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Jaguar Tattoo and their meaning (it’s more than ROAAAAR!)

Yes, jaguar has delighted generations of humans all around Central America and, in fact, it is in every culture when the jaguar is in the habitat, and, because of this, jaguar tattoos are one of the most inked in a lot of countries.

For this, we have to write this post about jaguar tattoos. This is what you are going to read about:

So, keep an eye on this article, because it’s starting now.

Table of Contents

First, a little bit about Jaguars

Yes, we do love to make a little context with all the tattoos, and this one about Jaguars has to be the same.

Jaguars are fascinating animals that live in America, mainly in the Southern US, Mexico, all Central America, Argentina and Paraguay.

This is a huge feline from Panthera genus and it is the third one by size, only besides lion and tiger, so it is the biggest feline in America.

So, jaguar are an extremely efficient hunter and, because of this and their rainforest predilection, they can live nowadays without being bothered by human presence.

Another thing that makes Jaguar different from other cats is the way it hunts, biting directly on the head, because they have a very strong bite.

What is the meaning of Jaguar Tattoo?

Now, we want to tell you more about the jaguar symbolism.

Because of the Jaguar territory, they used to share the space with Aztecs, Incas and Mayans mainly.

For these cultures, Jaguar was a god for the underworld, and Aztecs, Mayans and Incas showed their respects.

So, in these cultures, you can see a lot of different jaguar decorations all over the houses or even the plates.

Knowing this, let’s move forward.

The different meanings of Jaguar Symbolism

Now that you know more about the Jaguar as an animal, we can talk about its symbolism.

The first thing you must consider is the direct meaning for the Jaguar is the strength and the power.

You know, jaguar is the biggest cat in America, it has the most powerful bite and this is just a thing.

Moreover, jaguar means patience.

This is because the jaguar just lies in the way until something is interesting for it, so it can be waiting for hours, even days.

And, moreover, jaguar is about being aggressive, not just for being aggressive itself, just when the situation requires it.

Speaking about the ancient, for Incas, Mayans and Aztecs jaguar was mainly a god, but for some tribes, especially in Central America, jaguar was something evil too.

And, if you think about it, it makes 100% sense because, when an animal has its power, it cannot be just ā€œone moreā€.

Some Jaguar Tattoo Designs for you

For this article, we wanted to have a few sub-trends and some other generals, so you can compare better, we do hope you enjoy it!

Traditional Jaguar Tattoos

First, 5 designs for traditional Jaguar Tattoos for you!

jaguar-traditional-tattoo-maff

Neo Traditional Jaguar Tattoo

The first traditional jaguar tattoo we want to show you is the most traditional you can find.

Is not because of the design itself, it is for the style, because this jaguar is done in Neo Traditional style with some fineline.

Maybe the perfect choice to have a jaguar in your skin for your first tattoo, isn’t it?

This tattoo is made by Maff, from Cancún, in México.

black-jaguar-tattoo-yeji

Black Jaguar Hyper Realistic Tattoo

Just for the record, jaguars and leopards have another special thing: both can have black fur because of melanin excess, and regular humans call them panthers (or black jaguar/black leopards).

Here you can find a hyper realistic tattoo about a black jaguar perfectly done by yeji, with the perfect shape and harmony.

Moreover, this tattoo is a coverup, and the result is fantastic.

Yeji is a tattoo artist from Pyeongtaek, in South Korea with really nice works at the Instagram account you should follow.

silvia-castillo-realistic-jaguar-tattoo

Hyper Realistic Jaguar with dotwork

Another hyper realistic jaguar tattoo, this team with a beach and some flowers in the design, nice combination, isn’t it?

This tattoo is made with a lot of fineline and dotwork and, of course, with tons of patience and master by the tattoo artist, and that is because the result is so good.

About the tattoo, it is made by Silvia Castillo, she works at Matata Tattoo Studio, in Valencia, Spain, and she has a lot of talent for this!

jaguar-vs-eagle-traditional-tattoo

Jaguar Vs. Eagle Neo Traditional Tattoo

This tattoo could be on the Tribal, Preshipanic o ā€œOthersā€ section, but we think it must be in the Traditional one because, at the end, this tattoo is made in a Neo Traditional style.

