25 Lion Chest Tattoo Ideas That Are Fierce AF

Of all the wildlife to be tattooed, lions are some of the most popular as people appreciate their beauty, loyalty, and fierceness. Lion chest tattoos end up on a lot of chests as they look really tough and intriguing. If you have a special place in your heart for these big cats, you will be in good company with your lion tattoo.

We wanted to get a better idea of the trends, possibilities, and limitations of these designs to share with you the latest and greatest. We turned to social media to discover the hot lion chest tattoos out there that you will need to see to believe. Lovers of these fancy felines will be delighted to find just how interesting and inspiring these tattoos are. Let’s talk cats!

Get Inspired by These Awesome Lion Chest Tattoo Ideas

Growling

The most popular placement for lion chest tattoos is on one of the biceps. The body’s natural shape is a perfect fit for a growling cat.

Serenity

While most of the lion chest tattoos feature a growling cat, you can go the more peaceful route if you like. This lion portrait is a beauty.

Profile

Instead of getting your lion chest tattoo facing head-on, consider a profile view that offers artists the opportunity to get creative like this example that has architectural elements worked into it.

Whimsy

Here’s another example of the profile view. The artist has chosen to take license with the lion’s mane and done a cool swirling effect.

Lion King

Here’s a fierce-looking lion chest tattoo with a placement in the center of the chest. It’s mildly popular but nowhere near as common as the bicep ones.

A Whole Scene

You can cover your whole chest with a chest piece like this one of a photorealistic scene. Take a look at all the detail the artist has given the fur of the animals.

Stylized

If you don’t want it to be very realistic there’s plenty of stylish ways to get your cat tattoo. In this one, bold lines bring the creature to life with an added cross that we assume is a symbol of this person’s faith.

Through a Gash

Here’s an evocative design that imagines the lion peering through a gash created by its huge claws. It gives a sort of narrative to the design which might appeal to you.

Geometric

We stumbled across a few geometric lion chest tattoos. This one is half realistic and half jagged shapes. What do you think of it?

Scarface

This tattoo immediately made us think of Scar from The Lion King. It shows a fighting spirit and fierce determination.

Baby Blues

Blue-eyed lions can be found on a bunch of lion chest tattoos. They really do pop amid all of that black and grey ink.

With Flourish

Here’s another lion chest tattoo with some ornamentation worked into the fur. Request the artist get creative with your design and you could walk away with something equally as cool.

It Can Be Sweet

Here’s a fun and original piece that imagines a lion with a sunflower in its mouth. A touch of romance really makes this design stand out.

With a Quote

Consider adding a quote to your lion chest tattoo to make it even more meaningful and special. You can work it into the fur as this person has done which is visually very interesting or create a sort of banner to hold your words of wisdom.

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Home of the Pride

Here we find a meaningful lion chest tattoo that frames the lion in the shape of Africa. Africa is the continent and ancestral home to these big cats. Yes, you will find them in India as well, but the vast majority live on the African continent.

Experiment with Color

We have seen a ton of black and grey tattoos and while they have their virtues, it is nice to see some colorful ink on this list. This one contains a watercolor effect to splash even more color into the design. Bravo!

Sketch Effect

Adjacent to watercolor tattoos you will find sketch tattoos as well. They imagine the tattoo looking as if it’s been drawn on paper with ink. See all of the “ink stains” in this design? It’s a hallmark of the trend.

Ornamental Shapes

Get creative with your artist to come up with one-of-a-kind, inspired designs like this one. The ornamental accents make this cat look as if it’s wearing a mask. How unique!

Tribal-Inspired

For better or worse, tribal-inspired tattoos never seem to go out of style. We find a lion chest tattoo done to look like the thick, black lines of a tribal tattoo.

On Fire

We find more color in this lion chest tattoo that’s on fire. The red, orange and yellow inks really look beautiful together while the lion still appears tough.

As Armor

We did not expect to see lion armor tattoos when we started researching this piece but, here you go! It’s a very interesting concept that we only saw once.

A Whole Piece

Tattoos that cover the chest like this are often called “chest pieces” in tattoo parlance. We find a roaring lion flanked by roses and a cool ornamental effect that makes the entire tattoo feel balanced.

You Can Go Big

You can go bigger still with something like this that curiously has a lion surrounded by roses and a chain? We don’t know what that’s supposed to mean but overall, this design does feel inspired and original.

Like a Statue

Wow! This is not a tattoo you see every day. This lion chest tattoo looks as if it’s been sculpted on the chest. The tattoo artist is a master of shading and detail. It’s remarkable!

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Neo-Traditional

If it’s not broken, do not fix it. We find a neo-traditional lion tattoo that is reminiscent of traditional tattooing with understated shapes and bold lines. It’s a love letter to pioneers like Sailor Jerry or Ed Hardy.

There you go! Did you find some lion chest tattoo ideas that might work for you? We hope you feel inspired by these designs and will consider getting one for yourself. Lions are such majestic creatures and one of the most popular animals to get tattooed. Get some cat ink and you will be in great company!