomeone8965]

OMG! My favourite trial in the game! and I just love to see how into the song you get

[@Eiensakura]

I just love how much thought and love goes into the music in FFXIV esp for key moments and scenarios like the Seat of Sacrifice. Thank you for the breakdown.

[@MarcoMeatball]

My pleasure!

[@tickledpickle5671]

I swear, this song and fight haunts me every time something bad, or even traumatic happens. My dog died in my arms a couple years back, first thing I did was grab a beer and sit down, still crying. Immediately hit trial roulette, got this, and All the while I'm crying my eyes out, I'm doing my rotations, callouts for the 4 sprouts in the group, etc.. It was a VERY emotional, and painful moment. But this song got me through it.

[@waywardwriterryu7185]

This song always had this haunting majesty to me, between the fact this fight is what was at the time the ultimate battle both worlds on the edge and no matter who wins someone’s world is doomed, and (this is gonna sound morbid) how emotionally charged it is given at the time the composer was facing his own possibly impending mortality, this is my favorite fight thematically and the music just makes it even more amazing and it’s honestly my favorite final boss in the game and I doubt anything will top it for a long time

[@vante2]

here a year later but you hit the nail on the head. To Elidibus, You're the villain of his story, and he's the hero who truly believes he is in the right. He's the Warrior of Light, and you're *the Shadowbringer*

[@lordboopyzoop2406]

the moment that Soken admitted that this song was one he wrote while battling Cancer, refusing to delegate his work while recovering- He and Yoshi were on the stage, Yoshi had his back turned to the 'crowd' as Soken spoke... those emotions were so real, so inspiring. This game, and these developers mean the world to me. Yoshi and the rest of the team are giving this whole project their all. Many people chide FFXIV for a number of reasons, but FFXIV will always be the best game I've ever played. The story, the characters, the music, the content, the community, the memories, and most of all the devs behind it; they all come together to make what I consider to be the shining example for what a game should be.

[@soleil6999]

I know I'm being late here, but what I love so much about FFXIV story telling and kept me hooked through SHB and EW (despite the obvious reasons) it's how the story is not about good vs evil, but of need against need (like what richard siken once said in a poem). You do the things you do because you have a reason; something to protect because you need them. They do the things they do because they also have a reason and NEED to get their old home back. It's just UGH. I cry every time i remember it

[@tameelah3839]

Bit late but oh well, I remember when Soken told us of his battle with cancer and now he was free from it. All through my server suddenly groups were being formed for The Seat of Sacrifice for or in the name of Soken. It was so very moving.

[@frostmourne1986]

Neath Dark Waters is arguably my personal favourite song of 14. To The Edge is the boss version and still hell as good.

[@shizuyue]

Neath Dark Waters was my favorite FFXIV song at that time and the first time I went into the boss fight, I couldn't concentrate because it now has vocals and is an absolute banger. Some of my deaths were probably because of the music debuff (and also because of Quintuplecast).

[@justinleiby3070]

I'm glad he also pointed out the blend of Neath Dark Waters in To The Edge. It was a perfect way to add lyrics to a song that had existed previously.

[@WoolliestGaming]

I do love how this somg is a COMPLETE mirror to Who Brings Shadow. Down to the lyrics, the motifs, everything.

[@wjackson5674]

It's also amazing that Soken wrote this song while he was in the hospital being treated for Cancer.

[@simeonwashington9995]

To The Edge is just such an epic song and fun to sing along/hum to. The fight between warriors of light is just so awesome.

[@MrLocoSuave]

One of the best (if not the best) pieces of music in this amazing game, the fact that it's an extended version of the track we hear in Amaurot is so sad and powerfull

[@TheSwordsman100]

This was a great video! I do have a different interpretation of some of lines however, taking this as a companion piece to it's fellow excellent song Shadowbringers, it is made clear that it is a twist but for perspective, (to the point Shadowbringers spoilers the entire twist of the expansion but its hidden by applying it to the First and the Sineaters) for the Acians Dark (represented by Zoidark) is good, while light (represented by Hydelan and her champion) is evil and is the bringer of the end of their world. (Via the sundering) Thus while Eldibus has wraped his visage in the image of the Warrior of Light, he is still the heart of Zoidark and would bring shadow to restore the old world. While willingly or not, (depending on the PC dialogue choices) the PC has taken the title of Warrior of Darkness, their actions to bring the night on the First has nothing to do with Darkness, instead using their blessing of Light to contain the Lightwarden's corrupted light and later using it to kill Hades. (Hydelan even later telling them to seek light everlasting) This and other Acians deaths is why Eldibus sees the PC as Death incarnate and is even referenced in one of the only two references to the PC in the song lyrics, (Amber being the color Azem is tied to) "Only alive in fighting Death's amber embrace." Despite this I do think on some level Elidbus, like Hades, realized what they were doing was wrong, as wording in both songs give their enemies the title of Heaven, (though the word is also used to describe the undsundered world) while comparing themselves to demons. Which is why I don't think Eden was used here, sure its also a paradise but mankind fell from Eden partly from being tricked. Furthermore in the only other line referencing the PC directly Elidbus calls for the PC to save them. (Brother is most likely used as the "canon" Azem is male according to promotional trailers) " Brother stay this descent to madness. Come and save us. Catch us before we fall" Its only when as Eldibus in the song sees his enemy as a person that the two foes see why they fight do the tears of this tragedy fall like rain and in it the distinction between Light and Darkness fade.

