Ink Master 2012
“Which generation will conquer the competition?”
What is Ink Master?
Ink Master is an American reality competition television series that premiered on Spike on January 17, 2012. The program features a group of creative and skilled tattoo artists from across the country who compete in a series of challenges designed to assess their tattooing and related artistic abilities.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 2012
- Status
- Returning Series
- Episodes
- 227
- Runtime
- 42 minutes
- First aired
- Jan 17, 2012
- Last aired
- Dec 17, 2025
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- US
- Networks
- Spike, Paramount Network, Paramount+
- Genres
- Reality
- Updated
Where to watch
Stream
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How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 227 episodes and an average 42-minute runtime.
Trailer
No official trailer is available for this title yet.
Find the trailer on YouTube ↗Overview
Ink Master is an American reality competition television series that premiered on Spike on January 17, 2012. The program features a group of creative and skilled tattoo artists from across the country who compete in a series of challenges designed to assess their tattooing and related artistic abilities. Throughout the competition, participants work on living canvases who donate their skin to be permanently marked. The artists face elimination as they strive to prove their skill and grit in an adrenalized environment. The ultimate winner of the competition receives a prize of 100,000 dollars and the title of Ink Master. The first season of the series concluded on March 6, 2012, after airing a total of 8 episodes. The show is hosted and judged by Dave Navarro, a guitarist for Jane's Addiction. He is joined by series regular judges and accomplished tattoo artists Chris Nunez and Oliver Peck. The series has continued to air, with production credits spanning from 2012 through 2025.
Should you watch it?
“Tattoo artists compete for a cash prize and the prestigious title of Ink Master.”
- high-stakes artistic challenges
- skilled professional contestants
- high-pressure elimination format
Watch it if you enjoy watching artists perform under extreme pressure to create permanent designs.
The program features permanent tattooing and intense interpersonal conflict among contestants.
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Cast
Episode guide
Spoiler-Safe Browsing Progress
Season 1 · 8 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide & lore primer →- E1 Fresh Meat Mytharc Jan 17, 2012
- E2 Botched Head Tattoo Core Jan 24, 2012
- E3 Pasties and a Cameltoe Core Jan 31, 2012
- E4 Ink Disaster Piece Core Feb 7, 2012
- E5 Game On Core Feb 14, 2012
- E6 Permanent Mistakes Core Feb 21, 2012
- E7 Picture Imperfect Mytharc Feb 28, 2012
- E8 Ink Master Revealed Mytharc Mar 6, 2012
Season 2 · 13 episodes
- E1 Tattooing the Dead Mytharc Oct 9, 2012
- E2 Semi Nude 911 Core Oct 9, 2012
- E3 The 80 Year Old Virgin Core Oct 16, 2012
- E4 Tattoo Her What? Core Oct 23, 2012
- E5 Trick or Freak Mytharc Oct 30, 2012
- E6 Half Naked and Fully Loaded Core Nov 6, 2012
- E7 Star Wars Forever Core Nov 13, 2012
- E8 Holy Ink Core Nov 20, 2012
- E9 Buck Off Core Nov 27, 2012
- E10 Blowing Chunks Core Dec 4, 2012
- E11 Better Than Words? Core Dec 11, 2012
- E12 The Bigger They Are Mytharc Dec 18, 2012
- E13 Ink Master Live Mytharc Dec 18, 2012
Season 3 · 13 episodes
- E1 Baby Got Back Mytharc Jul 16, 2013
- E2 Thrills For Grills Mytharc Jul 23, 2013
- E3 Tattoos And Lace Core Jul 30, 2013
- E4 Elysium Challenge Core Aug 6, 2013
- E5 Baby Beat-Down Core Aug 13, 2013
- E6 Animal Instinct Core Aug 20, 2013
- E7 Monumental Mistakes Core Aug 27, 2013
- E8 Baby Don't Go Core Sep 3, 2013
- E9 Skulls And Villains Core Sep 10, 2013
- E10 Eyes Of The Beholder Core Sep 17, 2013
- E11 Heroes & Heads Core Sep 24, 2013
- E12 Enduring The Pain Mytharc Oct 1, 2013
- E13 The Epic Finale Mytharc Oct 8, 2013
Season 4 · 13 episodes
- E1 Earn It! Mytharc Feb 25, 2014
- E2 Bug Out Core Mar 4, 2014
- E3 Tatt Ganged Core Mar 11, 2014
- E4 Nude & Tattooed Core Mar 18, 2014
- E5 X-Men's Hugh Jackman Core Mar 25, 2014
- E6 2 on 1 Tat-Astrophe Core Apr 1, 2014
- E7 Artist Slaughter Core Apr 8, 2014
- E8 Ink Master Explosion Core Apr 15, 2014
- E9 Fighting Dirty Core Apr 22, 2014
- E10 Tag Team Tatt Core Apr 29, 2014
- E11 Karma's a Bitch Core May 6, 2014
- E12 Fight to the Finish Mytharc May 13, 2014
- E13 Ink Master Live Mytharc May 20, 2014
Season 5 · 16 episodes
- E1 Inking With The Enemy Mytharc Sep 2, 2014
- E2 Pin Up Pittfalls Core Sep 9, 2014
- E3 Head to Headache Core Sep 16, 2014
- E4 Geishas Gone Wrong Core Sep 23, 2014
- E5 Glass On Blast Core Sep 30, 2014
- E6 Cheek To Cheek Core Oct 7, 2014
- E7 Three's A Crowd Core Oct 14, 2014
- E8 Ink My Oosik Core Oct 21, 2014
- E9 Virgin Blood Core Oct 28, 2014
- E10 Cold Blooded Core Nov 4, 2014
- E11 Up In Smoke Core Nov 11, 2014
- E12 Heads Will Roll Core Nov 18, 2014
- E13 Painstaking Portraits Core Nov 25, 2014
- E14 Firing Squad Core Dec 2, 2014
- E15 Fight To The Finale Mytharc Dec 9, 2014
- E16 Ink Live Mytharc Dec 16, 2014
Frequently asked questions
What is the prize?
The winner receives one hundred thousand dollars and the title of Ink Master.
Who are the contestants?
The show features a group of skilled and creative tattoo artists.
What is the format?
It is an elimination-style competition where artists tattoo living canvasses.
What is the goal?
Contestants compete to prove their skills and earn the title of Ink Master.
What are the challenges like?
Artists must perform permanent tattooing on living canvasses under high-stakes conditions.