Drawn and inked by master artists, Lord of the Rings tattoo ideas try to capture the fantasy world in the best way possible. From certain LOTR quotes to specific locations, these tattoos are always a fantastic sight, not only for Lord of the Rings fans. Also, these tattoos aren’t stuck on the movies alone. Lord of the Rings tattoos capture the characters and locations from the books, movies, and series. The only limit is your creativity… or the tattoo artist's.
As with all fantasy tattoo ideas, you can go as big or as small as you want. If you are one of the more daring ones, go for an armband tattoo of your favorite character. The choice is large. You can go for Gandalf the Grey or Sam the Brave. If you like the character very much, it's only natural to get a tattoo. However, if large tattoo ideas, such as a Lord of the Rings sleeve tattoo, are not your favorite, there are always word tattoos from J.R.R. Tolkien quotes. They are the ones that mix the elements of the lore-rich world with quotes from books or movies. Just sit down, watch the 10-hour original trilogy, or read three books, and pick out the quotes you like.
So, if you are looking for the right LOTR tattoo, you can take a breather. In the list below, we have compiled the tattoos that perfectly capture the Lord of the Rings world in the best way possible. Make sure to upvote the designs that you liked the most. If you are a fan, share the creative tattoos people should get.
This post may include affiliate links.
Anduril Tattoo
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!
Ending Scene From The Movie "Lord Of The Rings" Tattoo
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!
Incredible Arwen Tattoo
Fellowship Of The Ring Tattoo
Glad to see text other than "Not all who wander are lost." It's a great quote, but so overused it's become trite. Overall, this is really nice!
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.
Aragorn Tattoo
Spine Piece Lord Of The Rings Tattoo
Cutesy Gollum Holding The Most Precious Sian Tattoo
Gandalf Lord Of The Rings Tattoo
Healed Gollum Tattoo
Sauron Tattoo
Lord Of The Rings Tattoo
Cute Frodo Tattoo
Gandalf & Saruman Riding A Golf Cart Tattoo
Shards Of Narsil Tattoo
"I might be biased, but this is my favorite iteration of the shards of Narsil by far. Done by Martin Kelly at body electric tattoo in LA."
First Session Of “Lord Of The Rings” Leg Project Tattoo
Gandalf Tattoo
I'm not sure what Gandalf looked like in my head before the movies, but for the rest of my life he will always be pictured as Ian McKellan.
Little Hobbit House Tattoo
Arwen From The Lord Of The Rings Tattoo
"I’m so excited to post this Arwen piece, I have been holding myself back since last night when we finished it. I’ve never been a big Lord of the Rings fan but believe it or not doing this piece inspired me to finally pick up the book series."
Cute Balrog Tattoo
The Leaves Of Lorien Fall Tattoo
Lord Of The Rings Tattoo
Sauron Tattoo
LOTR Leg Sleeve Tattoo Done With Arwen
My Precious Tattoo
The Tower Of Sauron/The Eye Tattoo
"Dave at Ink Therapy Tattoo Jamesburg NJ."
A Simple But Beautiful Lord Of The Rings Inspired Tattoo
A Traditional Interpretation Of The Eye Of Sauron Tattoo
"By Joe Mallard at North St. Salem, MA."
Lady Of Light – Galadriel Tattoo
I must say, I do not like this one at all. Looks off. Just my personal opinion:D
I want one with "to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have - that is madness!" which is a quote from Boromir
Ex has Sting (Bilbo's/Frodo's sword) tattoed on one leg.
I can't imagine getting permanent ink for a movie or band or book. We change, it feels like the best thing ever for maybe years but suddenly something new is so much better. Big mistake getting stuck on just one thing so much, the world is huge, colourful and ever evolving.
I want one with "to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have - that is madness!" which is a quote from Boromir
Ex has Sting (Bilbo's/Frodo's sword) tattoed on one leg.
I can't imagine getting permanent ink for a movie or band or book. We change, it feels like the best thing ever for maybe years but suddenly something new is so much better. Big mistake getting stuck on just one thing so much, the world is huge, colourful and ever evolving.
