Consider looking at some of the top friendship tattoo ideas and designs to permanently capture a special event in your relationship.
You could use tattoos to commemorate a big event or to strengthen your bond in the present. Getting friend tattoos can show the bonds of your friendship will last forever. Whether you have been friends for many decades or only a short amount of time, coordinating tattoos solidify and eternalize a friendship.
While identical tattoos are considered traditional friendship tattoos, there are lots of other options. You can choose to get tattoos that are mirrors of each other, use the same design elements, or even tattoos that are in the same location (these work on half sleeve tattoos too. Finding a style that everyone agrees on can be a challenge. If you and your friend(s) have completely different styles, it may be a good idea to embrace the diversity.
Another genre of friendship tattoos is that designs that go together. Some examples are peanut butter and jelly, yin and yang, and the sun and the moon. While these friendship tattoos are able to stand alone, they look complete when together. Similar to these kinds of tattoos are designs that only make sense only when seen together. This journey is about balancing everyone’s tastes to find the right tattoo that will illustrate how everlasting your friendship is.
1. Matching Atomic Model Arm Tattoos
Showcase your intellectual side with these matching tattoos that illustrate the atomic structure. They could represent a fun memory, an unbreakable friendship, or demonstrate the idea that the three of you are the smallest unit of matter. While this design is able to stand alone, it shines when with its friends. Dragonfly tattoos also work well in this style.
2. American Sign Language Word for Friend Tattoo
Because of this design’s simple style, it busts with visual appeal. This idea shows the sign for “friend” in a beautiful and unique way. If you get this best friend tattoo in a highly visible place like an arm, it is a great opportunity to raise awareness for American Sign Language.
3. Complementing Super Mario Characters Pixel Art Best Friend Tattoos
This best friend tattoo shows that super Mario is forever — just like this friendship. By using the pixel-style characters directly from the video game, you achieve the classic video-game vibe. To make this right for you and your friends, you can start by picking your favorite video game.
4. Harmonizing Botanical-Style Floral Forearm Best Friend Tattoos
Instead of matching exactly, these floral tattoos for best friends are drawn in the same style to complement each other. These are done in a black-and-white botanical style, but you and your friends could use whichever style you like best! When seen together, these tattoos clearly belong to each other.
5. Initials and Crossed Arrows Matching Best Friend Tattoos
If you love adventure, consider using this crossed-arrow matching best friend tattoos design. The letters surrounding the crossed arrows can represent initials, your friend group’s favorite saying, or anything that has meaning among you and your friends. If you want something more graphic, consider using emojis, flowers, or animals instead of letters.
6. Cursive “Always” Matching Wrist Best Friend Tattoos
Is this best friend tattoo a reference to the Harry Potter character Severus Snape’s undying love? That depends on what you and your friend want it to mean. To make this best friend tattoo unique to your friendship, use your friend’s handwriting. If “always” is not right, you can always choose a different word.
7. Matching “Look Alive” Foot Best Friend Tattoos
Simple sans serif font helps these foot tattoos stay legible while being extremely small. Also, notice that the two words are equal in size and width. Even if your matching tattoos say something else with special meaning, you can always use this style for best friends.
8. Mysterious Dot & Circles Friendship Tattoo
While some tattoos need no explanation, sometimes the best friendship tattoos are the ones whose meaning is only understood by the friend group. Use this dot and circle idea as a springboard for something meaningful just for you and your friends.
9. Sun, Moon, and Stars Wrist Best Friend Tattoos
This beautiful tattoo idea for best friends illustrates the never-ending bond of friendship. While the outlined icons show this trio is incomplete when not everyone is present, the filled-in icon shows who fills each role. The most difficult part of this best friend tattoo choice is figuring which icon represents which person.
10. Powerful Accent Arrows Forearm Best Friend Tattoos
Strong, angular lines echo how strong your friend group is. Instead of the filled-in arrow representing the person, the outlined arrow represents the person. To make this best friend tattoo design match your personalities better, consider using your favorite colors or incorporating a letter into the arrows.
11. Dancing Cupcakes Matching Friendship Tattoos
Cartoon-style cupcakes dance up the forearm to show how sweet this friend group is. To make this more your style, each person could design his or her own cupcake complete with favorite toppings. Depending on how detailed this design ends up; you could shrink this best friend tattoo down.
12. Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Matching Best Friend Tattoos
Not only does this best friend tattoo show how strong your friendship is, it also shows the world that you are part of the Harry Potter fan family. To make this best friend tattoo more personal, consider adding initials or incorporating a splash of color.
13. Anchors in Two Styles Friendship Tattoos
Friends can sometimes have very different styles. This best friend tattoo takes that into account — one tattoo is illustrated in a sharp, sketchy style. The other is depicted in soft pastels and incorporates flowers. The level of friendship is not diminished by different tattoos because this design shows open communication.
14. Harry Potter Golden Snitch Matching Best Friend Tattoos
Sometimes, finding a good friend can feel like catching the Golden Snitch. This matching tattoo uses a simple outline to express that emotion. If you want to make this best friend tattoo idea less generic, you could add a significant date or initials.
15. “Sisters” Birds of a Feather Matching Tattoos
This simple, sweeping feather is a beautiful reminder that sisters are not always biologically related. The watercolor-style feathers show that these two people have been together through the saddest blues and the happiest times. Use each other’s handwriting to personalize this best friend tattoo or sister tattoo.
16. Matching Tattoos: Mystical Unicorns in Magical Colors
An enchanting color palette of pink, purple, and blue illustrates these unicorns to show everlasting friendship. Soft swirls help the mane feel as if it is blowing in the wind. Variations in shading give each unicorn dimension and help each tattoo stand as a work of art.
17. Lucky Four-Leaf Clover and Heart Friendship Tattoos
To celebrate the luck it took to bring your friend group together, consider this four-leaf clover tattoo idea. Each person receives a filled-in leaf that resembles a heart. Because this best friend tattoo has a simple style, you could get it smaller in a different location if desired.
18. Simple Solid and Outlined Stacked Hearts Best Friend Tattoos
If your friendship feels like three hearts that beat together, this stacked heart best friends tattoo might be exactly right for you. While it is succinct in its simplicity as it is, consider adding a letter or using your favorite colors to make it more personal.
19. Matching Paper Airplane Wrist Best Friend Tattoos
While this best friends tattoo commemorates what has happened in the past, it also looks to the future. If a heart is not your style, consider changing the dotted line to something else. This best friend tattoo design is beautiful because it looks good on its own but has so much deeper meaning.
20. Ethereal 10-Point Buck Matching Tattoos for Best Friends
Depicted through subtle shading, these two stags appear more like spirits than animals. Because the antlers are outlined, the emphasis is put on the 10 points. If you have been best friends for 10 years or the number 10 is significant in your friendship, this is a fantastic tattoo idea.
21. Black and White Powerpuff Girls Friendship Tattoos
For friendships with plenty of sugar, spice, and everything nice, this best friend tattoo might be exactly right. Even in plain black and white, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup are absolutely bursting with sassy character. In your trio, who will choose which character?
22. Cute Tattoos: Adorable Backwards Pandas Holding Bamboo Friend Tattoo Ideas
What is cuter than a black and white panda bottom? A dash of color adds emphasis to the green bamboo and the tiny red hearts. This design is relatively small and could be located anywhere. To make it fit your friend group, the pandas could hold lollipops, balloons, or flowers.
23. Bart and Lisa Simpson Dance Party Friend Tattoo Ideas for for Best Friends
For still pictures, these love tattoos design convey a lot of motion. This best friend tattoo design is perfect for best friends who share a love of the long-running television show. Only one question remains: what music is playing to cause such wild dancing?
24. “L-O-V-E” Heel Friend Tattoo Ideas for Four Best Friends
Spell “love” out on your feet with this creative tattoo idea! A serif font gives this best friend tattoo some sophistication, but you could pick a font that matches your friend group’s personality. If you have more than four friends, try picking a different word.
25. Red and Rosé Matching Wine Glass Hip Friend Tattoo
Nothing says friendship like a good glass of wine and a long chat. Cartoon-style wine glasses show that, with friendship, life is half full. Choose your favorite wine — or other adult beverage — to personalize this design. Of course, you could locate this best friend tattoo anywhere you desire.
