38. Ohio — Melisandre
Melisandre, the “Red Woman” or the “Red Priestess”, red red red. Other characters might love a color, but none of them embody that color heart, mind, and soul. Melisandre serves the Lord of Light, a god of fire, warmth, and of course, light. What does this have to do with the state of Ohio you ask?
Like Melisandre, Ohio is a state obsessed with the color red. How obsessed? The state flower of Ohio is the scarlet carnation. Ohio’s state bird is the cardinal. The state insect is the 7 spotted lady bug. Even the state fruit of Ohio (the tomato) is red. That’s some serious red obsession, more than any other state by our count.
It goes beyond just a mere preference for the color red, however, as the state seal of Ohio features a rising sun. That’s not the fiery heart of the Lord of Light, but that’s not that far off. The sun creates light and warmth, so surely is pleasing to a follower of the Lord of Light like Melisandre.
Finally, the official motto of sounds like a variation of something Melisandre utters seemingly every other time she speaks: With God, all things are possible. Sorry Ohio, you get the Red Woman.