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'The Masked Singer' Season 9: Mantis is 'La Bamba' star Lou Diamond Phillips, here are clues

The celebrity behind the Mantis mask was revealed to be 'La Bamba' star Lou Diamond Phillips

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The premiere of the inaugural Battle of the Saved on Wednesday night's episode of 'The Masked Singer' saw the unmasking of two more celebrity contestants, alongside the return of Mantis, Gargoyle, and Medusa. These three contestants had narrowly escaped elimination earlier in the season. Unfortunately, Mantis ran out of luck, and he was ultimately sent home after performing last in the trio. Mantis took to the stage to perform The Kinks' hit song, 'You Really Got Me.'

Mantis has gained immense popularity among the viewers of the fifth season of 'The Masked Singer.' The character is easily recognizable, with a typical praying mantis appearance sporting a red streak extending upwards from the mouth and yellow bulging eyes. The character's back is winged, while the contestant's hands are attached to bug arms. The mantis is wearing a greaser look with a white t-shirt, leather jacket, skinny jeans, and black shoes. A red bandana hanging out of the bag completes the figure's ensemble.

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Clues for Mantis

Mantis was the final contestant to be saved this season on WB Movie Night. The show has been dropping many clues about Mantis' identity. The clue package for Mantis begins with the character dancing in front of motorcycles, followed by a voiceover resembling a film preview's narrator, describing Mantis as "one gentlemantis" who is "ready to show you a new side of himself." The package shows Mantis answering a cell phone and scaling the side of a building, breaking windows as he goes. Later, Mantis is seen hanging from a rope from a flying helicopter. The voiceover continues, saying that Mantis is a performer known for his "brooding persona" who is "real freaking good at comedy" and has almost won an Emmy for it. Mantis walks by with an acoustic guitar and pushes one of the Men in Black as he passes by him. The package then shows Mantis reading a book titled 'Lord of the Fly,' holding Yorick's skull from Hamlet, and a plush wolf toy that howls. The narrator reveals that Mantis is a published author and has done Shakespeare and that music has followed him his whole career, from Broadway to the silver screen. The package ends with Mantis at a poker game with the Men in Black, and the warehouse where the game is being played explodes while Mantis walks out.

After Mantis' performance, a new clue was revealed - black sunglasses with a tag that said 'True Story.' Mantis explained that representing a legend was instrumental to his success and that it was an honor to do so. The latest clue for Mantis is a sword that says "movie maverick." Mantis also dropped a hint about his identity, saying, "I've won awards for my independent spirit, but my real award is having more credits than Ken."

Is Lou Diamond Phillips under the Mantis mask?

After analyzing all the clues given in the Mantis' clue package, it is evident that the celebrity behind the mask is none other than Lou Diamond Phillips. One of the major clues is the mention of an Emmy nomination for a short-form comedy or drama series in 2016. This aligns with Lou Diamond Phillips' nomination for Best Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for The Crossroads of History in the same year. Additionally, Phillips' background in Broadway, as evidenced by his role in 'The King and I,' supports the clue of the Mantis being a performer known for his brooding persona who is ready to show his comedic chops. Moreover, the clues of poker chips and a burning warehouse may allude to Lou's passion for poker, as he is a well-known poker player. On the other hand, the wolf stuffed animal can have multiple meanings. Phillips starred in the 1992 film 'Shadow of the Wolf,' which is why the wolf may be a reference to this role. Additionally, he was the leading man in the TV series 'Wolf Lake' in 2001, which could explain the significance of the wolf stuffed animal. Lastly, Lou Diamond Phillips is well-known for his portrayal of singer Ritchie Valens in the film 'La Bamba,' which aligns with the clue of representing a legend. In the movie, the band Los Lobos recorded a cover of the song 'La Bamba,' which may explain the inclusion of the plush wolf and the bandana in the Mantis' costume. In conclusion, based on all the clues given, it seems highly likely that Lou Diamond Phillips is the celebrity behind the Mantis mask on 'The Masked Singer' Season 9.

'Movie Maverick? #MantisMask is definitely a movie icon!'

Even before the unmasking, 'Masked Singer' fans were positive that actor Lou Diamond Phillips is under the Mantis mask. One said, "with that deep voice #MantisMask is Lou Diamond Phillips #TheMaskedSinger@, while another added, "@LouDPhillips you were amazing aa The Mantis on The Masked Singer!!! Yes and singing LA Bamba!!". A fan chimed in, "The clues tonight made this one easy for me. The #MantisMask is "La Bamba" actor and acting icon Lou Diamond Phillips." A fan pointed out, "Can we admit that @LouDPhillips rocked as #MantisMask or what?" #TheMaskedSinger" Tweets like, "@LouDPhillips, thank you so much for visiting #TheMaskedSinger! You were incredible as the #MantisMask!!" and "Wow! I would not have expected #MantisMask to be Lou Diamond Phillips #TheMaskedSinger..." were also seen. 

New episodes of 'The Masked Singer' Season 9 air every Wednesday at 8 pm ET on FOX.

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