The overwhelming success of the Marvel film franchise has cultivated a diehard fandom. It is no surprise that Marvel fans choose to get tattoos dedicated to their favorite characters, and out of all Marvel characters, none has generated such a devoted following as Thanos.

A controversial figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos assembled the six Infinity Stones in order to bring balance to the cosmos by annihilating half of all life forms across the universe.

For some of the edgier Marvel fans, Thanos was an MCU villain with a noble-if not extreme-purpose, saving the universe from extinction due to over-population and creating a better world for the remaining life forms. Never mind that 50% of all life would be eradicated.

While some Marvel fans choose a cool superhero like Iron Man, Hawkeye or Incredible Hulk tattoo, for others an Avengers tattoo dedicated to the ultimate bad guy is the only way to go.

Each Thanos tattoo in this gallery is a great example of what is possible with a talented tattoo artist and dramatic comic book villain as inspiration.

1. Black and Gray Thanos Series

Source: @cbastian.ink via Instagram

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Source: @midgardcadaver_tattoo via Instagram

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With the bright colors used in dramatic depictions of Thanos, both in films and comic books, some may be surprised that a hard core reader or viewer would choose a black and gray approach to their Thanos tattoo. However, the menacing visage of the Mad Titan is well suited to this classic approach. These excellent Marvel tattoos use black and gray ink to create unique designs with the ultimate MCU villain as their subject.