Sol Regem, also known as Anak Araw,[1][2] alternatively known as the Sun King[1] or simply the Sun,[5] was an Archdragon of the Sun, the mate of Aithne Solaire, and the former King of the Dragons before Luna Tenebris succeeded him, with his era dating back 1200 years before the birth of Azymondias.[8] He died after devouring and choking on Pharos's corpse.[1]
Appearance[]
Sol Regem was a Sun Dragon of unknown kind who towered over ordinary dragons in terms of sheer size and height, easily casting a massive shadow upon the ground. He had golden scales, red wings, and a light underside. He sported tufts of red fur on his elbows and tail, dark brown claws, horns that resembled rays of sunlight,[9] a mane of white hair above his neck, as well as a row of white spikes lining over the top of his neck, back, and tail. In his prime, he had small glowing blue eyes, but after being blinded by Ziard, he gained a massive red scar that covers most of his face, including his ruined eyes.[3]
In the following 1000 years, Sol Regem's body showed signs of aging and deterioration. His muzzles were torched, his scales were flaking and somewhat darker than in his youth, parts of his horns have cracked or chipped off, his white spikes have turned black, his chin sported a white beard, and there were several holes and tears on the membranes of his tattered wings, as well as a few noticeable scars on his neck and legs. He had also grown a pair of small nasal horns and three small dark gray spikes above each eyebrow.[3]
Two years after the battle at the Storm Spire, the holes on Sol Regem's tattered wings have grown larger,[4] but they were eventually healed by the Sun Seed.[5]
Personality[]
Known as the "Sun King", Sol Regem was once gleaming, powerful, proud, and revered as the King of the Dragons[10] who symbolized all that was beautiful and glorious about Xadia.[11] However, after being blinded by Ziard, his hatred of humans and dark magic made him a symbol of rage and bitterness.[10]
Sol Regem was an arrogant misanthrope who referred to humans as "lesser beings" who do not deserve magic despite their struggle against starvation, and he showed no hesitation to destroy the city of Elarion when Ziard refused to give up dark magic. There was nothing he would not do to get what he wanted, as he also seemed to have no qualms about killing other Xadians, even elves and fellow dragons, who are in league with humans,[3] as revealed when he reported Leola's actions of granting magic to humans,[2] and as shown when he threatened to kill Rayla and Azymondias if they allowed Callum to escape. He did have loose scruples, however, as he despised dark magic for its fatal effects on innocent magical creatures, yet innocent humans were not spared from his wrath.[3]
Following his downfall, Sol Regem spent 1000 years languishing in depression and chose to live as an exile who lost all interest in reclaiming power.[4] However, he regained some hope after Karim, Miyana, and Pharos gave him the Sun Seed that healed his wings.[6]
Sol Regem's bitterness was mostly caused by the mysterious death of his beloved mate, Aithne Solaire. When Sol Regem learned from Aaravos that he buried her alive in his fury, the grieving and enraged Archdragon devoured and choked on Pharos's corpse.[1]
Skills and Abilities[]
Sun Primal Connection[]
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As an Archdragon of the Sun, Sol Regem possessed a vast connection to the Sun and was at his strongest when the sun is at its highest during noon. He could unleash a massive stream of fire from his mouth that incinerated humans and melts rocks near-immediately, and the scales on his underside glowed orange when he performs this ability. However, he needed to recharge for a few minutes after blasting his fire. Every time another of the scales on his underside glowed, he was one step closer to being fully charged.[3] He could also extinguish other sources of fire with an exhale of wind from his mouth.[4] Sol Regem was said to have used his fire breath to create the Sun Primal Stones in the ancient days.[12]
Physical Attributes[]
Due to his immense stature, Sol Regem was incredibly strong. He could simply make the ground shake with his feet, and he could withstand the fireball that was cast by Ziard, but he had to dive into a body of water to extinguish the searing flames that destroyed his eyes and gave him his scar.[3] He could also survive being shot by multiple ballista bolts before slowly succumbing to his wounds.[1]
When Sol Regem talked, his breath alone created a strong breeze capable of blowing humans away. He could easily smash solid mesa rocks with his tail and left deep gashes in them with his claws. He could shatter rocks under his footsteps, and the earthquakes produced by his feet and his roars occasionally caused rock avalanches.[3]
Sense of Smell[]
Sol Regem had an excellent sense of smell which is far keener than that of a human, or seemingly any other creature. He became more dependent on it after he was blinded. Sol Regem could use his sense of smell to detect whether someone has used dark magic or not, which described as a scent of death.[3] He could also smell the power within a Sun Seed,[6] and could even smell the difference between the truth and a lie.[1]
Flight[]
Sol Regem was fast and agile for a creature of his size. He could fly at great speed and over vast distances without showing signs of exhaustion.[3] Over the centuries, his wings became tattered and full of holes, so he could not fly. They were eventually healed using a spell that requires a Sun Seed, and he was still capable of flying swiftly after being grounded for centuries.[5][1]
Trivia[]
- "Sol Regem" is Latin for "Sun King".
- Sol Regem's original name, "Anak Araw", is Tagalog/Filipino for "Golden Child", "Child of the Sun", or "Child of the Day". However, in colloquial Filipino language, "Anak Araw" is used as the word for "Albino".
- Sol Regem served as a representative for the series on selective promotional art.
- The way Sol Regem's underside lights up before breathing fire is similar to Smaug from the "The Hobbit" films.
- Sol Regem is the first dragon in the series who speaks on-screen.
- The Sunfire Elves revere Sol Regem, as they repeat the shape of his horns in their crowns, weapon designs, and architecture.[10] They also named the Six Horns after him.[13]
- Sol Regem has a symbiotic relationship with the flock of Sunbirds that flies by his side during the introduction of Xadia.[14]
- The design for Sol Regem's head was originally intended for Avizandum.[9]
Appearances[]
Book One - Moon
- 101. "Echoes of Thunder" (flashback, no lines)
Book Two - Sky
- 209. "Breathe" (no lines)
Book Three - Sun
- 301. "Sol Regem"
Book Five - Ocean
- 504. "The Great Bookery"
Book Six - Stars
- 604. "The Starscraper"
- 607. "The Red Wedding" (no lines)
- 608. "We All Fall Down"
- 609. "Stardust" (no lines)
Book Seven - Dark
- 701. "Death Alive" (no lines)
- 706. "Inversion" (no lines)
- 707. "The Titan and the King" (no lines)
- 708. "Dying Light" (no lines)
- 709. "Nova" (no lines)
Books
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Book Six, Chapter 8: "We All Fall Down"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Book Six, Chapter 9: "Stardust"
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Book Three, Chapter 1: "Sol Regem"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Book Five, Chapter 4: "The Great Bookery"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Book Six, Chapter 7: "The Red Wedding"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Book Six, Chapter 4: "The Starscraper"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Book Seven, Chapter 1: "Death Alive"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 San Diego Comic Con 2019
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Art of The Dragon Prince
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Callum's Spellbook
- ↑ Book Two: Sky (Novel)
- ↑ Tales of Xadia - Official Handbook
- ↑ New York Comic Con 2021
- ↑ Animationscoop - Interview with the creators