History Main / PillarOfLight

* Music/BlueOysterCult pioneered the use of lasers as part of their live shows in TheSeventies. Commonplace today, back then it was new and spectacular (albeit dependent on unreliable technology). Live concert footage preserved as part of the ''Some Enchanted Evening'' CD/DVD package shows a Pillar of Light rising during the song ''[[Music/SecretTreaties Astronomy]]''.

* ''Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries'': In the first episode, Pikachu's final attack on the Spearow causes a pillar of electrical light to appear.

* In an episode of ''Anime/{{Beyblade}}'', Ray beats his rival with a move which is accompanied by his beyblade emmitting a green beam of light that smashes through the roof of the arena, causing one of the {{Combat Commentator}}s to [[DeadpanSnarker quip]] "That's probably going to take down a couple of satellites!"

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[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/korraportal.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Republic City: taking light pollution to a new level.]]

* In ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'', Touma accidentally causes this when he redirects a powerful spell cast by [[spoiler:Index]] upwards, which just so happens to destroy the city's satellite/supercomputer, Tree Diagram, in its wake.
* When Belldandy grants Keiichi's wish in ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'', a beam of light blasts from her forehead up to heaven (coincidentally blowing a hole through all the intervening floors of the building they're in at the time). Fortunately nobody was standing in the way -- the whole reason why she was able to grant the wish is that Keiichi was dorm-sitting while ''everyone else'' went out and had fun.
* ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'' TV series uses this as the special effect for Hitomi's teleportation power -- which, besides being central to the plot, came up pretty frequently.
* In ''Anime/FutariWaPrettyCure'', the protagonists' TransformationSequence is performed within a Pillar of Light, and is one of the most pyrotechnically impressive transformation sequences known.
* ''Anime/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteelNorthernWar'': In the finale, a berserk [[VideoGame/TrailsSeries Rean]] unleashes a reddish black Pillar of Light that parts the sky, revealing the moon.
* A [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic cross-shaped version]] is often seen as the results of Angel attacks in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''.
* ''Anime/MyOtome'':
** When the Harmonium Organ is activated, it creates a pillar of light that can be seen for miles.
** ''Anime/MyOtome0Sifr'' has [[spoiler:Lena's Artemis]], which comes down from the sky in a potential homage to its ''Anime/MyHime'' [[spoiler:KillSat]] namesake.

* In ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'', Vash The Stampede gets PuppeteerParasite into firing his weapon at full power against an enemy. He manages to redirect the aim to the sky, and when the weapon fires a huge Pillar of Light rises up to the planet's moon and bores a large crater in it.
* The CombinedEnergyAttack in ''Manga/TokyoMewMew'' uses five pillars of light, [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience color-coded to each girl]]. Ichigo's, of course, is the biggest, and right in the middle.
* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'':
** The anime did this in the first episode: Pikachu's final attack on the Spearow caused a pillar of electrical light to appear.
** Mewtwo's destruction of the laboratory he was born in, and how he blew up Viridian's gym. Then later in the sequel when he sent the lake underground.
** Used as a sign that [[spoiler:Latios was dying]] in ''Anime/PokemonHeroes''.

** The movie version of ''A's'' has what can best be described as a pillar of ''darkness'' [[spoiler:during Hayate's TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening.]]
* In the anime version of ''Anime/SailorMoon'', Chibi-Usa frequently emits one of these from the moon mark on her forehead when she's frightened or upset due to [[spoiler:the Silver Crystal being inside her body.]]
* In an episode of ''Anime/{{Beyblade}}'', Ray beats his rival with a move which is accompanied by his beyblade emmitting a green beam of light that smashes through the roof of the arena, causing one of the {{Combat Commentator}}s to [[DeadpanSnarker quip]] "That's probably going to take down a couple of satellites!"
* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'':
** Especially large-scale magic tends to do stuff like this. Especially the time [[spoiler:the bad guys used Konoka's latent magical powers to summon a giant demon.]]
** Of particular note is [[spoiler:Chachamaru's KillSat Artifact, ''Al-Iskandaria'']].
* In the anime ''Manga/NabariNoOu'', a pillar of light accompanies the Shinrabansho's activation.
* Many of the events of the anime ''Anime/BoogiepopPhantom'' appear to be precipitated by a mysterious pillar of light that shot into the sky. [[spoiler:As revealed in "Boogiepop and Others", this was the result of Echoes' transmitting himself as information back to the higher plane he came from.]]

* ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'': After beating [=VenomVamdemon=] and his demon crotch, the heroes use one of these to return to the Digital World. Also, if the exaggerated StockFootage {{Transformation Sequence}}s are to be believed, Digivices blast one through the crests and into the sky every time evolution to the Perfect level happens.

