After almost seven months off TV, Shinsuke Nakamura returns to SmackDown – in a thrilling new look.
A long-missing WWE star is back – and is causing a stir in the wrestling fan base with an exciting reinvention.
On the latest episode of the TV show Friday Night SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura made his comeback, attacked US Champion LA Knight and presented a new, dark look.
Reminiscent of Star Wars and the Great Muta
Nakamura, who hadn’t competed in a TV match since the end of April, wore red and white war paint and a black robe. The appearance reminded a number of fans of the dark figures from the Star Wars series, with various users drawing parallels on social media to the transformation of Anakin Skywalker, later Darth Vader, in Episode III.
Nakamura himself is more likely to have the history of his native Japan in mind, as his new outfit is reminiscent of the mythical military caste of the samurai and the shoguns at their head – themselves a strong inspiration for the Jedi knights from the Star Wars universe and many other films and series from East and West.
For the 44-year-old Nakamura, the visual metamorphosis is a fresh start after things had become rather quiet around him in WWE in recent years. The biggest match Nakamura has contested in the past few years was an appearance for the Japanese WWE-affiliated league NOAH, in which Nakamura defeated the icon The Great Muta on the latter’s farewell tour.
The new look also seems like a new tribute to the hall-of-fame member Muta, who had repeatedly amazed his fans with elaborate and spectacular look changes.