- by Sarah Knight
In the world of Tokyo Ghoul, the artistic style and symbolic imagery are undeniably phenomenal. The nature of the series and its popularity has led some devoted fans to commemorate their love for it with a tattoo. Drawing inspiration from the series is easy because there is so much material to work with and make your own. Ranging from small iconography and phrases to full-fledged series encompassing pieces of art, these 10 tattoos are just a few of the coolest that exist.
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10 KAGUNE TATTOO
What's a ghoul without a kagune? A human. So, this person essentially underwent the ghoulification process when getting this tattoo, right? Whether human or ghoul, it's hard to deny that this tattoo looks amazing. Based on the different kagune types (ukaku, koukaku, rinkaku, and bikaku), this tattoo is meant to look like Haise's rinkaku kagune. Placed just below the middle of the back, the red centipede looks almost as if it's crawling right out of the person's body. The tattoo was done by Alexis Haskett at Cincinnati Tattoo & Piercing and it is seriously awesome.
9 "I CAN NEITHER LIVE WITH YOU, NOR WITHOUT YOU"
The quote "I can neither live with you nor without you," is actually tattooed in Latin on the character Uta in the Tokyo Ghoul series. When a character has a tattoo, it can be the perfect inspiration for a fan to draw from. Uta has multiple tattoos covering his body, but the quote on his neck is particularly relevant to the world of Tokyo Ghoul, as a reflection of the themes from the series.
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This character-based tattoo was done on Mark Haley, a tattoo artist at Big Ink Tattoos and Piercings.
8 SUZUYA STITCHING
This next tat, done by Diba Çaldar at The Room Tattoo Studio, is another character influenced one. Rather than a character's tattoo, however, it is inspired by Juuzou Suzuya's stitching all over his body. The red stitching, a form of body modification, covers most of his body and snakes around both of his arms in a swirling pattern.
Even though the tattoo is done in black ink instead of red, it's reminiscent of the CCG's Jason.
7 QUEEN ETO
All hail the queen! This queen of clubs tattoo was done by Junior de Melo on a Tokyo Ghoul fan who called his artist a "tattoo god." And honestly, it's hard to disagree with that. The design is masterful and seems to be placed perfectly on the body. The colors are subtle and beautiful as well. The symbolism of Eto as a two-faced double character is incredibly spot-on in several ways, especially since she lived a double life as Sen Takatsuki/Eto and Human/One-Eyed Ghoul.
Overall, a very cool tattoo.
6 1000 - 7
Sometimes, simplicity is key. Remember the torture scenes in Tokyo Ghoul, when Yamori made Kaneki count backward from 1000 by 7, just to make sure he was focused? Yeah, that, along with all of the other torture he endured, definitely left a bit of an emotional scar on him. This tattoo, done by Manchester artist Ezura Forest, is small and, without the context of the series, could be considered obscure. However, fans of the series know, this math equation certainly can cause insanity.
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5 SPIDER LILY MASK
Spider lily flowers and Kaneki's mask are probably some of the most prominent symbols from Tokyo Ghoul. So, of course, it would make sense to put them together in a tattoo as a tribute to it. Spider lilies, also known as the flower of death, symbolize (big shocker here) death, reincarnation, and lost memories. Sound familiar? These are all themes from the series and the red flowers are often shown during crucial moments.
The other symbol is a bit more straightforward. Kaneki's ghoul mask, which he wears to hide his identity and not be easily noticeable in everyday life, is a great icon from the series. This tattoo was done by Delo Slinger Morgan of Lenz Ink Tattoo & Piercing Lounge.
4 EYEPATCH CENTIPEDE
Speaking of important symbols, here are two more that have immense meaning in Tokyo Ghoul. First, there's the eyepatch. This one is quite literal because Kaneki wore an eyepatch throughout the series due to his one-eyed nature. In the beginning, he could not control his kakugan and had to wear the eyepatch to conceal it. The centipede is also a fairly simple connection. Not only does Yamori force a centipede into Kaneki's ear during the torture scenes, but Kaneki's kagune also takes on the appearance of a centipede for a while.
It's also integral to Kaneki's character, since "Eyepatch" and "Centipede" are both aliases of his. This tattoo, created by Tallon at Tora Sumi, looks amazing.
3 KAKUJA KANEKI
Kaneki in his Kakuja form is undoubtedly an unstable balance between strength and madness. Done in an artistic style, this tattoo looks absolutely phenomenal. The vibrant red contrasted by the stark linework conjures what the Tokyo Ghoul style is in a way that feels both familiar and newly exciting. Any fan would be happy to have this work of art on them.
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This tattoo was done by Kennon of G's Mind and Body Alterations in Texas.
2 SMILING KEN
What's better than Ken's smile? Ken's smile...in tattoo form!
Taken almost directly from a panel in the manga, this tattoo is nearly flawless. It looks just like the beloved main character, and it's impossible not to smile upon viewing it. And I mean, come on, it just looks great. This tattoo, done by Cat at Off the Ground Ink, reminds everyone that Ken Kaneki deserves to be happy!
1 TOKYO GHOUL SLEEVE
One word: epic. According to the Russian tattoo artist, Instagram user delfinaasylum, "[The tattoo] took 4 sessions and patience." Numerous characters, like Juuzou, Dragon Rize, and Eto in her One-Eyed Owl kakuja form, as well as symbols, like the centipede, wrapped entirely around the tattooed arm, are apart of this jaw-dropping tattoo.
Seriously, this tat proves the dedication and love for the series this fan has, and it's what Tokyo Ghoul dreams are made of.
