However, in certain works, colors like yellow or green are used to display earth-related powers. How earth is portrayed as yellow or green can depend on the region the work is from.
Yellow earth is commonly seen in Eastern works because the color is considered culturally significant. China sees yellow as a very important color; it has historically been worn only by emperors and Buddhist monks, it represents earth in their element system, and it's the color of the soil deposits that come from the Yellow River, which is the cradle of Chinese civilization. In real life, sand in deserts and some beaches is a light tint of yellow, and soil can be a golden yellow if iron oxide is present. Yellow ochre, which contains iron oxide, is extracted from that soil for pigment — it's the earliest example known to be used by mankind.
Alternately, green is used as a color for earth because of its association with nature and environmentalism; using green can overlap with Green Thumb and Emerald Power. In Western works, earth is usually portrayed in green, while air is portrayed in yellow or white.
If yellow and green are taken, brown is optimally used, yet will emit either a yellow or orange aura because it's impossible to make brown light, and "brown" light is essentially orange.
See also Fire Is Red, Water Is Blue, Wind Is Green, Blue Means Cold, Gold Is Yellow, Gravity Is Purple, Green Means Natural, and Yellow Lightning, Blue Lightning, and Technicolor Wind for more Color-Coded Elements.
Note: Kindly provide a detailed context on how earth is colored with yellow, green, or any other color, lest it is merely labeled under Color-Coded Elements.
Examples:
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Yellow Earth (can include ochre and golden brown)
Anime and Manga
- Fairy Tail: "Iron Rock" Jura is a wizard who specializes in Earth Magic and most of his spells have a yellow aura. In the anime proper, Instant Runes circles associated with Earth spells have a yellowish-golden color.
- Transformers: Cybertron: After absorbing the energies of the Earth Cyber Planet Key, Starscream gains the ability to lift rocks out of the ground and use them as weapons. Both Starscream and the affected rocks glow yellow when he uses this power.
- Voltron: The Yellow Lion is symbolic of rocks/the Earth and is yellow.
- Yes! Pretty Cure 5 and Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo!: Komachi aka Cure Mint. She can create earth-empowered green shields and use them offensively and defensively.
Comic Books
- The DCU: Siblings Brion (Geo-Force) and Tara (Terra) Markov have the power to control earth; this ability is usually marked with a yellow glow.
Live Action TV
- In the Filipino telefantasya Encantadia, the Gem of Earth, which has the abilities to terraform landscapes, heal, manipulate plants and animals, and shapeshift, is colored a golden yellow. The Kingdom of Sapiro, which was the original keeper of the Gem, is themed with shades of yellow and gold.
- Kamen Rider:
- Kamen Rider Agito's Ground Form is primarily colored gold.
- Kamen Rider Wizard: Wizard's Land Style and Land Dragon Style both wield power over earth and are associated with the color yellow.
- Super Sentai/Power Rangers:
- Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger/Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Kouta Bitou/Dustin Brooks is the Sentai Yellow/Yellow Ranger and wields the power of earth.
- Samurai Sentai Shinkenger/Power Rangers Samurai: Kotoha Hanaori/Emily is the Sentai Yellow/Yellow Ranger and commands the power of earth.
- Ultra Series:
- Ultraman Ginga: Ultraman Victory, an Ultraman from an underground civilisation born from the power of the rare mineral Victorium, has multiple V-shaped yellow crystals on his body.
- Ultraman R/B: The Victory Crystal, which harnesses the power of Ultraman Victory and has the element of Earth, turns Rosso and Blu ochre when used to access Rosso Ground and Blu Ground respectively.
Literature
- Harry Potter: The Hogwarts houses are loosely connected to the Classical Elements. As an Elemental Motif, Hufflepuff corresponds to Earth — its house colors are yellow and black, representing wheat and soil, and the house is known for its hard workers. (Here's a citation
for that.)
