Guide Collections Flags Updated June 7, 2026

State Flags with Human Figures

Virginia state flag showing Virtus, a female warrior, standing over a defeated tyrannical king — the most dramatic human figure on any US state flag

State Flags with Human Figures

Collection - Flags

Virginia's flag features Virtus (Virtue), a female warrior figure, standing over a fallen king with a dropped crown and broken chain. The scene and motto — 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' (Thus always to tyrants) — have been unchanged since 1776.

Quick Answer

State Flags with Human Figures

  1. 1

    At least eight US state flags feature human figures as part of their visible design — most within a state seal or coat of arms displayed on the flag.

  2. 2

    Virginia's Virtus is the most dramatic: a female warrior in armor stands over a fallen king, sword at his feet, with the motto 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' (Thus always to tyrants).

  3. 3

    Massachusetts's flag shows a Native American figure (Massachusett tribe) with a bow and a downward-pointing arrow — a posture indicating peaceful intent.

  4. 4

    New York and New Jersey both feature allegorical female figures as heraldic shield-supporters: Liberty, Justice, and Ceres (goddess of grain).

  5. 5

    Delaware's coat of arms uses a farmer and a soldier as supporters — one of the few flags to feature realistic historical figures rather than allegorical ones.

State Flags with Human Figures

Who Appears on Each Flag and Why

Virginia — Virtus, the Warrior Who Defeats a King

Virginia — Virtus, the Warrior Who Defeats a King

Who
Virtus, a female warrior from classical Roman personification — not a historical person. She stands over a fallen king whose crown has rolled away, sword dropped, chain broken. Why: Virginia's 1776 designers wanted a flag that declared the end of tyranny. The motto below — 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' — frames the entire scene. Unchanged in 250 years.
Massachusetts — Native American with a Bow

Massachusetts — Native American with a Bow

Who
A figure from the Massachusett tribe, holding a bow with the arrow pointing downward. Why: The downward arrow signals peaceful intent; a bent arm brandishing a sword above the shield signals courage. Massachusetts is the only US state flag where an Indigenous person is the central coat of arms figure. The design has been the subject of redesign discussions.
New York — Liberty and Justice

New York — Liberty and Justice

Who
Liberty (with pole and Phrygian cap) on the left, Justice (blindfolded, with scales) on the right — allegorical shield-supporters. Why: Designed in 1778 to represent the two pillars of civil society in the new republic. New York's coat of arms is among the oldest in continuous use of any US state.
New Jersey — Liberty and Ceres

New Jersey — Liberty and Ceres

Who
Liberty holding a cornucopia on the left, Ceres (Roman goddess of grain) wearing a helmet on the right. Why: Ceres was chosen to represent New Jersey's agricultural identity — the 'Garden State' nickname predates its official adoption by decades. Design dates to 1896.
Delaware — Farmer and Soldier

Delaware — Farmer and Soldier

Who
A farmer with a hoe and a soldier with a musket — historically grounded figures, not allegorical. Why: Agriculture and military service were Delaware's two colonial identities. Delaware's regiment was one of the most decorated in the Continental Army. First state to ratify the Constitution (1787).
Idaho — A Woman with Scales and Torch

Idaho — A Woman with Scales and Torch

Who
A woman representing Liberty and Justice, prominently in the foreground of the state seal. Why: Idaho granted women the right to vote in 1896 — 24 years before the 19th Amendment. Her prominent placement was a deliberate recognition of that milestone. Adopted 1907.
Oregon — Settlers and Miners

Oregon — Settlers and Miners

Who
Multiple settler figures — miners, a farmer, arriving ships, a wagon train — in the state seal's panoramic scene. Why: The 1925 designers wanted the flag to represent the industries and people who built Oregon: agriculture, commerce, mining, westward expansion.
North Carolina — Liberty and Plenty

North Carolina — Liberty and Plenty

Who
Two allegorical women — Liberty (seated, with staff) and Plenty (with horn of abundance) — in the state seal. Why: Standard 18th-century heraldic symbolism representing the aspirations of statehood: freedom and prosperity. North Carolina adopted this flag in 1885.

Virginia: Virtus — The Warrior Who Defines the Flag

Virginia state flag showing Virtus, a female warrior in armor with a spear and sword, standing over a fallen king with crown and chain dropped
Virginia's Virtus — the warrior-queen.

