There’s no denying the fact that the Harry Potter book series is one of the most popular in the world, and the content found in those works is rife with inspiration for tattoos.

Originally thought of as a children’s tale, the story of Harry Potter by JK Rowling includes elements that speak to nearly everyone, and the Dementors of Azkaban represent one of the darkest and most mysterious aspects of the series.

Dementors are cloaked wraithlike creatures that guard the wizard prison of Azkaban. They aren’t human, but they have a distinctly human shape despite their obvious magical quality. They’re so horrible they suck all the hope and happiness from you and fill you with despair and hopelessness.

They were introduced in the third book, when they swooped down on Hogwarts Express in search of the escaped wizard Sirius Black. Hogwarts Express is the train that Harry Potter and other young wizards take to reach the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The terrifying creatures have no facial features beyond their black mouths, through which they can administer their most notorious punishment: the Dementor’s Kiss. While that sounds innocuous enough, it results in the victim losing their soul.

Dementor tattoo designs are common among men who enjoyed the Harry Potter series not only because they represent an unknown fear that even the protagonist of the story himself could barely overcome, but also because their imagery is stoic and gaunt.

The creatures appear to be under the control of the good wizards, considering they guard the prison in the wizarding world, but they are much more in league with the Dark Lord Voldemort, the main antagonist in the Harry Potter universe. 

That ambiguity speaks to many who feel the Dementors are more than mere magical creatures, but that they actually have consciousness and free will.