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10[[quoteright:350:[[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/battle_of_the_pelennor_fields.jpg]]]][[caption-width-right:350:"His golden shield was uncovered and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and darkness was removed..."]]
11
12->''"Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo\
13Here comes the sun, and I say\
14It's all right..."''
15-->-- '''Music/TheBeatles''', "[[Music/AbbeyRoad Here Comes the Sun]]" (written and sung by '''Music/GeorgeHarrison''')
16
17And the sun rises epically over the horizon...
18
19Used for any number of reasons, but usually symbolizes a new beginning.
20
21The sun is an important part of life. It gives light, which in turn allows the Earth to live. It is the center of the solar system. So, naturally, in entertainment, it becomes a useful symbol of something, [[LightIsGood usually good]]. For instance, in Vampire films where the tradition about [[OurVampiresAreDifferent the monster being destroyed by being exposed to sunlight]] is upheld, the heroes realize their time of greatest peril is over and now they have the advantage.
22
23The sun can be used for all sorts of funky symbolism. A sunrise at the beginning of a journey is pretty self-explanatory. Perhaps one of the more common variations is the sun, on cue, breaking through the thick, overcast clouds, shining rays of light down onto the Earth. For heroes, this is often [[LightIsGood an encouraging sign, even something of an omen]]. Expect things to turn toward the hero's side quickly.
24
25Another fairly common use is a sunrise at the ''end'' of the story, usually symbolizing "the dawn of a new day"; everything has been put right, and [[DarkIsEvil the evil (darkness)]] that had previously hung over the land is dispelled by the protagonists' victory. Another variation is using the sunrise before the [[FinalBoss very final showdown]] with the BigBad/[[TheDragon Dragon]]
26
27Alternatively, [[PartlyCloudyWithAChanceOfDeath the sun disappearing on cue]] can have the opposite effect, [[DarkIsEvil as the will of heaven is suddenly snatched away]]. TotalEclipseOfThePlot can be either hopeful or negative depending on how it factors into the heroes' struggle.
28
29The trope name comes from a moment in the film ''Film/TheTrumanShow'', with Ed Harris' character "cueing the sun" (actually a gigantic stage light) to find the eponymous Truman, even though in-universe, it's supposed to be the middle of the night.
30(Notably, there is a real lighting device brand-named "The Sun" used for such effects in film and theatre. It is very large, very expensive, and has a very poor supply/demand ratio, so only the most wealthy companies actually have their own; everyone else rents.)
31
32See also HeavenAbove, NaturalSpotlight, RaysFromHeaven, RidingIntoTheSunset (when a character is shown driving towards the sun at the end of a story), AgainstTheSettingSun, WatchingTheSunset, FirstTimeInTheSun, and SuicideBySunlight. Contrast MelancholyMoon and CueTheRain, which are [[InvertedTrope inverses]]. Connected to RedSkyTakeWarning.
33----
34!!Examples:
35[[foldercontrol]]
36
37[[folder:Advertising]]
38* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqHUb8dkj-o This U.S. ad for Prudential]], and to a lesser extent (montage of still photos) [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdIh_obFeoc this one]]
39[[/folder]]
40
41[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
42* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': It starts raining during Trost as Mikasa recalls her memories of her past and especially when she believes [[spoiler:Eren is dead]]. When it looks like it's curtains for her, she suddenly remembers Eren's [[DareToBeBadass exhortation to fight and win]] just as the sun breaks through the clouds.
43* In ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', the evil spirits that are drawn to [[AllergicToEvil Guts' brand]] are more prevalent and more powerful at night, and Guts has to spend the entire night fighting and warding them off. However, the spirits are [[LightIsGood vulnerable to light]], so when the sun begins to rise and eliminates all other evil spirits in the vicinity, it means that Guts has successfully cheated death once again! ... [[HereWeGoAgain only to have to repeat it the following night!]] Woo!
44* Inverted in ''Manga/BlackBloodBrothers'' when Jiro is facing off against [[spoiler:Cassa]]; it's not the sun that makes his skin burn, it's the ''rain''.
45* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', [[TheHeart Orihime Inoue]] has been portrayed as the sun. [[spoiler:When Ulquiorra states that the 'Sun has already set' in the Arrancars' hands, cueing a very sunset like image with Orihime.]] Later on, Orihime is once again portrayed with this light when she [[spoiler:finally begins cheering Ichigo, influencing a power-up for the boy.]]
46** And when Aizen [[spoiler:re-kidnaps her and says that she should smile more to 'let the sun shine on.']]
47** Yet again right after [[spoiler:Ichigo finally defeats Aizen and Urahara seals him away.]] Kubo is very subtle with his symbolism, huh?
48* Near the end of the second ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' movie, the sun rises at ''just'' the right moment. Saying any more than that would spoil a really sweet ending.
49* At the end of the manga version of ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'', [[TheHero Rosette]] looks out at the sun rising through the clouds, spreads her arms, and says "Come on, let's go. There's plenty for us to do!"
50* Happens several times in ''Manga/DeathNote'', most notably [[spoiler:at the end, when Mikami's Death Note is revealed to be fake.]]
51* In ''Anime/DetonatorOrgun'', the eponymous character's WaveMotionGun is solar-powered. Guess what happens in the fight against the BigBad.
52* ''Anime/DigimonTamers:'' Through the several episodes where the kids fight Beelzemon, the sky is blood red. Once he's defeated, the skies go back to being a pleasant blue. Just in time for things to ''really'' get worse.
53* {{Justified|trope}} in ''Manga/DigimonVTamer01'', as storms form when powerful monsters fight one another.
54* Lampshaded in ''Anime/DuelMasters.''
55--> '''Shobu:''' ''(after beating a game, the dark clouds dissipate into a blue sky)'' "Right on cue!"
56* ''Manga/FairyTail'':
57** The sun rises in the Nirvana Arc after the defeat of the Oracion Seis and the destruction of the titular magic superweapon [[spoiler:as well as the arrest of the {{Heel Face Turn}}ed Hoteye and no-longer-brainwashed-and-now-amnesiac Jellal, with Erza weeping for her old friend]].
58** After the defeat of Grimoire Heart's [[BigBad leader]], Hades, the sun rises, signifying the titular guild's victory over the dark guild. [[spoiler:This is only a temporary victory, however, as later Acnologia shows up...]]
59** In the Tartaros Arc, the sun rises after the failure of Tartaros' plan to activate Face, [[spoiler:and Zeref takes back the book of E.N.D., and right after Acnologia kills Igneel. Natsu screams Igneel's name in despair.]]
60* An overcast clears when Cure Passion makes her debut in ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure''. Same with the more appropriately-named Cure Sunshine in ''Anime/HeartCatchPrettyCure''.
61* In ''Manga/FruitsBasket'', while Rin is letting Tohru hold her during her sickness, the sun rises.
62* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': [[PresidentEvil Wrath]] has [[ReligiousBruiser Scar]] dead to rights, all while mocking him about his belief in a god... then the eclipse above them ends, and the sun's light glints off of Wrath's sword and blinds him long enough for Scar to fatally wound him. The irony isn't lost on Wrath.
63* After Kaname breaks Sousuke out of his HeroicBSOD at the end of ''Literature/FullMetalPanic! TSR'', the sun rises behind her.
64* Inverted by ''Anime/GaoGaiGarFINAL''. The Sun (or [[ThatsNoMoon the machine disguised as it]]) gives the villains ridiculous regeneration, so when it's activated and starts shining brightly, the battle suddenly gets a ''lot'' tougher for the Brave army.
65* During the climax of ''Anime/TheGardenOfWords'' a momentary break in the storm allows sunshine to illuminate Takao and Yukari after the former finishes [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech venting his frustrations to her]] outside her apartment. The sunlight falling unto Yukari's face mirrors her finally opening up to Takao.
66* ''Anime/GunXSword'' makes heavy use of the sunrise as a symbol; the protagonist even takes "Van of the Dawn" as his preferred nickname. The most notable Cue the Sun moment comes in Episode 16, when Van experiences an epiphany right as the sun rises, making the [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic cross-shaped object]] in his hands shine brightly.
67* ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'':
68** When Miroku and a possessed Sango square off, just as Miroku affirms his intention to purge the demon from Sango, the sun starts to peek over the horizon in the background.
69** Also seen in the episode which reveals that Inuyasha becomes fully human during the new moon. Just when it looks like the spider demon has won, sunrise breaks, restoring Inuyasha's full strength.
70* In the finale of ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders'', the sun rises over Egypt's desert as Jotaro and Joseph watch as [[spoiler:DIO's body is fully destroyed after it's exposed to sunlight]].
71* In ''Anime/LesMiserablesShojoCosette'', this happens once, when [[spoiler:Javert decides not to suicide, symbolizing his change of heart]].
72* At the end of the ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth'' [=TV=] series, the impenetrable canopy of pitch-black clouds (which had covered the world ever since the last episodes of the first season) dissipates and lets glorious columns of sunlight shine through.
73* Although things are about to go from bad to worse, Volume 2 of ''Manga/MaidenRose'' manages to end on a somewhat hopeful note with a scene of the young cadets walking towards the wreckage as the sky lightens.
74* The sun starts coming up when Tohru's father leaves and Tohru reunites with Kobayashi in the final episode of ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid''.
75* ''Manga/MoriartyThePatriot'': The sun rises over the River Thames after Sherlock and William have plunged into it to their apparent death, marking the end of their long battle of wits and the dawn of a new world and new status quo as their loved ones figure out how to move on without them.
76* In ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', All Might tells Izuku that he can be a hero just as the sun is beginning to set, turning the sky a warm orange with the sun shining brightly down on the two of them.
77* In ''Anime/TheMysteriousCitiesOfGold'', Esteban has the ability to summon the sun. Which is convenient, since much of the LostTechnology is solar-powered.
78* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' after the epic consecutive boss fights to save the ninja world from Obito, Madara, the ten tails and Kaguya, the sun rises as Minato wishes Naruto a happy birthday.
79* In the final scene of Osamu Tezuka's OVA ''[[Manga/{{Phoenix}} Hi no Tori 2772]]'' aka "Space Firebird", when [[spoiler:planet Earth, Olga and Godo]] are reborn to new life, sun rises above the sea.
80* ''Manga/{{Pluto}}'': Justified. The robot Epsilon is solar-powered, so the appearance of the sun in the middle of a fight signals a shift in his favour.
81* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
82** In the ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/PokemonS1E51BulbasaursMysteriousGarden Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden]]", just as it seems Team Rocket might gonna be successful, the sun rises. Cue the epic guitar theme, and Bulbasaur charging its Solarbeam.
83--->'''Pokedex:''' Solar Beam, Bulbasaur's strongest attack. Light is collected and formed into a powerful beam with intensive force.
84** The eponymous Sea Temple of ''Anime/PokemonRangerAndTheTempleOfTheSea'' rises above the water at the same time as the sunrise.
85** ''Anime/PokemonIChooseYou'': [[spoiler: After Ash's Pikachu uses 10,000,000-Volt Thunderbolt, the black sky clears to show a beautiful sun as Ash is restored to life and deemed worthy of the Rainbow Wing by Ho-Oh, granting him eternal happiness as the Rainbow Hero]].
86* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'':
87** The heartwarming scene of Mami having tea with her new friends is underscored by the setting sun's light flooding into her apartment.
88** The goddess of hope's general aesthetic is that of a sunrise: SupernaturalGoldEyes, pink hair, and a cloud-white dress. Fittingly, whenever [[BigGood she]] appears ([[spoiler:except in the third movie]]) it's a sign that things are about to get better.
