Today we know Angelina Jolie as a talented actress, UN ambassador, wife of Brad Pitt, and the mother of no less than six children. But she is equally known for her more dark and edgy side. At the time of her relationship with Billy Bob Thornton they wore each other's blood in vials around their necks. Her dark role in 'Girl, interrupted' also reinforced the image of a somewhat bizarre yet beautiful woman. Over the years more tattoos were added, telling the story of her life on her body. But with Angelina Jolie tattoos are not forever. Over the years she has removed or concealed several of them.

Angelina Jolie coordinates tattoo

The most famous Angelina tattoo is perhaps the tattoo which displays the coordinates of the birthplaces of her children: Cambodia, Ethiopia, Namibia, Vietnam and France. But her husband was also not forgotten. The coordinates of Oklahoma, the birthplace of Brad Pitt, complete the list.

Angelina Jolie Billy Bob Thornton tattoo

The coordinates tattoo hides an older tattoo of a dragon with the name of ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton above it. Afterwards, Angelina vowed that she would never be stupid enough to have a man’s name tattooed on her body again.

Bengal tiger

The most impressive of her tattoos is undoubtedly the Bengal tiger on her lower back. It’s not only large, but also exudes enormous power. She had the tattoo done in Bangkok to commemorate obtaining Cambodian citizenship.

“Know your rights”

On the back of her neck, just below the hairline, is the slogan "know your rights". It is the title of a song by one of her favorite bands, 'The Clash'.

Buddhist protection and Arabic strength



There’s a Buddhist prayer of protection on her left shoulder, written in Khmer script, the language of Cambodia - where she had the tattoo done. The invocation is intended to protect her and her adopted son Maddox, who has Cambodian roots.

The mantra is as follows (loosely translated):

"May your enemies flee from you. If you acquire riches, may it stay with you forever. Your beauty will rival that of Aspara. Wherever you may go, many will serve, protect, and surround you."

Previously in its place there was a Japanese Kanji symbol for “Death”. It was Angelina's first tattoo.



On her left arm there’s an Arabic script tattoo that means “Strength of Will”. This tattoo hides a previous, abstract tattoo that she and former husband Billy Bob Thornton designed together.

Subtle references



The Roman numeral 13 was originally on her left arm. This was Angelina’s way of showing that she does not believe in superstition. Later she added the Roman numerals "V MCMXL” to it. This translates to 13 May 1940, the date of Winston Churchill’s famous speech, when he said: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”


On Angelina’s inside left wrist is a rune style tattoo of the letter ‘H’. This tattoo could refer to her ex-boyfriend Timothy Hutton or her brother, James Haven.

Angelina’s left forearm depicts the tattoo: "A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages." This quote was inspired by American writer Tennessee Williams.

Apprehension before marriage?



Angelina has appeared at the altar several times. She clearly doesn't suffer from commitment phobia. Yet she had this tattoo done in 1995 on the eve of her wedding to Johnny Lee Miller. It depicts a thick black cross and next to it the Latin motto: "Quod me nutrit me destruit”, which means “What nourishes me, destroys me." Not exactly an optimistic message for the new bride.

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Bye for now!

Check out our video on Angelina Jolie's tattoos and their meaning: