A Guide to Pete Davidson's Tattoos and What They Mean (2024)

Comedian Pete Davidson has become known for his massive collection of tattoos, but in 2021, he announced his plan to remove all of them by age 30.

During an episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, the Saturday Night Live alum said his budding film career prompted him to pursue tattoo removal.

"I honestly never thought that I would get an opportunity to act and I love it a lot," Davidson told the late-night host. "It takes like three hours — you have to get there like three hours earlier — to cover all your tattoos. For some reason, people in movies, they don't have them that much."

A few months later, the comedian gave an update to PEOPLE about how the removal process was going. "I get my next treatment [in] like a month or so. They said by the time I'm 30, they should all be gone. So they got like two more years left of this," he explained.

Though Davidson has gotten a few more tattoos since his big announcement (most notably, several for ex-girlfriend Kim Kardashian), he has started removing some of his other ink, including some smaller tattoos on his hands.

In January 2023, Davidson was photographed shirtless while hitting the beach with his rumored new love interest Chase Sui Wonders. In the photos, several of the comedian's tats appear to have been removed — including all of the ones he had dedicated to Kardashian.

From his tattoos dedicated to his former relationships to his sillier, lighthearted designs, here's a complete guide to all of Pete Davidson's tattoos, past and present.

"Swerve Life"

Davidson's first tattoo, the words "Swerve Life" written on his leg, was inspired by rapper Big Sean's song "Mercy."

"I was 17 when I got my first tattoo. It was a tattoo I got with my buddy Ricky," he told Variety in 2017. "It says 'Swerve Life' because the Big Sean song that had that– swerve in it, and we were like 'That's gonna last forever."

"Zeke"

On the same leg, Davidson has a tattoo that says "Zeke," which was given to him by his friend, singer Machine Gun Kelly on the set of the 2019 film Big Time Adolescence. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the comedian confirmed that the tattoo was real, saying: "He actually killed it," and adding that the letter "Z" had to be made thicker because Kelly retraced it "when they were starting to roll camera."

"We Babies"

In 2017, Davidson and Miley Cyrus got matching tattoos saying "WE BABIES" to commemorate their SNL sketch in which they were dressed like "trap babies." While appearing on a 2021 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Davidson said he had his tattoo artist come to 30 Rock to tattoo himself and Cyrus. The comedian had the tattoo placed on his hand (and has since had it removed), while Cyrus opted for the side of her foot.

A Cartoon Toaster & DoodleBob

Just above his left elbow, Davidson has two cartoon tattoos: a toaster and DoodleBob, a reference to an episode of Spongebob Squarepants. The comedian is a known fan of the animated Nickelodeon show; in 2019, Elle reported that he went on a Spongebob-themed shopping spree at his local mall in Staten Island. During a 2020 episode of Fresh Air, Davidson said that Spongebob made a cameo in his new film, The King of Staten Island. "I love SpongeBob," he said. "What can I say."

A Forest of Trees

To cover up a portrait of ex-girlfriend Cazzie David on his forearm, Davidson went to his tattoo artist, Jon Mesa.

"Did this crazy coverup last night on my boy @petedavidson," Mesa captioned a now-deleted Instagram post showing off the new tattoo, a forest of trees and a moon, which also covered up a few other tattoos.

"Warning"

Davidson has the word "warning" tattooed on his wrist. The meaning behind the tattoo hasn't been confirmed, but it was done shortly after his breakup with Ariana Grande.

The Verrazzano Bridge

A proud native of New York City's Staten Island, Davidson has a tattoo of the Verrazzano Bridge — which connects the borough and Brooklyn — on his left shoulder.

A Shark

The massive sea creature tattoo on Davidson's chest actually serves as a cover-up. When the comedian posed shirtless for a GQ cover in 2018, the internet went wild over his tattoo that read, "jokes come and go but swag is forever." Not long after, Davidson covered up the tattoo with a shark, adding the words "wobbly" and "soulmates" around it.

A Flower With Bees

On his left side, Davidson has a tattoo of a large flower surrounded by bees.

"93"

In the center of his chest, Davidson has the number "93" tattooed. This presumably refers to his birth year, 1993. He also has "1993" tattooed on his arm.

An Electrocardiogram Graph

The reason isn't clear, but Davidson has an electrocardiogram graph, which records the heart's electrical activity, at the center of his collarbone.

