50+ Dragon Ball Tattoo Designs And Meanings

Dragon Ball is one of the oldest animated series, that took many children and adults alike to the world of anime, martial arts, fight, friendship, and even space invasion. Given that many children grew up watching these series that only seemed to grow with them, it doesn’t surprise us that this anime exactly served as an inspiration to get a DB-themed tattoo.

That said, if you’re looking for a way to go back to childhood or share the love for the Dragon Ball Z anime, maybe a tattoo will help. We dug and searched for the best Dragon ball tattoo design ideas that you can use for your tattoo or help you make a better one, make sure to check them out.

Tattoos became extremely popular in the last few years. Additionally, one of the most inked symbols is exactly from anime and other animated series or movies. Dragon Ball spiked the popularity of anime in the 90s and even the 2000s. Moreover, further introductions of Dragon Ball Z and Super and other series just contributed to the culture being passed on to generations.

If you want to pay tribute to your favorite animated series, you should continue reading through this article!

Dragon Ball Tattoo Meanings

Dragon Ball is one of the most impactful anime series that you can watch as an anime fan, or regardless. It sends a rich and powerful message about friendship, power, hard work, and much more. It also has rich character development, which if you’ve seen anime you probably know.

One important thing is the story about courage. The episodes revolve around wondrous and epic fight scenes, which doesn’t surprise us as it’s a mix of action and shonen anime. Given that many children grew up watching them, and this series shaped their way of thinking and interests, it’s safe to assume that many are looking to ink some of the characters or other symbols on their bodies.

The original Dragon Ball series starts with an alien boy called Goku. He’s different than other children, as, besides his odd spiky hair, he also has an odd monkey tail. He met a teenage girl called Bulma, and other friends who guided him through the world of problems and challenges.

Goku and his friends set out on multiple adventures to discover and capture seven Dragon Balls. With all of them collected, they could summon the mystic and legendary dragon Shenron. With Shenron summoned, anyone who summoned him could as for a wish that Shenron would grant.

Besides the quest of finding the legendary dragon, Goku and his friends were taking on other quests, from freeing a village, to fighting aliens and competing in worldwide championships and tournaments.

Dragon Balls get extended with Dragon Ball Z which takes place five years after the events of Dragon Ball, which takes place after Goku grows up. Needless to say, enemies are stronger, more alien and the main characters even take quests that are on other planets.

Nowadays, the Dragon Balls keep living through different integrations and implementations in the TV industry. There are various extensions like Dragon Balls Super and Dragon Balls Go. Moreover, there are video games that were developed for various platforms and gained popularity around the world.

There has even been a Live-Action implementation of the animated series, but it wasn’t as successful as other animated series.

Like we said before, people who want to get a tattoo of Dragon Balls or other symbols and characters from the series usually want to express appreciation and admiration for the series that either helped them grow up or emerge into the world of anime.

Dragon Balls tattoos are quite popular as crossover tattoos too when one person would get a large tattoo of multiple characters from the Dragon Balls and other classic anime series that marked the childhood of many people who followed them such as Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, and others.

Types of Dragon Balls Tattoos To Get

When it comes to getting a tattoo with the Dragon Balls symbols, there are different symbols that you can consider. If you don’t know what exactly from the series you can ink on your body, here is a list of potential ideas that you can catch on and get a stunning tattoo that you can flaunt with.

Dragon Balls: Dragon balls that inspired the name for the series are the most essential and most important symbol of the anime. That’s exactly why it’s a good tattoo. Once you collect them, you can summon the dragon that can grant you a wish.

Shenron: Everyone likes dragons. It’s one of the most commonly inked tattoos in the tattoo market. Shenron is the large, snake-shaped green dragon with vicious red eyes and a deep voice. Once summoned he’ll grant you a wish. It’s popularly tattooed and that often with the dragon balls combined.

Four-star Dragon Ball: It’s one of the more popular tattoos because Goku designed a hat with the 4-star Dragonball for his son Gokhan, after his grandpa Gokhan. That’s why exactly this Dragonball became the most popular for getting a tattoo.

Goku: The main character of the Dragon Balls series is a child with nothing but a monkey-shaped tail. He’s hilarious, innocent, and curious about the world that surrounds him. His character development is exactly why many choose to get the tattoo of him.

Master Roshi: One of the most exciting characters, great fighter, but also a pervert. Many people loved the sense of humor of Master Roshi and they often get him tattooed on their body.

Vegeta: The prince Vegeta has always been an interesting character of Dragon Ball Z. It often appears among the fans who have watched both series.

Piccolo: Piccolo is a character who comes from the planet Namek. He fought Goku but after a while, he joined close with the entire crew. His interesting physique and strength are a reason many people get that symbol tattooed.

