135 Lord of the Rings Tattoo Ideas To Rule Over Them All

What are some Symbols used in Lord of the Rings? 

If you’re stumped about where to begin with picking out your new LOTR tattoo or where to start your design, one of the symbols used in the books or the movies might be a good place to start. Here are three of the most well-known Lord of the Rings symbols for your consideration: 

The Rings of Power. The Rings of Power hold immense but corrupting power. Sauron's One Ring grants unimaginable power but corrupts the wearer. The Three Elven Rings have a different, constructive power. For example, Galadriel's ring grants her the power of foresight, which she uses responsibly, as seen when she rejects the One Ring from Frodo.

The Sword of Elendil. The Sword that was Broken, once owned by Elendil, an ancestor of Aragorn, was shattered during the Siege of Barad-dûr. Aragorn, Elendil's distant heir, carries its fragments. After it's reforged in Rivendell and renamed Andúril, it symbolizes Aragorn's greatness and his quest to reclaim his birthright. Like Aragorn himself, the sword starts as a broken relic but transforms into a powerful and beautiful weapon.

The Mirror of Galadriel. Galadriel's mirror symbolizes the uncertainty of knowledge and the inevitability of fate. When gazing into it, one sees past, present, and potential events, but it's unclear which is which. You can't change what's shown. The reasons behind these events don't matter; it's how you use the knowledge that counts—either responsibly or for harm. Even Galadriel, powerful as she is, can't control the mirror's visions. Fate's force in Middle-earth is unstoppable.

Whether you choose to get the Lord of the Rings sword tattoo or something entirely else, like a minimalist Lord of the Rings tattoo, make sure that the tattoo design truly speaks to you! 

What did the LOTR cast get Tattooed? 

You might have heard this interesting LOTR fact before – while filming the movies, the cast decided to commemorate the fact by getting matching tattoos. And all of them truly did, except for John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli. However, his stunt double got the Lord of the Rings cast tattoo instead of him. 

Curious to learn what the design was? Since the main cast members were nine in total, they chose to get the number 9 written in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Elvish Tengwar script as their design. You will find a photo of it further down on our Lord of the Rings tattoo ideas list! 

Meanings Behind the Most Popular LOTR Tattoo Ideas

It is absolutely expected for some Lord of the Rings tattoo designs to be a bit more popular than others, but that doesn’t mean we all know the exact tattoo design meanings behind them. To help you with that, we gathered a couple of the most popular ones and found explanations to go along with the designs. 

Tree of Gondor tattoo meaning – The White Tree of Gondor is known in the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a symbol of renewal and hope.

Gandalf tattoo meaning - it’s a symbol of pure and never ending friendship. 

Hobbit tattoo meaning - a symbol of determination, curiosity, and strong will. 

Lord of the Rings ring tattoo meaning - a symbol of odd-defying commitment. 

Map of Middle Earth tattoo meaning - this design symbolizes the wish for adventure.

The Eye of Sauron tattoo meaning - the watchful eye of evil. 

With all that in mind, you can always come up with your own Lord of the Rings tattoo design. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an obvious symbol plucked from the books or the movies! Most important for a design, though, is for it to be meaningful and beautiful to no other but you. 

From fandom to fine art, check out our top tattoo ideas inspired by stories, style, and symbolism.