33 Incredibly Badass Tattoos for Men in 2024
Tattoos come in all sorts of designs, styles, and subject matter. But what most of us actually want is a tattoo that simply looks badass. What you may consider to be badass depends on your personal taste and style, and all of these tattoos have one thing in common: they are badass as hell. We encourage you to get a tattoo that suits your personality and carries some sort of significance to you as the wearer.
But before you go and get your badass tattoo, let us help guide you in choosing the perfect piece of ink. Below we’ll show you the most hardcore, enticing, and striking badass tattoos in 2024. You’ll surely be inspired with the perfect idea of which tattoo style to get, as well as the size, and exact placement on your body.
With that said, let’s begin.
The Best Badass Tattoos for Men - A Badass Etched Grim Reaper Full Backpiece for Men
What’s more badass than a full back piece? A back piece depicting death. I love the heavy use of contrast in this design, with the areas of solid black and open skin. The etching style is very effective as it adds to the creepy look of this piece. I like the way it fits the client’s body and the symmetrical elements. This is one badass tattoo that will attract a lot of attention at the beach!
IG: sidetattooing
Men’s Badass Polynesian Full-Sleeve Tattoo
A Polynesian full-sleeve tattoo is a classic tattoo that is still badass. This artist freehanded the tattoo which is extremely impressive as all of the lines are straight and the pattern work is consistent. What makes this tattoo even more striking is that the client does not have any other tattoos on their arms or torso, which makes the sleeve stand out.
Floral and Brushstroke Leg Tattoo for Men
This leg tattoo is the perfect combination of different black and gray floral elements and painterly brushstrokes. I love the water-like effect created by the brushstrokes and the flow that this tattoo has. This style could be done on any part of the body and would still look badass!
IG: panumart_tattoo
Men’s Simplistic yet Badass Frame Sleeve Tattoo
Frame tattoos are becoming increasingly popular. I like how unique these are – they are bold, large, and flow beautifully along the client’s arm. I especially like how they chose to end it on the wrist with a solid band. Overall, a striking and badass tattoo!
IG: saki.lss
Most Badass Bold Color Realism Leg Sleeve for Men
This tattoo screams “badass” for many reasons, one being that it was a collaboration project between 4 different artists, done over 2 full days of tattooing. Credit to the artists who worked on this piece and the client for sitting so well! I am not the biggest fan of full-color Realism, but this is extremely well executed. I like the color palette and the little Bugs Bunny is very eye-catching as it contrasts with the styles around it.
IG: q_tattoos
Men’s Colorful Dragon Forearm Tattoo
This tattoo is exceptional! I love the color palette and the way that the artist chose to integrate the client’s existing tattoo. The dragon flows beautifully along the arm and I especially like the shadows on the scales and the clean linework. A brilliantly badass tattoo.
IG: panumart_tattoo
Badass Bear Fighting a Snake Back Piece for Men
Neotraditional is one of my absolute favorite styles of tattooing because of how badass the imagery usually is. I adore the colors that the artist chose to use as they are subtle and yet striking. The pop of yellow in the lightning helps to bring everything together. I love the detail in the skull and the dots along the snake’s spine. This is a very expressive and impressive tattoo.
Trash Polka Badass Men’s Full Sleeve Tattoo
This is a bold tattoo for sure. I am not a big fan of the Trash Polka style, but if it speaks to you there is a lot that you can do with the style. I don’t think this flows very well with the arm, and I think that thinner strokes with more fluid movement would have worked better. The red in the background is an interesting element.
Viking-Inspired Wolf Tattoo for Men
Wolves are a classic subject matter for tattoos. They symbolize loyalty, strength, and ferocity making them inherently badass. I love the texture that the artist was able to achieve and the way that they chose to end the tattoo with a Viking symbol. The extra sharp teeth and the empty eyes are a great additional detail.
American Traditional Warrior Men’s Thigh Pieces
I am a huge fan of any American Traditional tattoo, but this one stands out for its unique color palette, warrior imagery, and how well it fits the client’s body. I like the folds in the woman’s dress, the fur texture on the wolf, and the small details in the faces, hands, and scales. This tattoo is eye-catching, timeless, and one to be worn with pride.
