Super Mario and the cast of characters associated with it have impacted both children and adults alike for decades. Be it getting them through tough times or being a defining part of their entertainment library, these fans of the franchise decided they want a reminder of what it means to them on their skin for all to see.
From the red-hatted plumber himself to his brother Luigi to their on-again-off-again frenemy Donkey Kong, these tattoos of Super Mario characters show true dedication on the part of the people who got them and true artistic talent from those that inked them.
10 A Kong And His Kart
Via: World Tattoo Gallery By Kegan Hawkins. This tattoo of Donkey Kong, done on the owner's calf, is incredibly detailed and likely took hours to complete. There is excellent definition in DK's fingers and toes and the subtle touch of having the character drive with his foot gives him a sense of power like he's striking a pose (or maybe it's just the blue shell in his hand.) Having hosted Mario in his first appearance, Super Mario wouldn't be what is today without Donkey Kong, and having him appear in his Mario Kart form for this tattoo seems a fitting tribute to the most recognizable member of the Kong clan.
9 Toes, Toad, And Toadette
Via: Tattoodo. By Troy Slack. Getting tattoos on any part of the foot is incredibly painful and takes immense dedication on the part of the recipient as well as skill from the artist. For this woman, however, these beautifully realized representations of Toad and Toadette were worth it. The two Mushroom Kingdom residents in their classic poses pop with vibrant color and photo-like detail that could be proudly adorned on any part of the body, but they seem right at home on the tops of these feet as though it was meant to be. There had better be a lot of sandal-wearing in these feet's future!
8 This Couple's Tattoos
Via: Pinterest. Artist Unknown. Video games are known for bringing people together, but none more so than Nintendo and its Super Mario games. These two romantics decided to express their love for both gaming and each other in the form of complimenting tattoos of Peach and Mario in their Paper Mario forms.
A simple yet elegant tribute, these wrist tattoos will look cute when the couple are together yet stand on their own without explanation when they're apart. Here's hoping that their love will last but if anything were to happen these adorable tattoos are also mercifully break-up proof.
7 Yoshi's Island In An Egg
Via: Rebellion Tattoo. By Captain Matt. Yoshi's Island is an integral part of Super Mario history and elevated the titular character from a sidekick to a fully realized character. This shoulder tattoo perfectly captures the unique essence of Yoshi's Island as well as its watercolor palette. Yoshi appears to almost be inviting you onto his back for a journey through the psychedelic landscape of his island. Shy Guy frolics in the background and baby Mario floats above, rounding out the cast of characters associated with the classic game. It's a piece that can be shown frequently and is likely to put a smile on the face of those who view it, even bigger than the ones on the hills in the tattoo.
6 The Kong Country Family
Via: Hidden LA Tattoo. By Brett Herman. This shoulder tattoo may not be as vibrant as some of the others on this list, but the attention to detail and sense of motion it provides is unparalleled. Every hair on the Kong family is carefully inked to make the characters feel truly alive, while the poses in which Dixie and Diddy are placed give the illusion of movement. Donkey Kong's proportions give a real sense of his size and the way one foot is drawn larger than the other perpetuates the idea he's swinging on a vine about to leap off the owner's skin. Although done in black and white, this tattoo is far from minimalist.
5 A Majorly Clogged Pipe
Via: Mario Mayhem. By Donald Mayle. This custom tattoo of the Mario Bros. and their nemesis Bowser incorporates two settings from the 1985 classic's World 1: Mushroom Kingdom and its underground counterpart, respectively. The brothers are using this divided landscape strategically, breaking out their rarely seen plumbing equipment to punish the princess-stealing king of the Koopas from both above and below.
Hopefully Luigi will share the coins that seem to be falling out from below with his brother, but likely the reward of getting back at his enemy is more than enough for Mario. Bowser is unlikely to forgive this encounter, meaning Peach should probably prepare herself for an impending kidnapping.
4 This Mushroom Kingdom Collage
Via: Lèo Caberna on YouTube. An eclectic tribute to everything Super Mario and particularly Super Mario Bros. 3, this full sleeve tattoo is a colorful and accurate recreation of some of the game's most recognizable heroes, villains, and items. Tanuki Mario soars over a Goomba, Boo, and Bob-omb among mushrooms and stars towards Bowser, who looks prepared to release an enormous Bullet Bill towards him. The sizing of the characters and the way each one is layered to show them off equally is a true feat of artistic talent and why this tattoo deserves at least a 1-up if not two.
3 This Frighteningly Good Piece
Via: Tattoo Filter. By Dane Grannon. This tattoo and its artist took first prize in the video game category at the Liverpool Tattoo Convention and it's obvious to see why. Anyone even vaguely familiar with Luigi's Mansion will instantly recognize the game's star in his cover-art form from the 2005 Gamecube classic. Although this tattoo isn't the most complex, it is highly detailed in ways that are pleasing to the eye if only subconsciously.
Luigi's nose and the red ghost's forehead shine with a hint of white detailing and texturing, and the way everyone is positioned gives the illusion that they're bursting out from the haunted mansion behind them. Mix that with the light purple shadowing all-around and you realize there's a lot of work that was put into getting every detail just right here.
2 The Ultimate Dedication
Via: Tumblr. By Franky Deny. Where to begin? Although this might be cheating a bit with this tattoo incorporating more Nintendo characters than just those from the main Super Mario games, it's simply too staggering to ignore. Wrapping around this gentleman's entire left side this piece would have taken several sessions of multiple hours to complete, much of which would have been spent in a great deal of pain. Its sprawling and inclusive nature evokes thoughts of the Smash Bros. franchise, with lines radiating outward from the Nintendo trademark as if showing-off its biggest stars. All the classic faces you're familiar with can be seen represented here in vivid detail.
1 This Mix Of New And Old School
Via: Reddit. Artist Unknown. Mario and the gang have been through a lot in their nearly forty years of existence, witnessing the jump from arcades and 8-bit graphics to glorious HD on home consoles. This tattoo pays homage to that evolution by taking the blocky 1985 Super Mario Bros. design and fusing it with its highly-defined 3-D counterpart of the modern age. The split between the two designs of Mario make it appear as if the plumber is crossing through a portal from another plane of existence, with various tactfully placed motion lines giving the effect of movement to the entire artwork. The green pipe underneath Mario has great curvature, represented subtly via the stickers of Mushroom Kingdom items wrapping around its upper rim. The way the pipe trails off in a paint-splatter also uniquely rounds-out the entire tattoo's modern style. It's all these reasons that make this tattoo most deserving of a green mushroom.