Plague doctor tattoo designs mostly appeal to gothic lovers. In the 17th century, after the bubonic plague badly hit Western Europe, plague doctors would treat the patients who were affected by the plague. Although they were considered life savers, their arrival was not actually received well as it meant a person’s death would follow.
These doctors would don full black suits and wear a bird-face mask with a long, sharp beak pointing outwards. This is where the tattoo designs originated from and while most of the meanings of these designs have a negative connotation attached to them, people still get them purely because of how good the tattoos look on their skin.
Plague Doctor Tattoo Designs
For today, we have gathered over 80 unique tattoo designs of plague doctors that will surely leave you in awe after you have finished going through them. Please note that you do not necessarily have to imitate the designs you see here. You are strongly encouraged to let your creativity run free and make your own adjustments to your desired tattoo work.
The same principle applies to the meanings and interpretations of the designs. Since you are the one who’s getting the tattoo, YOU get to decide what it would look like and what it will mean.
Now with everything cleared up, let’s get started, shall we?
Creepy Plague Doctor Tattoo
These tattoos have a very dark vibe attached to them. For this reason, people tend to believe they represent evilness. Here are some unique plague doctor tattoos for you to take a gander at:
1. Imminent Death
The tattoo shows a plague doctor with a detailed beak mask, wide hat, and ragged cloak, looking like a resurrected figure with bony features. Black and gray shading gives it a haunting, realistic depth. It’s on the forearm in the photo. What makes it special is the undead vibe that adds mystery. Suits people into dark history or gothic aesthetics. Best on forearm or thigh for visibility.
2. Soulless Eyes
The dark, red eyes look like there is nothing but emptiness and hollowness in there. If tattooed perfectly, the tattoo will look incredibly stylish on the forearm.
3. Game Over
A plague doctor holding an axe, framed in a worn-out border, giving a finality feel. The art is intricate, with dark lines emphasizing the end-times theme. Shown on arm or calf, depending on size. Special because the axe adds aggression to the classic figure. Fits gamers or apocalyptic theme fans. Recommend on calf for larger scale or arm for compactness..
Traditional Plague Doctor Tattoo
By getting a traditional tattoo design, you are paying your respect to the art form and keeping the tradition alive. Here are some unique traditional tattoos of the plague doctor for you to go through:
4. Bold
Colorful plague doctor in traditional style, with thick lines and vibrant shades representing confidence. The mask and robe are bold, no subtle details. Body part not specified, but works well anywhere. What’s unique is the bright palette making it stand out in a crowd. Suits outgoing types who want statement pieces. Best on chest or back for bold impact.
5. Last Resort
Traditional plague doctor with bold strokes, bright colors like orange vines, holding scythe, with a skeleton reaching out. Full figure in dramatic pose. On back in the image. Special for the colorful decay theme blending life and death. Great for storytellers or nature-darkness enthusiasts. Optimal on back or thigh for detailed expansion.
6. Memento Mori
The tattoo depicts a plague doctor symbolizing life’s brevity, in traditional style with clean lines. Details like the beak and hat are classic, no extra symbols mentioned. Body part not shown. Its special aspect is the reminder of mortality without overkill. Suits philosophical souls or history buffs. Best on wrist or rib for personal reflection.
Plague Doctor Tattoo Design
This section of the article covers some more unique and stylish tattoo designs of the plague doctor. Stick around so that you don’t miss out on any of them!
7. The Purge
The dotwork tattooing style has been used in majority parts of the tattoo design. It adds more details to the artwork and gives it a more realistic look.
8. Apocalypse
Plague doctor inside a circular frame, suggesting end-of-world chaos. Art style not specified, but the frame adds enclosure. Colors unknown. No body part shown. Special for the framed composition that frames apocalypse theme. Suits sci-fi fans or doomsday preppers. Best on upper arm or leg for circular symmetry.