26. Four Seasons Wrist Tattoos in Four Styles Friend Tattoo
To represent one of the four seasons, each friend expresses his or her personality in a different style. Realistic, bold, icon, and cartoon styles combine to highlight each friend as a unique individual that is part of a larger, cohesive group.
27. Pinkie Promise Matching Arm Friend Tattoo for Best Friends
A pinkie promise is the most unbreakable of promises. The outline style used is simple and does not distract from the most important part: the pinkie promise. If it is too simple for your style, you can always add a fun, floral wreath or a handwritten word.
28. Recreated Cartoon-Style Childhood Photo Matching Tattoos for Best Friends
Using a recreated childhood photograph illustrates a friendship that has lasted a lifetime already. The picture chosen for your tattoos does not have to depict a childhood memory, although that does add a level of childhood innocence and illustrates your friendship’s history.
29. Matching Graduation Gown Arm Friend Tattoo for Best Friends
Relive the exuberance of graduation day by immortalizing your friendship in this best friend tattoo design. The black and white outlined style captures the energy and excitement from that special day. Find your favorite picture with your friend to make this idea happen!
30. Skulls in a Bottle Coordinating Friend Tattoo
Ink-spotted skulls display ferocity and brotherhood. Bursting with texture, the gritty shadow, cork texture, and glass highlights give these tattoos plenty of dimensions. Although these tattoos use identical designs, the alternating colors make each tattoo unique. If skulls are not your style, you can use something different inside the jar.
31. Whimsical High-Fiving Cartoon Cat Hand Friend Tattoo
Every time you and your friend high-five, your cat tattoos will high-five at the same time! Subtle lines give the illusion of sound to the high-five while a subtle shadow gives the illusion of dimension. Design your own feline pattern for a more personalized hand tattoo.
32. Artistic Sun and Moon Tattoo on Ribcage for Best Friends
This friend tattoo shows that your friendship is as everlasting as the sun and moon. To add a third friend to this best friend tattoo idea, you could include a star in the same style. While the black and white outline is classic, you could spice it up with watercolor-style splashes of color.
33. Cute Coordinating Dinosaur Outline Tattoos
Everyone has a favorite dinosaur. Pick yours and figure out where on your body it will look good! This best friend tattoo idea does a fantastic job of using the body’s natural shape to flatter the design’s shape. Because each tattoo is so simple, these matching tattoos can be very small.
34. Identical Realistic Red Roses Friendship Tattoos
Realistic colors and shading breathe life into these matching rose tattoos. Locating a friendship tattoo in a highly visible place like a hand is a great way to think about someone often. Make it more personal by adding a special date in your friendship or perhaps initials.
35. Solar System Matching Forearm Tattoos
If your friendship can only be measured in billions of miles, this solar system tattoo might be right. The hand drawn, doodled style gives this best friend tattoo an endearingly cute effect. To make this best friend tattoo extra special, ask your friend to try doodling the planets him- or herself.
36. Extra Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Wrist Tattoos
If you were to visualize love in food form, it would be pizza. Delicious gobs of extra cheese in this cartoon-style tattoo make it look good enough to eat. Of course, you can personalize this best friend tattoo by using your favorite pizza toppings or by using your favorite food.
37. Coordinating Stylized Flamingo Friendship Tattoos
This best friend tattoo idea is perfect for best friends who have different styles. Whether you prefer a sunset beach or a cosmic triangle, this design has it all. The flamingo’s shading gives the tattoo dimension while vivid colors draw the eye. Which do you prefer – a beach sunrise or a nighttime scene?
38. Artistic Ocean Sunset and Heart Tattoos
Sketched lines and paint swatches make these matching tattoos a work of art. Strong lines and bold colors show how strong your friendship is. If you wanted to find a way to personalize this best friend tattoo, you could add names, initials, dates, or something special to your friendship inside the heart.
39. Cat and Raccoon Coordinating Friendship Tattoos
While not obviously matching tattoos, this cat and raccoon rendered in the same style go together. To make this best friend tattoo reflect your personality, use your favorite animal and clothes. Then, switch out the science-fiction-inspired teacup or microphone with something that you enjoy.
40. Half the Heart Finger Tattoos
To show that you only feel complete with your friend, use an idea like this one that needs both friends together. On its own, this best friend tattoo adds mystery in a highly visible place. Only when you are together can the tattoo be unbroken.
