Fictional flags (synonyms: banners, standards, emblems, colors; example mythonyms: the Battle Colors of the 9th Republic, the East Imorian Flag) are devices used to represent a group, faction, army, or country. The design of fictional flags is common in worldbuilding where they may be important for fictional civilizations, cultures, or resistances. Flags may be found on capital buildings, palaces, castles, vehicles, or carried into battle by advancing armies.

The study of flags is called vexillology and has a long and storied history.

Most flags are rectangular, but there are exceptions and there is no reason this needs to be the case for fictional countries. Consider triangles, circles, chevrons, or other shapes. If rectangular, consider the relative length and width.

Flags will typically have 2-3 central colors, though more or less colors are not uncommon. When choosing colors for a flag, consider what these may look like from a distance, and what colors may be important for your fictional country or faction. Often the colors chosen will be symbolic of some aspect of that country, for example its people, its natural resources, or its history.

Example Color Meanings

• Gold: Natural Resources and Wealth
• Blue: Nearby Seas, Rivers, or Lakes
• Green: Forests or Fertile Lands
• Yellow: Wheat or Fields
• Red: Blood Spilt to Protect Borders

Those designing flags for a game world may wish to use colors that are easily distinguishable from one another.

For worlds with an audience using yellow, magenta, and cyan may be preferrable as many people suffer from red-green color blindness.

Charges and emblems are objects that appear on a flag, such as a star or a leaf. These are important symbols for a country or people and if there are repeating numbers of charges, like two or three stars, that number is typically symbolic and representative of some national history.

Flags change throughout history in both major and minor ways. It may be worth thinking about whether your fictional flag has changed and in what ways. Have charges been dropped or added. Have colors changed? What were the political reasons for these changes and are their factions that still fly the older versions?