Mythology
- In Chinese Mythology, especially for The Four Gods, the color yellow is associated to earth (water is black, wood is blue/green, metal is white and fire is red). The associated divine beast is Huang Long, the Yellow Dragon.
Toys
- In 2006 and 2007, some stone-themed BIONICLE characters such as Hewkii and Dekar were yellow, and Carapar (who didn't have stone powers but fit that role in the color scheme) had golden-brown armor.
Video Games
- Chantelise: Things aligned with the Earth element, like its elemental crystals, Earth-type monsters, and the Terran Ruins, are colored yellow.
- In almost all Final Fantasy incarnations, the Earth Crystal is represented in yellow, and Earth magic emits a yellow light.
- The Fossil Fighters franchise features earth type Vivosaurs, uncovered from yellow fossils. Additionally, their icons feature yellow accents, and many of them incorporate yellow into their design.
- Genshin Impact: The element of Geo is coloured in goldenrod, and its Elemental Nation is the Fantasy Counterpart Culture of China.
- Golden Sun: Venus Psynergy, the power of earth and plant life, is represented with a yellow orb in menus and its spells'/attacks' particle effects are depicted in yellow and golden brown. Venus Djinn, though, are straight brown and tan. Strangely, the Venus Lighthouse is purple, and the light of its beacon is green.
- Inazuma Eleven: A few goalkeeper techniques, such as God Hand and Majin the Hand, have a different-coloured aura depending on the player's element: golden-yellow for earth in contrast to blue for wood and red for the fire variations. Aside from that, earth is mostly associated with orange in the games, such as the colour of the icon seen in the Earth-type characters' info.
- The Legend of Dragoon: While the Earth element is colored brown, and yellow is used for Light, the Dragon and Dragoon associated with said element are golden colored, while the Light Dragoon is pearly white/silver.
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Divine Beast Vah Naboris and her Champion, the Gerudo chieftain Lady Urbosa, are associated with the element of earth (they're located in the Gerudo Desert) and the color yellow: Urbosa's Fury, a special attack granted to Link, is marked by a yellow camel and represented by a yellow orb in the pause menu. Interestingly, while both Naboris's and Urbosa's abilities are electricity-based, it's specifically stated that Naboris draws energy from the earth to release power.
- In Lost Kingdoms and its sequel, cards of the earth element have yellow borders, and earth is represented as yellow in diagrams of the games' Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors.
- Quest 64: Earth is represented by a yellow gem.
- Recettear: Earth Crystals are yellow.
- This Starry Midnight We Make: The color of Earth-aspected stars. For example, the basic Yellow Star has its Catalogue entry be:
A Seed Star with a yellow tinge due to the influence of Earth.
Slightly soft to the touch.
Webcomics
- The Beginning After the End: Earth mana particles are yellow in color.
Western Animation
- Teen Titans has blonde Terra, who emits a golden light when she does her geokinesis.
- Wakfu: In the OVA, the dragon of Earth Terrakourial has yellow scales and has laid the Ochre Dofus.
Real Life
- The syllabus of the South Korean martial art Tae Kwon-Do requires all practitioners above 10th kup (white belt) to know that the yellow belt (and the yellow on the yellow tag belt) represents the earth.
Green Earth (can include yellow accents)
Comic Books
- W.I.T.C.H. Cornelia emits a light green aura whenever she uses her earth powers.
- X-Men: Deadly Genesis: Petra can control earth as her mutant power. For her fatal mission to Krakoa, she wore a green outfit that left little to the imagination.
Literature
- A Song of Ice and Fire: An Elemental Motif example. House Tyrell, who govern the Reach and are known for their great harvests and association with flowers, have green and gold as their house colors and a rose as their sigil.
- The Wheel of Time: The One Power comprises the four classical elements plus Spirit, which can be used individually or combined into "Weaves" with various effects; threads of Earth are coloured green to people who can sense the Power.
Live Action TV
- Power Rangers Mystic Force: Xander, the Green Ranger, has earth- and plant-based powers.
