Depending on which country you live in, tattoos can adorn nearly 50 percent of residents. In Italy, the percentage of people with tattoos is 38 percent. In America, it’s 46, while 40 percent of the UK’s residents are inked up. In countries with a huge pop culture presence like America and the UK, people regularly get tattoos of their favorite movies, TV shows, books, and other sources of entertainment that tickled their fancy. Science fiction represents a significant portion of popular entertainment, so it should come as no surprise that a crossover exists between sci-fi fandom and tattoo fandom. If you’ve ever wondered which sci-fi tattoos are the most popular, here are some of the top choices.
Rebel Alliance insignia/Imperial logo
Subtler, streamlined tattoos are generally chosen over expansive, busy, colorful ones. After all, most people start small when they get their first tattoo. Among the multitude of epic space ships, characters, quotes, and battles that Star Wars fans can choose for a tattoo, the majority elect either the Rebel Alliance insignia or Imperial logo. These sharp, simple, and stylish marks have been the most popular Star Wars tattoos since 1977. According to Shane Turgeon, the owner of Canada’s Shades of Grey Tattoo Shop, there isn’t much meaning behind these choices besides to display Star Wars fandom and whether they prefer the good guys or bad guys.
The Deathly Hallows
Since Harry Potter is not usually associated with science fiction, some people may consider this entry a bit of a stretch. However, on account of its immense and intense popularity, the Deathly Hallows tattoo from the sci-fi-adjacent Harry Potter series deserves to make this list. Artists at London’s Good Times Tattoo mentioned that the Deathly Hallows logo, which consists of a circle, line, and triangle, is inked onto people’s bodies more than virtually any other tattoo. Taken from the last book and movies in the series, the logo represents the resurrection stone (circle), the Elder Wand (line), and the invisibility cloak (triangle). Although this is by no means a complicated design, choosing to get the tattoo should be treated seriously, as darkened geometric/triangle tattoos — or any tattoo for that matter — shouldn’t be chosen on a whim.
Iron Man
In what may be a surprising result for many, the Deathly Hallows logo was beaten in popularity by only one other tattoo: Iron Man. Yes, Marvel’s beloved armored superhero is not just the most popular sci-fi tattoo according to the artists at Good Times Tattoo, it’s the most popular tattoo in general. People can’t get enough of that gold and red armor infused with a personality provided by Robert Downey, Jr. Although the popularity of a tattoo is dependent on the location of the shop, clientele, artist specialization, and numerous other factors, as long as Marvel is hot, Iron Man will be near the top of the list.
Artists the world over have cited the Rebel Alliance insignia, Imperial logo, Deathly Hallows logo, and Iron Man rendering as the most popular sci-fi tattoos. Although this ranking is subject to sudden change due to shifts in entertainment, these tattoos are sure to be requested for a long time to come.
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