Rihanna is one of the most popular musical artists in the world. Rihanna's charisma and talent have earned her legions of fans.
Her fans have devoured every media and product she has let out into the world, from her music to her various entrepreneurial endeavors ranging from make-up to lingerie. An air of mystique and brilliance oozes off of Rihanna, making her more than just a star and more of an icon.
Such a status often leads to more than just adoration and turns into worship and worship her fans do.
Not only is she a wonderful musical artist, but she is also a style icon. Some of her style and looks can be attributed to her impressive tattoo collection. She has over 25 known tattoos, and here is what they all mean.
1. A Shark On Her Ankle
Rihanna has a tattoo of a shark on her ankle inked by the celebrity tattoo artist Bang Bang in September 2016.
This tattoo is popular because of its connections to Rihanna's rumored relationship with Drake. The rumors say that a stuffed shark inspired the tattoo that Drake had gotten Rihanna after a date at an aquarium in Toronto.
It's further said that Drake has a matching tattoo on his arm. Not only that, but apparently, the tattoo was inked onto Rihanna's body by Bang Bang in Drake's dressing room in Miami.
These rumors intensified in June 2021, when many fans noticed that Rihanna had covered up the tattoo after revealing her relationship with now-boyfriend A$AP Rocky.
2. Stars Down The Back Of Her Neck
The stars down her neck are perhaps among Rihanna's most visible and popular tattoos.
The tattoo shows a cascading stream of stars, some filled in and some empty on the inside, as they trail down her neck to the right side of her back, avoiding a mole she has in the middle.
This tattoo was done by Bang Bang and is also connected to another of Rihanna's exes, Chris Brown. He has a matching tattoo on his neck too.
Chris Brown is famous for his singing alongside his tumultuous relationship with Rihanna and the violent acts he committed against her physically.
Curiously, Rihanna has made no attempts at covering up this tattoo, probably owing to the fact that it is both too large and too iconic.
3. 1988 On Her Ankle
This Rihanna tattoo on her right ankle is the most obvious one among all of her tattoos.
Once again by the tattoo artist Bang Bang, the year 1988 is supposed to signify Rihanna's birth year. She was born on February 20, 1988.
The tattoo is done in a Gothic style, with the rounds of the numbers flattened to make them straight lines instead of how they're usually written. The numbers also flare at the edges.
This tattoo is one of Rihanna's most popular ones. She added it to her collection in August 2015 at Bang Bang's tattoo parlor in New York City. Bang Bang reportedly liked the tattoo so much that he commemorated it on his own Instagram page with a caption calling Rihanna his favorite person to tattoo.
4. A Large Cross On Her Right Wrist
Rihanna has a large cross on the underside of her right wrist with an elaborate design.
Once again, Bang Bang, her favorite tattoo artist, did this tattoo. The story surrounding this tattoo claims that Rihanna entered his studio at midnight to have it inked and did not leave until 5 AM.
The tattoo is meant to symbolize her Christian faith. Aside from the cross, there is also an intricate henna design under the cross.
5. Henna Style Tattoo On Her Hand
As stated above, Rihanna has a henna design for her previous tattoo, which she expanded to fit her whole wrist.
The tattoo also reaches up to her hands and fingertips. Done by Bang Bang, the tattoo was a result of her being unhappy with a traditional Maori tattoo she had inked from another artist.
She flew him to the Dominican Republic so he could cover her hand and wrist with the henna design.
6. Nefertiti, The Egyptian Queen, On Her Ribcage
The tattoo of Nefertiti, an Egyptian Queen, is another of Rihanna's most iconic tattoos.
The queen is a symbol of feminine beauty, and Rihanna has tattooed a bust of her head from the side. The tattoo was first showcased with famous but controversial photographer Terry Richardson in a photo shoot.
Unlike the above tattoos, she has never spoken about the meaning of this tattoo, and it is not seen as much due to its placement. But, she has taken many iconic pictures with the tattoo in view, which has become very appealing to many of her fans.
7. The Goddess Isis On Her Chest
Out of all the tattoos on this list, the one of the Goddess Isis on her chest is Rihanna's most iconic one.
