Tattooed Crook: Difference between revisions

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*** {{spoiler|Arlong and much of his crew all sport these tattoos because they were once members of the Pirates of the Sun.}}

** Trafalgar Law has a number of tattoos, including "Smile" tattoos on his arms, tiny cross-shapes on the backs of his hands, and "DEATH" on his fingers.

* One of Nozomu's co-teachers, Jinroku in ''[[Sayonara Zetsubou ~~Sensei~~]]'' has a large Yakuza tattoo on his back, which scares the titular protagonist.

* One of Nozomu's co-teachers, Jinroku in ''[[Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei]]'' has a large Yakuza tattoo on his back, which scares the titular protagonist.

** In one episode where Nozomu comments on getting through life by ignoring unpleasant things, he sees a guy walk by with a dragon tattoo on his arm. He shudders and comments, "Ignoring that."

* Mugen from ''[[Samurai Champloo]]'' has blue rings tattooed around his wrists, to mark him as a convict.

* The target of the week in the ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'' episode "Heavy Metal Queen" was described to have a dragon tattoo, which caused some cofusion as bounty hunters looked for the right guy.

* Gene from ''[[Outlaw Star]]'' has a tattoo of a star on his bicep. And is [[Exactly What It Says On the Tin|an outlaw]].

* Gene from ''[[Outlaw Star]]'' has a tattoo of a star on his bicep. And is [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|an outlaw]].

* Mion Sonozaki has a large yakuza tattoo on her back in ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni]]''. It's also a major plot point, {{spoiler|since ''Shion'' should have gotten it instead, but a [[Twin Switch]] screwed all up}}.

* Mion Sonozaki has a large yakuza tattoo on her back in ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni]]''. It's also a major plot point, {{spoiler|since ''Shion'' should have gotten it instead, but a [[Twin Switch]] screwed all up}}.

* Orochimaru's Curse Seals from ''[[Naruto]]'' are magical tattoos that let you go [[One-Winged Angel]] that he gives to his [[Evil Minions]].

* The leader of the clown gang in ''[[~~Akira (Manga)|~~Akira]]'' has a clown face tattooed on both his arms.

* The leader of the clown gang in ''[[Akira]]'' has a clown face tattooed on both his arms.

* In ''[[Black Cat (~~Manga~~)|Black Cat]]'', Train has a tattoo of the number XIII on his chest. It signifies that he belonged to [[Nebulous Evil Organization|Chronos]], and is generally viewed by people as being fearsome. He doesn't seem to mind showing it though.

* In ''[[Black Cat (manga)|Black Cat]]'', Train has a tattoo of the number XIII on his chest. It signifies that he belonged to [[Nebulous Evil Organization|Chronos]], and is generally viewed by people as being fearsome. He doesn't seem to mind showing it though.

* Many characters in ''[[Gokusen]]'' like to let their jacket fall open to reveal a heavily tattooed shoulder, for intimidation purposes. Kumiko sometimes does this unconsciously while yelling at her students (although she doesn't seem to have any tattoos).

* Delinquent Jacuzzi Splot from ''[[~~Baccano (Light Novel)|~~Baccano]]!'' has a scimitar tattooed on his face, as a symbol of solidarity to Nice, who got her face scarred in an accident.

* Delinquent Jacuzzi Splot from ''[[Baccano]]!'' has a scimitar tattooed on his face, as a symbol of solidarity to Nice, who got her face scarred in an accident.

* In ''[[~~King of Thorn (Manga)|~~King of Thorn]]'', Marco Owen is identified by the other survivors as a criminal due to his prominent prison tattoos.

* In ''[[King of Thorn]]'', Marco Owen is identified by the other survivors as a criminal due to his prominent prison tattoos.

* Inverted example in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh]]'': while Marik Ishtar is a [[Big Bad]] and the leader of his own criminal organization, what caused him to become a crook in the first place was the painful coming of age ritual where he received his large tattoo covering his back. This tattoo is merely associated with becoming Pharaoh Atem's tombkeeper and not with crime; however, this reception of the tattoo augmented Marik's hatred toward Atem as well as created his [[Super-Powered Evil Side]], which he would harbor until he would actually become an active [[Big Bad]].

