The monk who broke every rule. Lu Zhishen started life as Lu Da, a soldier with a conscience who killed a corrupt merchant for abusing a woman and had to flee. He took refuge in a monastery, shaved his head, took vows - and proceeded to drink, fight, and cause chaos at every opportunity. His nickname "Flowery Monk" came from the elaborate full-body tattoos covering his massive frame, ink blooming across skin that was supposed to be kept pure and unmarked. He was a terrible Buddhist and a legendary warrior.

Kuniyoshi captures his most famous moment - ripping a willow tree from the ground with raw strength. His tattooed arms and torso are a swirling mass of patterns, his face twisted in effort and rage, teeth bared. Autumn leaves scatter through the air around him as the massive trunk comes free, roots and all. This wasn't combat, it was a display of pure power - Lu Zhishen proving he could do what seemed impossible, that physical force mattered more than meditation or prayer. The other monks watched in horror. Lu Zhishen didn't care.

This is from Kuniyoshi's legendary 1827 Suikoden series, and Lu Zhishen became one of the most beloved figures - the tattooed monk who chose action over contemplation, who saved the weak and destroyed the corrupt, who wore his contradictions like armor.

Originally known as Lu Da (魯達), this is Lu Zhishen (魯智深), the "Flowery Monk" (花和尚); known in Japan as Kaoshō Rochishin (花和尚魯智深), from the series Tsūzoku suikoden gōketsu hiyakuhachinin no hitori (通俗水滸伝豪傑百八人之一個, One of the 108 famous Suikoden heroes) 1827.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳, 1798-1861)