* The perfected form of the [[KiManipulation Shishi Hokodan]], in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', looks a lot like this. The user launches a bolt of depression-generated ki straight up into the air, forming a brief pillar of blazing energy that then colaesces into a pulsing fireball, then goes emotionally limp and lets it fall back down, smashing everything around the user. The biggest problem with this move is that, if the user gets snapped out of being emotionally hollow at the wrong time, the move will crush ''them'', too.
* ''Manga/FushigiYuugi'' has one of these at each summoning ceremony -- and yes, the pillars are ColorCodedForYourConvenience.

* Any sufficiently powerful attack on ''Manga/DragonBall'' or ''Anime/DragonBallZ''; especially when it's a deflected beam attack.
* The Tower of Babel superweapon in ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater'' shoots a column of light upwards towards an Atlantean satelite (basically a mirror orbiting the earth) and redirecting it in the specified target.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** In a ''Shippuden'' filler Arc, a young boy named Yûkimaru has the power to partially control the Three-tailed Beast. Whenever he uses this power, his chakra would shoot up into the air, which looked like a pillar of light.
** All jinchuuriki do this when entering the [[BattleAura Version 2]] state, but with a pillar of ''burning blood and dark chakra.''
* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', when the huge demon Lullaby is destroyed, a pillar of light rise in the atmosphere. It also leaves a huge crater behind.

* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', yellow lightning strikes the spot where the Colossal Titan appears, whenever it does. [[spoiler: Titan Shifters]] also get this effect.
* ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'': Zonders de-cored by [[YinYangBomb Hell and]] [[FinishingMove Heaven]] release a vertical blastwave when destroyed, although unusually for this trope, it does appear to give off shockwaves and heat; the Goldion Hammer makes Zonders [[DisappearsIntoLight turn into light]], but also sends up a shaft of glowing energy in addition to the wavy, floating beam of glowing particles. The Eraser Head missile also produces this effect, shunting 99% of the energy into space.

* In ''Manga/DragonKnights'', three of these mark the halfway point between the Western and Eastern continents, rarely seen as the Eastern continent is almost entirely lost.

* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': In this Franchise/MonsterVerse fanfiction, [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonTitansAndOtherCreatures Godzilla]]'s DynamicEntry on the scene is marked by his Atomic Breath blasting vertically into the sky from ''underground''.
* ''Fanfic/EquestriaGirlsFriendshipSouls'':When Sunset Shimmer first releases her Zanpakuto, [[spoiler: Hokori,]] it generates a pillar of fire that can be seen by every spiritually aware person in the city. Happens again when she activates her Bankai. This time tall enough to pierce the clouds and strong enough to shake the ground like an earthquake.
* In ''Fanfic/UndocumentedFeatures'', [[Manga/AhMyGoddess Yggdrasil]] in Asgard emits one to continually show it hasn't been compromised. This was added as a safety feature after it was nearly destroyed (and with it, the world).
* This happens in ''Fanfic/NeonExodusEvangelion: The Motion Picture'' when [[spoiler:five Evas and Lucifer use their AT fields to contain [[TakingYouWithMe the explosion]] of the BigBad]].

-->'''Zuko:''' That light, it could only be someone opening an iceberg piñata... AND NOT SHARING IT WITH ME!!!

* ''Fanfic/TheBridge'': Happens whenever one of the transformed kaiju get hit with enough magic to return to their original form. Often bright enough to light up the night and be seen miles away.
* ''[[Fanfic/TheAlarmaverse Alarm Clock]]'': In Ditzy's [[StoryboardingTheApocalypse dream of the an eldritch horror destroying the world]], she sees a pillar of light that widens and incinerates everything it touches.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/OverTheHedge'' movie, the De-Pelter Turbo unleashes a Pillar of Light that obliterates a passing satellite, roasts marshmallows and pops popcorn a few feet away, and can be seen from outside the galaxy.
* In ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'', one of these is used at the end of a round of Hero's Duty to lure and kill Cybugs like moths to a lamp, since they do not know they're in a game and would breed uncontrollably if left alive. [[spoiler: Ralph creates an improvised one at the climax with a Mentos volcano and Diet Cola lava to kill the Cybugs that invaded Sugar Rush, which also finally kills Turbo, as he had been consumed by one and fused with it.]]

** In the first movie, Sunset Shimmer is engulfed in set of RingsOfActivation that coalesce into a Pillar of Light when she puts the Element of Magic crown on her head, marking the start of a TransformationSequence.

