Wrestling is often viewed and advertised as, first and foremost, a sport. But not every fan watches purely for the athletic achievements. An increasing number are much more interested in the larger than life personalities, their struggles and relationships. Some wrestlers play into that to great effect. AEW fans would perhaps name Kenny Omega or Adam Page. WWE viewers might think of Seth Rollins or Cody Rhodes. For fans of Japanese wrestling, however, DRAGONGATE’s main heel Shun Skywalker would have to be one of the biggest contenders. And with his excursions to America and Mexico, international fans are taking note as well.
So, who is Shun Skywalker?
In short, Shun can be described as a former high flier turned power-based technical wrestler, fixated on strength and the idea of being a superhero. He claims to have never lost a single match, but if he did, it was merely a fluke, or even a dream. He once proposed marriage to his opponents during a contract signing, on the grounds that they “belong to [him]”. He sometimes talks at length about the taste and texture of the wrestlers he wants to fight.
Shun Skywalker is not an easy man to understand, and indeed many fans simply throw their hands up and call him “insane”. However, looking deeper into his history can often reveal fairly coherent reasons for his behaviour, which, while not justifying anything, do at least make him much more of a tragic figure than a comical one. Shun is the kind of wrestler who gets more compelling the more you know about him. That leaves new fans in somewhat of a bind, though. Skywalker has been wrestling since 2016, and in the most active promotion in Japan at that. Sifting through all of those matches can be quite a bit of effort, especially if you don’t even know what you should be looking for.
For that reason, Five Star Network’s resident DRAGONGATE lore nerd has put together seven matches that will help you gain an understanding of Shun Skywalker as a wrestler. Rather than choosing the most high-profile or technically impressive bouts, the focus lies on the very thing that makes him so exceptional: The complicated emotions and relationships that turned him into the person he is today. This third entry in the Five Star Selections series intends to chart the course of the Man Who Walks Across the Sky, from his humble beginnings to his tragic downfall.
Shun Skywalker vs Willie Mack ~ DG Storm Gate 2018 – Day 1 (September 6th, 2018)
“Was it frustrating? You don’t have the time to be frustrated, you bastard.”
Not only does this early title match feature a wrestler American fans might already be familiar with, but it is also a central building block in Skywalker’s rise to the top and eventual downward spiral. It had been decided on as a test by his teacher, Masaaki Mochizuki, who had made it his mission to turn Shun from a light-hearted super sentai character into a wrestler worthy of the DG title scene. As a double champion at the time, Willie Mack seemed like the perfect opponent to motivate the young rookie’s ambition and after some deliberation, Skywalker agreed to challenge for not just one, but both of Mack’s titles. With a 90lbs weight disadvantage and only two years of experience to his name, he had his work cut out for him.
This match sets up an important part of Shun’s later heel persona, both in the action itself and in the post-match, with Mochizuki’s “tough love” approach to getting stronger. It also offers a lot of fun action, with some great chemistry between the wrestlers. This is an excellent starting point for new viewers, the only drawback being the lack of English Commentary.
Available on DRAGONGATE Network!
Shun Skywalker vs Kzy vs Naruki Doi vs YAMATO vs Big R Shimizu ~ DRAGONGATE Dead or Alive 2019 (May 6th, 2019)
“Mr. Mochizuki… prepare yourself. And… thank you for everything.”
If there is one thing DRAGONGATE is known for, it is faction warfare and this 5-way cage match excellently showcases Shun’s first big forray into that landscape. The gimmick for this battle was nicknamed “Bonds”, with the loser forced to permanently remove one wrestler from their own faction and everyone else free to do the same if they wished. All five of the involved stables surrounded the cage to support their respective candidates, and complete mayhem ensued as almost the entire roster fought for supremacy, knowing that the person at their side today could be their enemy tomorrow.
