Matador (bullfighter)

A matador (bullfighter) is the main performer in traditional corridabullfighting events in Spain, Portugal, France, and other countries influenced by these cultures. There are various forms of bullfighting, and corrida is the best known globally. Although English speakers typically use “matador” as a blanket term for all bullfighters, the Spanish version of the word actually refers specifically to the matador de toros, the highest-ranked bullfighter participating in a corrida contest. Unlike junior bullfighters, or toreros, who have other responsibilities during a fight, matadors have the exclusive honor of landing the final blow by striking and killing the bull with a swift sword thrust between the shoulder blades. A bullfighter gradually rises to the rank of matador over time, only earning the esteemed title after first fighting younger bulls as a novillero and then being introduced as a matador at a special match known as the Alternativa. While most matadors are men, female matadors have appeared in bullfighting rings for decades and are an increasingly common sight.

Background

Matadors are the stars of the traditional Spanish and Portuguese spectacle of corrida bullfighting. Despite realistically being more akin to a choreographed stage performance than an actual sport, corrida bullfighting has long been considered one of the most popular cultural traditions in the countries where it thrives. The history of bullfighting stretches back more than two thousand years to the ancient Cretans, who frequently performed a spectacular feat known as bull dancing. In these remarkable exhibitions, men and women alike would attempt to gracefully leap over a bull’s potentially deadly horns.

The Spanish tradition of bullfighting began in the twelfth century Common Era, thanks to the influence of the Moors, who were Arabs controlling the region at that time. The earliest version of this form of bullfighting involved horse riders using lances to kill wild bulls. Bullfighting quickly gained popularity among the Spanish nobility and remained a cultural staple for centuries. The practice took an important step toward achieving its modern form when commoners started participating in bullfighting contests on foot by waving colorful capes to distract the bulls and prevent them from causing injury when they charged. Over time, this particularly exciting aspect of the spectacle came to be the defining element of corrida bullfighting.

Corrida bullfights are held in a special arena called the plaza de toros. At the outset of each contest, the toreros enter the arena and engage in an elaborate ritual confrontation with a bull. The matador progresses through a series of carefully staged encounters meant to tire the bull and weaken its neck muscles. In most cases, the matador then performs a final maneuver called “the moment of truth” in which they charge at and attempt to kill the bull by plunging a sword between its shoulder blades. Matadors who accomplish this feat skillfully are typically hailed as great masters of their craft. In various bloodless forms of corrida, the bull is spared at the end, while in others, the matador simply tries to evade the bull's attack or must remove a ribbon, flower, or other small item that has been attached to the bull or horned cow.

Although corrida bullfighting has generally retained its place as a deep-rooted cultural tradition in Spain, Portugal, southern France, and parts of Latin America, it is far less common than it once was. Much of the spectacle’s decline in popularity can be ascribed to the public’s evolving views on the treatment of fighting bulls. Animal rights activists have long criticized the bullfighting industry for engaging in what they view as the unnecessary ritualistic slaughtering of bulls. Growing objection to bullfighting has even led to the practice being banned in some cities, regions, and countries.

Overview

Matadors are the central figures of a corrida bullfighting spectacle. They are the star performers and senior toreros who execute the most dangerous feats in a bullfighting match, including actually killing the bull. In each match, matadors perform with the aid of an entourage of other toreros known as a cuadrilla. In addition to the matador, a cuadrilla consists of two picadors, three banderilleros, and a mozo de espadas. The picadors ride around the bullfighting ring on horseback and poke the bull with lances. The banderilleros are tasked with thrusting special darts called banderillas into the bull’s neck. The mozo de espadas is a sword page who is responsible for handling the matador’s swords and providing them with the appropriate blades at different points of the match.

At the outset of a match, a banderillero enters the arena and waves their cape in front of the bull several times to entice the animal to charge. This provides the matador with a demonstration of the bull’s particular fighting style. After this, the matador appears and uses their own cape to perform several passes with the bull. These passes are much closer than the passes performed by the banderillero and can be quite dangerous. In the next stage of the match, the picadors arrive and use their lances to prick the bull to weaken its neck muscles. This makes it easier for the matador to land the fatal blow at the end of the match. Once the picadors finish their task, the banderilleros return and each place a pair of banderillas into bull’s neck.

At this point, the matador takes center stage once more with a sword and a small cape known as the muleta. After goading the bull into several more close and extremely dangerous passes, the matador attempts to kill the bull by plunging the muleta into its neck between the shoulder blades. With that, the match comes to an end.

Toreros must progress through an established rite of passage before they can become a matador. Prospective matadors begin their careers as novice bullfighters called novilleros. Novilleros, who can be easily identified by the silver braid they wear, are required to perform a minimum of twenty-five bullfights against young bulls without the assistance of picadors before they are allowed to begin fighting older bulls with picadors.

Once a novillero is adequately experienced, they make the transition to matador at a special fight called the Alternativa. At this fight, a ceremony is held just before the novillero is to deliver the fatal blow. The senior matador presents them with the traditional sword and cape, while the second most experienced matador acts as a witness. With this, the novillero officially becomes a matador.

Most novilleros never attain the status of matador and instead face early retirement. In Spain, for example, nearly eleven thousand bullfighters were licensed in 2024, but just over eight hundred were matadors.

Traditionally, bullfighters were men, and bullfighting has long been associated with a type of conservative hypermasculinity known as “machismo.” In fact, Spanish women were barred from bull rings until the mid-1970s. Over the next fifty years, sixteen women worldwide would attain the rank of matador. Male and female matadors take on bulls of the same size, but due to longstanding chivalric mores about men aiding women in distress, they usually perform separately. In 2024, matador Mario Alcalde made history by disclosing his pansexuality, making him Spain's first openly Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Queer (LGBTQ+) matador.

Matadors are known for their elaborate costumes. Since the eighteenth century, most matadors have worn highly decorative outfits, the modern versions of which are typically cropped with gold embroidery to signify the wearer’s high ranking. Matadors also traditionally use brightly colored capes and wear their hair in a bun that they cut off when they retire.

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