Why blue, orange, and purple???

**Jester** · 08-20-2004, 05:04 PM

i know it was to sell toys to kids.....i guess my question really is why those colors??? why did raph retain the red bandana?? shouldn't leo, the leader, be the one who wore red??? i'm just wondering if there is some particular reason that blue, orange, and purple???

NeoBix · 08-20-2004, 05:19 PM

You'll have to excuse me, but why NOT blue, orange, and purple?

Why should red be the leader's color, and not blue? In fact, I've always thought of blue as more of a leader's color than red. Blue, to me, manifests valor, strength, and honor.

Red, to me, manifests more of a rebellious, bad attitude, tough guy kind of aura... which is why I think it fits Raphael's personality perfectly.

Orange? Well... I don't know, really. Orange really isn't one of the premium colors that people usually think of... but orange is bright and lively, just like Mikey. Mikey's great sense of humor and the comedian side of him are represented well through the color of orange.

As for purple... not sure... but it was a good choice. Donatello is a very balanced turtle. He's not the super funny one (like Mikey) and he's not the best fighter (like either Leo or Raph). Granted, he's probably the smartest one out of all of the turtles, when it comes to fixing things and machines and all that... but Donny has never really been prone to much criticism. He's always been just sort of the neutral turtle. Or maybe when they were picking colors for the turtles, someone in the studio just happened to draw the long straw for purple when it was Donatello's turn.

**Jester** · 08-20-2004, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeoBix

You'll have to excuse me, but why NOT blue, orange, and purple?

Why should red be the leader's color, and not blue? In fact, I've always thought of blue as more of a leader's color than red. Blue, to me, manifests valor, strength, and honor.

Tru that makes sence.....i'm just wondering if there was a specific rerason or if it was just "hey why not orange, blue and purple??!!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeoBix

Red, to me, manifests more of a rebellious, bad attitude, tough guy kind of aura... which is why I think it fits Raphael's personality perfectly.

you make a lot of sence......it's now becoming very obvious how little i thought before i posted this

the only reason i thought leo should stay red is cause it's the orignal color....and he's the head of the group,.....but raph is a hot head with a red hot temper.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeoBix

Orange? Well... I don't know, really. Orange really isn't one of the premium colors that people usually think of... but orange is bright and lively, just like Mikey. Mikey's great sense of humor and the comedian side of him are represented well through the color of orange.

\
ok.....i won't even say it again.....it's getting kinda redundant....wild bright flashy....Orange...fits to me....

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeoBix

As for purple... not sure... but it was a good choice. Donatello is a very balanced turtle. He's not the super funny one (like Mikey) and he's not the best fighter (like either Leo or Raph). Granted, he's probably the smartest one out of all of the turtles, when it comes to fixing things and machines and all that... but Donny has never really been prone to much criticism. He's always been just sort of the neutral turtle. Or maybe when they were picking colors for the turtles, someone in the studio just happened to draw the long straw for purple when it was Donatello's turn.

ha.....posible.....purple is bright....and donny is the brightest bulb in the preverbial lamp. but now i'm just reaching.....well thought out buddy.....

08-20-2004, 06:19 PM

Nicely said, NeoBix.

My take on it is pretty simular.

Blue seems to represent spirituality, calmness, freedom, and everlasting.

Purple seems to represent knowledge, mystery, and creativity.

Red seems to represent anger, lust, and mortality.

Orange seems to represent healing, balance, compassion, and charm.

I can see what you mean, Jester, about Leo being the one to keep the original color because of him being the "front" turtle or "representitive" of the group, but I'm glad that Leo has the blue color. It suits him so much better.

JDavis · 08-20-2004, 06:22 PM

Plus, out of the three primary and three secondary colors, only yellow and green remain. Yellow would not have looked so good, and green... would blend with their skin too much

08-20-2004, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDavis

Plus, out of the three primary and three secondary colors, only yellow and green remain. Yellow would not have looked so good, and green... would blend with their skin too much

Yes, that too!

Well, there's always black, white, brown, and pink. ...Though, they wouldn't have been so great either.

*PizzaPower* · 08-20-2004, 06:26 PM

so the colors they picked was so cool, we all agree now??

NeoBix · 08-20-2004, 06:29 PM

very fun topic, Jester. glad you thought of it bro.

and yeah Ryo looks like you had the same idea as I did with the colors, just a few differences.

