Getting a tattoo of your favorite game is common amongst fans of series. For fans of the Metal Gear Solid series, they might be expected to get a tattoo of one of the Snakes or one of the villains in the game. The designs for a Metal Gear tattoo can range from a reference almost everyone will get to something only a true fan will be able to spot.
Below are 10 Metal Gear Solid tattoo designs that are sure to bring back memories of sneaking through corridors and hiding underneath cardboard boxes.
10 Big Boss
This tattoo features Big Boss after he leaves the army and forms a mercenary group of his own. The ink was done by @krn_tattoo on Instagram and has the face most Metal Gear fans know and love.
The tattoo features a realistic face of Big Boss and would be perfect for any fan of the character and the series that spawned because of his actions. It also works as a memorial, as Big Boss dies at the end of the series, the only thing left behind being his legacy.
9 Kirby as Snake
This tattoo was done by @tattoosbymarilyn on Instagram and features a crossover of Kirby with the appearance of Snake. Kirby is running away from a nuclear detonation on the tattoo and has all of the features that make him recognizable as Snake.
Fans of Metal Gear Solid and Super Smash Bros. will think this tattoo is perfect, as it could be referencing Kirby's ability to steal other character's ability and copy their style.
8 Old FOXHOUND Logo
The FOXHOUND unit in Metal Gear Solid had two logos -- the one of the fox with a knife in its mouth and one of a cartoon fox. The cartoon fox logo was used in the 1990s but then replaced with the modern logo. This tattoo was done by @derekolivertattooing on Instagram and would be perfect for any fan of FOXHOUND.
While the new tattoo looks like it could actually be used for a military unit, the smiling fox will definitely not be confused with one. This tattoo will be one fans of Metal Gear will be able to spot quickly.
7 Snake In a Box
Snake and boxes go together so well in the Metal Gear series. This tattoo, done by @otagothic on Instagram, adds a jokey side to the idea, having the box proclaim that Snake is definitely not underneath.
The tattoo also features the red exclamation mark that appears when the player alerts any enemy. Any fan who remembers hiding from enemies in a box or even being chased by what seems like hundreds of guards will find this tattoo a perfect way to commemorate their favorite series.
6 Psycho Mantis
Psycho Mantis is an enemy that is found in Metal Gear Solid and The Phantom Pain. Psycho Mantis is able to float around and is psychic, wearing a gas mask to keep other people's thoughts from entering his mind. The tattoo was done by @black_rabbit_tattoos on Instagram and features Psycho Mantis with books floating around him.
Psycho Mantis is probably best known in the series for breaking the fourth wall and reading the player's memory card, mentioning what games they had played. While being a boss in Metal Gear Solid, Psycho Mantis does appear in The Phantom Pain as a child and member of XOF.
5 FOX Logo
The symbol for the FOX unit is perfect for fans of the later games in the series. This FOX tattoo was made by @fred.viggiano on Instagram and features the symbol of a fox. While the unit might have been short-lived in the series, the symbol is a great way to put a piece of Metal Gear on your body.
The tattoo can also double for anyone whose favorite animal is a fox, as that is all the tattoo is. Make sure not to get it reversed by accident, as that would instead be the logo for XOF.
4 Venom Snake Meets Vault Boy
Fans of both Metal Gear Solid and the Fallout series will enjoy this tattoo. It has Venom Snake from The Phantom Pain in the pose the Vault Boy from Fallout can be found in. The tattoo was done by @matthewparadigm on Instagram and combined the two series in a great way.
Venom Snake was first featured in The Phantom Pain as Big Boss's body double and retconned as the main antagonist in Metal Gear. Another thing to note, Venom Snake would not be able to see his thumb, as he is using the hand that his eyepatch is on the side of.
3 Cyborg Ninja
Cyborg Ninja is a name that three characters in the Metal Gear series use; the characters being Gray Fox, Olga Gurlukovich, and Raiden. This tattoo was made by @davidink1 on Instagram and looks like this version of Cyber Ninja is supposed to be Gray Fox.
Gray Fox appears in Metal Gear Solid and takes part in the Shadow Moses Incident, where he dies. This tattoo is a good way for fans of the sword-wielding ninja to remember him.
2 Quiet
Quiet is a sniper who appears in The Phantom Pain. After Venom Snake defeats Quiet in a sniping battle, Quiet defects from XOF to the Diamond Dogs, becoming an ally to the player. The tattoo of Quiet was done by @ripley_tattoo on Instagram and features Quiet holding her sniper rifle.
She is unique from the other characters in The Phantom Pain, as she is barely dressed in anything and does not speak at all, although she can be found humming at times. The reason for her not wearing clothes is because of parasite-treatment, which causes her to only be able to drink and breathe through her skin.
1 Big Boss as the Vault Boy
This tattoo by @deadmeat on Instagram features Big Boss in the pose of the Vault Boy from the Fallout series. Just like the Venom Snake version of the Vault Boy, this tattoo would be perfect for fans of both series.
Big Boss has been in a majority of the Metal Gear games and is one of the better-known characters in the series, making him perfect to take the place of the Vault Boy. Big Boss fans can get a tattoo that encompasses three things that they enjoy.