When Akira Toriyama launched the original Dragon Ball manga series in 1984, even his most ardent fans could not have foreseen that it would become one of the most popular anime franchises in the world.
Dragon Ball now includes 20 animated feature films, animated TV series, spin-offs like Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT, games on all platforms including iOS and Android, and billions in other merchandise worldwide.
dragon ball, along with the world of pokémon, has been arguably the most influential and popular anime crossover franchise spanning both the Japanese and Western markets.
dragon ball tattoos are the latest wave in the amazing mythology of the franchise. read on for an amazing tattoo design and possible inspiration for your body art. You don’t even need to be an anime fan to dig this tattoo idea.
1. anime style dbz design
The great thing about dragon ball tattoos is that you don’t have to be a TV series watcher or an anime fan to enjoy the artistry, skill and color in each vivid design.
the dragon ball itself is an original image, while meme and internet culture has presented us with the super saiyan or goku power up looking scared before battle. Bulma’s version with the perky breasts is a sadboi’s dream tattoo, but from an ink technique perspective, it’s drawn with tremendous clarity and use of bright colors.
2. black and gray dragon ball design
On the other hand, the absence of color in the dragon ball z tattoo allows every tattooist to explore the original manga style thick black ink art on the skin. I really like the various faces of the characters, like a split screen before a fight, while the cute goku and saiyan finger fight tattoo image features great shading and cleanly executed fine lines.
3. chinese dragon ball shenron tattoo
shenron is the magical dragon that can be summoned by individuals who collect the seven dragon balls. like an eastern dragon, the types are benevolent and sacred in Asian mythology, making it a perfect idea for a Chinese dragon tattoo.
It is a natural vivid green color, but these shenron tattoo examples are etched with black or black and gray line ink so that the dragon balls can be emphasized using color to contrast with your body and face.
4. anime dragon ball tattoo in a framed form
The key to this great selection of characters lies in framing each tattoo with a border shape to give the art depth and perspective. vegeta tattoo and other ideas are allowed a different look by placing elements outside the frame.
master roshi’s colorful ink is my favorite of these framed dbz tattoo ideas – it looks like the old man would be fun at parties, and the technical work that uses almost a stippled fuzz tone to create the rising sun behind him it is an epic. tattoo idea.
5. heavy line black ink dragon ball
These designs from the dragon ball series showcase the variation of heavy black ink tattoos. the first one, with piccolo and krillin, looks great balancing negative space and single needle lines. others, like piccolo and goku, or the super saiyan framed fight seek a realistic manga-style texture.
my favorite piece is the man of the line framed in a beautiful black line contrasted with bright red blood splatters. I think the artist giving the man angry red eyes and blood dripping against his mouth, with drops out of frame, works brilliantly to give a technical piece even more character.
6. great tattoo pieces z
These biggest dragon ball tattoos are tough. I love the use of Japanese tattoo fundamentals: great balanced imagery, single panel colour, framed shapes – it all works to bring these characters into their element.
goku’s sleeve tattoo is a particularly masterful job, it looks like a freshly printed brochure. being able to show broly’s evil green hair, between the traditional black lines, is an amazing feature, while intertwining the little pieces of the main dragon ball z characters: goku, vegeta, yamcha, beerus, frieza, krillin, shenron , gotenks – highlights done in a different style from the anime tradition.
I’m not that big of a fan of the majin tattoo, but that’s solely due to his rough head more than anything else the tattoo artist is responsible for.
7. new wave color dbz anime fan tattoo
If you are a fan of the anime series and looking to be cheeky when choosing your dragon ball gt tattoo, and really want it to stand out, then new wave inspiration like these examples will come in handy.
they go beyond vivid colors to very disparate subject types and extravagant use of characters; I mean, cell is already weird, so the leopard print on his helmet is cool. They take a simple forearm tattoo idea and then create an image of goku rampaging, levitating beerus, or dominating roshi on a spree to completely change a dbz design.
frequently asked questions about the dragon ball tattoo
what does goku’s symbol mean?
the dragon ball symbol that goku uses is a combination of separate kanji characters. the first is kai, which means “world.” the second is oh, which means “king”. when mixed with vertical kanji, they become the personal emblem of kaio, known as the king of the worlds.
what does z stand for in dragon ball z?
the z in dragon ball z stands for “zenkai”. In Japanese, zenkai roughly translates to “the last time.” Originally, Dragon Ball Z was supposed to be the end of the Dragon Ball franchise, but then the Dragon Ball GT series was created due to the overwhelming popularity of Z and increased interest from Western culture.
Did you like these dragon ball tattoo ideas? Click the links below for badass Japanese anime inspiration:
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