Solaris (ソラリス,Sorarisu?) is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a super-dimensional being who is worshiped as the sun god of Soleanna.[5][6]
Originally called the flame of hope, the Duke of Soleanna attempted to use him to control time via the Solaris Project.[1] However, an accident split Solaris into two entities: his raw power, Iblis, and his cunning intelligence, Mephiles. Both fragments were sealed away inside Princess Elise and the Scepter of Darkness, respectively, to ensure Solaris would remain forever divided to prevent his wrath.
Ten years later, the tampering of Dr. Eggman led to the releases of the diabolical Mephiles and the apocalyptic Iblis. Eventually the two reunited, recreating Solaris to destroy all of time itself, but he was defeated by Super Sonic, Super Shadow, and Super Silver. Elise then traveled back in time and blew out the flame of hope, erasing Solaris to undo everything he had caused.
What is the significance of Solaris in the Sonic the Hedgehog series?
Solaris, the sun god of Soleanna, is a crucial antagonist in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). As a super-dimensional life-form, he is one of two bosses battled by all three main characters - Sonic, Shadow, and Silver. Solaris has two distinct phases, mirroring Perfect Chaos from Sonic Adventure. He is the final boss of the Last Episode of Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), marking his significance in the game series.
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Who are the two halves that Solaris was split into during the Solaris Project?
The Solaris Project resulted in Solaris splitting into two beings, Mephiles the Dark and Iblis, following an accident. These entities were subsequently contained within the Scepter of Darkness and Princess Elise, thereby averting further facility damage.
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What is the role of the Scepter of Darkness and the princess of Soleanna in the story of Solaris?
The Solaris Project, initiated by the Duke of Soleanna, splits Solaris into two entities: Iblis and Mephiles. Iblis is sealed within the Duke's daughter, Elise, using a Chaos Emerald. Mephiles is pursued and captured by Shadow with the Scepter of Darkness, which is later left for the people of Soleanna to discover.
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What powers does Solaris possess as a god of time and sun?
As a god of time and sun, Solaris can exist in all eras simultaneously, making him nearly invincible unless attacked across all time periods. He can create rifts in time and space, capable of either obliterating objects or launching meteors. Solaris can warp time, perceive all across time and space, and consume time as localized black holes. He can manipulate time itself and generate a massive sphere of black energy that targets enemies.
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What is the connection between Solaris and the final boss in Sonic the Hedgehog 2006?
Solaris serves as the final boss in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), encountered after completing the 'End of the World' level. The boss battle involves Super Sonic, Super Shadow, and Super Silver. Solaris is unique as it is one of two bosses fought by all three main characters simultaneously, the other being Iblis. The character of Solaris incorporates elements from previous 3D game final bosses and has two distinct phases with different themes.
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Appearance
Prior to the Solaris Project, Solaris was an eerie white flame called the flame of hope which burned in a lantern-like object. He is also depicted as a griffon-like creature in the ancient stone carvings in Dusty Desert.
Following his rebirth, Solaris manifested a super-dimensional body made entirely of light. In his first form, Solaris has a glowing white humanoid body with two arms and three fingers on each hand, his waist coming to a point at the bottom. A halo of six triangles hover behind him, resembling a sun. He wears shells of hardened light around his body, like pieces of armor.[4] This includes his head, which has antler-like horns and a hooked beak resembling an eagle, the symbol of Soleanna.[7] Once destroyed, it reveals his true head, which has no discernible features. There is also a red orb in the core of his abdomen, which represents his very will.[8]
With the hardened light destroyed, Solaris enters his second form, resembling the royal emblem of Soleanna. He maintains his original appearance, albeit colored golden and with the halo behind him replaced by a massive pair of wings.