Many examples [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OSPnJyAPRw here]] (although some are KillSat, and there's also an animation, ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'')

* In ''Film/{{The Chronicles of Riddick|2004}}'', New Mecca has many large constructions which emit Pillars Of Light. These shut down as the Necromongers attack.
* There is one in ''Film/DarkCity'' towards the end when the dark world disintegrates.
* ''Film/{{Fantastic Four|2015}}'' (2015) has one in the portal Doom opens in the alternate dimension.
* ''Film/TheFifthElement'': At the film's climax, [[spoiler:once the five elements are activated, a pillar of light fires through Leeloo's mouth, stopping the Great Evil and turning it into a moon]].

** In the first ''Film/{{Ghostbusters|1984}}'', when the ecto containment unit explodes, light go straight into the sky with ghosts flying from it.
** ''Film/{{Ghostbusters|2016}}'' (2016) has one in the portal to the spirit world ([[SicklyGreenGlow green]] as it spews ghosts, [[spoiler:red once the Ghostbusters do a ReversePolarity and make the spirits be sucked instead]]).
* ''[[Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019 Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'': Godzilla blasts his Atomic Breath into the sky upon [[spoiler:being fully revitalized and overcharged]], and it is truly ''glorious''.
* ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'': In the climax Rasputin forces Hellboy to release the Ogdru Jahad by shooting a pillar of light at the moon that turns it into a giant portal for them.
* One comes out of the book when [[spoiler: the witches are utterly inexplicably resurrected]] in ''Film/HocusPocus''.

* At the end of ''Film/{{Lifeforce|1985}}'', from London's cathedral to a spaceship in orbit.

* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:

** In ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', Loki uses Erik Selvig's Tesseract-powered generator to shoot a pillar of light from the Stark Tower and open a wormhole over Manhattan to summon the Chitauri invasion.

* In ''Film/{{Sonic the Hedgehog 2|2022}}'', a huge green column of light, visible many miles away, bursts into the sky to [[spoiler:reveal the location of the Master Emerald]].

* Both ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesOutOfTheShadows'' and ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'' have one that's a teleporting portal (bringing the Technodrome battle station in the former and planet Cybertron in the latter).
* Appears several times in ''Film/ThisIsTheEnd'', [[spoiler:when people are pulled into Heaven]].
* I/O Towers in ''Film/{{Tron}}'' have a beam that shoots into the sky at an angle and enables communication between living programs and their [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Users]]. In addition, the [[MasterComputer Master Control]] [[BigBad Program]] essentially ''is'' a Pillar of Light with a face.
* ''Film/TronLegacy'' also has a Pillar of Light, when the Portal to the real world is activated by Kevin Flynn's disc.

* In the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse book ''I, Jedi'', the title Jedi is caught in a massive firestorm of explosives. He absorbs all of the energy and sends most of it straight up. (For extra points, he uses some of the power to weave a city-wide illusion of a [[HugeHolographicHead giant spectral Jedi]], with the pillar as the blade of his lightsaber.)
* When the Crippled God is [[spoiler:freed from his captivity]] towards the end of ''Literature/TheCrippledGod'', book ten of the ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'', [[spoiler:his soul rides up to the jade statues of his followers]] in a bright ray of light.

* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', ''Traveller'', when [[spoiler:Jor-El restores Kara's memories and powers]]. In ''Instinct'', when [[spoiler:Tess Mercer and a scientist mess with a kryptonian crystal. HilarityEnsues when Maxima recognizes the kryptonian beam and comes to Earth in search for a mate.]]
* On ''Series/{{Lost}}'', the characters, having [[spoiler:travelled back in time]], see a pillar of light shoot up into the sky. Subverted in that it is later revealed by Locke that it was [[spoiler:perfectly ordinary lightbulb light from the hatch, and he comments that at the time he thought the light was somehow significant, when in reality it was actually completely meaningless]].
* In the fourth, self-titled ''Franchise/{{Quatermass}}'' serial, the Planet People are a sect who believe they are being transported to a wonderful new planet by beams of light that descend to the Earth. Professor Quatermass discovers that the beams have a much deadlier purpose.
* In the ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' miniseries ''Children of Earth'', a pillar of light coming down from the sky was how the [[spoiler:456 emissary]] arrived on Earth.
* An episode of ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' shows a Pillar of Light coming down to a village from the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Wraith]] [[LivingShip hiveship]] in orbit. Sheppard goes to check it out but never reveals what he found, and no-one bothers to ask him. No such beam has been seen on the show before or since.
* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' one of these was produced when Lucifer was freed in "[[Recap/SupernaturalS05E01SympathyForTheDevil Sympathy for the Devil]]".

** The DVD edition of the serial "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS9E1DayOfTheDaleks Day of the Daleks]]" includes a version with new special effects. One of these is a narrow column of light shining upward from the Daleks' headquarters when they switch on the Time Vortex Magnetron.

