The Undertaker's tatted-up sleeves have become so synonymous with his image that he would look like an entirely different person without them. Much like many other aspects of his personality, his tattoos have further blurred the lines between The Undertaker and Mark Calloway.
While he may have gone through a slew of character changes throughout his 30-year wrestling career, his tattoos have been one thing that has remained constant. Unsurprisingly, there are a handful of interesting stories surrounding The Deadman's tattoos, and a few of them speak volumes about Mark Calloway.
10 He Has A Pretty Interesting First Tattoo Story
The Undertaker got his first tattoo done by a man going by the name of "Smiling Paul" in Las Vegas. Naturally, Paul Bearer was in attendance as well, as the two men went straight to the parlor after a show.
'Taker has always found a way to draw a crowd, and this occasion was no different. While making an appearance on Steve Austin's podcast, The Broken Skull Sessions, The Deadman said there were many members of the notorious Hells Angels biker gang in attendance. Apparently, even the toughest of men cannot resist the lure of The Undertaker.
9 He Has Gotten Tatted By A Famous Tattoo Artist
Paul Booth, who has over 250,000 Instagram followers, is one of the most influential tattoo artists of this generation. Much of his work centers around the dark and mysterious, so naturally, The Undertaker was interested in his services when he approached the artist at a New Jersey tattoo convention.
Booth said that he took inspiration from The Deadman himself when he tatted one of the handful of demons on 'Taker's arm. The tattoo (which is pictured on his bicep in the image below) was able to perfectly capture the way 'Taker rolls his eyes into the back of his head before a pinfall.
8 Many Of His Tattoos Match His In-Ring Persona Perfectly
Much like his demon tattoo courtesy of Paul Booth, all of 'Takers tattoos seem fitting for the former leader of The Ministry of Darkness. One of these such tattoos is the dancing skeleton (or war skeleton, as 'Taker has calls it) on the back of his neck.
Similarly, many of his tattoos are on the mythological side as well. He also has countless wizards and castles on each of his tree-trunk arms, and their black-and-white style gives them somewhat of a continuous design. His unique tattoos are just one more thing that sets him apart from his peers in the WWE.
7 He Previously Showed Tribute To Someone Close To Him
The Undertaker first showed off his teardrop "tattoo" at Survivor Series 1996. The mark was reportedly an attempt to honor someone who had passed away that 'Taker was close to, although it was never revealed who this person was. This act showed that The Deadman had a big heart long before that fact was evident to the fans, even if they might not have known it.
While there is a gang-related stigma associated with teardrop tattoos, as they have become known as symbols for how many kills an individual has, that was clearly never the case with 'Taker. Although... there was that one storyline regarding the origin of Kane...
6 He Got A Tattoo Dedicated To His Wife...
"Love is pain" is certainly a sentiment that 'Taker would agree with after getting a tattoo of his wife's name, Sara, on his throat. The Deadman has said that this tattoo was his most painful, despite it being one of his shortest sessions in the chair.
Sara also shared 'Taker's affection, and she also had his name, 'Mark' tattooed on her to show her own affection for The Demon of Death Valley. Not long after the couple's marriage, Sara was incorporated into a storyline where she was being stalked by Diamond Dallas Page. She did not make a strong impression during her short stint with the company.
5 And Later Regretted It (After His Wife Became His Ex-Wife)
Many consider getting a tattoo of your significant other's name to be one of the most genuine acts of love. On the other hand, the downside of getting such a tattoo if you and your significant other break up is rarely mentioned. This fact makes it hard to blame 'Taker for putting himself in this situation.
To make matters worse, he had the tat covered up with chains (It is unknown whether or not he was attempting to be ironic here) only seven years later after the couple split in 2007. Well, at least 'Taker has not explicitly said that was his most painful tattoo... Oh, wait. It remains unclear whether or not Sara had her 'Mark' tattoo covered up as well.
4 Booth Had A Wild Interaction With A Fan While Tatting 'Taker
In an interview with Inked Magazine, Paul Booth told a story about two fans who brought him a human head while tatting The Deadman in the '90s. The two men had been partying at a cemetery (because who doesn't do that) after a mudslide and found the head had been removed from its final resting place.
While Booth (who is admittedly disturbed) went downstairs with the fans to view the head, 'Taker was understandably too freaked out by the situation. He prefers to keep the gruesome images on his arms rather than being burned forever into his brain. Smart man.
3 He Has Extreme Loyalty To His Former Posse
The B.S.K. tattoo on The Deadman's stomach is one of his most polarizing tattoos, as its meaning has sparked conversation since he began showing off the ink nearly two decades ago. The acronym stands for "Bone Street Krew," which was a group of wrestlers who formed a bond backstage in the '90s.
The group, which got created in direct opposition to Shawn Michaels' Kliq faction, consisted of 'Taker, Yokozuna, Rikishi, The Godfather, Savio Vega, Henry Godwinn, Mideon, Paul Bearer, Mr. Fuji, and Krush. The tattoo showed 'Takers loyalty to his crew, who were seen as peacekeepers backstage during a time where The Kliq had many enemies.
2 He Has Many Portrait Pieces On His Sleeves
It is easy to miss all of the detailed portraits of goblins, demons, and wizards on 'Takers sleeves unless you study them up close. The fact that Mark Callaway got these tattoos further blurred the lines between him and The Undertaker, which strengthened the lure of his in-ring character even more.
Much like he collected souls during his time in the ring, he also collected them throughout his career on both of his elaborate sleeves.
1 He Seems To Be Done Getting New Tattoos
It seems as though 'Taker may not be adding any new tattoos to his body in the future, as he has cited a lack of motivation to get any more work done. This fact should not come as a huge surprise, as he has nearly run out of space on his arms and has not shown much of a desire for tattoos elsewhere.
Another reason that this is not surprising is the fact that he seems content in his post-retirement life. He has made countless appearances on his wife Michelle McCool's Instagram page, and the couple seems to be living a full life together.