Sirius Black's Tattoos

In the Harry Potter films, character Sirius Black was known for having distinctive tattoos on his chest. His tattoos are actually copied from Russian prison gangs. The patterns are usually used to classify the person as someone to be feared and valued. There is no mention of Sirius having tattoos in the Harry Potter books, though.

The large tattoo right in the middle of his chest symbolizes his ability to transform into a dog. The tattoo on the lower right pec looks similar to Chinese symbol of steel. Some tattoos look like modified Futhark runes. The others look Hebrew and Russian letters.