Soak Up the Sun

Solaire of Astoria is a skilled warrior who is determined to find his own sun. His faith is unwavering, and the mysterious Warrior of Sunlight goes so far as to become Undead in order to pursue his goal. His “praise the sun” gesture has turned Solaire into something of a Dark Souls mascot, but he’s not always jovial. If he becomes desperate enough, Solaire will confuse the “sun” with a loathsome parasite that emanates a blinding light. His dedication to the Lord of Sunlight appears to be one-sided, and his powers are largely attributed to his intense training and high-end equipment. Nevertheless, Dark Souls III explicitly states that his straight sword contained the power of the sun. Even if the sun isn’t a source of Solaire’s physical strength, he clearly draws power from it in a spiritual sense.

Solar Man seems like the obvious choice to represent the Mega Man series on this countdown, but his powers ultimately revolve around a form of artificial sunlight. Pharaoh Man, in contrast, relies directly on the power of the actual sun. Although he was originally designed to explore ancient pyramids, he was later modified for battle. To that end, Pharaoh Man can release waves of solar energy in multiple directions. Ironically, his powers are best demonstrated after he’s defeated. When Mega Man equips himself with the Pharaoh Shot, he’s able to charge his attack like a veritable solar panel. This allows him to generate an energy sphere that can plow through multiple enemies at once! Mega Man has used pretty much every weapon imaginable during his adventures, but few have been more destructive than the solar-powered Pharaoh Shot.

A tyrannical man with an affinity for light, Balder is the main antagonist in Bayonetta. The Lumen Sage shares his name with the Norse God of Light, and he has an uncanny ability to channel the power of the heavens. Balder has a vast array of magic abilities at his disposal, and his powers are said to be at their greatest at “the peak of the sun’s ascent.” He can call forth beams of light, create massive energy spheres, or used hardened light rays as veritable swords. He can also move with the swiftness of light, and he’s fast enough to make the enemies around him appear to be frozen in time. Balder’s connection to the sun extends beyond his usage of magic, and the Lumen Sages lean heavily into the sun motif. Balder himself wears a golden mask in the shape of a stylized sun, so his compendium of light-based attacks aren’t especially surprising.

All life on Earth is powered by the sun in some capacity, and this premise is at its most straightforward when we’re speaking about plants. The process of photosynthesis allows plants to convert sunlight into chemical energy, but I’m not here to talk about fifth-grade science. (Chlorophyll? More like boreophyll!) While every video game plant could theoretically be a candidate for this list, the eponymous plants from Plants vs. Zombies are an especially strong example since the in-game mechanics are focused on solar energy. The series features over 50 different types of plants, and none of them can grow without the sun! These plants help keep armies of zombies at bay, and many of them are ideal for defensive maneuvers. The sunflowers are more interesting, though, since they can concentrate the sun’s energy into a high-powered beam turret!

There are a handful of “Sun Pokémon” that were deserving of a place on this list. Sunflora converts sunlight into energy, while Solgaleo is said to devour the sun. Espeon isn’t necessarily the most obvious choice, but the feline’s psychic powers are actually fueled by the nearest star. (Incidentally, the scarlet jewel on its forehead builds up energy when its bathed in sunshine.) It could be argued that all of Espeon’s moves are bolstered by sunlight, but Morning Sun is the most overt example. This maneuver restores HP, and its effectiveness is directly affected by the weather. More HP will be recovered when its sunny compared to when it’s raining, and the time of day can also play a role. Fittingly, the move will restore twice as much HP in the morning. Espeon was the first Pokémon to use Morning Sun, and it’s still considered to be its signature move.

Leona of the Solari was raised from birth to honor the sun. The holy warrior was chosen by destiny to defend Mount Targon, and she was imbued with the fire of the sun after demonstrating her indomitable will. Her connection to the sun is self-evident, and her skin shines nearly as bright as her glistening gold armor. Leona is armed with a sword and shield, but she also has a diverse repertoire of solar attacks in her menagerie. She can use sunlight to passively weaken her enemies or inflict massive damage by calling down beams of solar energy. She can also project a solar image of her blade in order to attack multiple opponents at once. Although Leona can bring death to those who oppose her, she can also bring enlightenment. Whether she’s engaged in battle or acting as a guiding light, Leona has the power of the sun behind her.

Several of the deities in SMITE are linked with the sun in one way or another, but Ra was the clear choice for this list. He’s been a starter character since the closed beta, after all, which means that everyone who has played SMITE has had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with his abilities. The Egyptian sun god is a great protector who brings warmth wherever he goes. His celestial light can also decimate his enemies, however, so you don’t want to be caught in his wrath. Ra can focus the sun’s power into extreme blasts of heat or summon scorching light beams from the heavens. (He also has the capacity to blind his opponents!) On the flip side, he can create pillars of divine light to heal his allies. Whether he’s using the sun to protect or destroy, it’s easy to see why Ra is considered to be the top god in the Egyptian pantheon.

As the god of the sun, Helios is one of the most powerful deities in Greek Mythology. Although the full extent of his powers are not shown in the God of War series, his solar abilities are impossible to ignore. Helios can blind others with the intense sunlight that emanates from his body, and he can even cause his enemies to explode by targeting them with concentrated blasts of light! Helios is said to have sunlight in his veins, and he’s so intrinsically linked with the sun that it can’t function properly without him. His abduction in Chains of Olympus causes the sun to disappear from the sky, for instance, and his death in God of War III causes the sun to be blocked by heavy clouds. His solar powers are evident even after he’s defeated, and Kratos uses his decapitated head as a makeshift lantern to light his way through Olympus!

As one of the major deities of the Shinto religion, Amaterasu is revered as the goddess of the sun. Although she was reimagined as a white wolf for the purpose of the Okami series, Capcom’s take on Amaterasu still borrows heavily from Japanese mythology. Ōkami Amaterasu watches over the people of Nippon, and her heavenly rays shine down upon the polluted world. She rejuvenates the land with celestial brush strokes, and her Sunrise ability can summon forth the sun to dispel the darkness. The sun also serves as Ammy’s health in the game, and she can increase her solar energy by recovering sun fragments throughout the course of her adventure. All of the characters on this list draw power from the sun in one way or another, but this quality is especially crucial to Amaterasu’s character since she’s a divine incarnation of the sun itself.

Although Django isn’t as famous as some of the characters on this list, he was a lock for the number one position. The aptly named “Solar Boy” hails from the City of Sun and wields a special solar-powered gun that can be customized with different lenses. Since Django seldom speaks, he’s largely defined by his actions. While Django is battling lunar queens and undead vampires, players are required to harness the power of the sun in the real world! Incidentally, the Boktai games were released on special Game Boy Advance cartridges with photometric sensors that measure light exposure. In order to charge your in-game weapons, you’ll have to play the game in direct sunlight. In this capacity, Django is able to draw power from the actual sun. It’s not everyday that you come across a video game that actively encourages players to go outside.