Toys
- BIONICLE: While the earth element is more closely associated with black and grey color schemes, most earth characters in the Mata Nui and Metru Nui story arcs have green eyes. This includes Onua, Whenua, Nuhvok (as well as Nuhvok Va and Nuhvok-Kal), and Tehutti. In Mata Nui Online Game, Onua's earth powers are represented by bright green energy during the battle against Makuta. In the canceled BIONICLE: The Legend of Mata Nui, where each Toa's Energy Spheres are color-coded to their elements in the most recent beta build, Onua's Energy Spheres are green.
Video Games
- Advance Wars: The four (actually five) factions are all named for a colour and a celestial object, one of these being Green Earth (the others being Red/Orange Star, Blue Moon, Yellow Comet and Black Hole).
- In the game based on Chakan: The Forever Man, Chakan can imbue his swords with four different elemental enhancements. The one representing Earth envelops the blades in green electrical arcs.
- Dragon Project: The Earth element is represented as a green leaf, and a majority of Earth-elemented Behemoths are green. In fact, all Earth-elemented Magis are colored in various shades of green. Even Earth-elemented attack numbers are dark green.
- Jade Cocoon: Earth-type mons have green color schemes and Field Power Effects that strengthen earth turn the terrain green.
- The Legend of Spyro: Earth Breath and its many variations across all three games are associated with the color green (while yellow is for lightning). This is more evident in the first two games, where Earth Breath includes power over soil, nature and wind, while the third game Spyro's attack are more earth/rock related and are a mix of green and brown. Terrador, the Earth Guardian, is also primarily forest green in color, with brown plates, horns, wings, and claws, while earth elemental enemies are the same vivid green as Spyro's attacks.
- Musashi Samurai Legend: The Sword of Earth is bright orange with a green handle, and the Maiden of the Earth wears mostly in green and her powers have a green hue. Fittingly enough, the sword is kept in a rocky valley in the middle of a confusing forest.
- Tactics Ogre: Earth magic and its attacks and buffs are represented in green, and its symbol is a green M-shaped chevron resembling mountains.
- Total War: Warhammer III: Yuan Bo, the Jade Dragon, specializes in use of the Lore of Heavens, which Cathayans associate with the element of earth. Physically, he wears jade-green armor in his human form and has vividly green scales in his true draconic form. In battle, his attack animations typically involve him creating bursts and spikes of crystalline green rock, coating is sword in it to use as a bludgeon, or breathing out volleys of green crystals as his breath weapon.
- Warriors of Might and Magic: Earth-elemental magics and creature are marked by the color green.
Western Animation
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Earth Kingdom has its nation, symbols, and people portrayed in various shades of green with yellow accents.
- Captain Planet and the Planeteers has Kwame, whose Earth ring emits a green light whenever he controls the rocks and soil around him and whenever he starts the roll call for summoning Captain Planet.
- Ready Jet Go!: The show uses Color Motifs for its characters, so characters that wear green tend to have a special connection to Earth. Sean adores Planet Earth above all else, and occasionally takes time to comment on how beautiful it is. Jet's cousin Zerk also wears green. Although he started out belittling Earth, he eventually grew to love it when he actually visited it.
Real Life
- Green soil is possible in real life, with glauconite minerals giving the soil a green appearance. Such soil is utilized as a pigment, and was used by Medieval painters for underpainting skin.
Yellow and Green Earth
Fan Works
- Destiny Intertwined: Earth comes in three distinct color variants — green, brown and grey — each with a specific elemental focus.
- Green Earth, which includes near-yellow shades, is focused on plant manipulation. Dragons with this element have energy breath lined with leaves or petals, and can learn to create and direct magical plants.
- Grey Earth is associated with stones, minerals, and sand. Grey Stone breath is laced with pebbles.
- Brown Earth has an affinity for soil and for woody flora. Brown Earth breath is lined with twigs and bits of soil.
- Multicolored Earth, the rarest kind, arose as a hybrid variant and manifests as two of the three kinds mixed into a single dragon, typically with one being primary and the other secondary.
