User blog:Blankslate/On the topic of theme songs

Hello hello, fellow users.

This is the first blog I've done in a while, but it's one that's been on my mind for quite some time. Only now have I found the time and patience to put it down for you guys to see. So, without further distractions, let me ask you guys a question: Why do you give characters theme songs?

Now, that's not being asked in a jerk kinda way. I mean, hell, I'm just as guilty for it as everyone else. But that's just the question, why do we give our characters theme songs? Do we want to expose other users to a particular music group that they may not have heard of? Do you think it makes the character more badass if they have an epic tune to back them up? Or do you simply think of your character when you hear a particular tune?

I've seen alot of this happen on multiple wikis, and sometimes, the themes that some characters have... just seem to be there for the sake of being there. A badass tune with no real meaning or contributions to their character, just a song there to be a song. This kinda bothers me because, I think if you're going to give a character a theme song, it needs to add to their character, rather than do nothing to them.

I hate obvious themes too, such as Skillet's "Hero" being given to, you guessed it, a Hero character. A theme song should have more depth to it, and it should reflect on their personalities, not their role. Or better yet, maybe a theme song should describe a notable moment in that character's history that defines them now.

Now, this could change if you're going to use a soundtrack as the theme. Alot of people love to use popular tracks from Two Steps from Hell as their theme songs. And, while I think that group's music is used way too much, that's fine too. It's hard to tell what meaning these types of tracks are trying to convey, so it boils down to a matter of perspective.

As vain as this will sound, I'm going to use my main OC, Asumu Godai, and his theme as an example.

Asumu's theme (and yes, this is the actual theme I'm going with. I know I've changed it god knows how many times) is called "The Stains of Time". Not only do I REALLY love the sound of this beat, but the lyrics also describe what Asumu is currently going through.

The lyrics speak of a man who has been torn by war and desires a life of peace. But a storm comes towards him, a war, tragedy, or something of the like, and this storm tears away all of his reason and peaceful desires, and leaves nothing but hatred to remain. This is almost the exact struggle that Asumu deals with now (I'll get it down in story form eventually). He's been apart of war all of his life, genetically engineered to further participate in war, and he at one point wanted to live a life of peace. But as you'll soon find out, this peaceful illusion isn't meant to last.

So, what do you guys think? Share your character theme songs in the comments below, and explain to me why you think they fit.