History Main / HolyHalo

* In the Director's Cut and Platinum version (as well as in the manga) of Evangelion when possessed by Armisael (which starts off as what looks like a giant halo, making this a double pointer), Unit 00 is shown growing a fleshy tumorous mass along its back which incorporates the shapes of almost all the previous Angels they have battled. Then, for a moment the Eva raises in the air and turns into an all white, naked, Rei, that appeared to resemble Lilith, with a halo over her head just prior to exploding.
** In the ''Rebuild of {{Evangelion}}'', some of the Angels form a halo-like ring around themselves when they use their AT-field for specific actions, such as floating.

* [[BaseBreaker Infamously]], the Cheater's Lament in ''TeamFortress2''.

* From ''To Aru Majutsu No Index'', [[spoiler: Most of the angel-type characters(like Hyoka, Gabriel and Aiwass) and espers that have reached Angel-level(like Accelerator and Kakine).]]

Often paired with PowerGivesYouWings. A SubTrope of PowerGlows and SisterTrope to HolyBacklight and BattleAura. See also BackgroundHalo, when this is an InvokedTrope. Contrast HornedHumanoid. Not to be confused with the video game ''{{Halo}}.''

* Seen on the Cutie Mark Crusaders in the episode of the same name from ''MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' each time Fluttershy referred to them as "these sweet little angels."

* OlderThanTheyThink: Most people think halos as we know them originated in Christian art. Late Egyptian religious paintings had gilded round halos,which represented the celestial bodies associated with those gods(''e.g.'', Horus-Moon).

* In ''DoctorWho,'' angel robots were the waiters on the Titanic [[InSpace [-IN SPACE!-]]]. When the bad guy reprogrammed them for CrushKillDestroy, they plucked off their halos (to use as [[ImprobableWeaponUser instruments of death]]) which left behind the mounts - which now looked [[FallenAngel like horns]].

* OlderThanTheyThink: Most people think halos as we know them originated in Christian art. In fact, similar gilded round halos around gods' heads were used in late Egyptian religious paintings.
** Actually those represent the celestial bodies associated with those gods(''e.g.'', Horus-Moon). Similar in function though.

[[AC:WebComics]]
* {{Reliquary}} uses an interesting example of this in Alcolla's angel form: hovering spikes and letters.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* In the ''Webster'' cartoon series, the titular character was an angel who would become fully human merely by taking off his halo and squeezing it into his pocket, and then back into an angel by putting it over his head. The halo itself was a solid object, for all intents and purposes acting like a metal ring. The main villain's primary goal was to steal it for some reason.

Holiness aside, some characters can wear an "artificial" halo without ever being remotely religious or even spiritual. Energy powered {{Super Hero}}es (and {{Super Villain}}s) may create BattleAura's around their head (or entire body) related to their power, like GreenLantern or [[TheAuthority Apollo]]. Interestingly, robotic characters may be built with mechanical halo's that can shoot ReverseShrapnel, or double as DeflectorShields. Further, evil characters may create "negative" halo's of darkness around themselves, paired with {{Face Framed In Shadow}} along with GlowingEyesOfDoom.

* At one point in {{FLCL}} Kanti the robot affixes a fake halo made of wire to his head.

* Given to the enemies in ''{{Bayonetta}}'', which makes sense, as they're angels. The stronger the angel, the more elaborate the halo becomes.

* Angelia Avallone from [[ArcanaHeart]]

* The TropeCodifier seems to be the Christian art canon, where any holy person or being tended to be drawn with a halo.Christian paintings from late Antiquity on often have halos around Jesus/Virgin Mary/Holy Figure of Choice's head. An early distinction was to show living people [[http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/images/symbols/halos/square-prassede-rome-apse-pope-paschal-200.jpg with square haloes]], and the sanctified dead with round ones. In mediaeval and some later art, Christ is distinguished by a halo encircling a cross. The almond shaped mandorla sometimes surrounds the entire body of God or the Virgin Mary. The early Renaissance made a distinction between the full round halo given to saints, and rays of light given to ''beati''. In the High Renaissance, the fascination with perspective encouraged artists to create the hoop-shaped haloes that assumed a distressing materiality in later artists, and led to the "halo on a stick" version beloved by the comic artist.

* More than a few paintings of {{God}} give Him a triangular, rather than circular, halo, to represent the Holy Trinity.
*** A RetCon if there ever was one; the concept of the Trinity did not exist in Moses' time. From the original texts fiery horns is the most straightforward interpretation.

** An alternative approach is Moses, who typically lacks a halo but is depicted with two flames sprouting, hornlike, from his forehead. This is because St. Jerome used the uncommon Latin word ''cornutus'' (="shining") in translating ''Exodus'' [-XXXIV-]. xxix. (Most likely the Latin word, as well as the Hebrew word קָרַן it translated, referred to the spiky appearance of rays of light), but later readers read it as literally derived from ''cornu'', and translated it "horned." ([[http://www.the-orb.net/encyclop/culture/artarch/danish/tomoses/15-041.jpg This Danish depiction]] from ''ca.'' 1325) shows Moses with halo ''and'' horns.)

** Actually those represent the celestial bodies associated with those gods(ie Horus-Moon). Similar in function though.

In fiction, halos are basically synonymous with holiness and extreme good. It means you're either a {{God}} (or [[CrystalDragonJesus a non-denominational]] [[LowestCosmicDenominator equivalent]]), an [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angel]], a saint, the MessianicArchetype or a {{soul}} of the dearly departed in FluffyCloudHeaven (the real {{Heaven}} isn't quite so tacky). This is of course because of the religious connotations with [[ChristianityIsCatholic Catholic Christian]] religious iconography, despite the fact that halos are also a part of Muslim, Buddhist and other religious art. Traditionally, the presence of a halo on someone in art means they are inhabited with the Holy Spirit because of their great virtue.

* Renaissance paintings often have halos around Jesus/Virgin Mary/Holy Figure of Choice's head.
* The TropeCodifier seems to be the Christian art canon, where any holy person or being had to be drawn with a halo.

** An alternative approach is Moses, who typically lacks a halo but is depicted with two flames sprouting, hornlike, from his forehead.
** More than a few paintings of {{God}} give Him a triangular, rather than circular, halo, to represent the Holy Trinity.

Often paired with PowerGivesYouWings. A SubTrope of PowerGlows and SisterTrope to HolyBacklight and BattleAura. Contrast HornedHumanoid. Not to be confused with the video game ''{{Halo}}.''

->"The halo is a purely optical illusion, produced by moisture in the air, in the manner of a rainbow; but the aureola is conferred as a sign of superior sanctity, in the same way as a bishop's mitre, or the Pope's tiara. In the painting of the Nativity, by Szedgkin, a pious artist of Pesth, not only do the Virgin and the Child wear the nimbus, but an ass nibbling hay from the sacred manger is similarly decorated and, to his lasting honor be it said, appears to bear his unaccustomed dignity with a truly saintly grace."\\
-- '''AmbroseBierce''', ''[=~The Devil's Dictionary~=]''

Often paired with PowerGivesYouWings. A SubTrope of PowerGlows and SisterTrope to HolyBacklight and BattleAura. Not to be confused with the video game ''{{Halo}}.''