9. Darkness
Hyper-realistic plague doctor mask with visible eye, stitched hat, tattered cloak, in black and gray. On arm, with dark background. Special is the lifelike texture and shadowy mood. Fits those embracing dark themes or mystery. Optimal on arm sleeve for full effect or neck for boldness.
Minimalist Plague Doctor Tattoo
These tattoos refer to a style that primarily focus on just the basic elements of the tattoo design. Below, you’ll find some elegant minimalistic tattoos of the plague doctor:
10. Effortless
Although the tattoo looks incredibly simple, do not let the simplicity fool you. The meaning behind the design is still the same and visually, it just looks stylish, doesn’t it?
11. One Last Breath
Minimalist plague doctor with moderate detailing, no bright colors, focusing on essence. Pose not specified. No body part shown. Special in its breath-like subtlety, implying finality. Perfect for introspective types or subtle ink lovers. Recommend on collarbone or finger for intimate feel.
12. Withering Away
Plague doctor holding lantern, in black and gray, shown healed and fresh on arm. Smoke from mask, detailed shading. Special for the withering smoke effect symbolizing decay. Suits artists or those appreciating healing process. Best on upper arm or leg for comparison views.
Dark Plague Doctor Tattoo
Plague doctors were always around dying people. For this reason, many people think they symbolize death. It is also, for this reason, people seem to think these tattoo designs have a dark vibe attached to them.
13. Time Is Ticking
The design implies urgency with plague doctor elements, though details sparse. Art style not specified. Body part not shown. Unique in evoking time’s passage through historical figure. Fits busy professionals or time-conscious folks. Ideal on wrist or chest near heart.
14. Eerie
Full-figure plague doctor on leg, with smoke, moon, branches, pile of skulls at base. Blackwork with dot shading. Special is the eerie skull collection adding horror. Suits thrill-seekers or dark art collectors. Best on calf or thigh for vertical flow.
15. Armageddon
Plague doctor with raven and lantern, black and gray, end-of-world feel. On arm. Special for the mechanical mask details implying catastrophe. Suits survivalists or fantasy enthusiasts. Recommend on back or sleeve for epic scale.
Realistic Plague Doctor Tattoo
Who doesn’t like a tattoo that looks genuine and lifelike? This section will walk you through some of the most unique, head-turning realistic tattoo designs of the plague doctor:
16. Dead Man Walking
The tattoo design looks like it will come to life at any second now. The inclusion of the scepter in the doctor’s hand also gives the tattoo a nice touch.
17. Protection
This plague doctor tattoo design stands for protection solely because the mask would protect the doctors from the bubonic plague back in 1348. The meaning can also be used in a spiritual sense.
18. Menace
The mask alone worn by the doctors looks both cool and menacing at the same time. The silhouette at the back also adds a lot of complexity or richness to the design.
Steampunk Plague Doctor Tattoo
Steampunk tattoos are basically designs of futuristic technologies combined with retro imagery. Below are some stylish steampunk tattoos of the plague doctor for you to take a look at:
19. Ahead Of Its Time
People get steampunk tattoos mostly because of their futuristic look. The plague doctor’s mask looks quite advanced and stylish in this theme and you can also include more elements such as flowers to add more depth to the design.
20. Sentinel
The mask can also be used as a commemorative sign to honor the lives lost during the bubonic plague in 1348. The arrival of a plague doctor meant death would come your way.
21. Decay
The melting silver oozing off the mask would mean that a person’s time in this world was almost up. If we put that dark interpretation aside, the tattoo actually looks awesome and quite striking.
Plague Doctor Tattoo Flash
These tattoo designs have become increasingly popular over the past few years and people get them solely because of how stylish they look. Here are some more of them where the creativity has been put to use:
22. Abyss
As you can clearly see, the hat and the mask seem a bit different here but the concept is still the same. You are advised to go through all the designs and take ideas from here to get a tattoo that suits your needs.
23. No Way Out
The hourglass at the front symbolizes that death is near and very little time is left. Feel free to use different shades of color and let your imagination run free since you’re the one who’s getting the tattoo.
