Over 20 Examples of Tattoos That Turned Out Different Than Intended

We Have a Celebrity Favorite When It Comes To Tattoos

Here we are once more. We’re not judging your choice of celebrity or the tattoo for your body. However, you could have chosen a more skilled artist so that Marilyn Monroe, the iconic star of her era, didn’t end up appearing like this on your skin. Just take a look at the comparisons.

We need to emphasize this once more: creating good portraits is challenging, so it’s best to consult a professional. Otherwise, your tattoos might turn out like this. It resembles a poor imitation of Marilyn Monroe. The eyes, mouth, hair, and every other detail are entirely inaccurate. Why would anyone opt for this?

That’s No Darth Vader

Star Wars characters are popular choices for tattoos. Many people get them, especially lightsabers. Another frequently seen tattoo is of Darth Vader, but not everyone can do it justice. The example below illustrates this. You can see how off it seems, particularly if you’re a Star Wars enthusiast.

It resembles a blob holding a stick more than Darth Vader. It’s amusing to see, as the artist clearly put a lot of effort into making it look like the real character, but it’s quite poorly done. This is definitely the work of a novice.

Is That a Gorilla or a Human Head?

Individuals intentionally get humorous tattoos because their sense of humor is unique. However, these same individuals often regret their choices and eventually look to remove the tattoos. In this example, the tattoo will likely be concealed by the person’s hair, as it is located at the base of their head.

He had a gorilla tattooed on his head as a prank. Now, the back of his head resembles an actual gorilla. Credit to the tattoo artist for their skill, but it’s rather embarrassing. Hopefully, his hair grows quickly so no one has to witness this eyesore.

The Real Spider Man

We’ve all come across tattoos of animals and insects on people, but we’ve never seen anything this large, especially on someone’s face. This man is clearly passionate about spiders, and his face prominently displays that passion. If you have arachnophobia, you might want to avert your eyes. This enormous spider is rather eerie.

We recognize the excitement of having your favorite animal tattooed on your skin, but we never expected someone would actually go through with it. We can all agree that this man is truly the real Spider-Man; he has the appearance and traits to back it up. Am I right?

Another Tattoo Lost in Translation

You’ll notice many people with tattoos in foreign languages, particularly ones that use characters instead of alphabets. However, if you inquire, most of them don’t truly understand the meaning. But if a native speaker looks at them, they’ll likely be amused for quite some time.

We’re certain that this individual didn’t intend for their tattoo to read “Turkey Sandwich.” They likely got it believing it looked cool and probably had a unique meaning. However, once translated, it turned out to be simply a turkey sandwich. If you have a strong affection for turkey sandwiches, then this is the ideal tattoo for you.

Fr..ankenstein Mercury?

Freddy Mercury is undoubtedly an inspiration to many, having made a significant impact on the music industry. He continues to have a large fan following and is beloved to this day. Therefore, it’s understandable that people would want to have his face tattooed on their skin. However, let’s examine the history of portrait tattoos. Are they successful?

Based on our experience, portraits are consistently a poor choice. This one reaffirms our position. It resembles Frankenstein more than Freddie Mercury. The artist has altered his features in a way that makes him appear frightening rather than the beloved figure.

Leave Tattoo Portraits to the Professionals

Desiring to have your loved one’s face tattooed on your body is certainly a sentimental act. However, to ensure it’s done correctly, you should visit a professional with experience in creating portraits on skin through tattoos. If you choose an average artist, you might end up with results like this.

This individual intended to have a portrait of his girlfriend done, but the result wasn’t what he expected. Instead of displaying his love and dedication, it resembles an image from the movie Insidious. The takeaway: always choose experienced tattoo artists, particularly for portraits.

Skittlez, not Skittles

This is a great case of a spelling error. Although the tattoo has several other problems, let’s focus on the tattoo artist’s mistake rather than the tattoo itself. Most of us enjoyed these colorful candies as kids, but apparently, the tattoo artist did not.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made such a basic mistake – the spelling of Skittles. When you think about it, maybe it was made to look like it was the person’s doing. However, we want to point out that it’s more about the tattoo artist’s poor work rather than judging the tattoo choice itself.