History
Past
The origins of Solaris remain a mystery. There is a legend among the citizens of Soleanna that the land was once threatened by a large fire, and that a giant eagle came to save the city; this eagle is likely a representation of Solaris himself.[9] At some point, Solaris was entrusted to the royal family of Soleanna as the flame of hope, a sentient flame. For many years, Solaris was worshiped by the citizens of Soleanna as a sun god in traditions such as the Festival of the Sun. Legends foretold, however, that the wrath of Solaris, known as the Flames of Disaster, would one day awaken and threaten to destroy the world.[2]
Ten years before Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), the Duke of Soleanna initiated the Solaris Project in hopes of harnessing Solaris' power so that humanity could control time and change history (and to allow himself and his daughter, Elise, to see his deceased wife again). It is noted that they had to wait for the flame to grow larger before the project could begin.[1] During the experiments on Solaris however, he refused to comply and became unstable, releasing an electromagnetic pulse that caused an explosive spatial meltdown.[10] This split Solaris into Mephiles and Iblis (the Flames of Disaster), and nearly killed the Duke and Elise. Thanks to the intervention of the time traveling Shadow the Hedgehog and Silver the Hedgehog, Mephiles was sealed inside an artifact known as the Scepter of Darkness, while Iblis was sealed inside of Elise's soul by the Duke.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Dr. Eggman began seeking to recreate Solaris, plotting to use his power over time to conquer the world.[11] He collected the Scepter of Darkness before targeting Elise for the Flames of Disaster. However, once Mephiles was accidentally freed from the Scepter of Darkness, he began an agenda to fuse with Iblis and recreate Solaris on his own terms. By eventually making Elise cry by killing Sonic the Hedgehog, Mephiles released Iblis in the present and the two entities rejoined to create Solaris. Roaring in fury, Solaris immediately plunged the world into darkness and prepared to devour time itself by consuming all timelines, thrusting the main cast into the End of the World.[12]
Before Solaris could achieve this, he was defeated by a combined assault from Super Shadow, Super Silver, and a resurrected Super Sonic. The three heroes defeated Solaris by targeting his consciousness, rather than trying to destroy his immortal body.[13] Solaris' defeat reverted him to his base form and spirited Elise and Sonic back to the time before the Solaris Project. After some contemplation, Elise chose to blow out the small flame of hope that would become Solaris, thus changing history by erasing his corporeal form from existence. Following the timeline reset, Solaris would continue to be worshipped by his people through the Festival of the Sun without Eggman's interference.
As the flame of hope, Solaris was completely peaceful and inanimate. However, legends foretold that his wrath would one day be made manifest.[2] During the Solaris Project, he refused to comply with the Duke of Soleanna's demands,[10] eventually being driven berserk by the experiments conducted on him.[14]
Upon being reborn, Solaris pursued the same goal of total destruction that was pursued by his mind, Mephiles, and his wrath, Iblis. He appeared inconsolable and insatiable in his hunger for dimensions. His will was so strong that is was palpable to individuals such as Princess Elise, and could be targeted by Super Sonic, Super Shadow, and Super Silver.[13][15] In certain cutscenes, Solaris can be heard roaring furiously. In battle, he instead makes an eerie wailing noise, resembling the call of a whale or deep wolf howl.
Powers and abilities
Solaris is one of the strongest foes Sonic has ever faced, and arguably the most powerful being in the entire Sonic the Hedgehog series. He could only be rivaled by the combined might of three Super States, and even that did not fully destroy him. Dr. Eggman initially assumed that it was impossible to stop him, for a number of reasons.
First of all, in the space-time rift of the End of the World, Solaris existed simultaneously in the past, present, and future, which meant defeating him at one point in time would not stop him in other times.[16] This forced Super Sonic, Super Shadow, and Super Silver to each target him in the present, past, and future, respectively.[17][18] Furthermore, Solaris' body was composed entirely of light and could not take physical damage. However, his first form wore hardened light shells around its body, and destroying them briefly subdued him.[4] Upon entering his final form, Solaris' core was exposed, representing his very will. By targeting this core instead of his body, Super Sonic, Super Shadow, and Super Silver were able to break his will to stop his rampage.[13] Even this did not destroy Solaris, only giving Sonic and Elise a chance to go back in time and erase Solaris.
