If you read or watch the manga/anime series Seven Deadly Sins you probably have a favorite character, maybe you're like me and think Escanor is the undisputed greatest, strongest, and a slew of other positive adjectives with the superlative suffix "-est". I have more than a few Escanor t-shirts and every time I go out to a store wearing one there is a good chance I get one comment or question. The comment being "Hey, nice shirt." with the usual reply "Thanks.", or the question, also always the same, "Who do you think would win, Escanor or Meliodas?", with the answer bluntly stated "Escanor.". The subsequent argument I start to receive usually begins with "Well, what about Full Counter?", "Well, what about it, that worked out well for Estarossa, right?". Full Counter being the ability to deal back an anticipated attack with double the power. Fact is Escanor can deal magical or physical attacks with absurd ability so it really doesn't matter, the outcome would be the same. He was even hit with Full Counter in his battle with Estarossa and acted indifferent as a result of it, even joked about it, saying "My, I do pack quite a punch". Though there is the issue with his reliance on the sun for power, during the night he becomes a very feeble barkeeper and as the sun rises begins to transform into the more notable Escanor that warrants these comparisons with Meliodas and a host of other characters from the Seven Deadly Sins universe. There is a lot of mystique behind Escanor's powers in the manga/anime series regarding his connection to the archangel Mael and the acquiring of his powers or as many refer to it as "Grace". The Seven Deadly Sins is inspired by Arthurian legend, specifically in the case of Escanor and his powers which are based on the Knight of the Round Table, Sir Gawain. Arthurian legend notes that Sir Gawain's strength increased and faded with the rise and fall of the moon, with him being strongest at midday and weakest at midnight. There is also speculation as to a possible connection to Gawain's power and the sun god Belenus from Celtic mythology.
Lets get back to "What if Escanor lived in Svalbard, Norway?", well Svalbard is considered one of if not the northernmost inhabited area of the planet. From April 19th to August 23rd the sun never sets, a phenomenon called polar days or midnight sun. Well what does this mean for Escanor, it means during this time he is in a perpetual supernatural state, never vulnerable by his weakened form, and there are many broken drink glasses for the musclebound barkeeper. Constant exposure to the sun grants Escanor even greater power elevating side-effects. When taking a break from the bar, he takes long walks on the sunlit tundra and gets exercise wrestling polar bears because Svalbard has a substantial polar bear population. You ask, what does he do when the polar days turn to nights, easy, he picks up shop and goes south to Antarctica. Thanks for reading!
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