Hou Yi

Hou Yi (Chinese: 后裔), is the Chinese deity archer. He had been well - known in the story of the moon goddess, Chang'e, his wife, for shooting down the ten suns in the sky that were scorching farmers' crops.

Story
Hou Yi was well known in the story of Chang'e for shooting down nine out of the ten suns in the sky. He only left one sun behind due to his mentor, King Yao wanting one to represent order and balance. He had been rewarded the Elixir of Life from the gods after he had saved the village's crops from the scorching suns. Hou Yi then fell in love Chang'e and returned to the gods to exchange the Elixir of Life for the Elixir of Immortality to be together with Chang'e on the August of 15, when there was a full moon. Unfortunately, only Chang'e had drank the potion, due to Feng Meng wanting to steal the potion out of greed, causing Chang'e to become the goddess of the moon. Hou Yi was also known to hunt down other mythical creatures like the Jiu Ying, Yayu, Dafeng, Fengxi, Zaochi, Xiushe that had tormented other villages.

In popular culture
He has been a major character in the story of Chang'e. In other legendary sources, he was known to be the archer who had defeated King Taikung, and became a tyrannical ruler.

Trivia

 * Hou Yi is also known as the Sun God, Tai Yang Xi Jun, in some adaptions of the origin myth of Hou Yi and Chang'e.
 * Despite being the Sun God in multiple versions of the myth, it has often been stated that Hou Yi isn't actually a deity at all, rather a super - human/demi-god.