In the End of the World, Solaris generates Eyes of Solaris that can either pull in objects to destroy them like black holes, or launch objects from other dimensions as high-speed projectiles. He can also still summon Iblis Incarnations, showing that he retains at least some of the powers of Mephiles and Iblis. In battle, Solaris uses the Eyes of Solaris to launch giant, purple spike balls from another dimension, and can even send enemies into other dimensions.[19][20] Solaris can also generate powerful blue lasers, and can summon an impenetrable barrier called the Wings of Light. However, this barrier works both ways, as Solaris must lower it to fire lasers, though he can still open Eyes of Solaris. As another testament to his power, Solaris is one of the few beings whose attacks can bypass the invulnerability of Super States through sheer force.
Most importantly, Solaris possesses the unique power to manipulate and change the fabric of time itself. According to Dr. Eggman, Solaris is capable of devouring time and space on an incomprehensible scale, encompassing consuming entire dimensions and all existing timelines,[12] and causing worldwide instabilities that create distorted time-space rifts filled with the remains of the planet. The power of Solaris can be used to change history and fate itself, a power which humans have sought to control: the Duke hoped to solve past mistakes and to save his late wife, while Eggman plotted to ensure his world conquest across all time.[11][1] Mephiles appears to have inherited a portion of this power, shown in his ability to travel through time.
Weakness
Thanks to his time-transcending nature and his body of pure light, Solaris was immortal and could not be fully destroyed, but he could be stopped. In his first form, Solaris wore hardened light shells which could be destroyed, apparently causing him pain or distress. In his final form, his core was exposed, which represented his very will; targeting the core could literally break Solaris' will to stop his rampage, though it did not destroy his body. Ultimately, Solaris was most vulnerable as the tiny flame of hope, since Elise was able to easily blow it out to erase him.
When fighting Solaris, the player takes control of Super Sonic, Super Shadow and Super Silver. Like most Super States, Rings are required to maintain them during the boss battle. If the player runs low on rings, they can switch characters to collect more. The boss has two phases. Getting hit by an attack from Solaris will cost the player ten Rings.
Phase One
To defeat this form of Solaris, the player must target the "light shells" on his body. Solaris mainly attacks by throwing Spiked Orbs from his red eyes at the hedgehogs as well as firing a laser from his chest. He can also create an invisible force field to protect himself, which is always active on wrong to use characters at the moment, leading all of their attacks, including Sonic's Arrow of Light always being blocked. To start the fight, the player must switch to Super Silver and use his Shield of Light power to grab the meteors that Solaris throws. before hurling them back to destroy the light shell on his left arm while continuing to move. Once that light shell is gone, the player must switch to Super Shadow and use his Spear of Light to destroy the light shell on his right arm, while using the Turbo Boost to dodge attacks.
After the light shell on his right arm is destroyed, the player must switch to Super Sonic and use his Arrow of Light to destroy the light shell on his body, dashing around using the Turbo Boost in between Arrows of Light to avoid being hit by Solaris' attacks. Once all three light shells are destroyed, Solaris can take damage from any of the three characters. The player must attack the red core on his chest until he is defeated.
Phase Two
As soon as the player can attack Solaris again, they should switch to Super Shadow and start charging up his Action Gauge. When it is full, launch a full salvo of Spear of Light and then Turbo Boost to either side of Solaris to avoid immediate retaliation. Super Shadow is the best hero to use in this final attack, so the player must take extra care to always switch characters before his Ring count dips below ten. Solaris increases the frequency of Orbs thrown through the void, so Super Silver is a pivotal hero to use in this second attack on Solaris, even if most of His orbs will get destroyed either by Solaris' own or his lasers. The player should use his Shield of Light to capture the Orbs and return fire. The player must always watch Solaris' wings, as when they begin growing especially bright, the player must be ready to Turbo Dash to either side to avoid an incoming beam attack.
When the player must let Super Shadow and Super Silver build up their depleted Rings, they can use Super Sonic's Arrow of Light when Solaris leaves his core completely exposed. When Super Sonic does not have a full Action Gauge, the player should use Turbo Boost to zip around Solaris and avoid incoming attacks. When Solaris' health bar is almost empty, the player should use whatever attacks they have available. In desperation, Solaris will unleash a violent torrent of Orbs and energy beams. The player should keep switching between Super Shadow and Super Silver so they can attack from a safe distance, preferably using Super Shadow as he can attack while moving. The player should avoid hovering in one place, as the instant Solaris draws a beam on them, he will release a flurry of attacks.
