# Solaire Of Astora > Solaire of Astora is a 2011 Dark Souls NPC character meme centered on the "Praise the Sun" gesture and "jolly cooperation" catchphrase created by director Hidetaka Miyazaki. Solaire of Astora is a beloved NPC from the 2011 action RPG *Dark Souls* who became one of gaming's most iconic meme figures. His signature "Praise the Sun" pose and cheerful personality spawned a massive fan following, with the phrases "praise the sun" and "jolly cooperation" becoming fixtures of internet culture. Created by director Hidetaka Miyazaki specifically to champion the gesture, Solaire turned into a symbol of camaraderie and optimism in a franchise known for punishing difficulty. ## Origin *Dark Souls* launched on September 22, 2011, developed by FromSoftware[4]. Solaire appears as one of the first friendly NPCs the player meets, standing on a sunlit bridge in the Undead Burg. His mission in the game is to "find his very own Sun," and he belongs to the Warriors of Sunlight covenant[3]. The "Praise the Sun" gesture actually predates Solaire himself. It originated as a rare holy animation in *Demon's Souls* (2009), triggered by casting a miracle while wearing the "Ring of Sincere Prayer"[3]. Miyazaki secretly included the pose despite being told by the publisher that it wasn't "cool enough" after he physically demonstrated it[3]. The gesture became personally significant to him, and he built the entire character of Solaire around it for *Dark Souls*, positioning Solaire as "a champion who is the first truly helpful NPC that most players see in the game"[3]. Miyazaki also personally designed the sun emblem on Solaire's armor and called Solaire his favorite character[3]. - **Platform:** *Dark Souls* (FromSoftware), gaming community (viral spread) - **Creator:** Hidetaka Miyazaki (character/gesture creator), Unknown (community-created meme format) - **Date:** 2011 ## Overview Solaire of Astora is a knight NPC the player encounters early in *Dark Souls*. He wears armor decorated with a hand-painted sun emblem, carries the Sunlight Straight Sword, and worships the sun with a single-minded devotion that borders on delusional[3]. His defining trait is his relentless friendliness in a world where nearly everything wants to kill you. He greets the player warmly, hands them a White Soapstone for cooperative play, and invites them to "engage in jolly cooperation"[4]. The meme culture around Solaire centers on two pillars: the "Praise the Sun" gesture, where he spreads his arms wide and looks skyward, and his various quotable lines about sunlight and cooperation. Fans adopted his pose, his language, and his optimistic worldview as both sincere appreciation and ironic commentary on the brutal *Dark Souls* experience. ## How It Spread The fan community latched onto Solaire almost immediately after *Dark Souls* released. Players who joined the Warriors of Sunlight covenant started calling themselves "sunbros," and cooperative play became synonymous with Solaire's philosophy[4]. On August 8, 2012, the Facebook page WarriorOfSunlight launched, posting an image of Solaire with his quote "If only I could be so incandescent." By January 2018, the page had over 8,000 likes and followers[4]. On Tumblr, several dedicated tags gained traction: sunbro, jollycooperation, solaireofastora, and praisethesun all became active community hubs[4]. A dedicated Tumblr blog called "sunbro" launched on October 25, 2015, curating fan art of *Dark Souls* characters[4]. DeviantArt became a major repository for Solaire fan art. By January 2018, nearly 6,000 posts were tagged "solaire" on the platform[4]. On May 5, 2015, DeviantArt user Emortal982 posted a moody illustration of a weary Solaire at nightfall, imagining that "a man so obsessed with the sun would be less than 'Jolly' come nightfall"[1]. The piece pulled in over 29,000 views within three years[4]. A search for "solaire" on DeviantArt still returns an extensive range of fan art from artists worldwide[2]. ## How to Use Solaire memes typically fall into a few categories: **Praise the Sun:** Post an image of Solaire's arms-wide gesture (or replicate it yourself in real life or in-game) to express joy, gratitude, or mock reverence. Often used as a reaction image when something goes right, especially in gaming contexts. **Jolly Cooperation:** Use Solaire's quote or image when highlighting teamwork, co-op play, or any situation where people work together. The phrase works both sincerely and sarcastically, like when a group project falls apart. **"If only I could be so grossly incandescent":** Drop this quote when admiring anything bright, impressive, or