The tattoo features the Egyptian Goddess Isis, the goddess of love and fertility, spreading her wings across the underside of her breasts. It is one of her most famous tattoos and is very personal to her as it is a dedication to her beloved grandmother, Dolly.
She got the tattoo in London's Soho area and revealed it to the internet on September 2012. In the caption for the picture where she revealed the tattoo, she wrote how Goddess Isis is a complete woman and model for future generations.
She also wrote the hashtag #GRANGRANDOLLY and followed that with the message "always in and on my heart" alongside another hashtag stating #1love.
8. Falcon On Her Ankle
Rihanna has a gun-shaped falcon tattoo on her right ankle opposite the side where she has her 1988 tattoo.
According to Bang Bang, Rihanna had been in love with the design since she was a teenager and had wanted it as her first tattoo. Back then, she had wanted it on her back.
She revealed the tattoo on her Instagram with a caption stating that Falcons are a light that shines in the darkness and never closes their eyes, even during sleep.
The singer further explained the meaning of the tattoo in an interview with Oprah about how her ancestors used to carve falcons into the walls because they did not have another way of talking about a king in the sky, the king in the sky, meaning God. She got the tattoo in June 2012.
9. A Small Cross On Her Collarbones
As stated above, Rihanna is religious, and this tattoo of a small Christian cross on her collarbones is dedicated to God.
Despite being a tiny tattoo, so small that she could cover it with jewelry if she wanted to, the tattoo caused a lot of controversy because of its links to secret societies like the Illuminati and the Freemasons.
As Rihanna is linked to Jay Z, who initially signed her, she already has people yelling Illuminati at her, which the tattoo only increased. She got the tattoo in March 2012.
10. Tibetan Words On Her Lower Back
Rihanna has the word lover in Tibetan script on her back, right above her left buttocks.
She got the tattoo in March 2012. The singer has not revealed the tattoo's meaning, but many seem to think it signifies all the lovers she has had in her life.
11. Thug Life On Her Knuckles
One of Rihanna's most unique tattoos she has the phrase 'Thug Life' tattooed across her knuckles.
What makes this tattoo so unique is that it is done not in ink but in semi-permanent light ink by the legendary artist Mark Mahoney.
The phrase "Thug Life" is in reference to the important 90s rapper Tupac who popularized the phrase. As it is made with light ink, the design is going to disappear over time and can hardly be seen nowadays.
12. Rebelle Fleur On Her Neck
Another iconic tattoo, Rihanna has the french words for "Rebel Flower" on the left side of her neck.
When it was first revealed, people debated whether the tattoo should be fleur rebelled to be grammatically correct.
She was quick to correct everyone that her tattoo means "rebel flower," not "rebellious flower," which means that "Rebelle Fleur" is grammatically correct as it is two nouns.
13. Arabic Words On Her Side
Rihanna has the words Al Hurria fi Al Maseeh in Arabic script on her lower left ribcage.
The words mean Freedom in God and symbolize Rihanna's religious beliefs and trust in a higher power.
It is one of her more low-key tattoos, as she has not talked about them as much.
14. A Gun On Her Ribcage
Rihanna has a tiny handgun tattoo on the side of her ribcage, right under her right armpit.
It is one of her earliest tattoos that she got in March 2009 from Bang Bang. She initially flew him out to give the tattoo to a friend of hers as a birthday girl and later changed her mind and got one for herself too.
It is an incredibly detailed tattoo for its size. Apparently, Bang Bang went through many styles until Rihanna agreed to one.
There was some controversy when she revealed the tattoo as people thought she was promoting gun violence, but Bang Bang stated that it was meant to symbolize her strength and resilience.
15. A Quote On Her Shoulder
Rihanna has a quote in English reading, "Never a failure, always a lesson" on her shoulder.
This self-motivational tattoo is meant to represent her motto in life for everything. It is curious for being written backward on her so she can read it in the mirror whenever she feels like she needs some confidence.
Once again, this tattoo was inked by her close friend Bang-Bang.
16. Tribal Dragon Claw On Her Hand
Rihanna has a henna-styler tribal dragon claw on the back and side of her right hand.
