Assassin's Ink | Illustration by Heonhwa Choe
The art of tattooing has been a part of countless societies and cultures for millennia. Tattooing is the act of depositing ink or dyes in the dermis level of a person’s skin to create an image. Tattoos have been used in many ways and to symbolize many things throughout history. From branding people as criminals to expressing one’s values through art, people get tattoos to decorate their skin, to symbolize some form of meaning, or to express their values and interests.
The love and devotion for Magic runs deep through its fan base. So the ultimate form of appreciation and expression is to get an MTG tattoo. Ultra fans have taken it upon themselves to ink up their bodies to show their devotion to Magic. WotC even has answers to FAQs about tattoos. You’re allowed to tattoo images of MTG cards, characters, and themes as you like. Just don’t expect them to help with any tattoo removal costs.
Let’s give these mega fans some love and appreciation by showing off their incredible tattoo designs. Please appreciate the art and the dedication for the pieces below and maybe get some ideas for your next tattoo in the meantime.
Mana Symbols in Their Natural Habitats
Let’s start with the blood of MTG: the lands. Here we have a depiction of the five colors of Magic with the symbols and a representation of the actual biomes. What a great way to express your love for the game and for nature in the same piece.
Solid Black-Lined Mana Symbols
Another wonderful depiction of the five mana colors in Magic, this tattoo is a nice depiction of the symbols with solid black linework. I like the simplicity, and the mana symbols are cool designs on their own.
Black and Gray Mana Tokens
Here we have the five mana colors represented as coins or tokens with depictions of the elements. The gray and black lines give a fantasy and almost ancient feeling to the representations of the mana. I love the individual imagination of the symbols here.
Simple Color Splash Mana Symbols
Time to take the mana symbols and give them a touch of personality! I like the simpler drawings of the symbols, and the color splashes look great.
More Color Splash Mana Symbols
Here’s a more traditional representation of the mana symbols with the colors swirling around them. I love the juxtaposition of the circularly-contained symbols with the free form splash of the colors around them.
Color Wheel of Mana
This is a very cool way to display the five mana colors of Magic. I like the smoke-like colors and the placement of each mana symbol. Most mana tattoos are linear, so let’s give credit for thinking nonlinearly here.
Color Splash and Negative Space Mana Symbols
A splash of all the colors with the negative space used to show the symbol for each mana. This is a great piece to show love for all the colors of Magic.
Fantastical Elements of the Mana Colors
Here we have another representation of the five mana symbols with bold sections depicting the elements in the mana. I love the creativity here and how this individual sees the power in each color of Magic.
Simple Mana Symbols
Sometimes tattoos can be lovely in their simplest forms. The original mana symbols were expertly designed by the older MTG teams, so why mess with them? I can appreciate the simple and clear design here.
Olympic-Style Mana Symbols
I love the fact that these mana colors and tattoo design remind me of the Olympic rings. I don’t know if that was the intention, but much respect to the piece.
Original Mana Symbols
Another nod to the original mana designs with color-filled circles. No doubt that this is a Magic fan.
Fist Full of Mana
Nice symmetry with the five colors and a person’s five fingers. I like the idea of showing your love for Magic with every handshake.
The Colors of Magic
Maybe you prefer simpler tattoos and don’t need a ton of symbolism in your art. I very much like the five colors of Magic and their many interpretations. Here we have the allied colors as depicted on the back of MTG cards.
Izzet Always About Five Colors?
Not a fan of every color in the game? Not a problem, we appreciate all forms of MTG tattoos here. I love a shout out to the Izzet lovers!
A Majestic Mountain
I totally understand if you’re drawn to one color in MTG in particular. I’m a Swamp man all the way. But I still have much love for the dedication to the fiery art represented here.
Immense and Deep Forest
Another single symbol tattoo here with the depiction of the green Forest symbol. I like the simplicity and idea of growth that comes with green cards. Keep showing off your MTG preferences!
Which Guild Do You Choose?
Let’s move from the individual colors to the guilds that the combination of some of them represent. People often have a stronger identity with the combinations of colors and themes rather than the individual colors. Here we have a sweet representation of all the guilds in tattoo form!
What Color Will You Splash?