In between rounds of laser attacks, Solaris, upon sensing attacks on his core will activate Wings of Light, shield protecting him from all attacks, it falls off when he uses Lasers and for some time after them, it is the best time to attack him, since otherwise all of player's attacks will get blocked.
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, Solaris was originally a flame which was split into Mephiles and Iblis during experiments conducted by the Duke of Soleanna and his researchers. Solaris was eventually restored due to the actions of Mephiles and prepared to destroy time, but was stopped, and eventually erased from existence by Sonic the Hedgehog and Princess Elise.
After the Super Genesis Wave re-wrote history, Solaris' history became nearly indistinguishable from that of his video game counterpart.
Etymology
"Solaris" is a Latin word meaning "pertaining to the sun".
Trivia
In Dusty Desert, there are ancient carvings depicting the ancient people of Soleanna worshiping what appears to be a griffon entity. Whether this implies Solaris had visited them as an incarnation of griffon or it had been a different entity is unknown.
Solaris is the one of the two bosses in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) that is fought by all three main characters, the other being Iblis. He is the only boss who is fought with all three main characters simultaneously, however.
The battle with Solaris takes aspects from final bosses from previous Sonic games and merges them together.
There are two phases with different themes (one being a remix of the game's main theme), akin to Perfect Chaos from Sonic Adventure.
In his first phase, Solaris has six stones on his back, six claws, and six horn segments on his head. This may be a reference to the number 666, which is often considered Number of the Beast from the Bible's Book of Revelation. The angelic second form of Solaris could be a reference to the Devil, Lucifer, who is a fallen angel and whose name means "light-bringer" or "morning star", both fitting Solaris as a sun god.
In further reference to the Book of Revelation, Solaris' two halves, Mephiles and Iblis, may represent the False Prophet and the Beast, respectively. Both beings' names are also derived from characters associated with the Devil.
The head of Solaris' first phase resembles the headgear worn by a statue in Dusty Desert, which in turn resembles Illumina's headgear. It is unknown if the resemblance is intentional.
Another connection between the two is their split states, with Illumina being split into Lumina and Void, while Solaris is split into Mephiles and Iblis.
Despite the fact that Super Sonic is the only one shown during the final score screen, there are animation files for Super Shadow and Super Silver's victory poses in the game's files, suggesting that the two were also going to be shown in some way in the final score screen.
Solaris' second form is referred to as a "Phoenix" in the official Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) guidebook, a mythological bird creature associated with the sun and continuous resurrection.[citation needed]
Ian Flynn gave the opinion that Solaris is probably the most powerful enemy Sonic has ever faced, with The End taking second place.[21]
References
↑ 1.01.11.21.3Sonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: Elise puts out the flames. "Duke: Look, Elise. This is Solaris, the flame of hope. / Elise: It's so beautiful... / Duke: When the flame has grown large enough, our world will change. Solaris will allow us to control time and move through history. People will be able to rectify past mistakes and avoid bitter fate. / Elise: Will we be able to see momma? / Duke: Yes, Elise. We'll both be able to see your mother once again."
↑ 4.04.14.2Sonic Team, Blindlight (21 December 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog. Xbox 360. Sega. Area/level: Solaris. "Eggman: That body of light is the sign of a super-dimensional life form. Standard attacks won't work on him! He eats dimensions for lunch! But... There should be something that's anchoring him in this dimension. That's probably the light shells that can be seen on his body. If all of those are destroyed, he can be defeated!"
↑Sonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: The resurrection of Mephiles. "Rouge: I heard a prototype energy engine failed, which caused the accident. I think the name of the plan was... / Dr. Eggman: The Solaris Project. It was an ambitious project named after their eternal sun god."