* In the episode ''Doomworld'' of the second series of ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'', a pillar of light erupts from Star Labs when [[spoiler:Eobard throws the Spear of Destiny into the reactor, destroying it]].
* ''Series/{{Chernobyl}}'': A faint blue sky beam emerges from the nuclear power plant once it explodes. It is ionized air that is the first clear indication that the core is now exposed to the exterior.

* The Music/BlueOysterCult pioneered the use of lasers as part of their live shows in TheSeventies. Commonplace today, back then it was new and spectacular (albeit dependent on unreliable technology). Live concert footage preserved as part of the ''Some Enchanted Evening'' CD/DVD package shows a Pillar of Light rising during the song ''[[Music/SecretTreaties Astronomy]]''.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', there is a Solar-Circle Sorcery called [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Total Annihilation]], which results in a pillar of light that is five miles high. And a Solar Exalted's BattleAura essentially becomes a non-destructive PillarOfLight plus other special effects when it's at full power. Ironically it's a drawback to using maximum power, since it advertises the Solar's presence to the setting's "Shaolin death squads".
* The "Iron Gods" ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' campaign opens in the town of Torch, named for an immense column of violet flame emanating from a hill in the town. The players eventually discover its origin: [[spoiler: a jet of plasma being vented from the power core of a buried spaceship]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Apocalypse}}'' the first two horsemen, Death and Plague, both dissolves into vertical pillars of light into the sky upon their defeat.
* ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'': Asura creates one after coming out of a 12,000 year exile of Gaea.

* ''VideoGame/CoffeeCrisis'': Every now and then, the game will dispense alien mooks by beaming them downwards on pillars of light. After their defeat, they're then beamed ''upwards''.
* Occurs in the opening animation of Jedah Dohma, the BigBad of the third ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' game ''Vampire Saviour'', except the pillar is made of blood instead of light. He appears from the top of the screen, slowly hovering down into place, before the pillar dissipates.
* Terry Bogard's Power Stream from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' is one of these, though it was probably inspired by Geese Howard's Raging Storm, which is a ''cage'' (or claw) of light.
** Rugal, Vice, and Mature can cause them when they use certain "slamming" Desperation Attacks (Rugal and Mature when they press the foe against the stage "wall" and when Vice hits her power bomb). Usually the image of a skull can be seen within. Rugal's son, Adelheid, can also do it with his wall press super.
%% ZCE * One of the death animations from ''VideoGame/ScorchedEarth''.

** In the ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSeries Tiberium]]'' series, the GDI's KillSat Ion Cannon. It fits the Pillar Of Light idea a bit more; Kane himself was shown to have [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything treated it like a beam of light from God himself]].
** ''VideoGame/RedAlert3'': The Athena Cannon is essentially a giant targeting laser on treads that sends coordinates to an orbiting laser cannon. One Challenge mission in ''Uprising'' has cannons firing in sequence all over the map, limiting progress.
* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' has it as a castable Miracle (holy spell). Aptly called "Divine Pillars of Light".

** The Guardian Force Eden, when summoned, turns ''the entire planet'' into a magical cannon that shoots the enemy into outer space using a continent-wide Pillar of Light. Overkill? [[ThereisNoKillLikeOverkill Naaah.]]
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', after Sephiroth obtains the Black Materia and begins casting Meteor, the Planet's [=WEAPONs=] are awakened in an enormous column of Lifestream that shoots straight up from the Northern Crater.
** And, in the ending, the ultimate White Magic, Holy, rises from the same place in the same manner.