89* When the BigBad of the fifth season of ''Anime/SailorMoon'' Chaos is defeated, the clouds break apart.
90* Happens a lot in ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'' for numerous reasons thematically. The first is obviously to imply that the heroes are with a heroic shot. The second is as part of a symbolic bet between Ukoku Sanzo and Koumyou Sanzo, the first being thematically attached to darkness and the second to the moon. Their bet is over who will be the rising sun who finally defeats Ukoku, and Koumyou obviously bet on his student, Sanzo.
91* In the ending of ''Anime/SwanLake1981'', the sun rises during Odette and Siegfried's reunion in the ruins of Rothbart's castle to signify the end of Odette's curse.
92* ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'' used the final battle version in Episode 12 of the first season. Tsubasa and Chris had [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificed their lives]], and Hibiki was having a pretty bad HeroicBSOD. Then Hibiki's friends started singing the school anthem over the school's announcement system. Cue the sun rising, HeroicSecondWind, ClimacticBattleResurrection, and EleventhHourSuperpower to show that the tide had just turned.
93* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'': The sun rises immediately after the climax of the Battle of Teppelin.
94* ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'': The end of the Untrustworthy Room arc ends with Viole staring into the morning sun.
95* The rising morning sun plays a vital role in the climax of ''Anime/TheWonderfulWorldOfPussNBoots'', as sunlight is [[spoiler:the only way to destroy Lucifer's [[SoulJar necklace]] and Lucifer himself]].
96* ''Anime/YuGiOhCapsuleMonsters'': The sun rises in Episode 10 after Yami slays the Five-Headed Dragon.
97[[/folder]]
98
99[[folder:Art]]
100* ''Art/TheFallenAngel'': {{Zigzagged}} in Creator/AlexandreCabanel's artwork. It's true that dawn is meant to symbolize how the DivineConflict has, at last, come to an end, resulting in the rebellious [[{{Satan}} Lucifer's]] expulsion from Heaven. Regardless, Lucifer is the VillainProtagonist of the painting, so, for him, that's terrible news. Add to it that he's turning into a fallen angel, and that's decidedly bad overall.
101* ''Art/MediciChapels'': "Dawn" symbolizes the beginning of life as part of the cycle of time, so the fact that she's being awakened by the first rays of the sun also means that she's receiving her soul and thus, being born.
102* ''Art/TheRaftOfTheMedusa'': The foreground of the painting is rather dark. The sunshine in the distance, to which the hopeful passengers are looking, represents the possibility of rescue.
103* The Art/SistineChapel's altar faces the east end so worshippers will be facing the rising sun, which symbolizes the risen UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} who shines life on all the just. To emphasize that connection, there's a painting right above the altar of Jesus bringing [[{{Heaven}} Earthly Paradise]] to the faithful where He is surrounded by a full-body [[HolyHalo halo]] painted like the sun.
104[[/folder]]
105
106[[folder:Comic Books]]
107* ''ComicBook/DylanDog'': Horribly subverted by being used in one of the most tragic moments of the series instead of symbolizing a victory. The sun rises and shines powerful rays into the hospital room right after [[spoiler: Johnny Freak]] passes away.
108* ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'': Spoofed. After the Great Red Dragon lets the townspeople catch him, the townspeople tell Phoney (who has set himself up as a "dragonslayer") to finish him off. Phoney, who has no intention of actually killing any dragons, let alone the Great Red Dragon, insists on waiting until sunrise to slay the dragon. Unfortunately for Phoney, the sun rises in the middle of his impassioned speech on the subject: ''"The heavens themselves shall determine...'' oops."
109* ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyNightmareKnights'': The story primarily takes place in an alternate universe where [[TheNightThatNeverEnds it's always night]] due to Daybreaker, the pony with power over the sun, under the control of [[BigBad Princess Eris]]. At the climax of issue 5, Daybreaker regains full control of her powers over the sun, and she raises it [[spoiler:as she blasts Eris out of the castle in a ball of fire]].
110* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
111** When Golden Age Superman appears to save his cousin Kara from the Secret Society of Super-Villains in ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', it causes the red skies to momentarily disappear, in favor of sunlit blue.
112** In ''ComicBook/KryptonNoMore'', when Superman decides that he has got enough brooding and he flies away to face up to two villains who have been hounding him, the Sun rises above the clouds.
113** In ''ComicBook/LastDaughterOfKrypton'', ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} has just arrived in Earth and is being overpowered by a squad of PoweredArmor-clad mercenaries. Right then the Sun rises over the mountains and her powers awaken for the first time, letting her fight and defeat her assailants.
114** ''ComicBook/TheLastDaysOfSuperman'': After spending one month fighting his illness, it looks like Superman is finally dying. As his loved ones gather around his deathbed to say their goodbyes, the Sun sets into the horizon.
115** In ''ComicBook/WayOfTheWorld'', Supergirl is paying a night visit to the graves of the parents of a child whom she was unable to save, as wondering whether she should use time-travel to sort everything out. Nonetheless, she decides she should finally move on, and flies away as the Sun rises behind her.
116** ''ComicBook/EscapeFromThePhantomZone'': In the aftermath of their joint adventure, Supergirl and batgirl are sitting on a rooftop, watching the sun rising while arguing the latest developments and promising to help each other before parting ways.
117** ''ComicBook/DayOfTheDollmaker'': The final panel shows Supergirl flying happily across the sky as a kindly sun shimmers on her.
118* ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'': In the adventure "The Calculus Affair," after a funny CueTheRain moment, Tintin and Captain Haddock are walking through a downpour, oblivious to the fact that Tintin's dog Snowy is carrying Professor Calculus's umbrella...
119--> '''Captain:''' If only we had an umbrella!\
120'''Tintin:''' ''[turning and noticing Snowy]'' An umbrella? Captain, what idiots we are. Look!\
121''[And just as they start to open the umbrella, guess what happens?]''
122* ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': The cover of the first issue has some sun reflections.
123* ''ComicBook/{{X 23}}'': The third issue of X-23's series ends with her leaving an ExtranormalInstitute at dawn, having conquered her past. The usual connotations of freedom and (tentative) hope are present.
124[[/folder]]
125
126[[folder:Comic Strips]]
127* ''ComicStrip/{{Mutts}}'': Mooch sticks his head out the door to be faced with an ''enormous'' TheFaceOfTheSun, smiling. He observes it's summer (Sunday after the solstice.)
128[[/folder]]
129
130[[folder:Fairy Tales]]
131* In Creator/TheBrothersGrimm's tale "Literature/MaidMaleen", the protagonist likens her happy ending to "the sun [shining on her] once more" after "seven years in the darkness".
132* At the end of Creator/AsbjornsenAndMoe's "Literature/TheOldDameAndHerHen", the sun rises before the troll can find shelter in his vault, killing him and ensuring the main characters will not be threatened by him again.
133[[/folder]]
134
135[[folder:Fan Works]]
136* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': This occurs twice. First at the end of the Yonaguni battle, the stormclouds caused by the Many's WeatherManipulation break up and sunlight begins filtering through. Later, when [[spoiler:Keizer Ghidorah]] is defeated, its sky-blotting storms dissipate just moments before dawn breaks.
137* ''Fanfic/ACrownOfStars'': In chapter 25 Shinji and Asuka finally open up and talk about their feelings. At the end of that chapter, the Sun rose and it is explicitly stated that it symbolized the beginning of something new.
138* ''Fanfic/{{Antipodes}}'': Inverted. The last chapter before the epilogue ends with [[spoiler:Celestia setting the sun for the first time in ten thousand years, signifying the resumption of the world's natural day-night cycle]].
139* ''Manga/Evangelion303'': Chapter fifteen's cover features Asuka watching the rising Sun right before taking off. There are several symbolisms present in the image: it is the start of both a new chapter and the third part of the story: Asuka is about to leave for a mission and fight her newest rival; and after hitting rock-bottom during Part II, she has fully recovered and it is a new dawn for her.
140* ''Fanfic/AsukaAndShinjisInfinitePlaylist'': As the dream world where the protagonist couple have lived for one year begins vanishing, the sun sets, the stars twinkle and fade, and everything becomes a black void.
141-->"What is this place?" Asuka asked breathlessly. The fog danced around her ankles as she cautiously walked through a twilighted sky, faint glimmers of stars fading in as the sunlight dissipated.\
142The cool, calm air continued to settle below them, kicked up by their gentle steps as they explored the setting. The music continued to build, continuing its powerful pull on them. The predictable curiosity began to arise in her, as Shinji knew what questions were to come.\
143"Is that where we just came from?" she asked, looking at the ground below them, shrinking away. They were being whisked somewhere far away from here.\
144"Yes," Shinji replied without looking down. "This is the sunset of that world: it's fading away, back to the nothingness it came from."
145* Happens twice in ''Fanfic/RainbowDoubleDashsLunaverse''.
146** {{Inverted}} in the series' first episode, where the rising of the sun in the middle of the night shows that Corona, the Tyrant Sun, has been freed.
147** Then played straight at the end of the first episode of the second season, where Luna offers to let Corona raise the sun, and Corona accepts, showing that she is beginning to break free of the madness that rules her.
148* In ''Fanfic/{{Juxtapose}}'', Izuku meets Toshinori in a park at sunset. [[spoiler:By contrast, he meets the villainous Tsuchigumo at night.]]
149* ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'': In the 12th chapter, [[spoiler:the usurped Princess Celestia is about to be hanged on the orders of [[EvilNephew Jewelius]] (who has [[LetNoCrisisGoToWaste used the Changeling invasion]] to turn everyone against his aunt) at nighttime, with most of Canterlot's ponies advocating for this, and the [[CorruptTheCutie manipulated Twilight Sparkle]] choosing to reluctantly let this happen. After the other [[HeroWithBadPublicity denigrated heroes]] [[CassandraTruth fail to convince anyone]] that Jewelius is the true mastermind behind the invasion, Celestia makes a final speech in which she apologizes to Twilight and everyone else for her own role in the events that led to the invasion happening. This causes Twilight and everyone else to feel forgiveness toward Celestia, but when the former princess raises the sun to bring morning to Equestria one last time, Twilight and the crowd plead for Jewelius to spare Celestia. Though they're unable to change his mind, Luna [[ShootTheRope appears from the crowd to save Celestia]] and free the other heroes, and from that point begins the gradual process of Jewelius' downfall as well as the heroes [[EarnYourHappyEnding reconciling with Twilight and gaining their lives back]]]].
150[[/folder]]
151
152[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
153* ''WesternAnimation/{{Nine}}'': Both films' ending scenes after the machine antagonists that threaten the protagonists have been defeated end at dawn (or possibly dusk in the 2009 film).
154* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfTintin2011'' the sun rises shortly after Sakharine's defeat, and the morning light also helps Tintin and Haddock see through the combined scrolls to get the coordinates of the treasure.
155* In ''Anime/BaronOmatsuriAndTheSecretIsland'', the sun rises over the island as Luffy and his reunite after Baron Omatsuri's defeat.
156* ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys2022'': The race to stop the [[spoiler:hijacked charity trucks]] takes place at dawn, and [[spoiler:Mr. Wolf and Mr. Snake reunite]] against the sunrise.
157* Used at the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron'', after [[spoiler:Gurgi comes back to life for no particular reason.]]
158* The final shot of ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'', set to Franz Schubert's ''Ave Maria'', no less.
159* ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'': At the very end of "Let It Go", which both represents and celebrates the awakening of the "new" Elsa, the sun rises, and this coincides with her walking towards it after singing "Here I stand, ''in the light of day''."
160* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/{{Igor}}'', this is [[spoiler:justified since Igor has destroyed the BigBad's WeatherControlMachine]].
161* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda1'':
162** The coming of the morning after Shifu's argument with Po that ended after Po confessed his deep sense of worthlessness and Shifu likewise admitted he did not have an idea of how to fix that. After a night of racking his brain for an answer, the sun comes up as Shifu hears a ruckus in the kitchen and finding Po doing some impressive physical feats for food. Thus with the sun rising, so does the critical inspiration for Shifu concerning a way to train Po effectively.
163** And then ''again'' near the end, after Shifu and Tai Lung's intense duel in the rain. The sun rises as soon as Po appears, signifying that the dark part is over and it's time for the hero to kick ass. It's at this point that the real final battle begins.
164* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'': At the end, Littlefoot climbs up onto a ridge, following the spirit of his deceased mother in the form of a cloud. When the cloud dissipates, he sees the Great Valley spread out beneath him, bathed in sunlight.
165* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'';
166** Convenient sunbeams illumine Pride Rock when a new future monarch (lion cub) is presented. When Simba regains his throne, the clouds part to reveal the starry sky where the former kings are said to reside.
167** Used in [[http://youtu.be/HwSKkKrUzUk?t=1s the opening seconds of the film.]]
168* ''WesternAnimation/{{Migration}}'': To light up [[spoiler:Jamaica]], and the final step in their migration.
169* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'', this happens at the climax of "Make a Man out of You". Ping/Mulan fails the whole training regimen and Shang tells him/her to go home. She then sees the arrow at the pole and decides to give it one last try. As she does, the sun rises and the other men start cheering her on. She succeeds and throws the arrow down to Shang's feet for emphasis, proving she ''can'' pull her own weight around.
170* In ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'', the culmination of the movie is a race to return the head of the Forest Spirit before the sun rises, and the forest dies forever. Naturally, the heroes retrieve the head and hold it aloft to the 'Nightwalker' just as the first rays shine across the hills...
171* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'': Buzz's HeroicBSOD comes to an end as the rain stops and the sun starts shining through the window after he remembers the 'Andy' signature on his foot.
172* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', there is a shot of the rising sun which together with the following shot of the [=SkyDome=] indicates that the day of the concert (and the red moon ritual) has arrived. This is followed immediately by a shot of the [=SkyDome=] in the evening. These shots together seperate the following scenes from being confused with the previous scene of the evening of Tyler's birthday party.
173* ''WesternAnimation/WakkosWish'', near the end; "Mr. Spielberg ''loves'' this shot!"
174[[/folder]]
175
176[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
177* In the typical vampire film, the heroes are enduring a harrowing night fighting a vampire and they are about to lose against the powerful monster. Suddenly, the sun comes up and everyone realizes that the ''hunters'' now have the advantage against the vampire.
178** ''Film/FromDuskTillDawn'' plays this perfectly. The characters have finally been hopelessly surrounded by vampires, they have just two bullets left, the rest of the cast has just been killed (and promptly re-killed). Then the sun rises, and bullet holes in the bar's walls bring its light in at odd angles, turning the entire arena into a ''laser hallway'' for the vampires.
179*** Zig-zagged in the sequel, when the sun finally rises in similar circumstances and moments later equally quickly vanishes due to the full eclipse.
180** ''Film/FrightNight1985'' has a simpler version where the hunters have had a harrowing time fighting the vampire and are barely holding him back when the sun comes up. As the vampire reels in horrified realization, Peter Vincent, now having passed his trial by fire, notes, "You are out of time..."
181** In ''Film/Thirst2009'', the sunrise is awaited by the vampire as the only way he can end his sinful life.
182* In ''Film/{{Apocalypto}}'' a solar eclipse occurs while Jaguar Paw is laying on the altar, about to be sacrificed. The priest interprets the eclipse as a sign that the gods' thirst for blood had been sated, and he calls off the human sacrifices.
183* In ''Film/{{Austerlitz}}'', just as the Sun rises as the battle is about to start, the aide near UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte wonders what title he will give to his retelling of the battle, to which Napoleon (Creator/PierreMondy) immediately answers "The Sun of Austerlitz" (which became a famous [[UsefulNotes/TheNapoleonicWars Napoleonic]] expression in real life). Then the French win the battle.
184* ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' has everything turn dark and gloomy after Thanos's army arrives. And in the DarkestHour, as Captain America prepares a last stand, a luminous magical portal opens up behind him, revealing the noon sunshine of Wakanda.
185* During the final battle of ''Film/BladeII'' (which has taken place entirely at night) inside the top of the BigBad's EvilTowerOfOminousness, the MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter is [[TheVirus bitten by the mutant vampire]] (who happens to be her brother). After the hero wins the battle, she requests he [[DyingAsYourself destroy her before she becomes one of them]], prompting him to walk outside to the end of the tower's pier-like balcony cradling her limp form, allowing the sunrise to turn her to dust in his arms and blow away in the breeze.
186* ''Film/BladeRunner'': In an incidental SpecialEffectsFailure which turned into a moment of awesome, Roy Batty releases his dove and it flies into the sunny sky, giving some hope to Deckard the future would be brighter. This is averted in the Final Cut of the film; they fixed the shot so that the dove now flies up into the rainy night sky.
187* When Jake and Elwood visit a church for inspiration in ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'' movie, just as the preacher points at him and asks, "Have you seen the light?", the sun comes streaming through the stained-glass window, illuminating Jake in a heavenly glow.
188* ''Franchise/TheChroniclesOfRiddick'' franchise:
189** Used straight in ''Film/PitchBlack'', as the shuttle lifts off and the triple suns reappear from behind their respective planets (meaning no more dark-loving beasties).
190** Inverted in ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick2004'', in which Riddick finds himself on a prison planet where the sun can actually kill you. (And thus a [[OutrunTheFireball desperate sprint]] away from ''sunrise'' manages to not be full of {{Narm}}.)
191* The entire story of ''Film/{{Collateral}}'' takes place at night. At the end, when [[spoiler:Max has killed Vincent and gets away with the girl]], we see the sun coming up, showing us that night's finally over and order's restored.
192* ''Film/DarkCity'': Used near the end when [[spoiler:John, after having taken control of the massive space station, rotates it so that the sun is shining across its surface for the first time.]]
193* ''Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse'':
194** ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice''. Drifting in space after suffering major damage, Superman recovers when the rotation of the Earth brings the sun, enabling him to regenerate.
195** ''Film/{{Wonder Woman|2017}}'': Diana [[spoiler:obliterates Ares]] just at the crack of dawn. Everybody just takes in the sun afterwards.
196* Justified in ''Film/{{Dredd}}'' as the protagonists have been [[ClosedCircle trapped inside the megastructure]] for most of the movie. After the BigBad is defeated, they're able to raise the blast doors and walk out into the sunlight for the first time (they'd escaped onto an external ledge at one point, but it was night time then).
197** Subverted in the earlier ''Film/JudgeDredd''. Chief Justice Fargo is taking the Long Walk into the Cursed Earth, the lawless radioactive wasteland surrounding Megacity One. As two huge doors to the outside are opened, you see his honor guard flinch from the glare and the aghast expression on Fargo's face as he sees what he's walking into.
198* Subverted in ''Film/EmpireOfTheSun''. What appears to be this trope is actually the atomic bomb being dropped on Nagasaki hundreds of miles away. Though that does mean the war will soon be over.
199* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'':
200** During the DarkestHour, when [[spoiler: Godzilla's been seemingly killed]] and King Ghidorah is free to unleash global havoc unopposed. The human protagonists are sitting in their ocean base in despair wondering what they can possibly do now, as one of Ghidorah's violent global storms pours down. A bright glow gradually begins to pierce through the clouds, growing larger and larger before suddenly the whole storm is blown away in a blinding light as Film/{{Mothra}} appears, [[spoiler: leading to the characters discovering Godzilla is still barely alive underneath the seafloor]].
201** King Ghidorah continuously creates a massive storm around himself at all times, and [[spoiler: when he's finally killed by Godzilla at the end, it immediately dissipates. The other monsters arrive on the battlefield just a little too late to save Ghidorah, and instead bow before their new king Godzilla in the sunrise/sunset]].
202* In ''Film/HocusPocus'', the rising of the sun marks when the spell allowing the three witches to live again for one night on Halloween runs out because they didn't succeed in draining the lives of the children of Salem. They go "poof."
203* ''Film/TheHungerGames'': Invoked by the Gamemasters, who can control the ambient lighting.
204* ''Film/ImACyborgButThatsOk'' ends with a stunning sunrise creating a rainbow over the desolate landscape.
205* Implied in ''Film/JoyRide'': while it's the rain that "makes everything clean again" and ends Rusty Nail's AxCrazy phase, the rain is followed by the sun, which brings a "new day".
206* At the end of ''Film/JurassicWorld'', the ''UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex'' roars victoriously as the sun rises over the now-abandoned park.
207* In slasher movies ''Film/JustBeforeDawn'' and ''Film/HellNight'', the climax happens just before sunrise.
208* The second-to-last scene in ''Film/KeyLargo'' is Nora opening the blinds to let the sun in after the hurricane has passed.
209* ''Film/LemonTreePassage'' ends with [[spoiler:Jordan and Maya]] walking along the road out of the bush with the sun rising behind them. This signifies that the night, and the nightmare they have been battling, is over. This is further cemented when they find their car and it starts the first time.
210* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'':
211** In ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheTwoTowers The Two Towers]]'', when Gandalf and the Rohirrim arrive to save the day. They ride down the hill, bearing down on the Uruk-Hai army, who form lines with spears out, but just before the two groups clash...'''SUNRISE!''' and it is so sudden and so fast that the light from the sun ''blinds the spear-wielding Uruk-Hai on the front line,'' making them turn away, thus enabling the Rohirrim to crash through what is normally a cavalry-charge-breaking defensive tactic. The cinematic effects make it look as if Gandalf helped it along quite a bit, too. Which matches the magic he used for his dramatic reveal earlier. (And to bring the symbolism full-circle, remember that he identified himself as a "wielder of the flame of Anor" to the Balrog. ''Anor'' is the Sindarin name for the sun.)
212--->'''Gandalf:''' A Wizard is never late. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.
213** Also done in ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing The Return of the King]]'' during the Ride of the Rohirrim. As the Rohirrim shout "DEATH!" for the third time, the camera pans out from them, revealing the entire army with the sunrise gloriously shining from behind them (from the wrong direction, but whatever), as music swells up triumphantly.
214* At the end of ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'', the Oracle and Sati are sitting on a bench in a green park under a stunning sunrise. Which was made by Sati ("for Neo"), showing her to be pretty GenreSavvy where symbolism is concerned.
215* ''Film/MishimaALifeInFourChapters'' begins and ends with a sunrise as well as having a plane break through dense clouds during the eponymous characters NoMoreHoldingBackSpeech moment.
216* Used as a BaitAndSwitch moment in the climax of ''Film/MissionImpossibleFallout''. The film gives the impression that [[spoiler: the nuclear bombs they're trying to defuse went off, but it turns out to be the glare from the sun shining over the skies of Kashmir.]]
217* The Rising Sun has long been a symbol of Japan. In ''Film/MorningForTheOsoneFamily'' it takes on a new meaning. The Osones greet Ichiro, who is released after the war following nearly two years in prison. He points out the sunrise, saying "It's a new day for the Osone family...the dawn of Japan." The final shot of the movie shows the sun, here symbolizing the birth of democratic Japan, rising over the ocean.
218* The film ''Film/MorningGlory'' cleverly uses a sunrise shot to close the film - which is very apt as it is about a morning TV show -- and watching protagonists walk into a sunrise is that much more interesting than seeing them ride off into the sunset.