24. Death Is Inevitable
The inclusion of frames was discussed earlier in the article. Frames can be triangular in shape too and they can overlap with the main element of the tattoo as well.
Scary Plague Doctor Tattoo
Plague doctors themselves are not actually evil at all. However, it was their arrival that would strike fear into people’s minds. Not to mention their creepy-looking masks as well.
25. Time’s Up
One cannot possibly make anything positive out of this tattoo design. That is because the horrifying physical features of the plague doctor as well as the skull represents pure evil and darkness.
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Victorian Plague Doctor Tattoo
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Medieval Plague Doctor Tattoo
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Bubonic Plague Doctor Tattoo
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Cartoon Plague Doctor Tattoo
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Crow Plague Doctor Tattoo
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Doctor Plague Mask Tattoo
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Forearm Plague Doctor Tattoo
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Geometric Plague Doctor Tattoo
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Horror Plague Doctor Tattoo
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Lines Plague Doctor Tattoo
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Old School Plague Doctor Tattoo
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Plague Doctor Back Tattoo
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Plague Doctor Black Death Tattoo
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Plague Doctor Cat Tattoo
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Plague Doctor Grim Reaper Tattoo
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Plague Doctor Leg Tattoo
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Plague Doctor Rat Tattoo
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Plague Doctor Raven Tattoo
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This tattoo blends a raven with plague doctor elements—beak mask, wide-brim hat, perched casually on a branch in basic black lines, slightly faded. Special for its whimsical, quirky merge of bird and historical figure, evoking mystery without overkill. Suits book lovers or those into subtle dark themes. Seen on inner forearm; best on forearm or ankle for easy show-off.
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Black and grey realistic style showing a plague doctor figure alongside a raven, healed skin with smooth shading and fine details on feathers and mask. Special in its healed look highlighting durability and artistry in blackwork plague doctor raven tattoo ideas. Suits tattoo enthusiasts appreciating depth and symbolism. Body part not specified in view; best on thigh or back for larger canvas.
Plague Doctor Shoulder Tattoo
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Intricate dotwork and line tattoo of a plague doctor as a bird-headed being with top hat, goggles, scaled shoulder, flowing feathers in black ink. Special for steampunk-inspired details and precise shading, adding edgy historical vibe. Suits alternative folks or history fans. Seen on outer shoulder; ideal on shoulder or upper arm to contour with body curves.
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Shaded black ink plague doctor in cloak and hat, with long beak and dramatic flowing robe, compact design on skin. Special in its dynamic pose and grey tones for a gothic plague doctor shoulder tattoo aesthetic. Suits minimalists wanting bold yet small pieces. Seen on upper arm/shoulder; best on shoulder or chest for prominence.
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Detailed engraving-style plague doctor bird mask with hat, monocle-like eye, winged elements in dense black shading. Special for illustrative precision mimicking old prints, perfect for unique plague doctor tattoo designs. Suits creative types or gamers. Seen on shoulder; recommended on shoulder or forearm to highlight the intricate lines.
Conclusion
And that’s a wrap! If you’ve made it till here, congratulations! Now that you’ve gone through all of the designs as well as their interpretations, you probably have some idea about the kind of plague doctor tattoo design you wish to get. If you’re still unsure, feel free to go through them again one at a time and make sure to choose the ideal design for yourself.
After that, consult your tattoo artist and make sure they are the right person for the job. A distorted tattoo on your body is the last thing you’d want so you must be careful and immensely patient.
Good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a plague doctor tattoo symbolize?
Primarily, a plague doctor tattoo stands for darkness and death.
How Much Will Your Plague Doctor Tattoo Cost?
The rates start at $299.
How long will it take to get a plague doctor tattoo?
If you wish to get a medium-sized plague doctor tattoo, it shouldn’t take longer than 2-3 hours. However, if your design requires a lot of detailing, it can take about 6 hours.
