Because there is such a massive range of games in this world, there is also an endless number of possible gamer tattoo meanings. While we can’t possibly cover them all here, below we provide an overview of the potential meanings for some of the most common gamer tattoos.

Ash Ketchum Tattoo Designs

Ash Ketchum Throwing a Pokemon Ball Tattoo Idea

Source: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b0/a6/ea/b0a6eadad041d04fc232c39813d340b1.jpg

In the world of Pokemon, Ash Ketchum is the main protagonist who has always dreamed of being a Pokemon master. He’s a novice Pokemon trainer who is a protector of Pokemon and very compassionate and kind. Ash’s best friend is a Pokemon named Pikachu, whose special power is to emit static.

Because Ash is so closely tied to the world of Pokemon, he is one of the most common tattoos that people get to represent their love of the Pokemon franchise. Other common Pokemon tattoo designs include Pikachu, a Pokeball, and other characters like Misty, Brock, Jesse, and James, as well as other Pokemon like Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle.

Green Diamond Tattoo Designs

Green Diamond from the Sims
Everyone who has played the Sims recognizes the Green Diamond that hovers above one of the sim’s heads. This diamond is a marker of who the player is controlling, and it’s easily the most popular Sims tattoo.

Jenova Tattoo Designs

Jenova Tattoo Design Idea

Source: https://i.redd.it/fne7c6zmkuv21.jpg

Jenova, an extraterrestrial enemy in Final Fantasy, is also known to Final Fantasy fans as “Heaven’s Dark Harbinger.” Jenova is recognized for her ability to assimilate herself to other life forms, and she’s also known to take over other life forms by posing as their loved one as a decoy. The Jenova tattoo is a popular design with Final Fantasy fans.

Hylian Crest Tattoo Designs

Hylian Crest Tattoo on a Ribcage
The Hylian Crest is one of many popular Zelda-themed tattoos, and its design is featured above. It represents an archaic bird, known as the ‘Loftwing,’ and it shows up in several important places throughout the virtual world of Zelda. The Loftwing is a symbol of divine protection granted by the Goddess Hylia, and the crest belongs to a magical race of people in the game’s world called Hylians. These people have pointed ears and remarkable powers inherited from their ancient ancestors. To celebrate the long-living, heroic spirit of the Hylian peoples, these special crests are often featured in tattoos.

Zelda Tattoo Ideas

Princess Zelda Realistic Tattoo

Source: https://www.tattoodo.com/articles/16-fantastic-legend-of-zelda-tattoos-4681

Another very common tattoo design from the Legend of Zelda game is Princess Zelda herself, a magical princess who is actually the mortal reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia we described above. Most Legend of Zelda games require Link (read more about him below) to rescue Zelda from Ganon, an evil warlord turned demon king.

Link Tattoo Designs

While many people tend to mistakenly refer to him as Zelda, the protagonist of the Legend of Zelda series is actually named Link. Link is an elf-like child, teenager, or adult of the Hylian race from the land of Hyrule. While he may look like an ordinary boy, in-game lore actually points to the fact that Link is the reincarnated soul of a legendary hero who is called to defeat the forces of evil.

Mario Tattoo Ideas

Super Mario Flying Tattoo Design

Source: https://colorlava.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Its-Me-Mario-Tattoo-Ideas.jpg

Mario, a popularly tattooed character from Super Mario Bros, is the main icon of all the Super Mario games, and he’s known for his extraordinary ability to jump. Mario is an Italian-American plumber who is the most versatile of all characters, and he’s well-known as a ‘Jack of all Trades’. Mario’s ability to jump allows him to activate ‘? Blocks,’ mystery boxes that contain coins, super mushrooms, or fire flowers, and ‘P-Switches,’ which can turn enemies into coins or open access to a secret door for a limited amount of time.

Pac-Man Tattoo Designs

Pac-Man Running from Ghosts
Pac-Man features a cast of fun characters, and the Pac-Man himself is a very popular tattoo. He looks like a yellow pizza with a slice missing, and he’s a family man with a good appetite and high spirits. A common image is that of the Pac-Man eating a virtual cherry or strawberry. The game also features several well-known ‘Ghost Monsters,’ henchmen who steal power pellets. One popular, evil-doing, genius ghost is named Orson. All of these characters are common tattoos, and they’re often depicted against the backdrop of a convoluted maze.

Tetromino Tattoo Designs

Tetromino Tattoo Design on Wrists

Source: https://m.facebook.com/newtraditiontattoo/photos/a.10151482007850883/10157650418865883/?type=3

The game Tetris is made up of what are known as Tetrominoes, which are often depicted as tattoo symbols. Tetrominoes are blocks made up of four square components, and they come in a variety of configurations that need to fit with the blocks at the bottom of the screen. The player’s goal is to rotate the tetromino so that it fits properly in a limited amount of time. Tetromino tattoos commemorate one’s love for the game.

Kirby Tattoo Designs

Although the popular Nintendo character Kirby first appeared in a Gameboy game, he has since become one of the most iconic Nintendo characters of all time, if not one of the most popular video game characters in general. With his distinctive round, pink body and ability to copy his foe’s powers, Kirby has appeared in over 20 video games, as well as anime and manga series. In addition to being able to inhale objects and creatures to gain their powers, Kirby can also float by expanding his body.

Sonic Tattoo Designs

Sonic Video Game Tattoo Design

Source: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4c/e5/12/4ce512b3d11427b73f023d5d9c65deea.jpg

The title character of the Sega Sonic the Hedgehog game series is Sonic the Hedgehog, a blue hedgehog who is known for his ability to run at supersonic speeds and curl into a ball in order to attack enemies. As he races through levels, Sonic’s goal is to collect rings while avoiding enemies and obstacles. An incredibly iconic video game character, Sonic was one of the first video game characters to be inducted into the San Francisco Walk of Game, along with Mario, Link, and Master Chief.

Master Chief Tattoo Designs

Speaking of Master Chief… This iconic character hails from the first-person shooter Halo game franchise as well as the Halo books and graphic novels. Master Chief is a supersoldier of the Spartan category who was raised to be trained for combat. Because he serves as a mascot for the Halo brand, Master Chief is one of the most common visual symbols associated with this video game series, which is why many Halo fans get tattoos of Master Chief.

Konami Code Tattoo Designs

Konami Code Tattoo Design Idea

Source: https://www.inkedmag.com/.image/t_share/MTcwNzQxNTUwMDY0NjA4OTE5/konami.png

While it’s not associated with a specific game, another very common gamer tattoo that can express one’s love for video games, in general, is the Konami code, also called the Contra code and 30 Lives code. The Konami Code is a cheat code that appears in many games from the company Konami, although it has also made its way to other company’s media and as an easter egg into a large number of websites. The Konami code is up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, and it can be entered in most video game controllers and keyboards.

Princess Peach Tattoo Design

Princess Peach Tattoo Design Idea

Source: https://external-preview.redd.it/b4msLgRP5j6jmxmvPpQpO9UeIJkPdo6PL2XTulmn2JY.jpg?auto=webp&s=fc36b245782070fec177b5bc8dbb40ee1af5e60c

As the lead female character in Nintendo’s Mario franchise, Princess Peach is very noticeable in the Super Mario Brothers character lineup. She is the ruler of Mushroom Kingdom, living in her castle with her Toads. Sometimes Princess Peach will play the role of the damsel in distress, although she is also sometimes a playable character. Princess Peach is probably one of the most famous female video game characters in gaming history, making her a pretty popular tattoo inspiration.

The Ultimate History of Tattoos in America

Browse Categories

{{blog_single.title.rendered}}

What our customers say about us

Samuel Driver