Let’s be real – while most of us always focus on getting the ship of our dreams, it’s often hard to resist customising our characters along the way as well. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily need to spend all of your gold to make your character look slick, and there are many brilliant tattoos that you can get to really add a little extra wow factor to your pirate.
Of course, sailor tattoos can hold a huge amount of meaning in real life. For example, a swallow tattoo is often used for every 5,000 nautical miles travelled; therefore, a sailor with more than one swallow’s clearly seen their fair share of time at sea.
Still, chances are, you’re not so worried about the meaning behind the tattoos as opposed to their overall look. Don’t forget, though – many of the coolest tattoos are based on event participation, so if you’ve worked hard to earn one, make sure you show it off with pride!
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the top ten best tattoos in Sea of Thieves. We’re sure there’ll be one here that perfectly matches your character!
10) Shroudbreaker
It’s an oldie but a goodie! The Shroudbreaker tattoo first made its appearance in Season One back in 2021.
The tattoo was not available to buy; instead, it was earned by reaching Renown Level 16. As such, if you were around then and managed to complete this tattoo, consider adding it to your look.
9) Umbra’s Chronicle Tattoo Set
If you’re looking for a purchasable tattoo, the Umbra’s Chronical Tattoo Set could be an excellent option to consider. Available for around 12,000 gold from Umbra, who lives on the Lagoon of Whispers, the set is definitely a sweet addition to your vanity chest.
However, you’ll need to have completed the Legends of the Sea and received the Chronicler of Legend title before you can buy it.
8) Bane Tattoos
Available from the General Clothing store, the Bane tattoo sets are 12,150 gold each and are striking designs for many people. Each of these four tattoos requires a different Hunter commendation and is part of the Ashen Winds set.
You’ll need to kill Ashen Lords to get this tattoo, so it’s not a small feat.
7) Games Tattoo Set
The Games Tattoo Set might be ideal if you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful tattoo that’ll show off your love of games.
Just 2,450 gold from the general cosmetics shop, it’s a fun little tattoo that won’t necessarily intimidate your enemies into submission, but it’ll definitely add some charm to your player nonetheless.
6) Tattoo of Cursed Bone
The Tattoo of the Cursed Bone is one of the most recently available tattoo designs and was awarded to players who participated in Season Eight between November 2022 and March 2023.
This particular tattoo required you to reach Renown Level 36 before you could apply it, so it’s definitely a great design to show off just how much you’ve put into your character!
5) Tattoo of the Blue Horizon
One of the great features of the Tattoo of the Blue Horizon is that it depicts a specific scene, which is rare among Sea of Thieves tattoos. If you have been looking to add a story to your character’s look, this might be just the option.
Unfortunately, as with many of the best tattoos in Sea of Thieves, you’ll need to have earned this one already to be able to apply it. This tattoo was released during Season Three as part of the Blue Horizon sets, and players had to reach Renown Level 17 first.
4) Piratical Jokers Tattoo Set
If you fancy adding some quirky fun to your character design, why not try the Piratical Jokers tattoo set? If you’ve got the Piratical Jokers commendation, this stunning tattoo design can be purchased directly from Umbra.
To complete the commendation, you’ll first need to finish all five other commendations within the Piratical Jokes set.
3) The Sea’s Most Wanted Tattoo Set
If you want to make sure everyone knows just how fearsome you are, the Sea’s Most Wanted tattoo set – available again from Umbra – is definitely one that could make a big impact.
This brilliant set is available once you’ve completed all of the commendations within the Sea’s Most Wanted collection, and it can then be purchased for 12,150 gold.
2) Bone Crusher Tattoo
The Bone Crusher tattoo was a limited-time tattoo available during the Cursed Sails campaign, making it one of the oldest tattoos in the game.
The tattoo was awarded for conquering all three battles, and its bold design definitely helps make it a much-loved tattoo. But, of course, you’ll need to have been around in 2018 to have earned it!
1) Dark Adventurers Tattoo
It’s almost unquestionable that anyone sporting the Dark Adventurers tattoo is a force to be reckoned with.
Costing nearly one million gold, it’s not cheap, either – in fact, it’s more expensive than all of the ship hull designs on the market, except for the Dark Adventurer’s hull (noticing a theme here?)
The Dark Adventurers Tattoo is exclusively restricted to players who’ve already achieved the Pirate Legend title. Once you’ve done so, it’s purchasable from Athena’s Fortune shop.
Final Thoughts
The best tattoos in Sea of Thieves are, at the end of the day, subjective. However, based on our own favourites and the community’s thoughts, we’ve done our best to pick out ten neat designs that are definitely among the hottest.
What do you think of our picks? Have you got a favourite tattoo we’ve missed from here? Let us know in the comments below!