As you can see, it is a wonderful work with a really big size in the entire back but, moreover, it is a cover up tattoo.

This wonderful work is done by Mauricio Sosa, from BogotĆ”, in Colombia.

traditional-jaguar-tattoo-craig-ryans

Traditional Jaguar Attacking tattoo

Here you can see a very traditional Jaguar Tattoo, this time, in an attack position, because that is what jaguars do (to eat!).

We want to show you this tattoo because sometimes the first image we have about a Jaguar Tattoo is something like that, and this is perfectly finished.

This tattoo is from Craig Ryans, working at Seven Horses tattoo, in Concorde, New Hampshire.

Aztec, Mayan and Prehispanic Jaguar Tattoo

Now, 10 for Aztec, Mayan and Prehispanic Tattoos in general:

aztec-jaguar-tattoo-diablomayor

Aztec black and grey Jaguar Tattoo

Sometimes the prehispanic period in Mexico is a bit messy and you don’t know at the first time if something is Aztec or Mayan, but we have to make our choice.

This prehispanic, and we think Aztec design about a jaguar tattoo is just to bring the ancient culture to the present due getting inked, and this is just a thing!

The tattoo is made by Diablomayor, a part of an art inclusive collective in MƩxico you must follow.

aztec-jaguar-tattoo-xw-arts

Aztec Colorfull Jaguar Tattoo

We do love Aztec Jaguar tattoos because they are so special and unique that really move us, and this is just another case of this.

Now you can see a colorful tattoo with a prehispanic Jaguar design in the most traditional way, so you can bring this design back to life again!

This tattoo is done by XW Art, from MƩxico.

preshipanic-jaguar-tattoo-heck

Prehispanic Jaguar Head Tattoo

This time you can see a tattoo only about the head of the Jaguar in a prehispanic way.

We do not know 100% if this is more Mayan or Aztec but, you know, it is very beautiful, and that’s the point.Ā 

This tattoo is made by HeCk, from México DF, Cancún and Monterrey, all in México, of course.

prehispanic-jaguar-tattoo-midori

Prehispanic (and tribal) Jaguar Head Tattoo

This time something between tradition and new school, something refreshing with some ancient stuff.

Nice, isn’t it?

Here you can find something like a prehispanic tattoo design of a Jaguar tattoo but made with cartoon or comic style mixed up.

We do love the result, do you?

This tattoo is made by Midori Mena, from MƩxico.

jaguar-claws-aztec-tattoo-manos-muertas

Jaguar claws Aztec Tattoo

Now it is time for something new on this list, because it is the first tattoo when the claws are the main character.

Here you can see a tattoo made in Aztec style, full of color, of 2 Jaguar claws hunting a heart with something like an eye.

This tattoo is made by Manos Muertas, from Mexico DF, with tons of Aztec designs tattoos on the Instagram account.

jaguar-aztec-tattoo-ornamental-stefano

Jaguar Head tattoo Aztec design

Now you can see a Jaguar Head tattoo but made on something near to Aztec design and with ornamental (and a little tribal) design.

Nice movement, isn’t it?

We think this can inspire you to mix some styles and make the magic happen, like Stefano Varuna made. He is from MƩxico and you can find him at DF and Tepoztlan.

jaguar-tattoo-elguero

Jaguar Aztec Tattoo to fill

Now, another kind of tattoo about a Jaguar in the Aztec way.

We do like this tattoo because of the colors and because is 100% in Aztec style, so it is just a must.

The tattoo is made by Álvaro Díaz, know as El Güero, working at Pasiempre Tattoo in Seville, Spain.

jaguar-and-snake-mayan-tattoo-jeff-patterson

Jaguar Vs. Snake Tattoo

Yes, it is something between Aztec/Mayan style and Japanese style, isn’t it? But we do love it anyway.

And, if you see it very well, maybe you can appreciate some Neo Traditional too.

