The Undertaker was majorly responsible for the creation of a WWE faction featuring underused superstars

The Undertaker's unmatched professional wrestling career can be fragmented based on the various character changes he experienced. Mark Calaway portrayed one of the most iconic gimmicks in wrestling history, and he has had many iterations of the character over the years.

The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness stint is still considered one of the darkest versions of his character as the faction was involved in a host of wild segments.

During the most recent edition of Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard, the veteran opened up about how WWE formed the Ministry of Darkness.

WWE's idea behind creating the group was to give underutilized stars a platform to succeed. The Undertaker was already a sought-after name on WWE television, and the company believed the faction members would benefit from being in his presence.

Prichard revealed that The Undertaker was part of the decision-making process as he was consulted regarding who should join the faction.

"I think it was a group of guys that were being underutilized at the time. Being part of a group could give them the rub and could help get them over. I think it was a combination of both. You know, it was looking at guys that needed a little something extra and talking to him (Undertaker) about, 'Hey, if we get this group, who would you suggest, and kind of both," said Prichard.

Bruce Prichard on Vince Russo's contribution to The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness

While former WWE head writer Vince Russo came up with the crux of the storyline, The Undertaker was majorly responsible for the stars recruited into the faction.

The likes of Bradshaw, Farooq, Viscera, and Mideon needed a prominent angle to garner some attention, and it didn't get any better than to be paired with The Undertaker.

Prichard added that WWE officials held talks with The Undertaker about the faction's vision and look. In addition to the four members mentioned above, the Ministry even included The Brood (Gangrel, Edge, and Christian) for a brief period.

"Yeah, I believe it was. I believe it was both, but also with the input of 'Taker. And just for the record, did I or did I not put over Russo's ideas last week on the show when we were talking about 'Taker," added Prichard.

Bruce Prichard also addressed whether there was any reluctance backstage about the controversial nature of the Ministry of Darkness. The WWE Executive Director explained that the late 1990s were all about anti-authority angles, and the Ministry of Darkness' booking was in stark contrast to the company's staple offering.

Prichard noted that WWE's team had to flex its creative muscles with the Ministry, and The Undertaker's character was used as a pivot to execute a hit-and-miss angle.

"I think there was, you know, kind of line, 'Well, sh**!' In that era, is this something that is believable, I want to say? But at the same time, you know, it was a dark figure, and you look at some of the imagery in general. I think it was darker at that time. I think we were kind of in an era of anti-authority, and the authority, in general, was viewed as evil almost. It was almost like the evil empire when you look at Star Wars and good lord, the Evil Empire, and just the dark side. And yeah, it was exploring it and getting out there a little bit, and The Undertaker character lent itself to that," Prichard concluded.

While WWE pushed its programming boundaries with the Ministry of Darkness storyline, it did have some evident flaws along the way.

What are your thoughts on the Ministry of Darkness? Let us know in the comments section below.

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If any quotes are used from this article, please credit Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.