Shun participated as a member of the faction Mochizuki Dojo, consisting of him, his teacher and three other young wrestlers. As Mochizuki had hoped, Shun had become his star student by this point, winning the Rookie Ranking tournament and proving himself as one of DRAGONGATE’s greatest young talents. But this battle would put all of that training to the test like nothing before it.
This match has a little bit of everything DG has to offer, from ridiculous comedy to hard-hitting action to heartfelt drama. It is filled to the brim with great moments for not only Shun, but all the participating wrestlers. New fans might find it a little chaotic, but among the matches on this list it offers by far the broadest introduction to the DRAGONGATE roster.
Available with English commentary on DRAGONGATE Network!
Shun Skywalker & Ben-K vs Masato Yoshino & Naruki Doi ~ DG The Gate of Victory 2019 – Day 6 (November 7th, 2019)
“If you keep stagnating like this, there’s no point to us working together.”
The first match on this list set the foundation for Shun’s strange relationship with the idea of strength, but there is much more to it than that. Specifically, the disintegration of his first tag team. After leaving Mochizuki’s tutelage, Skywalker had joined up with his dojo classmate Ben-K, the golden child among the 2016 graduates and at the time the fastest Open the Dream Gate champion in history. The two resolved to reach the very top of DRAGONGATE together, by spurring each other on as both partners and rivals. But there was a very clear discrepancy between them in terms of strength. No match made that clearer than their battle against the legendary DG tag team SpeedMuscle.
As expected of a match between four of DRAGONGATE’s most talented wrestlers, this is an absolute blast to watch from bell to bell. The speed, agility and precision displayed alone are enough to make it worth seeing and Shun’s passionate promo at the end is heartbreaking, even without the context of what was to come. For any fans who most easily get invested through impressive in-ring action, this would be the best place to start.
Available with English commentary on DRAGONGATE Network!
Shun Skywalker & Dragon Dia vs Diamante & Dia Inferno ~ DG Fantastic Gate – Day 1 (December 1st, 2021)
“…”
This mask vs mask tag match was the culmination of a vicious feud between Shun’s new faction MASQUERADE and the dangerous heel stable RED. Skywalker’s stablemate Dragon Dia in particular had been suffering horribly under the wrath of a mysterious masked wrestler named Dia Inferno. Eventually, even the normally kindhearted “Infinite Carat Diamond” finally lost his temper and ripped his tormentor’s mask off during a singles match. Underneath, he claimed afterwards, had been Yuki Yoshioka, one of Shun’s dojo classmates and his close companion on excursion. Skywalker refused to believe him. The man he had known would never do something like that. And so, Dia called for the truth to be revealed in one last deciding match. Shun tried to forbid it, but that only led to him and his own rival Diamante being added to the match. Resigned, Skywalker resolved to at least protect Dia, hoping that they would both make it through this unscathed.
If you only watch a single match from this list, make it this one. It’s one of Shun’s best matches on every level. For those who want to skip the groundwork and start with the emotional gutpunches, this is where the ride truly begins.
Available with English commentary on DRAGONGATE Network!
Shun Skywalker, Jason Lee & Kota Minoura vs Eita, Kaito Ishida & HYO ~ DG Open the New Year Gate – Day 4 (January 12th, 2022)
“I was protecting you! Why would you hit me?!”
Can a wrestling match be both a complete mess and a fantastic experience? This one certainly can. It tells the story of two disintegrating factions, each trying to win the Open the Triangle Gate championships for themselves. Not for glory or honor, but purely to have a reason, any reason, to continue staying together. One one side stood aspiring evil mastermind HYO, hoping to escape punishment for several major misfires, and on the other stood Shun Skywalker, increasingly desperate and delusional in his attempts to keep MASQUERADE together after what he did. There was no way that their battle could go well.