A Rocky Balboa Quote

Davidson pays homage to Sylvester Stallone's 2006 film Rocky Balboa with a tattoo of one of the character's famous quotes. In a script font, the tattoo reads, "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."

Boxing Gloves

Beside his Rocky Balboa quote on his back, Davidson has a tattoo of a pair of boxing gloves, presumably also a nod to the film.

The Planets

Along his left forearm, Davidson has four planets tattooed: Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Just above, the words "pure imagination" are written in cursive.

A Map

Below the planet design on his arm, Davidson has a map tattoo on his left hand.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Portrait

In November 2018, tattoo artist Jon Mesa created a realistic portrait of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Davidson's shoulder. It's possible that the comedian was inspired by the SNL sketch that he had recently performed, which featured Kate McKinnon as Ginsburg.

Holding Hands

On the back of his left shoulder, Davidson has a tattoo of a pair of hands holding each other.

The Mars Attacks Alien

One of his many film-inspired tattoos, Davidson has the alien from the 1996 sci-fi comedy Mars Attacks on his chest. Above the alien are the words "thank goodness."

A Black Scribble

On his hip, Davidson has a back scribble tattooed. The meaning isn't known, but it may be a coverup of a previous tattoo.

"Leo"

Davidson has the name Leo tattooed on the side of his neck, presumably a tribute to his godson. Leo is the son of the comedian's longtime best friend, Ricky Velez, who told the Daily Beast that Davidson was "like family" to him.

"Kanan"

Davidson also has the name of another friend's son, "Kanan," tattooed on the other side of his neck.

Tributes to His Late Father

A kneeling firefighter tattoo on Davidson's left arm is a tribute to his late father, Scott Matthew Davidson, a first responder who passed away during the 9/11 attacks. Next to the image, the comedian also has a tattoo of the firefighter's prayer and the Roman numeral 9, which may represent the month his father died. Behind his ear, Davidson has the number 11 tattooed. His upper left arm also has a tattoo of his father's initials, SMD.

"8414"

On his forearm, Davidson has a tattoo of his late father's firefighter badge number. During his engagement to ex-fiance Ariana Grande, the singer got a matching tattoo on her left foot. Davidson also has a firefighter's helmet tattooed below the badge number.

A Crying Heart

Below the many tributes to his father on his left arm, Davidson has a tattoo of a crying heart.

Three Rubber Duckies

Right above his father's badge number, Davidson has a row of three rubber duckies.

Star of David

Davidson's Star of David tattoo on his left bicep could be referencing his Jewish heritage, which he discovered in 2017. In an interview with Hot 97, the comedian shared the recent ancestry DNA test results.

"I'm just an Irish Jew … My mom was Irish, my dad was Jewish," he said. "I just found out, like this year. My mom just never told me."

A Four-Leaf Clover & Lotus Flower

Next to the Star of David, Davidson has a four-leaf clover tattoo, symbolizing good luck. Below that, Davidson has a lotus flower tattoo. He hasn't spoken publicly about the meaning behind the ink, but the flower is symbolic in many cultures and religions.

Jungle Cats

Davidson appears to have two wild cats tattooed on his left arm, one on the underside and another on the outside of his arm just below his shoulder.

"Bada Bing!"

Davidson paid homage to the HBO show The Sopranos with a tattoo on his abdomen. The tattoo features the words "Bada Bing!" — the name of a fictional strip club in the show — in bold red letters and a woman's silhouette.

A Unicorn

Shortly after being romantically linked to English actress Kate Beckinsale, Davidson got a massive black-and-white rendering of a unicorn on his arm courtesy of tattoo artist Ryan Mullins. Mullins shared the work on Instagram, writing, "Unicorn on my dude Pete Davidson."

"Goon" & a One-Eyed Cartoon

On his chest, Davidson has the word "GOON" tattooed in red ink above a one-eyed cartoon character.

A Driver's License

It's unclear whether it depicts a real or fictional identity, but Davidson's right arm features a New York State driver's license tattoo. Above the license, he has three stars tattooed and below it, a quote reading, "Light up the dark."

"Davidson"

Down the left side of his abdomen, Davidson has his last name written vertically in all capital letters.

Winnie the Pooh

Courtesy of tattoo artist Mira Mariah, who shared the fresh ink on her Instagram page, Davidson has a tattoo of Winnie the Pooh holding a balloon. The comedian hasn't shared the meaning behind the ink, but it could be that he simply grew up with the beloved character.

