Color Code Guide to Star Wars: The Symbolism of Red and Gray

In the previous two parts, we looked at the black/white and blue/green color schemes. In the final part of this three part series, we'll look at the two miscellaneous colors of red and gray.

Red is a symbol of passion or unrestrained emotion.

An obvious example to Star Wars fans is the red lightsabers which are used exclusively by the evil Sith as their primary weapon of choice. The symbolism of red as passion or unrestrained emotion seems to be reinforced in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith when Anakin states, "the Sith rely on their passion for their strength".

Another subtle use of red though occurs in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. This is a great example of why a filmmaker uses symbols to convey information. After Han and Leia admit they have feelings for each other, they arrive at Cloud City on Bespin. After they get settled, the audience sees Princess Leia in a color other than white for the first time, a dark red gown. During the same scene, Leia accepts a kiss on the head from Han Solo. This is obviously open to interpretation and could have several implications. The audience is left to fill in the blanks as to whether this color choice was intentional or accidental. What could have possibly happened off camera that would warrant such a change? Have fun thinking about that!

Grey is a symbol of technology and lack of humanity and life.

The Death Star (inside and out), space vehicles like Star Destroyers, X-Wing fighters, and the Millennium Falcon, and even the suits of the officers in the Empire are all gray. The contrast is particularly stark in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi when the action shifts between the Rebels on Endor to the space battle outside the Death Star to the interior of the Death Star.

There are other colors in the Star Wars universe that seem to symbolize ideas but I haven't cracked the code yet. Things like Rebel pilots wearing orange jump suits, Anakin's yellow fighter in Episode 1, and gold on C-3PO. But, that's part of the fun of being the audience of story that uses this technique of color coding... decoding the colors. Along those lines, here are some questions that might be fun for you to think about the next time you watch Star Wars.

Why does Darth Vader's breath box on his chest still have the color blue?

Why do the good guys shoot red lasers and the bad guys shoot green lasers?

Why is there a blue tint to the light during the beginning of the lightsaber battle between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back?

What colors are shown on the console of Luke's X-wing fighter in Episode 4: A New Hope and what is the significance?

What is the significance of all the red on the planet of Mustafar where Anakin and Obi-Wan have their climatic battle in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith?

So what does all this mean? In the Star Wars universe, colors are chosen for very specific reasons. Lightsabers, clothes, skin color, and even planets are colored to reveal something more about the characters and the story. And Star Wars is not the only story to use color in this way. Jaws and The Matrix trilogy are two more examples. So, the next time you're watching a movie, pay attention to the colors used. You might just find a richer story than you previously thought as well as a new appreciation for the person telling the story.