If you are a fan of the ever-growing popular cartoon, television series Dragon Ball Z and you want a body art piece that shows off your love for this show, the Shenron Dragon is not only an awesome and powerful character within the series, but the dragon himself is a cool graphic even for those who are not aware of the program.
The name Shenron itself is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of Shenlong meaning the ‘Divine Dragon’ or the ‘God Dragon’. Since this character has been around since the first productions of Dragon Ball Z, his history extends further than that during the early years when Dragon Ball Z was a manga called Dragon. In the early phase of the anime series, Shenron the Dragon was simply known as the Eternal Dragon. In the English dubbed Gold Dragon Ball, this beast is called the ‘Dragon God’. Another name would be the ‘Spirit Dragon’ or the ‘Dragon of Spirit’. Shenron the dragon is what they call an Eastern dragon.
In Asian mythology, there’s the Eastern dragon and the Western dragon. Eastern dragons are often characterized by the way they look. These particular dragons have a long, scaled, serpentine body much of that of a giant snake. Sitting upon his head are brown antler-like horns accompanying his jagged sharp teeth. His blood-red eyes and the whiskers that protrude from his long Jurassic snout give off that ancient monster feel.
The Eastern dragon is known in Asian mythology to be very sacred and benevolent. Although they are not dangerous or harmful to humans unless tampered with, they have very aggressive behavior and at times can be impatient. The anatomy of the Western dragon however is very different. The Western dragon unlike the Eastern has wings on their back that can spread out to take flight or fold in. So, when getting the Shenron dragon tattoo, make sure he doesn’t have wings!
Shenron is not only a massive dragon that can destroy anything and anyone in its path, Shenron also has the ability to grant wishes to those who summon him. Shenron resides in the middle of Earth’s core, he stays there hibernating until awoken. Once all seven of the Dragon Balls are found, Shenron emerges from the center of the Earth to grant the master just one wish. With this one wish, anything is possible. Resurrecting those who have fallen has been a popular wish amongst the Dragon Ball Z characters, although the wish cannot exceed the limits of Shenron’s creator’s powers and nobody can be brought back to life twice.
A wish to rule the world and become king of Earth is another wish that has been granted. An idea for the Shenron tattoo would be to have him surrounded by all seven of the Dragon Balls. This gives the effect that the Dragon was just summoned and has appeared on the individual’s body.
You already have a tattoo of Shenron but want another? Although Shenron the green-scaled dragon is one of the most popular dragons and characters in the series, there are also other dragon types that roam the world of Dragon Ball Z. The ‘Black Smoke Shenron’ is basically the opposite of the friendly wish-granting dragon Shenron. Whereas Shenron spoke politely and was well-mannered, Black Smoke Shenron is full of negativity, hate, and remorse. The Black Smoke Shenron is considered an ‘evil dragon’. Evil dragons are very dangerous because they have the ability to destroy planets and wipe out all the stars in a galaxy.
Black Smoke Shenron has wings and smokes big cigars, refusing to grant anyone wishes, laughing in their face when asked for one. Getting a Shenron tattoo on one arm perhaps and the Black Smoke Shenron on the other is a way of saying that there is both good and negative forces in the world. Like Yin and Yang, it shows the balance of energies. If you want both these dragons but do not want or have enough room for one on each arm, an image of the two Shenron dragons battling it out is another neat and flashy concept.
Since you are considering a Dragon Ball Z piece and the show is a cartoon, with very bright and colorful animations, it would be a wise decision to think over if you would like this graphic to be colored in or kept simple with just the black ink. Having tattoos that are all black and white ink seem to really blend in with each other, not really pleasing the eye. Since Shenron is such a mighty character throughout the entirety of this anime, paying tribute properly with a little color will make the tattoo really jump out and call for attention. Green, yellow, red, and fiery orange are the primary colors for this creature.
Since you have your basic idea set up for this dragon tattoo, adding a backdrop and scene to support the character will add a little ambiance. Some fans even go as far as to make an entire Shenron and Dragon Ball Z sleeve, dedicating one of their arms to the show they love. Themed sleeves can amount to whatever you like about the program. A popular themed Dragon Ball Z tattoo could depict Shenron the dragon as a sort of centerpiece since he is the largest character in the show, having the other popular characters such as Goku the Super Saiyan and Piccolo, are other characters that would go along well with Shenron.
Since Goku and Piccolo have both been affected by Shenron, it only makes sense. Goku was brought back to life due to a wish that was granted for him and an army of others to be resurrected ready to fight against other evil entities. Piccolo once summoned Shenron as well, being granted the wish of eternal youth.
The Shenron tattoo unlike most dragon tattoos, will always be recognized by fans. This tattoo is a great conversation piece and adds room to make friendships as well with other fans. So, whether you want to show off your Dragon Ball Z pride with a graphic of the legendary dragon, or multiple graphics of the different Shenron dragon types, it is a fantastic concept no matter what!