From a Baby to a Grown Man with the Help a Tattoo

Tattoo artists should recognize when they lack the ability to craft portrait tattoos to avoid ruining someone’s cherished memories and damaging their client’s skin. This particular tattoo serves as a real example of a portrait gone wrong, especially of an infant. Just by looking at it, you can see it’s noticeably off.

The unfortunate baby resembles an elderly man resting and enjoying a pleasant dream, instead of appearing as a tiny, cheerful, sleepy baby. It’s unclear why tattoo artists agree to such projects, and one can only imagine the parents’ reactions.

Another Portrait Gone Terribly Wrong

It is well known that people enjoy having tattoos of their loved ones. It’s a gesture of affection, as individuals wish to keep their partner’s face close and cherish their memory. This sentiment was shared by someone who decided to have their loved one’s face tattooed.

It’s really charming, but they should be aware that portraits often turn out poorly when translated into tattoos. Now, the girlfriend has strange gaps between her teeth, wrinkles, and numerous other added features on his skin, making it look nothing like her at all. We wonder if the girlfriend found it amusing when she saw this.

A True Animal Print Tattoo

People like tattoos with animal prints on their skin. These tattoos are typically small in size and look quite nice. For example, leopard spots or zebra stripes are popular and stylish animal print tattoos you can see. But we believe nothing beats this one. Just take a look at it.

A person had their whole leg tattooed to look like snake skin. The tattoo is incredibly impressive, with very accurate and realistic details. What’s surprising is the sheer size of the tattoo, making her entire leg resemble a giant snake. The sight of all those scales is quite unsettling.

What’s This? An Armpit Onion?

We’re not entirely sure what this tattoo signifies, but let’s try to interpret it. The woman seems to be suggesting that armpits have an odor, comparable to rotting onions. We think this might be a reference to Shrek, where you learn that ogres, like onions, have layers.

The location of the onion tattoo is intriguing and puzzling. We would like to learn more about it. It might be a nod to the idea that armpits are odorous, much like the strong scent of onions. However, we aren’t entirely certain of this explanation.

There’s a New Prome Queen in Town

You’ve likely heard of a prom queen, a title usually given to a high school girl at prom. However, this girl has a new twist on the title, calling herself the “Prome Queen.” It immediately brings to mind the distinctive characters from Game of Thrones or other fantasy series.

The prom queen’s title was misspelled, and we hope it can be corrected. Taking out the extra “e” shouldn’t be difficult for a tattoo artist. Here’s to hoping she can remove it and truly be the prom queen, at least for herself.

A Spelling Lesson is Crucial for this One

Having wise words inked on your arm is a common practice for many individuals. You’ll find many people with meaningful words tattooed on their skin, and it often looks quite appealing. However, you must be careful to ensure your tattoo is done correctly; otherwise, you’ll end up with something like this.

Having faith in “yourself” is crucial, and you should never really lose “hope.” The artist did a notably poor job with this inspirational quote. The spelling errors are very noticeable, as there are not just one but two significant ones. Someone definitely needs some spelling lessons before becoming a tattoo artist.

Get Abs in a Day

Everyone desires to be fit in order to have an attractive appearance. A common focus for many people during workouts is developing their abs and chest effectively. If you’re looking for a shortcut to get abs, here’s an ideal solution for you – consider getting a tattoo.

At least that’s what this man thought. He got a tattoo of the ideal body he’s always desired. The shading and the effort are impressive, but does it give a genuine look? Not at all. These fake abs and toned muscles are making us cringe.

We Really Need an Autocorrect for Tattoos

Minor mistakes in your tattoos are acceptable if the tattoo is small. However, if it covers your entire forearm, those mistakes become much more noticeable. For example, take a look at this. With a tattoo this large, grammatical errors are much more obvious.

But guess what? There’s a big grammatical error. There should be an autocorrect feature to handle these issues because they’re getting out of control. It’s get better? We’re sure it was meant to say it gets better. Now, this person either needs to address the error or have it corrected.