[@JamieBarrington]

I played ShB for the first time this summer & posted on Reddit how the Amaurot Dungeon music made me sob everytime I heard it, because the Emet-Selch and other unsundered made me sooo sad. Someone on the subreddit told me to keep an eye out for that Amaurot theme in one of the patches and I'll know immediately when I hear it. The second To The Edge kicked in at Seat of Sacrifice, I knew that was it. I was so worried about messing up the mechanics of that fight, but when that song kicked in, I was vibing with a smile on my face. Of course the cutscene following that had me crying again. Soken is a genius and to have written that while in chemotherapy gives it a whole new meaning. I swear, I had a puffy face for all of August while going through Shadowbringers from all the crying I did. And this is coming from someone can't cry easily.

[@PascalTerpstra]

I remember I heard that this song also embodies the battle between one who has nothing to lose, but everything to gain, and one who has nothing to gain, but everything to lose. The duality is stunning, indeed! I for one understand both adversaries, which side you pick, you will be sad about it either way.

[@Dieci-9]

The entire story of the Ascians, the tragedy of the WoL of that reflection and the struggle of our group to avert the Calamity of Light that this song evokes manages to bring me to tears almost every single time I hear it. The stakes are so high for all parties and we know that our survival spells doom for the Ascians. Each of us the heroes of their stories fighting against their ultimate villain, each of reaching that point after pains qnd sacrifices and yet for how much we suffered it pales in comparison to what the Ascians went through...and yet we must fight for one side's victory is the other's extinction.

[@Qeshen]

One of the things that gets me about To the Edge is the pre-chorus sections. Unfortunately, I didn't see you go over the second pre-chorus, but that's the one that always gets me. The first reads like an affirmation of this "I am" song, especially the whispered in-between sections. "Our Slumbering demons awake," "Hell take us heaven can wait," "disgrace, untold and unseen." This is Elidibus saying that even though he knows in this moment he's the protagonist, he's by no means a hero despite his aspirations and despite the gilded form he's taken on. But that second dang pre-chorus. The second verse straight up tells us he knows he screwed up, but the leadup, he's just....acknowledging how tired and, even, how RELIEVED he is to be facing the Warrior of Light. Anyway, if you ever get the chance to re-listen to it: "Come shadow, come follow me." That one teeny tiny lyric in the context of it all feels just...so fond. Like this is their final dance, and he's acknowledging with what little of himself he can that his burdens, his very being that he's modeled himself after, can now take over and he might finally be able to rest. And if you ever get the chance, I highly encourage you to listen to Pandemonium's 11th fight's song. There's no lyrics to it, but it's a continuation of this story. A happier arrangement, more joyful.

[@krysmphoenix6010]

Playing this fight, thinking about Emet Selch's last words, thinking about the spectre of Hythlodeus, all I could think was "what if things were different, could we have been friends?" I think a lot about Elidibus, how even as our enemy, even as an Ascian committed to restoring Zodiarc and their paradise, he stayed friendly, even willing to work with us at times because a part of him saw how horrible the calamities were. After all, he was the one who helped bring the Warriors of Darkness to the Source in the first place. Up until the very last moment when he realized he was the last Unsundered and desperation took over. Even if he had to do horrible things, he wanted to do things right. To be a beacon of hope and light for all. When Zodiarc was no more, and the vague remnants of Elidibus spoke to us in the crystal tower, I cried for his passing. Truly he more than any other Ascian, perhaps even Hydaelyn, knew how much it hurt to fight to the edge.

[@RratRemi]

"Remember us.... Remember that we once lived." -Emet Selch, our biggest enemy, and our savior. And to me: my best friend.

[@ZettaPhen]

"In the rain, do light and darkness fade". This line makes me vividly see a scene where every Ascian, Venat, the Warrior of Light, Azem... All under an heavy downpour, staring at it. The rain makes every figure blurry so that everyone looks the same. The different clothing, the masks, all lose their meaning. As you pointed no matter how their objectives looks diametrically different and ended up putting them on opposite sides at the end of it all they're identical, struggling with all they might to reach the the finale they hope for, to save the people they desperatly love so much, no matter what.

[@KatInkura]

So much of Soken's music makes me cry with ease. Truly fantastic.

