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Top 10 Most Iconic Pop Culture Tattoos of All Time

Updated: Feb 1

The tattoo artists at Third Eye Tattoos love tattooing the biggest and best figures from pop culture through the decades. From movies to musicians, and everything in between, look below for some of the most awe-inspiring popular culture realism tattoos.

 

realistic, black and grey, portrait tattoo, notorious B.I.G, biggie smalls
The Notorious B.I.G aka "Biggie Smalls"

Biggie Smalls is still regarded as one of the best rappers of all time, a true G.O.A.T for fans of 90s hip-hop. This portrait pays homage to the rapper, as well as to New York City. Done by Shiva, who slyly references Biggie's nemesis and fellow rapper, Tupac, in the newspaper.

black and grey realism tattoo mississauga
Stormtrooper from Star Wars

From one of the largest film franchises ever, this realistic portrait of a Stormtrooper honors the legacy that is Star Wars.

realistic black and grey tattoo of bumblee from transformers with bright blue eyes and a bridge in the background
Bumblebee from Transformers

From the classic film series, "Transformers", this realistic black and grey tattoo portrays the character Bumblebee. This autobot is known for transforming into several cars, notably a Volkswagen Beetle in the 2018 film, "Bumblebee", and as a yellow and black Chevrolet Camaro in the first installment of the Transformers films from 2007. This tattoo is a truly unique way to memorialize a favourite character! Done by Shiva, who has been working to complete a full Transformers-themed sleeve.


Realistic tattoo Portrait of The Joker from batman sitting in a chair smoking a cigarette
The Joker

This one-of-a-kind tattoo depicts a realistic scene of The Joker, a classic villain for any D.C. Comics and Batman fans. Whether you are team Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix, or even Troy Baker, everyone can appreciate this black and grey depiction of this memorable supervillain done by Shiva.


realistic tattoo of slipknot band member
Slipknot member, Mick Thomson

realistic portrait tattoo of slipknot
Slipknot member, Corey Taylor

These spine-chilling black and grey portraits immortalize members of the heavy metal band Slipknot, #7 Mick Thomson and #8 Corey Taylor. A true fan doesn't just know all the band's songs or albums, they get tattoos of their favourite members.

black and grey realistic tattoo of a portrait of hannibal lecter with deer horns and a skeleton underneath
Hannibal Lecter from TV Series "Hannibal"

This realistic tattoo portrays a perfectly creepy Hannibal Lecter from the TV Series "Hannibal". This character, portrayed by Mads Mikkelsen in the TV show, and originally by Anthony Hopkins in the "Silence of the Lambs" film series, is the embodiment of pure evil. As a huge fan himself, Shiva perfectly captured Hannibal's twisted nature in this stylized portrait, with details both an avid fan and newbie can appreciate.


black and grey realistic tattoo of Gordon Downie's back facing a crowd
Gordon "Gord" Downie from The Tragically Hip

Classic rock fans are surely familiar with The Tragically Hip and their front man, the late Gordon Downie. This realistic tattoo portrays Gord in his memorable attire, facing an adoring crowd. A tattoo such as this is a great way to memorialize your favourite musician.



realism tattoo portait
Bam Margera from Jackass

Bam! Bam Margera, that is. This realistic black and grey tattoo portrays the daredevil that was one of the stars of the infamous Jackass movies, alongside Steve-O, Johnny Knoxville, and the whole gang.

Two realistic hand tattoos portraying Bride of Frankenstein and Frankenstein's Monster
Bride of Frankenstein and Frankenstein's Monster

To finish off this post, have a last look at this amazing couple's tattoo! These realistic portrait tattoos, depicting the Bride of Frankenstein and Frankenstein's Monster, are a fantastic way to eternalize both the couple's love for each other, and for this classic piece of film history.

 

All of the tattoos in this blog post were done by Third Eye Tattoos resident artist and shop owner, Shiva. To check out more amazing work, check out his Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. To book with Shiva, click here.


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