Whether you're a veteran adventurer or a freshly rolled character, you already know the rule—red heals, blue casts, green energizes. But have you ever stopped to wonder why? Why are these colors so universal across games, campaigns, and fantasy tales? In this guide, we're taking a closer look at the origins and symbolism behind the iconic colors of health, mana, and stamina potions and how those hues continue to inspire everything from gameplay mechanics to our own candle collection.
Color tropes across fantasy media
The consistency with which the red, blue, and green pattern shows up in fantasy media isn’t an accident. Early video games had limited graphics and needed to convey a lot with a little. Instead of explaining every item in a bloated wall of text, color did the heavy lifting. Red? Healing. Blue? Mana. Green? Stamina, speed, or sometimes even poison.
As games evolved, these colors stuck. They appeared in World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy, Monster Hunter, and just about every roguelike and dungeon crawler since. The consistency made them comforting, even across wildly different settings.
Tabletop traditions and magic systems
Even before pixels, tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons used descriptions like “a crimson liquid swirling in a glass vial” to indicate healing. Homebrew worlds and third-party supplements expanded the palette, but the classics held strong. Players learned to associate red with restoration and blue with mental or magical restoration. These tropes made worldbuilding more efficient and helped keep gameplay flowing.
Other potion colors and what they mean
Fantasy didn’t stop at the tricolor potion system. Over time, more colors entered the mix, each with their own unspoken rules:
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Purple: Often used for poisons, shadow magic, or corruption. Mysterious and a little dangerous.
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Gold or Yellow: Buff potions, boosts to strength or defense, or rare elixirs with multiple effects.
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Black: Curses, necromancy, or something that should probably be handled with tongs and dragonhide gloves.
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White: Air, light, purity are often represented by the color white. Think flight spells, celestial beings, or wind-based sorcery.
These color codes give players and GMs alike a visual vocabulary to work with, reducing confusion and making it easier to immerse yourself in the world. When a potion glows a certain way, you don’t need to ask questions—you know what’s about to happen.
Why are health potions red?
In fantasy games and tabletop campaigns alike, red is the universal signal for healing. But why?
The answer starts with instinct. Red is the color of blood and life—two things you definitely need more of when you’re on the brink of defeat. It’s a color that’s commonly associated with urgency, vitality, and restoration. In real-world herbalism and old-world medicine, many healing tonics were tinted red thanks to ingredients like wine, berries, or even crushed herbs. The association between red liquids and healing likely seeped into early fantasy storytelling from these traditions.
Then came the games. From the original Dungeons & Dragons manuals to classics like Ultima, Diablo, and The Elder Scrolls, red health potions became a visual shorthand. Game designers leaned into the psychology of color to make gameplay intuitive. See red? Drink it. You’re safe. (Well, safer.)
Why are mana and magicka potions blue?
Blue is the color of calm waters, starlit skies, and… spell slots? It might seem like a strange leap, but once you start looking at magic potions across games and stories, blue shows up again and again. When your wizard's tapped out or your bard’s run out of Inspiration, the answer is clear: chug a blue vial and get back in the fight.
So, why blue? Most lore nerds think it has to do with the association of magical sources as a “pool,” a font of energy that ebbs and flows with a life almost its own. Most religions and mythologies of the real world also ascribe spiritual significance to water, focusing on its purifying, transformative effects. What color is water often depicted as, then? Blue.
From early games like Diablo and Baldur’s Gate to genre-defining RPGs like World of Warcraft, blue magicka potions became the go-to shorthand for mana-restoring solutions.
Why are stamina potions green?
In the real world, green is linked to vitality, growth, and renewal. It’s the color of Spring, when tender shoots and leaves begin to sprout from long-dead vegetation. In fantasy, that connection only deepens: rangers, druids, and woodland warriors are often dressed in green, drawing strength from forests, creatures, and natural forces. When your stamina’s shot and you need to keep moving, green feels instinctively right.
Games like Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and countless tabletop systems have cemented this association. Green stamina potions are for running faster, climbing higher, dodging more, and digging deep for one last burst of energy.
How Cantrip Candles brings these potions to life
Our Potion candle line was brewed with the same spirit as the color-coded elixirs found in every spellbook, inventory screen, and arcane laboratory. Each one is a tribute to the classic potion types adventurers know and love, only now, the magic is aromatic.
Just like a potion in-game restores something within you, these candles help set the tone IRL. Whether you’re rolling dice, reading lore, or simply trying to recharge after a long day, our Potion series is designed to bring fantasy to your senses.
Potion of Healing
This is your candle for recovery and rest. Infused with the warm, comforting scent of sweet citrus and rosemary, it’s like the fantasy version of a cozy blanket and a long rest. Light it when you're feeling worn down, stressed out, or just in need of some serious HP restoration.
Potion of Magicka
For mages, scholars, and spell-slingers. Potion of Magicka combines lavender, dragon’s blood, and lemon verbena—herbal, mystical, and a little otherworldly. Burn this one when you need to concentrate, create, or prep your next campaign. It’s basically a +3 to Focus.
Potion of Stamina
Earthy, invigorating, and full of subtle spice, this one’s for the adventurers pushing through fatigue, the GMs prepping late into the night. With notes of thyme, ginger, and peppercorn, Potion of Stamina smells like determination in a bottle. Or, you know, a jar.
Potion of Flight
Light as air, crisp as a breeze over mountaintops—Potion of Flight is pure uplift. This white candle channels the essence of air magic with notes of crane flower and green tea: clean, airy, and subtly floral. Light it when you're seeking clarity, inspiration, or just a bit of everyday elevation. No wings required.
Potions for your bag of holding
From ancient elixirs to modern-day loot drops, the colors of potions have become part of fantasy’s shared language: instantly recognizable, emotionally resonant, and just plain fun. At Cantrip Candles, we’ve bottled that magic (okay, waxed it) into our Potion candle line to help you bring those classic vibes into the real world. Whether you need healing, focus, stamina, or just a little lift, there’s a candle ready to cast the perfect mood.
Shop the Potion collection now →
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