Tattoos are an excellent form of personal expression. With their permanence and beautiful artwork, tattoos are great ways to tell a story or honor something meaningful. The human body can be the ultimate canvas, so tattoos can simply be a cool way to showcase someone's personality.
Tattoos and video games are both mediums of art and therefore are great ways to express oneself. With video game characters evolving beyond the boundaries of reality into the virtual world, their tattoos can propel a narrative, offer some insight into their backstory, or serve as a badge of honor for events they have overcome. Here are some of the coolest tattoos featured in video games.
8 Jack - BioShock
BioShock is easily one of the most revered and hailed FPS games of all time, introducing players to the sunken city of Rapture. The protagonist of BioShock is the reliable yet mute Jack, as he crash-landed at a bathysphere entrance for Rapture and delved into its dark depths.
Later in the game, it is revealed that Jack was genetically conditioned to obey any orders following the commanding phrase: "Would You Kindly." Players discover that Jack was the one that hijacked the plane and crashed it. Andrew Ryan, Jack's biological father and the leader of Rapture, maintained his philosophy that a "Man chooses, a slave obeys," right before his death at his son's hands. Jack's iconic chain tattoos on his wrists have a deeper meaning than simply looking cool. They symbolize how he was chained to his unavoidable destiny as a living weapon, which he was freed from by the end of BioShock.
7 Jinx - League Of Legends
Jinx from Riot Games' League of Legends is the definition of a quirky character. She was brought to life on television screens with the critically-acclaimed Netflix adaptation, Arcane. Her visual appearance and aesthetic match her eccentric personality and unpredictability.
Seemingly inspired by the iconic Harley Quinn, Jinx has her brightly-colored blue hair tied in two waist-length braids. Although she has many in-game cosmetics, Jinx's most noticeable feature in her default skin is her tattoos of whimsical blue clouds and purple bullets. They adorn the right side of her body, reflecting her volatile and maniacal nature.
6 Agent 47 - Hitman
Many fans of the Hitman series will instantly recognize the iconic tattoo on the back of the protagonist Agent 47's head. It is the immediate telltale signature of the clones genetically created to take on brutal bounty-hunting jobs and other assignments. Agent 47 is the forty-seventh clone in a long line of assassins.
Cloned to be a living weapon and coldhearted killing machine, Agent 47's barcode is a functional tool that allows him to bypass security checkpoints and access different locations, like the facility where he was trained. Like typical barcodes, Agent 47's tattoo could be scanned for valuable information, which could be why he attempted to remove the barcode in Hitman: Absolution.
5 Faith - Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge is a stunning futuristic game that transports players to an open-world dystopia, The City, where everything is sterile and white. Players control a character named Faith Connors as she works as a Runner between settlements to fight for their freedom. She brings a much-needed dash of color to The City with her red and black outfit and striking black-work tattoos.
All Runners in the Mirror's Edge universe are characterized by their tags or tattoos as unique forms of identification. Faith has two incredible and meaningful tattoos, the first being a black starburst around her eye, commemorating her first successful mission as a Runner. The second tattoo is on her arm and looks like the interior of a circuit board. It is a heartfelt ode to her mother in the original Mirror's Edge.
4 Hanzo - Overwatch 2
Hanzo Shimada is one of the highest damage-dealing heroes in Overwatch 2, becoming a martial arts prodigy and honing his skills as an elite bowman. He was part of the Japanese Shimada clan, destined to carry on his family's legacy. There is an ancient familial folklore about two dragon brothers, which ties to Hanzo and his younger brother Genji.
The Overwatch animated cinematic "Dragons" sees Hanzo visiting his brother's shrine in Shimada Castle on the tenth anniversary of his death. He was interrupted by a cybernetic assassin who was watching from the shadows. The pair duel and Hanzo unleashes his Dragonstrike ability, which is summoned through the ornate dragon tattoo decorating his arm. His ink depicts a Japanese-style dragon in storm clouds as a physical representation of his Ultimate ability.
3 Judy Alvarez - Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 thrusts players into the bowels of Night City, a futuristic neon-plastered underworld full of gang warfare, violence, and some intriguing characters for the playable character V to converse with and even romance.
Judy Alvarez is a potential romance option in Cyberpunk 2077, and it's clear why she has captured the hearts of many players. She embodies the contemporary belief that the human body is a canvas. She is decked head-to-toe in colorful patchwork-style tattoos, some of which are quotes while others are more traditional. Each of her tattoos reveals subtle snippets about her personality, likes, and even her beliefs, making them some of the coolest tattoos in gaming.
2 Ellie - The Last Of Us Part 2
Ellie is a beloved, strong female protagonist and players were keen to see her character development in the long-awaited sequel The Last Of Us Part 2. The original game revealed that Ellie was immune to the deadly cordyceps fungal infection that had spread across the world as she survived a bite from the infected.
The wound left a noticeable scar on her arm, which Ellie had covered first with a self-inflicted chemical burn before hiding it beneath a gorgeous tattoo. It depicts a giant lunar moth and a leafy fern. The moth is symbolic, reminding Ellie of her late father figure and traveling companion, Joel. He gifted her a guitar with a moth engraved on it, and now Ellie can carry Joel with her, always.
1 Kratos - God Of War
Based on ancient mythology, Kratos of the God of War series has a fearsome appearance aided by the red markings that construct a startling contrast against his pale white skin. His tattoos have a sad backstory and explain why Kratos seeks vengeance against those that have wronged him.
His red ink was inspired by his brother Deimos' birthmarks. Unfortunately, Deimos' unusual blemishes meant he was feared to be the prophesied harbinger of death, spelling the destruction of Mount Olympus, and he was executed as a result. Kratos branded himself with the same markings as a homage to his brother and a permanent reminder of the reasoning behind his rage.