In the first installment, we meet Blade and learn of his secret war against vampires. The designs of Blade’s tattoos are original to the movie adaptations, with a style derived from Polynesian influences. The blackwork designs cover most of his upper chest, arms and shoulders. His partially shaved head reveals more designs that wrap around the back of the head and extend down the neck.

For BLADE II, the Daywalker is back and this time he has to join up with a vampire assassin squad originally trained to hunt him down so that they can fight a greater mutual threat in the form of a vampire mutation. A new type of vampire has appeared, and this kind prefers to feed on vampires over humans. All of Blade’s trademark tattoos were back, as crisp and clean as ever. Best scenes to view them are when Blade is captured and imprisoned by the vampires later in the movie. As he’s literally pinned to a table, the art work on his neck, shoulders and arms is clearly visible

Several members of the Blood Pack have body art of their own. Most notable is Lighthammer’s moko-style facial tattoo. Most clearly this is patterned after traditional Maori facial tattooing found in New Zealand. It includes the traditional element of not having any lines that cross the mid line of the face, but is executed in lighter and more flowing shapes that what is seen in original Maori <i>moko</i> designs.

The threat in the movie is a new type of vampire, one that prefers to feed on vampires over humans. Deciding to track the new vampires at their food source, Blade convinces the Blood Pack to take him to a vampire safe house. Before they go inside, Blade is warned he’s going to see feeding and “other things.”

These turn out to be some traditional tattooing, vampires kissing each other after putting razor blades into their mouths, and some extreme forms of cutting. The vampires being cut are just sitting there, acting no differently than anyone might be in a bar, except other vampires are lightly snacking off of their flesh. It would seem the vampires can provide their own rare delicacies when it comes to food.