In creation myths, the term "Five Suns" refers to the belief of certain Nahua cultures and Aztec peoples that the world has gone through five distinct cycles of creation and destruction, with the current era being the fifth. It is primarily derived from a combination of myths, cosmologies, and eschatological beliefs that were originally held by pre-Columbian peoples in the Mesoamerican region, including central Mexico, and it is part of a larger mythology of Fifth World or Fifth Sun beliefs.

The late Postclassic Aztecs created and developed their own version of the "Five Suns" myth, which incorporated and transformed elements from previous Mesoamerican creation myths, while also introducing new ideas that were specific to their culture.

In the Aztec and other Nahua creation myths, it was believed that the universe had gone through four iterations before the current one, and each of these prior worlds had been destroyed by Gods due to the behavior of its inhabitants.

The current world is a product of the Aztecs' self-imposed mission to provide Tlazcaltiliztli to the sun, giving it the nourishment it needs to stay in existence and ensuring that the entire universe remains in balance. Thus, the Aztecs’ sacrificial rituals were essential to the functioning of the world, and ultimately to its continued survival.

According to the legend, from the void that was the rest of the universe, the first god, Ōmeteōtl, created itself. Ōmeteōtl created the four Tezcatlipocas, who each preside over one of the four cardinal directions: Quetzalcoatl in the west, Huitzilopochtli in the south, Xipe Totec in the east, and Tezcatlipoca in the north.

The Aztecs believed that the gods created the universe at Teotihuacan. The name Teōtīhuacān was given by the Nahuatl-speaking Aztecs centuries after the fall of the city around 550 CE. The term has been glossed as "birthplace of the gods", or "place where gods were born", reflecting Nahua creation myths that were said to occur in Teotihuacan.

The four Tezcatlipocas sought to create the world, but each time they created something, it fell into the waters below and was devoured by Cipactli, a monstrous caiman covered in mouths. Determined to end the cycle, Tezcatlipoca, the Black Tezcatlipoca, sacrificed his leg, using it as bait to lure Cipactli from the depths. As she consumed it, the other gods seized the opportunity to slay her. From her body, they shaped the earth, and later created other gods and humans, the latter giants in size.

To provide light, they chose Tezcatlipoca to be the sun. However, whether due to the loss of his leg in battle or his role as the god of night, he could only shine as half a sun. The world existed under this dim light for a time, until a confrontation with Quetzalcōātl saw him knock Tezcatlipoca out the sky, with a stone club, and leaving the world in darkness. Angered by his defeat, Tezcatlipoca sent his jaguars to consume humanity.