If you’re strapped for tattoo ideas and want a dark subject to wear on your arm, back, torso, consider the Grim Reaper. Grim reaper tattoos for men are quite popular for a variety of reasons. It’s not just the Gothic cosplayers and fans of Gothic icons and Halloween lovers that want to have the Grim Reaper tattooed on their skin.
People have iconized the Death for centuries. Since the fifteenth century, the Reaper has been pictured as a robed, hooded figure wielding a scythe (and maybe an hourglass). It is a symbol of inescapable death, an icon to be feared because it turns up unexpectedly like a thief in the night.
The scythe is what he cuts down lives with. The flowing sand in the hourglass is a reminder that time is short. Wear the Angel of Death on your body to remind you that our days are numbered or to remind yourself each time you look in the mirror, as in the words of the popular Blue Oyster Cult song “don’t fear the reaper”; live each day to the fullest.
Whatever draws you to the icon of the grim reaper, you can’t ignore the fact that grim reaper tattoos for men can be visually powerful, awe-inspiring, frightening, thought-provoking, moody, even comical, and always a great ice breaker. There are many ways to wear the tattoo. Typically Death is pictured in black, moody robes and the iconic scythe. The flowing robes make for a very versatile subject to place on various parts of the body.
Ideas and Meanings for Angel of Death Tattoos for Men
Your tattoo artist will ask you for your ideas on how you want Death to be represented in ink. The tall figure of the reaper makes for a good large tattoo on the biceps or the forearm. You can either go for a full-figure portrayal or just the hooded head, with fine and shadowy, contrasted detailing of Death’s skeletal features. Grim, somber colors are best suited for this dark subject matter.
If black shadows are too grim for you, you could go for a more cartoonish picture with clean lines and maybe a quote or phrase to represent what the Reaper means to you. You could picture him as Father Time (as in old Celtic folklore) or Saturn or Cronus, like the ancient Greeks and Romans pictured him.
Monochrome is great, but artists can also add color to make your tattoo pop and turn it into something less broody (though not necessarily less frightening). With your back as a canvas, you could let the tattoo artist draw up the reaper playing dice, which is a symbol of how randomly he could choose his victims. For an even more elaborate tattoo, you could have the Grim Reaper embracing or entwined with Life (perhaps pictured as a young woman), which shows the two sides of our being.
If smaller and less dramatic tattoos are what you’re looking for, think about a stylized Reaper that looks just as striking, in a more subtle way. If you think you’re going to tire of looking at the reaper’s face every morning in the mirror, then an unobtrusive yet stylish stylized tattoo of Death is the way to go.
As you can see, your Grim Reaper tattoo can be horrifying and dark, or a subtle reminder that The Clock Is Ticking. When getting the tattoo done, make sure that it is not too overpowering – or you’ll scare away the ladies (unless that is your intention). But note that it’s not just men who wear the Reaper. He is quite popular with women too!
Check out the best grim reaper tattoos for men
This grim reaper tattoo is dark and daring, just perfect for a bold man. The shades of black are artfully created, so that each lighter part is heavily emphasized, therefore creating a remarkable visual effect even without using various colors.
The grim reaper gets a new and fresh approach. This is one grim reappear tattoo design that focuses on the aesthetic appeal of the grim reaper, portrayed as an attractive woman. It reveals her body without being overexposed.
Few grim reaper tattoos manage to blend colors nicely. This is certainly one of them. The combination between black, red, orange and grey along with the suggestive message create a pretty simple, yet strong piece of art.
This tattoo only shows the face of the grim reaper. However, it is a highly powerful one. The scythe is combined with the hourglass, suggesting that everyone’s time in this world is running out. It is a strong reminder of the frailty of life.
The faceless grim reaper rules above the fallen angel holding on to the hourglass. It can either mean that even angels can die or that not even the holy creatures can stop time from flying by.
This is one of the grim reaper tattoo ideas that won’t fail to impress. It is mostly black, but the colors used here and there create an outstanding masterpiece. It is ideal for a large part of the body to fully display its details.
If you want a half-sleeve that everyone will remember, this is certainly a good option. The tattoo artist used various shades to create a decaying grim reaper on the whole arm. You can bet that this will make a memory.
The details are very well represented in this grim reaper tattoos idea. But the eyes are the part that truly stands out. The grim reaper is depicted as having a black face and the fiery eyes are the first thing that one notices.
This grim reaper and his scythe are apparently pretty simple, yet this unsophisticated design shows that you don’t need a big design to create a great tattoo. It is the classic portrayal of this dreary character.
The reaper presides over time and forlorn souls. He is faceless and his scythe is more powerful than life or time. No one can escape the taste of his scythe and all shall perish sooner or later.