The Best Anime Tattoos

The world of anime is filled with iconic characters, worlds, and even iconic anime eyes that are so unique, memorable, and impactful that every anime fan worth their salt can easily recognize them. The same thing is true when it comes to anime tattoos. There are many female and male anime characters who proudly wear their iconic ink and even inspire fans to get their very own versions.

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In anime, characters have tattoos for many reasons. Some of the strongest anime characters can even get extra power thanks to their tattoos. However, sometimes, these tattoos have an emotional significance in much the same way that tattoos often do in real life.

Updated September 30, 2024, by Hamza Haq: An easy way to individualize a character in an Anime is by giving them defining features like a recognizable scar, an uncommon hair color, or even a unique tattoo. Some tattoos go beyond the mundane and become as much a part of a character as their signature hairstyles and clothing.

14 Medusa

Soul Eater

Medusa is one of the most terrifying and despicable characters in Soul Eater who happens to have one of the coolest and most magical tattoos in anime. This brilliantly evil witch is also Crona's mother and was never afraid to use her powers and manipulation skills to defeat and kill her enemies.

She was the most powerful witch in the series and thanks to her unique magic and tattoo she was also able to control over a thousand snakes within her body to easily fight against the strongest demon weapons in Soul Eater. Medusa had a gigantic snake tattoo that was all over her arms and was able to come to life and become deadly arrows and blades. Soul Eater's story followed a group of students who were studying to become demon hunters.

13 Renji Abarai

Bleach

Renji Abarai was one of the most confident and brave fighters of the 11th division. He took his training seriously, and he was working hard to become the best in his division and even surpass his own captain. Even though he often covered his tattoos he was proud of them.

Renji has some of the most iconic anime tattoos that Bleach fans often like to get themselves thanks to their simple yet elegant design. He has most of his upper body as well as some parts of his forehead covered with tribal tattoos. Bleach's story follows the young Ichigo who embarks on a journey to become a powerful Soul Reaper.

12 Gaara

Naruto

Gaara is one of the most famous characters in Naruto with an incredibly recognizable, large red tattoo on the left side of his forehead. During the Chuunin Exam Arc—when Gaara was first introduced—viewers were teased with this enigmatic tattoo, not fully showing Gaara's face, priming his introduction with this defining feature.

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Gaara's tattoo is the character for the word 'ai', which means 'love' or 'loving only himself.' As it's later revealed, this tattoo is Gaara's way of announcing to the world that he only loves himself and that nothing and no one matters more to him. This realization comes to him when he is very young and faces an assassination attempt by someone he considers a close friend. Gaara keeps this tattoo even after his redemption arc, perhaps as a reminder of who he used to be and how far he has come.

11 Nami

One Piece

Nami is an original member of the Straw Hat crew and one of the main characters of One Piece. Aside from her red hair and insatiable greed, her biggest defining feature is a blue tattoo on the upper part of her arm, near the shoulder. When Luffy and Zoro first meet Nami, they notice this tattoo and later reference it to try and find her when she ditches them. Initially, this tattoo serves as a cruel reminder from Arlong to Nami that she is forever in his grasp. After the events of the East Blue Saga, where Luffy puts Arlong into the dirt and Nami is finally freed of this monster, she alters this tattoo, not only as a sign of her freedom but as a reminder of who she holds most dear in her heart. The new tattoo is in the shape of a pinwheel with an orange hanging from the top. The orange represents her mother's garden, a place that is incredibly significant for Nami, and the pinwheel represents Genzo, the sheriff of Cocoyashi Village, and her father figure who cared for her after Bellmere's passing.

10 Natsu

Fairy Tail

Natsu Dragneel, the main character of Fairy Tail, has an iconic tattoo on the upper part of his right arm in the shape of a red dragon. More than just a cosmetic accessory, Natsu's tattoo serves as a seal for Igneel's power.

Every time Natsu is in a tight spot while facing a tough enemy and really needs to let loose, he unlocks this tattoo and unleashes the power within to get a significant power up. For fans of Fairy Tail, Natsu's tattoo is as iconic as Ash Ketchum's cap-twisting motion, indicating the fun is just about to start.

9 Tatsumi Oga

Beelzebub

Even though Tatsumi Oga is only a high school student he already has to learn how to be a dad to Beelzebub IV who happens to be a demon baby. Since Oga is a fairly cruel and often sadistic character he was happy when he found out that Beelzebub could help him defeat his enemies easier.

One day Oga mysteriously finds the powerful Zebul Spell tattoo on his right hand. This tattoo was a seal that signified the contract between Oga and Beelzebub and thanks to it, Oga was able the access an increasing amount of demonic powers the more he fought. While Oga's tattoo is small it quickly became one of the most popular anime tattoos that many Beelzebub fans love to get tattooed on themselves.

8 Revy

Black Lagoon

Revy is Black Lagoon's merciless protector. No matter what danger her team is facing, Revy is there to abolish their enemy, often in quite sadistic ways. While she's certainly tough, she also has a fun and even humorous side that she shows to those she deems worthy.

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Her iconic and sizable upper right arm tribal tattoo perfectly fits with her explosive and larger-than-life personality. Revy's tattoo covers most of her arm and it reaches up to her neck. Despite its considerable size, it's one of the most popular tattoos both male and female anime fans get to this very day.

7 Uta

Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul's fan-favorite mask designer has some pretty iconic tattoos. Some things are different in the Tokyo Ghoul manga compared to the anime, but Uta stayed the same artistic ghoul that fans fell in love with. While Uta was soft-spoken, he would also often show his sadistic and hostile side.

The most beloved member of the Clowns had many tattoos covering his arms and hands, as well as a gigantic sun tattoo that was covering the left side of his chest. However, without a doubt, Uta's most iconic tattoo is the one on his neck. It's a Latin quote that represents the conflicted relationship that ghouls have with humans.

6 Gray Fullbuster

Fairy Tail

Gray has a chill personality and he was one of the most powerful characters in Fairy Tail. Not only that, but he's also one of the most iconic anime characters with ice powers. Gray's magical ability was Ice-Make which allowed him to create and manipulate ice any way he wanted to.

He received his powerful ice maker magic from his father, and that's when he also got his tattoo on his right arm that symbolizes the magic. It's not only a well-known tattoo, but it's also one of the most popular ones for Fairy Tail fans to get inked on themselves.

5 Meliodas

The Seven Deadly Sins

The most powerful character in The Seven Deadly Sins series was also a fan favorite. Melodias had exceptional physical and magical combat skills that helped him to defeat even the most powerful enemies.

The dragon tattoo on his arm has deep significance to him. Melodias' tattoo is a dragon eating its own tail called the Ouroboros, and it's an ancient symbol that represents infinity. It's a symbol of Melodia's curse, immortality. It's one of the anime tattoos that most fans can easily come across in real life too, especially if they visit anime conventions.