This tattoo matches one that her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown had and represents love and mana.
The design is a geometric dragon claw with hibiscus flowers that go up to her wrists. According to Rihanna, the tattoo is done in the style of the Maori people, where the tattoo method makes the skin rough instead of smooth.
She got the abovementioned henna-style tattoo to cover up the Maori-style tattoo, as she was reportedly dissatisfied with it. It's a tattoo she got in New Zealand.
17. Roman Numerals On Her Shoulder
Rihanna got the roman numerals for the date "11-4-86" on her upper shoulders.
This date symbolizes her assistant and best friend Melissa's birthday. It's a matching tattoo with Melissa who got Rihanna's birthday tatted on her shoulder too.
Rihanna got the tattoo on June 2008 and it is one of the earliest tattoos she has gotten inked.
18. Shhh On Her Finger
Another iconic tattoo, Rihanna has the word "Shhh..." tattooed on the side of her index finger.
The tattoo is iconic not only for its placement but because of all the copies it has inspired as the design has become quite famous.
Other celebrities have also copied the tattoo, with the most famous examples being Lindsay Lohan, Lily Allen, and Cher Lloyd. Her fans have gotten themselves the tattoo as an indication of their fandom.
Once again, the tattoo was inked by Bang Bang.
19. Love On Her Finger
Rihanna continued the trend of finger tattoos by getting the word "Love" tattooed on her middle finger.
The tattoo is written in cursive writing on the middle finger of the opposite hand. She received the tattoo in Los Angeles in 2008 from an unknown artist.
Unlike her Shhh tattoo, her fans and other celebrities have not copied this one.
20. Skull And Crossbones On Her Ankle
This tattoo has the distinction of being Rihanna's only color tattoo.
It is a normal skull and bone tattoo but with a colored bow on top of the skull's head. It is on her left ankle.
The pink and red colored bow makes the skull and crossbones look more feminine and sweet. She got the tattoo in 2008 in Miami. According to sources, it is her seventh tattoo overall.
21. Sanskrit Prayer On Her Hip
Rihanna has a prayer written on her hip in the ancient language of Sanskrit.
The prayer apparently is meant to translate to "forgiveness, honesty, suppression, and control" and is a quote from the Sanatana Dharma.
She received the tattoo in 2007, and it goes on her right hip. It is apparently the first tattoo she got by tattoo artist Bang, which concurrently made him a celebrity tattoo star.
Sadly, the tattoo is a mistranslation and means "long-suffering, truthfulness, self-restraint, inward calm, fear, and fearlessness."
22. Star On Her Inner Ear
Rihanna got this tattoo in August 2006 when a friend of hers was visiting from Barbados.
According to the singer, she got the tattoo as a way to commemorate her friend visiting her. She also stated that her friend got a matching tattoo.
The tattoo is placed on the inside of the upper flap of her left ear.
23. Pisces Symbol Behind Her Ear
Rihanna got the symbol of her astrological sign tatted behind her right ear.
This tattoo is her very first tattoo, and she got it in early 2006.
According to the story, she got the tattoo from a popular Brazilian artist who made his clients book three years in advance. A 17-year-old Rihanna was apparently in Tokyo, Japan, at the same time as him and got him to do it.
They needed consent from a guardian as she was seventeen, so she called up her mother, who was happy to give consent, so she got the tattoo behind her ear. It has since become one of her most iconic tattoos and something she is easily recognized for.
24. Music Notes On Her Foot
This tattoo was Rihanna's second-ever tattoo after the star sign one.
The tattoo is on the inside of her right foot and signifies a treble clef and a sixteenth note. She got the tattoo when she was making a foray into her music career. She got the tattoo in Australia when she was there to perform for the Universal Music Showcase on May 31, 2006.
Sadly, the tattoo has since been covered by the large, gun-shaped falcon she got in June 2012.
25. Chevron Lines On The Back Of Her Hand
This design was the first addition Rihanna did to the tribal claw design she got in New Zealand.
She got the design in October 2013. They have since been covered by the henna tattoo she got over it, but the chevron lines are still see-through.
By themselves, they looked weird, and Rihanna has been reported to state that she hated them.
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