Top 10 Awesome Lucha Libre Masks

Today’s entry was really tough to write, choosing just a few masks from more than 70 years in lucha libre history, but yeah still it was fun. Before I begin with the countdown if you haven’t read the history of the lucha libre mask click on the following links, PART 1, PART 2, PART 3.

10. Anibal 

This luchador took the name for his character from the Charthaginian military commander, Hannibal (Anibal is the translation in Spanish). His mask is basically a tribute to Black Shadow, and by tribute I mean he just took black shadow’s mask and changed the colors. He was asked by Black Shadow to change the design, he just removed the line that unites the eyes with the nose and mouth, and added a detail for each ear. 

The colors stand for the sky and the ocean, while the shape in his ears represent the island in which Hannibal hid because he was being pursued after winning a battle (don’t ask me which one).

9. Lizmark

One of my favorites from when I was a kid, a very simple design, but still a quite beautiful mask, sadly his son Lizmark Jr didn’t appreciate this and made some modifications for his MASK. 

The silver shape surrounding his eyes play as the fins from the Grey Shark, while the blue represents the ocean.

8. Tinieblas

What I love about this mask is the way he represented the darkness, there was no better way to do that with absence of a face.

7. Atlantis

I prefer the version of his mask where the mouth is closed, but it’s just a minor detail and everyone identifies Atlantis with this mask. Anyway the shapes in his eyes play as fish and the sign in his forehead stands as an inverted anchor.

6. Canek

Canek does something similar to Mil Mascaras, he shows up with a different mask in every match, but there’s a bit of a difference, the shapes in his eyes and mouth are always the same, he only changes to a distinct prehispanic figure on the side of his mask.

5. Blue Demon

I’ve already talked about the meaning of this mask, only thing I could add about it, it’s awesome.

4. Fishman

One of the oddest combination of colors in lucha libre history, really you don’t see many luchadores wearing green and yellow in their gear, but it really works. To that you have to give thumbs up for the design. Basically if you extend the shape you will see a stingray.

3. Dos Caras

Fun Fact, he WORE two masks with different designs before this one. Another fun fact, this mask was first used by his brother Mil Mascaras.

2. Huracán Ramírez

Both old and current versions are just beautiful. The wind figures on the side and top of the mask are what I like most of this mask. And they aren’t only pretty shapes, they stand for the initials of the luchador H and R.

1. Mil Mascaras (Shark)

You would think it would be hard to pick just one mask from the so called man of a thousand masks and actually it is, maybe a few months later I’ll make a countdown with just Mil Mascaras masks. 

Anyway, how can you not like this mask? One of the many patriotic masks that Mil Mascaras has and definitely the most aggressive one, such a shame that he barely uses a different mask than his classic ONE anymore.

This is all for this today, next Tuesday I finish the lucha libre mask subject (for now) with what I consider to be the ugliest masks in lucha libre. See you next week.

Francisco Arreola

@fcoarreola