absurdly good. Works for sunsets, great plays, or just a really nice lamp. The memes generally play on the contrast between Solaire's sunny optimism and the grim, death-filled world of *Dark Souls*. That gap between his attitude and his surroundings is what makes the humor work. ## Cultural Impact Solaire's influence spread well beyond *Dark Souls* fan communities. Destructoid named him one of their favorite new video game characters of 2011, calling him "the embodiment of selfless camaraderie and generosity" and "bat-shit crazy"[3]. Eurogamer called him "a total badass," while GamesRadar+ listed the quest to save Solaire as one of the 20 most unique sidequests in video game history, saying "if there ever was an NPC worth saving, it would be him"[3]. Den of Geek ranked him the third best video game NPC[3]. James Davenport of PC Gamer praised Solaire as "a human-shaped reminder that other people are all we have," pushing back against the "get good" mentality that some *Dark Souls* players cling to[3]. An official Solaire Amiibo was released alongside the Nintendo Switch version of *Dark Souls: Remastered* in 2018. The figurine lets the player's character perform the Praise the Sun gesture when tapped, but its GameStop exclusivity caused heavy supply shortages and made it rarer than most Amiibos[3]. ## Fun Facts - Miyazaki was told the Praise the Sun pose wasn't cool enough by the publisher of *Demon's Souls* after he physically acted it out in person. He kept it in the game anyway[3]. - If the player opens a specific shortcut and kills a Sunlight Maggot before Solaire finds it, they can save his sanity. According to Miyazaki, the "happy ending" is Solaire linking the flame in his own world, dying by "becoming the Sun"[3]. - Solaire's Sunlight Straight Sword is described in-game as "unlikely to live up to its grandiose name," a winking acknowledgment of the character's over-the-top sun worship[3]. - DeviantArt user Emortal982's fan art of a melancholy Solaire at nighttime imagined him as "less than Jolly come nightfall," flipping the character's signature cheerfulness[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Solaire of Astora? Solaire of Astora is a non-playable character from the 2011 video game *Dark Souls*, known for his sun worship, the "Praise the Sun" gesture, and his optimistic personality[4]. ### Where did the Solaire meme come from? The meme grew organically from *Dark Souls* players who found Solaire's sunny disposition hilariously at odds with the game's brutal difficulty. The character was released with the game on September 22, 2011[4]. ### What does "Praise the Sun" mean? It's Solaire's signature gesture and phrase, expressing devotion to the sun. Online, it's used as a celebratory expression, reaction image, or rallying cry for cooperative gaming[3]. ### How do you use Solaire memes? Post his arms-wide gesture as a reaction to good news, quote "jolly cooperation" when working with others, or reference his sun obsession when something is bright or impressive[4]. ### Is Solaire of Astora still popular? Solaire is a classic gaming meme. Fan art on DeviantArt hit nearly 6,000 tagged posts by 2018[4], and references to the character appeared in major games like *World of Warcraft*, *Borderlands 2*, and *Destiny*[3]. ### Who created Solaire of Astora? Director Hidetaka Miyazaki created Solaire specifically to bring recognition to the "Praise the Sun" gesture, which he first secretly included in *Demon's Souls*[3]. ### Why is Solaire called "Sunbro"? Players who join his in-game covenant, the Warriors of Sunlight, adopted the nickname "sunbros." The term spread through the fan community as shorthand for cooperative play[4]. ### What happens to Solaire in the game? By default, Solaire goes insane in Lost Izalith after putting on a Sunlight Maggot he mistakes for his "Sun." Players can prevent this by killing the Maggot beforehand, allowing Solaire to be summoned for the final boss[3]. ### Is Solaire Gwyn's firstborn son? Some fans theorized this, but it was definitively proven false in *Dark Souls III*[3]. ### Is there a Solaire Amiibo? Yes. Nintendo released a Solaire Amiibo alongside the Switch version of *Dark Souls: Remastered* in 2018, though its GameStop exclusivity made it scarce[3]. ## References 1. [Solaire of Astora by Emortal982 on DeviantArt]() 2. [Search 'solaire' on DeviantArt - Discover The Largest Online Art Gallery and Community]() 3. [Solaire of Astora - Know Your Meme]() 4. [Solaire of Astora]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/solaire-of-astora Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library