↑Sonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: Running through the plains. "Elise: Yes. The name of the sun god our country honors is Solaris... It is told that Solaris's rage would destroy the world. His wrath comes in the form of the Flames of Disaster. 10 years ago, we almost faced the full force of his fury... I was a child then, so I don't remember it very well. I lost my father then... And now that man is trying to cause the same disaster again... What can I do?"
↑Sonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog (in English). PlayStation 3. Sega. Area/level: Boss: Solaris 2. "Dr. Eggman: Ngh... Is it impossible to defeat a super-dimensional being after all? / Elise: No... Something's different... I can feel a large, powerful consciousness coming from Solaris! / Dr. Eggman: What? A consciousness!? Hmm... That's it! That's his core! Even if we can't stop his form, we can stop his consciousness! / Amy: Look! There's a strange thing in the middle of Solaris! Isn't that the core?"
↑Sonic Team (14 November 2016). Sonic the Hedgehog. Xbox 360. Sega. Area/level: Soleanna New City (Sonic Episode). "Woman: A long time ago, the city of Soleanna was hit by a huge fire. A big eagle appeared, and saved the whole city..."
↑ 10.010.1Sonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: The accident 10 years ago. "Scientist: An electromagnetic pulse has just been generated! Injecting decompression agent! No, the level's not dropping! A spatial meltdown is inevitable! My lord, it's too late! We've got to take shelter! / Duke of Soleanna: Why, Solaris? Why do you refuse to listen to my voice?"
↑ 11.011.1Sonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog (in English). PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: Eggman’s plot. "Eggman: Did your parents ever disclose to you anything about Solaris? Solaris's secrets are in his eternal flames. His power... can change time, and even manipulate the fabric of time itself. I wish to obtain this power and dominate everything in this world. From the past all the way to the future!"
↑ 12.012.1Sonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog (in English). PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: The time-space rift. "Eggman: This creature will consume all existing timelines. And time itself will collapse and disappear into nothingness."
↑ 13.013.113.2Sonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog (in English). PlayStation 3. Sega. Area/level: Boss: Solaris 2. "Dr. Eggman: Ngh... Is it impossible to defeat a super-dimensional being after all? / Elise: No... Something's different... I can feel a large, powerful consciousness coming from Solaris! / Dr. Eggman: What? A consciousness!? Hmm... That's it! That's his core! Even if we can't stop his form, we can stop his consciousness! / Amy: Look! There's a strange thing in the middle of Solaris! Isn't that the core?"
↑Black, Fletcher (14 November 2006). "Last Episode • Boss Battle: Solaris". Sonic the Hedgehog: Official Game Guide. Prima Games. pp. 322. ISBN 978-0761555100. "After an epic battle, the heroes finally defeat Solaris. Sonic, Shadow, and Silver rejoin their jubilant friends as they watch Solaris implode. The god, crazed by the lasting effects of the experiments that Elise’s father performed on it when she was a child, returns to its original, peaceful form. The shattered timelines can now be corrected, ensuring that Silver’s future will not be ruined by Iblis’s flames."
↑Sonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog (in Japanese). PlayStation 3. Sega. Area/level: Boss: Solaris 2. "(Translated) Dr. Eggman: Ugh... so it seems... it's impossible to defeat a super-dimensional lifeform...? / Elise: No... it's different from before... I can feel... a greater will than ever before overflowing from Solaris! / Dr. Eggman: What? A will? Hmm... that's it! That is its core! It may be impossible to defeat it as a lifeform, but we can stop its will!"
↑Sonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: The time-space rift. "Eggman: No, it is a transcendent life form that exists in the past, present and future. Defeating it here, now, would do nothing."
↑Sonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog. PlayStation 3. Sega. Cutscene: The time-space rift. "Silver: No, I won't give up. There has to be a way. If you say it exists in the past, present and future, I'll destroy them all at once! / Shadow: Certainly, it might have been possible, if he was still alive."
↑Sonic Team (14 November 2006). Sonic the Hedgehog. PlayStation 3. Sega. Area/level: Solaris. "Shadow: I will release you from the chains of your past. / Silver: I will protect the future! / Sonic: The present day, the here and now that you've stolen... time to take it back!"
