In recent years tattoos have grown more and more popular in society; in fact, a large portion of young adults at least have a single tattoo somewhere. Tattoos have also been more associated with crime in Japan, but as times have changed, the country is slowly becoming more accepting of the art.

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This means that more tattooed anime characters have started appearing in recent years. After Horimiya's 2021 release, the slice-of-life romance series gained popularity because its male protagonist secretly has piercings and tattoos that he hides at school, making fans wonder which other anime characters have cool tattoos.

Updated on July 5th, 2022 by Sarah Martin: Since this list was last updated in 2021, we've added five more tattooed anime characters who look totally badass. Though Horimiya made people interested in tattooed characters, Tokyo Revengers further sparked peoples' interest with its lineup of tattooed biker gang members.

15 Draken Has An Intricate Dragon Tattoo On The Side Of His Head (Tokyo Revengers)

Draken on Bloody Halloween in Tokyo Revengers.

Draken from Tokyo Revengers is the vice-president of the Tokyo Manji Gang. He's always been tall for his age, which intimidated others. However, he got more intimidating after he impulsively got an intricate dragon tattoo on the side of his head, which he shows off by styling his hair at the top of his head and tying it off with a braid.

Draken was excited to get the tattoo, but the artist even warned him it would hurt. He basically whined and cried his way through it, but bounced back to his enthusiasm after seeing the end result.

14 Gaara's Tattoo Represents His Self-Love (Naruto)

Gaara holding his eye in Naruto.

Gaara has one of the best designs in Naruto, and his tattoo is just the cherry on top- literally. He made it with his Sand Jutsu and placed it on the side of his forehead in red ink so his life motto is always on display.

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Above all else, Gaara believes that he should love and fight only for himself since he grew up lonely and ostracized from everyone else for being one of the Jinchuriki. He grew up nihilistic and misanthropic, believing that the only way his life could have any meaning is through total destruction in his path. However, he grew out of this with the power of friendship.

13 Black☆Star Has His Clan's Tattoo (Soul Eater)

Black Star Soul Eater

Black☆Star from Soul Eater has a star tattoo on his arm, representing that he comes from the Star Clan, of which he's the last survivor. He's an assassin and shadow weapon meister who always wants to be the center of attention. His weapon partner is calm and collected, but Black☆Star is notoriously unpredictable and can't be tamed.

Black☆Star never takes anything too seriously and others perceive him as self-centered or even arrogant because of his nonchalant behavior. However, he's committed to mastering the Path of the Warrior.

12 Uta Has Tons Of Tattoos & Piercings (Tokyo Ghoul)

Uta from Tokyo Ghoul

Uta from Tokyo Ghoul owns the HySy Mask Studio where he makes masks for his fellow ghouls to hide their identities. He's covered in facial piercings and tattoos. In fact, he even says that he had black ink injected into his eyes to give the appearance of blacked out scleras, though the authenticity of this claim is debatable.

Uta has so many tattoos that some of them become unrecognizable amongst the other artwork, but he has an interesting Latin quote on his neck. It translates to, "I can live neither with you, nor without you."

11 Chrollo Lucifer Has A Tattoo Right In The Middle Of His Forehead (Hunter X Hunter)

Chrollo Lucilfer looking ominous in Hunter X Hunter

Hunter X Hunter is known for its detailed character designs, but something about Chrollo's just sets him apart from the rest. Whether it's because of his slicked-back hair or because of his stylish attire, Chrollo's eyecatching appearance made him a fan-favorite character.

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Chrollo has a tattoo right in the middle of his forehead. At a first glance, it could look like a cross or even a compass rose. However, it's a revisited outline of a lotus. He keeps it hidden behind a headband most of the time.

10 Kamina's Large Tattoos Make Him One Of The Most Stylish Anime Characters (Gurren Lagan)

The mighty Kamina in Gurren Lagann

Kamina is one of the main characters in the first part of Gurren Lagan and was the leader of the team. He was the man who the series protagonist Simon looked up to the most and the love interest of Yoko.

Kamina was killed early on in the show, but was known for his catchphrases and unique look. Many anime fans still see him as one of the most stylish anime characters ever made and he has two tattoo bands on both his arms and a distinct flame-shaped tattoo on his back.

9 Nami Covers Up Her Old Crew With a Stylish Tribal Tattoo (One Piece)

Nami smiling and eating oranges in One Piece.

Nami is one of the first members of the Straw Hats and has been with Luffy since chapter 8 of the One Piece manga. She is a strong woman and extremely talented as a thief, often known by the name "Cat Burglar."