Tabletop Games
- The Dark Eye: Earth is divided between "Stone" and "Soil". The former is associated to the color orange, while the latter is represented by earthen colors (usually green).
- Magic: The Gathering: Most earth spells are part of the Red cycle of mana, which generally presides over mountains rock, lava, and dramatic phenomena involving these. The rest are associated with Green, the color of nature, and White, the latter usually in the form of yellow sand and dust.
Video Games
- Chrono Cross: The elements are split up into six colors. Yellow is the color of Dishing Out Dirt spells (and lightning), while green includes plant magic (and wind).
- Final Fantasy XII: Hashmal, the Esper of Earth, is associated with the color green due to his elemental affinity yet is himself colored golden brown.
- Paper Mario: The Origami King: The four Vellumentals make rather straightforward use of Color-Coded Elements in their designs, and the Earth Vellumental is specifically a giant turtle with a green shell and yellow extremities.
Western Animation
- W.I.T.C.H.: Cornelia, the only blonde of the Guardians, is the Guardian of Earth and her Transformation Sequence background is greenish yellow, save for her first transformation which was green. Her Guardian uniform has a green top and the Auramere of Earth varies between yellow and green.
Brown/Orange Earth and Other
Live Action TV
- Kamen Rider Saber: Ryo Ogami/Kamen Rider Buster has the power over grayish brown earth, right down to having his sword, the Dogouken Gekido, being powerful enough to destroy rocks.
Tabletop Games
- Pokémon Trading Card Game: Fighting-type Pokémon, which include Ground and Rock types, are labeled brown with a fist icon. Their Energy card emit an orange glow.
- Bakugan: Subterra attribute Bakugan are usually brown or beige.
Toys
- BIONICLE: For the first five and a half years of its existence, all stone-themed sets were brown. In 2006 and 2007, Hewkii, Toa of Stone, was given a yellow-based color scheme (the only other stone character in that time period was the yellow Dekar; Carapar, although fitting the color scheme, had no Elemental Powers). In 2008, Pohatu, Toa of Stone, was orange. 2009 had the Sand Tribe, with a tan color scheme, though they lacked elemental powers. In the early years, one Matoran of Earth (Nuparu) had an orange mask, though the rest of his body was black and grey. Yellow was actually planned as a standard stone-element color since the start in 2001 via the Legend of Mata Nui video game and the Sand Tarakava beast toy prototype, neither of which were released, making yellow a rare stone color until 2006.
Video Games
- Age of Wonders 4: The Materium affinity, which features tomes themed on earth, metal and magma, is associated with the yellow-adjacent orange, since true yellow and green are already used for Order and Nature.
- Epic Battle Fantasy: The Earth element is connected to the color brown:
- Weapons highly connected to it have brown palettes:
- Epic Battle Fantasy 3: Gaia Axe: It only has three colors, and the parts of that aren't the gray metal axe head or the red grip, is brown.
- Epic Battle Fantasy 4: The Quake Maker gun's main body is waves of brown and orange going left to right. with other features being a darker brown.
- Epic Battle Fantasy 3: Gaia Axe
- The icon for the earth element is brown-colored:
- Epic Battle Fantasy 4: It's a brown crystal-like object.
- Epic Battle Fantasy 5: A spray of brown clumps.
- Earth-type brown-skinned dragon enemy, whose name changes depending on the game:
- Epic Battle Fantasy 4: It's called Brown Dragon.
- Epic Battle Fantasy 5: It's called Earth Dragon.
- Weapons highly connected to it have brown palettes:
- Toukiden: The Earth element is portrayed as a light brown rock, and a vast majority of Earth-elemented Onis are clad in various shades of brown or orange.
- City of Heroes: Stone powers generally had either a brownish-yellow or brownish-red color for their power icons.
- Meteos: Soil Meteos are orange.
- Pokémon: The icons for the Ground and Rock types are always a shade of brown, with Ground typically being more of a beige color.