219* In ''[[Film/Napoleon1927 Napoléon]]'', the final night of the Siege of Toulon (UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte's first major feat of arms) is fought during a rain- and hailstorm. After the battle is won, the weather clears up and the sun rises.
220* ''Film/ThePhantomOfCrestwood'' ends with the sun coming up, the killer dead and the police planes arriving as Esther and Frank kiss.
221* ''Film/PrideAndPrejudice2005'' ends with Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth confessing their love for each other at dawn, finally embracing as the sun comes up.
222* In ''Film/TheProposition'', a sunset coincides with [[spoiler:the shooting of primary villain Arthur Burns. Although Not Quite Dead, he spends his last few minutes going outside to watch the sunset. Charlie, who just shot him, goes and watches it with him.]]
223* In the Patrick Bergin/Creator/UmaThurman [[Film/RobinHood1991 1991 film version]] of ''Myth/RobinHood'', the sun doesn't shine until the Norman/Saxon rift begins to heal with the marriage of Robin and Marian.
224* Satirized in Creator/BusterKeaton's ''Film/TheScarecrow''. The opening title, "Slowly and majestically the sun steals gradually over the hill-tops," is followed by the sun shooting straight up from the horizon and then hanging in place.
225* In Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/SleepyHollow1999'', the shots of Ichabod Crane heading for Sleepy hollow are dark and gloomy, and the sunlight is NEVER seen in Sleepy Hollow itself, but only when those same shots are repeated as Ichabod [[spoiler:and Katrina]] are heading back for New York City.
226* ''Film/{{Slither}}'': The three survivors of the alien ParasiteZombie [[ZombieApocalypse Apocalypse]] make their way towards a hospital after the sunrise following the defeat of the BigBad.
227* Subverted in ''Film/SocietyOfTheSnow''. As Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 tries desperately to fly out of the ravine, there's a HopeSpot when a passenger is staring out the window at the mountain rushing past only to be blinded by a burst of sunlight as they climb above the clouds...and then their wing and tail section smashes into the ridge.
228* ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'': "Nice dissolve!" They go on to be rescued by the Dinks and meet Yogurt later that day.
229* Luke Skywalker watches a sunrise in one of the last scenes of ''Film/TheLastJedi,'' indicating that hope is returning to the galaxy, and also providing a lovely CallBack to the binary sunset [[Film/ANewHope all those years ago]]. It also serves as a transition because [[spoiler: he dies just after]].
230* ''Film/ThirteenDays'': In the climax when they're not sure if the next day will start nuclear war or resolve the situation, a shot of an exploding nuke is shown which morphs into the rising sun.
231* At the end of ''Film/TronLegacy'', Sam shows Quorra something she so eagerly wanted to see for herself: a sunrise. She's enraptured by the sight. In some theaters, the house lights were brought up with the sun.
232* ''Film/TheTrumanShow'' does, in fact, have a moment like this, but it is not in fact when the line is spoken. It's right when the storm lets up in the climax that is the true example.
233* In the movie ''Film/{{Westworld}}'', the technicians watch for sunrise, and cue all the robots to start up at the instant where the sun rises above the horizon. A western town is frozen in mid-movement, then everything starts up when the sun rises.
234* ''Film/JohnWickChapter4'': John proposes that he sets the duel with [[BigBad Marquis de Gramont]] at sunrise. And sure enough, the final showdown indeed occurs right on sunrise.
235[[/folder]]
236
237[[folder:Folklore]]
238* Some older Arthurian legends claim that Sir Gawain's strength rose and fell with the sun. So he was strongest at noon and weakest at midnight. Understandably, he fought mostly in the late morning.
239[[/folder]]
240
241[[folder:Literature]]
242* ''Literature/{{Belgariad}}'': With a loud "Behold!", Belgarath commands the sun to rise in a far northern land, in the dead of winter, causing the demon summoners who are busy summoning demons to lose their concentration, with naturally fatal results. Naturally, it was a rather neat illusion on Belgarath's part.
243-->"Behold!" I thundered--augmenting my voice, I'll admit--and I pointed dramatically toward the south. I didn't want the moon or the northern lights lessening the impact of what I was going to do.\
244Then, posing like a charlatan in a country fair, I spoke the words that released my Will in a voice they probably heard in Kell.\
245"Rise up!" I roared--and the sun came up.\
246Beat\
247Oh, come now. You know better than that. Nobody can order the sun around. Don't be so gullible.\
248It looked like the sun, though. It was a very good illusion, even if I do say so myself.
249* ''Literature/BookOfTheNewSun'': Severian stands to be executed over a misunderstanding until an apparent miracle makes it appear that he both delayed and caused the sunrise.
250* In Richard Ellis Preston Jr.'s ''Literature/ChroniclesOfThePneumaticZeppelin'' novel ''Romulus Buckle and the Engines of War'', when Romulus sees the "dawning bore" -- a flood of colors -- he feels new hope that Max will live.
251* Tavi cues the sun in ''Literature/CodexAlera'' Book 3. He orders his windcrafters to part the clouds and reveal the sun at high noon. He does this so the windcrafters can shape the air into a giant magnifying glass and fry the Canim like ants.
252* In Creator/DevonMonk's ''Literature/DeadIron'', the sun comes from behind the clouds just as Mae sets out to the Madder brothers'. She takes it as a good omen.
253* In ''Literature/{{Deryni}} Rising'', Kelson invokes this in his coronation duel with Charissa, [[spoiler:calling the sun to appear to help him kill one of her monsters, then calling on the skies to darken until he finished her]]. Afterward, the sun reappears to cast the same pool of multicoloured light on the floor (from a stained glass window), and people in the congregation murmur, thinking it's still dangerous. Kelson moves to stand in it before summoning Morgan and Duncan to join him there.
254* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
255** In ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}'', the sun rises just as Susan saves the Hogfather's life. [[spoiler:This is important, because if the Hogfather hadn't been saved the sun wouldn't have risen. Had she failed, [[NoManOfWomanBorn a mere ball of flaming gas would have illuminated the world]].]] Then again, given the Literature/{{Discworld}}'s dependence on [[TheoryOfNarrativeCausality Narrative Causality]], the difference between the two is probably more than semantic.
256** The final line of ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'' is "And the world turned toward morning."
257** At the end of ''Literature/{{Pyramids}}'', [[spoiler:Pteppic]] causes the sun to rise, which brings Djelibeybi back into contact with the outside world.
258*** It's more subtle than that. It's a sort of RunningGag that may or may not be true, due to the Discworld's NarrativeCausality, that the pharaoh causes the sun to rise. The pharaoh himself is kind of uncertain about this, but all the priests assure him it's true. Even the way it's done in the book leaves it up to the reader to determine whether or not it was a coincidence.
259* ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'': Dante and Virgil emerge from Hell when "Daybreak defeats darkness's last hour" and they then start heading over to God's place.
260* ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'': {{Subverted}}. The titular villain's appearances are foreshadowed by the sunset, and he gets killed at ''sundown''.
261* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Sunrise has significant magical power. Because of its symbolism of renewal, it tends to wash away existing magics, even quite strong ones, so most spells will end at dawn unless enforced or protected. As well, intensely magical beings such as ghosts, vampires and some otherworldly beings cannot bear the sunrise, and will be destroyed or forced out of the mortal plane unless they can find shelter.
262* In Creator/JohnCWright's ''Literature/TheGoldenOecumene'', Phaethon defies Atkins -- "Let them try" -- just when the dawnlight came to hit his armor and make it gleam.
263* ''Literature/HappyBirthdayToYou'': The Birthday Bird is implied to show up around this time in the "brightening sky" but, with "not all awake".
264* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'': In the final battle, the morning sun rises while Harry and Voldemort are talking to each other, and it's the cue they use to attack for the last time.
265* In ''Literature/TheLionsOfAlRassan'', there is a climactic duel between the champions of two armies at sunset. This is absolutely full of symbolism, given that one side is the sun-worshiping Jaddites, and the other is the star-worshiping Asharites. True to form, [[spoiler:the Asharite wins as the sun sets.]]
266* ''{{Literature/Malevil}}'':
267** The world suffers from TheNightThatNeverEnds after WorldWarIII. The survivors struggle to survive for several months before two events give them hope for the future: confirmation of other survivors and the first rain since the war is non-radioactive. Just as everything is finally looking up, the sun finally breaks through the ash and the world truly begins to heal.
268** Near the end, during [[spoiler:Emmanuel's KangarooCourt trial at Fulbert's hands. The setting sun comes through the chapel's stained glass window behind Emmanuel and he feels the light emanating from around him and illuminating the room as he turns the trial against Fulbert]].
269* Perhaps not as epic as some, but after spending a stormy night stranded on an island inside a rickety, smelly shack, Bobby Marks wakes up to find the sun rising over Rumson Lake for a calm, clear day. It marks the turning point of his character development in ''Literature/OneFatSummer''.
270* In ''Literature/ThePaleKing'', Creator/DavidFosterWallace says that a rural Midwest sunrise is as soft and romantic as someone's abruptly hitting the lights in a darkened room.
271* In ''Literature/ThePhantomTollbooth'', our protagonist, Milo, runs into Chroma the Great, conductor of the orchestra that gives light to the world (It's a bit metaphysical.) Chroma's job early in the morning is to cue the sunrise, and during the final battle, he whips up an epic light show.
272* ''Literature/{{Soulmate}}'' ends with Hannah and Thierry watching the sunrise together. As they note, this is significant because it's the first time in any of her incarnations Hannah has seen the sun rise on her 17th birthday, symbolizing a new beginning and happier future for the couple.
273* Happens occasionally in ''Literature/TheSquiresTales'', which runs with the legend of Sir Gawain's strength growing with the sun. Most dramatically during the final battle, when Gawain charges into the battle between [[spoiler:Arthur and Mordred's armies]] alone as the sun rises, shining off the Sword Galatine. [[spoiler:He [[DyingMomentOfAwesome doesn't survive it]].]]
274* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
275** Creator/MattStover's ''Literature/{{Shatterpoint}}'': In the climax, as [[EverybodysDeadDave everyone is dying]], and a fallen Jedi gains the upper hand over Mace Windu, dawn arrives just as Mace and his allies are able to call off the droid starfighters holding the planet's capital city hostage.
276--->In the skies over Pelek Baw, as the snowcap on Grandfather's Shoulder kindled with the first red rays of dawn, droid starfighters disengaged from clone-piloted ships and streaked back into the depths of space.\
277In the command bunker, the swirl of dark power crested, paused, and began to recede.
278** Stover's ''Literature/LukeSkywalkerAndTheShadowsOfMindor'', has, near the end, a scene where Han and Leia sit outside the ''Millennium Falcon'' waiting for the world to end. They could fly off the planet, but they can't escape -- [[NoWarpingZone gravity well generators]] are preventing escape into hyperspace and causing massive solar flares, massive solar flares are killing everything that isn't shielded by the bulk of Mindor, and the bulk of Mindor is about to [[EarthShatteringKaboom go to pieces]]. Everything that they could do has been done, and they don't know what Luke is doing. So they decide to sit outside, have a picnic, get in a LastKiss, and watch the sunrise, thinking these would be their last moments. [[spoiler:They aren't.]]
279* In ''Literature/{{Steelheart}}'', near the end of the final fight. Has more than symbolic significance, because it also shows that Nightwielder is dead.
280* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'':
281** ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'':
282*** At the end of the War of the Ring, Aragorn and the rest's HeroicSacrifice at the gates of Mordor is averted, when the successful destruction of The One Ring causes the perpetual cloud cover to dissipate, letting the sun break through -- and sending the bad guys fleeing in panic.