Nami has maintained a fashion-forward design with a large tattoo on her shoulder throughout the series. The tattoo representing mikan and pinwheels is actually a cover-up for a previous tattoo she had linking her to Arlong. She acts as the navigator for the crew and wants to map the entire world.

8 Renji Abarai Is A Fiesty Character Whose Body is Framed With Tribal Work (Bleach)

Renji Showing Tattoos (Bleach)

Renji is covered in tribal tattoos that are designed to frame different parts including his chest and stomach. He is the lieutenant of the 6th division and debuted in chapter 51 of the Bleach manga, making him one of the older cast members.

In the series, Renji wants to be the one to defeat Ichigo but drops the idea after he helps him to save Rukia. At the beginning of the series, Renjy was a huge threat to Ichigo that could have done some serious damage.

7 Natsu Dragneel Represents Fairy Tail With His Ink (Fairy Tail)

Natsu angry in Fairy Tail

Natsu is a well-known anime character and the protagonist of the popular series Fairy Tail. Natsu is a powerful young man who has the power of fire by his side, and he wants to reunite with his adoptive father Igneel.

Natsu is taken in by the Fairy Tail guild and begins to go on adventures, although they do start off with a bad reputation of burning down pretty much anything they touch. Like all of his guildmates, he has the Fairy Tail guild symbol tattooed on his skin.

6 Zero Kiryu Seals His Powers With Daggers (Vampire Knight)

Zero's Tattoo in Vampire Knight

Zero Kiryu is one of the main characters in the Vampire Knight series. He is a half-human, half-vampire boy who has a seal tattooed onto his neck that is easily recognizable by most fans of the show for its intricate design and use of daggers.

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Zero is in love with the main protagonist Yuki but must deal with his rival Kaname, a full vampire, in order to try to win her heart and eventually save Yuki from disaster.

5 Medusa Gorgon Is A Powerful Witch Wrapped in Ink (Soul Eater)

Medusa in Soul Eater.

Medusa is an extremely powerful witch who first appears in chapter 15 of the Soul Eater manga. Medusa is a complicated character who claims to feel compassion towards others but clearly has twisted ideals.

She is the reason why Death's oldest son Asura was released from his prison and the mother of the tragic character Crona. She has tattoos of spiral dots all over her body that are instantly recognizable to fans. These tattoos echo Medusa's ability to conjure dark tendrils of magic, giving her an overall appealing and menacing design.

4 Revy Is A Strong Woman Who Shows Off Her Tattoo While Wielding Her Gun (Black Lagoon)

Revy With Her Tattoo Showing in Black Lagoon

Revy is a tattooed woman with curled tribal patterns sweeping up her upper arm. She is from the popular anime Black Lagoon. Revy is both rebellious and aggressive, giving her a confident edge in battle. She is known for her sharp tongue, skills with a gun, and complete lack of empathy towards her enemies.

Despite all of this, she is still one of the best characters in the show and is seen as a strong woman. Her tattoos emphasize her devil-may-care attidude, giving her a casual intensity perfectly suited to her character.

3 Scar Is The Tragic Alchemist With A Unique Tattoo Going Up His Arm (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Fullmetal Alchemist Mei And Scar

Scar is typically recognized for the scar on his face but he also has quite a few alchemy tattoos on his arm, including a few tribal bands,in Fullmetal Alchemist. As a survivor of the Ishvalan, he seeks revenge on those who slaughtered his people and has a grudge against State Alchemists.

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Scar is an aggressive character with a good heart who has been tainted with revenge. Although he will kill those who he believes are his enemies, he still shows them respect in the end.

2 Nicolas Brown Is The Kind-Hearted Mercenary With Wing-Like Tattoos (Gangsta)

Nicholas from Gangsta.

It's not surprising to learn that one of the main characters from Gangsta would have a tattoo on his back. The tattoo is also in a tribal style but somewhat looks like wings. Nicolas is a deaf mercenary who is known for his strength, but he's also a kind soul who seeks to help those that are weak.

As a handyman, Nicolas's job often sends him on missions to help clean up the streets. He is heavily affiliated with the city's gangs, although he and Worrick don't pick sides. Though his tattoo is sometimes covered with clothing, it is large and prominent enough that it gets plenty of screentime.

1 Izumi Miyamura Impulsively Got A Rib Piece (Horimiya)

Miyamori Showing Hori His Tattoos (Horimiya)

Izumi Miyamura quickly became one of the most popular anime characters of 2021 after Horimiya came out. He is the male protagonist of the show, and while he seems well put together at school, Izumi becomes a completely different person when class is dismissed.

Izumi has several piercings, as well as a large tribal tattoo on his side, on his shoulder, and he even has a band going around his upper arm. After getting involved with Hori, he reveals his true self and lets other classmates in on his secret.

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