History Main / PillarOfLight

* ''Anime/MaiOtome'':

** ''Anime/MaiOtome0Sifr'' has [[spoiler:Lena's Artemis]], which comes down from the sky in a potential homage to its ''Anime/MaiHime'' [[spoiler:KillSat]] namesake.

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

* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha''

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima''

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''

* ''FanFic/MyLittleMagesTheNightmaresReturn'': One of these occurs when [[BadassPreacher Applejack]] casts her massive Undead-killing prayer spell.

* ''Franchise/MegaMan''

* ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer''

* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy''

* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou''

** Subverted in ''Super Robot Wars [[OriginalGeneration Original Generations]]''. 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.

* Several offensive Druid spells in ''VideoGame/{{World of Warcraft}}'' cause downward-traveling Pillars of Light. Most frequently seen (and also most awesome-looking, especially with the latest graphic change) is Moonfire.

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar''

* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne''

* In the good ending of VideoGame/Infamous2 where Cole activates the RFI it shoots a beam that can be seen from space!

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** This is also the form that the ultimate spell 'Fairy Law' takes. Simply put it's a pillar of sacred light that destroys anything the caster considers an enemy.

* In ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'', one of these is used to kill cybugs at the end of a round of Hero's Duty since they do not know they're in a game. [[spoiler: Ralph later creates an improvised one with Mentos and diet cola lava in the climax to kill the cybugs that invaded Sugar Rush.]]

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

* Part of Enchantress's device in ''Film/SuicideSquad2016''.

* The DVD edition of the ''Series/DoctorWho'' 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.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E7ThePyramidAtTheEndOfTheWorld The Pyramid at the End of the World]]", an orange skyward beam rises from the alien pyramid as the Americans and Russian are about to bombard it. Then the beam plucks out the bomber plane from the sky and deposits it next to it, soon followed by the Russian submarine.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}'', a giant Forerunner artifact left buried in Africa emits one of these when it's uncovered and activated.

* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars''

* ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore''

* 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.

* Minas Morgul produces one of these in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing'', shooting a gigantic, green pillar of light into the sky moments before disgorging a horde of orcs led by the Nazgûl. The book tells us that this particular pillar is produced in response to one from Barad-dûr. The exchange is essentially Sauron (at Barad-dûr) asking "Are you ready?" and the Witch-King at Minas Morgul replying "Yes!"

* The perfected form of the [[KiAttacks 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.

* In ''Disney/WreckItRalph'', one of these is used to kill cybugs at the end of a round of Hero's Duty since they do not know they're in a game. [[spoiler: Ralph later creates an improvised one with Mentos and diet cola lava in the climax to kill the cybugs that invaded Sugar Rush.]]

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

** 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.
** ''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'' or a more benign Pillar Of Light in ''X8''.

* Minas Morgul produces one of these in the ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Return of the King]]'' movie, shooting a gigantic, green pillar of light into the sky moments before disgorging a horde of orcs led by the Nazgûl. The book tells us that this particular pillar is produced in response to one from Barad-dûr. The exchange is essentially Sauron (at Barad-dûr) asking "Are you ready?" and the Witch-King at Minas Morgul replying "Yes!"

* ''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 Mickey's ability Faith, and one of the limit breaks for Xion's final form.

[[https://observer.com/2016/08/a-quick-word-from-the-giant-sky-beam-in-every-superhero-movie/ A Quick Word From The Giant Sky Beam in Every Superhero Movie]].

* The [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazis]] [[LightIsNotGood also liked Pillars of Light]] and had one of their massive rally grounds in Nuremberg surrounded by 130 huge flak lights, called the [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-1982-1130-502%2C_N%C3%BCrnberg%2C_Reichsparteitag%2C_Lichtdom.jpg "Cathedral of Light"]]. It required so much power the area had its own electric power plant.

** This happens twice in the series; once when you kill [[spoiler:Ares]] and then again when you kill [[spoiler:Athena]].
** And then again when [[spoiler: you finally kill Zeus and AGAIN when Kratos commit suicide.]]

* In ''Disney/WreckItRalph'', one of these is used to kill cybugs at the end of a round of Hero's Duty since they do not know they're in a game. [[spoiler: Ralph later creates an improvised one with Mentos and diet cola lava in the climax to kill the cybugs that invaded Sugar Rush and Turbo.]]

* ''VideoGame/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 Mickey's ability Faith, and one of the limit breaks for Xion's final form.

* In ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'', the Gaia spell is a blasts the enemy with light and levitating rocks from undergound.

** ''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 [[CaptainObvious pillar of light]] into the air, destroying the GA surveillence satellite. The mission which it appears in is also (amusingly) called... "Pillar of Light".

* 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.

* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', when Miko Miyazaki crosses the MoralEventHorizon, her gods hit her with one, [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0407.html taking away her paladin powers]].
* Whisper Song of ''Webcomic/MagicalMisfits'' [[http://www.drunkduck.com/Magical_Misfits/5065955/ caused one]], and since this was [[http://www.dragoneers.com/halloween2008/ during a crossover]] it appeared/was referenced in several other comics as well.

* ''Webcomic/CrimsonFlag'': One of these is has been ignited on [[http://crimsonflagcomic.com/comic.php?comicID=411 page 411]].

* One of Nightwolf's [[FinishingMove fatalities]] in the ''MortalKombat'' franchise.