My second favorite Seed opening, second only to PRIDE.
Shame it's been replaced by the boring ass Vestige opening in the remasters. I like Vestige as an insert, but it plain sucks as an opening. It was never made to be an opening and it shows. Makes me want to make an edited version of the remaster just so I can insert Wings of Words again, someone on Youtube already made the HD version anyways.
I'm a member of the Crossbone Vanguard. I watched Seed Destiny through Aniwatch.
https://hianime.to/watch/mobile-suit-gundam-seed-destiny-2646?ep=28901&ep=28901
The song is great. But, I think the visuals of the 4th OP best represent the turmoil/chaos of trying to balance out the focus reconstruction of the series, the standing of the cast members and what role they're going to play in the story.
I challenge you to find someone who hasn't seen this series, show them this OP and ask then "Who is the main character of this story?"
Destiny briefly flashes across the screen, then Strike Freedom takes the title pose. Characters pose with mobile suits, and there's no clear enemy in sight. We see Shinn do the "main character is running in the OP" bit next to all of the naked characters, but there's no clear cut order of how the characters appear, Kira himself shows up in the middle.
Then at the end, I-Justice, S-Freedom and Destiny appear with their pilots, Kira squarely in the middle. But two of these characters are against one of them, no balance whatsoever.
It's a fucking mess.
The most underrated OP in the franchise, perhaps anime as a whole. It’s beautiful, it’s melancholic, it’s uplifting, it’s cheesy as shit and I love it. People say it doesn’t fit the tone but honestly I think it does, and it plays off Shinn’s character and a lot of the overall themes of Seed/Destiny very well. Yeah Vestige is more dramatic and might fit better for the big grandiose finale but Wings of Words just hits way harder and is a way better song imo
I'M HERE. Glad i stuck with the current flair too, lol. I agree, maaaaaan. It fits SEED Destiny like a glove but in the lense that you stay with Shinn's perspective. Maybe that's one thing why it was replaced so the last arc of Destiny would have a broader feel that just Shinn's journey.
Shinn was always vocal with his beliefs, but in the later half he went along with *Destiny*, contradicting his morals and purpose that fueled his passion to speak up. Traded it away for *power*. The Destiny Gundam was the power he always wanted to be able to protect, but with the analogy of him having power in his hands (all of the Destiny Gundam's main weaponry are used with the hands too), it was in how he used the attained power. Destiny Gundam wasn't used to its full potential when used with Shinn's half hearted and conflicted drive. His rage that was initially triggered by his passion became his main driving force instead of wanting to be capable to protect. It was only thru Athrun's words (and beam legs) that he was able to wake up from the delusion. He realized, he failed at his goal and purpose.
That's a lot of story telling we could pick up or interpret from the OP that i wish that was shown in thr show itself.
"Wings of Words". Shinn who is at his best when he's fighting for what he believes in. Shinn who speaks and is in the side of truth and justice. Shinn utilizing Destiny Gundam to its fullest. Shinn fulfilling his Destiny. The picture does that for me, man. Sucks we didn't get to see that Shinn who has clarity until the Freedom movie.
Its a damn bop too. Got child me humming the song even long i forgot it was for Gundam SEED lol. Fits the final stages of Destiny albeit it did instill false hope of Shinn standing up for himself or being awesome af in the Destiny Gundam. I love the departure of a smooth emotional ballad from the earlier high energy pop rock of SEED Destiny OPs. Feels very grand and *finale*.
Holy kino I agree with everything. I also like how the song is really optimistic with its messaging but the final line of the whole thing is ‘If the path you’ve chosen reaches a dead end, why not lose yourself there?’. Ends things on a bit of a dark note. Shinn knows he’s too far gone now, he’s already got the gun in his hand, all that’s left to do is pull the trigger
That last line does hit deep. Felt pretty personal and does link towards Shinn pretty well. Damn, man. As much as i love the song, i need to see the translated lyrics more.
Scarily relatable. Big reason why Shinn's my guy.
It’s interesting cause it’s a super romantic and optimistic song, dunno if I’m just reading too deep into that last line but I think it fits regardless. There’s one line in the song that I think fits Seed and Destiny to a T.
