History Analysis / MAGICTHEGATHERING

In large-scale warfare, it is lethally efficient — White is the master of strategy, organization, and large armies, and has a strict policy of "killing first, asking questions later". Combined with its, [[IncrediblyLamePun ahem]], [[BlackAndWhiteInsanity black and white view of the world]] (derived from its focus on morality: whoever strays from it is considered evil), it is very easy to argue that White is more tyrannical than benevolent, even if it's more LawfulStupid than LawfulEvil (note that all Lawful alignments are possible within White). So, White can produce a rabid KnightTemplar just as easily as it can produce an IdealHero, because [[LightIsNotGood its light isn't always good]].

Often, people have very erroneous views on the colors of ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' — primarily, understanding some colors to be good and others evil. This is most often considering Black and Red as evil, White and Green as good, and Blue as neutral. This is understandable; people like to simplify things, and judging the colours by superficial traits is simple. Black, for instance, symbolizes self-centeredness and darkness/death, which are generally seen as evil, while Green values nature and community, which could be seen as "good". However, this is an overly simplistic take, and if things were actually this simple, there would be a lot less diversity of both cards and characters. This page is intended to explain a little more about the colours, and thus how things actually work.

'''Blue''' is the next color in the wheel. Blue is often seen as inherently neutral; its main motivations are curiosity (as it wishes to learn as much as possible) and perfection (as it wishes to change itself and the world for the better). Theoretically, these goals are good, as Blue's attempts to improve both itself and the world often benefit people (Blue being the colour of technology and progress). Unfortunately, Blue is generally not very interested in people, other than [[StrappedToAnOperatingTable using them as subjects in its experiments]], as it is emotionally disconnected and secretive. Thus, it is neutral with regards to morality; it seeks to improve the world, but tends not to care about what happens to other people as it does so.

Much like Black, it is a very individualistic colour, but unlike Black, it is not particularly selfish, as it believes that the accomplishment of its goals will improve others, which ties in with White's need to make the world better for its people. Still, its general lack of interest in what other people think or feel, as well as its desire to learn more, might eventually lead Blue to conduct questionable experiments: to Blue, its curiosity and belief that its actions will make the world better are more important than morality. Furthermore, one person's idea of "perfection" might not tie well with another's; many, for example, would not willingly submit to experiments to make them "better". Thus, it is no wonder that some of ''MTG''[='=]s main villains are pure Blue, though there is an equal if not superior number of Blue heroes. Sometimes they’re even the same character.

'''Black''' is far and away the color most associated with evil[[note]]aesthetically and marketing-wise; the staff stressed very much that it, like the other colours, [[DarkIsNotEvil doesn't have a moral alignment]], and that any evil associations are mostly derived from the things that use it being evil[[/note]]. Its core philosophy is that one should only care about oneself; as the color of amorality and parasitism, it believes that it can do anything it wants, regardless of the consequences. Many villains are classifiable as Black, and as it represents darkness and death, [[DarkIsEvil many people call it evil]]. However, Black is just as neutral as the other colors, and in fact can be quite benevolent — at least sometimes. It represents both individuality and ambition. The first means that Black values the needs of the individual more than anything, and the latter means that Black is the color that most encourages one to follow his/her dreams. ([[AmbitionIsEvil Contrary to what some entertainment says]], ambition is ''not'' an evil; if it was, you might as well not bother trying anything, because then you're being evil.) [[{{Pun}} Hell]], even amorality is not actually evil — that'd be immorality. The first is [[TrueNeutral the absence of morality]], a ''lack'' of concern for the concepts of right and wrong. The latter ''[[NeutralEvil directly opposes morality]]'', reveling in making the "wrong" choice and being malevolent [[ForTheEvulz for fun]].

Before we're done with Black, it should be said that some people erroneously assume sadism is a feature of Black. While some Black characters are sadists, not all are, and sadism is present in other colours, most being found in Red. White characters are not immune to sadism, as Akroma clearly shows, and in theory, Green characters could display it too — even some animals can at least seem cruel. The colour least likely for sadism to be present is Blue, because it is the colour that is the least concerned with emotions, and causing pain for no other purpose than one's own pleasure is all but pointless. In fact, all four main types of sadistic personality disorders fit neatly into non-Blue colours: Tyrannical Sadism is Black (sadism solely for the sake of power), Explosive Sadism is Red (sadism as a means to vent emotional frustrations and get back at perceived injustices), Enforcing Sadism is White (sadism against rule-breakers and other perceived moral affronts), and Spineless Sadism is Green (in effect, an extension of how frightened animals react).

