#ray chen

And you broke me and left these pieces

I want you to hurt like you hurt me today, and

I want you to lose like I lose when I play

What could have been

Oh, what could have been

Why don't you love who I am

What we could have been?

I am your ghost, a fallen angel

You ripped out all my parts

I couldn't care what invention you made me

'Cause I, I was meant to be yours

Lyrics from "What Could Have Been" by Sting/Ray Chen

Dual Stars ———————– 顶峰 官方预告片 ‧ Drama ‧ 2026

EPISODE 05 / 06

Drama Series ‧ 2026 ‧ 6 EPS

Release Date: 05/2026

Project: Dramas Q2 (2026)

via raychenviolin w/ royal philharmonic orchestra

A leitmotif is a recurring music phrase - essentially a musical motif - that's associated with a specific character, place, or theme. I noticed a couple of them in the Arcane soundtrack... but then I did some looking, and it turns out that there are a lot!

This reddit user (u/black-cat-of-zaun) has compiled an extensive list, which is fascinating to listen through! Props to them for putting in what must have been a lot of time and effort.

Leitmotifs are a really interesting tool for analysis, because it's a way for the creators to very intentionally play with characters and thematic ideas using the music.

For example, Jinx's motif appears in a variety of keys and instrumentations, depending on her mental state; Caitlyn's leitmotifs are a variant of her Champion theme; and Vi seemingly has no music of her own, only existing within the 'sisters' theme. One redditor pointed out in the comments, "Mel seems to have two different themes, but they often overlap. The second one seems to appear in scenes where she's manipulating people or making political maneuvers."

I love that this is the most rewatched part on youtube, everyone recognizes what's fire

“This is my vantage. You have yours, I’ll have mine. We’ll never see eye-to-eye. […] Fragile, broken, human hidden in our differences. We’ve risen from the same ashes, yet we were each other’s matches.”

- Vantage, Halfy & Winks

“I am the monster you created. You ripped out all my parts. And worst of all, for me to live, I gotta kill the part of me that saw that I needed you more. […] I am your ghost, a fallen angel. You ripped out all my parts. I couldn’t care what invention you made me ‘cause I was meant to be yours. I hope you know we had everything and you broke me and left these pieces. I want you to hurt like your hurt me today, and I want you to lose like I lose when I play what could’ve been.”

- What Could Have Been, Sting & Ray Chen