Looking for the best dragon tattoos? Dragon tattoo designs are very powerful symbols, especially within Asian culture. While in the Western world, the dragon tattoo can represent evil, danger and darkness, Chinese and Japanese dragon tattoos are really about power, strength, and the unrelenting spirit of man. And with so many different dragon tattoo ideas to choose from, guys must decide for themselves what their artwork will mean.
So if you’re considering a dragon tattoo on your sleeve, chest, back, shoulder, leg, arm, forearm, or neck, check out these awesome dragon tattoos before you visit your local artist. Whether you want small and simple, colorful or black and white ink, this gallery of the best dragon tattoos for guys will provide inspiration for your next piece of unique body art.
Dragon Tattoo Meaning
Dragons can be found in the myths of all cultures. Because of this, some find different meaning in these mythical beasts. In some places they are viewed as protectors while in others they represent pure evil. Below, we’ll discuss dragon tattoo meanings for the Japanese and Chinese versus Western cultures.
Chinese Dragon Tattoos
The Chinese dragon tattoo with the snake-like design and often colorful red accents is mostly viewed as a protector. Chinese dragon tattoos symbolize protection, power, wisdom, and even prosperity.
Japanese Dragon Tattoos
The Japanese dragon tattoo looks much like other Asian dragon designs with subtle differences. Pictured is a cool Japanese dragon tattoo design on the back.
Western Dragon Tattoos
Western dragons are often depicted in movies, books, and paintings as fire-breathing monsters. Most myths refer to them as evil creatures bent on destruction. Using them as inspiration for a tattoo can also symbolize power like the Eastern dragons, but protection rarely comes to mind.
Cool Dragon Tattoo Ideas
Guys are often looking for dragon back, arm, chest and shoulder tattoos, but this type of powerful artwork can look good anywhere. For example, a snake-like Asian dragon with two heads would look great as a piece that goes all the way up both arms, across the shoulders and ends on your chest.
You can even have your entire back inked with one or multiple dragons. A source of great inspiration for placing a dragon tattoo is the treasure trove of designs worn proudly by Yakuza members.
Because there is no limit to what a skilled artist can design, any dragon, regardless of cultural origin, can be an amazing decoration. Of course, intricate designs take time to ink and for certain body parts they require a high threshold for pain. Getting a chest dragon tattoo will look mad cool but it might not be for everyone.
The dragon arm tattoo is definitely a favorite for guys. Regardless of what your dragon of choice symbolizes, it can certainly be an improvement to the classic barbwire forearm tattoo.
A colorful and detailed Eastern dragon that wraps around your forearm and maybe even extends all the way up the shoulder can be an impressive design to show off. Regardless of what design you choose, the fierceness of this type of design makes the dragon arm and forearm tattoo a badass choice.
The dragon shoulder tattoo can be an excellent option for a professional who loves getting inked but doesn’t want anyone at the office to see. While the shoulder can be a difficult area to get tattooed, it also offers an artist a decent sized canvas and the ability to pull in the chest and back for a large piece of artwork.
The dragon back tattoo is another very popular choice because a guy’s back makes for an excellent blank canvas. You can get so much detail done in dragon tattoos on the back versus other smaller body parts.
It also doesn’t hurt as much as you would think and you get to sit in a comfortable position while the artist inks away.
Whether you want a dragon sleeve or half sleeve tattoo, this type of masculine artwork lends itself incredibly well to the arm. For example, because a medieval or tribal dragon design can be long, the length of your arm makes the perfect canvas for a dragon sleeve tattoo.
Nevertheless, if you work as a professional, you may want to seriously consider limiting the artwork to just a half sleeve.
So you want your chest to symbolize strength? Maybe go with a dragon chest tattoo instead of a Superman emblem. Have your dragon stare down the ones that dare look at your bare chest.
If you’re clever enough about the design, you can later extend it and make the dragon protect your entire body.
Dragon tattoos on legs are similar to arm tattoos. There a lot of room to play with in terms of length. However, if you want your tattoo to be admired all the time, a calf placement won’t do the artwork justice unless you’re continuously walking around in shorts.
Best Dragon Tattoo Designs
Dragon tattoos are popular across all cultures. Some people choose to ink such creatures because of what they represent, while others just like dragons. Check out these cool dragon tattoo designs for ideas!