* Inverted example in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'': while Marik Ishtar is a [[Big Bad]] and the leader of his own criminal organization, what caused him to become a crook in the first place was the painful coming of age ritual where he received his large tattoo covering his back. This tattoo is merely associated with becoming Pharaoh Atem's tombkeeper and not with crime; however, this reception of the tattoo augmented Marik's hatred toward Atem as well as created his [[Super-Powered Evil Side]], which he would harbor until he would actually become an active [[Big Bad]].

** Also, Marik's stepbrother Rishid/Odion has a tattoo on the right side of his face.

*** Played straight in 5D's, criminals are given facial scar-like tattoos when incarcerated, even for seemingly minor crimes.

* Cabbage from ''[[Rainbow ~~Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin (Manga)|Rainbow:~~ Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin]]'' has a tattoo on his bicep. His criminal activities are just an act of violence while drunk, but it's possible he had the crime pinned on him because the suspicious tattoo.

* Cabbage from ''[[Rainbow Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin]]'' has a tattoo on his bicep. His criminal activities are just an act of violence while drunk, but it's possible he had the crime pinned on him because the suspicious tattoo.

* Horada from ''[[Durarara]]!!'' sports a butterfly tattoo on his left wrist. The butterfly logo also can be found on his shirt and the hood of his car. {{spoiler|He is also one of the more ruthless gang members, also being a former Blue Square higher-up that was involved in the kidnapping and crippling of Kida's girlfriend Saki}}.

* ''[[Twentieth Century Boys]]'' features two tattooed former criminals, one Thai and the other Italian, who have both become Catholic priests.

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* ''[[Sin City]]'' has the occaisional tattooed criminal with the most obvious example actually comoing from a corrupt federal agent who had a big black tattoo of an eagle across his face.

* El Diablo from the 2011 ''[[Suicide Squad]]'' series, a slumlord turned holy man with tats all over his upper body; the ones on his head in particular make it look like a skull.

* After Hun was brought into the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mirage ~~(Comic Book)~~|Mirage comics]] from the [[~~TMNT~~ 2003|second cartoon]], his stylized Dragon tattoo was made exponentially more elaborate, full of scales and covering his entire arm.

* After Hun was brought into the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mirage|Mirage comics]] from the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003|second cartoon]], his stylized Dragon tattoo was made exponentially more elaborate, full of scales and covering his entire arm.

== Fanfiction ==

* ''[[Kyon: ~~Big Damn Hero (Fanfic)|Kyon~~ Big Damn Hero]]'' has Tsuruya's father [[Large and In Charge|Kenshiro]] and her bodyguard Kasai. Both of them belong to [[Yakuza]].

* ''[[Kyon: Big Damn Hero]]'' has Tsuruya's father [[Large and In Charge|Kenshiro]] and her bodyguard Kasai. Both of them belong to [[Yakuza]].

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* Another serial killer, the titular ''[[Red Dragon]]'' (nicknamed "the Tooth Fairy" by the media) had a whole-back tattoo based on a William Blake painting of a demon.

* Captain Jack Sparrow from ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' has plenty, including the trademark Sparrow tattoo on his arm.

* Seth in ''[[From Dusk ~~Till~~ Dawn]]''

* Seth in ''[[From Dusk till Dawn]]''

* The skinheads in ''This Is England'' have home made tattoos. At one point, they give a Shaun one too, a cross on [[Knuckle Tattoos|his left middle finger]].

* The Finglerling in ''[[The Number 23]]''.

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* Nig in ''Once Were Warriors''. In an unusual but in-setting variation, his tattoos are a mixture of criminal gang markings and traditional Māori face markings, or ta moko.

* Max Cady in ''[[Cape Fear]]'' has his torso completely covered with tattoos of Bible verses, a broken heart, and a cross, among other things. To quote an officer seeing him shirtless, "I don't know whether to look at him or read him."

* Toorop, the mercenary protagonist played by Vin Diesel in ''[[Babylon AD]]''

* Toorop, the mercenary protagonist played by Vin Diesel in ''[[Babylon A.D.]]''

* In Disney's ''[[Peter Pan]]'', Hook sings:

{{quote| As a special offer for today, / I'll tell you what I'll do / All those who sign without delay / will get a free tattoo...}}

* Cole from ''[[~~Twelve~~ Monkeys ~~(Film)~~|Twelve Monkeys]]'' has two barcodes tattooed on his neck, that reveal that he was convicted for violent crimes.