** The opening Sequence of ''Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates'' has [[spoiler: Princess Tilika]] exploding into a pillar of light.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'': [[MagicKnight Red Mage]]'s Verholy produces a spiraling gout of white from beneath the target. You also do a little twirl. In addition, the [[BareHandedMonk Monk]]'s Level3 LimitBreak, Final Heaven, creates a pillar-like explosion.
* In ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'', Palutena's preferred method of direct attack when needed, used against the Hewdraw if Pit takes too long [[spoiler: and later against Pit himself during her BrainwashedAndCrazy boss fight]], is a giant blue vertical beam. It returns in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' as her Up Smash, and the standard attack with the tallest hitbox in the game.
* In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'', Pit's Three Sacred Treasures ''[[LimitBreak Final Smash]]'' ends with a series of light pillars in random locations across the battlefield.
* This happened in two endings of ''VideoGame/LobotomyCorporation'' during [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt the Tree of Light event]] with significantly [[ApocalypseHow different]] [[NiceJobBreakingItHero consequences]].
** Was repeated in the true ending of [[VideoGame/LibraryOfRuina the sequil]], possibly with a little more positive outcome.
* ''Franchise/MegaMan'':
** ''VideoGame/MegaManX'''s Zero makes use of the Pillar of Light to hurt enemies and stay temporarily invincible. Two variations: a colossal, screen-wide vertical [[BeamSpam shower of beams]] in ''X6'' called Rekkoha, or a more benign Pillar Of Light in ''X8'' called Tenshouha.
** Copy X from the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' games uses a big blue pillar of light to heal himself if the player's rank is high enough to warrant it[[note]]A or S[[/note]]. He also uses it in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero3'' regardless of their rank in that game. This pillar can also damage the player if they touch it.
** Omega, [[spoiler: using Zero's X-era body]], also uses X6's Pillar Of Light's name but resemble ''X8'''s more. It makes himself invincible briefly and in ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'', [[HealThyself heals himself]]. Model OX's version, however, resembles the one Zero uses in ''X6'' more.
* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'':
** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'': When Samus finally [[spoiler:places all the artifacts]], a beam of light shoots up from the central structure. What does it do? The player never finds out, as [[spoiler:Meta Ridley comes along and breaks it]]. Presumably, it would have done what the pulse afterward does, which is [[spoiler:teleport Samus into the Impact Crater]].
** In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'', restoring the energy to all four temples and gaining the Light Suit allows Samus to [[WarpWhistle teleport between the temples]] by riding their Pillars of Light. You also use one to enter the final level.
* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'':
** When Neku levels up.
** Also, Pillars of Light of varying magnitudes are Joshua's secondary attack method after a certain plot point. It's more this than BeamSpam, because they come out of the ground instead of from Joshua.
* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2: Episode 2'''s superportal beam might count, other than that it is not in the straight line.

* [[BigBad Nowel]] of ''VideoGame/MagicalBattleArena'' calls down four of these for her super move, which is then followed by four massive, highly-damaging explosions. If you see her preparing these, for goodness sake, ''run!''