[@flavioromano8754]

8:36 it is profound, it is at the bottom of the sea

[@1jidion]

just like what ardy says in heavensward before minfillia takes them back to the first, "light, dark, it doesnt matter, what matters is how you choose to use them"

[@MarcoMeatball]

Mhm…

[@HoodieDOTpdf]

Another thing I would like to add onto "Our lives a message in a bottle, cast to sea" I interpret that as their existence right there. The Warrior of Light being their sea, and the Unsundered the messengers, what Emet-Selch said, "Remember us, remember that we once lived". If they couldn't live to see another day again, Emet at least wanted to make sure they were remembered. Their lives being put in that bottle and cast out to sea in the hopes that it'll mean something one day.

[@MissingNo_]

This song with the time ticking in background with soken fighting cancer just kills me

[@samwilkinson9309]

I think one thing that adds to the thing of the scions and sinners being all essentially the same is around that point it goes on about "In the rain, do light and darkness fade" which at this point we came to see it's not who's representing light or darkness, each side has a goal that's totally unrelated to light or dark and can take up the mantle of either if it means it'll help them reach their goal. Also, the like "In monochrome memories, our tears are painted in red (Bleeding to the edge)" that creates a very vivid image clearly showing they've lost a lot and suffered a lot and just the image that creates gives me chills.

[@SuperOnigiripanda]

Once I found out that Soken wrote this while battling cancer the clock ticking hit so much harder

[@VoidShyrok]

I was never big on theater in school. But knowing the all the context behind this song, from the lore of FF to soken writing it while fighting cancer; even I can't ignore the way this song sounds.

[@allisonsnow2142]

To go with the point of seeing Amaurot and the sadness and longing in not only the music but also in Emett Selch's desire to see either his people reborn and remade or for those people that followed after him (the current races and shards) to know the story of his people so they would not be truly forgotten to the sands of time. I don't often have the desire to feel bad for a villain in any games story, only two games have done that two me. FF XIV Shadowbringers and Persona 5 the Royal. I did not want to fight Emett Selch especially after his declaration of "I know you will not change course...you will kill me but I want you to know my story." I wanted to spare him, I understood what it was he wanted and he had resigned himself to his fate to fall to the wayside. Thank you for teaching me something I never knew about this song, I never knew Soken was battling cancer, I always loved this song from the moment I heard it and I now have a deeper appreciation for it. May the legend that is Soken continue onwards with head held high!

[@陳威麟-q7o]

This strikes in everyway, for ppl losing what they loved, and who else know it best when the 1.0 failed for the high expectation, the brinks of failure of the whole studio, that person fight his disease in secret, and the really saga of final fantasy - the legend born in despirate. Piece by piece, they are passing the message and the spirit within it. For game, but not just for game.

[@VoltSlash]

My first reaction upon seeing the Warrior of Light was "oh no they didn't" and then I heard this and I think "it's Amaurot, but metal with vocals" and it instantly became my favourite track. Still to this date. I doubt they can dethrone it, With Hearts Aligned and Close in the Distance were close, but not quite there... Dawntrail so far has had a few good ones, but I'm still waiting to be blown away.

[@sweatyraider7241]

Riding hoOmeEEee why does that part give serious goosebump I need answers

[@WestCero]

Another really important line to me is during the "Broken angels" section and it's "Hell take us, heaven can wait". He's so SO dedicated to the fight that he's almost lost sight of what he's even fighting for. He can't even remember who he made the promise of this crusade to, let alone what it's for. At least that's how I interpret that line.

[@sephirothcrescent5768]

He made the promise to our WoL back in the long distant past if you play the Pandaemonium story.

[@paulcrimson3824]

This song is just amazing good. Soken is just a legend... fightning with cancer and had so much strugle.. . And still he decided to work even in hospital FOR US... Its so good that he is recovered from it. And yeah this music gives so many feels. And cause Soken mostly it has a deep meaning.

[@tiborvenancio6443]

FIRST! Just woke up and this video is the first thing i see when i turn on my PC. Nice way to start the day haha Love your work Marco you deserve millions of subscribers!

[@MarcoMeatball]

Thank you Tiber!

