What’s So Special About The Music in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet?
What makes this game’s music special is that every piece feels independent yet cohesive at the same time. Because Scarlet and Violet are open-world games, each area has its own feeling to it, and yet they all feel a part of each other.
Today, we’ll rank the top 10 music in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
10. Levincia (Good)
This is the perfect theme for a streamer like Iono!
This techno wonder plays while you travel through the city of Levincia. Just like many other songs on this list, this song is so catchy! I find myself sitting on my Miraidon in the middle of the city and jamming along with the music. To me, a lot of the city themes in Scarlet and Violet don’t stand out as well as Levincia, and I always find myself coming back here if not for the shops then for the boppy music!
What’s not to like about Levincia’s music? It never gets old! It puts visions of models walking down the catwalk, strutting their stuff, and showing off their stylish outfits. The cool 80s synths and drums create a strong atmosphere for Levincia it’s no wonder I like it compared to other cities in Paldea. This game leans on that synthy, techno sound similar to raves and electronic music, and I’m all for it!
9. Montenevera Gym Battle Theme (Good)
This is the theme song of any modern, cool, trendy art museum
This song accompanies you as you traverse through the Montenevera Gym, and wow is it just so much fun! It perfectly encapsulates what kind of person Ryme is. There are 3 versions of this theme but they all sound very similar with slight variations in the pieces, so all of them are good! It doesn’t go as hard as Penny’s battle theme, but it still has that “get up and dance” energy to it that a lot of Scarlet and Violet music has.
I love the bouncy synths in this piece, they make me want to shake, shake, shake! This music is a bop, to say the least. It fits the gym so well that I can’t think of anything else that could meld better. The brass mixing in with the springy synths is just such a good combo, too!
8. Timeless Woods (Good)
This theme gives me such chills every time I listen to it! It sends me back to when I was a kid huddling with my DS playing Pokemon Diamond
Game Freak recognizes that a lot of forest themes in Pokemon are iconic. Viridian Forest, The National Park, Eterna Forest, and so on. Of course they’d take advantage of that and give us another amazing forest theme! This theme is here because it’s something unique. The tranquility that you feel as you enter these woods is something out of this world.
If the Timeless Woods theme hits you with nostalgia, it’s because it references The Heartwood theme from Pokemon Legends: Arceus (PLA). Funnily enough, The Heartwood theme takes inspiration from Eterna Forest from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. A huge wave of nostalgia washed over me when I heard this song while playing the photo minigame with Perrin. I’d just sit there and let my character stand idle while I intently listened to this hauntingly beautiful theme.
7. Perrin’s Theme (Good)
Perrin is such a wholesome character that they had to match that energy with this song!
Perrin is a character introduced in the Teal Mask DLC. With her camera always ready for the next shot, she’s searching for a special Bloodmoon Ursaluna. What makes this theme special, and why it’s on this list, is because I love the chill vibes it brings. It’s not some crazy synth techno bop or high-energy battle theme. It’s a song that elicits calm peace between two friends.
Perrin is a homage to Hisui, the name of the Sinnoh region long ago, and her ancestor Adaman from PLA. Astute listeners will recognize that Perrin’s theme is a rendition of the Clan Settlement theme from PLA. Perrin is just one big reference to PLA, so of course her theme would have something to do with it as well. I love how chill and cozy the theme is and it fits her personality nicely.
6. Team Star Students Theme (Good)
This totally gives off chill lo-fi study beats vibes!
Another relaxed theme makes it on the list. This theme is great because it’s a rendition of the Team Star Battle theme but made into a cozy. jazz piece, and I’m all here for it! I already adored the battle theme so a chilled-out version gives me something to mellow out to at the cafe after utterly annihilating the Team Star bosses.
I love themes that can be reworked into something new, and this theme illustrates my adoration perfectly. Who would have known that such a hard and heavy theme like the Team Star boss battle theme could be turned into such a smooth vibe? It was unexpected and I fell in love at first listen. I can definitely see this theme played at your local hangout spot where you sit around, chill, study, and drink your favorite tea or coffee.
5. Battle! Blueberry League Elite Four (Great)
Not only was the music a banger, but the Elite Four members were actually putting up a fight!