** Subverted in ''Super Robot Wars {{Original Generation}}s''. Wodam Ymir's final attack summons a sword made of PureEnergy to destroy his surroundings in a SphereOfDestruction preceded by a Pillar of Light. The aftermath of the explosion shows the pillar still shooting into the sky... then pans down to show that it's just his enormous energy sword being held vertically in a post-AsskickingPose.
** Similarly, [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Ganleon/Gunleon]]'s final attack in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars Z'' ends with a [[VictoryPose "victory" pose]] in which ''the robot itself'' cries ManlyTears for its fallen opponent. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7WaRZpOV_I It then roars and fires those tears into the stratosphere.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}'': The [[CosmicKeystone Seven Needles]] briefly turn into beams of light when pulled.
* A textbook Pillar of Light can be seen in the third ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' game [[spoiler: when Garrett activates the Final Glyph. The streets around it also briefly flood with light, creating an intricate symbol from the City itself.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} 3'', this is a pretty common effect for spells. Off the top of my head, this happens during Hero level ups, resurrections, Holy Light, Mass Teleport, and more.
%% ZCE * ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'':
%%** When you kill [[spoiler:Ares]].
%%** When you kill [[spoiler:Athena]].
%%** When [[spoiler: you finally kill Zeus and AGAIN when Kratos commit suicide.]]
* In ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'', following [[spoiler:Fayt destroying the Vendeeni battleship]], talking to [=NPCs=] will have them wondering what that pillar of light was.
* The "Alpha Strike" in ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'' is of the downward variety. And there are a ''lot'' of pillars (one from each of an entire space armada), since it is meant to ''raze the entire planet simultaneously''.
* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'':
** This is how the [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Tower of Kagutsuchi]] appears.
** The [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney Schwartzwelt]] ''starts'' as one. [[WorldWreckingWave As for what comes next]]...
* The Smiting Prayers elite skill Ray of Judgment in ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' calls forth a pillar of glowing white light that heavily damages (and sets on fire) anyone foolish enough (or knocked-down enough) to remain within its radius.
* Done beautifully in ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfileCovenantOfThePlume'' by Garm [[spoiler:[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQGlaeZEhkw /Ailyth]].]]
* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' when the Archedemon is slain. The whole of the Fereldan army sees it from a distance.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' the [[spoiler:bomb Anders planted in the Chantry creates a pillar of red light during the explosion]].
* ''VIdeoGame/{{PAGUI}}'' depicts the spirit world's entrance as a pillar of golden light shooting from the ground, which you step into.
* Done in the ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' with the Evil Seed. When Siegdfried becomes Nightmare, an evil Pillar of Light occurs that causes widespread madness and bloodlust.
* As of ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'', the attack Solar Beam has this as its animation.
** Judgment, the signature move of [[{{God}} Arc]][[OlympusMons eus]], is depicted in various media as pillars of divine light raining down from the sky.
* In ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'', the Gaia spell is a blasts the enemy with light and levitating rocks from underground.
** Certain summons also have this effect.
* The Demichev Reactor in ''VideoGame/{{Singularity}}''. Provides the page quote.
* ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore'':
** ''Armored Core 4'' provides a classic instance of this trope with the tower-like Ehrenburg Anti-Satellite cannon. If the player fails to destroy it, it will fire a huge pillar of light into the air, destroying the GA surveillance satellite. The mission which it appears in is also (amusingly) called... "Pillar of Light".
** And then they come back in ''Armored Core: For Answer'', except they appear significantly smaller this time and there are three of them around a huge lake (although like the ''[=AC4=]'' version, they are in Antarctica). However, the player only sees them fire in the final cutscene of the ORCA Ending, where they are used to [[spoiler: destroy the [[KillSat Assault Cells]] that keep the human race bound to the Earth, the goal that ORCA was working towards; however, it is a BittersweetEnding, because the player is the last surviving member of the ORCA Brigade, and millions suffocated due to pollution when the Cradles crash to earth as a consequence of the player's actions.]]
* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', a ''very'' high "Light Side" alignment cause your character portrait to be backlit by one of these.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' has:
*** Pillars that show the position of any treasure you have a chart for as long as you're not too close,
*** Pillars that warp you out of the Boss Arena,
*** and even a Pillar that shines briefly before stopping to reveal a stone with the instructions for the Command Melody on it.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' uses these as beacons, with color-coded beams showing the way to each of the main overworld areas. You can place additional ones on the map as reminders.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' lets you place one beacon each of six colors around the map that manifest as this.
* Happens when Crocodile Isle explodes and sinks into the sea in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'' after K Rool gets thrown into the island's core.
* Minor variant: Slain colossi in ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'' leave pillars of light as beacons to their areas, if the player wanted to rebattle them in Reminiscence Mode.
* Right in the first area of ''VideoGame/JiuXiao'', you spy a pillar of blue energy shooting into the heavens, and you're required to make your way towards it while avoiding obstacles. You then need to find out where the light leads, by jumping on floating debris circling around said pillar.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': This serves as one of the strongest [[LightEmUp light]] attacks available to certain Keybearers - Roxas's [[LimitBreak Limit Breaks]] Magic Hour and Event Horizon, Sora and Minnie's ability Faith, and one of the limit breaks for Xion's final form.
* Like the movies they're based on, pillars of light factor heavily in ''VideoGame/TronTwoPointOh'', representing an escape route from a particular level.
* The ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' has the recurring spell Judgement, which brings destructive pillars of light down randomly across the field. Tear Grants from ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' also has this as her default LimitBreak, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmVOvuL1QMM Innocent Shine]].
* One of Nightwolf's [[FinishingMove fatalities]] in the ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' franchise.

* In ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'', one of these accompanies each time someone summons one of the Gigas.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonsCrown'', if you take too long fighting the Arch Demon, the injured female warrior monk you met earlier will eventually manage to put the holy symbol in place on her own, causing pillars of light to continuously rain down from the heavens and deal heavy damage to the Arch Demon and his minions. However, killing the Arch Demon with divine intervention means you won't get full credit for beating the boss and you won't receive the Blue Talisman.
* The ending of the combined ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic IV'' and ''V'', ''World of Xeen'' shows that is the first visible effect of the Unification -- a pillar of light ascending high into the sky (high enough to be at least as tall as the world is [[FlatWorld long]]). Then light from the top of the pillar curves down to meet receivers at the edges of the world, which sends curved pillars of light up on the ''other'' side of the world, where they meet and make a pillar of light down exactly opposite to the first pillar... [[spoiler: turning a flat world into a round one evidently requires lots of light.]]
* In the good ending of ''VideoGame/Infamous2'' where Cole activates the RFI it shoots a beam that can be seen from space!
* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has the Beacons, which, you guessed it, you have to gather and build yourself. The Nether Star in particular requires building and killing The Wither. In addition to the Pillar of Light, it grants you up to two status effects while you're in range.
* Whenever you're doing a quest in ''VideoGame/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnline'', you can create a ray of light that will guide you either to your destination or to the closest object that would help you complete your quest.
* In ''VideoGame/TokyoAfterschoolSummoners'', there are 23 pillars of light known as gates, each one in a different ward in Tokyo. They all connect to a different world based on a different mythology, with residents from those worlds, such as [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]], [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angels]], [[BeastMan beast men]], and other beings, being summoned into this world.
* ''VideoGame/Diablo3'': Imperius summons his spear from a pillar of light, [[spoiler: before confronting Diablo.]]

