One of the biggest things to look forward to in Guilty Gear Strive when there’s a new character is the inevitable banger that is their theme song, as was the case with returning fan-favorite, Baiken.
Now, the Guilty Gear Strive soundtrack has always contained a broad spectrum of character themes, from the bright and bubbly Disaster of Passion (May’s Theme), the prog rock banger Necessary Discrepancy (Ramlethal) to the literally-a-Queen-song Let Me Carve Your Way (Zato-1).
After the reveal of Baiken and her theme for Guilty Gear Strive last week, you might have noticed some sick chanting at the start of the song. It’s not just any chanting- it’s a Mantra called the Mantra of Light.
The Mantra is used by Shingon and Kegon sects of Buddhism, and is taken from the Sutra of the Mantra of the Unfailing Rope Snare of the Buddha Vairocana’s Great Baptism.
Professor Mark Unno translates the Mantra as follows:
Praise be to the flawless, all-pervasive illumination of the great mudra [or seal of the Buddha ]. Turn over to me the jewel, lotus and radiant light.
Guilty Gear Strive places a lot more focus on vocal themes compared to its predecessors- these songs are used as character pieces, letting you know where these characters are without having to play the game’s story mode.
In the case of Baiken, her theme music deals with her troubled past- dealing with the fact Japan was reduced to a crater, the death of her people and her quest for revenge against That Man, the mantra is played and then immediately rebuked by the rest of the song’s lyrics which paint the portrait of someone definitely not dealing with it.
It also deals with another implication: that giving your character badass monk chanting in their theme is a good way to make an absolute banger, especially when paired with a Shamisen solo.
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