What can I say, I love the intense battle music! It never gets old! Here we have the Elite Four theme from the Blueberry Academy, which can only be accessed through the Indigo Disk DLC. In my opinion, this theme is superior to the base Elite Four theme in Paldea. This theme has more buildup, energy, and release than the base Elite Four theme.
The powerful feeling you get while this music plays is unmatched. I enjoy the instruments used in this theme rather than the base Elite Four theme. The energy is different here as well. In the base theme, it feels stagnant, as if the music was droning on. The Blueberry Academy Elite Four theme carries momentum and feels more complete.
4. Team Star Boss Battle Theme (Great)
This one song makes me want to learn how to play guitar just so I can rock out to this epic song!
Once you beat the raid portion of each Team Star base, it’s time to face off against the leader of said base. This song pumps you with energy as soon as it plays! The battle immediately feels so intense!
The electric guitar takes center stage in this theme and leaves the synths to play cheerleader this time, and I love it. A smart choice since this theme is meant to be jam-packed with crazy energy, and what better instrument to do that than the electric guitar? I won’t judge you if you started headbanging to this song because that’s exactly what I did! Rock on! I also enjoy the shouts and chants sprinkled throughout the theme to add another layer of intensity.
3. Battle! Zero Lab (Great)
The professors being AI caught me off guard! I was not expecting such a wild twist!
This song is played while battling the AI professors after entering the Zero Lab. Needless to say, as with the rest of the Area Zero music, this piece is epic! It encompasses your entire journey and this is one of the final battles you’ll face.
I love the Area Zero motif throughout the battle music, tying them together. The grandness of your situation is felt as soon as the electric guitars blast through. The AI professors are the final boss of this game so it makes sense that the music goes as hard as it does. I love the breakdown in the middle of the song, adding some calm to the otherwise intense heat of the battle. The charged energy exuberating from this piece is carried by the heavy bass drum consistently pounding away while the electric guitars never cease throughout the entire piece.
2. Penny Battle Theme (Great)
This theme goes so hard that I was blown away that it was Penny’s battle music of all people!
Who could have guessed that Penny was the leader of Team Star? Oh, wait, everyone. Despite the “twist” being uneventful, obvious from miles away, and anticlimactic, her battle music is anything but! It’s such an intense battle theme for such a reserved character, I love it. I couldn’t help but get pumped while pummeling her Pokemon!
As soon as the battle starts, your ears are bombarded with the rambunctiousness of heavy synths that belong at some rave party in the clubs. It makes sense though if you think about it, since Penny is from Galar and those people know how to get wild with their synth rave music! I love how the theme goes all in on the bombastic dance party vibes; when this song comes on I can’t not go crazy and headbang along!
1. Area Zero (Best)
This place is so magical and unique that I sat in awe listening to it for the first time
Area Zero is the last part of the main story for Scarlet and Violet. It’s a mysterious area that is made even more so with the music. The pure uniqueness of the piece speaks for itself. It gives off such a different energy than the rest of the soundtrack, pointing out that Area Zero is something of an anomaly. Nowhere else is the music this harrowing, this elusive, this foreboding. It has many feelings packed into one piece of music. You know when you get there that this is the end of your journey. Everything has been leading to this moment; you’re finally here and this music greets your ears.
The haunting essence that envelops Area Zero starts with the looping melody of the bells that tells you this is no ordinary place. Synths and bells are common instruments to use when composing cave and dungeon themes that are described as otherwordly. The gravity of this place is then realized when the heavy brass and synths enter the stage.
To add a higher degree of elusiveness, a choir is added, making the impact of the brass and synth heavier. Then, the main chorus of the song starts and you can tell that this is one of the best songs in the game. The echoing of the drums feels at home with how spacious and open this area is with the many levels and layers to its design. The synthy violin adds that tang of epicness that’s the cherry on top of this epic musical piece.
When you think of Pokemon, you usually think of the creatures inhabiting the world. Rarely do you stop to think about the music that plays throughout your journey, and doing so is a treat that made me appreciate Paldea that much more. There is so much good music packed into Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that it was difficult to choose only 10 that were the best.