Virginia's state flag shows a circular seal on a blue field. At the center of the seal, a female warrior — Virtus, personifying Virtue — stands over a fallen king. The king lies on the ground, his crown rolled away, his chain broken. In one hand Virtus holds a spear; in the other, a sheathed sword. Below the scene: 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' (Thus always to tyrants).

The figure of Virtus was designed in 1776, making Virginia's flag one of the oldest continuous state flag designs in the United States. The imagery was explicitly political: the state was in the process of breaking from British rule, and the flag was meant to communicate that tyranny ends with defeat. Virtus is derived from classical Roman personification — the concept of virtue or 'manly excellence' was frequently depicted as a female figure in Roman and Renaissance art. She appears in armor rather than robes to emphasize active courage rather than passive virtue.

The motto gained a darker resonance in 1865. John Wilkes Booth reportedly shouted 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' after shooting Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre. Booth had cast himself as a patriot liberating the South — the flag had given him a historical script. Virginia has never changed the design.

Key Figure
8

US state flags display human figures — from allegorical goddesses and warriors to farmers, soldiers, and Native American figures.

Idaho and Oregon: Women and Settlers on Western Flags

Idaho's flag shows the state seal on a blue field. The seal features a woman holding scales and a torch — a figure representing Liberty and Justice — prominently in the foreground. The woman's presence is historically significant: Idaho granted women the right to vote in 1896, 24 years before the 19th Amendment. The inclusion of a female figure in the state seal at that time was a deliberate acknowledgment.

Oregon's flag (front side) shows the state seal, which depicts a settler scene: miners, a farmer, a wagon train, a ship arriving at the coast, and an eagle above. The figures represent the industries and settlers who built Oregon. At the time of adoption (1925), the image was meant to convey progress and western expansion.

Key Facts About Human Figures on US State Flags

1 Virginia's Virtus is the only flag figure depicted in the act of defeating a specific opponent (a fallen tyrannical king)
2 Massachusetts's Native American figure is the only indigenous person depicted as the central figure on a US state flag
3 Virginia's flag design has not changed since 1776 — 250 years of an unaltered seal
4 Idaho's female figure was a deliberate recognition of Idaho's 1896 women's suffrage law
5 New York and New Jersey both use Liberty as a shield-supporter, but New York's Liberty holds a pole and cap; New Jersey's holds a cornucopia
6 Delaware is the only state flag to use a farmer and soldier — historical figures — rather than allegorical ones
7 John Wilkes Booth cited Virginia's motto 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' as his justification for assassinating Lincoln in 1865
8 Massachusetts's coat of arms and flag design have been the subject of redesign debates due to the colonial framing of the Native American figure

Quick Answers

Which US state flags have human figures on them?
Eight US state flags feature human figures: Virginia (Virtus and a fallen king), Massachusetts (Native American with bow), New York (Liberty and Justice), New Jersey (Liberty and Ceres), Delaware (farmer and soldier), Idaho (woman with scales and torch), North Carolina (Liberty and Plenty in seal), and Oregon (settler figures in seal).
Which US state flag has a person being killed on it?
Virginia's flag shows a female warrior (Virtus) standing over a defeated tyrannical king — the only US state flag depicting one figure defeating another. The king lies on the ground with his crown dropped and chain broken. This is not death per se, but defeat — the motto 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' (Thus always to tyrants) frames the scene as a warning, not an execution.
Which state flag has a Native American on it?
Massachusetts's state flag shows a Native American figure from the Massachusett tribe holding a bow, with the arrow pointing downward (a sign of peace). The figure has been on the Massachusetts flag since 1908 and has been the subject of redesign discussions due to the colonial framing of a Native American being depicted on a European-style coat of arms.
What does the woman on the Virginia flag represent?
The woman on the Virginia flag is Virtus — an allegorical figure representing Virtue in the classical Roman tradition. She is depicted as a female warrior in armor, standing over a fallen tyrannical king. The scene illustrates the motto 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' (Thus always to tyrants) — the idea that tyranny will always be defeated. The design was adopted in 1776.

Methodology

How we researched this list

Flags were included when a human figure is visible in the official design. Figures in dense, tiny state seal details not normally distinguishable at flag distance are noted.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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US State Flags with Animals US State Flags with Latin Mottos US State Flags with Stars US State Flags with Plants and Trees Virginia State Flag State Nicknames

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