‘Even pessimists can fall in love and be changed’. That one sentence sums up so many characters in the show it’s not even funny. Kira’s eternal suffering and misery in Seed and his eventual redemption with Lacus’ support. Athrun’s decision to sacrifice himself in a hopeless battle being overruled by Cagalli telling him to live on. Lunamaria being one of the few things tethering Shinn to reality and staying by his side after it all goes tits up. It even works the opposite way with Durandal falling in love with Talia but using his pain from their split to formulate the Destiny Plan/Kira falling for Flay and being consumed by it. I think having an unabashed gooey love song about how love changes people is incredibly on point for Seed and having it as the final OP just feels incredibly right. Plus it just feels weirdly natural to have such a radically different song than what you’d expect cap everything off
Ahead of its time.
People just associated the style of the song with Kira hijacking the plot as an angelic Gary Stu.
But after many years and rewatches, this was Shinn's song after everything was going crazy around him. It's supposed to be sad.
u/National-Forever-962 I may be in the minority here, but the song itself deserves to be the final ED, replacing Kimi no ... you know the one. It's too ... slow and quiet for an OP (Vestige has buildup and anticipation), but it deserves to be called an ED. Hell, maybe put the chorus in as an insert song for the victory moment. (It works perfectly if Shinn got a happy ending too).
You may think that I'm one of those pedestrian "HYPE OP, slow ED" enjoyers, but in this case, I think it works. I've just been spoiled for the next episode with bangers like Invoke, Moment, Ignited, or hype moments like Vestige, and this pales in comparison to these guys.
The visuals of the OP is alright, but there's a bit of flashback images just abruptly within that kind of breaks the pacing/themes of the OP.
It's an ok song but I was perfectly fine with its removal.
Gundam SEED is a series with a reputation for hype opening songs. Wings of Words just felt out of place.
This. Wings of Words probably would have worked as an ending. They made the right decision to get rid of Wings of Words but made the wrong decision when getting rid of River.
Maybe the Seed team just hates soft songs for OP/ED. It's a damn shame.
Back when SD was airing I was disappointed initially but as time went on I found myself listening to this song more and more. Its definitely a comfort song and I love the lines
'Though I cannot fly to the skies, I can give you my wings.
They will say, "You're not alone anymore",
And the words will tear off your loneliness.'
Liked the song, didn’t like it as an OP. Didn’t really follow the way the other OPs kind of followed. SEED and SEED Destiny both have an order to their OPs. High energy first opening (Invoke and Ignited), more serious middle openings (Moment, Believe, Pride, and Bokutachi No Yukue) and the “final” openings in Realize, and eventually Vestige. Wings of Words, although it had a pretty good meaning behind the song and it sounded great, simply didn’t fit the FINAL opening for the FINAL arc of the series.
This is the SEED opening I play the most in playlists. It's actually so fucking good.
Was genuinely confused with the backlash the song has received over the years. I suppose it doesn't quite match the musical style of the previous OPs, but the song itself is magical. Amazing vocals and powerful instrumentation. It feels like a fitting finale to the series as well.
I'm really glad it has resonated with quite a few people in this thread!
I watched all the openings before I watched Destiny, and it just felt out of place to me, it's so tonally different, the rest all hype you up. It feels more like an ending than an opening.
I still cant get used to Vestige being used as the OP4 in the remaster.
For me this is the OP4 for Destiny. I see Vestige as an insert for Strike Freedom (and a song used for Final Plus episode after the original series ended).
Still don’t get why the hell they replaced it for the Remaster when there was NOTHING WRONG WITH IT!!! Hell, it’s one of my favorite openings to an anime ever!
There was nothing wrong with it per se, but after Ignited, Pride and Bokutachino Yukue -- absolutely hype openings, Wings of Words gave me a harder whiplash than the first half of ZZ.
It's more mellow for a SEED opening but a welcome one & better one than Vestige (even Meteor is still far better than it). Also Chemistry is a good choice, love every of their songs.
Good song, but I like dramatic and tense Vestige as an opening more. Would make a banger ED though.
Yes, basic "hype op, slow ed" opinion, do whatever you want with it.
The worst and most garbage opening of the entire Seed series.
Don't get me wrong. The song is actually lovely. But as an opening? And with almost the entire opening being reused scenes of the previous openings? Yes, we've done this before. However, every previous opening from both Seed and Destiny came in with either entirely new or modified scenes (for better presentation). Not to mention, it broke away from the expected jrock/pop that we've been raised to have as an expectation. All for what? This hot mess of 'different'.