Anyway, this tattoo about a jaguar fighting a feathered snake is a thing, and we have to show you for sure.

This tattoo is made by Jeffrey Patterson, from Louisiana, and we do hope you like it too!

jaguar-and-panther-aztec-tattoo-el-cristo

Jaguar and Panther Aztec Tattoo

If you don’t know if you prefer a jaguar or a panther, you can ink both!

That ‘s the spirit!

As you can see, this two hands tattoo, the jaguar and the panther, are between an ancient style like Aztec or Mayan but with something like Neo Traditional too.

These tattoos are made by El Cristo, and you have a lot of flash tattoos on his Instagram.

jaguar-head-tattoo-fire-lluvia-de-puƱales

Jaguar and Sun Tattoo

And, the last one about Aztec and Mayan is a little bit Neo Traditional too, but we do love it.

We do love it when the tattoo artist mixes styles and concepts making something better, like this one.

As you can see, a jaguar head tattoo with the sun, but the jaguar is like burning itself with fury.

Just poetry.

This tattoo is from Lluvia de PuƱales, in Medellƭn, Colombia.

Nice work!

Jaguar Warrior Tattoo

Now, something different, 5 designs for you about Jaguar Warriors Tattoos.

jaguar warrior tattoo leo zilva

Realistic Skull Mayan Jaguar Warrior

Let’s move into the creepy but beautiful area.

Mayan Warriors used to have a jaguar (or panther) skin to protect them in battle, as you can see in this tattoo.

But, this time, it is not a living warrior thing, it’s the skull of the warrior, and this is the creepy stuff.

This realistic and perfectly done tattoo is done by Leo Zilva, and he has more hyper realistic tattoos on his Instagram account.

jaguar-warrior-head-tattoo-rios-jose

Another Mayan Warrior Tattoo

Kind of the same, but different is this Jaguar Warrior Tattoo in a hyper realistic style.

Here you can see the skull and the Jaguar skin with tons of definition in this shoulder tattoo with the traditional earrings.

Just a piece of work!

This tattoo is made by Rios Jose, a fantastic tattoo artist working at Iron Will Tattoo, in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

jaguar-warrior-juan-pantaleon

Jaguar Warrior Tattoo from a different view

Now you can see another Jaguar Warrior Tattoo, but this time not from the main side, but for the profile section.

You can see the detail level of the face of the warrior and of the jaguar skin, pretty cool, isn’t it?

And, down, the pyramid that remains to be a mystery the way they construct them.

This nice tattoo is done by Juan Pantaleon, from San Luis Obispo, in California, and he has other nice realistic examples in his Instagram account.

jaguar and warrior tattoo j gaviria

Jaguar and warrior Tattoo

Yes, that hyper realistic style is fantastic, in one word.

The design is precious, with tons of harmony and a spectacular finish.

As you can see, the jaguar in the upper part, and the warrior just down, totally integrated.

This fantastic job is done by J Gaviria, from BogotĆ”, in Colombia.

Nice work!

jaguar-warrior-gary-morris

Jaguar woman warrior Tattoo

Let’s have some more Jaguar Warriors, but now, not a man anymore.

This fantastic hyper realistic tattoo is about a woman jaguar warrior with all the iconography and paintings.

The tattoo itself is made by Gary Morris, a tattoo artist from Carlow, in Ireland with a lot of fantastic realistic examples.

Nice one!

Simple Jaguar Tattoo

And, if you want something simpler, here you can 5 designs to inspire you:

simple-jaguar-tattoo-monze-con-zeta

Simple and eye-catching Jaguar Tattoo

We do like tattoo designs with something special and unique, and this one is just it.

Here you can see a simple jaguar tattoo design but very effective with waves like the tattoo itself was camouflaged, like jaguars used to do.

This tattoo is done by Monze con Zeta, from MƩxico, and you should follow her right now!

jaguar-simple-tattoo-orozi

Jaguar simple tattoo with blue eyes

Something to make magic you only need a couple of lines and some color, and this is what this tattoo is about.

