Are you thinking about getting a Grim Reaper Tattoo? Grim Reaper tattoos are one of the old school tattoos that were popular for decades, and they are still very trendy.
What is a Grim Reaper?
For thousands of years, various cultures have had figures to represent death. One of the most common and enduring of all is the Grim Reaper. Grim Reaper is a personification of death depicted in the form of a cloaked skeleton wielding a large scythe. In some mythologies, the Grim Reaper causes death by collecting humans’ souls. Grim Reaper is also known as the Angel of Death. Death is most often personified in male form, although in some cultures, death is a female.
Meanings of Grim Reaper Tattoos
Grim Reaper tattoos are a representation of death. The Grim Reaper has been a cultural icon for decades. In addition to his many appearances on late-night TV, early morning cartoons, and movies, the Grim Reaper has appeared in over hundreds of animations since 1937.
If you look at The New Yorker’s cartoons that featured the Grim Reaper, then you will notice that he’s always the butt of the joke. This also reflects in a lot of Grim Reaper Tattoo designs because people love to laugh in the face of death.
Every culture deals with death in their own way. Like many religious or spiritual icons, personifications of death help to cope with a complicated, scary, and mysterious idea of death. The Grim Reaper is no different. An image like the Grim Reaper is a moral assurance that death is fair. It takes everything and everybody. Grim Reaper tattoos are a great reminder of that.
Jokes are funny when we aim them at a perpetrator of injustice. The perpetrator of the greatest injustice in the universe is that we all have to die. This is why we often see the Grim Reaper in pop culture doing silly or human things, which also reflect in Grim Reaper tattoo designs such as a Grim Ripper is riding a skateboard or smoking a blunt.
Types of Grim Reaper Tattoos
Tribal
Tribal Grim Reaper tattoos are just as popular nowadays as they have been in the past. Some may see them as the “evil death is near symbol” with which they are commonly associated. You will find that in the tattoo world, there are many symbolic reasons why people wear Grim Reaper tattoos. Tribal Grim Reaper Tattoo designs serve as a reminder for someone who has kicked an addiction that they may not cheat death next time. Car accident victims may wear this tattoo for the same reason. The Grim Reaper tattoos in the tribal art pattern look very cool. Try using the barbed wire pattern here, the sharp edges and dark lines stand out very well. Planning this out in detail with your tattoo artist is your first step in creating that perfect tattoo design.
Grim Reaper Holding Hour Glass
Hourglass with grim reaper tattoos are also very popular. The image of the hourglass represents that “your time is running out” in life or “it’s only a matter of time before you and I [the grim reaper] officially meet.” This design often uses the hourglass as the focal point in the tattoo. The hourglass design can be as menacing as the Grim Reaper.
Evil Grim Reaper
Evil Grim Reaper tattoos look pretty cool. This design has a simple message to convey that you can’t deny. Some day death will come for you. There are many ways to illustrate an evil Grim Reaper tattoo. The detail work is what will set this tattoo apart from others. With the grim reaper’s long dark cloak and razor-sharp scythe, the image puts fear into those who see him.
Quotes & Phrases
It is common to have Quotes and Phases incorporated with a Grim Reaper tattoo such as “Not today,” “Game over,” etc.
Grim Reaper At The Graveyard
Humorous Grim Reaper Tattoos
A Grim Reaper tattoo does not have to be all gloom and doom. People add humorous phases and elements to their tattoo design to make Grim Reaper look hilarious.
Traditional Grim Reaper Tattoos
Scary Grim Ripper Tattoos
These Grim Reapers are so scary that they will send chills down to your spine.
Grim Reaper Tattoos For Women
The general design of Grim Reaper can be masculine by nature, but a tattoo artist can alter this and give it a feminine touch. The symbolic meaning of the Grim Reaper is still the same for men or women.
Coloring
The majority of the Grim Reaper tattoos are black and white. They go very well with the concept, but if color is your thing, then go for it. There are many ways to add color to a Grim Reaper tattoo, use your imagination. For example, you can add some metallic to his or her scythe that could give a gleaming effect. Just be sure to check out plenty of galleries, images, pictures, illustrations, and designs.
Placements
Grim Reaper tattoos are usually medium to large size tattoos. Therefore it would wear well on the upper arm, shoulder blade, and back. You could wear it on your leg as well. Wherever grim reaper tattoos are placed, they don’t seem like the kind of tattoo that you want to hide.
Arm
Forearm
Hand
Other Body Parts
Grim Reaper doesn’t always have to be the bad guy. He might be a cool guy and uses his scythe to help severe your ties to this world and help you get to wherever that you are going.