Dwayne Johnson Tattoos – Full Guide and Meanings
Dwayne Johnson, popularly referred to as The Rock, is the first 3rd generation WWE to have so many tattoos. Today, the famous Dwayne Johnson tattoos have made a name for him.
More particularly, the Rock uses these tattoos – beautifully inked in various shades and colors – to express his personal views and inspiration. If you are looking for uniqueness, idealism, and elaborate examples of everything you are passionate about, you might want to borrow a leaf from these tattoos.
Read on to learn more:
Contents:
About Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson is a retired professional wrestler who has been making waves as a famous actor. More specifically, The Rock has a great affinity for tattoos. His most impressive example is the intricate Polynesian tribal tattoo that covers the entire left side of his chest, as well as his left arm and shoulder in a beautiful design.
Through this tattoo, The Rock represents his rich heritage – his African American father is Nova Scotia descent while his mother hails from the Indian American Samoan tribe. Apart from the Polynesian tattoo, which he holds dear, the actor also has a bull tattoo on the upper right arm in reference to The Brahma Bull, his old nickname.
Dwayne Johnson’s Tattoos
The significance of the Dwayne Johnson tattoos come from everything that The Rock loves and cares about. They also show his passions, as well as his rich heritage grounded in the African and Indian American traditions from which he hails.
Before getting his tattoos, The Rock discussed his unique designs with the tattooist for several hours. After the artist got the gist, he spent 60 hours over 3 sessions (20 hours each) to complete the designs.
These tattoos have now made the actor even more famous because they are the perfect depiction of his life story as well as his journey. What is more, The Rock sang and played music to get his mind away from the pain he had to endure under the tattoo pins.
Here’s what these tattoos symbolize:
1. The Brahma Bull Tattoo
Recently, The Rock covered up his famed bull tattoo with an even bigger bull. Calling it the Evolution of the Bull, the project took 22 hours done over 3 sessions. The new tattoo covers up the popular bull head that he had been sporting on his arm during his WWE superstar days.
According to Dwayne, the change was a reflection of his personal history. From the heavy damage and cracks in the bone (which represent the hard lessons of his life) to the horns pointing straight ahead (instead of out or up), The Rock is now content with the Evolution that represents forward progress and relentless energy.
2. The Polynesian Tribal Tattoo
The tattoo on his arm and chest is Polynesian tribal in origin. Dwayne Johnson had it done back in 2003 by Po’oino Yrondi, a famed Tahitian artist while on a trip that The Rock took to get his rich family history etched on his body in the Samoan tradition.
During the trip, he went with Tanoa’i, his cousin, who also got his own unique tattoo. After that, they joined family and friends to play music and share stories about their collective rich heritage. The music and stories helped take away the pain from the minds of the two cousins.
The story of this tattoo is quite elaborate, as The Rock once revealed in an interview. According to his, it is the perfect representation of everything he cares about, loves, and finds passionate.
Apparently, Dwayne Johnson engaged the famed tattooist for hours on end about the design he wanted. The two also said a prayer before the artist started working on the intricate tattoo which now depicts the story of his culture and ancestry, while also playing a vital role as a mark of his personal identity.
The other theme that the artist worked into the tattoo design on The Rock’s arm and chest revolve around struggle as an idea. More specifically, Dwayne Johnson wanted something that would show his resilience in overcoming various obstacles to achieve success. The tattoo also shows his appreciation for success, and that he never takes it for granted.
Speaking to another source, The Rock also said that the tattoo has a triple meaning revolving around his family, how he protects his family, as well as the aggressive warrior spirit that guides him in life.
As such, it might be difficult for a layperson or anyone who isn’t a tattoo enthusiast to make out the individual designs that combine to form the Polynesian tribal design. As a result, the artist had to break the intricate ink into different parts showing the various unique meanings.
These include:
- Coconut leaves, which denote a Samoan chief-warrior
- The sun, a sign of good fortune
- A/ga fa’atasi (or 3 people in 1), which represents The Rock and his family (wife and daughter)
- Descending swirls, which depict the past, the present, and the future
- Two eyes, which are symbols of how his ancestors watch over his path around the clock
- The Great Eye, which was used to distract enemies during ancient battles
- A broken face that is marked by shark teeth to represent Dwayne Johnson’s spirit protector, and which is the perfect symbol of his life’s struggles
- A spiritual guide and priest to symbolize enlightenment
- Stones of abundance and achievement to denote the foundation of The Rock’s life
- A tortoiseshell for deflecting evil spirits
Further, the tattoo proceeds to the left side of Dwayne’s chest, which he had done after the half-sleeve design. This part of the expansive tattoo has a warrior face over his heart to represent The Rock’s warrior spirit while showing that he is always willing to continue overcoming challenges and fighting irrespective of the circumstances life throws his way.
When asked whether he planned to advance the story inked in the tattoos, The Rock affirmed that his body is large enough to ensure that he will always have something to add to the Polynesian design.
back to menu ↑Conclusion
While considering these tattoos, it is clear that Dwayne Johnson respects the rich heritage his parents provided. More specifically, the tattoos are a significant representation of his deep Samoan and African American cultures, which culminated in his life-long belief that his ancestors continue watching over him and protecting his family. These tattoos also represent how he had to overcome the great struggles of his life.
When all is said and done, the Dwayne Johnson tattoo boils down to his family, the protection of his wife and child, as well as his possession of the true warrior spirit. Further, the details are so intricate that nothing else could reflect his personal history.
In particular, the massive bone damage and cracks – that represent the hard lessons he has learned throughout his life – The Rock says that he is eternally grateful to have something that is so similar to regular wrinkles and scars because he earned them.
Overall, Dwayne Johnson’s tattoo design is unique – more so given the generic tattoos that seem to be floating around. They are the penultimate inspiration for anyone looking to get something memorable and highly personal.
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