Anime and Video Games on Your Skin: The Trend That Keeps Growing
Why more and more people are getting their favourite characters tattooed, and what makes a pop-culture design work well on skin.
Published on August 12, 2026 · By Patri
Why Anime and Video Game Tattoos Have Exploded
A few years ago, getting a manga or video game character tattooed was almost a rarity. Today it is one of the most common requests I get at the studio. It is not a passing trend: it is an entire generation that grew up watching these stories, playing these franchises, and now wants to carry them permanently, not as a whim, but as part of their own identity.
Otaku and gamer culture is no longer a hidden niche, and that shows on people’s skin. It is increasingly common for someone to come to a consultation with a very specific scene in mind — an exact frame, a pose, a moment in the story that stuck with them — and want to turn it into an illustrative tattoo that holds up well over the years.
What Works Well When Bringing a Character to Skin
Not everything that looks good on a screen works just as well on skin, and this is where my work as an illustrative tattoo artist comes in. A frame has a thousand details the eye picks up in motion and full colour; a tattoo has to distil that into a fixed image that still reads well ten years from now.
That is why, when I adapt a character, I prioritise three things: choosing a genuinely iconic pose or gesture instead of copying an entire panel, simplifying the colour palette down to the essentials, and using an outline with enough line weight that it will not fade over time. Size matters too: a scene with a lot of elements needs space — the forearm, calf or leg are usually the areas that hold up best.
The Franchises and Characters Most Requested
At the studio, the most recurring requests come from One Piece, Dragon Ball, Jujutsu Kaisen, Zelda, Pokémon and video game characters like Kratos from God of War. Each franchise has its own challenge: the clean, expressive linework of classic shonen does not call for the same approach as the darker, more detailed look of a AAA video game.
You can see more real examples in anime tattoos, in video game tattoos and in the full portfolio.
Saturated Colour or Black Lines?
This is one of the first decisions we make at the consultation. Colour better reproduces the fidelity of the original scene — hair, eyes, effects — but it requires more upkeep: watching sun exposure and accepting that, over the years, it will need some touch-ups to keep its saturation. Black lines or blackwork, on the other hand, age very gracefully, with contrast that holds up well even a decade later, and they are usually a great option if it is your first large tattoo.
There is no single answer: it depends on the character, the body area and how much upkeep you are willing to give it. I will walk you through it calmly at the consultation before you decide anything.
Got a character you want to wear on your skin?
Tell me the scene or character and I will tell you how best to adapt it.
