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Kanji for Shine
The kanji most commonly used for "Shine" are 輝、光、照.
輝
Kanji that mean Shine
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輝
to shine, splendor, glow
Onyomi: ki Kunyomi: kagaya.ku 15 strokes Jōyō
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光
light, to shine
Also associated with honor.
Onyomi: koh Kunyomi: hika.ru, hikari 6 strokes Jōyō
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照
to shine, to compare
Also associated with photograph.
Onyomi: shoh Kunyomi: te.rasu, te.reru, te.ru 13 strokes Jōyō
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華
flower, to bloom, splendid
Onyomi: ka, ke Kunyomi: hana 10 strokes Jōyō
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耀
shine, glitter
Also associated with glory.
Onyomi: yoh Kunyomi: hikari, kagaya.ku 20 strokes Jinmeiyō
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暉
radiance, shine
Also associated with splendor.
Onyomi: ki Kunyomi: kagaya.ku 13 strokes Jinmeiyō
輝 is shine as radiance — sparkle, brilliance, the light a thing gives off. 輝く (kagayaku) is used of stars, of polished metal and of a person’s face, and 光輝 pairs it with 光 for brilliance.
光 is light itself, the noun, and 光る is the plain verb for something that shines. It is the character in 観光 (sightseeing) and 栄光 (glory), and a very common given name (Hikaru, Kō).
照 is transitive: to shine light onto something. 照明 is lighting and 照らす is to illuminate a surface. It also carries an unrelated sense of checking one thing against another, which is how it reaches 対照 (contrast), and in 照れる it means to be bashful.
華 is splendor rather than light — flower, gorgeousness, showiness: 豪華 (luxurious), 華やか (brilliant, showy).
耀, 暉 and 燿 are name-list characters, read yō or ki and all glossed as shine. They are chosen for their look and their readings in given names rather than used in ordinary writing.
Before you use Shine kanji
輝 is the strong choice for shine and reads as radiance. 光 is simpler and unambiguous but reads as "light". 照 implies shining light onto something else rather than shining yourself, and 華 will be read as splendor or flowers before brightness.