Tattoos can be considered as an imprint of fascination or a stamp of an event that influences you. While several tattooed antagonists such as Lisbeth from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and protagonists like Max Cady From Cape Fear have managed to steal our hearts, Anime characters aren’t far behind in the league either. Several animated series and films possess tattoo-laden characters that are pure visual treats. Be it an aggressive antagonist such as Medusa or an emotion-fueled protagonist such as Scar, these anime characters are way more multilayered than they appear.

In the past decade, tattoos have prevailed seamlessly and animes are demonstrating it very well. The intensity these characters demonstrate hit deep and there is no way you wouldn’t immediately take a liking to them. Here is a curated list of 13 anime characters with tattoos especially for you!

Anime Characters With Tattoos

13. Uta From Tokyo Ghoul

“I can live neither with you nor without you.”

Tokyo Ghoul’s Uta is as complex and sinister as his Latin-encrusted tattoo. He is an enigma with irises a darker shade of pitch black and a smirk deadlier than that of the devil. Uta is draped in tattoos from head to toe, the mask maker has created a mask of conceit for himself. Be it a neckpiece or symbols of the philosophical charm on his arms, Uta’s tattoos contribute significantly to his aloof aura.

Tokyo Ghoul is brimming with mysterious characters but Uta, undoubtedly is their king. He is a philanthropist with deep words residing within his heart and on his canvas of a body. Uta has a dark presence in the anime but his sulking aura would captivate you right away.

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12. Medusa From The Soul Eater

Demons are dime a dozen in the fantastical animeverse and Soul Eater is one of those animes. Clad head-to-toe in black sans the golden blonde hair and golden eyes, Medusa is the most powerful witch in the anime. She isn’t just manipulative or physically powerful but also overtly smart and sinister. Medusa knows how to conquer her enemies and it is obvious that her magician powers contribute immensely to her abilities.

Soul Eater possesses several powerful characters including dangerous demons and woeful witches and Medusa is their leader. With snakes tattooed over her body, Medusa gives off the vibes of someone far gone in the bog of deceit. These snakes are sprawled across her biceps, spanning her entire arms. These tattoos aren’t just tattoos though. They are Medusa’s secret weapon too. Whenever Medusa is under duress or needs her weapons, these tattoos morph into arrows that slice her enemies’ lives in one stroke.

11. Meliodas From The Seven Deadly Sins

While there is a massive list of sins, there are seven deadly sins which lead sinners to hell directly. This isn’t just an observation or a common saying but also the theme of this dark anime, Seven Deadly Sins. In the anime, multiple characters hold unique powers akin to sin. Meliodas is the Prince of Purgatory and the series’s main protagonist who helps purge sins out of people. He is one of those mystical entities that will last till eternity and work for the cause.

As if to remind him of his eternal existence, Meliodas has inked the symbol of infinity on his arm. Aside from this tattoo, Meliodas also boasts the Dragon tattoo on the top of his left arm, too. His tattoos hold a deeper meaning for him as they represent his position in the community.

10. Renji Abarai From Bleach

There could be no anime geek foreign to this name, Bleach has managed to create such a long-lasting impact on the animeverse. Renji Abarai is a redhead Soul Reaper boasting spikes and furrowed brows. Alongside firm muscles and a myriad of tattoos, Renji is popular due to his signature sword skills. His sword, Zanpakuto bears spiritual powers alongside enviable sleekness. He is a fighter who makes sure to wear that expression on his face and the evidence on his torso.

Abarai is a respectable member of the Soul Society who has devoted his life to protecting his community. His way of doing so revolves around swords, stern looks and soul-reaping. Nonetheless, Renji has an unattainable aura around him and those ever-revolving tattoos add to his aloof charm. Abarai’s sport tribal tattoos are much more than just tattoos, they are a symbol of his strength and the skills he has under his belt. Moreover, these tattoos are imprinted on him by his sword, making him one of the most fascinating Bleach anime characters.

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9. Izumi Miyamura From Horimiya

High school and anxiety should be officially declared as synonyms, don’t you agree? Well, Izumi Miyamura, the protagonist of Horimiya does. He hails from a working-class family and has a punk style ingrained deep within but has to shield it away most of the time. As a middle schooler, Izumi possessed little to no fashion sense and was often belittled due to it. Now, in high school, Izumi has decided to camouflage his piercings and tattoos and he has crossed several lengths to accomplish his mission. Growing hairs to hide his ear, wearing box-framed glasses and wearing suit jacks to cover his tattoo-laden arms–Izumi has done it all.

His tattoos might not have a deeper meaning but they do represent his deep interest in punk. Despite giving off vibes as a nerdy, lonely outcast, Izumi has a cheerful personality and that is only brought out by her classmate and love interest, Kyoko Hori.

8. Kaoru Hanayama From Baki The Grappler

Gratitude and atonement have served as a base for several animes, Baki The Grappler is one of those. Its main protagonist, Kaoru Hanayama is the youngest and the strongest Yakuza. This responsibility often threatens to weigh him down but Koru’s resilience always gets him by just in time. He is a white suit-clad stern Yakuza, harbouring an infinite amount of intensity that could melt metal.

Kaoru sports a gigantic tattoo on his back and it is a symbol of his gratitude and atonement towards a man he has never witnessed in person. He’s just following the Hanayama family’s ritual but that doesn’t mean Kaoru enjoys boasting about this tattoo. A Japanese-styled giant man is inked on his back as a symbol of his gratitude towards the man who once saved his ancestors. The tattoo on Kaoru’s back is much more than a mark, it is an emotional connection between him and his ancestors.

