カラス

Karasu is a terminal-first, atmospheric colorscheme with a touch of warmth.

Installation

Neovim

lazy.nvim:

{
  'scozu/karasu',
  lazy = false,
  priority = 1000,
  config = function()
    require('karasu').setup()
  end
}

packer.nvim:

use {
  'scozu/karasu',
  config = function()
    require('karasu').setup()
  end
}

vim-plug:

Plug 'scozu/karasu'

Requirements: Neovim 0.8.0+ with termguicolors enabled.

Configuration (optional - defaults shown):

require('karasu').setup({
  transparent = false,        -- Enable transparent background
  italic_comments = false,     -- Italic comments
  italic_keywords = false,     -- Italic keywords
  italic_functions = false,    -- Italic functions
  italic_strings = false,     -- Italic strings
  italic_variables = false,    -- Italic variables
  contrast = "medium",         -- "soft", "medium", "hard"
})

Ghostty

git clone https://github.com/scozu/karasu.git ~/.config/ghostty/themes/karasu
echo "theme = karasu" >> ~/.config/ghostty/config

Then restart Ghostty or reload the configuration (Cmd/Ctrl + R).

Zed

git clone https://github.com/scozu/karasu ~/.config/zed/extensions/karasu

Then select "Karasu" in Zed's theme settings (Cmd/Ctrl + , → Themes).

Screenshots

Neovim & Ghostty

Zed

Design

• Material Dark - Elevated surfaces with subtle depth (#121212 base)
• Warm earth tones - Muted, saturated colors inspired by natural materials
• Balanced contrast - Readable without eye strain, optimized for long sessions
• Consistent experience - Unified palette across all supported platforms
• Sophisticated palette - Carefully chosen colors that work harmoniously together

Background Layers

karasuBg0: #121212       /* Main background - Material dark */
karasuBg1: #1a1a1a       /* Elevated surfaces */
karasuBg2: #222222       /* Popups, menus */
karasuBg3: #2a2a2a       /* Higher elevation */
karasuBg4: #333333       /* Borders, separators */
karasuBgVisual: #2d3437  /* Visual selection */
karasuBgSearch: #3c4144  /* Search highlights */

Foreground Tones

karasuFg0: #d4c5b9    /* Primary text - warm cream */
karasuFg1: #c5b6aa    /* Secondary text */
karasuFg2: #a89984    /* Tertiary text */
karasuFg3: #928374    /* Muted text */
karasuFgDim: #665c54  /* Dimmed text, comments */

Syntax Colors (Saturated)

karasuRed: #c4746e       /* Errors, deletions, important keywords */
karasuGreen: #95b572     /* Strings, additions, success */
karasuYellow: #c4a657    /* Warnings, numbers, constants */
karasuBlue: #7c9fa8      /* Functions, methods, identifiers */
karasuPurple: #a987a8    /* Keywords, control flow */
karasuAqua: #85a585      /* Classes, types, special */
karasuOrange: #d6936b    /* Parameters, attributes, operators */

Bright Accents

karasuBrightRed: #ea6962      /* Terminal red - errors, critical warnings */
karasuBrightGreen: #a9b665    /* Terminal green - success, active indicators */
karasuBrightYellow: #d8a657   /* Terminal yellow - warnings, attention */
karasuBrightBlue: #8ba4b0     /* Terminal blue - information, links */
karasuBrightMagenta: #d3869b  /* Terminal magenta - special emphasis */
karasuBrightCyan: #89b482     /* Terminal cyan - info, secondary emphasis */
karasuBrightWhite: #fbf1c7    /* Terminal white - bright text, highlights */

Syntax Highlighting Strategy

Language-Agnostic Mappings

Control & Structure:

• Keywords: karasuPurple (#a987a8) - if, for, while, return, import
• Functions: karasuBlue (#7c9fa8) - Function names, method calls
• Types: karasuAqua (#85a585) - Class names, type annotations
• Operators: karasuOrange (#d6936b) - +, -, *, /, =, &&, ||

Literals & Data:

• Strings: karasuGreen (#95b572) - String literals, documentation
• Numbers: karasuYellow (#c4a657) - Integers, floats, hex values
• Constants: karasuYellow (#c4a657) - true, false, null, None, constants
• Properties: karasuFg1 (#c5b6aa) - Object properties, attributes

Semantics:

• Comments: karasuFgDim (#665c54) - All comment types
• Variables: karasuFg0 (#d4c5b9) - Variable names, identifiers
• Parameters: karasuOrange (#d6936b) - Function parameters
• Special: karasuAqua (#85a585) - Decorators, macros, preprocessor

LSP Diagnostics

• Error: karasuRed (#c4746e) with underline
• Warning: karasuYellow (#c4a657) with underline
• Info: karasuBlue (#7c9fa8) with subtle underline
• Hint: karasuFg3 (#928374) with dotted underline

Git Integration

• Added: karasuGreen (#95b572)
• Modified: karasuYellow (#c4a657)
• Removed: karasuRed (#c4746e)
• Conflict: karasuOrange (#d6936b)

Accessibility

• Foreground contrast: karasuFg0 on karasuBg0 = ~11:1 (WCAG AAA)
• Syntax colors: All maintain >4.5:1 contrast (WCAG AA)
• Bright variants: karasuBright* colors available for terminal emphasis
• Low light optimized: Warm tones reduce eye strain

Documentation

For detailed installation and configuration instructions for each platform:

• Neovim Documentation
• Ghostty Documentation
• Zed Documentation
• OpenCode Documentation

References

This colorscheme draws inspiration from several excellent themes:

• Gruvbox Material Dark - Warm earth tones, Material Design backgrounds, proven color relationships
• Kanagawa Dragon - Sophisticated muted palette, excellent contrast ratios, structural patterns
• Kanso - Minimalist aesthetic, refined color harmony, subtle depth
• Black Metal (Gorgoroth) - Minimalist aesthetic, stark contrasts, atmospheric depth

Resources

• VS Code Theme Documentation
• Zed Theme Schema
• Neovim Highlight Groups
• TreeSitter Queries
• ANSI Color Standards
• WCAG Contrast Guidelines