The original color considered for Spyro before purple was green.
During development of Spyro the Dragon, the character was initially envisioned as a green dragon. Developers later realized that green would make Spyro difficult to see against the grassy environments used throughout much of the game. They changed him to purple, giving the character stronger contrast and a more distinctive silhouette.
Spyro’s early development included other major changes too. He was originally called Pete, but that name was abandoned because of its similarity to Pete’s Dragon, a Disney property. The team also considered “Pyro,” but decided it sounded too mature for the youthful character. The final name, Spyro, matched his mischievous personality and fiery abilities.
Purple became one of Spyro’s defining traits, helping distinguish him from the green landscapes and the many enemy creatures in the game. The color was therefore not just an artistic preference: it served a practical gameplay and readability purpose. Charles Zembillas, who had also worked on Crash Bandicoot, designed Spyro’s character during the game’s development.