9 Cool Nightmare Before Christmas Tattoo Ideas

Want a simple black ink tattoo of Jack? How about a riff on something like this from artist Mireia Mateos. Here Jack is thoughtfully reflecting? Is he plotting his next move to snag Santa? Or daydreaming about Emily? That’s up to you to decide. Whatever the case, the illustration is a lovely representation of the star of this class film. And no one will mistake him when they see it on your body.

Sally is in love with Jack. Her passion for the pumpkin King is so much, she sings a melancholy song all about her unrequited love for him. Does that image conjure up your own romantic feelings? Perhaps you feel the same about your partner. If so, shout it to the world with this dreamy tattoo. Here artist Marco Antonio brings their love to life.

Love some comic relief? Then maybe a tattoo of the Mayor is best for you. The elected official who is more of a figure head than anything else, works with Jack to pull off Halloween each year. But when Skellington goes missing, it’s the Mayor who organizes a search party to find him then heads off in his hearse-like car called the "Mayor-mobile" shouting on a loud speaker to track him down. Artist Maddie Mei Morgan has an excellent rendition.

Really love Nightmare Before Christmas? Like really, really love it? Then you’re ready to commit your favorite film to full double shin levels. All you need to do is follow artist Carol Cannon’s template here. On one leg, she’s created a framed homage to Zero, Scraps, and Sparky, and on the other she features Jack and Sally. All to summarize Jack’s quote, “There's children throwing snowballs, instead of throwing heads, they’re busy building toys, and absolutely no one’s dead."

If you want your tattoo to feel like a still from the movie itself, perhaps artist Aurélio’s work is more your style. Here, the illustration encompasses an entire back and features Jack walking along with a balloon in hand under the cover of darkness. A cat sits in a tree in the background gazing below.

Still debating just the right Jack and Sally tattoo? Here’s another option. Hexenwerk.tattoo has produced an entire arm tattoo that reads Lovers and has Jack and Sally framed in cobwebs and surrounded by Nightmare Before Christmas characters and objects like Zero, pumpkins, and a church. It’s very spooky in all the right ways.

Black ink tattoos are great, but sometimes you want a pop of color and that’s exactly what body artist Marco Pepe has produced here. Jack Skellington is rendered in loud hues of bright pink, orange, purple, and blue. In fact, the work looks more like an acrylic painting than a tattoo, a real work of art for any fan trying to decide on a Nightmare Before Christmas tattoo.

Simple and subtle with only two colors, black and red, this tattoo features a big Jack Skellington face tattoo with what appears to be Sally floating below. The lone red rope dangles between the balloon and her below, giving it an even more vivid appeal. If you’re exploring Nightmare Before Christmas tattoos, consider this one by St. Peter’s Ink Tattoo Studio.

Is Jack your all time favorite character? If you want nothing more than to show your love for this freaky film than with a Jack Skellington tattoo, consider Aurélio’s Jack face. It’s straightforward, simple, but well executed (get it?). And for anyone who can’t decide on the many Nightmare Before Christmas tattoos available, it’s an easy choice.