Badass Linework Tattoo on Men’s Thigh
I wouldn’t necessarily call this tattoo badass, but I do like that it shows a soft side to the client. The line work is extremely clean which is important as it is mostly made of linework. I like the composition and how bold the text is.
IG: esco_zcc
Men’s Badass Full-Color Sleeve Tattoo
This tattoo is striking, bold, and colorful. I love the composition and all of the extra elements like the flames, jewelry pieces, and small skulls. It flows well with the arm and the more muted color palette works well with this Neotraditional style. This tattoo definitely gains a lot of attention out in the world!
IG: _alvarito_tattoo
Men’s Badass Sak Yant Chest Tattoo
Sak Yant is a sacred form of tattooing that uses Indian Yantra designs. This tattoo is not only packed with meaning but is also a solid statement piece. The line work is extremely clean and the circle in the center is almost perfect. This tattoo is a top-notch example of a simple, but badass chest tattoo.
IG: panumart_tattoo
Dynamic Two-Headed Snake Tattoo on Men’s Torso
I am obsessed with this artist’s take on a two-headed snake. It wraps around the client’s body interestingly and I adore the shading technique used for the snake’s scales. The detail in the face is very impressive and I like that the artist chose to leave a lot of open skin on the belly scales. This tattoo is both badass and beautiful.
IG: uncogrim
Freehand Badass Men’s Back Tattoo
This artist is known for doing what they refer to as “freehand subdermal archeology-inspired” tattoos. This back piece is out of this world – I have never seen anything like it! I love how bold it is while still using finer lines. It almost looks like an ancient rock painting or an ancient script piece.
IG: orbritual
Saint Mary Surrounded By Angels Men’s Back Tattoo
Religious imagery has always been popular in tattooing and even more so for a full back piece. I appreciate the composition of this tattoo as it fits the client’s back well and does not look too cluttered. The artist used shading in a clever manner, by keeping the background quite dark thus pushing the figures forward by keeping them quite light. A smooth, consistent, and interesting back tattoo.
IG: kazin_tattooer
Badass Chinese Ceramic Inspired Full Sleeve Tattoo for Men
I am a huge fan of this style of tattooing. It uses blue in the same way that one would use black in tattooing and it is very unique. I am not sure how well it will hold up over time as I have not seen many aged pieces in this style, but it looks fantastic when it is fresh. I I love the flow of the dragon and the band with waves used to end the tattoo off.
IG: oozy_tattoo
Cyberpunk Badass Bodysuit Tattoo for Men
Very few people in this world have the dedication and commitment that it takes to get a full body suit tattoo, so you will automatically be considered badass if you are one of the few out there with one. I like the style of this body suit as it looks like armor. The black is extremely well-saturated, and I like the consistent flow with the body. This bodysuit will attract a lot of attention and will hold up well over time.
IG: b.e.wooten
Men’s Blackwork Chrysanthemum Full Sleeve Tattoo
This tattoo is impressive as heck because it was done over the span of 3 days. That shows a lot of commitment from both the artist and the client as 3 days of tattooing is very intense. I love the solid black background that is broken up by swirling, organic chrysanthemums. I like the skin breaks and the very thin lines in the flowers. A badass take on blackwork tattooing.
Badass Illustrative Tiger Tattoo on Men’s Chest
The illustrative tattooing style has taken the industry by storm. There are hits and misses with this style, but this one is definitely a hit. I love the gentle details throughout this tattoo, combined with a ferocious facial expression keeping this tattoo on the more masculine side. I like the way it looks like the tiger is melting into the person’s chest.
IG: bk_tattooer
Black and White Dragon Upper Body Suit Tattoo for Men
This body suit is very unique – I like the contrast between the side with white linework on top of solid black and the side that is a realistic take on a dragon. For some people, it might be too different and not work together well, but I like it – it reminds me of a yin-yang. I especially like the facial expression of the realistic dragon and the way the artist chose to do the scales.
Illustrative Jester Forearm Tattoo for Men
I am so glad that this style of black and gray tattooing is popular again. I love that the jester has a skull for a face, and the extra elements that were added like the hand holding the playing card and the theater masks. This tattoo has great composition, very smooth shading, and almost perfect geometry. Kudos to this extremely talented tattoo artist.
