A Grim Reaper American Traditional tattoo is an iconic tattoo design that has been around for centuries. The Grim Reaper is a figure of death, typically depicted as a cloaked skeleton carrying a scythe and a black cloak. It has been used in many iconic tattoo images, ranging from Gothic to modern to classic American Traditional tattoos. The Grim Reaper can symbolize death and mortality, but it can also represent transition, rebirth, and transformation.