Living Life With No Regrets

A popular phrase people choose for tattoos is “No Regrets.” However, despite its popularity, many tattoo artists frequently misspell it. This is a prime example of the spelling mistakes tattoo artists can make.

The tattooed version reads “No Regerts,” and we’re confident it took the individual some time to realize the error. This is likely because they didn’t anticipate any mistake. Another common error with this is when they have “No Ragrets” inked on their skin. Are these intentional or truly innocent errors?

M&M, Eminem, or Both?

It can be challenging to get a unique tattoo because there are countless tattoo variations available. People need to rely on their creativity to design something truly distinctive. Here’s one we’ve never come across, featuring the famous artist Eminem, whose name resembles something else, M&Ms.

Someone decided it would be amusing to have a blue M&M with Eminem’s features tattooed on their skin. This showcases real creativity, but is it truly needed? We get that you want to stand out, but let’s not go overboard. However, the portrait of Eminem is pretty well done, isn’t it?

Turtle Head Is The New Fashion Statement

In the spur of the moment, people often shave their heads to make a statement. It looks cool, but what’s even better than that? Having a turtle tattooed all over your bald head. We’re kidding; we don’t actually want you to repeat the mistake this person made. He really did get a turtle tattoo on his head.

Having a tattoo done on his head must have been quite a painful experience, but he did it just for the turtle. This creature seems to be gazing into our souls. It can be rather unsettling if you look at it for too long. Here’s a tip: avoid getting animals tattooed on a bald head.

This Wolf Isn’t Scary at All

When you picture a wolf, you envision a keen, predatory creature poised to attack its prey. You might also think of werewolves, known as some of the most perilous fictional beings. Therefore, when you glance at this tattoo, you’ll find it amusing how comically frightened this wolf appears.

Instead of being intimidating, this wolf tattoo appears to look utterly terrified. As it howls at the moon, the wolf seems extremely frightened. It’s amusing when you see it. While the far-off image of the howling might seem intimidating, the large wolf head is actually quite comical.

Font Size and Design is Important

We didn’t realize how important the font size of tattoos was until we saw this. It’s an issue that many people face. They choose tattoos with various font sizes and designs, thinking it’s stylish, but it ends up being hard to read and unappealing to look at.

Here, the woman decided to have her font design and shape crafted in the form of an anchor, but that’s where things went awry. You can’t even recognize it as an anchor. Instead, it appears to be a jumble of words randomly scattered on her arm. So much for creativity.

Bon Jovi Quotes For The Win

Jon Bon Jovi is a well-known artist of his era with numerous hits that people still enjoy today. He’s one of those fundamental artists you’re likely to have listened to at some point. As a result, many individuals choose to have his song lyrics tattooed on their skin.

There’s no harm in doing so, as long as you ensure everything is correct. This person had “It’s My Life” tattooed on their skin, and we wonder if you can notice the mistake. Hint: it’s a grammatical error that may not be obvious at first glance. He has “is” twice.

Is This the Boogie Man or T-Rex?

As kids, we let our imaginations run free and came up with frightening monsters that emerge from under the bed. A lot of them might look like this tattoo. But do you know what this tattoo actually represents? It’s a tattoo of an extinct creature, the T-Rex dinosaur. Do you notice any similarity?

Although we’ve never actually seen a T-Rex in real life, we can definitely imagine what it might have appeared like based on their skeletons and, of course, Jurassic Park. Does this even vaguely resemble that? The proportions are completely wrong, and it looks more like a frightening chicken instead.

Can You Guess the Hollywood Celebrity Through this Tattoo?

We all admire Hollywood celebrities, but some people take it to the next level. Here’s a perfect example of someone who wanted a Hollywood celebrity’s image tattooed on their skin. Can you guess which celebrity this resembles? If you look closely enough, you might be able to figure it out.

This person has a tattoo of the beloved celebrity Marilyn Monroe on her arm. The tricky part is that you’ll need to look closely to see the likeness, but you should be able to spot it. It’s an example of another tattoo portrait that didn’t quite succeed.

Are We Looking at A Yankees Logo?

