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AEW has several stars who don face paint as part of their character, making them stand out from their peers. Pro wrestling has a long history of wrestlers who incorporated such visuals into their identities, from Ultimate Warrior and Legion of Doom to Jeff Hardy.
The company's latest signing Danhausen is another such wrestler who is well-known for his clown-like visage. The independent wrestler made his much-awaited debut on this week's episode of Dynamite, showing up during the night's main event, the Unsanctioned Lights Out match between Orange Cassidy and Adam Cole.
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Danhausen's character is sure to be a hit with fans who enjoy some wackiness in their wrestling. But have you ever wondered how he would look without all that makeup? Here are five face-painted wrestlers in Tony Khan's promotion, including Danhausen, and how they look bare-faced.
#5. AEW debutant Danhausen without face paint
Internet wrestling sensation Danhausen shocked the Dynamite audience when he appeared from underneath the ring holding onto a steel chair that Adam Cole was trying to retrieve.
Despite never having appeared on national television, the surprise appearance immediately elicited a loud reaction from the fans in attendance. Tony Khan confirmed the wrestler's official signing with the company after the show.
The man behind the makeup, Donovan Danhausen, wanted to create a character that would set him apart from the generic guy-in-tights-look that he sported early in his career.
He revealed more in an interview with Gamespot:
"This is much more me. This is me incorporating every aspect of my personality into this character. Besides the fact, in real life, I'm really not that outgoing, so this character is a way for me to be more out there... Growing up, I was very shy, and talking in front of audiences makes me very nervous, but this whole character really helps with that. Anything I grew up with, or the things I took along the way of just living like late-night comedy, cartoons, horror, it's all in this character," Danhausen said.
He describes his persona as "what happens when Conan O'Brien is possessed by an evil demon." It has worked wonders for a creative performer who could easily carve a unique niche for himself.
Having built his fame entirely on the internet, it will be interesting to see how Danhausen's brand of humor would translate on the big stage.
#4. AEW star Kris Statlander without face paint
AEW's Kris Statlander employs colorful face paint as part of her 'alien' gimmick. Growing up as a self-professed science nerd, she incorporated that into her appearance with her trademark moves such as the Area 451 splash and the Big Bang Theory.
As a rising star in the company, she is currently feuding with women's champion Britt Baker. She is also associated with Best Friends and Orange Cassidy, which propelled her star power. At only 26-years-old, time is on Statlander's side as she grows as a performer and becomes a star of the division.
#3. AEW star Thunder Rosa without face paint
Thunder Rosa is known for her face paint which pays homage to her Mexican heritage and the Day of the Dead festival.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Rosa recalled being initially hesitant to make the paint a part of her gimmick:
"My first month wrestling in Japan, I suffered a concussion. My husband thought I should wear face paint as a symbol that I was half dead and half alive. But at first, I didn’t want to wear it. There was a promotion in the United States that asked me to use face paint because they thought I would appeal more to the Latino community because I’m Latina. I hate when people make me feel less than because I’m Latina or because I have an accent, and in all honesty, I was running away from my culture. So I didn’t wear the face paint," Rosa said.
However, her uncle convinced her to embrace face paint as a way to pay tribute to her grandfather, who loved Lucha libre and was watching wrestling on the day he passed away.
#2. AEW legend Sting without face paint
Sting is arguably the most successful wrestler to ever wear face paint, given his legendary career. His evolution from the 'Surfer' gimmick to the 'The Crow' persona has kept him relevant and won him legions of fans who gravitated towards his iconic looks.
The 'Crow' era of Sting is his most famous face paint, consisting of black and white. The AEW legend credited Scott Hall for initially coming up with the idea:
"They wanted something dark and dirty. I thought my character had to change before fans started sticking their finger down their throat. I was trying to figure out what to do and Hall says, ‘You know what you should do? Get a trench coat, man. Paint your face white. Put some black around your eyes. Something mysterious. That’s what I would do, man," Sting recalled.
The gimmick was inspired by Eric Draven's character from the Crow movie. He first debuted that character to fight against the members of NWO, but the makeup has evolved multiple times since then. He changed the colors to red and black for the Wolfpac run, another fan favorite. Sting even experimented with Joker-Esque clown paint.
The legend is also comfortable going bare-faced outside of his wrestling appearances, usually sporting sunglasses. Now enjoying a career resurgence with Tony Khan's company, Sting mostly teams up with the young Darby Allin, who introduced the veteran to a younger generation. Speaking of Darby...
#1. AEW star Darby Allin without face paint
Darby Allin is one of the original AEW wrestlers best known for sporting face paint. He revealed that a traumatic car incident influenced his usage of face paint:
“I paint my face because 50 percent of me is dead inside. When I was five, my uncle was driving drunk. I was in the car with him. We crashed and he passed away," said Darby Allin.
It is also one of the reasons the former TNT champion decided to be straight-edge. Allin chose to stay away from drugs and alcohol, which has taken many of his friends' lives. The face paint has become synonymous with Darby's appearance, and he also names his finisher the 'Coffin Drop,' which further plays on the theme of death.
Regardless of his tragic past, Allin has managed to rise above it and become a star in AEW thanks to his charisma and daredevil attitude.
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