Red Dragon Tattoo Design Ideas

1. Chinese Red Dragon Tattoo

Starting off simple with this traditional Chinese Dragon Tattoo.

The Chinese Dragon was associated with the emperor of China and used as a symbol to represent imperial power. 

Chinese Dragons are also the patron of the South China Sea. Red dragons are most popular to decorate houses and walkways for festivals, such as weddings, and grand openings. 

2. Yin and Yang Red Dragon Tattoo

We’ve already discussed what the Chinese Red Dragon symbolizes, so why not match it with something from Chinese philosophy? Yin and Yang dragon tattoo ideas are opposing yet complementary forces that together form a dynamic system. 

Yin is feminine, cold, and wet, while Yang is masculine, hot, and dry. Yin and Yang each have a dot of the opposing color within each of them to represent how each side contains some of the opposing elements within it. 

While the colors are usually black and white, this artist's impression of the Red and Black still carries the same meaning, and the two opposing color dragons still look in harmony together, embodying the teachings of Yin and Yang.

3. Red Dragon Tattoo with Flowers 

Adding flowers to a tattoo always makes it look it look more feminine and beautiful and this Red Dragon with Flowers tattoo is no exception.

The Red Chinese Dragon signifies good fortune, love, and happiness already, but so do the Lillies in Chinese traditional art, so this dragon with flower tattoo really is doubling down on the symbolism. 

4. Red Dragon and Sword Tattoo

If you prefer a design that looks more like a sigil or a coat of arms, then check this one out.

A Red Dragon and Sword tattoo is perfect for those looking for a medieval or fantasy aesthetic. 

The Dragon can symbolize the family associated with the sigil, while the sword represents how they are warriors in battle.

Equally, a Dragon wrapped around the sword can represent how the sword is a fusion of the Dragon’s strength and the power of the sword itself. 

5. Red Dragon Head Tattoo

If you’re looking for something a little more detailed, then a Red Dragon Head Tattoo might be for you. 

Just by concentrating on the head itself gives the artist more opportunity to be more intricate with the detailing of the design. This design is no exception.

There is a huge amount of little detail in this Dragon head tattoo: spikey protrusions, rough skin, 3d effect on the teeth, boils or bumps on the top of the head, and you can also see the clouds wisping over the Dragons claws.

While a Dragon head doesn’t usually have the elegance of a full body Dragon tattoo, it makes up for it in high detail and a powerful look. 

6. European Red Dragon Tattoo

Moving on from traditional Chinese and Japanese style Dragons, let’s take a look at a European style Red Dragon Tattoo.

Red doesn’t have any notable significance when it comes to European Dragon Tattoo styles, so either it’s just a color you like, or you can make it have a meaning of your own.

You can have meaning for the color, such as blood, fire, aggression, or love. This Red Dragon Tattoo is particularly neat for how the tail coils around the body and passes through the black wisps it creates.

And for any Welsh readers or those with Welsh heritage, you could always get a European Red Dragon to honor your Welsh ancestry 

7. Bearded Red Dragon Tattoo

Dragons with Beards can symbolize long life and wisdom. Often, in TV and film, the oldest and wisest Dragons sport beards to symbolically show their ancient wisdom, which they can bestow upon anyone who encounters them. This Bearded Dragon is absolutely gorgeous, boasting deep Ruby Reds that make it shine on the wearer's body. 

8. Fire Dragon Tattoo

You can’t think Dragon without thinking of fire also, so a Fire Dragon or Fire Breathing Dragon is probably one of the go-to ideas for people who are thinking about a Red Dragon Tattoo idea. It’s surprisingly difficult to find a Red Fire Dragon Tattoo as most are black, but thankfully, I found this design after a while of searching.

9. Dinrall Legend of Zelda Tattoo

The Dragon Dinrall, guardian of the Spring of Power, is on of the 4 roaming Dragons in the Legend of Zelda open-world series of games (Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom). Dinrall drops plenty of useful materials if you hit her in the right spots, so grab your best long-shot bow, set a campfire, and wait for the right opportunity to aim your shot. Pity she only drops one piece at a time!

10. Ultimate Shenron Dragonball GT Tattoo

While Dragonball GT might not have been so beloved by the Dragonball fandom, alas, it does still exist and some out there do love it. So, if you do love Dragonball GT and are looking for a Red Dragon Tattoo, then Ultimate Shenron is perfect for you. Unlike normal Shenron, Ultimate Shenron is summoned when one collects all the Black Star Dragon Balls, which were originally created by the nameless Namekian before he separated into Kami and King Piccolo.

11. Dragona Tattoo 

Fans of Dreamworks? Love the Shrek series? Well then, if you also love Dragon tattoos, Dragona is the perfect Red Dragon Tattoo for you!

What's that I hear you say? She’s pink? Well, this 100-foot-long Dragon is Magenta-Red actually so it counts!

