When it comes to epic fanart depicting the awesome power of Dragon Ball’s Goku and his team of Z-Fighters in new and unique ways, the artistically inclined members of this franchise’s fan community rarely disappoint, and now in a slight tweak to the idea of what fanart can be, Goku and company’s wild journey across Dragon Ball Z is immortalized in a jaw-dropping piece of tattoo art!
Posted a little while back on Instagram by username @brvc3t, this account is a dream come true for body art and ink lovers alike, especially ones who cannot get enough of everything nerd and pop culture-related. Consistently sharing impressive images of his finished tattoo designs, @brvc3t aka Marco Bruce Brugnola, has dabbled not just in highly detailed Dragon Ball-related tattoos, but ones from the worlds of Disney, Star Wars, DC Comics, Metal Gear Solid, and a whole slew of other TV shows, musical artists, and movies too.
A tattoo that focuses on characters from the second Dragon Ball series, Dragon Ball Z, this specific collection of sagas is by far the most popular iteration of the franchise and was a cornerstone anime for an entirely new generation of fans in the 1990s. Following the exploits of Goku and his friends as they achieve power levels well over 9000, partake in battles that quite literally destroy worlds, and tell stories about people willing to sacrifice everything to save those they care about, Dragon Ball Z is one of the most popular animes of all time, with Marco's wildly epic tattoo paying tribute to that claim perfectly.
Tattooing in a high contrast black and white art style, Marco’s attention to detail and representation of the characters seen here is truly a sight to see for Dragon Ball fans and regular ink junkies alike to obsess over. Using the entire back of the poor soul having to sit and feel the burn of a tattoo needle for hours at a time as his canvas, Marco situates his inspired Dragon Ball Z design around the iconic Japanese kanji worn by Goku throughout the early parts of his adventures as a disciple of the great Master Roshi. Depicting the ultimate villains of the main sagas seen throughout the series on the left side of the piece, Marco mirrors them with their heroic counterparts on the right side, giving way to a piece of body art that's just plain enthralling to look at, to say nothing about the skill required to pull it off.
Inking Frieza in his final form across from a bloody and bruised Super Saiyan Goku from their epic battle on an exploding Namek, Marco next brings Perfect Cell to life across from an already Super Saiyan 2 Gohan, mimicking their equally as epic fight during the Cell Games. Following this up with an enraged Kid Buu snarling at a battered Majin Vegeta who is just about to make the ultimate sacrifice, Marco finishes things off with a well-placed Shenron at the top and a Great Ape at the bottom of the piece, coming full circle in what is essentially an incredibly inspired cliff notes version of the entire Dragon Ball Z saga!
Fanart, in general, often yields impressive results when coming from a dedicated, talented, and passionate fanbase, and this epic Dragon Ball tattoo art is no exception. Dragon Ball will always give artists a reason to create something new and unique for fans to enjoy, so be sure to follow Marco Bruce Brugnola (@brvc3t) for more nerdy body art and fanart content!