Anime makes for 60% of the world’s animation-based entertainment. So, it’s not strange that every year it gains even more and more popularity. Starting from the beginning of the 20th century, this genre of animation has grown into a really powerful industry. Now, many people are true fans of it and want to express their respect and love for their favorite characters through anime tattoos.
There’re thousands of ideas but we’ve chosen for you only the best and the most exclusive 60 ones! Also, we’ve explained in detail anime tattoo design meanings and what are the most popular characters for ideas to be always in trend!
Anime Tattoos Meaning
Each tattoo is completely unique to everybody. Therefore, it is simply impossible to come up with one meaning for each design. The same thing happens with anime tattoos. Currently, there are hundreds of different anime characters that are beloved by audiences. Millions of people around the world find their reflection in these characters, and for everyone, there are some totally special and unique qualities that feel relatable and close to them.
Therefore, the first and often the only correct thought about the design’s meaning will be that you are a fan of anime. That you’re really committed to it and that anime has an important place in your life. However, it is unlikely that anything more can be said about the meaning of the image itself. This is the peculiarity of anime tattoos because no one will be able to clearly define what you wanted to say with this design and what it really means. This makes the tattoo even more special and private.
What Are the Most Popular Anime Characters for a Tattoo?
Everyone wants to be in the trend and make a tattoo only with ever-greeen image. That is why we analyzed anime tattoos and came to the conclusion that the most popular characters of all times for designs are:
- Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto). We are sure that most of you (or at least the main part) have seen this anime. For over 25 years this series has been popular over the world and now has millions of fans. Naruto is a protagonist of the series and you can find a lot of interesting anime tattoo designs with him.
- Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul). This is another popular anime character, who is a protagonist of the Tokyo Ghoul series. Most of the designs with his image are pretty dark and realistic.
- Eren Yeager (Attack On Titan). Eren is a protagonist of the Attack on Titan manga series and a favorite anime character of thousands of fans. This anime and its characters gained such popularity in Japan that there was even an Attack on Titan perfume, so you could choose the scent of your favorite protagonist.
- Monkey D Luffy (One Piece). Monkey D. Luffy, also known as “Straw Hat” Luffy, is the main protagonist of the One Piece manga series. You can find a lot of different designs with this character, especially popular are matching tattoos.
- Light Yagami (Death Note). Light Yagami is the main protagonist of the manga series Death Note, which gained special popularity in the last few years. Most anime tattoo designs with this character also contain the image of Ryuk, who gives a Light Yagami a death note.
Best Anime Tattoos
We know how difficult it may be to choose the best design among thousands. That’s why we have selected for you the most exclusive and cool 60 ideas!
Arm
Arm is one of the most popular places for a tattoo. It is perfect for implementing interesting and detailed designs. What is more, it’s considered to be one of the least painful places for a tattoo. The perfect design can be done with the image of Rei Hino from Sailor Mars manga, Black Lady from Sailor Moon, or Ichigo Kurosaki, a character in the Bleach manga series.
Forearm
Forearm is also a really popular place for tattoo implementation. That’s why there’re thousands of high-quality designs with popular anime characters. For example, there are a lot of cool designs with Tobirama Senju (or The Second Hokage), one of the main characters in the Naruto anime. Or Ken Kaneki, the protagonist in the Tokyo Ghoul dark fantasy manga series. And, of course, who doesn’t love these cute characters from My Neighbor Totoro by genius Hayao Miyazaki?
Naruto
If a person has never heard of Naruto anime, then they are not from our planet. This manga series is one of the most popular in the world and for more than 25 years its characters have been the idols of millions of fans.
It is not surprising that the image of the protagonist, Naruto, often becomes the most popular image for such an anime tattoo. He is often depicted with a Kurama, the nine-tailed demon fox, which also becomes a great addition to the overall image and makes the picture brighter.
Minimalist
Minimalist tattoos are this type of design that never gets old and is always in trend. One of the most popular ideas for anime tattoos in this style is the image of protagonists from Spirited Away anime. In most cases, it’s one of the main characters – Chihiro Ogino. In translation, her name means “a thousand searches”, so it would be a perfect design for those who are constantly exploring themselves and are trying to understand who they are.
Also, one of the popular designs is the image of Hisoka Morow, one of the main antagonists of the anime series Hunter x Hunter. No less popular are the ideas with characters from the well-known Howl’s Moving Castle.
Sleeve
Sleeve tattoo designs are not really widespread because only the bravest ones get it. These designs are really vivid and interesting. Many most popular designs contain images of characters from Naruto or Hunter & Hunter animes.
The sleeve is the perfect tattoo placement for those who want to get the most meaningful and large design. So you can easily get the tattoo of all your favorite characters and don’t worry that their image will be too tiny and hardly visible.
Chest
If you’re searching for the best placement for a large and bright anime tattoo design, the chest is a perfect choice. Such designs often contain the image of Himura Kenshin, a character and the protagonist of the manga Rurouni Kenshin. No less popular is Monkey D. Luffy, also known as “Straw Hat” Luffy, the main protagonist of the One Piece manga.
Also, you can create a really interesting design with the image from Pokemon anime, which is the most popular manga series in North America and Oceania. An interesting fact is that despite having Japanese origins the word “pokemon” was created using the English words “pocket” and “monster”.
Small
Tiny, cute, and always in trend: this all is about small tattoos. It is a perfect choice for those who want to get visually aesthetic and pretty minimalistic design. For such tattoos, the perfect characters are Totoro and Naruto. But if you like less popular images, the best choice will be Kiki’s Delivery Service or Ponyo of the Cliff animated films.
Dark
Despite colorful and vivid picture in animes, there are tattoos that contain a totally opposite image – dark and gloomy. In most cases, such designs are done in a blackwork style. This means that the tattoo artist will use very black ink, filling most of the tattoo with this color. The perfect choice for such a design will be characters from Death Note manga series.
Matching
What is the best way to show your love and respect to each other? Of course, these are matching tattoos. Now there are a lot of high-quality designs you can get with your friend, relative, or loved one. The perfect choice is Howl’s Moving Castle, Dragon Ball Super, Monkey D. Luffy, or Hunter & Hunter characters.
Summary
We’re sure that there’re no people who have never heard of anime. Now, this animation style is one of the most popular in the world and constantly produces new and interesting anime series and films. Many people find the reflection of their feelings and experiences in different characters and feel a special connection with them. That’s why anime tattoos became so popular in recent years.
We know how difficult it is to find a high-quality and remarkable design with deep meaning. That’s why we have selected the 60 best ideas with the most popular anime characters just for you. What is more, we explained all their meanings and described the most popular protagonists for such tattoos.
FAQ
? Are Anime Tattoos Common?
Yes, anime tattoos are becoming more and more popular every year. Now you can see many people with designs containing different characters from such popular mangas as Naruto, Tokyo Ghoul, Howl’s Moving Castle, and many more.
? Can Any Tattoo Artist Do Anime?
No. Every tattoo artist specializes in a certain style of tattoo. So before getting an anime tattoo to talk to your artist and ask them whether they’re professionals in this field of tattoos.
? What Do Anime Tattoos Mean?
Every anime tattoo has a special meaning. In almost all cases, every design has a special meaning for everybody so there can be few possible interpretations of the same image.
