A Dangerously Elegant Typeface: Decoding Pentagram’s “Killing Eve” Logo
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The band Unloved provided the foundation of the “Killing Eve” soundtrack. Their music is ’60s-style bleak pop, which is catchier than it sounds.
The playlist explores themes of obsession and disguises, ideas I discuss in the project.
Just a Peek
“Killing Eve” is a black comedy and spy thriller that balances horror with humor and style with substance, as you’ll see in the below analysis.
Uncovering Inspiration
I’m a fan of the show and Pentagram’s approach to design. I also love logos with layered meanings and hidden symbols—see my “B” icon for a “cheeky” example—so this project was an absolute delight to create.
In the Mood
Blood and knives are recurring themes within the series, so naturally, I drew inspiration from images that embodied these sharp, sanguine concepts.
Bare Essentials
The show weaves together multiple ideas throughout each episode. I untangled them and examined each one.
Here are the main themes within this logo:
Obsession
Violence
Predator + Prey
Knives
Deception
Blood
Fleshed Out
At first glance, this logo seems simple. But if you look at it for a second or third time, certain objects jump out at you. I studied, isolated, and analyzed each element, tying my observations to the show’s recurring themes.
“Killing Eve” evokes visceral emotions from viewers, but it’s also witty and has light-hearted moments; I deliberately paired contrasting concepts to highlight these contradictions.
A Dangerously Elegant Typeface: Decoding Pentagram´s “Killing Eve” Logo
“Killing Eve” is an exquisitely vicious and fresh take on the typical spy thriller. Usually, this genre takes itself far too seriously, but “Killing Eve” is a black comedy that balances the horrific with humor. It’s a show with style and substance, as you’ll see in the below analysis.
1) The razor-sharp base of the “V” and drop of blood descending signify the gratuitous bloodshed and violence prevalent in this show. The blood slithering down a different letter in each episode is emblematic of the dangerous cat-and-mouse game Eve and Villanelle play with one another.
2) The typeface is both sophisticated and savage. Urbane and unsettling. These contradictory themes run rampant throughout the show, often simultaneously.
3) The palette is subdued, lending even more refinement to the logo. The various color pairings echo the numerous combinations of cities and country sides Eve and Villanelle trek to sustain their twisted courtship.
4) The lowercase “g” is my favorite part of the logo. It’s more than just a visual contrast nestled between capital letters. It, like the drop of blood, is another visual device. When you look at the letter straight on, it’s a mundane lowercase “g,” but it resembles a mask if you tilt your head to the left. This is a nod to the chameleon-like Villanelle, an exceptional assassin who dons disguises like a second skin. (Her propensity for accents and languages is equally fluid.)
The accompanying type that introduces the locations where the spy and assassin hunt one another is not as busy as the main logo, but it is no less elegant. Like the central typeface, it is elongated, in all caps, and takes up most of the screen. The extreme font echoes the larger-than-life adventures of the show’s central characters and the extreme danger Eve and Villanelle put themselves in to pursue one another.