* Cole from ''[[12 Monkeys|Twelve Monkeys]]'' has two barcodes tattooed on his neck, that reveal that he was convicted for violent crimes.

* Ivan Vanko from ''[[Iron Man (~~Film~~)|Iron Man]] 2'' is covered in Russian prison tattoos.

* Ivan Vanko from ''[[Iron Man (film)|Iron Man]] 2'' is covered in Russian prison tattoos.

* Subverted in ''The New Guy'', in a prison yard scene where a heavily tattooed [[Henry Rollins]] is one of many shirtless men applying tattoos. When the prison guard comes up to him, he is forced to put on a shirt, revealing he is in fact the Warden.

* The bikers in ''[[Hell Ride]]''. Small plot point comes from villain Billy Wings who has different colour wings tattooed on him to mark sexual transgressions, including purple wings for "licking dead pussy".

* ''[[Curse of the Zodiac]]'' features a killer with unexplained tattoos printed on the left side of his neck.

* Most of the gang members in [[Sin Nombre]] are heavily tattooed. L'il Mago, the leader of the gang, takes this trope [[Up to Eleven]], [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__BqlxfEVGSg/S0OMM6iiZpI/AAAAAAAABpA/IiEIVivImsU/s400/sin+nombre+1.jpg as seen here.]

* ''[[Teen Wolf (~~Film~~)|Teen Wolf]]'': The basketball coach, who apparently has a very sordid personal life, advises Michael J. Fox to never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.

* ''[[Teen Wolf (film)|Teen Wolf]]'': The basketball coach, who apparently has a very sordid personal life, advises Michael J. Fox to never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.

* ''[[~~Faster (Film)|~~Faster]]''. Driver has a tattoo on his forearm marking those people he killed in prison over the past ten years. A [[Badass]] Samoan takes one look and backs off, knowing full well the reputation of the man wearing it.

* ''[[Faster]]''. Driver has a tattoo on his forearm marking those people he killed in prison over the past ten years. A [[Badass]] Samoan takes one look and backs off, knowing full well the reputation of the man wearing it.

* ''[[The Transporter|Transporter 2]]''. [[The Dragon|Lola]] has a tattoo on her [[Zettai Ryouiki|inner thigh]] labelled "[[Killer Rabbit|Death by Rabbit]]" with a snarling rabbit wielding six[[Guns Akimbo]].

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* Many characters in [[Terry Pratchett]]'s ''[[Discworld]]''. Put to use in [[Bar Brawl|Bar Brawls]], an organised sport in Ankh Morpork, where contestants tattoo their names to all their limbs so [[The Igor]] knows to reattach them later.

** [[All Trolls Are Different|Trolls being living rock]], their equivalent is gang grafitti, or carvings if they're ''really'' tough.

* In [[Dan Abnett]]'s ''[[~~Gaunts~~ Ghosts]]'' novel, the Ghosts have tattoos. [[Blue Blood|Aristocratic]] Guardsmen [[Moral Myopia|regard]] them as visual proof of the Ghosts' general uncouthness, along with their [[Wild Hair]]. But new Vergast Ghosts desperately want tattoos to show they are part of the regiment.

* In [[Dan Abnett]]'s ''[[Gaunt's Ghosts]]'' novel, the Ghosts have tattoos. [[Blue Blood|Aristocratic]] Guardsmen [[Moral Myopia|regard]] them as visual proof of the Ghosts' general uncouthness, along with their [[Wild Hair]]. But new Vergast Ghosts desperately want tattoos to show they are part of the regiment.

* Prisoners in ancient China were often tattooed with their sentences. This is a sore point for a character in ''[[~~Heroes of the~~ Water Margin ~~(Literature)~~|Heroes of the Water Margin]]'' and he takes pains to get it removed.

* Prisoners in ancient China were often tattooed with their sentences. This is a sore point for a character in ''[[Water Margin|Heroes of the Water Margin]]'' and he takes pains to get it removed.

* "The Masked Breton" in ''Papillion'', which would also make it a [[Real Life]] example. Escaping from the harsh prison camps, too late did he realize that the distinctive facial tattoo he got in prison made him extremely easy to identify and would prohibit him from living a normal life pretty much anywhere.

* A group of young skinheads make trouble at a mall in ''[[Jennifer Government]]'', and are full of corporate logo tattoos.

