60 Tribal Dragon Tattoo Designs For Men – Ancient Mythological Ideas

There are two artistic concepts that seem truly unmatched in their manliness: tribal designs and dragons. Therefore, the peak of masculinity can finally be reached thanks to the sheer magnitude of tribal dragon tattoos.

Chivalrous gentlemen know that godly amounts of flair can be unleashed through tribal dragon ink.

These defiantly self-possessed designs can propel any guy to new levels of grandeur. Thanks to their spiky contours and jagged protrusions, these ancient mythological beings carry the vibe of distinct manliness.

The dragon is an important part of Japanese and Chinese cultures with many different meanings attached to the type of dragon, its color, and even how many claws that it has.

These stunning supernatural beasts are also revered in Celtic cultures for their capacity to control earthly forces. They also carry the torch of eternal glory.

So which dragon tattoo should you get? Here we take a look at your options for your next amazing piece of body art.

1. Japanese Dragon Tattoo

Before deciding where to put your tattoo, you want to know what style of dragon tattoo you want. One of those most popular is to have a Japanese tattoo. There is an important distinction between Asian and European dragon tattoos.

Most Asian dragons don’t have wings, with the Japanese one being particularly slender and usually having three claws. While this is true, you can see Japanese dragon tattoos with more claws but traditionally, they should have three.

2. Chinese Dragon Tattoo

In terms of shape, the Chinese dragon tattoo is very similar in shape to its Japanese counterpart. While both have a snake-like body, there are some key differences. The most notable is that Chinese dragons often have a beard of flames.

While Japanese dragons usually just have three claws, Chinese dragons usually have four or five. While you want your tribal dragon tattoo to look great, it’s also great for it to look authentic, especially if you’re adding Japanese or Chinese symbols to it such as yin and yang.

3. Celtic Dragon Tattoo

There is one huge difference when it comes to Celtic dragons and that is them having wings. This is a feature that is never seen on an Asian dragon. You may also notice a difference in the tail here too.

In western culture, dragons are more associated with power and vengeance, and have a barbed tail. In Japanese culture and Chinese culture, they are seen in a more noble light so their features aren’t quite as aggressive with snake tails or ones made of flame.

4. Lower Arm Dragon Tattoo

A great place to get a Japanese dragon or a Chinese dragon is on the lower arm. That’s because these types of dragon tattoos are more slender and therefore are best for a narrower space.

The lower arm is a perfect place for that. That being said, there are some impressive designs out there that are still able to incorporate some wings. For something extra special, you can incorporate a full dragon sleeve.

5. Shoulder Dragon Tattoo

One of the more interesting places to get body art is on the shoulder. As you can see, the curves of the shoulder are a perfect place on which to have a dragon tattoo. The shoulder is also a great place for tattoo ideas as it has a large surface area, perfect for a menacing tribal dragon.

Here you can give the effect of a dragon crawling on your shoulder as the rest of its body rests on your arm, back or chest.

6. Upper Arm Dragon Tattoo

That upper arm has long been a great place for awesome tattoo design. The dragon style is no different as the area works very well for the shape. Here you can opt to have a small dragon at the top of your arm or something longer.

This design can look fantastic when you have the dragon head at the top of your bicep with its body winding down to your elbow.

7. Calf Dragon Tattoo

Another perfect place to get a slender Japanese dragon or a Chinese dragon is on the calf muscle. This area suits a small dragon on the side of the calf or another brilliant option is to cover the whole of your bottom leg with some amazing body art.

While this space often works best with a wingless dragon, a great tattoo artist would be able to incorporate some sings beautifully as we see below.

8. Back Dragon Tattoo

The wings of mythical creatures couldn’t be more suited to a back tattoo. We’d recommend a Western dragon for a back tattoo as Asian dragons don’t have wings. That being said, you may not want to cover your full back and in that case, an Asian dragon could look great and you could even incorporate other elements such as yin and writings.

For the full back tattoo effect though, having wings stretch out to each shoulder blade can be a phenomenal look as you can see from the examples here. The wide space of your back is a unique space on your body and that full length can be perfectly suited to a ferocious dragon.

9. Chest Dragon Tattoo

In terms of flat spots on your body, the chest is one of the biggest which makes it a great spot for many tattoo ideas. Having a dragon sitting on your pec is a very masculine look but you do have to be wary if you have a hairy chest. You don’t want that dragon to be hidden when your hair grows back.

10. Body Dragon Tattoo

Want the biggest, baddest and meanest dragon tattoo possible? If so, then there’s no better place to do it than on your torso. This is a great spot for some creative body art and with this blank canvas, you can go for any dragon tattoo design that you want.

We love the dragon snake tattoo style down your side but also a full body dragon tattoo incorporating your torso can also look amazing.

11. Neck Dragon Tattoo

One of the boldest tattoo ideas is to have one on your neck. This is perfect for small dragon tattoos but while the space may be limited, it makes a great canvas for a wide range of different designs. They can look great and here we can see a modern version of a Celtic dragon tattoo but with some Asian influences. With the ear piercing, it adds up to a great look. If you want the world to see your amazing dragon tattoo, the neck is a great option.