Best Dragon Ball Z Tattoo Designs

Now that we highlighted several interesting tattoo ideas regarding the Dragon Balls, let’s take a look at the best individual designs that we listed. Make sure to check them out and see which one works the best out for you.

Simple Dragon Ball Tattoo

Some people are aiming for very simple and easy-to ink tattoos which is great because minimalism in tattoos is often seen nowadays. You can get a simple tattoo of the dragon, Goku, or some other character. Still, the best option to go with is a single dragon ball.

Each dragon ball is necessary for the dragon to be summoned and be able to grant a wish. That said, even a single dragon ball can offer a glimpse of hope into the future. People who wear these tattoos believe in curiosity, miracles, and power. They are also people of adventurous spirit. We believe that no matter which Dragon Ball tattoo you choose, you won’t make a mistake, as long as you make it simple and minimalistic.

7 Dragon Balls Tattoo

If you’re not comfortable with a single Dragon Ball tattoo and you’d like to experiment with a larger set of options, or you want to reinstall the entire summoning of Shenron the dragon, you’re best to pick all 7 balls.

These tattoos are usually quite minimalistic and small, which is good if you’re trying to hide the tattoo from someone. Many people use these tattoos to showcase the magic inside of them and to emphasize that they’re the dragon that needs the summoning. In that case, the balls are a symbol of strength and power and can symbolize much more than just that.

Dragon Ball Z Tattoo Arm

Just like with most tattoos, arms become everyone’s favorite position. You can easily hide it with a long sleeve, or showcase it quite well with sleeveless or short sleeves shirts. These tattoos are usually covered in vibrant and vivid shades. Don’t worry, you can also go with a minimalistic black and white design.

Like you can see, we shared a couple of tattoo arm designs that you can use as an inspiration of your own. You can use the dragon balls and the dragon on your arm. You can ink the main characters and flaunt their power. Lastly, you can even go with the DBZ option and ink Frieza and his brother in the tattoo.

We also like the black and white Kamehameha wave implementation of Goku, because it’s super detailed and it’s guaranteed to keep your eyes lined on your great tattoo if you go with a similar design.

Also Read: Guide to Brother and Sister Tattoos: 70+ Best Design Ideas

4-Star Dragon Ball Tattoo

The four-star dragon ball is quite important in the series, but more so in the Dragon Ball Z implementation of the animated series. First and foremost, the four-star dragon ball is the first ball that Goku had, and the one that was passed on him from Grandpa Gohan. He also used the same ball to search for Raditz and his son in the Raditz Saga.

He installed the ball on his son’s Gohan’s hat in the Dragon Ball Z, as a remembrance of his father, and Gohan’s grandpa, after whom he was named. Symbolically, it’s interesting that the Namekian dragon ball that Vegeta stole was also containing four stars, although it was significantly bigger.

With that in mind, the first dragon ball in the series is a great inspiration for people who want to get it tattooed. If you want a single dragon ball tattoo, you should go for the 4-star one.

Goku Super-Saiyan Tattoo

The Super-Saiyan mode unlocks the various powers and abilities of everyone who possesses it. That’s why it’s the symbol of power and strength throughout the animated series, manga, and even games. Some people are also more fond of Goku’s appearance, as well as Vegeta’s while they are in that appearance.

That said, it’s one of the most powerful forms in the anime, which is why it doesn’t surprise us when it appears in the tattoos. We also featured two quite stunning designs that are full of power and action. Hopefully, they’ll help inspire you for your next tattoo.

Vegeta Tattoo

Even though this is yet another tattoo that was inspired by the Dragon Ball Z series and not the original Dragon Balls, it’s important to note that Vegeta is among the most demanded tattoos. That’s because he became the most favorite character of many, exactly because he was able to defeat his toxic and prideful side full of vanity.

He is the fallen prince of the Fallen Saiyan race, he married Bulma, but initially, he came with bad intentions. That’s why it’s one of the most important character developments in anime history. That’s why it earned a place for a stylish and empowering tattoo. It doesn’t matter whether you’ll go for a simple or a larger design, Vegeta looks great everywhere!

Bulma Tattoo

Opinions on Bulma as a character are split. Some find her maturing character development to be great and aspiring for many girls watching the anime. Nevertheless, some also make her decisions and choices to be wrong, especially in the Dragon Ball Z series.

We love Bulma’s tattoo designs because they are the symbol of femininity, power, strength, and courage. Bulma showed all of those because she followed through with Goku’s adventures from the start. Although they got in all sorts of troubles, Bulma also grew with Goku, Krillin, and others, staying by their side no matter what.

Bulma can be a symbol of a powerful friendship, so it doesn’t surprise us when someone wants to get her tattoo. These tattoos will help inspire you.