Piggy Smalls

After adopting a pig with his then-fiance, Ariana Grande, Davidson got a drawing of a pig's face along with his new pet's name, Piggy Smalls, tattooed on his side. The tattoo artist was Mira Mariah, who shared the work on her Instagram page.

"Katy Must Learn to Share Her Friends…"

It's not exactly clear what the somewhat ominous phrase, which is written along Davidson's side, is supposed to mean.

"You Know Bupkis"

On his chest, Davidson has the phrase, "you know bupkis." The tattoo may be referencing the comedian's television series, Bupkis, a fictionalized depiction of Davidson's life that was announced in October 2022.

"Shaolin"

Davidson has the word "Shaolin", one of the oldest forms of martial arts, tattooed across his stomach.

An Assortment of Micro Finger & Hand Tattoos

The comedian has started the removal process, but in the past, he had a variety of small tattoos on his hands. On his fingers, these included the Pokémon character Pikachu and a black kite that covers the "AG" tattoo he had done when he was engaged to Grande. He also had a peace symbol, a black heart and the number sequence "237" on his hands. Additionally, Davidson had an arrow (which was used to cover up the "H2GKMO" he got with Grande) and the words "WRONG WAY."

The Tootsie Pop Owl

In 2019, Davidson's tattoo artist Jon Mesa shared the Tootsie Pop Owl he drew on the comedian's back.

Willy Wonka

Davidson's cartoonish Willy Wonka tattoo on his left forearm has a strange story behind it — and made for a controversial joke. E! News reported that during a 2018 stand-up show in Boston, the comedian said: "I got a Harry Potter tattoo … then the next day Alan Rickman, the guy who played Snape died, and I was like, oh, what a weird coincidence. Then I got a Willy Wonka tattoo. Next day— Gene Wilder dies. Now I'm like, alright, that's a coincidence, that's weird. So I'm thinking of getting a tattoo of Louis C.K., what do you guys think?"

A Smoking Angel

On the right side of his lower back, Davidson has a large tattoo of an angel with a cigarette in his hand and three birds flying above it. Tattoo artist London Reese shared polaroids from the session with Davidson on Instagram, writing, "Yes, we watched Game of Thrones the whole session."

A Hooded Figure

Seemingly in contrast with the angel tattoo, Davidson has a hooded figure surrounded by butterflies tattooed on the left side of his lower back.

A Portrait of Hillary Clinton

In 2018, Davidson told Variety that he got a tattoo of Hillary Clinton after she lost the 2016 presidential election because "she's such a cool person."

"Wanted to get @hillaryclinton a Christmas gift so I got a tattoo of my hero," Davison captioned a photo showing off his new ink. "Thanks for being such a badass and one of the strongest people in the universe." Clinton responded, "Thanks, @petedavidson, This makes it significantly less awkward that I've had a Pete Davidson tattoo for years. But seriously, I'm honored. Merry Christmas my friend."

A Ski Mask With Layered Designs

In the middle of his abdomen, Davidson has an outline of a ski mask with various other designs layered over it, including a broken heart, a barcode, a ghost and Pac-Man.

The Chesire Cat, a Bridge & "2 19 4"

On his right arm, Davidson has a tattoo of the Cheshire Cat, the famously mischievous character from Alice in Wonderland. Next to that, Davidson has a large bridge tattoo.

Below the Chesire Cat, the comedian has a series of numbers tattooed. Davidson has not spoken about the significance of the numbers.

A Keyhole

To cover up a tattoo of his ex-fiance Grande's last name on the side of his abdomen, Davidson got a tattoo of a large black keyhole.

A King of Comedy Quote

A nod to the 1982 comedy The King of Comedy, Davidson has a quote from the Scorsese-directed film tattooed on his hip. It reads: "Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime."

"mille tendresse"

To coordinate with Grande, Davidson got the words "mille tendresse" on the back of his neck in the same font as his then-fiance. The French phrase made popular by the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's means "a thousand tendernesses." In 2019, it appeared that Davidson had covered the tattoo with the word "CURSED."

"Christmas Boy"

Davidson has the words "Christmas boy" and a holly leaf on his abdomen.

"Redrum"

Written in red ink, Davidson has the word "REDRUM" tattooed on his hand. The tattoo, which spells out "murder" backward, is a reference to the 1981 horror film The Shining, based on Stephen King's novel of the same name.

