Chase Stokes doesn’t post much on Instagram, so whenever he does, fans zoom in on every detail. It’s that exact behavior that lead fans to discover that his arms are covered in small tattoos when he posted your run-of-the-mill mirror selfie on his Instagram Stories. Detective work at its finest.
Ever since Stokes rose to stardom on Netflix’s hit teen drama series “Outer Banks,” which premiered in April 2020, he’s rarely talked about his tattoos or the meanings behind them, so a lot of information surrounding his body art still remains a mystery. However, we do know he has at least 11 known designs so far, including a memorial tattoo dedicated to a late loved one, an intricate rose tattoo, and a tiny heart tattoo.
It’s worth noting most pieces in Stokes’s collection are on various spots of his arms and shoulder area, so they can’t be seen unless he either wears a tank top or lifts his shirt. Luckily, though, he’s shared a few sneak peeks at his tattoo collection on Instagram, as well as during interviews and in paparazzi photos. Not to mention, when his now-girlfriend Kelsea Ballerini teased their relationship in a TikTok video, she did so by flashing his arm tattoos, which sent fans into a frenzy.
Want to see for yourself? Read all about Stokes’s tattoo collection here, and find out what each design means. You might just find some you haven’t seen before.
– Additional reporting by Jessica Harrington
Getty / Jaylynn Nash
Chase Stokes's Cowboy Skull Tattoo
One of Stokes’s newest tattoos is a small design on his forearm of a skull wearing a cowboy hat.
Getty / John Shearer
Chase Stokes's Script Tattoo
Above his realistic rose, Stokes has a script tattoo but it’s hard to make out what it says.
Getty / Kevin Mazur
Chase Stokes's Playing Card Tattoo
On his outer bicep, Stokes has an ace of hearts playing card tattoo. It’s a fine-line design with zero shading or additional details.
Getty / Kevin Mazur
Chase Stokes's Message in a Bottle Tattoo
Under his “mom” tattoo, Stokes has a bottle with what appears to be a message in it. He’s never divulged the meaning of this ink.
Getty / Christopher Polk
Chase Stokes's "People Are Strange" Tattoo
Stokes’s has a phrase nestled between his rose and smiley-face tattoo that reads, “People are Strange” in what looks like someone’s handwriting. He’s never shared the meaning behind this ink.
Getty / Paras Griffin
Chase Stokes's "Mom" Tattoo
Stokes has a tattoo dedicated to another important woman in his life: his mother. He has the word “Mom” inked on his bicep with a heart and arrow around it. It seems the two are super close, because in a May 2013 Instagram post, which featured a throwback photo of Stokes and his mother, Jennifer Canning, the star said, “Once a mommas boy, always a mommas boy.”
Getty / Paras Griffin
Chase Stokes's Rose Tattoo
While attending a basketball game in Atlanta in November 2021, Stokes debuted a rose tattoo on his right arm. He hasn’t explained the meaning behind this design, although the rose is often a symbol of love and passion.
Getty / Amy Sussman
Chase Stokes's Smiley-Face Tattoo
In that same interview, Stokes also showed off a small smiley-face tattoo on his wrist. “We named him Frank,” said Madelyn Cline, Stokes’s “Outer Banks” costar.
