Composer / Arranger / Performer
Motoi Sakuraba — Dark Souls, Tales, Mario Sports, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Composer | Scarlet Moon Artists
About Motoi Sakuraba
Motoi Sakuraba is a veteran videogame composer and progressive rock performer based in Japan. He got his start in music at a young age, enjoying a variety of artists ranging from Pink Floyd and J.S. Bach to Yellow Magic Orchestra and Chick Corea during his formative years in the 1970s and '80s. Throughout the 1980s, he performed with the popular Japanese rock band Deja Vu and several other acts, but decided to pursue a career as a composer given the stability it would provide.
Sakuraba became an in-house composer at Telenet Japan, working on dozens of titles in a matter of years and bringing his unique composition sensibilities — incorporating progressive rock and orchestral elements — to his work. After becoming a freelance composer, he built strong relationships with several studios, kicking off one of the most prolific careers in game music. His big break came with 1995's TALES OF PHANTASIA, which was a huge hit and kicked off his association with this and several other series. To date, he's worked on over 16 mainline TALES titles and their remakes as well as a slew of other RPGs from the early 32-bit era such as BEYOND THE BEYOND and SHINING THE HOLY ARK before becoming associated with several big franchises including STAR OCEAN, VALKYRIE PROFILE, GOLDEN SUN, and BATEN KAITOS. He continues to work on these series as well as new ones, as seen with PHANTASY STAR NOVA and EIYUDEN CHRONICLE: HUNDRED HEROES.
Sakuraba's versatility extends well beyond RPGs. He partnered with Nintendo as their go-to composer for their sports titles — MARIO GOLF, MARIO TENNIS, and MARIO SPORTS — in addition to contributing arrangements to several titles in the SUPER SMASH BROS. series and composing for KID ICARUS: UPRISING. He also demonstrated his ability to create dark, brooding orchestral atmospheres throughout the DARK SOULS series, whose music his work has come to define. His progressive rock energy has made him equally at home scoring fighting games, racing games, and action titles alongside the RPGs and orchestral works he's best known for.
Sakuraba has never lost his love for live performance and solo recording work. He has regularly produced progressive rock albums of his game works, created and performed live concerts of this material, and has released several original works ranging from rock to light piano.
Given his status in the industry and unique progressive rock-infused sound, Sakuraba has also become a highly sought-after arranger. In addition to the arrangements and concerts he's produced of his own work and the arrangement work he's done for Nintendo, he's contributed to several iconic franchises over the years. These include MONSTER HUNTER, RAGNAROK ONLINE, ETRIAN ODYSSEY, SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI, PHANTASY STAR, and the official Famicom 20th anniversary album where he had the honor of contributing an arrangement of the original SUPER MARIO BROS. theme. He's also participated in arrange albums for several shmup series such as DEATHSMILES, DARIUSBURST, and DODONPACHI.
Motoi Sakuraba is represented by Scarlet Moon Artists and is available for videogame music composition, arrangement, and live performance commissions worldwide. To hire Motoi Sakuraba for your game's soundtrack, contact Scarlet Moon.
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Selected Videogame Credits
| Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes | 2024 | Composer |
| Star Ocean The Second Story R | 2023 | Composer |
| Another Eden | 2023 | Composer |
| Sin Chronicle | 2022 | Composer |
| Star Ocean 6: The Divine Force | 2022 | Composer |
| Valkyrie Elysium | 2022 | Composer |
| Mario Golf: Super Rush | 2021 | Composer |
| Tales of Arise | 2021 | Composer |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | 2018 | Arranger |
| Mario Tennis Aces | 2018 | Composer |
| Tales of the Rays | 2017 | Composer |
| Mario Sports Superstars | 2017 | Composer |
| Tales of Berseria | 2016 | Composer |
| Dark Souls III | 2016 | Composer |
| Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness | 2016 | Composer |
| Tales of Zestiria | 2015 | Composer |
| Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash | 2015 | Composer |
| Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U | 2014 | Arranger |
| Mario Golf: World Tour | 2014 | Composer |
| Phantasy Star Nova | 2014 | Composer |
| Monster Hunter: 10th Anniv. | 2014 | Arranger |
| Dark Souls II | 2014 | Composer |
| Ragnarok Online Elemental Tunes | 2013 | Arranger |
| Kid Icarus: Uprising | 2012 | Composer |
| Tales of Xillia 2 | 2012 | Composer |
| Mario Tennis Open | 2012 | Composer |
| Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor | 2012 | Composer |
| Otomedius X | 2012 | Composer, Arranger |
| Labyrinth no Kanata | 2012 | Composer |
| Dark Souls | 2011 | Composer |
| Tales of Phantasia: Narikiri Dungeon X | 2010 | Composer |
| Deathsmiles IIX | 2010 | Arranger |
| Golden Sun: Dark Dawn | 2010 | Composer |
| Dariusburst Remix Wonder World | 2010 | Arranger |
| Tales of Graces | 2009 | Composer |
| dodonpachi DAI-OU-JOU | 2009 | Arranger |
| Star Ocean: The Last Hope | 2009 | Composer |
| Tales of Hearts | 2008 | Composer |
| Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume | 2008 | Composer |
| Infinite Undiscovery | 2008 | Composer |
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl | 2008 | Arranger |
| Tales of Vesperia | 2008 | Composer |
| Etrian Odyssey II Super Arrange Version | 2008 | Arranger |
| Tales of Tempest | 2006 | Composer |
| Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria | 2006 | Composer |
| Baten Kaitos II | 2006 | Composer |
| Tales of the Abyss | 2005 | Composer |
| Tales of Rebirth | 2004 | Composer |
| Mario Power Tennis | 2004 | Composer |
| Mario Golf: Advance Tour | 2004 | Composer |
| Phantasy Star Online Ep. I & II Premium Arr. | 2004 | Arranger |
| Famicom 20th Anniversary Arrange | 2004 | Arranger |
| Baten Kaitos | 2003 | Composer |
| Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour | 2003 | Composer |
| Star Ocean Till the End of Time | 2003 | Composer |
| Tales of Symphonia | 2003 | Composer |
| Tales of Destiny 2 | 2002 | Composer |
| Golden Sun: The Lost Age | 2002 | Composer |
| Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Children Arrange | 2001 | Composer |
| Tales of Eternia | 2000 | Composer |
| Mario Tennis | 2000 | Composer |
| Mario Golf | 1999 | Composer |
| Valkyrie Profile | 1999 | Composer |
| Star Ocean The Second Story | 1998 | Composer |
| Shining Force III | 1997 | Composer |
| Shining the Holy Ark | 1996 | Composer |
| Star Ocean | 1996 | Composer |
| Beyond the Beyond | 1995 | Composer |
| Tales of Phantasia | 1995 | Composer |
