Tattoo choices for characters in films are just as important as they are in real life. Tattoos can be meaningful, fun, or serve as a reminder for places we have been before. Designing a character’s tattoos depends on the plot and the genre of the film. A character who has suffered a great trauma will have a much different theme than one that is serving a comedic purpose. Tattooing has been an important piece of expression since the Neolithic times. They were markings based on religion, tribes, and culture.
An object or character trait in a film is almost never placed by mistake. Easter eggs are littered throughout the media and reference hardships or hidden plot points. Tattoos are sometimes among these Easter eggs. Throughout the Harry Potter franchise, for example,tattoos were used to specify the evil Death Eaters in allegiance with He Who Must Not Be Named, smartly placing them on the wrist and forearm of anyone who was an ally. Films like Christopher Nolan’s Memento uses tattoos more creatively in terms of character. Leonard Shelby, Memento’s main character, had a brain injury resulting in his loss of memory. This character tattoos important details onto his body so that he can remember and not lose the information. No matter the circumstance, tattoos serve an important role in a character’s development. From dramas to all-out comedies, here are the best movie character tattoos, ranked.
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6 Jesse and Chester — Dude, Where’s My Car?
Alcon Entertainment Cover
Dude, Where’s My Car? is absolutely a product of the early 2000s. Starring Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott, the comedy-gone-mystery hybrid follows a day in the life of two friends who can’t remember the night before. Jesse and Chester wake up with no recollection of the previous night and are stunned to find that they can’t remember where they parked their car. They retrace their steps and end up at a tattoo parlor, where they learn that they got tattoos the night before. In a spinoff of the classic Abbott and Costello “Who’s on first?” skit, the pair finds themselves going back and forth telling each other what their tattoo says, but getting frustrated because the words are part of their everyday vocabulary.
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5 Stu — The Hangover Part II
Legendary Pictures
One of the greatest gags of 2009’s The Hangover was when the gang wakes up the next morning and Stu, played by Ed Helms, is missing a tooth. The fun of the joke was that he was a dentist, and ended up pulling it himself. The second installment to the franchise, The Hangover Part II, attempted to up the ante by having the boys wake up again from another bachelor party gone wrong, but this time Stu awakes with a much more permanent problem. It seems that he drunkenly got a face tattoo similar to Mike Tyson’s, the joke here being a direct callback to the first film when they stole Tyson’s tiger.
4 Max Cady — Cape Fear
Universal Pictures
Martin Scorsese’s thriller, Cape Fear, follows the story of Max Cady (Robert De Niro) who devotes his life after prison to seeking revenge on the attorney who withheld evidence that would acquit him of his charges. Cady is a man who holds deep resentment for his lost time and the fourteen years in spent in prison. While locked up, Cady marks his skin with a variety of tattoos, but one stands out above the rest. On his back sits a giant cross with a scale labeled “justice” and “truth.” This being the most strikingly ominous of the ink on his body, revealing his deep need for justice. According the Film Stories, De Niro worked with Paul Jacobs, a temporary-tattoo artist, to create the illusion that the tattoos were real. In an article for Film Review, Jacobs stated, “(Cape Fear would) go down as the movie which really introduced tattoos to the mass audience.” Interestingly enough, tattoos would go on to be important character arcs in film for the next two decades.
3 Joker — Suicide Squad
DC Films
Batman’s infamous archnemesis, the Joker, has taken many forms throughout the various films he debuts in. Yet, one of the most original takes on Joker is through his appearance in Suicide Squad. Jared Leto’s Joker is much younger and, despite his moderately creepy demeanor, more physically appealing than others. His tattoos all have significant meanings, and according to Screen Rant, contain a variety of Easter eggs. However, the most interesting of his tattoos is that of the smiley mouth on his hands. Allegedly, this is a direct nod to the storyline in which Batman knocks out the Joker’s teeth. He uses this tattoo to mask a smile.
2 Lisbeth Salander — The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Columbia Pictures
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was adapted from the novel by the same name, which is actually the first book in the series. Lisbeth Salander was played by Rooney Mara, and hosts a variety of different tattoos. The character herself acts as somewhat of a vigilante, as she seeks out men who abuse women to expose and punish them for their wrong doings. The most striking of Lisbeth’s tattoos is that of the dragon that sits on her left shoulder. Catering to the title of the book, Lisbeth’s dragon is about as mysterious as she is.
1 Leonard Shelby — Memento
Summit Entertainment
Christopher Nolan’s Memento is a film that requires more than one viewing, but the payoff makes it so worth it. Guy Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, a man who suffers from a rare condition that causes memory loss after he is attacked in his home one night. Leonard spends his days trying to track down his wife’s killer, but struggles because of his limited memory function. He is aided by Teddy (Joe Pantoliano), who helps by giving him clues, and tips regarding the killer. Leonard uses his skin like an array of post-it notes, as he tattoos it with pertinent information relating to his case. However, there’s a catch. The notes are through Leonard’s perspective and can easily be swayed by emotions or false information given to him the day prior. This element is key leading up to the film’s shocking ending.