Here you can find a very simple but effective Jaguar tattoo with blue eyes.

So, if you are looking for something simple (but not easy), maybe this can inspire you.

This tattoo is made by Orozi Tattoo, in Seoul, South Korea, nice one!

jaguar-tattoo-simple-color-siroco-tattoo

Simple? Jaguar Tattoo

We didn’t know if this tattoo had to be at the simple area or in the realistic one, because for us it is just in the middle.

Anyway, we do love it, because of the natural color palette and because of the movement feeling with a few lines.

It is just fantastic.

This tattoo is made by Siroco Tattoo, a Spanish tattoo artist with several guest spots all around Spain.

Nice work!!

jaguar simple tattoo max espinoza

Jaguar Stretching Tattoo

Another more simple Jaguar tattoo and very effective is this one about a stretching Jaguar.

We do love the design because it seems to be something like a baby/small Jaguar cat with a flower in the mouth.

The tattoo is made by Max Espinoza, from San JosƩ, in Costa Rica.

Nice job!

simple-jaguar-arm-tattoo-tulum-beach-tattoo

Simple Jaguar Arm Tattoo

Another example, you can have a simple tattoo with a lot of meaning and eye-catching, like this one.

On the one half, a jaguar head tattoo, on the other half, some geometric clouds.

Nice one, isn’t it?

This tattoo is made by Tulum Beach Tattoo, in Tulum, MƩxico.

Realistic Jaguar Tattoo

What about hyper realism? Here you can find 5 designs full of details:

jaguar-tattoo-realistic-julieta-herman

Awesome colorful realistic Jaguar Tattoo

This spectacular work is the first we want to show you about realistic jaguar tattoos, and we think, more than a tattoo, this is just art.

We are just speechless about the mastering of tattooing with this work, it is just perfect.

This tattoo was made by Julieta Herman, from Argentina. She is focused at Dotwork but, as you can see, realism tattoos from Juliet are just a thing!

Nice job there!

realistic-jaguar-tattoo-santiago-lopera

Another Realistic, black and grey this time

The second realistic jaguar tattoo is this one, now, only in black and gray ink and, formally speaking, maybe more classical but perfectly finished by Santiago Lopera.

We do like this tattoo because the way Santiago adapts the design to the arm shape and the harmony and balance of the jaguar itself it’s perfect, more like a photo than a tattoo.

And this is really difficult!

Santiago Lopera is a tattoo artist from Colombia, and he has a lot of portraits and realism tattoos on his Instagram account.

jaguar-realistic-tattoo-water-obi-one

Jaguar drinking water tattoo

Can you imagine how hard it is to succeed with this water effect in a tattoo?

This crazy design is just a thing, the jaguar proportions are perfect, the leaves and even the black background are amazing, just artwork.

This tattoo is made by Obi One Tattoo, from France, and you can see a lot of fantastic hyper realistic tattoos at the Instagram Account.

jaguar-head-hyper-realistic-tattoo-sarah-jane

Realistic Alert Jaguar Tattoo

Another amazing hyper realistic jaguar tattoo is this one, like it was camouflaging in the leaves.

If you can see the level of detail, the ears seem to be a little up, like the Jaguar is alert, maybe hunting.

This amazing tattoo is done by Sarah Morton, from Hull, in the UK, and she has lots of fantastic hyper realistic designs in her Instagram account.

realistic-jaguar-open-mouth-bryan-alfaro

Open Mouth Jaguar Tattoo

The last realistic style jaguar tattoo that we want to show you is this one.

An open mouth jaguar tattoo with some clouds, some leaves, and a lot of mastering by the tattoo artist, as you can see.

The tattoo is made by Bryan Alfaro, a Mexican guy working at Lakewood, in Colorado, and you should follow him now!

Jaguar Head Tattoo

Jaguar Head Tattos are a thing, here you can find 5 more for you!

jaguar-head-tattoo-snake-sav

Jaguar Head with Snake Tattoo

Yes, something odd now, why not?

