In many of my recent experiences with watching tv and movies, I’ve had no trouble spotting the antagonist in the show immediately, even prior to the story indicating anything about the character. The odd thing is that all (and I really do mean ALL) of the antagonists have had one thing in common.

They all have visible tattoos.

And it isn’t like anyone ELSE in the show or movie has a tattoo. Only the bad guy.

When I was around 12 years old, I decided that I would really enjoy having a tattoo one day. I voiced my desire for ink to my mother, who promptly scrunched up her face like she was going to cry, and then proceeded to tell me, in no uncertain terms, that people only get tattoos if they’ve been to prison. She told her best friend about my idea, and her best friend told me that she would never speak to me again if I got inked.

Now I understand that, once upon a time, tattoos were things reserved mostly for sailors, pirates, convicts and military personnel. That time is long past. We now live in a time where some huge percentage of the population of the world sport tattoos. And we’re not all villains! In fact, most of us are perfectly reasonable, respectable, fantastic people! And many of us are even professionals, making more money than our parents ever dreamed of making!

What is it about the villain that makes them want a tattoo? Or maybe it’s the ink itself that turns people into villains? Why do I suddenly feel as though I should be robbing a bank or stealing someone’s kitten?