Stage of the Partners Who Shook the Heavens (theme)
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"Stage of the Partners Who Shook the Heavens"[1] is a musical piece composed by Hirokazu Ando, first appearing in Kirby Fighters 2. It can be heard playing on the eponymous stage, most notably during the final boss fight with Waning Crescent Masked Dedede & Waxing Crescent Masked Meta Knight at the end of Story Mode: The Destined Rivals.
Composition[edit]
"Stage of the Partners Who Shook the Heavens" is a very orchestral and powerful track. The most notable aspect of it is that it is a medley - rapidly jumping between five different themes all related to both King Dedede and Meta Knight.
The track begins with a dramatic take on a segment of "Havoc Aboard the Halberd", slowing down once it reaches its most climactic point. From there, it speeds back up to its previous pace, swiftly transitioning to "VS. Meta Knight". This section is very frantic and heavy, with percussion that switches from slow to fast in an instant, a choir of singing voices, bells, violins, and a melody that does not stay consistent for long. The track jumps ahead, with pianos fading in and out, the voices hitting the lower notes, and a brief orchestral crash silencing everything as a woodwind solo plays the ending of "VS. Meta Knight", which dissappears for the rest of the track.
Quickly, the percussion picks back up, and the track transitions back to the beginning of "Havoc Aboard the Halberd", going from 5/8 to 4/4 and from C minor to B minor. The main melody starts out only being played by a violin, before other instruments join in. The intensity is raised by the song's usual note pairs being played by brass instruments, and just as the lead violin segues into the next part, the track transitions into "King Dedede's Theme".
Powerful trumpets play the main melody, as an acoustic guitar and quieter percussion can be heard accompanying it. Not long into the segment, a short excerpt of "Masked Dedede's Theme" plays, presumably by an oboe in the background. Just as "King Dedede's Theme" is about to repeat its beginning section, the instruments briefly spike in intensity, and an incredibly brief snippet of "Boarding the Halberd" plays. The theme repeats as usual, with the percussion becoming more prominent, and with more scattered instances of "Masked Dedede's Theme" playing. "Boarding the Halberd" appears again, with a longer excerpt based around its beginning and middle. The segment of "King Dedede's Theme" introduced in Kirby Super Star's version of the song begins to play, but it isn't long before "Boarding the Halberd" forcefully takes over the main melody.
The "Boarding the Halberd" section almost manages to play the song's first part in its entirety, with energetic violins and trumpets being supported by the loud percussion and subtle bass. However, it is quickly supplanted by "Masked Dedede's Theme", with elements of "Havoc Aboard the Halberd" in the background. This part of the song is notably more subdued, recovering from the aggressive action of the previous segments. "Havoc Aboard the Halberd" manages to persist in the background, through both a transition to the Kirby Super Star segment of "King Dedede's Theme" and a second transition to the second section of "Boarding the Halberd".
Suddenly, the percussion and lead violins ramp up, as the song dramatically changes back to a C minor key to let "Boarding the Halberd" play its "interlude" section. The track then shows a bit of restraint, quieting somewhat as scattered snippets of "Havoc Aboard the Halberd" and "King Dedede's Theme" briefly appear, only to vanish within seconds. Finally, the previous "Boarding the Halberd" section repeats, the song reaching a crescendo as the violins and piano clash over the main melody, only to wind down just in time for "Havoc Aboard the Halberd" to repeat its segment from the beginning of this track, this time without any slowdown. The track then loops.
Game appearances[edit]
Kirby Fighters 2[edit]
In its debut game, "Stage of the Partners Who Shook the Heavens" plays during the second phase of the game's final boss, as listed earlier. It can also play on the stage itself during standard battles, after the player unlocks it by clearing the Story Mode.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]
In Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, "Stage of the Partners Who Shook the Heavens" returns under special circumstances. It plays during the first phase of Galacta Knight's battle in The True Arena, but only if Player 1 is King Dedede or Meta Knight. It also appears in the game's Jukebox as track 193.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 天を貫く絆の間 ten o tsuranuku kizuna no ma |
Room of Bonds that Pierce the Heavens |
| Traditional Chinese | 貫徹天空的牽絆房間 Guànchè tiānkōng de qiān bàn fángjiān |
Room of Bonds that Pierce the Heavens |
| Simplified Chinese | 贯彻天空的牵绊房间 Guànchè tiānkōng de qiān bàn fángjiān | |
| Dutch | Arena der hemelschuddende bondgenoten | Arena of heaven-shaking allies |
| French | Arène du Lien Apocalyptique | Arena of Apocalyptic Bonds |
| German | Level der Partner | Level of the Partners |
| Italian | Legame apocalittico | Apocalyptic bond |
| Korean | 하늘을 꿰뚫는 인연의 방 haneul-eul kkwettulhneun in-yeon-ui bang |
Room of Bonds that Pierce the Heavens |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Confronto que sacudiu os céus | Confrontation that shook the heavens |
| Spanish | Escenario de los compañeros que sacudieron los cielos | Stage of the partners that shook the heavens |
References
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