Angelina Jolie’s Tattoos Have Powerful Meanings: A Guide to Her Stunning Ink

Tribute Piece

The tattoo on her left shoulder blade is in honor of Maddox, who was born in Cambodia.

“May your enemies run far away from you / If you acquire riches may they remain yours always / Your beauty will be that of Apsara / Wherever you may go, may will attend, serve and protect you, surrounding you on all sides,” it translates to.

Powerful Script

On her back, she also has a beautiful and original Sak Yant, which is a form of tattooing using sacred Indian yantra designs. Above that is a Yant Phutson inking, believed to offer protection to the wearer. She also has a message at the top of her back, reading, “know your rights.”

Done in Thailand

The Mr. and Mrs. Smith actress has a 12-inch-long Bengal tiger tattoo on her lower back that was completed in July 2004. The tattoo has a personal meaning to Angelina, representing her Cambodian citizenship that was granted in 2005.

Sentimental Value

On her left arm, the Salt actress has the birthplace coordinates of all her children tattooed. The last coordinate is the latitude and longitude of Shawnee, Oklahoma, where her now-ex-husband Brad was born. 

Reminders of Her Ex

Angelina used to have her ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton’s name tattooed on her left arm. However, she has since had the tattoo removed following their split in 2003.

Poignant Messages

The mom of six also has the message, “a prayer for the wild at heart kept in cages” etched onto the inside of her left elbow, which is the subtitle of Tennessee Williams’ 1941 play Stairs to the Roof. The Maleficent: Mistress of Evil star said it’s a poignant reminder to embrace herself and ignore the misconceptions about her.

“I got it when I was 20. I was with my mom one evening, and I was feeling lost. I was restless — always. I still am,” she told Harper’s Bazaar while recalling the experience in November 2019. ��We were driving to dinner, and she talked about spending time with Tennessee Williams and how much she loved his words. She told me he wrote that, about the wild at heart. We drove to a tattoo parlor, and I got it inked on my left arm. What she did for me that night was to remind me that the wild within me is alright and a part of me.”

On that same forearm, she has the Roman numbers ‘XIII V MCMXL,’ which represents the numbers 13/5/1940, a tribute to Winston Churchill, for the “blood, toil, tears and sweat” speech he gave in 1940.

Family Tribute

The actress has the letter “H” tattooed on the inside of her wrist as a tribute to her brother, James Haven.

Thought-Provoking Quote

Angelina also previously did a photo shoot showing off the Latin phrase “Quod me nutrit me destruit” on her hip, translating to, “What nourishes me destroys me.”

Art Imitates Life?

The Changelingactress debuted a new tattoo in New York City in photos obtained by Page Six in June 2021, opting for the quote, “Eppur si muove,” said by the late astronomer Galileo Galilei. It translates to “And yet it moves” in Italian. 

The famous line was mentioned during Galileo’s trial after he was forced by the church to recant his claim that the Earth rotates around the sun. Galileo implied that one day, the truth would come out. Some people speculate Angelina could be alluding to her legal battle with Brad after he was awarded joint custody that May.

Hair Malfunction

Angelina put her back tattoos on full display in Rome, Italy, while stepping out for the premiere of The Eternals on October 24. While many fans noticed her elaborate ink, others were quick to spot that her extensions were not well blended into her natural ends during the star-studded soiree. Luckily, the actress wasn’t fazed by her hair faux pas and she still commanded the red carpet!

Daggers

In August 2023, tattoo artist Mr. K teased two new pieces on Angelina’s middle fingers on Instagram, but the art was blurred out. This left many fans to speculate about the ink, with some wondering if it was a “f–k you” at Brad. Fortunately, Angelina didn’t make fans wait too long to find out what the ink really was. She was spotted by paparazzi with small daggers on her middle fingers. 

Stay Gold

The meaning behind the tattoo is in reference to a line from The Outsiders. Angelina flashed the honorable ink at the play’s red carpet debut on April 11, 2024, in New York City.

Little Bird

Angelina arrived at the 2024 Tony Awards with yet another piece of ink, a simple black bird that resembled a sparrow, at the center of her chest. Though the actress herself did not reveal the meaning of the tattoo, sparrows typically symbolize freedom, love and loyalty. Mark Mahoney, founder of Shamrock Social Club, was the tattoo artist behind the little bird.