'''Red''' is a color that is easy to understand, but it's also easy to completely miss its point. The color of freedom and emotion, it is very impulsive; while certainly capable of thought, it prefers to guide itself through emotion. This can result in a wildness that allows Red and Green to mingle, the Green value of the strong surviving working just fine with Red. Paying such heed to one's own emotions is fundamentally selfish, so Red shares Black's focus on the needs of the individual above all else; hence, why a selfish, brutish villain driven only by his/her wants and needs can easily be pure Red. However, because Red is driven by emotion, it gladly embraces love, friendship, joy, compassion, and affection — Red characters can care about loved ones as much as, if not more than, themselves, not to mention the fact that being driven by how they feel might make a Red individual unwilling to take certain actions that don't feel right to them. Freedom is what Red wants, to do as it wills without anything between it and what it wants, and as such, it tries to directly destroy barriers to freedom, sharing White's policy of "killing first and asking question later". Of course, lack of order will occasionally cause a few conflicts, but being the colour of chaos, Red is fine with that. Red is as neutral as the other colours, being both the colour of war and slaughter and of art and passion, and as such, it is as easy to create a Red hero as it is to create a Red villain. Just as easily as there can be a mindless brute, there can be a HotBlooded hero.

'''Green''' is often simplified as caring about the environment, but in truth has quite a complex philosophy. Standing between Red and White, it shares two fundamental traits from both colors: impulsiveness (Red) and value of the community (White). It is guided by instinct, and as such is probably the colour that least values thinking (although some Green characters can think, they generally prefer to not do so). Yet, being the colour of interdependence, it seeks to form a community, caring about the other members of its "pack" or "clan" as much as for itself. And, [[{{Pun}} naturally]], nature's well-being is its biggest concern. It is easy to see Green as benevolent: it cares about others and it cares about the surrounding world. And, while it does not really value knowledge, making it a counterpoint to blue, Green is the color of [[DontThinkFeel wisdom and insight]]. Standing against Black, it has little to no interest in spreading its philosophy, and doesn't want to change the status quo; indeed, there are very few pure Green antagonists in ''MTG''. However, like all colors, it has its more sinister side: its insistence in keeping the status quo means it will be opposed to not just progress for progress's sake, but progress as a whole, though evolution is, [[{{Pun}} naturally]], acceptable. Being driven by instinct means that Green is often irrational, and this, combined with the raw power it commands, means that a ''lot'' of damage and casualties can occur when it goes on a rampage — Green is not very good at precision. There's also a tendency in Green MTG villains to be elitist — elves being the primary example, as [[CantArgueWithElves they believe themselves and nature to be superior to everything else]]. Few people in general are pure Green, since very few human beings are purely driven by instinct, but other aspects of Green philosophy, like caring for the community and nature as well as keeping the status quo, are very common. However, many animals are fundamentally Green, as are plants in general. Remember, it's the colour of ''life''; it's bound to be plentiful.

One of the staff’s stated reasons for the creation of ''Innistrad'' is to further spread horror outside of the colour most stereotypically associated with it, having somewhat succeeded already in ''New Phyrexia'' (and arguably making a failed attempt way back in 1995’s ''The Dark''). While ''Innistrad'' has traditional Black horrors, it also has werewolves, which are traditionally Red/Green. But one doesn't need any particular set to prove that horror and evil don't require DarkIsEvil.

* BlamingTheVictim — When the victim engages in some behavior considered inappropriate by White, even if it's unrelated to their misfortune.

* DaylightHorror

* The most recent Five Color Card is [[https://scryfall.com/card/war/208/niv-mizzet-reborn Niv-Mizzet Reborn]] (and later, [[https://scryfall.com/card/mat/40/niv-mizzet-supreme NiveMizzet, Supreme]]). Niv-Mizzet has traditionally been Red/Blue, and his personality doesn't seem to have changed too much with his resurrection and ascension to Living Guildpact, so the new colors are likely due to his resurrection requiring the contribution of all the guilds and their colors.

Colors can also combine into any of ten different trios. Five of them have [[Analysis/MagicTheGatheringShards two colors that oppose each other and one color that both are allied with]], usually indicating that the allied color is the "dominant" of the triumvirate. Others [[Analysis/MagicTheGatheringWedges consist of one color and the two opposed to it]].

* The most recent Five Color Card is [[https://scryfall.com/card/war/208/niv-mizzet-reborn Niv-Mizzet Reborn]]. Niv-Mizzet has traditionally been Red/Blue, and his personality doesn't seem to have changed too much with his resurrection and ascension to Living Guildpact, so the new colors are likely due to his resurrection requiring the contribution of all the guilds and their colors.

* OmnicidalManiac — See ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill below.

* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill — Killing isn't a White habit, but when White does decide to kill something, it kills ''everything''.

* LackOfEmpathy — See TheSociopath below.

!!Magic: the {{Triangrelations}}

* Black - The color of ambition, self-determination, pragmatism, and the importance of the self. Also the color of power through any means, amorality, and greed.

* Blue - The color of learning, perfection, practice, and discovery. Also the color of eugenics (to a degree), lack of empathy, and being subjected to "improvement," regardless of if you wish to be improved.

* AMillionIsAStatistic