283*** The dramatic high point of the Siege of Gondor turns around the sun rising during the confrontation between Gandalf and the Witch-King of Angmar in the ruins of the main gate of Minas Tirith. Also the simultaneous charge of the Rohirrim during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
284*** Helm's Deep: Gandalf said "Await me at Helm's Gate!" Erkenbrand and Gandalf are specifically noted as arriving from the west, while on the east the valley is said to be "too sheer and stony" for anyone to escape. Further, they only actually arrive while Saruman's hosts are already in retreat.
285*** As dawn breaks, Aragorn speaks to the orcs and tells them they should flee. They mock him, but he says that every dawn brings a new hope.
286** ''Literature/TheFallOfGondolin'': Both the sun's rising and falling are played for drama. The people of Gondolin are celebrating a night festival as waiting for the sunrise, when they see a red glow coming from the mountains...in the North. The Gondolindrim are wondering about the origin of those lights when they realize that they are caused by the fires of Morgoth's army heading towards their city, and their amazement changes in dread. When the real sun rises in the East, it looks very red and large due to the smoke of the burning city and fields. Some few hours later, the survivors of the battle watch the last remains of their city burning while the sun sets.
287** ''Literature/BerenAndLuthien'': When Lúthien strides into the dungeons of Sauron's fortress, she finds Beren lying motionless upon Finrod's body. Thinking him already dead, she leans about him and hugs him. Beren then stirs, and "Beren coming back to the light out of the pits of despair lifted her up, and they looked again upon one another; and the day rising over the dark hills shone upon them."
288** In ''Literature/TheHobbit'', Bilbo is caught by three trolls, and the dwarves are captured in their turn when they arrive to find out what has become of him. While Bilbo escapes to hide in a bush during the fight with the dwarves, he can do nothing but listen helplessly while the trolls argue about how to cook them; but Gandalf, unseen, keeps re-igniting the argument until sun-up when he shouts, "Dawn take you all!" and they turn to stone in the sunlight.
289** ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'':
290*** The first Sunrise signals the awakening of the race of Men, in a suitably dramatic passage.
291*** There's even a Cue the ''Moon''. It first appeared at the same time the Noldor reached the end of the Grinding Ice.
292----> "and Fingolfin unfurled his blue and silver banners, and blew his horns, and flowers sprang beneath his marching feet, and the ages of the stars were ended."
293* In ''The Ugly Swans'' by Creator/StrugatskyBrothers, the city of Tashlinsk is perpetually clouded. When The children take the city over and baddies flee, the sun evaporates the clouds, [[spoiler:the proceeds to evaporate the old city.]]
294** In ''Literature/TheDoomedCity'', the artificial sun is re-ignited just as [[spoiler:the revolution caused by its malfunction has reached its peak.]]
295* In Creator/GrahamMcNeill's ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' Literature/HorusHeresy novel ''Fulgrim'', [[spoiler:Lucius]], having [[TurnCoat betrayed them]] and [[spoiler:[[FriendOrFoe tricked him into killing loyalist Space Marines]]]], [[DyingAlone walks away from the dying Solomon Demeter]]. Solomon is glad of the peace, but sees the diminishing light and feels as the world was marking his death.
296* Rand al'Thor in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'':
297** Rand al'Thor is apparently the prophesied leader of every diverse group of people in the world. Sucks for them that he's destined to destroy them as a result. Anyway, one of said groups, the Aiel, know him as (among other things) "He Who Comes With the Dawn." After journeying to an ancient city to prove his identity to them, he returns, successful (though battered) at, you guessed it, sunrise.
298** Another example involving Rand comes at the end of ''The Gathering Storm'', where after absorbing enough ''saidin'' to break the world out of his anger and self-pity, he also gathers a mass of storm clouds overhead. When [[spoiler:after a dramatic moment of redemption he truly laughs for the first time since declaring himself the Dragon Reborn]], the sun breaks through the clouds. This is especially poignant since the sun had not been seen for a long time due to the Dark One touching the world.
299** Similarly in "Towers of Midnight," because of what happens in "The Gathering Storm" where ever [[spoiler:he or Elayne (who is bearing his children) are,]] there is a ring of sunlight.
300* ''Literature/WarriorCats'':
301** The final book of the original series, ''The Darkest Hour'', ends with the sun rising after Firestar defeats [=BloodClan=] and their murderous, Nietzsche-esque leader Scourge.
302--->...and it seemed to Firestar that no dawn had ever been brighter.
303** The final book of ''The New Prophecy'', titled ''Sunset'', ends with the sun rising after Brambleclaw reaffirms his loyalty to Firestar and the Clan by killing his evil brother Hawkfrost.
304[[/folder]]
305
306[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
307* Subverted in the ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'' Episode "4,722 Hours"; there was no sunrise on the planet Maveth, and after her third day on the harsh alien world Simmons was driven to tears, shouting "Where's the sun?" Later played straight in "Chaos Theory", which ends with Fitz and Simmons watching a sunrise together, establishing that whatever Simmons may feel for Will, she still has feelings for Fitz.
308* Done for TearJerker effect in ''Series/BabylonFive'' in the final episode where [[TheHero John Sheridan]], knowing he is going to die very, very soon, rises early to watch his final sunrise, accidentally waking Delenn ([[InterspeciesRomance his wife]]). It becomes truly heartbreaking at the end, where we find that Delenn would get up early every day, for the rest of her life, to watch the sun rising as her way of keeping John alive in her memories.
309** Later, after he goes to Coriana 6, where he spends his final hours, [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Lorien]] visits him. As he tells Sheridan it's time to rest a bright light fills the ship.
310-->'''Sheridan''': Well, look at that. The sun's coming up.
311* Inversion: In the Season 3 denouement of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', the Mayor's ascension was immediately preceded by an eclipse.
312** Another Inversion, an example of the sun ''not'' coming out being interpreted as a good sign. During an unusual heatwave around Christmas, on Christmas eve Angel ([[TakeOurWordForIt for complicated reasons]]) decides to kill himself by standing on a hill as the sun comes up, claiming that the world doesn't want him in it. After an argument with Buffy who is trying to talk him out of it, the sun doesn't rise. Instead, it starts snowing. This is treated as a miracle as it saves Angel's life but [[FridgeLogic doesn't this mean that Buffy will have to work overtime?]]
313** Definitely subverted in the episode "The Harvest":
314--->'''Luke:''' You forgot, metal can't hurt me.
315--->'''Buffy:''' There's something you forgot about, too. Sunrise!
316--->(''Buffy throws a mike stand through the window behind Luke. Luke cringes instinctively as light pours through. Then he looks up and sees it's only a lamp. Just as this realization sinks in, Buffy stakes him from behind.'')
317--->'''Buffy:''' It's in about nine hours, moron.
318** Played straight in the Season 5 finale, where the sunrise signals Buffy's decision to [[spoiler:sacrifice herself to save [[MeaningfulName Dawn]].]]
319** In the MusicalEpisode, Tara steps into the sunlight while singing the lyrics ''Now I'm bathed in light'' during the "Under Your Spell" song.
320* ''Series/TheCrown2016''. In "Act of God", Prime Minister Churchill is summoned before the Queen because his mishandling of the Great Smog of 1952 has caused his ability to lead the country into question. As he waits to see her, the sun shines through the clouds for the first time in days signifying the end of the smog, and the Queen has to change tack and claim she summoned him for another purpose.
321* Done for symbolic and dramatic effect at the end of the ''Series/ForeverKnight'' series finale, to further reinforce the indication of the EveryoneDiesEnding and probably to represent redemption in death.
322* The first season of ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' concluded with Hiro gazing at an eclipse.
323* ''Series/{{Inazuman}} Flash'' ends this way. [[spoiler:After defeating the Despar Army and rescuing Makoto's wife and daughter from Despar City, Goro and Makoto take Makoto's daughter Rumi, who never got to see the sun before due to growing up underground, up to the surface so she can witness the sunrise.]]
324* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': "[[Recap/InterviewWithTheVampire2022S1E4TheRuthlessPursuitOfBloodWithAllA ...The Ruthless Pursuit of Blood with All a Child's Demanding]]" opens with the sun rising above the Dubai desert which fills up the screen. This is as safe as it gets for humans from the threat of vampires because the latter are WeakenedByTheLight. However, the daytime doesn't necessarily mean that Daniel Molloy is free of vampiric danger due to the sunlight-blocking shielded windows of Louis de Pointe du Lac's penthouse apartment, which allows Louis to be active during the day if he so chooses. On this particular morning, though, Louis has decided to rest.
325* ''Series/IShouldntBeAlive'': At the climax of "Alaskan Avalanche", everything seems bleak. The pilot of the plane which crashed into the glacier and his wife are losing hope, Jim and Dave are on the verge of death after struggling to make it to the same glacier, and the low clouds mean rescue planes can't reach them. Then, miraculously, a break in the clouds comes just as one of the rescue planes flies over the glacier, and everyone makes it off the mountain alive!
326* ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'': Just as Emu's [[IncorruptiblePurePureness faith]] was [[DarkestHour starting to break]], sunrise shone on [[spoiler: Taiga]]'s unconscious body on life support, confirming his survival after the harrowing night that the CR crew spent fighting for his life.
327* ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'':
328** Zigg-zagged when the sunrise comes right at the moment Misora and Ryuga find out that [[spoiler: Sawa]] handed over vital data to the enemy, potentially ruinning any chances of Sento winning. As it turns out, [[spoiler: she]] spilled the beans to him about being forced to betray the team and they made counter meassures. Sento then procceeds to pull out some extras and win with ease.
329** Played straight when the sun comes out from behind the clouds upon [[spoiler: Sento]]'s return after being missing for several episodes, underscoring how the events are about to change in the heroes' favor.
330* Shows up a few times in ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''. Lokar's very presence darkens the sky, so when he's defeated it clears up. Also marks the turning of the tide in the Globbor and Dischordia fights in the third season. Especially in the Dischordia fight. Ninjor and the Ninja and Shogun Megazords get back on their feet, the sky clears, and then both Megazords charge and deck Dischordia, followed by an epic beatdown.
331* In ''Series/MyNameIsEarl,'' the sun shines on Randy just as he realizes that his purpose in life is to help Earl complete The List. Earl points out that it's just the sun shining through a window in the jail where they're visiting an old friend. Randy replies, "Yeah, but it's shinin' just for me!"
332* In ''Series/ThePillarsOfTheEarth'', a monk tries to persuade a group of soldiers to allow workers to return to a quarry to cut stones for a cathedral. He arrives at the quarry right before dawn on purpose, so when the leader of the soldiers is about to strike him down with his sword, the sun rises behind him and reflects on the golden cross in the monk's hand.
333* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'':
334** In "Bugs", this trope saves the day, even though it's only a few minutes since the sun set!
335** In "[[Recap/SupernaturalS02E16Roadkill Roadkill]]", it's almost dawn when [[spoiler:[[Characters/SupernaturalGhosts Molly]]]] realizes [[spoiler:she]]'s been DeadAllAlong and that [[spoiler:she]] let go and move on. She disappears into the afterlife just as the sun breaks and touches her.
336** {{Subverted}} in "[[Recap/SupernaturalS02E17Heart Heart]]". The sun is seen rising over the San Francisco skyline and reflects off the window Sam, Dean, and Madison are staring out of. They assume this means Madison is cured of her lycanthropy as she didn't transform the entire night, but they're proven wrong, leading into the DownerEnding.
