It’s hard to get more badass than a skull tattoo. But there’s more to these classic subjects than bikers and swashbucklers. Symbols for death and mortality, skulls can be found in the art and folklore of cultures worldwide. From Aztec rituals to Hindu temples, people have been fascinated by the power of these skeletal remains for centuries. 

When it comes to ink, skull tattoos look good in just about any placement, whether on the shoulder, chest or even the hand. They are also versatile in design and style, looking equally good as standalone pieces or as smaller elements incorporated into larger designs.

Whatever the case, the inks in this collection are sure to give you plenty of inspiration for your next tattoo design and placement. 

1. Sugar Skull Tattoo

The Mexican tradition of Dia De Los Muertos — or the Day of the Dead — is when people celebrate their departed loved ones in a festival of music, food and drink, and with sugar skulls that represent the spirits of the dead. This makes sugar skull tattoos particularly meaningful inks that are more celebratory than mournful.

2. Bull Skull Tattoo

Symbols of strength, vitality and natural power, bulls can make for some impressive ink. When stripped of the flesh, revealing the bone beneath, bull tattoos are even more striking, adding a level of morbidity to these powerful creatures and what they represent. 

3. Skull and Rose Tattoo

Life and death: few designs could perfectly capture the beauty of existence and the inevitability of our demise better than a skull and rose tattoos. For those who want a piece to show off their understanding of the duality of life, this could be the one.

4. Deer Skull Tattoo

These majestic creatures hold various symbolisms depending on which culture and tradition they are viewed by. However, they almost always represent the power of nature, a symbolism made even more potent by the inevitable demise depicted in deer skull tattoos.