People are very passionate about sports. They gather various memorabilia and even get tattoos of their beloved teams. So, having a tattoo of your favorite team’s logo isn’t a problem. The problem arises when your tattoo turns out like this.

We’re not certain about its exact appearance. We guessed that it resembles the Yankees’ logo. Instead of a logo, it seems more like a mystical creature from ancient times. However, if you examine it closely, you’ll notice the likeness to the logo. Precision in lines is crucial in tattoos, and this demonstrates that clearly.

Never Overlook The Placement of Your Tattoo

One thing is certain: you shouldn’t neglect the placement of your tattoo. Be sure to give careful thought to the spot where you want to get inked. Otherwise, you might end up with an awkwardly positioned tattoo, much like the one shown below.

The bride has a tattoo reading “Regret” on her wrist. Having this visible in wedding photos is quite a downer. It takes away from what should be a sweet, sentimental moment. Seeing this, people might question whether she is genuinely happy. That’s unfortunate.

Another Case of Bad Spelling

We’ve seen a lot of these cases; poor spelling by tattoo artists is really a problem. However, we believe that isn’t the issue here. The person getting the tattoo decided to omit the last ‘s’ in ‘fearless’ and opted for a heart instead, likely to add some flair.

Tattoos can look really bad if they have spelling mistakes. We aren’t sure if this was the fault of the artist or the person who got the tattoo. However, upon closer inspection, the outfit and the pink nails reveal everything. The heart was more important, especially compared to the “s.”

She Won’t Have Trouble Telling People She’s Vegan

Nowadays, many people are attempting to adhere to specific lifestyles and dietary habits. One of the more commonly adopted diets is the vegan diet. It’s often challenging to determine if someone follows a vegan lifestyle unless they mention it themselves. However, there’s someone we don’t need to be concerned about identifying.

This woman has had her face tattooed to announce to the world that she’s vegan. It’s definitely a significant commitment to have such a tattoo on your face, so hopefully she’s dedicated for life. Wherever she goes, people will recognize her as the vegan woman.

Prime Example Of Tattoo Failure

When deciding on a tattoo, you need to consider the wording, design, and where it will be placed on your body. It can be challenging to make this decision because it’s important to have the correct text or image on the appropriate area of your skin. This individual did not value creativity or planning.

She immediately chose “Finaly Famous” for her tattoo, and it was placed on her décolletage. We know she didn’t intentionally opt for the wrong spelling, but the tattoo artist’s mistake was too obvious to ignore. This noticeable tattoo error made her famous almost instantly.

7 Rings or a Japanese Style Barbecue Grill?

It’s understandable when an average person ends up with a cringeworthy, bad tattoo since they might not have access to professional artists. However, it’s particularly embarrassing when a celebrity makes a tattoo blunder. Ariana Grande is a prime example of this. You’re likely familiar with her song ‘7 Rings,’ which is definitely memorable.

Because of the song’s popularity, Grande decided to commemorate the success of “7 Rings” with something special. She opted for a tattoo on her palm intended to spell out “7 Rings” in Japanese. However, the tattoo actually translates to a Japanese-style barbecue grill instead of those words.

Ex-Girlfriend’s Selfie Is The Perfect Tattoo On Your Arm

There are many ways to show love for your girlfriend. While many opt to tattoo each other’s names, the date they met, or another meaningful symbol, very few couples choose to tattoo each other’s entire faces. Can you guess who didn’t fully consider this decision?

This individual thought it was alright to have their girlfriend’s selfie tattooed on their arm. Since the future of the relationship is uncertain, it’s advisable not to have permanent reminders of an ex. However, for this guy, every time he does anything, he’ll see his ex pouting at him from this selfie tattoo.

The Tattoo Speaks For Itself – “Nobodies Perfect”

There’s a common phrase that everyone uses: “Nobody’s Perfect.” We want to find out who is responsible for this tattoo because, clearly, the spelling is completely incorrect. It’s amusing when you consider that she has this tattooed on her chest, and it ironically represents exactly what it says.

