Bane Flynt: Tattoo (and skin) Deep-Dive
So, we’ve all seen this skin:
The creation of freelance character artist Adrien Simon. This skin reimagines Zane Flynt as a bandit warlord, following in the footsteps of his brothers (Captain and Baron, respectively.)
And whilst a lot of people opted for immediate thirst, my asexual ass started examining his tattoos instead...
He wears a mix of clothing including the common orange prison skivvies seen on psychos, to the scrap metal armor commonly associated with his brother Captain Flynt. He is wrapped in chains and spikes, and sports what appears to be a prosthetically implanted spine.
The overall style is very ‘prison’/ ‘gangland’ style in terms of composition and subject choice.
These are tattoos gathered over many years and from multiple sources. From semi professional tattoo artists, to prison cell makeshift jobs with a dodgy needle.
RIBS/WAIST:
Heart tattoos, a staple. Hearts represent love of all stripes. And Flynt has a collection. The names in the hearts are ‘Barry’, ‘Cloney’, ‘Droney’, ‘Matt’, ‘Karru’, and ‘Me’.
Most seem to be references to his abilities in game, his barrier, his SNTNL drone, his Digi-Clone etc. But ‘Barry’ can easily have at least two meanings...
This heart stands out by having a dagger through it. Daggers are symbols of sacrifice, and the bleeding heart is for love lost and grief. Daggers are also a favourite symbol amongst assassins, as they require you to be in close quarters with your target to use them. It gives the tatto a far more intimate feel.
It is a symbol of betrayal and devastating heartbreak.
‘Barry’ in the context of this skin, could have been someone Zane was close to, but was killed (by Zane himself or someone else.)
Also, the dual meaning of the tattoo could be a nod to the fact that Cian Barry is the name of Zane Flynt’s voice actor.
The collection of hearts feature male and female names (Karru being a mis-spelling of Cutlord Karuu), none of which are familial (aside from ‘Me’)...
Guys, gals, and nonbinary pals: Zane Flynt is very Not Straight (tm). And he doesn’t give a single solitary sideways fuck who knows about it. (Pretty sure he’s canonically pansexual and married in several star systems.)
But not for Kevin, apparently, because fuck Kevin amirite?
CHEST:
Name/text
Flynt has very much embraced his bloodline with this one. Big, Black, Bold Letting. Flaunting his family name and heritage as belonging to a family of bandit warlords. This is a statement piece, no one should have any questions as to who he is after clapping eyes on him.
This is a piece in a Celtic style font (similar to ‘Cabaletta’) and goes very well with Flynt’s character.
RIBS/STOMACH
Wings, skull, webbing, widow spider, guns.
There’s a lot to unpack here.
The winged skull has a strong meaning here: Death. This was once a popular symbol on tombstones for a good reason. It symbolises the flight of the soul from the mortal body.
Skulls in tattoos represent death, rebirth, and rebellion. These are three things that Flynt seems to represent in his character (and particularly this skin.)
Skull tattoos are historically worn by criminals. They are a symbol of lose morals, murderers, and are the sign of a man marked for death.
Skulls are also often used as a ward (often by biker gangs and people with dangerous criminal lifestyles) they are seen as a way to ward off the reaper, allowing the wearer to live another day.
The spider tattoo may seem self explanatory, after all it is the identical symbol he wears on the back of his jacket in his default skin.
However...
Spiders are another symbol for death and danger. The black widow in particular has a host of meanings including one very curious one: Female power. And the mysterious and frightening power that love can have over someone.
They are also a symbol of luck, something Flynt has had his fair share of to live as long as he has (given his family ‘curse’ and lifestyle.)
Webs and webbing are symbols of entrapment, often worn by people who have spent prolonged period of their lives in prison. The larger the web, the more time they have spent behind bars.
The spider’s placement also has meaning. It hangs from the web, squarely in the centre. In criminal circles this means he has dedicated himself to a life of crime and has no desire to reform.
Now the guns...
Semi realistic pistols ‘tucked into the waistband’ of the piece. Guns represent power and authority. They are also the favoured symbol of the outlaw (particularly the kind of pistols Zane is sporting.)
As a bandit warlord, Zane will have had to have given many displays of strength. He will have had to fight underlings wanting to oust him, as well as kill off other equally powerful warlords who would pose a threat.
UPPER ARM: Bullets
Bullets, a symbol of aggression, hostility, and fearlessness.
It would be easy to say these are a tally for the number of warlords killed. Or maybe the loss of fellow clan members.
Bullets are a symbol of strength against serious adversity. But it does have another meaning that would relate very well to this skin...
A symbol commemorating serious injuries sustained. If you look at this skin you will notice that Flynt’s body is a patchwork of scars. His back and arms are criss crossed with a high number of them.
The one across his back (and the resulting prosthetic attached to him) shows he was, at one point, viciously attacked from behind (and possibly by someone he trusted)
These scars look like a combination of lash marks, sewn up lacerations (cuts from blades), and burn scars. It is also possible that some of it is the exit wound from a large calibre bullet. (Do not assume that because you can’t see an entrance wound on the chest that this is not the case, the armour he is wearing could cover something like that up.)
BACK:
Tally marks and more text. The back text reads ‘DANGER’, a nod to Zane’s joke about ‘danger’ being his middle name (one of many.)
Lightning bolts represent a primal force of nature. A volatile being of pure instinct. Zane Flynt, Bandit Warlord, has a disposition that can turn on a dime. One second he’s drinking with you, the next he’s kicking you up the arse and throwing you out the nearest window. He is a slave to his emotions and impulses.
Tally marks seem easy but can mean lives lost, lives taken, clans wiped out, number of times he’s successfully killed off Captain’s ‘Mercenary Day Hit Squads.’ This seems to be the only tats on his body that are the most open to interpretation.
AND FINALLY: Don’t forget, this is the only body showing any skin for Zane. For all we know these tattoos and scars are already there underneath his default clothing.