A Wolf

A detailed wolf tattoo sits on Davidson's right forearm, next to a forest of trees that's a coverup for a tattoo of his ex-girlfriend, Cazzie David. Intertwined with the wolf, Davidson also has an "Order of the Phoenix" tattoo, another nod to his love for Harry Potter.

The Wu-Tang Clan Symbol

Above his tattoo of the Verrazzano bridge, Davidson has another reference to his native Staten Island — a symbol used by the band Wu-Tang Clan, which also hails from the New York City borough. In an interview with Complex, the comedian said, "They are Staten Island. That's what Staten Island is." He also added: "Mushrooms is a fun thing to do," when the interviewer complimented the tattoo.

Portraits of His Favorite Comedians

On Davidson's leg, tattoo artist Snuffy created portraits of the star's comedy idols." He wanted a tribute to all of his comedy gods," he said in a 2020 interview with GQ. "So instead of going with that classic face on top of face on top of face and covering the thing, I tried to use a lot of negative space and it puts the attention on the tattoo instead of just covering the whole skin."

Snuffy also created a tattoo on Davidson's shoulder representing what he calls "dead idols."

"I came up with this piece for the back of his shoulder, which is mostly line work," the artist said. "It's pretty much spears with the heads of dead idols, which are cartoon characters."

A Painting From Goodfellas

An homage to Goodfellas, Davidson has a tattoo of a man and his dogs on his abdomen, which references a painting that appears in the film.

The Grinch

On his arm, Davidson has a tattoo of the Dr. Seuss character.

A Harry Potter Tribute

A known Harry Potter fan, it makes perfect sense that Davidson would have tattoos dedicated to the magical franchise. On the inside of his left arm, he has the Deathly Hallows symbol and a quote from Albus Dumbledore that says, "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

"Reborn"

Davidson and Grande celebrated their engagement by getting the word "REBORN" tattooed onto their thumbs. The comedian showed off his new ink (and Grande's massive engagement ring) in a now-deleted Instagram post along with the caption, "u know what you'd dream it be like? it's better than that."

The couple also got matching tattoos on their thumbs reading "H2GKMO", an abbreviation of Grande's favorite saying, "Honest to God, knock me out," though Davidson later had his covered up.

Black Bunny Mask

Days after making things Instagram official with Ariana Grande, Davidson got a small tattoo of a black bunny mask — which looks similar to the accessory worn by Grande on the Dangerous Woman album cover — behind his ear, courtesy of tattoo artist London Reese. Shortly after, Davidson covered up the tattoo with a heart design and added two Xs and a small smiley face. In 2021, the tattoo appeared faded, causing fans to assume he was in the process of removing it.

"Kim" Branding

In March 2022, eagle-eyed fans spotted Davidson's first tattoo for his then-girlfriend, Kim Kardashian. In a shirtless selfie that the comedian's friend Dave Sirus shared (and then deleted) from his Instagram, the name "KIM" can be seen on his chest. During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in April, Kardashian said that the marking was actually not a tattoo but a branding.

"I think he was like, I want something that's there that I can't get rid of … because he's in the process of getting rid of his arm tats and his neck tats, so he's like, 'I don't want to be able to get rid of it or to cover it up and I just wanted it there as a scar on me,' " Kardashian told the host.

"My Girl Is a Lawyer"

Kardashian also told DeGeneres that to celebrate her passing the baby bar, Davidson got the words "my girl is a lawyer" tattooed on his clavicle. She said that tattoo was "really cute" and later showed off a clear picture of it on her Instagram Stories. In October 2022, paparazzi photos showing the comedian with a bandage on his chest caused fans to speculate that Davidson was in the process of removing the tattoo, but his reps denied this.

Kim Kardashian's Kids' Initials & "Aladdin" and "Jasmine"

In late April 2022, fans spotted another new tattoo on Davidson when paparazzi photographed the couple leaving the Netflix Is a Joke: The Festival event in Los Angeles. The tattoo, which was on Davidson's clavicle/collarbone area, appeared to read, "KNSCP," which would be Kardashian's initials, as well as those of her four children with ex-husband Kanye West: North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm.

Davidson's final tattoo for Kardashian seemed to be dedicated to the couple's first kiss. The tattoo, which read "Aladdin" and "Jasmine" with an infinity symbol between them, was likely a nod to the sketch they did together on Saturday Night Live as the main characters from the 1992 Disney movie Aladdin. However, in January 2023, Davidson was photographed shirtless on the beach in Hawaii, and the snaps appeared to reveal that he had all of his tattoos dedicated to Kardashian removed.