IG: takacs_miklos
Badass Geometric Men’s Back Tattoo
This tattoo is eye-catching, unique, and even has a pop of red in it. I think it could have been done a bit more creatively, but I do appreciate how straight the lines are and how well-executed the dot work is. This is a badass tattoo for sure, but may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
IG: danasha.tattoo
Men’s Geometric Full Sleeve Tattoo with Natural Elements
These types of sleeves have gained a lot of popularity in the last couple of years, but they are not my favorite. I feel that the dot work style might not hold up well over time, and I think this sleeve is a bit cluttered. It had great focal elements like the mandala on the elbow and the beetle on the upper arm. When done with a bit of open skin to help the tattoo breathe, these sleeves can be badass as hell!
IG: weschetattoo
8th Circle of Hell Badass Full Back Piece Tattoo for Men
I enjoy tattoos that are done in this etching style as they are unique, textured, and clean. I like the way the artist designed the trees and the unique line work in the dead bodies, making them look fluid. This artist is extremely talented, being able to do such solid line work with no evidence of blowouts or noticeable mistakes. A clean and badass tattoo from the design to the execution.
IG: snail_trail__
Badass Full-Color Frog Tattoo on Men’s Calf
I am a big fan of full-color tattoos and this one is no exception. I adore the color palette used as it includes warmer tones. The perspective of the frogs sitting on a floating piece of grass is dynamic and I like the composition and the way the piece fits on the client’s leg. This artist is talented at packing color as you can see the green and the yellow are well-saturated, which are two very tricky colors to work with.
IG: doom_tattoo
Men’s Harley Davidson Embroidery Tattoo
Embroidery tattoos are very difficult to do and require a lot of practice. I don’t know how good they will look in a few years, but they do look really cool when they’re fresh. This tattoo shows a deep commitment to all things Harley and if you’re into motorbikes, it is a badass option for you!
IG: muslubash.tattoo
Badass Chrome Gold Wreath Tattoo on Men’s Chest
Chrome tattoos have to be one of my favorites – they are so badass no matter the imagery. I especially like that this one was done in gold as it is super unique and interesting. I like the shine on this tattoo as it feels like I could reach out and touch its sharp edges.
IG: jooa_tattoo
Painterly Full Sleeve Tattoo for Men
This is an interesting tattoo, but it is not my favorite style. I appreciate all of the tiny details and the subtle use of color but there is not a whole lot of cohesion in this tattoo. I like the way the artist chose to do the leaves of the trees and the painterly brushstroke effect, but I feel that the design work could have been a bit better.
IG: ati.ful
Men’s Badass Japanese Full Torso Tattoo
I love these timeless full torso tattoos done in Traditional Japanese tattooing. They contain so much movement and unique subject matter, like this crane and turtle. The color palette is very traditional, and I love how soft the gray shading is in the water and the clouds. This is a beautiful and timeless tattoo.
IG: tattoobushi
American Traditional Lighthouse and Eye Men’s Forearm Tattoo
Traditional Tattoos are so beautiful in their simplicity. The color palette is more on the muted side, giving it a masculine energy. I like the composition and the way it fits on the client’s arm. This is the kind of tattoo that you can easily add more things to as you slowly build up your badass American Traditional Tattoo Sleeve!
IG: midwestphil
Illustrative Blue Octopus Floral Sleeve Tattoo for Men
Even though this sleeve is quite full, it is still easy to read as the artist has cleverly left a lot of open skin in the design. The details in the tentacles and flowers are clean and have a lot of flow to them. I love the splashes of blue throughout the design as it gives that ocean feeling to this tattoo. A badass sleeve done over 2 days in a row of tattooing!
IG: jessicasvartvit
Men’s American Traditional Full Sleeve Tattoo Project
Ending off strong, these two American Traditional full sleeves are simply out of this world. I like how the tattoos match on either side in their own way. This project must have taken a long time to complete and shows trust between the artist and client – it takes dedication to stick with one artist for both of your sleeves. I especially love the sacred hearts and the eagle fighting a snake. A bold, clean, and beautiful tattoo.