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* The Sith, and various alien races in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

* ''[[Snow Crash]]'' has prisoners issued tattoos revealing their convicitions. [[Facial Markings|On the face]]. [[Badass Biker]] Raven is marked on the forehead with "Poor Impulse Control".

* A bizarre inversion in [[China Mieville]]'s [[Kraken (~~Literature~~)|Kraken]], where the crook ''[[And I Must Scream|is]]'' the tattoo.

* A bizarre inversion in [[China Mieville]]'s [[Kraken (novel)|Kraken]], where the crook ''[[And I Must Scream|is]]'' the tattoo.

* ''Polar Star''. Former Moscow detective [[Arkady Renko]] encounters a crook he sent to [[The Gulag]] for murder who has the scars from when the prison doctors removed his tats. Arkardy points to an evident injury on the man's forehead and asks what he had up there. It was "Communism drinks the blood of the people". Arkardy is impressed that he could fit all that on his forehead.

** In ''Red Square'', the sequel to ''Polar Star'' (which is the sequel to ''[[Gorky Park]]''), one of Renko's partners looks at witness's tattoos and sounds off that each picture has a meaning, e.g. he's been to prison and is willing to murder and so on.

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* ''[[Dexter]]'' found his biological father after he died, and noticed he had a prison tattoo, a spider web on the elbow.

** Also, the hitman for a Latino street gang has a large bicep tattoo of a heart, with blood drops under it, each representing one victim. Dexter observes him as he takes a new drop.

* ''[[~~Prison Break (TV)|~~Prison Break]]'', Michael's whole-body blueprint tattoo.

* ''[[Prison Break]]'', Michael's whole-body blueprint tattoo.

* One ''[[CSI New York]]'' episode dealt with a group of young [[The Mafia|mafiosos]] killing a guy who had taken an unauthorized membership tattoo.

* In ''[[Doctor Who]]'', the third Doctor (or at least his actor) had a snake tattoo on his arm, due to the actor having one. Because it first appeared on screen after he was exiled to Earth, [[Fanon]] and [[Expanded Universe]] says it was a prison tattoo.

* In ''[[Law and Order Criminal Intent]]'', Goren has been known to identify what prisons a criminal has served time in by identifying their prison ink. One episode had him being puzzled by a tattoo on a body until he discovered the victim had entered the U.S. from Canada. A Canadian contact was able to identify what prison the victim had been in on seeing a photo of the tattoo.

* In ''[[Law and Order: Criminal Intent]]'', Goren has been known to identify what prisons a criminal has served time in by identifying their prison ink. One episode had him being puzzled by a tattoo on a body until he discovered the victim had entered the U.S. from Canada. A Canadian contact was able to identify what prison the victim had been in on seeing a photo of the tattoo.

* Many of the inmates in ''[[Oz]]'' are heavily tattooed, especially the bikers. Also, for the purpose of making the intro, the show's producer had the crew film him getting the logo tattooed on him.

* Tom, in the recent BBC remake of the series ''Survivors'', is turfed out of the ex-minister's community for being a convict, entirely on the basis of a prison tattoo.

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* Cook's dad in ''[[Skins]]'' has a tear drop tattoo under his left eye, suggesting he's been to jail.

* There is a very strong tendency in [[Joss Whedon]] works for characters with visible tattoos or other body modifications to be villainous and/or highly self-destructive. The most notable examples are Faith, Angelus, and the Reavers, but many more minor characters follow the pattern. The only exceptions are Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter's real lower-back tattoo, which they initially made token efforts to hide before deciding that she [[Bare Your Midriff|looked sufficiently sexy in low-waisted clothes]] to outweigh the metaphorical issues) and Kennedy.

** In the Expanded Universe for ''[[~~Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)|~~Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' we find out that Faith's was entirely against her will, as it was put there by being possessed by a dead Greek Slayer. It's the Mark of Kakistos, the very mutated vamp that killed her Watcher. You'd think she'd want something with such connections to one of the biggest losses of her life to be removed. Then again, she might see it as a "taking it from you and using it against you" thing.

** In the Expanded Universe for ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' we find out that Faith's was entirely against her will, as it was put there by being possessed by a dead Greek Slayer. It's the Mark of Kakistos, the very mutated vamp that killed her Watcher. You'd think she'd want something with such connections to one of the biggest losses of her life to be removed. Then again, she might see it as a "taking it from you and using it against you" thing.

