Why in the world is the lion called the king of the jungle? Firstly, they don’t live in the frickin’ jungle. Lions make their habitat in savanna grasslands, not the jungle. Secondly, male lions don’t do a damn thing but sleep. The females do all the hunting, they should be the ones worthy of praise. Although, not actually doing anything while reaping the rewards is pretty much what “kings” do. Still. Lastly, they aren’t even the coolest cats in their habitat, that distinction belongs to the cheetah. 

Tigers are the real kings of the jungle. They actually live in the jungle, spend much of their time stalking prey and they look fantastic with all those stripes. Simply put, the sleek and powerful creatures are a perfect subject for tattoo art. 

Whether it is just a simple growling tiger head (the writer of this post has a traditional-style tiger based off of Ralph Johnstone’s flash on his arm) or a full back piece of the vicious predator on the prowl, the tiger is a glorious muse. 

In the gallery below you’ll see the real King of the Jungle as interpreted by many different artists in a variety of styles— including Japanese, American Traditional, black-and-grey and color realism. Which of these big cats is your favorite?