337* ''Series/TheWarOfTheWorlds2019'': Experiments with typhoid bacteria have shown that Earth diseases can kill off the [[AlienKudzu red weed]]. In an act of despair, Amy smashes the cloches they have set up to protect the experiment, only to find a [[HopeSproutsEternal green Earth plant growing]] among the dead Martian weed. Amy then looks up as a hole in the clouds lets the sun through, [[RayOfHopeEnding and the series ends]].
338[[/folder]]
339
340[[folder:Machinima]]
341* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'': At the end of "Consequences", the sun rises just after [[BountyHunter Siris]] kills [[TheDon Ruben Lozano]].
342-->'''Felix:''' [[LampshadeHanging Tch. Nature's so fucking cliché.]]
343[[/folder]]
344
345[[folder:Music]]
346* The page quote is from Music/TheBeatles and "Here Comes the Sun" from ''Music/AbbeyRoad'', in which George is actually singing about springtime as the season of new life and renewal.
347* The triumphant appearance of the sun marks the climax of the Music/LedZeppelin song, "The Battle of Evermore" from ''Music/LedZeppelinIV''. This song is about [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings The Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], though, so that's quite appropriate.
348* The ending to Music/{{Metallica}}'s "The Unforgiven II": "Lay beside me, tell me what I've done / The door is closed, so are your eyes, but now I see the sun"
349* Music/KateBush's "Cloudbusting".
350* "The Day Begins", the opening poem of ''Music/DaysOfFuturePassed'', the first ConceptAlbum by Music/TheMoodyBlues, ends with the narrator calling for the sun (by way of invoking its [[Myth/GreekMythology ancient personification]]):
351-->''Brave Helios, wake up your steeds''\
352''Bring the warmth the countryside needs''
353* "Sonne" by Music/{{Rammstein}} is a [[PyroManiac love song to the sun]]. "Sie ist der hellste sterrrrrn von allen!"
354* Music/JohnMackey's "Aurora Awakes".
355* The finale of Music/ArnoldSchoenberg's "Gurrelieder", with the huge 8-part choir (and the 150-piece orchestra) singing "see, the sun!"
356* "Chasing the Sun", by The Wanted. As fits the trope's spirit, it is hopeful and highly energetic.
357* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] in Music/DavidBowie's "Memory of a Free Festival": "[[EpicRocking The sun machine is coming down, and we're going to have a party...]]"
358* ''Music/AnthemOfTheSun'' by Music/TheGratefulDead mentions the sun several times on the album and sunrise in "Born Cross-Eyed".
359* "Sunrise" by Music/UriahHeep'' is about how the sunrise doesn't bring the protagonist joy, because "it's another day without you."
360* In"First Day of My Life" by Music/BrightEyes, the narrator feels born anew thanks to ThePowerOfLove, and nature responds in kind:
361-->''I went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed,''
362-->''They're spreading blankets on the beach.''
363* Music/{{Swans}} has a number of songs about or referencing the sun, often in a negative context as is typical for Swans' work - "God Damn The Sun" (a song cursing the sun for shedding its light upon an undeserving world), "Song For The Sun" (portraying the sun as a fickle god who leaves the singer miserable), "I Am The Sun" (portraying the sun as a malevolent force which causes all the cruelty in the world), "Bring The Sun" (a long, droning anthem repeatedly shouting the title lyric), and the upcoming "Sunfucker". The sunrise is also mentioned in a rather... ''oblique'' way in the song "A Piece of the Sky":
364-->''In the blood of the swans''
365-->''As the sun fucks the dawn.''
366* Subverted in "Every Time The Sun Comes Up" by Music/SharonVanEtten, who sings that ''even'' when the sun rises she's still unhappy and in trouble.
367* Subverted in "Blue Sunny Day" by Music/JonathanCoulton, about a depressed vampire who's standing outside closer and closer to dawn, until the sun finally rises and they blow away in a puff of dust.
368[[/folder]]
369
370[[folder:Religion]]
371* ''Literature/TheBible'':
372** In ''Literature/BookOfJoshua'', Joshua commands "Stand still, O sun, at Gibeon, O moon, in the Valley of Aijalon!" so that his troops will have enough light to finish their battle.
373** ''Literature/BookOfGenesis'': ''And God said, '''Let there be light!''' And there was light.''
374[[/folder]]
375
376[[folder:Role-Playing Games]]
377* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}''
378** As one of the more prominent gods of the setting is called the Unconquered Sun and the default {{Splat}} consists of his chosen, the Solar Exalted, this trope crops up a lot.
379** One of the best has to be the suggested climax to the Return of the Scarlet Empress campaign. [[spoiler:Following the Unconquered Sun's death, a huge alliance of all non-Reclamation Exalts charges in to fight the Ebon Dragon under the blood-red orb of the Daystar. The Ebon Dragon is smirking because he's unkillable while Holy is offline, and the Unconquered Sun governs that particular power...and then a Sidereal promotes someone to replace him, and the Ebon Dragon craps himself as the red eye in the heavens blazes once again with golden fire.]]
380* The last night of ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'' version two doesn't end until [[spoiler:Bryan Calvert]] has finally won and is being airlifted off the island. Only then does the sun finally start to rise, as if confirming that [[spoiler:his]] fight for survival is over.
381[[/folder]]
382
383[[folder:Theatre]]
384* An ironic version in ''Theatre/{{Finale}}'', as the characters walk [[spoiler:to their deaths]] into the [[spoiler:burning]] sunset.
385* In ''Theatre/TheMagicFlute'', the Queen of the Night is defeated when Sarastro, Tamino, and Pamina arrive along with the sun.
386* ''Theatre/{{Pippin}}'' has a disturbing use of this trope in its final scene. The Players tell Pippin to "think about the sun" as they bring on a backdrop depicting the sun and a lot of stage lighting as encouragement for him to commit SelfImmolation.
387[[/folder]]
388
389[[folder:Video Games]]
390* ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'': The sun rises during the final mission; if you shoot down the optional fighters quickly enough, your wingmen remark on the beautiful sunrise and the hope they have for the future.
391* ''VideoGame/AdvanceWarsDaysOfRuin'' takes place in a [[AfterTheEnd meteor-devastated Earth]] covered in clouds of dust and ash. The sun rising in the epilogue is a pretty big deal. As a bonus, the final level is called Sunrise.
392* ''VideoGame/AlanWake's American Nightmare'': Seeing this happen is the entire point of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Fight 'Til Dawn]] mode. Each round starts ten minutes before dawn and ends at sunrise (when the light kills every Taken on the field). Also, in the story mode, you kill [[BigBad Mr. Scratch]] by [[spoiler:luring him in front of a film projector and playing a movie of Alan and Alice watching the sun rise.]]
393* ''VideoGame/BloodRayne2'': The plot revolves around a group of vampires creating an artificial cloud barrier called the Shroud which would block out the sun's rays and allow them and their demonic minions to wander the earth freely. Interestingly, they accomplish this, and the Shroud seems for the moment anyway to be permanent (Rayne going so far as to say that she felt "for some reason" like everything would go back to normal after she killed the final boss). The last cutscene shows a SequelHook that implies a third game about a Rayne-led organization that defends humanity in this vampire-ruled world.
394* ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'': The "Light of Dawn" solo causes the rising sun to appear and motivate your on-field troops. It can only be played by Eddie.
395* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'': In most games, when you finally defeat the BigBad {{Dracula}}, the sun will come up moments later to herald the endgame cutscene.
396** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIISimonsQuest'': Dawn is always heralded by the (unskippable, slowly scrolling onscreen) message "THE MORNING SUN HAS VANQUISHED THE HORRIBLE NIGHT".
397** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaOrderOfEcclesia'': The above and this trope are referenced when Shanoa is about to storm Dracula's castle.
398---> '''Shanoa''': I am the morning sun, come to vanquish this horrible night!
399* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'': In the [[AfterTheEnd post-apocalyptic future]], one of your quests later in the game takes you to the peak of Death Peak. When you reach the summit [[spoiler:and bring Crono BackFromTheDead]], the sun peeks out from behind the thick cloud cover.
400* ''VideoGame/CombatInstinct'': The sun rises as 3's FinalBoss is [[DoubleTap Double Tapped]].
401* Although ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' is Always Night, during the last few levels you can see that the sun is starting to rise. Also ties in perfectly with Morgan Everett's "Badass Creed" end speech.
402* When you defeat VideoGame/{{Diablo|III}} for the third and final time, the dawn slowly breaks over ''[[spoiler:heaven itself]]''.
403* ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'' first pulls a subversion, then plays it straight in its finale. [[spoiler:Due to a string of events, the black sun has begun absorbing the data of the Earth into itself meaning that the heroes have to fix it before sunrise or else everyone will be erased by it. They manage to pull it of leading to it being played straight when the people left behind see the sun rising over the horizon, now back to normal]].
404* The final battle in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' opens with the Ferelden army charging the Darkspawn with the dawn at their backs.
405** {{Subverted|Trope}} in the DLC ''The Darkspawn Chronicles'', in which you play as a [[VillainProtagonist Darkspawn Hurlock Vanguard]]. In this case, the sun rises, but [[BigBad Urthemiel]] has won the day, [[YouBastard thanks to you.]] [[TheBadGuyWins Enjoy the victory of the Blight.]]
406** The main campaign of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' ends with the Inquisitor (and their {{love interest}}, if any) watching the sunrise from their balcony. It's a CallBack to the earlier CrowdSong "The Dawn Will Come."
407* ''VideoGame/{{DragonFable}}'' inverts this at the end of its first chapter, with the sun being eaten by a giant skeletal dragon.
408* The first part of ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' is set at night. When you properly set out on your quest after learning the stakes you're dealing with, the sun rises.
409* ''VideoGame/EnderLiliesQuietusOfTheKnights'' involves the Blight, a neverending rain that turns anyone it touches into an undead monstrosity along with fusing them into whatever animals are nearby. [[GoldenEnding Ending C]] has the Blight finally ending and the sun shining for the first time in so long.
410* The ''VideoGame/{{Enigmatis}}'' trilogy ends with a scene of [[spoiler:the detective, her close friend Rick, and the resident HeartwarmingOrphan watching the sunrise from the ruins of a Himalayan monastery]].
411* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy''
412** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'': Yuna and co. put on a concert in the Thunder Plains, where it is ''always'' rainy and stormy. During the song "1000 Words," [[spoiler:visions of Lenne, Shuyin, Zanarkand, and Vegnagun appear]], and then at the end of the song the sun breaks through the clouds [[spoiler:as Yuna collapses.]]
413** Inverted with ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' and the ''Shadowbringers'' expansion. The parallel universe world of The First is bathed in eternal light. The night-time sky has not been seen in over 100 years. As the story progresses, the Warrior of Light can restore the normal day/night cycle to various areas on the First by defeating the [[MiniBoss Lightwarden]] residing in those areas. After the fight, the post-battle cutscene shows the eternal daytime replaced with a star-filled night sky, to the amazed and joyous cries of the locals, [[FirstTimeInTheSun none of whom have ever seen the night sky]].
414** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'': [[spoiler:when the game ends, the sun rises over Eos for the first time in over ten years.]]
415* Inverted in the Final level of ''VideoGame/FreeSpace2''. As you try everything you can to get at least some of the fleeing ships to the jump point before they are picked off by shivan ships before the system is cut off from hyperspace to trap the shivan fleet, the small star in the distance suddenly starts to grow bigger and brighter, leaving you only half a minute to reach the jump point before the explosion reaches you.
416* Occurs at the end of ''VideoGame/GodOfWarIII''. [[spoiler:This is the only implication that, even after [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Kratos wrecked the planet out of revenge]], the world might be coming back together.]]
417* The ending for ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}Gaiden'' features this.
418* The sun rises as you leave Ravenholm in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''.
