Nick Jonas’s collection is small: a cursive word, a statement of faith, matching arrows with his brother Joe, and the check-and-box design he shares with Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Most are easy to miss in full-length photos; up close, each points to a particular moment.
Nick and Priyanka have explained some tattoos themselves. Photos show the marks and where they sit; interviews supply the meaning when either has spoken about it. For the rest, the images are enough to describe what’s there.
Mercy, with its long infinity-like tail
The word Mercy sits in fine cursive along Nick’s forearm. The letters slant forward, and the final stroke runs beneath the word in a long loop that can look like a separate infinity symbol. In the photo, it continues from the word as one flourish.
Nick posted a photo of the tattoo in 2012 with the caption “Mercy Forever.” Some articles link Mercy to biblical language about enduring mercy, which fits his public faith, but Nick hasn’t said what prompted it. The word and caption are the details he has shared.
A bent wrist, sleeve or microphone can break up the line in performance photos. A close-up shows the flourish running horizontally beneath the word, giving it more reach without making the tattoo large. Its fine cursive stands apart from the sharper symbols on Nick’s other arm.
The compact code for faith’s highs and lows
On his inner left forearm, Nick has G > ^ V: a G and a greater-than sign followed by two sharp, mountain-like strokes above a thin line. It looks more like a small diagram than a written sentence.
In a 2017 WIRED interview, Nick explained it: “God is greater than the highs and lows.” The greater-than sign carries the sentence; the caret and V suggest its highs and lows. The symbols form a compact diagram rather than a detailed mountain scene.
The photo shows the symbols’ spacing and placement; Nick’s quote gives their meaning. At a distance, the small marks blur together, but a close-up makes each one legible. Unlike Mercy, which is fine script, this tattoo is a row of geometric signs.
Nick’s explanation is specific, so there’s no need to add another Bible verse or a personal story he hasn’t shared.
Matching arrows point between Nick and Joe
Nick and Joe got matching thin, horizontal arrows just before the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. They sit on the backs of their upper arms and point toward one another, facing inward when the brothers stand together.
Joe posted that he was getting tattooed before the VMAs, and Nick shared photos of the process and finished arrows. They were both getting ready for the same award-show night. One old social-media photo has a large “Boom” graphic over it; that’s an overlay, not part of the tattoo.
The drawing is simple: a narrow shaft and a small point, with no shading or decorative fill. From behind, the direction is clear; when the brothers face the camera or wear sleeves, it’s easy to miss. The arrow does the work.
In WIRED, Nick said the arrows represent having each other’s backs. That’s the meaning he gave them. The photo shows their placement and direction; his explanation gives the sibling connection.
A check and an empty box keep Priyanka’s proposal story close
The design Nick and Priyanka share pairs a checkmark with an empty box. His are on the backs of his arms; hers are behind her ears. One box is checked, the other left open, with no extra decoration.
Priyanka told British Vogue that the tattoos came from Nick’s proposal. He said she had checked all his boxes, then asked if she would check one more when he proposed. They turned the line into two small tattoos.
The tattoos match in design, not location. Nick wears his on his arms and Priyanka behind her ears. A photo of one arm may show only the check or the open box; seeing both marks makes the joke clear.
The couple have explained the proposal reference, but not when they got the tattoos. Some accounts place them on the first anniversary of their engagement, but neither Nick nor Priyanka confirmed that date.
Four designs, each with its own evidence
Nick’s four documented designs point to different stories. Mercy has a sweeping flourish and the caption he shared; the forearm symbols carry his faith message; the arrows mark his bond with Joe; and the checkboxes recall his proposal to Priyanka.
The collection is small but varied: flowing script, a faith statement, a sibling pair and a proposal joke. Photos show how the designs look; Nick and Priyanka have explained the meanings they wanted to share.