** In ''[[~~Angel (TV)|~~Angel]]'', the villainous {{spoiler|lawyer Lindsey}} returns in season 5 with a set of tattoos that serve a plot purpose: they {{spoiler|ward him from all forms of magical detection, thus protecting him from the wrath of the Senior Partners, who don't approve of his extracurricular activities}}.

** In ''[[Angel]]'', the villainous {{spoiler|lawyer Lindsey}} returns in season 5 with a set of tattoos that serve a plot purpose: they {{spoiler|ward him from all forms of magical detection, thus protecting him from the wrath of the Senior Partners, who don't approve of his extracurricular activities}}.

** We can't forget Giles's and Ethan's Mark of Eyghon, which is not just a demon-cult tattoo but an [[Artifact of Death]] in itself.

* When amnesiac Peter Petrelli from ''[[Heroes (TV)|Heroes]]'' joins [[The Irish Mob]] for a few episodes in Season 2, he gets the gang tattoo (a Celtic knot) which at one point transforms into the [[Sigil Spam|RNA helix]] and back.

* When amnesiac Peter Petrelli from ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'' joins [[The Irish Mob]] for a few episodes in Season 2, he gets the gang tattoo (a Celtic knot) which at one point transforms into the [[Sigil Spam|RNA helix]] and back.

* Everpresent with the bikers in ''[[Sons of Anarchy]]'', including the intro sequence, and a plot point, when an ex-member hasn't covered up the gang name in his large back piece, and it's burned off by the members. Samcro hitman Happy also has several smily faces tattoos around his abdomen marking his victims.

* The Ha'la'tha gang in ''[[Caprica]]'' is made up of these. The elaborate tattoos all have [http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/show-patrol/2010/02/exclusive-caprica-producer-jane-espenson-explains-sam-adamas-tattoos.html meanings], by the way.

* The Jinn in ''[[Supernatural (TV)|Supernatural]]'' look like heavily tattooed people with blue flames coming out of their hands.

* The Jinn in ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'' look like heavily tattooed people with blue flames coming out of their hands.

* Subverted in an episode of ''[[Luther]]'', where an American kidnapper with a tattoo covering his entire face is seen wiping it off in the next scene, as it's meant to distract attention from his real features.

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== Western Animation ==

* In the episode "Cape Feare" in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' we see Sideshow Bob's prison tattoos, including "DIE BART DIE" ("Oh, it's German, 'The Bart, The'"), as well as his [[Knuckle Tattoos]] LUV and HĀT, referencing ''[[~~The Night of the Hunter (Film)|~~The Night of the Hunter]]''.

* In the episode "Cape Feare" in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' we see Sideshow Bob's prison tattoos, including "DIE BART DIE" ("Oh, it's German, 'The Bart, The'"), as well as his [[Knuckle Tattoos]] LUV and HĀT, referencing ''[[The Night of the Hunter]]''.

** Also, recurring minor character, Snake takes has a tattoo reflecting his moniker.

** Tattooed Annie in Springfield Women's jail has a Mad Magazine fold out page tattooed on her back, reading "What kind of slime would I marry?" {{spoiler|folding into "What me worry?"}}

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* The Monarch, in a direct reference to ''Red Dragon'', has a full back tattoo of a minotaur at one point in ''[[The Venture Brothers]]''. It turns out he was just trying to get his villain on again and used it to intimidate a prostitute; it late came off in the shower.

* The assasin Combustion Man from ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' has a Third Eye tattoo.

* In ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003 ~~(Animation)~~|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' (2003), several members of the Purple Dragons gang sport the gang's trademark dragon as a tattoo. Their leader, Hun, sports the dragon tattoo along his left arm, and wore a tattoo of the Foot insignia on his left.

* In ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' (2003), several members of the Purple Dragons gang sport the gang's trademark dragon as a tattoo. Their leader, Hun, sports the dragon tattoo along his left arm, and wore a tattoo of the Foot insignia on his left.

* Lockdown from ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' has large black decals on both his robot and car mode that resemble tattoos.

** This is also true with [[Transformers (~~Film~~)|Movie]] [[The Starscream|Starscream.]]

** This is also true with [[Transformers (film)|Movie]] [[The Starscream|Starscream.]]