I think their colors are perfect for each turtle.

and, a funny thing about the reference to yellow...

in the first turtles arcade game, Mikey is more of a yellow color than orange... and if you'll notice, the joystick on the arcade machine for Mikey is clearly YELLOW, and not orange... what was Konami thinking? or maybe they just ran out of orange paint?

*PizzaPower* · 08-20-2004, 06:33 PM

well back then the grapfics for making games I don't think they could do orange.

**Jester** · 08-20-2004, 06:39 PM

yeah...i just wanted to see what you all thought....i never really thought all thatmuch about it....obviously...till i found out the mirage tmnt were all red. i must say that i can't see the guys in another colors then red and their toon colors....

08-20-2004, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PizzaPower

well back then the grapfics for making games I don't think they could do orange.

Actually, 8-bit graphics can produce 256 different colors. Orange is certainly one of them. 16-bit graphics can produce well over a thousand.
So, while the home version of TMNT II is 8-bit, the arcade version of TMNT II is 16-bit. most likely they used a bright, light shade of orange for Michaelangelo. I do remember the joystick and buttons clearly being yellow however!

^_^

NeoBix · 08-20-2004, 07:02 PM

I don't know about you guys... but I remember when I first saw the arcade game, and I thought those graphics were just AMAZING. Back in '89 or '90 when I first saw it, those graphics were very impressive. Bright shiny graphics and colors and ALL FOUR turtles can play at once against a billion foot soldiers?!?! MADNESS! lol... that game was SO great.

*Kazari* · 08-20-2004, 08:28 PM

well they all had red in the comics but it also goes back to their personality..blue for calm and serene like Leo..purple for mellowness...and loyalty. Orange for fun..and raph for anger

Karai · 08-20-2004, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeoBix

I don't know about you guys... but I remember when I first saw the arcade game, and I thought those graphics were just AMAZING. Back in '89 or '90 when I first saw it, those graphics were very impressive. Bright shiny graphics and colors and ALL FOUR turtles can play at once against a billion foot soldiers?!?! MADNESS! lol... that game was SO great.

I think it's still pretty amazing.
But yeah, I believe the colors of the Turtle's masks were chosen to match the brightness of the sprites' skin, so Michelangelo probably came off looking more yellow because his skin was close to neon green. I guess Konami/Ultra just wanted to make sure you could see him.

*Coola Yagami* · 08-20-2004, 09:39 PM

actually, mikey's color was more yellowish in the first 5 eps of the old show. maybe that's why he was like that in the arcade game.

i wonder how the new toon woulda fared if they all wore red. i mean, that's how they were meant to be.

NeoBix · 08-20-2004, 10:11 PM

In my honest opinion, I believe that it was the decision to change them from ALL red to individual, unique colors, like they did, which led to the whole wave of turtlemania during the late 80s and early to mid 90s.

Granting each turtle his own color not only made it easier for people to recognize and tell apart the turtles from one another, but it also bestowed upon each turtle their own autonomy. When fans of TMNT think of their favorite turtle, they have a way to familiarize with and recognize that turtle.

"Oh, I loved Michaelangelo. He was the orange, funny one, right?"

"Who was that dude who wore blue and had the swords? Oh yeah, it was Leonardo. God, I used to love that show."

"Raphael was such a bad ass. He was the red one with those knife dealies... what were those called... oh yeah, sais!"

"Do you remember Donny? He was the coolest! Yeah, yeah! The one in purple, who could fix ANYTHING! That's the one!"

Without their own colors, TMNT would not have grown into the huge deal it is today. Here, once again, in the year 2004, we are experiencing sort of what I will refer to as a "rebirth" of the turtlemania that struck the world back in the 80s and early to mid 90s. The new show has especially sparked people's imaginations once again. New comers and old comers alike. It's good that a new generation can sort of experience what we experienced, although nothing will ever be the same as the very first turtlemania back in the day.

so, no... in the new show, if they had chosen to make all of them red instead of their own colors, I hardly think it would be as successful as it is. in fact, I think it would've failed miserably by now.

Serp · 08-21-2004, 07:33 AM

I like the Idea of the turtles having different color headbands. In the toon if they all had the same color bands it may make them seem a bit bland.

**Kali** · 08-21-2004, 02:58 PM

Well, geez, everybody's already said everything I was going to say!

So I guess I agree, basic colors are appealing and easy to recognize. Could you really imagine having to say "The turtle in the yellow-green bandanna" or "I like the guy in periwinkle!"?