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7. Gaara From Naruto

Self-love should be an integral component of our armours but more often than not, it becomes an afterthought. Several animes demonstrate this concept and try to bridge the distance between this abstract concept we have made it to be. However, Naruto doesn’t belong on this list. It is one of the most popular action animes in the anime universe. In fact, Naruto has a league of its own. Gaara is a nihilist who doesn’t believe in anything but the power of destruction. He has made it a point in life to self-destruct and prioritize himself over all else.

However, as the anime progresses further, the meaning of Gaara’s tattoo becomes more prominent. He has a tattoo on the side of his forehead in red ink, displaying the motto of his life so that the world knows how far beyond his abhorrence towards relationships. In the end, though, Gaara realizes the importance of self-love and constructive relationships.

6. Kariya Matou From Fate/Zero

Not everybody has entitled tattoos but Kariya Matou does, he tattoos are known as Crest Worms. These tattoos are as creepy as worms and make Matou’s presence distinctly scary. However, Kariya doesn’t have these tattoos to repulse people or let off scary vibes. These Crest Worms crawl over his body and represent the ache he endures.

Sometimes, life doesn’t offer many choices to us and from what little choice we have, the end results turn out to be drastic. Such is the case with Kariya as well. His fate hasn’t been on his side and the tattoo he harbours is evidence of it. Matou once sacrificed himself to salvage a close someone and to date, he hasn’t been able to live it down. A man challenged by circumstances and betrayed by fate, Matou carries the imprint of his past in the form of the dozens of worms sprawled across his skin.

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5. Shura Kirigakure From The Blue Exorcist

Kirigakure is probably the most energetic and vibrant character in the Blue Exorcist anime. She could be equally cruel though, especially when her abilities or community is challenged. Shura knows no limits when it comes down to protecting herself and her people. She understands violence and deals with it every day, which comes with the territory of being an extortionist and demon slayer. Her resilience and levelheaded personality are portrayed by her red-hued tattoos, matching her mane.

Right over her collarbone, Shura possesses an inspiring tattoo that depicts her commitment and aggression towards protecting her nation. Shura’s tattoos don’t only portray her character traits but also help her channel her superpowers and enhance them. She is the most inspiring and alluring extortionist of the Blue Exorcist.

4. Revy From Black Lagoon

Resilience is at the core of almost all of our tattooed characters it seems. Revy from the infamous anime, Black Lagoon, is another resilient warrior who delights in her fierceness. She sports a tribal-style tattoo on her right shoulder, making her point of view crystal clear. Revy is a brooding gunfighter who doesn’t hesitate to pull off the trigger and lay down her enemy.

Her tattoo symbolizes her straightforward approach to dealing with enemies. Revy boasts a skull with a bullet hole right above its eyes on her right shoulder, giving off scary vibes to her archnemesis. While Revy doesn’t care what method she is using to achieve her goal, it stems due to her tormented past. She has lived through every worst-case scenario one could imagine and has emerged stronger than ever before.

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3. Scar From Fullmetal Alchemist

When revenge becomes the driving force, nothing holds the power to stop the destruction. No one is deadlier than a man on a revenge mission and Fullmetal Alchemist’s Scar proves that with each move he makes. Recognized as Scar due to a predominating mark overshadowing his face, he is considered to be abhorrent and repulsive. His aggression and hot temper certainly make him a piece of work.

But once you’re past Scar’s exterior, you’ll find a mushy heart and tons of dark memories. He is the survivor of Ishvalan and now he has made it a mission in his life to exert revenge and derive justice. However, Scar’s path towards success is laden with prickly thorns and it isn’t easy for him to put up with everything that surrounds him. Scar isn’t just a fixer for revenge but he also has a deep loathing for the alchemy. The tattoos draped on Scar’s arms represent this profound avulsion and his thirst for vengeance.

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2. Juuzou Suzuya From Tokyo Ghoul

When it comes down to creative tattoos, the world is a place brimming with ideas. Pictures from the Internet or anyone bearing an eccentric tattoo could be your inspiration. While you can get inspired by anybody else, Juuzou Suzuya from Tokyo Ghoul wouldn’t be one. He possesses tattoos of stitch marks scattered across his body. These marks signify resilience but more profound than that, they illustrate Suzuya’s battle with psychological trauma.

This grey-haired, black T-shirt-laden investigator is one of the most intense characters of the Tokyo Ghoul anime. He has pale skin that is marred by red stitch marks, giving him a ghost-like appearance. Especially when lost in his thoughts and memories, Juuzou does seem more of a ghost than a human. However, the profound agony lurking beneath these stitch marks makes Suzuya a beloved character. Since he bears a tormenting past laden with sacrifices and injuries, it is no surprise Suzuya has chosen stitch marks to represent his character traits.

1. Zero Kiryu From The Vampire Knight

The world isn’t just pitch black or blinding white, there is an intermediate grey lurking in between these two strips, too. It depends on the circumstances and the perception in the end and Zero Kiryu is the living reminder of it. Vampires lurk in the dark, they feast on blood and their white fangs can slice through almost everything. That has become common knowledge now, isn’t it? However, vampires are multilayered creatures and not all of them get high on annihilating humans. Zero is one of those vampires who is constantly battling between right and wrong, good and bad.

Kiryu is a half-human, half-vampire who once worked as a hunter. But as time went by, he started to transform into a vampire and ever since resides in that intermediary grey area I emphasized above. His tattoo serves as a reminder of his past life and his way of conduct. The red thorny rose weaved on his nape symbolizes the hurdles that accompany velvety smoothness in life. Zero’s affection towards his love interest, Yuri, could be considered as the petal he’s bearing the wrath of the thorns for. He doesn’t boast multiple tattoos just this meaningful imprint symbolizing radical changes in life, the significance of love and identity crisis.

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