* In ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}'': After Jillian attempts to persuade her to [[LastSecondChance switch sides]] and promises to find and croak Stanley, Wanda responds by unleashing a [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0106.html massive attack spell,]] complete with a Pillar of Light as wide as Efdup Tower.

* ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'': Fructose Riboflavin's escape pod appears to Galatea [[http://bobadventures.comiecgenesis.com/d/20091027.html in a pillar of light.]]

* ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned'': This is the form that [[spoiler:portals leading out of Hell]] take.

[[folder:Web Original]]

* ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'' cited "shooting a blue beam into the sky" as part of the MCU's StrictlyFormula in the Honest Trailer for ''Iron Man''.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': In "If You Give a Frog a Cookie", a flashback shows when Anne first opened the calamity box, a pillar of energy emerged that affected several areas of the city.
* ''[[Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar]]'':

*** In the series premiere, Prince Zuko guesses that the random Pillar of Light that suddenly appears in the South Pole signals something of great, powerful significance, like the return of the Avatar. Lampshaded by Iroh, who thinks it might just be the natural polar lights. "We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko."
*** [[BookEnds Way later]] in the GrandFinale when Aang [[spoiler:takes away Ozai's bending]], a similar-looking one occurs.

*** In the GrandFinale, when Kuvira's spirit weapon [[spoiler:blows up, it has so much energy that it rips open a new, green-gold spirit portal.]]
* The signal in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' season one, "The Trigger, Part 2". Not a ''good'' thing, but a ''significant'' thing.
* ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko''

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' episode "For the Future", the outpouring of energy from [[spoiler:Luz's palisman finally hatching]] results in a pillar of dark purple light. It's also slightly deconstructed, since [[spoiler:Luz and her mother were hiding from Kikimora at the time and such an obvious visual cue immediately tips her off of their location.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'': In "Mort: Ragnarick", Rick sends the infinite energy he accumulated at Valhalla as a beam straight up into the sky.
* ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'': During a flashback to their High School days, Heifer eats the potato that he, Rocko and Filburt were using for a potato battery experiment. When they realize that putting the lightbulb in Heifer's mouth causes it to light up, they stuff him with potato products, resulting in this trope.
* The title character of ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower'' drew her power from a living Pillar of Light.
* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' episode "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS2E20TwilightOfTheApprenticePartII Twilight of the Apprentice, Part II]]", the lightning shooting upwards under the temple on Malachor is channeled into one of these in order to keep a Sith holocron suspended inside.
* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' Rose's Light Canon uses a beam of light that can morph into the images of the Crystal Gems in order to destroy most Homeworld Drones.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'' -- Ankama loves this trope:

* ''[[WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021 What If...]]'': In "[[Recap/WhatIfS1E9WhatIfTheWatcherBrokeHisOath What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath]]", [[spoiler:Killmonger]] creates a sky beam when he uses the Infinity Stones to attack the Guardians of the Multiverse.

* ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei'' has one for the Day of Flight.

* Bad stuff happens when this shows up in ''Manga/{{Saikano}}''. ''Really'' bad stuff.

* One of the death animations from ''VideoGame/ScorchedEarth''.

* In ''Magic and Mayhem: The Art of Magic'', the "Judgement" spell appears as a column of light.

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'':
** When you kill [[spoiler:Ares]].
** When you kill [[spoiler:Athena]].
** When [[spoiler: you finally kill Zeus and AGAIN when Kratos commit suicide.]]

** ''[[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender The Last Airbender]]''

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''

* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS2E20TwilightOfTheApprenticePartII Twilight of the Apprentice, Part II]]", the lightning shooting upwards under the temple on Malachor is channeled into one of these in order to keep a Sith holocron suspended inside.
* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' Rose's Light Canon uses a beam of light that can morph into the images of the Crystal Gems in order to destroy most homeworld Drones

* ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' has one created by TheArkOfTheCovenant.

* In ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick2004'', New Mecca has many large constructions which emit Pillars Of Light. These shut down as the Necromongers attack.

* ''Film/FantasticFour2015'' has one in the portal Doom opens in the alternate dimension.

** In ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'', when the ecto containment unit explodes.
** ''Film/Ghostbusters2016'' has one in the portal to the spirit world ([[SicklyGreenGlow green]] as it spews ghosts, [[spoiler:red once the Ghostbusters do a ReversePolarity and make the spirits be sucked instead]]).
* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': Godzilla blasts his Atomic Breath into the sky upon [[spoiler:being fully revitalized and overcharged]], and it is truly ''glorious''.
* ''Film/Hellboy2004'': In the climax Rasputin forces Hellboy to release the Ogdru Jahad by shooting a pillar of light at the moon that turns it into a giant portal for them.