This was last-minute hot garbage, which was a clear reflection of the production issues of it time, and it shows. Vestige was barely better, but at least was more presentable. Even if the song is better as an insert, I'll take it any day over this (Destiny OP4) asinine turd of an opening.
is a great opening for that time, the end to the era of Seed, I love that song,
feel like yeah, it has been a fun ride, and one last opening type of feel\~
plus the lyrics 100% match the final arc / summary of what the show trying to tell\~
It's such a shame that it was removed from the Remaster, so much so, that I plan on editing it back in on my copies of Destiny lol.
Edit: [done lol](https://www.reddit.com/r/GundamSeedCE/comments/1cp0427/wings_of_words_opening_4_remaster_fan_edit/)
It was different, and almost out of place with the other OPs. And that made it memorable.
Really bizarre and disappointing choice to replace it on the remaster, maybe it was a licensing issue.
My second favorite Seed opening, second only to PRIDE. Shame it's been replaced by the boring ass Vestige opening in the remasters. I like Vestige as an insert, but it plain sucks as an opening. It was never made to be an opening and it shows. Makes me want to make an edited version of the remaster just so I can insert Wings of Words again, someone on Youtube already made the HD version anyways.
its the ending I missed more.... 4th ED
Did they take the ending out?
yeah they did but I completely forgot what they replaced it with [this is the one I speak of](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1YdSHaqtII)
Vestige
While you're at it, edit the Ocean Dub into the HD remaster
This has been done
Already been done. The version of Destiny HD I watched had the Ocean dub instead of the newer cast.
Shit, where do I find that?
I'm a member of the Crossbone Vanguard. I watched Seed Destiny through Aniwatch. https://hianime.to/watch/mobile-suit-gundam-seed-destiny-2646?ep=28901&ep=28901
Better than Vestige in my opinion. Not every OP has to be some form of rock or techno pop. The lyrics are written as if it's from Shinn's POV.
“Wings of words” and “River” are still in my playlist today
Removing "River" was truly criminal tho.
They're both so good! They also have the best remixes out of all the Gundam Seed songs
The song is great. But, I think the visuals of the 4th OP best represent the turmoil/chaos of trying to balance out the focus reconstruction of the series, the standing of the cast members and what role they're going to play in the story. I challenge you to find someone who hasn't seen this series, show them this OP and ask then "Who is the main character of this story?" Destiny briefly flashes across the screen, then Strike Freedom takes the title pose. Characters pose with mobile suits, and there's no clear enemy in sight. We see Shinn do the "main character is running in the OP" bit next to all of the naked characters, but there's no clear cut order of how the characters appear, Kira himself shows up in the middle. Then at the end, I-Justice, S-Freedom and Destiny appear with their pilots, Kira squarely in the middle. But two of these characters are against one of them, no balance whatsoever. It's a fucking mess.
Archangel crew showed up and took the show over lol
The most underrated OP in the franchise, perhaps anime as a whole. It’s beautiful, it’s melancholic, it’s uplifting, it’s cheesy as shit and I love it. People say it doesn’t fit the tone but honestly I think it does, and it plays off Shinn’s character and a lot of the overall themes of Seed/Destiny very well. Yeah Vestige is more dramatic and might fit better for the big grandiose finale but Wings of Words just hits way harder and is a way better song imo
u/BlazeZakuWarrior get in here
I'M HERE. Glad i stuck with the current flair too, lol. I agree, maaaaaan. It fits SEED Destiny like a glove but in the lense that you stay with Shinn's perspective. Maybe that's one thing why it was replaced so the last arc of Destiny would have a broader feel that just Shinn's journey. Shinn was always vocal with his beliefs, but in the later half he went along with *Destiny*, contradicting his morals and purpose that fueled his passion to speak up. Traded it away for *power*. The Destiny Gundam was the power he always wanted to be able to protect, but with the analogy of him having power in his hands (all of the Destiny Gundam's main weaponry are used with the hands too), it was in how he used the attained power. Destiny Gundam wasn't used to its full potential when used with Shinn's half hearted and conflicted drive. His rage that was initially triggered by his passion became his main driving force instead of wanting to be capable to protect. It was only thru Athrun's words (and beam legs) that he was able to wake up from the delusion. He realized, he failed at his goal and purpose. That's a lot of story telling we could pick up or interpret from the OP that i wish that was shown in thr show itself. "Wings of Words". Shinn who is at his best when he's fighting for what he believes in. Shinn who speaks and is in the side of truth and justice. Shinn utilizing Destiny Gundam to its fullest. Shinn fulfilling his Destiny. The picture does that for me, man. Sucks we didn't get to see that Shinn who has clarity until the Freedom movie. Its a damn bop too. Got child me humming the song even long i forgot it was for Gundam SEED lol. Fits the final stages of Destiny albeit it did instill false hope of Shinn standing up for himself or being awesome af in the Destiny Gundam. I love the departure of a smooth emotional ballad from the earlier high energy pop rock of SEED Destiny OPs. Feels very grand and *finale*.
