Nostalgia: Then & Now · Mabel Cross · 19 July 2026

Years later the Final Fantasy X opening song still rocks

Years later the Final Fantasy X opening song still rocks

Twenty-five years later the Final Fantasy X opening song "Otherworld" still hits like a shockwave. Fans stream it by the millions, cover it endlessly, and call it one of gaming's boldest intros—just as a remastered Final Fantasy X/X-2 lands on Nintendo Switch on July 23, 2026. That lasting buzz is why this anniversary moment belongs in any nostalgia then-and-now conversation about games that redefined a generation.

Around the turn of the millennium, straight-edge hardcore singer Bill Muir was asked by Square (now Square Enix) to lend his vocals to a track for its upcoming RPG. What felt like another recording session became the opening to one of the most beloved games in the series. As Mashable's anniversary feature makes clear, "Otherworld" remains one of the most iconic video game openings ever made.

Key Takeaways

Why does Otherworld still hit hard after 25 years?

Final Fantasy X first soothes players with gentle menu music that matches the orchestral sound longtime fans expected. Minutes later, Muir's ferocious vocals rip through the quiet. As Tidus awakens and flashes back to his life as a blitzball star in Zanarkand, "Otherworld" explodes with pounding guitars and raw aggression.

That jolt announced the game would not play by the series' old rules. Previous entries leaned synth-heavy and orchestral; this hard-rock blast challenged what "video game music" could be. Digital creator The Night Sky Prince told Mashable the metal-and-rock energy also echoes rebellion in Tidus and Jecht's fraught father-son dynamic.

The numbers back the legend. Close to 9 million Spotify streams and ongoing social posts keep the track alive. Fans still share guitar, piano, and drum covers on TikTok and YouTube. Reddit users and creators such as DizzieDee still call it one of the best openings of all time—proof that years later the Final Fantasy X shock still works.

How did Bill Muir land on the Final Fantasy X soundtrack?

Muir, then in his late twenties, was living in Tokyo and performing with xtillidiex (pronounced "Till I Die") when the opportunity arrived. He first met translator and author Alexander O. Smith through a mutual friend around 1999 or 2000 while making demo tapes at a restaurant. When Smith asked to hear the band's music, Muir charged him 200 yen for a tape—a detail he now laughs about.

Smith, who worked with Square, later emailed Muir for an office interview. Muir showed up in a band tee, ripped jeans or camo shorts, skateboard in hand. They played an early keyboard version and asked if he would rap. He declined, offering screaming, yelling, angry muttering, and growling instead. Somehow, that honesty sealed the deal.

In a basement studio, with little direction from Uematsu's team, Muir recorded the take fans know. He even slipped in a closing shoutout to his band: "straight edge / til I die / my lost cause…" Early players, without Shazam or social media, often misattributed the track to Rammstein (via a Limewire credit) or The Black Mages. Either way, they were hooked.

A few months after the July 19, 2001 Japan release, Muir heard his song as a ringtone at an xtillidiex show as he prepared to leave Japan—and realized just how big the game had become.

What makes Final Fantasy X's music and story endure?

X was the first mainline entry with full voice acting and a fully 3D-rendered world. The PlayStation 2's 48 audio channels (double the PS1's 24) helped Uematsu share scoring duties with Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano, yielding an eclectic mix of orchestra, piano, ambient cues, and hard rock.

In a 2011 RPGamer interview cited by Mashable, Uematsu joked that Final Fantasy was not him—but "Otherworld" was—because the PS2 finally let him express the rock foundation of his work. That uncompromising spirit, paired with Muir's refusal to soften his hardcore style, is why the song still feels rebellious.

The story matches the soundtrack's stakes. Tidus is swept into Spira, joins summoner Yuna against the monster Sin, and confronts grief, trauma, and sacrifice. Square Enix says X and X-2 have sold a combined 20 million copies since 2001 and 2003. "Otherworld" even returns in the climax against Braska's Final Aeon—Jecht—turning the opening shock into a full-circle farewell.

Today Muir works as a registered nurse for veterans, creates as "Sergeant Vegan," and is writing a Tokyo memoir. He still hopes to perform "Otherworld" for fans. Looking back, he told Mashable the feeling of being part of something that big "just feels really, really good." With the Switch remaster days away, a new wave can discover why, years later, the Final Fantasy opening still rocks.

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