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Danny's Dragon Tattoo On 'Iron Fist' Is Important

By now, many diehard Marvel fans have already started making their way through Netflix's latest superhero series, Iron Fist, which released all 13 of its episodes on March 17. And while watching Danny Rand's fist glow like a jelly fist whenever he delivers a powerful punch is pretty fascinating, there's another distinguishing characteristic about him you may have noticed by now: his interesting tattoo located on his chest. So what does Danny's dragon tattoo mean on Iron Fist? Those who are familiar with the comic books know that the symbol holds a very significant meaning.

Much like the series has described thus far, Danny's time away from New York is pretty similiar to how it went down in the comics. After the plane crash, he was taken in by martial art warriors in the mystical city of K'un-Lun. It was there that he trained for years, which is how he eventually earned the powers of the Iron Fist. And it seems as though the tattoo is a symbol of that victory. You see, in order to be honored with these prestigious powers, you need to complete a certain ritual that proves you are worthy of the title. And if you think this ritual was easy, then think again. That is, unless you believe going up against a dragon is NBD.

To become the Iron Fist, Danny had to face-off against an immortal dragon known as Shou-Lao The Undying. Once a person is able to come out victorious in a battle with this dragon (who, if you can't tell from the title, cannot fully die), then said person gets to absorb part of its power. It was during the course of this combat that Danny had the dragon-shaped tattoo burned onto his chest. Then he plunged his hand into the dragon's immortal heart and viola! You've got one ready and willing fist of iron.

Unfortunately, viewers won't be able to see this epic showdown take place during the course of Season 1. Budget constraints didn't allow for them to feature a dragon during any flashbacks Danny may have that showcase what he's been up to for the past 15 years, according to Yahoo!. But hey, if the show does well enough and gets a Season 2 pickup, it could always happen then. Never say never!

Granted, this may not be exactly how the story behind the tattoo plays out in the Netflix series, but either way, having a dragon forever ingrained on his skin proves how much he's been through and marks the journey that led to his return home.