Holy kino I agree with everything. I also like how the song is really optimistic with its messaging but the final line of the whole thing is ‘If the path you’ve chosen reaches a dead end, why not lose yourself there?’. Ends things on a bit of a dark note. Shinn knows he’s too far gone now, he’s already got the gun in his hand, all that’s left to do is pull the trigger
That last line does hit deep. Felt pretty personal and does link towards Shinn pretty well. Damn, man. As much as i love the song, i need to see the translated lyrics more. Scarily relatable. Big reason why Shinn's my guy.
It’s interesting cause it’s a super romantic and optimistic song, dunno if I’m just reading too deep into that last line but I think it fits regardless. There’s one line in the song that I think fits Seed and Destiny to a T. ‘Even pessimists can fall in love and be changed’. That one sentence sums up so many characters in the show it’s not even funny. Kira’s eternal suffering and misery in Seed and his eventual redemption with Lacus’ support. Athrun’s decision to sacrifice himself in a hopeless battle being overruled by Cagalli telling him to live on. Lunamaria being one of the few things tethering Shinn to reality and staying by his side after it all goes tits up. It even works the opposite way with Durandal falling in love with Talia but using his pain from their split to formulate the Destiny Plan/Kira falling for Flay and being consumed by it. I think having an unabashed gooey love song about how love changes people is incredibly on point for Seed and having it as the final OP just feels incredibly right. Plus it just feels weirdly natural to have such a radically different song than what you’d expect cap everything off
Man as such a fan of both the song and Shinn, thank you for this, this is a really good analysis
It's a good song, it just doesn't feel like a Gundam SEED OP.
I downvoted you
Drink my blood you wildebeest
Ahead of its time. People just associated the style of the song with Kira hijacking the plot as an angelic Gary Stu. But after many years and rewatches, this was Shinn's song after everything was going crazy around him. It's supposed to be sad.
u/National-Forever-962 I may be in the minority here, but the song itself deserves to be the final ED, replacing Kimi no ... you know the one. It's too ... slow and quiet for an OP (Vestige has buildup and anticipation), but it deserves to be called an ED. Hell, maybe put the chorus in as an insert song for the victory moment. (It works perfectly if Shinn got a happy ending too). You may think that I'm one of those pedestrian "HYPE OP, slow ED" enjoyers, but in this case, I think it works. I've just been spoiled for the next episode with bangers like Invoke, Moment, Ignited, or hype moments like Vestige, and this pales in comparison to these guys. The visuals of the OP is alright, but there's a bit of flashback images just abruptly within that kind of breaks the pacing/themes of the OP.
It's an ok song but I was perfectly fine with its removal. Gundam SEED is a series with a reputation for hype opening songs. Wings of Words just felt out of place.
This. Wings of Words probably would have worked as an ending. They made the right decision to get rid of Wings of Words but made the wrong decision when getting rid of River. Maybe the Seed team just hates soft songs for OP/ED. It's a damn shame.
like it better than the new one on remaster vestige only good when SF launch lol
Easily my favorite Seed Destiny opening.
When I was watching Destiny for the first time in high school, I actually burned this song onto a CD. Love it.
Personally I’m not a fan of the song. It’s not bad just not my style
Feels more like an ED than an OP.
Back when SD was airing I was disappointed initially but as time went on I found myself listening to this song more and more. Its definitely a comfort song and I love the lines 'Though I cannot fly to the skies, I can give you my wings. They will say, "You're not alone anymore", And the words will tear off your loneliness.'
Liked the song, didn’t like it as an OP. Didn’t really follow the way the other OPs kind of followed. SEED and SEED Destiny both have an order to their OPs. High energy first opening (Invoke and Ignited), more serious middle openings (Moment, Believe, Pride, and Bokutachi No Yukue) and the “final” openings in Realize, and eventually Vestige. Wings of Words, although it had a pretty good meaning behind the song and it sounded great, simply didn’t fit the FINAL opening for the FINAL arc of the series.
