Remarkable Koi Fish Tattoos That Symbolize Strength and Perseverance

Koi fish tattoos are extremely popular today around the world. Koi fish are rich with symbolic significance, especially in Japanese and Chinese culture and history. They are universally known as a symbol of strength, perseverance, love, bravery, and dedication. Koi enthusiasts collect both the living carp fish as well as depictions of them in art. That art very much includes tattoos!

We wanted to get a better idea of the types of koi fish tattoos that are pushing the boundaries and forging new paths so we turned to social media to discover which designs were trending and really catching folks’ eyes. We were pleased to find a variety of koi tattoos in many different styles. If you are looking for koi fish tattoo ideas, look no further than our thoughtfully curated list below!

Get Some Ink Inspiration From These Koi Fish Tattoos:

With Cherry Blossoms

Many of the koi fish tattoos on this list (and in the world) are inspired by Japanese tattooing called Irezumi. We find some lovely cherry blossoms flanking this large koi tattoo. Red ink is such a winning color!

Fine Lines

Take a look at the very fine lines of this koi fish tattoo. Warm purple and red swim together in this sophisticated design.

Understated, Black Ink

Here’s another koi tattoo with some very fine lines. This one, done just in black ink, look particularly understated and sophisticated.

A Pretty Pair

We find black and red koi fish tattoos here with some decorative sparkles for good measure. Black and red look so fantastic next to each other that you should consider the color combination for your design.

Yin and Yang

By far, one of the most popular schemes for koi fish tattoos is yin and yang symbolized by the two fish. We find a darker and lighter fish here with opposing circles on the tops of their heads. This might be the first but it won’t be the last of this sort of design.

Segmented

Here’s an interesting take that finds our koi friend segmented into four parts. We don’t know why but we must say that it does look visually appealing.

Matching Koi Tattoos

Matching tattoos are extremely popular these days with family members, best friends, and colleagues getting matching designs. These are both very lovely and look great when paired together and all on their own.

Neo-Traditional Style

Hallmarks of neo-traditional tattooing are thick lines, basic shapes, and a limited number of inks. We find all of those things in this very cool design. It’s one of our favorite koi fish tattoos on this list.

Swimming

Wow! We find four koi fish tattoos that go from the back of the arm all the way up to the back of the neck. It’s a very interesting placement that might also work for you.

Expressive Florals

We love the mix of natural elements in this beautiful, black and grey koi tattoo. Florals do indeed make any tattoo better, so go all out with them in your design.

Play With Color

Warm and cool pastels come together in this delicate design that finds a couple of koi fish and some cherry blossoms. If you’d like to skip the black ink, something similar would totally work for you.

Black and Gold

On the other hand, if you want a bold, black design throw in a little yellow, gold, or orange for warmth. See how nice it looks?

Little Flowery Friend

Here’s a whimsical koi fish tattoo that is decorated with little flower accents. Think outside the box for a design like no other!

So Lifelike

These little micro koi fish tattoos are a treat and they look so real. We love the red and orange inks chosen for these.

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Koi Mermaid

Isn’t this koi fish tattoo out of this world? Orange and aqua inks really pop off of one another in this magical, mermaid design. What a dream!

Koi Harmony

The person who shared this design explained that the fish are meant to symbolize harmony. We see the yin and yang imagery again with this koi fish tattoo.

Pisces Koi Fish Tattoo

Pisces love their fish tattoos. This koi fish design is actually a tattoo coverup and you can’t even tell!

Painted On

The tattoo artist who completed this koi fish tattoo was able to apply the ink in such a way that the design looks as if it’s been painted on rather than tattooed.

Big and Blue

Choose your favorite color for your koi fish tattoo and you will not regret it! Even though you don’t encounter many blue koi in the wild, it’s still a fun design made even more meaningful.

Fish on a Fan

Wow! This tattoo really sets an elegant scene by placing the koi fish on a fan. We get the Asian influence in this design and those elements are truly beautiful here.

It’s Electric

Allow yourself to get weird and your koi fish tattoo will be excellently singular. There are all sorts of fabulous colors in this design.

Cool Color Application

This is a more traditional take and if you look closely, you can see that the orangish-gold color has been applied to the design in a fascinating, graphic way.

Pretty and Pink

Pink and cream look so excellent next to the black and grey of the background for this unique design. If you’d like to make a real statement, consider using contrasting colors to tell your story.

Making a Splash

We love the splashy wave elements in so many of these koi fish tattoos. This one really shows it off in a light blue that contrasts with the deep red used for the koi fish.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 25 Sensational Pisces Tattoo Ideas That Make a Splash

Elegant and Mysterious

We leave you with a koi fish tattoo that finds our finned friend swimming amongst some flowers. It’s absolutely haunting and so magical.

What did you think of these koi fish tattoos? We hope you found a great idea for your next tattoo and that it will include some cute fishies. There’s no right or wrong way to go about getting a koi fish tattoo. Just make sure you are being true to yourself and expressing your unique point of view to the fullest!