Watching everything Skywalker loves go up in an explosion of selfish pride and violently projected self-loathing is as fascinating as it is tragic. The intense awkwardness, non-existant teamwork and painful missteps between the wrestlers visually represent that so well that this match could not work without them. It is not good despite being messy, it is good because it is messy. That alone makes it worth a look. If your central focus in wrestling is flawlessly executed athletics, I would recommend skipping this one. But if you want to see a deeply human tragedy unfold in the confines of a wrestling ring, you will not be disappointed.
Available with English commentary on DRAGONGATE Network!
Shun Skywalker vs Jason Lee ~ DG Glorious Gate – Day 1 (March 3rd, 2022)
“You can’t do anything without me. You can’t do anything against me. As long as you are in this ring, Jason Lee, you belong to me.”
While the recommendations so far have brought up his teacher and classmates, there is one more wrestler in DRAGONGATE who is absolutely vital to telling the story of Shun Skywalker as a wrestler. And that is “Kung Fu Dragon” Jason Lee.
Jason had always been Shun’s favorite among the MASQUERADE members, the first one he chose and the last one who remained. His quiet and caring personality, as well as the fact that he joined DG soon after Skywalker’s debut, had led the two of them to become fast friends back in 2017. That connection never quite faded, even during their time apart. But as Shun changed, so did his feelings. With his self-control and grip on reality slipping, he came to the conclusion that Jason belonged to him and that he was therefore entirely justified in forcing him to return to his side by any means necessary. Including violence.
Not only does this match have one of the most unusual setups in wrestling, but it builds on that perfectly. The sheer horror of Lee’s situation is palpable, and the action is crisp and fast-paced enough to break up the emotional onslaught with plenty of excitement. A fantastic match all around, although caution is recommended for viewers who might struggle with themes like stalking and abuse.
Available with English commentary on DRAGONGATE Network!
Shun Skywalker, HYO & BxB Hulk vs Ben-K, YAMATO & Kagetora vs Kzy, Big Boss Shimizu & Jacky “Funky” Kamei ~ DG The Gate of Passion 2022 – Day 13 (April 25th, 2022)
“Jason Lee has free will! Today will be an anniversary. But what a shame. What a shame. What a shame.”
After watching the beginning of Shun’s attempt to make Jason his belonging, it would be a shame to miss out on the fantastic conclusion. In this match, the representatives of three factions, all hoping to recruit Jason into their ranks, were fighting for the right to make their case to him. Shun, personally, was not actually interested in winning that right. In his view, Jason already belonged to him, after all. He always had. But under no circumstances could he allow the other factions to win, to “steal” what was his and leave him all alone again. That was his mission for this fight.
On a pure in-ring level, the match is of about average quality for a DRAGONGATE Korakuen Hall main event. That in itself makes it very useful for new viewers trying to judge whether the promotion matches their taste. What elevates it far beyond that, however, are the emotions at play, especially around Jason’s future as both a wrestler and a person. The post-match, too, manages to be at once deeply sad, immensely satisfying and poignantly comical in an incredibly affecting way. A great example of what makes Shun Skywalker so interesting and an absolute must for any viewer who wants to understand who he is.
Available with English commentary on DRAGONGATE Network!
Conclusion
This is far from a comprehensive list. A significant number of Shun’s most highly rated bouts did not even make it on and neither did some of his most fascinating character moments. What this article hopes to be instead is a starting point, a small window into Skywalker’s history and motivations that might convince you to look at more of his work and his development as a wrestler. That is very much a journey worth taking.
All of the matches recommended in this article are available on DRAGONGATE Network, for a price of 1650 Yen (roughly 11$ at the time of writing) per month, with livestreaming and no additional charges for big shows. Please consider signing up. Undecided newcomers can watch some fantastic matches for free on the official DG Network YouTube before joining.
Those interested in learning more can also read about another important Shun Skywalker match in our extensive piece on this year’s Kobe World main event, find out how the rest of the DRAGONGATE roster sees him in our interviews with Jason Lee, Strong Machine J and ISHIN, or listen to the weekly Dramatic Dream Dragons podcast.
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