55 Legendary Lightning Bolt Tattoos

Our world has many natural phenomenons that continue to blow our minds. One of these phenomenons is lightning. Lightning is an electric current that occurs when frozen raindrops bump into each other in the air and create an electrical charge. Lightning causes thunder, which is created by the rapid expansion of air following a lightning bolt. There are three main types of lightning which include lightning inside a single thundercloud, between two different clouds and between the cloud and the ground. Other less common types of lightning include heat lightning, dry lightning and ball lightning. Lightning is currently the leading cause of weather-related fatalities, however, the odds of being struck by lightning are 1 in 500,000. Lightning has been observed in the atmospheres several other planets, notably Jupiter and Saturn.

In many cultures, lightning is associated with deities. One of the most notable examples of this is Zeus in ancient Greek mythology, who’s the god of lightning, thunder and the sky. Other examples include the Aztec god Tlaloc, the Mayan God K, the Slavic god Perun, the Norse god Thor, the Hindu god Indra and the Shinto god Raijin. In popular culture, lightning bolts are synonymous with David Bowie (notably his 1973 album cover “Aladdin Sane”) and with Harry Potter.

We’ve curated 55 of the best lightning tattoos from talented tattooers around the world, take a peek at these electrifying pieces in the gallery below. Then let us know your favorite tattoo from the list in the comments section on social media.