Here you can see a Jaguar Head tattoo but spitting a snake (a python), and we know you have probably ever seen something like this, isn’t it?

The tattoo itself has a lot of dotwork and linework to make it happen with that detail level and, of course, a very bold design.

Nice work there for SaV, from Quito, in Ecuador.

jaguar-head-tattoo-flowers-cristovao-tattoo

Jaguar Head with some Flowers Tattoo

And, if you are looking for some fresh Jaguar Tattoo designs with some more elements, here you can find a Jaguar head tattoo with some flowers.

This tattoo is made on an arm, so to catch the perfect design with the arm’s shape is very difficult.

And, about styles, you can see some fineline and a lot of dotwork for that work.

This tattoo is made by Cristovao Tattoo, from Sao Paulo in Brazil, and you can find some good designs on his Instagram account.

jaguar-head-tattoo-hyper-realistic-ariadne-avila

Jaguar Head hyper realistic style

Moving forward here you can find another Jaguar head tattoo, this time almost all in black and gray ink but with yellow eyes, giving the composition a lot of strength.

This tattoo is very difficult to perform in that way, you need to really master the situation, because of the shape, the jaguar dots and the result is fantastic.

This tattoo is made by Ariadne Avila, a wonderful tattoo artist with tons of amazing tattoos on her Instagram.

jaguar-head-tattoo-peonies-agustin

Jaguar Head with peonies

Here you can find another jaguar head tattoo, but with some other elements like the peonies.

Peonies are a trend inside the botanical tattoos, in fact, that flowers should be the most tattooed all over the world for sure.

Moreover, the tattoo is just perfect with a nice and unique palette color and very clean work from AgustĆ­n N. Caro, this kind of colors are like his personal brand.

Very nice šŸ™‚

jaguar-head-tattoo-flower-paccio

Jaguar Head with a flower

Another special one now!

Here you can see a Jaguar Head tattoo, well, only one half, and a flower (a rose) in the other half with a fantastic detail by being cut not in the middle.

Yes, it is hard to explain but easy to see, isn’t it?

We do love this design because it is very eye-catching, and it is perfectly done.

The tattoo is done by Tattoo Paccio, in Arnhem, The Netherlands.

Nice one!

Other Jaguar Tattoos

And, finally, another 10 more that you may enjoy:

small-jaguar-tattoo-shadow-tattooer

Small and Beautiful Jaguar Tattoo

Now we want to show you something very difficult to perform the way you can see in the photo.

This tattoo is just amazing because of the detail level with such tiny space, just a fantastic dotwork style tattoo from another master like Shadow Tattooer, in South Korea.

On his Instagram account you can see some other small and very beautiful works.

jaguar-neo-traditional-tattoo-ivan-santacruz

Neo Traditional and colorful Jaguar Tattoo

We didn’t know if we had to put this tattoo inside the Traditional one, but, because of the colors the tattoo artist chose for that, we moved it to the ā€œothersā€ section.

This time you have a jaguar head tattoo, but with a Neo Traditional Style, you know, this style mixes traditional elements with more color and different designs and shapes, and the result is magical.

This tattoo is made by IvƔn Santacruz, from Mexico, and you can see some different nice tattoos (and styles) at his Instagram.

jaguar-surrealism-tattoo-andres-pulido

Jaguar surrealism tattoo

Well, it is not easy to find a Jaguar Tattoo made in a surrealist style, but this time we found it!

Here you can find a jaguar with 2 pairs of eyes, with a subtrend inside the surrealistic tattoos, and with some eyes instead of spots.

We think the tattoo itself is fantastic, with nice detail and a lot of dotwork, so nice work to AndrƩs Pulido Vargas, from BogotƔ, in Colombia.

jaguar-neo-traditional-tattoo-wandering-witch-tattoo

Jaguar tattoo in a Neo School Way

A little bit Neo School Style, a little bit in a creepy and fantastic way, this tattoo about a head Jaguar tattoo is not made for the standard.

We can assure that!