419* The arena for the TrueFinalBoss of ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'', which you enter after trawling through dark caverns the entire time, is the only place in the game where the sun shines. [[spoiler:Only it's not really the sun. When Challenging it, it suddenly sprouts wings, revealing it to be ''the boss itself.'']]
420* The sun is one of the enemies in ''VideoGame/IWannaBeTheTribute''.
421* The final battle in ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxterThePrecursorLegacy'' takes place during nighttime. The sun rises during the cutscene after winning.
422* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'': The sun rises behind [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 Simba]] as he decides to go back to the Pride Lands to take his rightful place as king.
423* The final boss of ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'' is fought high in the sky, with a gigantic moon in the background. In the end, Kirby is grabbed and hopeless until Dedede comes to bring him his EleventhHourSuperpower. From that point on, [[CurbStompBattle the battle definitely turns to Kirby's advantage]], and the rest of it is fought in front of a glorious sunrise.
424* After the game took place entirely during the night, the campaign "Blood Harvest" in ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' ends with the sun rising over the horizon as the survivors escape the zombies. Granted, the [[FromBadToWorse survivors go through a]] ''[[FromBadToWorse lot]]'' [[FromBadToWorse more crap after that,]] but as far as the video game goes, this was their happy (or, at least, ''relieving'') ending.
425* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', the Sun's Song is one of the [[MagicMusic melodies]] you learn on your ocarina, and it even [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV3f5mv47OA plays]] on the Hyrule Field overworld every time the sun rises naturally, too. Link can use this ocarina tune to summon the sunrise if he's in Hyrule Field at night, and doing so makes [[WeakenedByTheLight nocturnal enemies]] such as Stalchildren and Poes disappear. It can also temporarily freeze Re-Deads and Gibdos.
426* Used heavily in the GoldenEnding's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIFiy51T8IE Credits]] of ''VideoGame/LiveALive''.
427* Entries in the ''VideoGame/{{Lunar}}'' series have a penchant for filing the sky with [[AStormIsComing ominous clouds]] (or even [[DarkIsEvil blotting out the sun]]) as the finale approaches.
428** The ending of ''[[VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar Lunar: Silver Star Story]]'' follows through by sweeping the dark clouds away to reveal the sun. All's well that ends well!
429** ''VideoGame/LunarEternalBlue'' cues the sun for a different purpose: near the end of the game, the sun emerges from the clouds to signify that FallenHero [[spoiler:Ghaleon]]'s efforts at [[TheAtoner atonement]] have been acknowledged by [[PowersThatBe someone upstairs]].
430* ''VideoGame/MassEffect3:'' The final level is set in London, with a perpetually overcast sky. Once the Catalyst is activated, and provided the player has done well enough that it works properly, sunlight breaks through the clouds.
431* ''VideoGame/MinecraftStoryMode'': [[spoiler:After Jesse finally slays the Wither Storm, the sun comes out. Justified as the Wither Storm was blotting it out.]]
432* At the end of the Story Mode in ''VideoGame/{{Mortal Kombat|9}}'', after Raiden [[spoiler:defeats Shao Kahn and the Elder Gods take him away]], the sun shines down on him, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade.
433* The first ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' game ends with Ryu and Irene watching a sunrise and Ryu saying "Look, the sun is rising. Everything is so bright now. The darkness is finally over." The third game also ends with a sunrise.
434* Played subtly in ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'' during the boss fight with Captain Vladimir, a ghostly, laser-firing cosmonaut lost in time who believes he's still stranded in space. The initial encounter begins in the dead of night, but as the battle progresses and you deplete more of his health, the sun very gradually starts to peek up from the horizon. When he's defeated -- [[AlasPoorVillain peacefully breaking from his trance and realizing he's back on Earth]] -- he gets one last look at the breaking dawn before [[DisappearsIntoLight he fades away]].
435* In the SurvivalHorror game ''VideoGame/ObsCure II'', the FinalBoss is fought just as the sun is starting to rise. Given that the monsters in the game are WeakenedByTheLight, this is your clue (in case the [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity large stack of guns and ammo]] you found just before entering the boss arena wasn't enough) that you're about to enter TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
436* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'': This is one of your powers in the game, as you are playing the incarnation of the sun goddess. Very early in the game, you summon the Sun just to dry somebody's laundry...
437** A more textbook example is in the fight with Orochi when you dramatically summon the moon to match the legend of Orochi's original defeat. [[spoiler:Later you're sent back in time to the first fight with Orochi, and do the dramatic moon-summoning that makes its way into the legend.]]
438** The ultimate example comes during the FinalBattle: [[spoiler:even after being restored to her greatest glory by a CombinedEnergyAttack from all of Nippon, Amaterasu is still unable to harm Yami, Emperor of Darkness, in any way, even despite the ThemeMusicPowerUp. The only way to make it vulnerable (and, indeed, make it ''lethally vulnerable'') is to use Ammy's most basic skill, Sunrise, which pierces Yami's Eclipse and makes it writhe in pain]].
439* The final stage of ''[[VideoGame/OsuTatakaeOuendan Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2]]'' finds the sun burning out and catastrophic ice storms engulfing the planet. The rival cheerleader squads finally join forces and [[CombinedEnergyAttack channel the positive feelings of everyone on Earth]] to reinvigorate the sun, while music plays. Upon the song's completion, the sun rises from the gloom and the world is saved, making this one of the more literal uses of the trope.
440* ''VideoGame/Persona5'': The first shot immediately after [[spoiler:defeating Yaldabaoth]] is a view of the sun shining straight through [[spoiler:the bullet hole Joker and Satanael just shot through his head]].
441* In the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games there are moves called "Morning Sun" and "Sunny Day"; the former recovers half the HP of a Pokémon (all of it when it's bright out), while the latter powers up Fire attacks and certain Grass Pokémon.
442** Many Grass Pokémon are typically taught Sunny Day and Solarbeam in tandem; under Sunny Day, the charge time for Solarbeam is thrown out, meaning four rounds (or more, if a drought stone or a Pokémon with the Drought ability is sent out) of nonstop solar-powered bombardment.
443** Contrast Rain Dance, which makes it rain. As long as it's raining, Fire attacks and Solar Beam deal ''less'' damage, and Thunder is guaranteed to hit (in Diamond and Pearl, it even penetrates Protect and Detect 30% of the time).
444** In ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers'', the player and their partner are sent into a BadFuture: a world where time has stopped and everything is shrouded in eternal darkness. After managing to find their way back to the present, one of the first things they do is take a moment to watch the sun rise. They then set out to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong and stop the future from happening.
445** The fifth special episode in ''Explorers of Sky'' features side characters Grovyle, Dusknoir, and Celebi all attempting to avert the BadFuture, a prospect that is complicated by their all being from said future (meaning their success will [[RetGone erase them from existence]]). As the episode nears its climax, the player character's actions have begun a DelayedRippleEffect that gradually restarts time around them -- the wind begins to blow again, they start gradually [[DisappearsIntoLight Disappearing Into Light]], and the sky begins to grow lighter. They finally get to see the sun rise just before they all fade away, symbolizing the dawn of a new future.
446* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'': At the end of the final mission [[spoiler:before Arthur Morgan dies of tuberculosis]], if you have high honor then [[spoiler:regardless of whether you help John Marston escape or go for the gang's loot, Arthur will die peacefully while looking at the rising sun]].
447* Happens pretty frequently in ''Franchise/ResidentEvil.''
448** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'' the sun comes up just before you kill the tyrant and Brad shows up in the helicopter to rescue you.
449** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' By the time you evacuate Raccoon City via train, the sun has come up while it was completely dark in all other parts of the game.
450** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis'' The government is going to destroy Raccoon City at dawn, which is exactly when you escape.
451** The sun's arrival plays a more important role in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil0'' You have to open the roof of a landing pad so that the newly risen sun's rays can destroy the FinalBoss.
452* Night falls as the penultimate battle of ''VideoGame/SeriousSam: The Second Encounter'' begins. After you finish killing the lots and lots and lots of monsters present, the sun comes up again.
453* ''VideoGame/{{Shadowgate}}'': After the defeat of the Warlock Lord [[spoiler: by turning the Behemoth against him with the Staff of Ages, leading to the beast dragging the Warlock Lord back into the abyss with him]], the sun rises over Shadowgate for the first time in years.
454-->'''Narrator''': ''Suddenly, it is very quiet. A beautiful light seems to fill the cavern. "The morning sun" you say to yourself. "It is over..."''
455* In ''VideoGame/ShounenKinindenTsumuji'' after the Demon Castle is destroyed, the Sun rises over the mountains showing that the adventure is finally over.
456* ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' does this as well. When you are in the final corridor of Soltis, you can see the clear blue sky through the holes in the ceiling, and right after you defeat [[spoiler:Ramirez and he sacrifices himself to summon the Silver Gigas Zelos]], the sky is suddenly smothered with dark clouds. After you defeat [[spoiler:Zelos]] and face off against [[spoiler:Zelos-Ramirez]], the sun starts to shine through the clouds, [[FridgeBrilliance which is laid out right behind your characters]], with the darkest part of the scenery behind [[spoiler:Zelos-Ramirez]] and where he crashed onto the Delphinus. Finally, when you defeat him once and for all, the dark clouds dissipate entirely, and Soltis falls back into the Vortex.
457* In ''VideoGame/Splatoon2: Octo Expansion'', once Agent 8 reaches the surface after escaping from the underground facility, the sun rises over Inkopolis, and they're welcomed by Pearl and Marina.
458* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
459** ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'''s Speed Highway ends this way. The first part of the stage is an intense highway run at night, which had Sonic get chased by police bots down a tall hotel. Upon leaving the hotel, the scenery switches to the morning sun, as Sonic navigates traffic to get to the end of the stage. The background track is even called "At Dawn."
460** In ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'', at the end of Silver's story, after Iblis is defeated and [[SealedEvilInACan sealed away]], the perpetual cloud cover breaks, allowing the [[LetsPlay/SonicTheHedgehog2006 "the HEALING RAYS of the SUN!"]] to shine on the post-apocalyptic landscape for the first time in the entire game.
461* At the end of ''VideoGame/{{Stray|2022}}'', [[spoiler:the cat and B12 manage to open the roof over the city that's kept it in [[AlwaysNight perpetual darkness]] throughout the game. The sunlight spreading throughout the city is quite a poignant moment, as it means the cat can finally start looking for its family and the robots can go outside.]]
462* Seen in [[spoiler:T. Hawk]]'s ending in ''Super VideoGame/StreetFighterII'': [[spoiler:as he vows to rebuild his homeland that M. Bison had devastated, the sun rises and he greets it with open arms.]]
463* Subverted, played straight, and possibly reversed in ''VideoGame/SuikodenV'', where the plot centers around a set of runes related to various times of day -- and which can be used to call down the fearsome power of the sun itself upon your foes! And since the runes end up on both sides of the central conflict, 'cueing the sun' in ''Suikoden V'' is synonymous with wholesale destruction for one side or the other. It even serves as the pre-battle wipe every time you have a RandomEncounter.
464* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
465** In one of the earliest examples, we've got the Angry Sun in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''. To say the least, it was annoying.
466** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' has one level taking place in the Slimy Spring Galaxy, which is mostly [[UndergroundLevel an underground cave system]] that's naturally quite dark and claustrophobic. At the very end of the level, Mario finally gets to breach back up to the surface, suddenly ending up in a quiet and lush little garden with an open view of the sunrise over the horizon. Considering the cramped, disorienting nature of the level before it, [[SceneryPorn the effect is almost startlingly relaxing]].