This is a very cool depiction of the color splashes in each of the guilds. I love the fluidity of navigating the colors to find the guild of your choice.
Dungeons & Dragons & Guilds
All the loves in one tattoo! You have all the shapes of D&D dice, the five mana colors of Magic, and the 10 guilds they create. Love the dedication!
I Have Chosen my Guild!
Showing off all the guilds is nice, but which one do you identify with? No one will question this Selesnyans’ loyalty after this art is shown.
Dimir and Clear
Much love to my fellow Dimir lover. I don’t have an MTG tattoo, but if I were to identify with a specific guild it would be Dimir. This tattoo is a nice discreet way to show your love for the MTG guild.
Sometimes Things are just Black and White
This is a lovely tribute to the Orzhov guild. A tattoo that you could explain as something different if you wanted to, but why shy away from your true love?
Time to Evolve Your Tattoos
I could definitely see why anyone might want this MTG tattoo with the naturalistic vibe of Simic. Very cool and very connected to other beautiful beliefs.
Boros Uprising
Show your strength with a Boros tattoo on your arm. I like it. This almost feels tribal, but at the very least it shows off your affinity for getting what you want and being aggressive in life.
Izzet Easy to Make a Pun?
Is there a more loved or hated guild than Izzet? I think not, and for good reason. I like the devotion with this tattoo. Never be ashamed to like the OP spell combinations!
Why Stop at Two Colors?
Love the idea of mixing two of the guilds to make the tri-color equivalent. Here’s a Grixis tattoo that mixes the Rakdos and Izzet symbols. Love the creativity in making something that fits your play desires.
Bring the Justice with Some Azorius
Control time and space with the Azorius Senate. I really like the jagged and falling background to the symbol. Very cool.
Black Lotus with the Mana Symbols
No mana-related tattoo discussion would be complete without a Black Lotus. I love the simple symbols of the lands with the more intricate black lotus at the center.
Speaking of Black Lotus…
Every player knows the five colors of MTG, but what about showing your devotion with a specific card? Enter the infamous Black Lotus. A very beautiful card and an equally beautiful tattoo.
Like, Chill Out Man
Sick of the wear and tear of battle? Why not try a little Pacifism! This is a beautiful piece with a theme of peace.
The Serra Avenger
Here we have the beauty of angelic justice depicted in its original art form. I love the detail of this piece and the fact that he got permission from the original artist. Much respect!
Phelddagrif Cuteness
What’s not to love about a hippo with wings? I like this Phelddagrif tattoo as MTG love, and because it’s a cool design.
Sometimes You Can’t Win, and Sometimes You Can’t Lose
Who wouldn’t love it if you were guaranteed you couldn’t lose at something? Well here’s your Platinum Angel solution. A famous (or infamous) card depending on your perspective. What’s not up for debate is how cool this tattoo looks!
Another Platinum Beauty
A more American-style Platinum Angel tattoo. I love the extra text saying, “You can’t win, I can’t lose”.
Realistic Unlife
A nice realistic representation of Phyrexian Unlife and a very cool piece of some plain old good MTG art.
Jace Your Dreams!
Planeswalkers are the epitome of heroism and villainy. I understand why so many people identify with specific planeswalkers. This is a great depiction of Jace Beleren.
Jace is Definitely a Popular Choice
As we look at some more planeswalkers, here’s another tribute to the great Jace. Nice dark lines and a very cool picture of the mind wielder himself.
Chandra is Blazin’ on Through
Chandra Nalaar has taken many fiery forms, and this tattoo does a great job of invoking that. I love the realism and the emotion pouring out of the peace.
Rise to Hail the Great Liliana
A nice forearm piece of the marvelous Liliana Vess. You can almost feel the intense fury in her eyes. I also love the slight lines of purple. Very accurate.
Ashiok in All Its Beauty
What a cool tattoo of a very interesting and mysterious planeswalker.
Planeswalker Symbols
Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3 | Source 4
A Very Interesting Take on the Planeswalker Symbol
Here’s the planeswalker symbol with a Ravnica flair to it. I love the gothic and majestic feel to this tattoo. This doesn’t look like an MTG tattoo to the average person, but anyone who knows will show you the MTG love you deserve.
Planeswalking in the Elements
The MTG planeswalker symbol surrounded by the five elements is pure Magic love. A very nice depiction of this fan’s love for the game.
