Do you think you have an idea on why the colors are assigned to the demons? Levi's always confused me the most since green is most commonly associated with envy but it goes to Satan. Do you think its just a random color assignment or is there like meaning behind it? Sorry if you've already answered this!!
Like most things in Obey Me, it could be totally random, or based on the designers preference, and that's always something to bear in mind.
That said, while the seven colours used all have strong symbolic meanings, they also have strong secondary symbolic meanings that are a little more revealing.
Additionally, different cultures interpret colours differently, eg in the US and UK, green is often interpreted as envy, while in other countries it is interpreted as calm, death, respect, infidelity, and more.
Of course, in any country there are multiple meanings. Where I live, green can represent envy, luck, the environment, and Ireland.
So take all these as just one interpretation of many!
A colour often associated with peace and calm, a neutral colour that chooses no sides, as eternal as the ocean and unending as the sky. But the older meanings, while including things like stability and purity, also point to cleanliness and loyalty.
Lucifer is the only one of the brothers who takes pains to remain covered up in all circumstances, rarely even removing his gloves. We know that this extended to his time as an angel, when he wore full battle armour at all times, reflecting so much light that he appeared like a second sun in the sky.
This isn't exactly cleanliness, but I'd argue it could be purity. Not to distance himself from residing in the Devildom, as his behaviour precedes this location. But to distance himself from everyone, lest his emotions start to leak out (as they have done with MC).
It is also the colour of the sky, an unremarkable link for most, but for the Morning Star himself? The sky was his home, and his wings are now corrupted, pulled out by his own hands. What once gave him comfort now torments him, blue skies so rarely seen.
There is one other meaning of the colour blue, and it's one that can be found in a great many cultures: depression. Blue is the colour of sadness, grief, and despair. There are none as crushed by these emotions as Lucifer, as hard as he tries to hide it behind a calm, stoic, secure facade.
A colour most often associated with happiness, the sun, and warmth, which are terms that Mammon certainly fits. In the UK and US yellow also has an association with cowardly behaviour which could fit, given Mammon is scared of other supernatural beings but the historical associations in Japan are exactly the opposite: bravery.
That dual nature is an apt metaphor for Mammon, the fallen warrior with the greatest control over his immense power, who screams like a goat when sneaked up apon 😂 With that link to bravery also comes links to loyalty (which Mammon pledges to Lucifer again after they fall) and wealth - not greed, but fortune, something we are told the demon can bestow upon those he favours the most.
A colour often linked with all things fun, energetic, curious, creative, and Fanta. If a company wants you to make a spontaneous purchase, they'll slap orange on the packaging or advertising. It's the colour of extroverts, and in some cultures it is also linked with happiness, love, and courage.
All sounds good, right? Well, so the ancient Egyptians and Romans thought, as they set about making a pigment and using it profusely. Only trouble was, the minerals they chose were arsenic sulfides and incredibly toxic. Ancient China was a tad more sensible, and used it to drive away snakes.
Eastern cultures got their orange dye from saffron - very expensive but with the bonus that it wouldn't actually kill people. In Buddhism, orange is linked to perfection and the highest state of illumination. Now I'm not saying Levi's commitment to geekdom is equivalent to a religion for him, but if it was, he's surely right there at the top.
Additionally, orange is a colour used to mean "warning". It is the colour put on safety notices, traffic cones, warning lights, indicators, and so forth. It means, "keep your distance!"
This colour has a strong connection to envy for those in the UK and the US, but far more people associate it with peace, calm, nature, wisdom, and youth and vitality. This is the colour of growth, of someone yet to reach their final form, who can be nurtured into full bloom. But with this youth there is still great wisdom to be found, a love of learning, and a desire to find peace within.
In Japan, green and blue have a shared history as both were described by the same word for many centuries: 青 ao (blue). This isn't so unusual as in Europe the same was true of another secondary colour, orange, which was simply called yellow-red. The Japanese word for green (緑 midori) was considered a shade of blue rather than a separate colour (until post WWII), and many green things are still referred to as 青 (ao, blue) to this day.
Green was quite literally a part of blue, that was split off later as its own colour. A perfect parallel of Lucifer and Satan.
A colour with familiar associations across various cultures of good health, vitality, youth, femininity, saucy jokes, and sexuality. Asmo spends a lot of time taking care of himself, mind, body, and soul, and is usually bubbling over with exuberant energy.
He is also fabulously androgynous, blurring the lines between what is considered traditionally masculine and feminine presentation, and as the Avatar of Lust he would surely wiggle his eyebrows with glee at pink meaning sexuality.
However, in the places where pink does have that association, the older meaning is a little narrower - it indicates a pure love, unshackled from the power of lust. The very thing that Asmo craves the most, someone who loves him for who he is, and not how he looks or acts.
A colour often associated with romantic passion or a warning/anger, but its wider meaning is for strong emotions in general. It is often thought to represent great energy, vitality, and strength, the colour of legendary warriors. In some shrines in Japan, red is also used for protection and power, a combination that certainly befits Lucifer's bodyguard.
A historically rare and precious colour, due to the difficulty in procurement and creation. As a result, it was rarely seen and thus bestowed only upon the most elite in society - whether royalty, religious leaders, or those blessed by either.
It's interesting then that it's the youngest of the brothers who is bestowed with this colour, perhaps as a reminder that the last of seven demon lords is still tremendously powerful, or as a call-back to the origins of Belphegor the demon as Ba'al Pə'ôr the ancient god.
Additionally, purple can also be used to indicate both cruelty and mourning - two sides to Belphie that MC experiences at full force.
Obey Me: The Theory of Demon Symbols
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