The journey through Middle-Earth was fraught with challenges and great battles for a pair of Hobbits. They met great friends in elves, dwarves, humans, and even a wizard. While the battle that raged on the big movie screen left everyone in awe, the actors behind the characters got matching tattoos.
A Lord of the Rings tattoo symbolizes more than just fanboy adoration; it’s often done as a symbol of a deep-rooted friendship.
While some opt for ink of their favorite character, others choose to get symbols dedicated to friends.
The dedicated friendship Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins shared can be mirrored in ink from the JRR Tolkien universe. Best friends will often get matching tattoos to symbolize a deep brotherhood. Quotes from the book and movie series are frequent tattoo work of Tolkien fans. Some men even go so far as to have the quotes written in what is supposed to be the elvish language.
Another common subject of Tolkien lore is the tree of Gondor. The simplicity of the design, coupled with the importance of the tree, makes it a popular tattoo design.
The scope of both The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings series of books and movies is so wide and varied it leaves room for fans to get some Tolkien body art and still be unique.
For someone looking for character designs, a large patch of space should be reserved to ensure a better quality tattoo.
1. One Ring Tattoos
Author created an entire universe and unveiled it to the world in 1954 through the of the of books. Within this fantastic realm, there were men, elves, , hobbits, and goblins. There were also wizards and trolls, witches and dragons, but holding power over all of the races of Middle-earth was a magic ring.
Forged by the evil Sauron, it can make the wearer invisible, but it also inevitably corrupts anyone who holds it until it finally makes its way back to its profane master.
The quote, “One ring to rule them all,” is at the heart of this tale, and it makes sense that of the series would choose this element to get tattooed. This ring makes for the perfect , thanks to the depth of detail that can be captured in the mirrored surface of this malevolent charm.
2. The Eye of Sauron Tattoos
After he was defeated by the armies of men and elves, Sauron was vanquished, spending a thousand years as a shapeless evil, dormant but not dead. As the One Ring was not destroyed, neither was Sauron. He eventually returned as a disembodied eye, an all seeing eye, endlessly burning near Mount Doom and constantly searching for the Ring.
The Eye of makes for excellent , thanks to the different textures and tones used to create this ultimate villain. For those with a darker sensibility, the Eye of also provides the opportunity to incorporate some of the other villains and landscapes from the series.
3. Frodo and the Fellowship Tattoos
At the heart of the of the is a battle between good and evil, dark and light; and in this world, the forces of good come in the form of a mild-mannered hobbit from Bag End. , the unsuspecting protagonist in our story, along with three other hobbits, two men, a dwarf, an elf, and a wizard, gets roped into an adventure that confronts the essence of evil. Together, this Fellowship of the Ring embarks on a quest across Middle-earth to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mordor.
The Fellowship makes for an excellent , thanks to the deep connections that many have with the different characters and the actors who portrayed them.
4. The Witch King of Angmar Tattoos
In ‘s universe, the Ringwraiths, or Nazgul, were the leaders of the dark armies, and the Witch-king of Angmar was their leader and second in command to Sauron. These ghouls were once mortal men. Corrupted by Sauron, each was given one of the Nine Rings of Power to serve him; they are drawn to the One Ring by deep magic.
These wicked creatures make for excellent tattoos thanks to their striking visages; they wear black helmets with distinctive crowns, black armor, and capes, while their foul, winged creatures can be incorporated into larger tattoos.
5. Scenes from the Lord of the Rings Tattoos
For any of the series, there is a wealth of material from which to draw inspiration for tattoos, from the ancient tree-folk known as the Ents to the epic scenes of cave trolls, castles, and siege weapons from the Battle of Helm’s Deep. There is enough material to complete dozens of full body tattoos.
The scenes in this epic series also make for excellent tattoos, especially large, detailed pieces, thanks to the powerful interplay between light and dark that is created in these stories. A clever can create contrast by incorporating scenes and characters from both sides of the story, creating visually pleasing and detail-dense tattoos that display the epic struggle between good and evil.
6. Gollum Tattoos
One of the most intriguing characters in the entire series, Gollum is flawed but complicated. Once a friendly hobbit-like creature, Gollum had the unfortunate luck of stumbling upon the One Ring. As he holds the Ring, all his life falls away until he is an unrecognizable shell of his former self, living only to covet the One Ring, which he calls “My Precious.” One day he drops the Ring, and it finds a new owner by the name of Bilbo, Frodo’s uncle.
Gollum is a great subject for tattoos for a couple of reasons. First off, his ghoulish appearance provides an opportunity to capture all the small details and imperfections in his face and body. Gollum is also interesting as a , definitely a villain, but a relatable one. He elicits equal parts scorn and pity, making him one of the more complex characters in the series.
7. Balrog Tattoos
A balrog was an ancient creature of fire and shadow that existed long before the Age of Men, dwelling deep in the darkest places in Middle-earth. While battling one of these foul creatures in the Mines of Moria, the wizard Gandalf the Gray was cast into the depths, only to be reborn from a crucible of fire as Gandalf the White. This was one of the most powerful scenes, visually encapsulating the battle between good and evil that is at the core of these stories.
Balrogs make for great because of the opportunity to create a stark contrast between the red, orange, and yellow tones of the fire and the deep black that shrouds these beasts.
8. Lord of the Rings Blades
There are a number of different swords in these stories, many of which hold specific powers; many even have names. Frodo’s sword, named Sting, was given to him by his uncle Bilbo and glows blue when orcs are near. Aragorn, heir of Isildur, had Anduril, a sword reforged from the shards of Narsil, the sword that Isildur used and was broken by Sauron a thousand years before.
These swords make for great tattoos, not just because of the inherently interesting shapes and contours of these stylized blades but also for the deep significance they hold in the stories.
9. Gandalf Tattoos
Out of the hundreds of characters that brought to life in his beloved stories, there may not be one as popular and influential as Gandalf. The last of the wizards to venture into Middle-earth, Gandalf was a relic of past epochs when different forces ruled the world. He first appears as Gandalf the Gray, sometimes deceptively acting befuddled or sleepy. After he battles a Balrog, sacrificing himself to save the Fellowship of the Ring, he returns as Gandalf the White.
Thanks to the unmistakable countenance of (who portrayed Gandalf in the films) as well as his distinctive pointy wizard’s hat, Gandalf makes an excellent subject for tattoos.
10. The Hobbit and J.R.R Tolkien Inspired Ink
Originally written as a companion text aimed at a younger audience, The Hobbit earned its place in the mythos. With interesting characters like the thirteen that rope Bilbo into an unexpected journey, and the vile countenance of the dragon Smaug, which sat on a mountain of gold, there is a large pool of text and imagery to draw from. Some people choose to skip the dramatic characters and exciting scenes and show their love and dedication to the series by tattooing himself on their body.
If you enjoyed these Lord of the Rings tattoos, click on the links below for more galleries dedicated to elements of literary ink inspirations.