Dragon Ball Tattoo Black And White

We didn’t want to share too many black and white tattoos here because many tattoos here are already black and white. Additionally, some of the designs we showcased that were colorful would look just as great and minimalist if they only had black and white texture.

Black and white tattoos are more popular among those who prefer manga over anime. Still, everyone loved both manga and series at their prime age. If you want to get a tattoo sleeve or some small and hardly noticeable tattoo, it’s a great idea to go with a black and white tattoo.

The Frieza tattoo looks better exactly because it’s black and white. It emphasizes its malice and evilness, as well as greed and hunger for power. Sometimes, black and white tattoos can help show exactly the right emotions some characters possessed.

Dragon Ball Tattoo Sleeve

Some people are so attached to the tattoos as well as the DB story, they’ll be more than happy to retell it with their tattoos. Tattoo sleeves have that storytelling power to them because the tattoo is large and it can look like a carousel.

There is a lot of flexibility when it comes to getting a sleeve tattoo. That’s exactly why we listed multiple Dragon Balls designs you may be interested in taking the inspiration from. You can play with the black and white designs which are the easiest. Additionally, you can take the advantage of colorful outfits and characters to add more life to your sleeve.

The only downfall is that it takes quite a long to make and hurts a lot in the process too. Still, you can tattoo it in multiple sessions.

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Dragon Ball Z Small Tattoo

If you’re more inspired by small tattoos, maybe you should see into smaller tattoos. We decided to list a few because not everyone is comfortable with their tattoos being seen. Some people’s employers and colleagues make problems over tattoos, especially if they’re based on an anime that isn’t that accepted everywhere.

Hiding behind a small tattoo is also good for people who are concerned about their parents judging them or getting angry over a tattoo. You can make a variety of small tattoos. Some are more suitable in hidden places, while some will look great everywhere. While you should use one-color designs on the less prominent place you can also experiment with different shades as well as watercolors.

Dragon Ball Back Tattoo

Similar to sleeve tattoos, back tattoos also have a storytelling intent. That’s why they’re super-popular. They can display battle, or a large Kamehameha wave, or a certain event from the series. Still, a lot of people could also use it to illustrate Shenron’s power.

If you choose to get a back tattoo, you can also ink a small design on your back shoulder or your lower back, the choice is in its entirety yours. We’re particularly in love with the minimalistic Shenron design that is surrounded by flowers and other symbols.

Dragon Ball Forearm Tattoo

When you’re not ready to take the major step of getting your entire arm turned into a tattoo sleeve, even a forearm seems bold enough. Here are different designs, from aliens to Goku throwing a super-powerful Kamehameha. All the tattoos are thought of extremely well and give a lot of attention to detail.

The forearm can be a little tricky area, since the veins are close, and the layer of skin can cause a little pain during tattooing. Still, remember that shading doesn’t hurt as much so you probably won’t face that many difficulties getting a tattoo on your forearm.

Shenron Dragon Ball Z Tattoo

Shenron is pretty much the star of the Dragon Balls, especially early in the show, when characters are seen collecting the dragon balls for the first time. Once collected, the balls will summon the dragon, large, scary, and vicious. Shenron will grant one wish to those who summoned it. In most cases, it’s the resurrection of a loved character who died.

If you mix the powerful role of Shenron, and other important symbols of dragons as a tattoo, you can have a great result. We enjoy the design that was used with the tattoos. They’re crisp, detailed, and well-fitting.

Dragon Balls Young Goku Tattoo

Even though Vegeta is considered to have the strongest character development, many people still think that the character development of Goku is great. He came from a small child who knows nothing about the world but to fight, to a strong tournament champion, husband, and father.

His character development shows how he started from a weak, but brave boy and that courage has led him through the series and all the challenges that he and his friends faced. With that in mind, the Young Goku tattoo can be a symbol of youth, innocence, being naïve, scared yet brave, and much more.

Also Read: Guide to Father and Daughter Tattoos: 80+ Best Design Ideas

Dragon Ball Z Gohan Tattoo

Through the Dragon Balls Z, we get to meet Gohan, Goku’s son who is more often than not an easy target thanks to his hat. He’s scared and not adjusted to rough and intense life. However, he quickly grew to be courageous and strong. He uses the advice of his father and friends to get stronger at this game.

Most tattoos are solely focused on Goku rather than Gohan, as many don’t make it far in the DBZ series. Nevertheless, Gohan is an important character with great character development. More importantly, he’s a creative and innovative tattoo design to consider.

One of the reasons why people get him tattooed along with Goku is because he’s exactly his son, and with this bond, some people want to cherish the family bond between them and their father. Many people resonate with anime characters, so it doesn’t surprise when two people get a tattoo of two matching characters to represent them and their mother or father.

Also, Gohan is the first character that appears to have both the blood of a Saiyan and Earthling.

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