The beloved Japanese character Hello Kitty makes for popular displays of modern tattoo art.
Many people link the diminutive, simply etched cartoon character to commercialism and pop culture, however, Kitty White (her full name) represents many virtuous Japanese traits such as kindness, hard work, prosperity, and harmony.
These days, Hello Kitty’s influence has gone global, with books, television, and an amazing array of merchandise making the cat one of the world’s most recognizable pop culture icons.
For tattoo lovers, Kitty can be etched in numerous ways, ranging from simple linework variations of the character, through to cute cultural crossovers and even bad girl kitty pieces.
The following top 21 best Hello Kitty tattoo ideas depict some excellent pieces that can provide inspiration for your next body art piece.
1. Hello Kitty Bad Girl
2. Cute Hello Kitty Tattoos
3. Tattoos for the Leg
4. Simple Tattoo Designs
5. Unique Tattoo Art
6. Small Hello Kitty Tattoos
What do Hello Kitty tattoos symbolize?
Many people link the diminutive, simply etched cartoon character to commercialism and pop culture, however, Hello Kitty represents many virtuous Japanese traits such as kindness, hard work, prosperity, and harmony.
For tattoo enthusiasts, she is a bright, positive character that can be included in many different tattoo application styles, just as she has been used in marketing and merchandising.
What style of Hello Kitty tattoo should I get?
Hello Kitty tattoos make popular simple linework designs in black ink. These most represent the original iterations of the character.
For some, Hello Kitty is a great inspiration for use in cute or cartoon tattoos, that utilize bright color and hugely positive themes.
Others still like to incorporate other pop culture (such as Star Wars or horror movies) into crossover designs, which also creates the possibility for ink which flips her positive persona with a more bad girl image.
Are Hello Kitty Tattoos just for women?
No, definitely not. While the character is most popular with women, men have been known to get Hello Kitty designs (I once had one drawn up – Hello Kitty with Mjolnir, but I opted for a larger piece instead).
‘Kitty Chan’ is an overwhelmingly positive icon for all ages and genders, and one worth exploring for cool designs.
How much do Hello Kitty Tattoos cost?
Simple, single line black ink kitty designs can cost less than $200 for even mid sized pieces.
The more technical, vivid color anime, cartoon, and neo traditional Kitty pieces can start at $150 per hour for work by a skilled professional.
Specialist design aspects such as single needle or dotwork interpretations will likely be more expensive due to the time taken to complete the work.