* At the end of ''Film/Lifeforce1985'', from London's cathedral to a spaceship in orbit.

* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'':

** In ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' Loki uses Erik Selvig's Tesseract-powered generator to shoot a pillar of light from the Stark Tower and open a wormhole over Manhattan to summon the Chitauri invasion.

* In ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022'', a huge green column of light, visible many miles away, bursts into the sky to [[spoiler:reveal the location of the Master Emerald]].
* The "God" in ''Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier''.

[[folder:Multiple Media]]
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse ''loves'' this trope. [[spoiler:The large Arc Reactor overloading]] in ''Film/IronMan1'', the Bifrost bridge in ''Film/{{Thor}}'', the [[spoiler:Tesseract event, heavily implied to BE a Bifrost transportation]] in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', and the [[spoiler:portal to summon the Chitauri]] in ''Film/TheAvengers2012''. {{Justified|Trope}} in so far as all of these examples are implied to be derivatives of the same Asgardian technology. ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'' even cited "shooting a blue beam into the sky" as part of the MCU's StrictlyFormula in the Honest Trailer for ''Iron Man''.
** ''Series/WandaVision'': [[spoiler:Wanda creates a magical one, projected directly from her body, that begins to break apart the barrier around Westview. She cuts it off before completing the process, though, when she realizes doing so will kill Vision and their children.]]
** ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'': In "[[Recap/WhatIfS1E9WhatIfTheWatcherBrokeHisOath What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath]]", [[spoiler:Killmonger]] creates a sky beam when he uses the Infinity Stones to attack the Guardians of the Multiverse.
[[/folder]]

* Leeloo in ''Film/TheFifthElement'', [[spoiler:at the end where she releases the title element.]]

* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', ''Traveller'', when [[spoiler:Jor-El restores Kara's memories and powers]].
** In ''Instinct'', when [[spoiler:Tess Mercer and a scientist mess with a kryptonian crystal. HilarityEnsues when Maxima recognizes the kryptonian beam and comes to Earth in search for a mate.]]

* At the end of ''Film/{{Lifeforce}}'', from London's cathedral to a spaceship in orbit.

* In ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'', when the ecto containment unit explodes. ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 2016}}'' has one in the portal to the spirit world ([[SicklyGreenGlow green]] as it spews ghosts, [[spoiler:red once the Ghostbusters do a ReversePolarity and make the spirits be sucked instead]]).

* In ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick'', New Mecca has many large constructions which emit Pillars Of Light. These shut down as the Necromongers attack.

* ''Film/{{Fantastic Four|2015}}'' (2015) has one in the portal Doom opens in the alternate dimension.

* In ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}'', when the ecto containment unit explodes. ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 2016}}'' has one in the portal to the spirit world ([[SicklyGreenGlow green]] as it spews ghosts, [[spoiler:red once the Ghostbusters do a ReversePolarity and make the spirits be sucked instead]]).

* In ''Film/{{Lifeforce}}'' at the end of the movie, from London's cathedral to a spaceship in orbit.

* In ''Film/{{Sonic the Hedgehog 2|2022}}'', a huge green column of light, visible many miles away, bursts into the sky to [[spoiler:reveal the location of the Master Emerald]].

* Enchantress's device in ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'' emmits one, that is surrounded by swirling floating debris.
* In ''Film/{{Superman}}'' (1978), on Krypton, the three criminals Zod, Non and Ursa are kept arrested within an independent, seemingly emitter-less Pillar of Light.

* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse ''loves'' this trope. [[spoiler:The large Arc Reactor overloading]] in ''Film/IronMan1'', the Bifrost bridge in ''Film/{{Thor}}'', the [[spoiler:Tesseract event, heavily implied to BE a Bifrost transportation]] in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', and the [[spoiler:portal to summon the Chitauri]] in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}.'' A JustifiedTrope, as all of these examples are implied to be derivatives of the same Asgardian technology. ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'' even cited "shooting a blue beam into the sky" as part of the MCU's StrictlyFormula in the Honest Trailer for ''Iron Man''.

* In ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'', Touma accidentally causes this when he redirects a powerful spell cast by [[spoiler:Index]] upwards, which just so happens to destroy the city's satellite/supercomputer, Tree Diagram, in its wake.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'':

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys'', the meteorite creates a massive one [[spoiler:when it explodes, having been set to overdrive by Mr. Snake, [[EverythingExplodesEnding destroying Marmalade's complex]] in the process]].