Thankfully for everyone, including mamas, tattoos are definitely not taboo anymore. Better yet, they’re a strong and confident way of showing off a person's passions and interests.
From immortalized scrawlings honoring a parent's little ones (and maybe the other one who's partially responsible for bringing them into this world) to designs and artwork that inspire, tattoos have been elevated from military and prisoners’ rites of passage to beautiful means of expression.
Of course, now that everything geeky is cool — don’t believe us? Just walk into a movie theater… — nerd culture-inspired tattoos are more common than ever.
Whether it be comic book inspired, comic book movie inspired, or art inspired by something completely different, nerdy tattoos are all over the internet.
So, we’ve spent some time crawling the depths of Instagram to find inspiration for a first, next, or dream nerdy tattoo.
We’ve found excellent tattoo art featuring the likes of everything from anime references and awesome video game characters to classic nerdy film artwork and comic book icons. And, remember, the best artists steal. Well, in this case it’s probably best to put a spin on what someone chooses to "borrow," but on with the nerdy tattoo showcase.
Rick & Morty Get Artsy
This number from Lygon Street Tattoo in Melbourne, Australia, takes some of the most crude and lewd cartoon characters of this generation and turns them into a piece of Gothic art. It’s a brilliant adaptation of the Silence of the Lambs poster crossed with sugar skull (or calavera) inspirations.
Show Off an Inner Sasuke
For the anime nerds out there, this horizontal slice of Saskue, the anti-protagonist of the immensely popular Naruto series, should do the ninja trick. This tattoo comes from Skeleton Supplies in Chile, and shows off the character’s trademark Sharingan eye, which gives him unmatched power compared to his fellow ninja.
Bring On the Cute With Yoshi
Anyone who claims to be into video games knows who Yoshi is, and anyone who claims to have a sense of what is adorable agrees that Yoshi is, indeed, among the cutest. This lovely work by Lygon Street brings out Yoshi’s most saccharine sensibilities.
The Stormtroopers Strike Back
For those looking for something a little — OK, a lot — darker, this excellent piece depicting a Star Wars stormtrooper by Melbourne-based artist Levi Barnett is fantastically brooding. The stark color scheme of the stormtroopers is perfect for messing with in terms of shading. Just know that this amount of shading will likely take multiple tattooing sessions.
All Hail the Cactuar
Fans of the Final Fantasy role-playing game series will immediately pay respect to this alluring work by Haunted Hands Studio in Tucson, Arizona. The cactuar is one of the series’ longest-running recurring enemies, not to mention one of its most difficult and — inversely — adorable.
Join Up with the Squirtle Squad
Anyone who has watched the classic Pokemon anime cartoon knows of the bad-boy hijinks of a particular group of Squirtles known as the Squirtle Squad. This brilliant work by an artist known as @lucas_blackarms on Instagram reframes the squad as an '80s beach-inspired sweater graphic.
Remembering the Fallen Heroes
This nearly finished work by artist Harry James depicts a beautifully accurate realization of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, who will forever be remembered for his contributions in the Infinity War.
Honoring the Hylian Crest
This gem by Craig Downer of Berkshire, England, depicts something a bit more abstract but nevertheless deeply inspired by Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64. Often lauded as the best video game of all time, this tattoo honors it with a mosaic of the series’ iconic Hylian Crest featuring protagonists Link and Sheik in beautiful fashion.
Pay Homage to the Pumpkin King
Nevada City, California, artist Veronica Morris brings us this excellent piece depicting none other than Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s a brilliant abstraction of the character showing off plenty more from the film, like Mr. Oogey Boogey.
Take Me Back, Tamagotchi
Anyone who grew up in the '90s will immediately recognize this tattoo. The only thing that’s missing are the piles of digital waste — we've all been there after skirting our Tamagotchi-raising responsibilities. This work by Gabbie Vasquez in Glasgow, Scotland, captures our nostalgia perfectly.
Wonder Woman Enters the Ring
This fantastic interpretation of fan favorite Wonder Woman — by freelance artist Jake Brown — shows her preparing for a fight as a boxer. We don't know whether there’s any precedent in the character's countless comics for this, but we’d surely read a story like this in between Wonder Woman’s normal adventures.
Meet My Neighbor Totoro
One of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s most celebrated works, My Neighbor Totoro, has likely inspired countless tattoos. This one by No Love Lost Tattoos in Ontario, Canada, perfectly captures the portly character’s mass appeal with expert coloring and shading.
See the Music With Jigglypuff
OK, time for our second Pokemon tattoo, because we can’t help ourselves. This brilliant and accurate recreation of the series’ Jigglypuff is simply a winner. For someone who wants to up his or her cute game another 50 levels, this is one way to do it fast. Thanks to artist Alix Taylor in the UK for this one.
Can Pennywise Be Cute?
As it turns out, the answer is a resounding yes. Kara Dee Harrison of Tranceformations in British Columbia, Canada, was challenged to make one of the most feared horror villains in history into a cutesy version of himself, and she has clearly nailed it.
Sonic Stops to Pose
As if we’d ever get through this list without paying some respect to the Blue Blur. This gorgeous piece by Left Hand Path Tattoos in New Zealand features Sonic the Hedgehog as he appeared in the original Sega Genesis video games. Anyone can bet this person will be first in line to see the new movie (regardless of how Sonic looks).
The Best Lady of Adventure Time
Fans of the Adventure Time cartoon absolutely love Hunson Abadeer’s daughter, Marceline — a vampire/demon hybrid with a penchant for rebellion and shredding guitar. This stunner from Level Ink in Mangotsfield, Bristol, in the UK excellently shows off her trademark attitude.
The Best Version of Super Mario
This could be our bias showing, but this Super Mario tattoo by Wild Art Tattoo in Torino, Italy, shows what is, without debate, the best Super Mario game on the original Nintendo: Super Mario 2. Plus, the coloring is just brilliantly vibrant.
For State Alchemists Only
This one is for the Fullmetal Alchemist anime fans out there. This one doesn’t depict any of the show’s amazing characters, but is rather a call sign to the homunculus symbol seen throughout the series. Anyone who is a true Fullmetal Alchemist fan will instantly know someone is one of them with a tattoo like this, by artist Caitlyn Paugh of Pike Street Studios in West Virginia.
Spyro the Dragon Returns
This modern classic 3D platformer game on the original PlayStation, Spyro the Dragon, ignited the imaginations of many back in the late '90s. It’s only fitting that someone would remember it via ink, beautifully rendered by artist Dijah Grim City Tattoo Club in Ontario, Canada.
The Ultimate Display of Nerdom
This tattoo is simply among the finest, deepest displays of nerdom out there: the 20-sided die. Used in tabletop role-playing games — particularly Dungeons & Dragons — it’s a symbol of an utmost form of nerdery, depicted with glamor by Dee Florian in Orlando, Florida.
