The newer ones I think have more than one but I really like Desperate Struggle from FF13. 7 and 8 definitely have good ones. 13-2 Dash and LR Criimson Blitz is good also. But it's FF, at least most everyone can agree about the music being good. :D

My favorite battle themes:

1. FF 15

2. FF 13

3. FF 8

"Battle theme" is sort of a vague category (especially since most of the games have more than one) but if we're opening it up to anything that plays during a battle, naturally the two MMOs are going to be pretty hard to beat since there's such a wide variety. My vote went to XIV for that reason. A couple nominations (spoilers sorta?): one, two, three, four.

If we're comparing only "normal vanilla-ass battle themes" and leaving out even boss themes, uh, I guess FF7 would get my pick.

Always been partial to laguna's battle music from 8

The Extreme is the best FF battle theme of all time.

But if you're talking normal battle music I'd also pick FF8.

To me it's anything in the OST that is called Battle I/II/etc or Battle Theme. It is vague though and if you want to include boss fights then by all means. I would exclude boss fights as they typically have their own such as Dancing Mad or One-Winged Angel because if we included Boss Fights XIV would be up there.

I will say the battle music for XV is really freaking good but I can without much thought always start humming IV's. All others I'd be hard pressed to remember. 8's would be a close a second.

I think this would be a close list of everything I'd consider as the "main" battle themes (minus the inclusion of XIII-2)

I really dislike 8 in general, but the battle music is top notch. Other than that I have more sentimental value placed in 6,7 and 10. 7 probably being the one that edges out.

I forgot how much I liked IV's, but then I listened to IV and remembered. So, IV is my top pick.

Top 3:

1. IV
2. VII
3. XI

VI all the way. It checks all the boxes. Its intro sounds good while being very quick and concise, so it doesn't start grating on you as you continue to hear it a million times. The main part of the song gives off a vibe that can either be interpreted as vile danger or heroic badassery -- meaning it feels appropriate whether you're cleaning house or struggling against a hard foe. To that point, after about 35 seconds, it takes a more intense turn. Easy fights are over long before this, which means this section of the song is reserved for something that's actually giving you trouble. And it does its job there well, before bringing it back to the main verse with a few optimistic strings -- "keep on frighting!!"

Also the synth is good, and holds up to this day.

FFVIII has good battle music and it's also my favorite FF game

Absolutely loved number IV. And I've played the GBA version.

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.

Tactics has my favorite music throughout.

Clash on the Big Bridge from Final Fantasy V has always been my favorite.

EDIT: Even though its a boss theme I want to include it. Otherwise I guess Mystic Quest

I am a die-hard VI fan, and it's music is undeniably amazing, but I love XIII's theme despite not really liking the actual game that much.

If we are talking regular battle theme: VII. If we are including all battle themes as a whole: VIII.

I gotta go with VI, just because the battle theme and boss theme are both pretty good.

This counts.

What the hell. XIV battle theme rips.

8 has the best soundtrack in the series but I think their battle theme is a little weaker. I'd probably say 9.

Gotta go with final fantasy 8's battle music. It's the only one that stuck with me over the years. I can safely say with (two exceptions) that i have completely forgotten the soundtrack/music to every final fantasy game except Eights because I loved it so much.

*The two exceptions wereClash on the big bridge (FF5) and One winged Angel (FF7)

Absolutely ecstatic to see FF8 getting love here though not seeing the better battle music posted is a bit of a bummer

My new fav is from FFXV. The one I liked the most before that is from IX.

This, always and forever. No other song evokes desperate struggle the way this one does for me. That and it just rocks. Used the DS version because I think it's a great remaster. That being said, I'm really happy to see all the love VIII is getting. The Man with the Machine Gun is absolutely one of the best songs ever.

P.S. I know it's technically a boss theme, but I just love it too much. I still vote IV even if we are talking random battle songs. Just let me have this.

Gotta go with IV. VII is a distant 2nd.

Do boss battles count? Then, probably this one from X:

Otherwise, VI and VIII are my favorites

I was SO disappointed when FF14 only had ONE freaking song when you buy its soundtrack in FF15, what the hell?! They don't include any of boss themes, none of the dungeons themes, or anything. FF14 has an incredible soundtrack! Seriously, the soundtrack was probably a reason I stuck with it as long as I did. All of the primal boss themes are great, but my favorites are probably:

This is just a kickass theme. Really gets you pumped up to kick her ass.

Honestly this one I like just because I have a great memory associated to it. During the fight our other healer got knocked off along with a few of our DPS, so I had to solo heal the entire fight, and I actually managed to freaking do it. It went down to the freaking wire several times though, and I ran out of mana so often. Great times.

Who DOESN'T love this song with its nigh incomprehensible lyrics? This is my absolute favorite boss in the game, seriously, extreme Titan is SO damn fun to fight. Even if you cheese it and fight him at a higher level, he's still tough because you NEED to know his mechanics or else you're screwed. You can get knocked off of his arena so easily, and it's just a lot of fun to make sure you're not getting knocked off while at the same time keeping the whole group alive.

Anyway, yeah, FF14 is severely underrated here when it comes to its great freaking soundtrack. Every single primal in the game has its own song, as does every last boss of each dungeon. There are just too many good ones to list.

If we're involving boss battle themes, then this one from ffxv is fucking great.

I listened to all of them and surprisingly 8 is the one i love the most. Interesting to hear the callback to the theme of 4,5,6 in 9. I never really paid attention to the subtle changes in battle theme between 4,5,6 and 9. . IV is 2nd choice.

I really wanted to vote for X, because a lot of my friends seem against it for some reason and I love it. But I think XIII has to take it. There aren't many bad ones though; I love listening to them all in compilations and noticing how they evolve over time between certain games.

@y2ken: totally. Normally when i play those older games i feel like i'm listening to the same song , but hearing the variations on the same themes is really interesting.

Limiting to the default battle themes (and not special ones like bosses) then... Nostalgia-wise, X, but I'll ignore that because I think VIII probably does that style better. Nevertheless, XIII eclipses both since 'Blinded by the Light' is a song that's so good in it's own right, I often play it generally and even my Mum enjoys hearing it when I'm back home (double points for giving me something to listen to with my Mum).

-Edit- All these comments make me want to go back and finally finish FFVIII so I can listen to the music without feeling guilty about it.

If I had to include boss themes from 14 my favorite goes to Sophia's Theme. Titan brings me nightmares of struggling to get my relic in the early days of 2.0 when server lag was real and plumes were nearly unavoidable.

I have a deep love of ska. So the horns in the FFX main battle theme will always be number one to me. Sadly the HD remaster version butchered it. Also Seymour's Battle theme is the best final boss theme in the long line of FF final boss themes despite not actually being one of them but it totally is listen to it.

If you reject that the first actual final boss them from FFIII is then the best one. Both of them lack the long tedious build up of the others and just get to the point.