Mortal Kombat has some of the most diehard fans of any video game franchise. The long running fighting game series, which will reach its 30th anniversary next year, has inspired countless forms of fan art, including things like hand-drawn pictures and cosplay. One artist, however, is going viral for their incredible Mortal Kombat tattoo.
The storied series’ most recent video game entry was 2019’s Mortal Kombat 11. Produced by NetherRealm Studios, the makers of Injustice, MK 11 has enjoyed a more robust post-launch support than any Mortal Kombat title ever, with the full Aftermath campaign expansion and over a dozen DLC fighters. While many believed more content would be arriving in the wake of this year’s Mortal Kombat film, MK 11 DLC is likely done.
The tattoo in question is none other than everyone’s favorite Lin Kuei leader, Sub-Zero. The icy ninja is a cornerstone of the series, and is widely considered a fan-favorite, arguably more so than his longtime archrival Scorpion. Created and posted to Twitter by artist Flavio Luccisano, a montage shows the artist’s detailed process, set to a remixed version of the Mortal Kombat theme. The video first shows the outline of Sub-Zero’s bust, which then begins to receive plenty of detailed gradient shading. Color appears to be the next step, as Luccisano can be seen filling in key spots with the character’s signature blue. The final result is an incredibly detailed piece of art any Mortal Kombat fan would be proud to show off.
It should be noted that the tattoo’s reference is that of Joe Taslim’s Bi-Han from the 2021 Mortal Kombat film, rather than a video game incarnation. The new artwork has not only gotten a seal of approval from co-creator of the series Ed Boon, but also Sub-Zero actor Taslim himself. The actor praised his character’s likeness, re-tweeting the video with a caption of “That’s a cool art!” Taslim has signed on to be in four Mortal Kombat sequels, ensuring the new ink maintains maximum relevance for years to come.
The intricate details in both the “lighting” of the tattoo as well as the incredibly intricate linework of Sub-Zero’s mask make for a seriously impressive work of art, regardless if someone is a fan of the franchise. However, it isn’t the only highly detailed video game tattoo to make headlines. Last year, San Francisco 49ers player George Kittle made headlines for getting a realistic looking tattoo of Halo’s Master Chief.
While new content for Mortal Kombat 11 appears to have ceased, fans will still cling to anything the notoriously-teasing Ed Boon posts to Twitter. While it seems he’s finally moved on from getting fans’ hopes up for the latest entry in the MK series, he’s now moved to stoking rumors about his NetherRealm Studios developing a Marvel fighting game, which could inspire some tattoos all its own.