And once they had the colors, they made the perfect choices for each turtle. Their colors suit them.

*Whitewolf89* · 08-21-2004, 06:22 PM

I agree with you, and everyone else, on all counts, Kali. The guys' colors suit them, so why sweat the load over it? Has our questioner ever stopped to think that Pete and Kev picked those colors out themselves?

And I can think of a worse color than periwinkle. What about chartruse (sp?)? THAT'S a color that I'd hate to see ANYONE in, to say nothing of our guys! And knowing THEM, they'd buck up on it, anyway!

*XERO* · 08-21-2004, 08:11 PM

For the record, IMO, White represents adaption.

08-20-2004, 05:04 PM	#1
Jester Rat-faced Dude-guy Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arkansas Posts: 26,294	Why blue, orange, and purple??? i know it was to sell toys to kids.....i guess my question really is why those colors??? why did raph retain the red bandana?? shouldn't leo, the leader, be the one who wore red??? i'm just wondering if there is some particular reason that blue, orange, and purple??? __________________ "Clearly, you're Ninja Turtling incorrectly." - Leo656

08-20-2004, 05:19 PM	#2
NeoBix Stone Warrior Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Smacking Hamato Inya with nunchucks. Posts: 736	You'll have to excuse me, but why NOT blue, orange, and purple? Why should red be the leader's color, and not blue? In fact, I've always thought of blue as more of a leader's color than red. Blue, to me, manifests valor, strength, and honor. Red, to me, manifests more of a rebellious, bad attitude, tough guy kind of aura... which is why I think it fits Raphael's personality perfectly. Orange? Well... I don't know, really. Orange really isn't one of the premium colors that people usually think of... but orange is bright and lively, just like Mikey. Mikey's great sense of humor and the comedian side of him are represented well through the color of orange. As for purple... not sure... but it was a good choice. Donatello is a very balanced turtle. He's not the super funny one (like Mikey) and he's not the best fighter (like either Leo or Raph). Granted, he's probably the smartest one out of all of the turtles, when it comes to fixing things and machines and all that... but Donny has never really been prone to much criticism. He's always been just sort of the neutral turtle. Or maybe when they were picking colors for the turtles, someone in the studio just happened to draw the long straw for purple when it was Donatello's turn. __________________ "Movies don't create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative." —Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) from the movie "Scream"

08-20-2004, 06:26 PM	#7
PizzaPower Foot Elite Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Pizza Parlor Posts: 3,200	so the colors they picked was so cool, we all agree now?? __________________ https://www.twitch.tv/turtlepizzapower

08-20-2004, 06:29 PM	#8
NeoBix Stone Warrior Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Smacking Hamato Inya with nunchucks. Posts: 736	very fun topic, Jester. glad you thought of it bro. and yeah Ryo looks like you had the same idea as I did with the colors, just a few differences. I think their colors are perfect for each turtle. and, a funny thing about the reference to yellow... in the first turtles arcade game, Mikey is more of a yellow color than orange... and if you'll notice, the joystick on the arcade machine for Mikey is clearly YELLOW, and not orange... what was Konami thinking? or maybe they just ran out of orange paint? __________________ "Movies don't create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative." —Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) from the movie "Scream"

08-20-2004, 06:33 PM	#9
PizzaPower Foot Elite Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Pizza Parlor Posts: 3,200	well back then the grapfics for making games I don't think they could do orange. __________________ https://www.twitch.tv/turtlepizzapower

08-20-2004, 06:19 PM	#4
Ryona Guest Posts: n/a	Nicely said, NeoBix. My take on it is pretty simular. Blue seems to represent spirituality, calmness, freedom, and everlasting. Purple seems to represent knowledge, mystery, and creativity. Red seems to represent anger, lust, and mortality. Orange seems to represent healing, balance, compassion, and charm. I can see what you mean, Jester, about Leo being the one to keep the original color because of him being the "front" turtle or "representitive" of the group, but I'm glad that Leo has the blue color. It suits him so much better.

