Villains of a Sort

"Villains of a Sort" is a musical composition by Yoko Shimomura that appears in the Kingdom Hearts series.

Appearances
"Villains of a Sort" is used during cutscenes pertaining to villains and Darkness, most commonly associated with Disney villains.

Kingdom Hearts

 * Hollow Bastion: "Assembly of Darkness", "Figures in the Darkness", "Riku's Wish", "Dark Powers", "The Purest Hearts", "Mistress of All Evil"
 * Traverse Town: "A Dark Proposal"
 * Olympus Coliseum: "Hades' Plan"
 * Agrabah: "Jafar's Plan"
 * Monstro: "A Heart's Darkness"
 * Neverland: "Kairi's Heart", "The Seven Chosen Ones", "Fly, Sora"
 * Atlantica: "Ursula, the Sea Witch", "Stolen Trident"

Kingdom Hearts II

 * Twilight Town: "The Evil Fairy Returns"
 * Land of Dragons: "Shan-Yu Lives"
 * Olympus Coliseum: "Hades' Power," "Kidnapped!"
 * Disney Castle: "Maleficent's Return," "The Cornerstone of Light"
 * Agrabah: "Loathsome Jafar"
 * Halloween Town: "An Evil Shadow," "The Mastermind"

Kingdom Hearts Re:coded

 * Disney Castle: "A Shady Character"
 * Olympus Coliseum: "Hades on Fire", ""Buy a clue", " "Meet Hades", "Hades Complains", "Loose Ends"
 * Agrabah: "Pete and the Lamp", "Let the City Go!", "Reminder of Maleficent's Power"

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
"Villains of a Sort" plays as the field theme in the Magic Mirror Chamber only during Terra's visit to the Dwarf Woodlands after The Queen orders him to bring back Snow White's heart.

Terra's Story

 * Enchanted Dominion: "Darkness Within"
 * Dwarf Woodlands: "Who is the Fairest One of All?", "The Shadows Lengthen"
 * Lanes Between: "Servant of Darkness"
 * Olympus Coliseum: "How to Conquer the Darkness", "Registration"
 * Neverland: "Captain Hook Returns"

Ventus's Story

 * Enchanted Dominion: "Terra Stole Her Heart?"
 * Neverland: "Tinker Bell is Pixie-napped"

Aqua's Story

 * Dwarf Woodlands: "The Witch and the Apple"
 * Enchanted Dominion: "Reunion with Ventus", "A Castle Wrapped in Thorns"
 * Olympus Coliseum: "Bluebird"

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

 * Mysterious Tower: "Minnie is Kidnapped", "The Worlds' Data"

Kingdom Hearts χ[chi]

 * Dwarf Woodlands: "An Enchanting Encounter", "An Evil Plan", "Threat of Darkness", "The Poisoned Apple"
 * Olympus Coliseum: "Hades", "Plan B", "On the Same Side"
 * Beast's Castle: "Let Them Come"
 * "Dark Footsteps"

Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross]

 * Main Story: "Darkness in the Land of Light", "A Way to the Future"
 * Enchanted Dominion: "A Knowing Smile"
 * Agrabah: "Diamond in the Rough", "The Magic Lamp", "The Master, Jafar"

Kingdom Hearts III

 * Olympus: "Return of the Titans", "Maleficent's Desire", "Seekers of the Black Box"
 * Kingdom of Corona: "It Is Etched"
 * San Fransokyo: "Friend of Yours?"
 * Twilight Town: "The Unfindable Box"

Composition
"Villains of a Sort" is approximately one minute and thirty-two seconds long in Kingdom Hearts. In the HD remake of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, the piece is one minute and thirty-three seconds long. In Kingdom Hearts II, the piece is fifty-three seconds. However, in the HD remake of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, the piece is one minute and fourteen seconds long. The piece lacks an introduction or proper conclusion, allowing for a smooth transition between loops.

In the original Kingdom Hearts version, the instrumentation includes: a complete strings section- violin, viola, cellos, and stringed bass, flute, piano, For Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, the instrumentation is the same, but with the addition of a clarinet. For Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, the clarinet joins the flute with its short theme. In Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, the instrumentation resembles that used in Kingdom Hearts II. However, the piano and lower string parts are more dominant and pressing. This new dynamic and slight rhythm change helps create a new variation and level of uneasiness. For Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts III, the instrumentation resembles the original Kingdom Hearts version.

The underlying "villain" tone is immediately established by the chords played in the strings section. The dissonance of the underlying chord progression serves to heighten the tension and foreboding tone. The flute's entrance seems a bit out of place, with it's short "flighty" flourish. This brief moment of uncertainty is answered with the piano. Playing in the lower bass clef register, the piano plays an equally brief motif that accents more of the rhythmic subdivision- almost like an irregular heartbeat or misplaced footsteps.

For the HD remake of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, the instrumentation includes that shown in Kingdom Hearts II, now with the addition of the French horn. Unique to this arrangement, however, is the shrill vibrato played in the higher register of the violins. The French horn part mirrors that of the mid and lower pitched voices of the strings section, adding another layer to the chord progression. For the HD remake of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, the instrumentation includes that shown in Kingdom Hearts II, but adds multiple bass drums. The addition of percussion adds a unique tone to the piece- one that closely resembles the rumbling of thunder.