Dragona was initially the antagonist of Shrek and Donkey who was in charge of guarding Princess Fiona before Shrek and Donkey rescued her. But during the duel, Donkey sweet-talked his way into this Red

Dragon's heart, and she became infatuated by him. By the end of Shrek 2, it’s revealed that Dragona and Donkey have children together, so this Red Dragon is perfect for those who are looking for a Red Dragon with romantic symbolism. 

12. Mushu Dragon Tattoo

For Disney fanatics, who else could I possibly suggest than the guardian of lost souls, the powerful, the pleasurable, the indestructible Mushu!

Mushu is the tiny, loud-mouthed, self-absorbed deuteragonist of the Mulan series, fixated on redeeming himself at any cost after failing to protect Fa Deng and being demoted to an incense burner and gong ringer. However, by the end, Mushu learns his lesson that putting Mulans life at risk to further his own goal isn’t the right path for a guardian. A Mushu tattoo is perfect for anyone who has been on their own journey of self-discovery and bettering themselves. 

13. Red Gyarados Tattoo

While Gyarados isn’t a Dragon-type Pokemon, Gyarados is based on the legendary tale of the Koi Fish (You can check out our Koi Fish Tattoos here) that battled against the currents to the reach the Dragon Gates and be transformed into a Mythical Dragon. The reason why Gyarados is a Water-Flying type is because in some tales of the Koi fish, the Koi leaps over a waterfall as if he was flying to reach the top of the mountain, so hence the flying and not Dragon type. This Shiny Gyarados Tattoo is done in a traditional Chinese/Japanese Dragon style with florals to match the traditional style and the water to match Gyarados being a water-type Pokemon

14. Slifer the Sky Dragon Tattoo

My goodness, as someone who loves Dragons and loved Yu-Gi-Oh back in the day, you cant imagine how much I begged my Father to give me money to buy Yu-Gi-Oh cards just for a sliver of a chance to get any of the 3 Egyptian God cards. And of all the Egyptian God cards, Slifer was my favorite. I still fondly remember the first episode in which he appeared and made sure I’d get myself my very own Revival Jam to prepare for the day I’d finally get my Slifer card. Alas, it didn’t happen, and I’m still bitter about it. However, if I can't have the card, I can always get the tattoo, right? And Wow! Check this out. This Slifer the Sky Dragon is done in the Ukiyo-e Japanese art style that was popular in the 17th to 19th centuries. The detail on this piece is absolutely sensational and probably my favorite of all the pieces we’ve seen today. 

1. Red Dragon Tattoo on The Back

The back is a great place for people who want a spectacle. It offers ample space to really show off your Red Dragon Tattoo because of both its length and its width. Traditional Asian Dragons are long, so the length of the back is perfect, but while the Traditional Asian Dragon is long and slender, they usually are depicted coiling around themselves, taking up a lot of width that the back can offer. If you prefer European style Dragons, then a European Red Dragon Tattoo with an open wingspan is terrific for the back as the back offers the width for the wingspan and the length for the tail to run down your spin. If you’re really looking for a showpiece when it comes to Red Dragon Tattoos, then the back is the perfect location. 

2. Having Red Dragon Tattoo On The Side

Looking to up your bikini game? This Red Dragon Side Tattoo is perfect. The Side offers a good amount of width but a lot of length. You can choose to have the tattoo running from the hip up as far as the armpit, or like this design, it starts half way up the side of the torso and ends just above the knee. It’s both elegant and sexy and has a lot of great detail. 

3. Arm and Leg Red Dragon Tattoo Designs

If you’re looking to show off your ink as often as possible, then the arm and leg are the obvious locations for your Red Dragon Tattoo. While the arm and leg both offer the length required for both Asian and European Dragon tattoos, they don't always offer the width to really show off the intricate designs or anatomy from a glance. Particularly with the European Dragon, the arm and leg doesn’t have enough width to really showcase the width of said Dragon due to its wider body and wingspan compared to the slender and long Asian style. 

4. Ear and Neck Red Dragon Tattoo

Simplistic and elegant is best used to describe a behind-the-ear Red Dragon Tattoo. This location offers subtlety and grace that’s perfect for those who love the Dragon symbolism yet don't want to go overboard. Obviously, to fit behind the ear will require the piece itself to be quite small, so you will be sacrificing detail. However, you can go a bit more extreme and have the dragon be larger and start from the bottom of the neck and work its was all the way up to behind the ear. 

5. Red Dragon Tattoo on Chest 

If you’re looking to wear your Red Dragon Tattoo with pride, then wear it on your chest. The chest is a great location for a Red Dragon Tattoo, as it offers a lot of space for intricate detail. For men, it offers more options as the Dragon can be placed directly on one or each pectoral muscle, while women have more limited options having to work around the breasts. However, the breast line can offer neat details as your Asian dragon can wrap around the breasts themselves, while a European Dragon's wings can rest atop the breast and have the tail run between each breast. This Yakuza Dragon Tattoo is better for men as it rests atop the pectoral muscle and has a lot of space for added detail, such as the flowers and cloud plumes.