467* Used in the dynamic kill for the combination attack between Gorg and [[spoiler:Manon's Guardian]] in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsBX'', showing off the friendship between Yuu Tagami and [[spoiler:Manon]].
468* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'': The character trailer for [[Franchise/DragonQuest the Hero]] pulls this twice; First, when the Luminary saves Link from a pair of Puppet Fighters, and then when the Luminary ends up on the ropes and Eight, Solo, and Erdrick come to his aid.
469* ''VideoGame/ThemsFightinHerds'': The rising sun is what saves a zebra foal from a pack of ghost-like wolves in the game's prologue, which disintegrates their forms.
470* ''VideoGame/TouhouEiyashouImperishableNight'' subverts this, see TheNightThatNeverEnds for more details...
471** ''VideoGame/TouhouChireidenSubterraneanAnimism'' uses a different kind of subversion: When you see the subterranean sun in all its fiery glory, you are about to face the final boss of the game. [[ThePowerOfTheSun Who then goes on to create some more]], which she hurls at you.
472* At the end of the pacifist run in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', the barrier sealing the monsters in Mt. Ebott is broken, the player leads his new friends outside, and they comment on how beautiful the rising sun is.
473* The end of ''VideoGame/VampireNight'' has the sun rise after [[BigBad "Sir Vampire" Auguste]] is defeated. [[spoiler:However, since the protagonists are dhampirs created by Sir Vampire, the sun instead takes their lives along with their creator.]]
474* The Egyptian chapter of ''VideoGame/Waxworks1992'' takes place during a single night, with the sun rising over the Pyramids when you exit the secret tunnel.
475* The minigame "Zombie Tag" in ''VideoGame/WiiParty'' ends with the sunrise, which turns all the zombie Miis to normal.
476[[/folder]]
477
478[[folder:Webcomics]]
479* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': As the Wulfenbach forces retreat from Mechanicsburg the sun shines out from behind the clearing rainclouds for the first time that day behind Agatha and she returns [[https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20130325 triumphantly to the outer wall.]]
480* In the biomancer story in ''Webcomic/TalesOfTheQuestor'', the biomancer trying to create a plant that can extract the bauxite contamination from a polluted region. While he's able to breed a plant that can thrive in such conditions, it isn't producing a berry to contain the mineral, meaning that the plant is not a perennial, which makes planting them en masse impractical. Furthermore, the authorities then confront him about the questionable regulatory chicanery he pulled to start the project, and vow to come back with a legal writ to have the "useless and dangerous" crop destroyed. On the morning of the day that would have happened, the biomancer is awakened by a glaring light coming from the window facing the field. When the biomancer opens the window, he is confronted with a whole field of plants with metallic berries glittering in the morning sun, which means his project has become a complete success, creating the raw materials for this medieval society to create aluminum... and some experimental breeds he was growing as a subproject were producing ''rubies and sapphires''! Translated, he and his fiancée are now rich beyond their wildest dreams.
481** And also, the project can now go on, with funding.
482* ''Webcomic/ImpureBlood'' [[http://web.archive.org/web/20100526122959/http://impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Chapter001/ib008.html Must escape by dawn]]
483* In ''Webcomic/{{Exiern}}'', Tiffany's identity crisis arc is brought to a conclusion with her reaffirming her identity by triumphing over the latest EvilSorcerer as [[http://www.exiern.com/?p=1791 dawn breaks over the castle battlements]].
484* In ''Webcomic/{{Erstwhile}}'', [[http://www.erstwhiletales.com/maidmaleen-33/#.T29_k9m6SuI Maid Maleen describes her new happiness as the sun shining on her again.]]
485** In "The Little Shroud", [[http://www.erstwhiletales.com/littleshroud-05/ the ghost vanishes at dawn.]]
486* In ''Webcomic/MonsieurCharlatan'', ironically invoked with the sun rising on the still despairing Charlatan.
487* In ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'', [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00169.htm watching the sunrise after repairs.]]
488* At the end of Chapter 16 of ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'', [[spoiler:the Ultimate Diplomat's speech ushers in a new golden age of peace between human and dinosaur.]] As his oration comes to a close, the sun rises. To quote the AltText, it's symbolic as hell.
489* In ''Webcomic/{{MYth}}: A Promise'', [[spoiler:Eos's returning from captivity to help]] Helios rising the sun after [[TheNightThatNeverEnds centuries of night]] symbolises the end of Cronus's reign and the beginning of Zeus's, the fated "Golden Boy".
490[[/folder]]
491
492[[folder:Web Original]]
493* The Sun shows up near the end of ''WebAnimation/{{Ducktalez}} 7'', indicating a new beginning for Scrooge and his nephews.
494* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': In Volume 7, the fight between Qrow, Clover and Tyrian ends in the dying moments of the night. As Qrow kneels over the dying [[spoiler:Clover]], the sun begins rising the above the horizon, bathing them both in light. They both watch it as the latter dies.
495[[/folder]]
496
497[[folder:Western Animation]]
498* A reversal in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', as the sun powers up the Firebenders attacking the Northern Water Tribe, and the tide shifts in the heroes' favor when the sun sets.
499** And then shifts back to favor the villains just as an important duel between a waterbender and a firebender was about to end.
500** [[spoiler:The moon being restored after disappearing (along with the Waterbenders' abilities) leans rather closer to this trope]].
501** A variant happens after [[spoiler:Aang becomes able to achieve the Avatar State again to give Ozai a righteous beatdown just as Sozin's comet finally leaves. As he uses his newly restored power to put out all the fires stirred up by the FinalBattle, the sun finally becomes visible again. In this case, the symbolism of the sun's return wasn't because it was nighttime before, but because ''another light source'' had overpowered it [[RuleOfSymbolism in the same way that the comet itself had magnified Firebending to the point of overshadowing all other forms of bending as long as it was visible.]]]]
502* Count Duckula's first encounter with ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'' is interrupted as the sun is coming up. The Count flees to his castle in panic.
503* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'', during a US Acres segment, Bo the sheep actually says "cue the sun".
504* Used in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' episode "Long Way to Morning": Hudson has spent all night protecting a hurt Goliath from Demona, buying time until the sun can restore the gargoyle leader's health. Thus, the sun, which usually leaves the gargoyles helpless, is, in this case, their savior.
505* Lampshaded in ''WesternAnimation/HomeMovies'' in the third-season episode "My Cheatin' Heart." [=McGuirk=] walks up the golf green, silhouetted by rays of sunlight:
506---> '''[=McGuirk=]''': Sorry I'm late, I had to wait for the sun to be at the right angle, for the effect...
507---> '''Andrew''': Nice.
508* The sun rises when the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' defeats the Justice Lords.
509** Several times in the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse, not always exactly a ''sunrise'' but sometimes just its appearance, with added meaning as the sun is the source of Franchise/{{Superman}}'s powers.
510* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': the sun rising in ''WesternAnimation/PorkyInWackyland'' is hoisted up from the bottom by denizens of Wackyland.
511* In the second episode of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', the sun rises immediately following Nightmare Moon's defeat. It's [[JustifiedTrope justified]] because Nightmare Moon was keeping Princess Celestia, [[IDyeGrass who is responsible for raising and lowering the sun]], imprisoned; that's right, the sun literally ''wasn't allowed to rise until the big bad was defeated''.
512* ''WesternAnimation/Primal2019'': "Terror Under the Blood Moon", appropriately, ends this way, with Spear and Fang [[RidingIntoTheSunset running towards the sunrise]] after surviving the night.
513* Odd case in ''WesternAnimation/{{ReBoot}}''. When Hexadecimal infects the system paint program the first thing we see her do with it is to paint a sun into Mainframe's sky. Since Mainframe never had a sun before (since it's inside a computer) this confuses everyone until Phong alerts Bob about the paint program. After that, the painted sun is completely ignored.
514* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'''s Season 2 finale. After being forced to flee from the intergalactic government and search for an Earth-like planet out of the government's reach to live in refuge on, they finally decide on one. The Smith family gathers together to watch the sunrise, and it comes up - accompanied by the sound of it screaming. Yes, the sun. They decide to find another planet.
515* ''WesternAnimation/RockADoodle'' actually does this twice: The first time during the opening credits, and again when Chanticleer fights the Grand Duke of Owls.
516* In ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' episode "Jack and The Zombies", after Jack manages to drive Aku off and survive his long night against the army of zombies, the sun rises and Jack continues on his journey. At the end of the series, Jack goes to mourn under the shade of a tree in early dawn, then after setting a ladybug free, the sun rises.
517* Played with in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', which results in Homer (during a MushroomSamba) breaking the sun.
518* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In "The Question", Ruby returns to the Temple to propose marrying Sapphire at sunrise.
519* In ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward]]'', Earth's sun is alien invader's [[TheVirus Sh'Okanabo's]] main weakness. When he (not yet knowing of this weakness, since it affects him only when he's particularly weak) begins turning New York's population into mindless, subservient Kanabo drones, the effect only lasts until the sun rises, which coincidentally occurs just when Sh'Okanabo is about to defeat last turtle standing Raphael. Later, in the episode "The Day of Awakening", Sh'Okanabo has taken over a moonbase and has programmed it to block out the sun in preparation in order to allow him to create Kanabo drones, and again, it is only as he is about to win that the heroes manage to open these shutters.
520* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'''s "Fear Itself" and "The Prophecy", both episodes end with the sun rising at Titans Tower. The first is after Raven accidentally let her fear turn the tower into a haunted horror house, and the latter is after Raven reveals that she's a portal.
521* In ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'' this is [[InvertedTrope inverted]], as storm clouds part just as The Duelist claims a sword from another unprepared victim, leaving him crushed and defeated as the sun blazes high above his head.
522* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'': The end of "[[Recap/TransformersPrimeS1E12Predatory Predatory]]", set during a particularly heartwarming moment between Arcee and Jack, after they've defeated Airachnid.
523* ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender''
524** After the Balmera is finally saved from the Galra by Voltron and the Balmera itself in Season 1. Hunk and Shay watch the sunrise; for Shay, it's the first time she's ever seen it
525** Later on in Season 5, Prince Lotor finally manages to kill his insane, dictatorial father Zarkon. After his father's lights go out for sure, he looks toward the sky as sunlight washes over him.
526[[/folder]]
527
528[[folder:Real Life]]
529* Dramatic example: When Music/TheWho were performing ''Music/{{Tommy}}'' at Woodstock, the sun began to rise during the dramatic final number ("See Me, Feel Me"). John Entwistle later joked that "God was our lighting man." The band later had a lighting rig, which were rarities at the time, constructed to replicate this.
530* Some accounts of Abraham Lincoln's inauguration speech in 1865, just as the American Civil War was in its ending phases and by then the North knew they were going to win, have the final moments of the speech be illuminated by the sunlight shining through the clouds and onto the President's platform. To the audience, it seemed like hope was shining down on America for the first time in several years.
531* In his autobiography ''About Face'', David Hackworth tells how he decided to shoot himself in the foot to escape a miserable winter night on the Korean front line. It took a while to unlace his frozen bootlaces, and when he'd finished Hackworth saw the faint glimmer of dawn on the horizon. Even though it was still freezing, just the knowledge that things would warm up in a few hours was enough for Hackworth not to go through with it.
532* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] by British Prime Minister Tony Blair in his 1997 victory speech, after Labour won a landslide general election. The speech took place outside in the very early hours, just as the sun was rising, and Blair even began the speech with "A new dawn has broken, has it not?"
533[[/folder]]
534----
535->''[[Music/OwlCity Travel light, let the sun eclipse you\
536'Cause your flight is about to leave\
537And there's more to this brave adventure\
538Than you'd ever believe...]]''

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