08-20-2004, 06:22 PM	#5
JDavis Foot Soldier Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ada, OK, USA Posts: 212	Plus, out of the three primary and three secondary colors, only yellow and green remain. Yellow would not have looked so good, and green... would blend with their skin too much

08-20-2004, 06:39 PM	#10
Jester Rat-faced Dude-guy Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arkansas Posts: 26,294	yeah...i just wanted to see what you all thought....i never really thought all thatmuch about it....obviously...till i found out the mirage tmnt were all red. i must say that i can't see the guys in another colors then red and their toon colors.... __________________ "Clearly, you're Ninja Turtling incorrectly." - Leo656

08-20-2004, 07:02 PM	#12
NeoBix Stone Warrior Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Smacking Hamato Inya with nunchucks. Posts: 736	I don't know about you guys... but I remember when I first saw the arcade game, and I thought those graphics were just AMAZING. Back in '89 or '90 when I first saw it, those graphics were very impressive. Bright shiny graphics and colors and ALL FOUR turtles can play at once against a billion foot soldiers?!?! MADNESS! lol... that game was SO great. __________________ "Movies don't create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative." —Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) from the movie "Scream"

08-20-2004, 08:28 PM	#13
Kazari Foot Elite Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nexus: Chasing after the Ultimate Ninja Posts: 2,731	well they all had red in the comics but it also goes back to their personality..blue for calm and serene like Leo..purple for mellowness...and loyalty. Orange for fun..and raph for anger __________________ is an official Drako hater

08-20-2004, 09:39 PM	#15
Coola Yagami Overlord Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 15,675	actually, mikey's color was more yellowish in the first 5 eps of the old show. maybe that's why he was like that in the arcade game. i wonder how the new toon woulda fared if they all wore red. i mean, that's how they were meant to be.

08-20-2004, 10:11 PM	#16
NeoBix Stone Warrior Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Smacking Hamato Inya with nunchucks. Posts: 736	In my honest opinion, I believe that it was the decision to change them from ALL red to individual, unique colors, like they did, which led to the whole wave of turtlemania during the late 80s and early to mid 90s. Granting each turtle his own color not only made it easier for people to recognize and tell apart the turtles from one another, but it also bestowed upon each turtle their own autonomy. When fans of TMNT think of their favorite turtle, they have a way to familiarize with and recognize that turtle. "Oh, I loved Michaelangelo. He was the orange, funny one, right?" "Who was that dude who wore blue and had the swords? Oh yeah, it was Leonardo. God, I used to love that show." "Raphael was such a bad ass. He was the red one with those knife dealies... what were those called... oh yeah, sais!" "Do you remember Donny? He was the coolest! Yeah, yeah! The one in purple, who could fix ANYTHING! That's the one!" Without their own colors, TMNT would not have grown into the huge deal it is today. Here, once again, in the year 2004, we are experiencing sort of what I will refer to as a "rebirth" of the turtlemania that struck the world back in the 80s and early to mid 90s. The new show has especially sparked people's imaginations once again. New comers and old comers alike. It's good that a new generation can sort of experience what we experienced, although nothing will ever be the same as the very first turtlemania back in the day. so, no... in the new show, if they had chosen to make all of them red instead of their own colors, I hardly think it would be as successful as it is. in fact, I think it would've failed miserably by now. __________________ "Movies don't create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative." —Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) from the movie "Scream"

08-21-2004, 07:33 AM	#17
Serp Hench Mutant Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 362	I like the Idea of the turtles having different color headbands. In the toon if they all had the same color bands it may make them seem a bit bland.

08-21-2004, 02:58 PM	#18
Kali Inactive Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: California! Posts: 11,101	Well, geez, everybody's already said everything I was going to say! So I guess I agree, basic colors are appealing and easy to recognize. Could you really imagine having to say "The turtle in the yellow-green bandanna" or "I like the guy in periwinkle!"? And once they had the colors, they made the perfect choices for each turtle. Their colors suit them.

08-21-2004, 06:22 PM	#19
Whitewolf89 Freedom Fighter and Ninja Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Currently residing in the Turtles' Lair, NYC sewer system, NYC, NY Posts: 2,927	I agree with you, and everyone else, on all counts, Kali. The guys' colors suit them, so why sweat the load over it? Has our questioner ever stopped to think that Pete and Kev picked those colors out themselves? And I can think of a worse color than periwinkle. What about chartruse (sp?)? THAT'S a color that I'd hate to see ANYONE in, to say nothing of our guys! And knowing THEM, they'd buck up on it, anyway! __________________ Brother against brother...........

08-21-2004, 08:11 PM	#20
XERO Hybrid Theorist Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Alamo City Posts: 8,180	For the record, IMO, White represents adaption. __________________ "Travel at the speed of light... then hit the nitro!"