Escanor was a supporting character of the Seven Deadly Sins story and arguably its strongest hero. Able to harness the power of the sun, he was the first of the Sins to handle and defeat one of the Ten Commandments effortlessly (who until then had been presented as threats strong enough to best all of the heroes simultaneously).
Though one might assume this makes him overpowered, there are checks to his strength that guarantee him as a balanced character. By considering his actions throughout the story, we can discern whether or not he was too strong for the narrative's own good.
10 BALANCED: He's A Frail & Cowardly Bartender At Night
At night, Escanor is an unassuming, cowardly bartender whose meager frame would make it difficult to imagine his muscular counterpart. In this state, he is particularly vulnerable to attacks and cannot effectively combat his foes.
Therefore, if one of the Sins' weakest opponents were to challenge him as he was, he would struggle to fend off their attacks. Instead, he would be forced to rely upon the might of his allies to procure his own safety.
9 OVERPOWERED: Ocassional Bursts Of Power Even At Night
While Escanor is generally helpless at night, he can occasionally muster an ephemeral burst of power. This was seen during the "tournament" that Drole and Gloxinia had arranged, wherein he launched a massive attack at them despite it being the middle of the night.
Though it left him exhausted, it nonetheless compromises one of his greatest vulnerabilities. Even when he is supposed to be powerless, he can defend himself, reducing any suspense from situations where he should be fleeing. It makes the notion that he is powered through sunlight questionable and defies logic itself.
8 BALANCED: Vulnerable To The Ten Commandments' Curses
Unlike Merlin, Escanor is vulnerable to the curses of the Ten Commandments. This was demonstrated through his fight against Galand, where he knew he must adhere to the rules as they were explained in order to avoid being petrified.
Though Galand and Estarossa's commandments may not have proved too significant of an obstacle for him, it entails that against Grayroad, it would be impossible for him to defeat her. This provides a significant edge for the demons' forces that would've guaranteed their victory if they had delegated their ranks more intelligently.
7 OVERPOWERED: Unreasonably High Durability
Escanor has some of the most unreasonably high durability in the series. He was capable of tanking the full might of Galand's attacks without so much as flinching. Moreover, he could even withstand his own strength being doubled and reflected against him through Estarossa's physical "Full Counter."
This renders him nearly indestructible and entails that in an even fight, there's virtually nothing his enemies could do to wound him. As a result, it reduces much of the suspense of his battles since his safety is all but assured. It also grants him the highest defensive capacity of the Sins, exceeding even Ban's famed immortal condition (since the demons could still eat his soul if his body is broken).
6 BALANCED: Massive Ego & Overconfidence
As his title suggests, Escanor's ego is massive. Though it grants him the courage to fight his opponents without fear of failure, it also compels overconfidence and makes him careless in battle.
After Meliodas had transformed, he was eager to rush into the fray and fight the former captain, rather than to wait for noon as Merlin kept him in a perfect cube. As a consequence, the demon nearly killed him and would have if he wasn't at the zenith of his strength.
5 OVERPOWERED: His Burning Soul Scorched Melascula
When Galand and Melascula had the misfortune of encountering Escanor, the latter had attempted to consume his soul, coaxing it from his body by touching him. Against any other mortal to have ever lived, this would have been a successful tactic.
However, the Sin of Pride's essence scorched her so profoundly from the inside out that it left her entire body a charred and desiccated husk. While Melascula would survive this foolish attempt, it would demonstrate how impervious Escanor was to one of the demons' strongest techniques.
4 BALANCED: Sun Concealing Spells
Waiting until nightfall is not the only way to weaken Escanor. If one can blot the sun from view entirely, it would have a similarly debilitating effect against his strength.
This was demonstrated through Chandler's attack of the Sins, one which was only thwarted through Meliodas's agreement to leave with him. Regardless, it was the first situation that Escanor was completely powerless to salvage by himself and posed a complication that he could not provide an immediate remedy to. Though such specific spells may be rare, they have the potential to reduce the Pride Sin's power staggeringly.
3 OVERPOWERED: Caliber Of Attack
Escanor's "Cruel Sun" is potent at any time of day. During his battle against Estarossa, his mere presence was blazing enough to melt the armor of his allies and even sweltered Ban, whose endurance surpassed their own.
A single ball of fire could evaporate one of Liones's largest lakes and placed Estarossa in a coma. Should Zeldris not have intervened on his behalf, it may have proved an untenable injury, one which the Demon King's forces were not soon to recover from.
2 BALANCED: Gradual Deterioration
Escanor's power is not a binary between weak and strong. As the sun begins to descend, his strength gradually decreases along with it, beginning after twelve o'clock, when he reaches the precipice of his potential.
Therefore, his opponents have an even greater window by which to exploit his curse. Should they challenge him at sunset, certain adversaries may be able to defeat him even if he has the strength to resist their attacks. In this regard, the Pride Sin is able to be defeated in more hours of any given day than not. Unfortunately, this is a phenomenon that is not as explored as it should be.
1 OVERPOWERED: "The One" Can Crush Anyone
At noon, Escanor becomes "The One," an impossibly powerful force of nature that could defeat any combatant he came across. In this state, he was able to defeat a demonically enhanced Meliodas in a single hit - with his bare hands.
Though it only lasts for a minute, none can survive his concentrated attacks within this timeframe. Considering how effortlessly he had handled the former captain (and the fact that Meliodas in turn defeated his two brothers), it follows that he could crush the Commandments with similar success.