[@AHylianWarrior]

The song sings about the fate of Emet-Selch and Elidibus, their loss of memory and friends as there is recount over the Final Days. "Follow blindly like lambs to slaughter at the mercy of those who ply the sword" could be seen as those who succumbed to Zodiark's enthrallment of the Ancients who summoned him and if you recall that one cutscene in Endwalker (not saying what here) you'll understand the line more. Elidibus was spared being enthralled by Zodiark through the fact he is it's heart, but he does not have the power nor the courage to lead his own path after escaping being sundered as he pleads to the enthralled Emet-Selch: "Brother stay this descent to madness. Come and save us. Catch us before we fall". The fact is Elidibus was too young and naive to follow his own path so he followed Emet-Selch and the other enthralled Ascians, his tiny form as small as ours once we defeat him really showing how young he was when he was chosen (the Ancients call us 'children' at our height, Elidibus was about the same height as us). Elidibus naively saw himself as the hero of his people, the "warrior of light", which is why he saw us as villains trying to erase his people and why he often tried to confront us in the form of heroes (he would've saw Zenos as a hero because Emet-Selch created the Garlean Empire and Zenos was the Prince of said empire). "In the rain do light and darkness fade", here he's calling us the same as him which I thought was pretty important to mention. The rest of the lyrics, you can see them as both Elidibus speaking and Soken. The double meaning is pretty incredible and incredibly sad.

[@MarcoMeatball]

Love This.

[@keiichiiozawanikoot6435]

This song is... So beautiful, so motivational, the lyrics actually help me push forward through this cruel and short, but beautiful life, music is truly a unbeatable way to express one self. In order to get to heaven, we must walk through hell. "Take me to hell, heaven can wait"

[@flyyf1]

the lyrics "Two toned echoes, tumbling through time Three score wasted, Ten cast aside Fourfold knowing no end in sight" are really cool because "Three" times the ancients who would become known as Ascians sacrificed countless of their own kind to summon a primal, and the third resulted in a battle between "Two" primals, who ended up splitting the world and its people into shards and Only "Four" members of the Convocation of Fourteen, the former rulers of the undivided world, know of the full extent of these events while The other "Ten" were unaware of the full details of their world’s past, each individual’s soul having been split amongst the planet’s shards thus being "Cast aside". Soken is the GOAT

[@Malcis]

No more shall man have wings to bear him to paradise. Henceforth, he shall walk.

[@shadeblackwolf1508]

Elidibus, Emet-Selch, in another story, they would have been the heroes. We might have payed a friend of theirs, as we try desperately to retake a world consumed by creatures they view as little above zombies. This is the end of the road. If he falls, with him falls the dream of restoring their world, and yet... For their world to live, ours has to die. Both cannot coexist. And this, this is our turn. For the world we love to have a future, and the world he's toiled for for so long, one way or the other, it has to end, and it has to end here.

[@Alcadria]

I actually have a different take on it, as they've said the song is about "both" sides in the conflict, not just the ancients. Essentially, it goes from the ancients, to the sundered life with the ancients offering rebuttals to each of the sundered's pleas. The first set of lines that begins with "All our splendor bathed black in silence" all the way to "come and save us, catch us before we fall" is specifically the ancients calling out to Elidibus, he who became Zodiark, to restore their world. The line to follow is the plea of the sundered world to simply exist: ------------------- Like broken angels, wingless, cast from heavens gates -sundered (our slumb'ring demons awake) -ancients We only fly when falling, falling far from grace -sundered (hell take us heaven can wait) -ancients Our lives a message in a bottle cast to sea -sundered (disgrace, untold and unseen) -ancients Quick to their ends our candles burn until we're free -unison ------------------ "In Monochrome melodies, our tears are painted in red" up until "we first must see the end" is both sides agreeing, in unison, that win or lose, one side and all that they hold dear will be consigned to oblivion. Neither is good, neither is evil, it's not black and white. Much like Emet-Selch said "the victor shall write the tale and the vanquished become its villain." This back and forth in the lyrics continues through the entire song, Ancients -> Sundered -> Both as To The Edge lyrically is a battle between the Sundered and Ancients much like Seat of Sacrifice is. It also paints the picture that come the end of this battle, one culture, society, an entire people and their history will be forever consigned to oblivion, sacrificed for the sake of the other's existence. To begin, we first must see the end. Is a recognition by both the Sundered and the Ancients that the battle there has to happen, its unavoidable.

[@liendel328]

endwalker spoiler: Emet Selch's snap and farewell are such a perfect build up for the music.

[@aennaenn7468]

I really do love the ascians as villains in every way except one. Elidibus was a child. Out of everyone who could have been shouldered with the burdens of the emissary and as a representative of their people, they purposefully put all of that onto the shoulders of a child. And that's unforgivable.

[@kaz7886]

Not exactly. Were they supposed to know how he felt inside? He was a member of the convocation, he was of age, 20-25ish years old.

[@amethmyst]

*Endwalker raid spoilers:* "And like a message in a bottle cast to sea" now makes me also think of Pandaemonium: the questline starting with researchers finding the Convocation crystal in the aetherial sea: a message in a bottle! Time, indeed, circles endlessly!

[@halapenopepper]

A little bit late to this, but a scion is also an heir, or a descendant... As much as we are Scions of the Seventh Dawn, i think you can say the ascians are scions of a sort themselves. The lyric 'we're nothing more than scions and sinners' connects us, as far as i've always heard it