To correctly recognize intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and differentiate it from other lesions, knowledge of the imaging characteristics of an ICH on susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) is essential. It is a common misconception that blood is always black on SWI, and it is important to realize that hemorrhage has a variable appearance in different stages on SWI. Furthermore, the presence of a low signal on SWI does not equal the presence of blood products. In this review, the appearance of ICH on SWI during all its stages and common other causes of a low signal on SWI are further discussed and illustrated.