The Elements Pool Together in a Planeswalker Island
I tried to describe this tattoo in the title, but a picture really is worth a thousand words. What a rad tattoo with the five mana colors draining into a seemingly floating planeswalker symbol-looking landscape.
Throne of Eldraine Fairytale Panorama
With the planeswalker symbol in the center we have a beautiful mural to Throne of Eldraine. A very lovely dedication to a fan-favorite set.
The Symbol of Phyrexia
Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3 | Source 4
Phyrexia is Just in Some Fans’ Blood
These two tattoos represent a deep love for Magic and Phyrexia specifically. I love the incorporation of redness, dripping, and the illusion of the symbol being under their skin.
Rock on Phyrexia!
A cool representation of this fan’s favorite colors and MTG set. Rock on with your love for the game, my friend!
The Beauty of Phyrexia in Negative Space and Nature
I love the incorporation of beautiful flowers with the artificial world of Phyrexia as the negative space. Very cool and beautiful!
Hail the Gods of Phyrexia!
With a godly tattoo this superfan shows off their love for New Phyrexia. This is absolutely amazing and a wonderful piece of art.
History of Benalia Tribute
Why mess around and change art that’s already so amazing? Here’s a direct tribute to the art of History of Benalia. The tattoo looks very clean and is a well-done depiction of the awesome card art.
I Wonder Which Color this Planeswalker Loves?
This is a very cool tattoo of swirling blue mist coming from and surrounding the planeswalker symbol. I like the fantasy style, and it looks very well done.
Twilight Shepherd Tribute
This is a nice back tattoo of Twilight Shepherd. I like the amount of shading that gives a dark background to a lovely angel.
Here Comes the God-Pharaoh Himself
Here we have two great symbols for Nicol Bolas, one of the great villains of MTG. We all have a little villain in us, so I love the dedication to Magic’s big baddie.
Nicol Bolas Surveying His Empire
The Horned One dominates his domain, and now he dominates this fan’s back. A very cool piece of art and what a show of respect for the art of MTG.
Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God Tribute
This is a beautiful representation of Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God. What a commanding image and a great way to show your love for Magic.
The Eldest Reborn Tribute
Another beautiful depiction of an actual MTG card. This tattoo comes from the saga The Eldest Reborn. I love all the elements, shading, and attention to detail from the card.
The Commanding Mayael
An epic Mayael the Anima back piece. The detail, color, and aesthetics of this piece are just amazing. I’m only sad it’s on this fan’s back so she can’t admire it all the time.
Welcome to the Port!
A beautiful MTG card brought to life as a tattoo. I love the vivid colors and the borders with tears to give it that card feel. Amazing piece!
Black Avacyn
A beautiful depiction of a lovely angel. This fan loves Avacyn and got an amazing black-only tattoo of her image. I really like the angel feathers and gradients coming off the shapes around Avacyn in this piece.
Allied-Colored Shield with Specific Color Designs
A beautiful depiction of the allied color combinations with designs for each color guild. I really like the simple lines and curves that give it a medieval family crest or shield vibe.
MTG Card Back
You have to love the dedication of this fan for getting a tattoo of the back of the cards from the card game they love. No fancy images or hidden meanings, this fan just loves MTG and the cards.
Wrap Up
No matter where you look, tattoos are becoming a part of every fandom and subculture. Dedicated fans want to express their love and show off how they’ve connected to culture.
Magic fans have truly expressed what they love about the game and how they connect to its heroes and themes. As MTG continues to grow I’m sure we’ll see more and more tattoo ideas and tattooed champions. No longer just for “nerds,” Magic is now for tattooed rockstars like Post Malone.
I hope you enjoyed the list and started to get MTG tattoo ideas for yourself, whether you want to use the amazing art of Magic or take an element of the game with your imagination to create something new and beautiful. If I missed your MTG tattoo (very likely since the internet is a big place), share it with us over on Draftsim’s Twitter using #MTGtattoo.
As for me, I’m a big fan of Ashiok so my wheels are starting to turn for tattoo ideas. Keep showing off your MTG love permanently (or just temporarily), and I’ll see you all next time!
Follow Draftsim for awesome articles and set updates:
Add Comment