"Red is such an interesting color to correlate with emotion, because it's on both ends of the spectrum. On one end you have happiness, falling in love, infatuation with someone, passion, all that. On the other end, you've got obsession, jealousy, danger, fear, anger and frustration."
There's just something about the color red in the human psyche. It's the lowest visible color on the human color spectrum. It's the color of blood and therefore danger, warnings, and anger. But it is also the color we associate with fire, and therefore power, warmth, love and passion (and sometimes evil), and is a popular color in flags and heraldry. Much unlike pink, red can be seen as a very masculine color, if not more than blue. However, it's also a common color for mature, seductive ladies. If a language has only three primary color terms, they will invariably be black, white, and red.
Therefore, this is an index of tropes involving the color red.
Despite their names, Red Herring (a purposefully misleading clue) and Red Sock Ruins the Laundry (when single-colored fabric stains a whole wash, regardless of the color) don't go on this index.
Tropes
Related:
- Albinos Are Freaks (of the red-eyed variety): Discrimination against albinos.
- Bad Moon Rising (a red moon): A blood-red celestial body that wasn't there yesterday, without exception, means things are about to take a nasty turn.
- Big Red Button: Activating something important to the plot with a big camera-friendly red button.
- Big Red Devil: The standard depiction of Satan and demons, in general: Large, red-skinned humanoids with horns. Satyr legs and wings optional.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: A trio consisting of a blonde, a dark-haired, and a red-haired character.
- Bring My Red Jacket: When someone clad in red is about to get hurt badly.
- Bull Seeing Red: When the mere sight of the color red drives a bull into a frenzy.
- Dramatic Red Samurai Background: A duel or a killing stroke emphasized by a blood red backdrop.
- Evil Redhead: Redheads depicted as malicious.
- Fiery Redhead: A redhead with a personality as fiery as their hair.
- Fire Is Red: Fire or flames portrayed as red in color.
- High-Pressure Emotion: When strong emotions make a character's head act like a teakettle.
- Hihi'irokane: A legendary Japanese metal said to shine brightly in a way that resembles flames.
- Lady in Red: A seductress wearing a red dress.
- Lava Is Boiling Kool-Aid: Lava depicted as a simplistic red liquid having little more viscosity than regular water.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: When red and black are used as an indicator of evil.
- Red-and-White Comedy Poster: A film poster with big red letters on a white background.
- Red Armband of Leadership: When the leader of a group has a red armband on their upper arm.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: When red eyes mean that a character is evil or, at least dangerous.
- Red Filter of Doom: When a red filter is used to facilitate a general air of animosity.
- Red-Headed Stepchild: When the token red-head is ripe for abuse.
- Redheads Are Ravishing: Red hair is associated with attractiveness.
- Redheads Are Uncool: The tendency for social outcasts to have red hair.
- Red Hot Masculinity: The color red is associated with masculinity.
- Red Is Heroic: The color red associated with heroes.
- Red Is Violent: The color red associated with violent, murderous and blood-hungry characters.
- Red Live Lobster: Live crustaceans in cartoons inaccurately colored red.
- Red Ones Go Faster: Red characters or objects moving more quickly.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Two characters, one wearing red and the other wearing blue, have different personalities. The one wearing red is usually the more upbeat of the two.
- Red Riding Hood Replica: A girl in a red cloak who is inspired by Little Red Riding Hood.
- Little Dead Riding Hood: She may be in danger and is about to die.
- Little Red Fighting Hood: Or she is able to put up a fight if she needs to.
- Red Sky, Take Warning: Red clouds or a red sky indicating impending disaster or doom.
- Red Spider Lilies of Mourning: A distinct red flower that symbolizes death, loss, or separation.
- Roll Out the Red Carpet: A red carpet is rolled out for a rich or famous character.
- Rustproof Blood (in that blood stays red): When blood that's out in the open stays red no matter how long you leave it.
- Sickness Equals Redness: When illnesses (primarily colds) give their victims red cheeks/noses.
- Stock Light-Novel Calamity Princess: A Light Novel heroine with prestigious beauty and destructive magic, often using flame magic or sporting a red motif.
- White and Red and Eerie All Over: White with red accents as a creepy or uncanny color scheme.