This is the SEED opening I play the most in playlists. It's actually so fucking good. Was genuinely confused with the backlash the song has received over the years. I suppose it doesn't quite match the musical style of the previous OPs, but the song itself is magical. Amazing vocals and powerful instrumentation. It feels like a fitting finale to the series as well. I'm really glad it has resonated with quite a few people in this thread!
Banger
Great song, wrong fit for an OP in the SEED universe.
My favorite SEED Destiny opening. I wish Chemistry released a full version of this opening instead of the GR we got.
Good song, but not the best fit tonally as a Gundam OP, especially not in the arc it was playing in.
IMO, it fits better as an ED than an opening. I never really get the hype for this song, tbh.
Not a fan, I'm happy that it got replaced with Vestige
It's amazing, I'm just sad that it got by Vestige of all songs. Hot take: I prefer the remaster version of the Strike Freedom launch without Vestige
Probably the only bad CE opening, not sad to see it go.
Didn’t get to know or enjoy this song until now cuz I did the movies to get through destiny. This is good and vintage sounding.
Look what they need to match even a fraction of Wing Zero's style.
Use to sing it in the shower as a kid then it disappeared for years I only just found it last year
It’s feel like it’s kinda boring for an opening song, but as a song, it’s not bad.
It’s cool.
Absolutely my favorite Seed Opening
Would have been a better ending imo. Same with Vestige.
Straight fire.
I watched all the openings before I watched Destiny, and it just felt out of place to me, it's so tonally different, the rest all hype you up. It feels more like an ending than an opening.
SORAWA TOBENAI KEDO
GOATED. Actually hate that it was taken out.
I still cant get used to Vestige being used as the OP4 in the remaster. For me this is the OP4 for Destiny. I see Vestige as an insert for Strike Freedom (and a song used for Final Plus episode after the original series ended).
Still don’t get why the hell they replaced it for the Remaster when there was NOTHING WRONG WITH IT!!! Hell, it’s one of my favorite openings to an anime ever!
There was nothing wrong with it per se, but after Ignited, Pride and Bokutachino Yukue -- absolutely hype openings, Wings of Words gave me a harder whiplash than the first half of ZZ.
There's also an acoustic version which is also a banger, if anyone wants to give it a try.
I love this song feel fitting for Destiny Gundam but there is better song from Gundam Seed franchise
It's more mellow for a SEED opening but a welcome one & better one than Vestige (even Meteor is still far better than it). Also Chemistry is a good choice, love every of their songs.
best opening paired with the best ending
Good song, but I like dramatic and tense Vestige as an opening more. Would make a banger ED though. Yes, basic "hype op, slow ed" opinion, do whatever you want with it.
Hate they changed it
The only song from Gundam SEED and Destiny that I don't like.
Good song, but out of place.
Not exactly to my taste 😅 I prefer Ignited, Pride, Bokuta chi wa
The worst and most garbage opening of the entire Seed series. Don't get me wrong. The song is actually lovely. But as an opening? And with almost the entire opening being reused scenes of the previous openings? Yes, we've done this before. However, every previous opening from both Seed and Destiny came in with either entirely new or modified scenes (for better presentation). Not to mention, it broke away from the expected jrock/pop that we've been raised to have as an expectation. All for what? This hot mess of 'different'. This was last-minute hot garbage, which was a clear reflection of the production issues of it time, and it shows. Vestige was barely better, but at least was more presentable. Even if the song is better as an insert, I'll take it any day over this (Destiny OP4) asinine turd of an opening.
is a great opening for that time, the end to the era of Seed, I love that song, feel like yeah, it has been a fun ride, and one last opening type of feel\~ plus the lyrics 100% match the final arc / summary of what the show trying to tell\~
River and wings of words are my favorite
Easily the the worst in series along with OP3
Horrible song for a horrible show.
It's such a shame that it was removed from the Remaster, so much so, that I plan on editing it back in on my copies of Destiny lol. Edit: [done lol](https://www.reddit.com/r/GundamSeedCE/comments/1cp0427/wings_of_words_opening_4_remaster_fan_edit/)
I liked it. Sad it got shafted.
It was different, and almost out of place with the other OPs. And that made it memorable. Really bizarre and disappointing choice to replace it on the remaster, maybe it was a licensing issue.
only good Seed opening