We’d like to think it’s a spelling mistake, but who is responsible for it? Did the person intentionally write “Nobodies,” or was she genuinely unaware of the correct spelling? We really hope someone has pointed it out to her, and she now knows what the correct word is, at least.

You’d Want to Avoid this Compass Rose

What do you seek out right away when you’re feeling disoriented? You might mention Google Maps, but that’s not what we’re discussing. A compass was designed to aid in guiding you, but if you examine the compass rose that this tattoo displays, you might end up feeling rather puzzled.

The fundamentals of using a compass were taught to us early in life. However, it seems this tattoo artist made a mistake. All the directions are mixed up, except for the North. If you’re unsure about your basics, looking at this might make you feel more confident.

A Distorted Tiger is Quite a Tattoo

It’s clear that getting animal tattoos is a popular choice for many people. However, it’s important to have them done by experienced professionals who specialize in 3D tattoos. Without this expertise, the result could end up looking like this tattoo, which leaves us more perplexed the longer we look at it.

Does this seem like a tiger to you? It’s certainly a very distorted version. It resembles something a child might draw, rather than the work of an experienced tattoo artist. The features, the placement, everything is truly dreadful. We hope the artist was given a similar reference picture to lessen the shock.

There’s a New Stitch in Town

Many people love Disney movies, and we’ve noticed that many get tattoos of their favorite characters. Ariel from The Little Mermaid is a popular choice. However, here’s a version that we all adore, but it’s quite unique compared to what we’ve seen before.

This version of Stitch comes from the famous ‘Lilo and Stitch’ animated TV show. You might notice it looks somewhat different from the one you’ve seen on TV, and you’re not mistaken. The design of this tattoo strays from the familiar image of Stitch. Let’s hope that the text is accurate as well.

Look Closely, Don’t Miss the Real Tattoo

Many individuals worldwide like to cover themselves in multiple layers of tattoos. Just like those mentioned below, they have tattoos all over their bodies, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It simply displays their passion for tattoos. However, there are certain things you should never do, which is what this person has done.

You might have assumed we were referring to his body tattoos, but we’re actually talking about the glasses tattooed on his face. They’re quite noticeable, aren’t they? This person believed that having glasses tattooed on their face would eliminate the need to wear real ones. Someone should let him know the reality.

Trolls and Their Whacky Hair

Trolls are small dolls with hair that stands straight up. That’s likely one of their most distinctive features, and there is even a Smurfs movie based on them. It’s clear that this person was truly inspired by these cute, small dolls.

He has a patch of hair that resembles the hair on those dolls. What better option than to have a troll tattooed underneath it? The tattoo is very detailed, but upon closer inspection, it’s just as cringeworthy and creepy. We wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.

Pikachu, Is That You?

Pikachu is probably one of the most cherished Pokémon, so it’s no wonder people choose it for tattoos. The key is to have it inked precisely to reflect the cute character. However, this particular one doesn’t quite resemble the real Pikachu.

It seems that Pikachu is having a difficult time and needs to reunite with Ash to sort things out. Pikachu’s facial expressions are awful. We sincerely hope there aren’t any more of these unsettling tattoos. They’re spoiling our perception of Pikachu.

So, You Ultimately Give Up?

Wise sayings are often chosen as tattoos. However, sometimes the intended message can be altered and end up conveying the opposite meaning. This is what happened with this tattoo. The person intended to have “Never Give Up” tattooed on their biceps, but something went awry.

The sign actually reads “Never don’t give up,” which is the exact opposite of what they intended it to say. With two negatives making a positive, it essentially tells you to give up. Isn’t that amusing? We all had a good laugh about it.

Let’s Just Say That Translators Are Essential for Tattoos

We’ve all observed people getting tattoos in various languages, often without knowing their meanings. However, it’s a different story when the tattoo is translated into your native language. In this instance, a social media influencer desired a tattoo with the phrase “Only God can judge my mistakes and truths.”

Can you imagine what happened next? Her tattoo artist had a different interpretation of the phrase, and ended up tattooing “I can judge a single god with my wrongs and wrongs” on her body. We were surprised to see how he entirely altered the meaning of the tattoo she had wanted.