We do like the color palette for this and the design with all the thick lines, nice job there for Wanderling Witch Tattoo, from Adelaide, in Australia.

jaguar-and-peacock-ornamental-tattoo-leonor

Ornamental Jaguar and Peacock

Something different now, a tattoo design with a Jaguar and a Peacock, one on each arm, all with ornamental style and, of course, black inked.

This wonderful design is made by Leonor Lima, from Guimaraes, in Portugal, with a lot of perfect tattoos on her Instagram account, like this one.

jaguar-realistic-tattoo-ingrid-vetter

Walking Jaguar Tattoo

Now you can see a Jaguar tattoo design in a realistic way, another time full of dotwork, and it all makes sense, because Jaguar has a lot of dots, but, this time, just walking.

We do like the tattoo design and the final result, very clean, with a lot of harmony.

This tattoo is made by Ingrid Vetter working at Nine Circles Tattoo, from Switzerland.

Nice work!

jaguar and woman tattoo paola amaral

Jaguar and woman Tattoo

What do you think about this tattoo?

Yes, the design is simpler than the hyper realistic ones, but I can tell you it is very difficult to make this design with those lines so perfect. We mean it.

Moreover, we do love the sun and plant details, so we are just amazed.

This tattoo is made by Paola Amaral, from Florianópolis, in Brazil, and she has a lot of very nice tattoos on her Instagram account.

jaguar-colorful-tattoo-amy-orchard

Jaguar colorfull tattoo with a frog

Yes, this tattoo could be on the head jaguar section, but it has a lot of elements so we planned to show you here.

As you can see, this spectacular Jaguar head tattoo full of color has a frog and some flowers too with a master design.

This artwork is done by Amy Orchard, working at Divine Ink, in Devon, UK.

woman-riding-a-jaguar-tattoo-helena-lopes

Woman Riding a Jaguar Tattoo

This is another special tattoo with a unique design.

This time, this woman riding a jaguar in black ink is done in a Neo Traditional Style. This style tries to bring nowadays the style of the first tattoos, and we can say Helena Lopes did it for sure.

Helena Lopes, the tattoo artist behind this tattoo is from Brazil and you can meet her at Antiquario Studio and Lady Luck Tattoo.

jaguar head red eyes jose guevara tattoo

Black Jaguar Fire Eyes tattoo

This tattoo is very special too.

As you can see, it mixes the realism about the black jaguar (or panther) with the leaves’ detail, more like an illustration, and this effect on the panther’s eyes that seems to be on fire.

Pretty cool style mix with a wonderful finish.

This tattoo is made by Jose Guevara, AKA ā€œCheeseburger Championā€, from LA, and he has plenty of perfect works like this one.

Some FAQs about Jaguar Tattoos

Jaguar mainly means strength, power, patience and aggressiveness when it is necessary. For Mayans Jaguar was the god of the underworld too.

Exactly the same as a jaguar, because it is the same animal but panther is black, so, strength, patience and aggressiveness when it is necessary too.

For Aztec Jaguar was a god, a god for the underworld, so many objects in Aztec and Mayan culture were decorated with Jaguar as the symbol of everything good.

It depends on you, you know, here you can find Aztec and Mayan Jaguar tattoos and jaguar warrior tattoos so you can get inspired.

Yes, Aztecs wear tattoos, in fact, there were some ceremonies to get them, because getting inked was a ritual.

It depends on the size, the tattoo artist and the level of detail, from some bucks for a simple and small one, to more than $1.000 to a big one with a nice tattoo artist.

Aztecs and Mayan people have their own symbol to represent the world with a special design, now, we can get these designs and get ink with tat.

Exactly the same as a jaguar, because it is the same animal but panther is black, so, strength, patience and aggressiveness when it is necessary too.

For Aztec the warrior was a person (man or woman) wearing a jaguar skin and some earrings. In fact, sometimes it is represented as the dead warrior, with a skull, too.

Courage, a lot of courage šŸ˜› Aztec warriors are usually represented wearing a jaguar skin as a symbol of power.

We hope you had enjoyed with that guide about Jaguar Tattoo, stay tunned for more content!

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