Escanor's Powers From The Seven Deadly Sins Explained

In anime like "The Seven Deadly Sins," it's easy to assume that the main character is always going to be the strongest fighter around. If they aren't, then fans might expect the main character to grow in strength over the course of their journey. While the protagonist of "The Seven Deadly Sins," Meliodas, is incredibly strong and only gets stronger over the course of the series, he is never quite the strongest. At least, not while his pal Escanor is around.

As the Lion's Sin of Pride, Escanor is often considered to be the strongest of the eponymous Seven Deadly Sins, despite being 100% human. He is certainly one of the strongest figures in the entire series, with the closest contenders being a full-powered Meliodas, the Demon Lord, and other such deities. But what makes Escanor, a lowly human, so incredibly strong? How does he manage to beat a full-strength Meliodas with only one strike? Thankfully, we are here to explain Escanor's powers as they appear in "The Seven Deadly Sins" anime.

Though he's born a regular human and the prince of the Kingdom of Castellio, Escanor eventually grows to become one of the world's most powerful warriors through his power, Sunshine. Granted to him by the archangel Mael, Sunshine is an ability that allows Escanor's powers to grow in relation to the cycle of day and night. 

At night, Escanor is a small, timid bartender with very little combat ability. When the sun rises, however, he grows into a macho man-hunk capable of clobbering anyone and everyone who gets in his way. Because of this, Escanor's personality shifts during the day to a prideful and confident disposition.

As the sun rises, Escanor's powers only increase until it reaches noon. Once the Sun is at its highest point in the sky, Escanor becomes power incarnate in a form known as The One. In this form, not even Meliodas in his fully-powered assault mode can stand a chance. When the two fight, Escanor as The One defeats Meliodas in a single decisive blow.

Nevertheless, this only scratches the surface of Escanor's true potential. If required, Escanor can exchange his own life force to artificially induce The One. This ability, The One: Ultimate, is even more powerful than The One in its natural state. For a brief period, Escanor becomes one of the strongest beings in existence at the cost of his own life. Unfortunately, he is only ever able to use this ability once.