Opinion: The Fiend is WWE's modern-day version of The Undertaker

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and they do not necessarily represent the views of Sportskeeda.

There's just something about Bray Wyatt's new Fiend character that makes a fan want to shake in fear and drop their jaws in wonder. The character is that perfect mix between edgy and mesmerizing, which makes it one of the most thrilling things on television right now. It has since gone on to steal the show at SummerSlam.

It all started with the theme song for the Firefly Fun House coming on the screen, but it was followed with bizarre light flickering and a mix of sinister screams. Things only got crazier when The Fiend appeared in what seems to be a sped-up version of his original entrance theme. Lights continued to flicker, the WWE kept cutting between freaky looking close up shots, and the fans held up their cellphones in amazement.

If nothing else, it was a moment that seemed super similar to that of what The Undertaker's presence felt like when he made his long walk down to the ring. Whether the two entrances are the same or not is up to interpretation, especially with Wyatt's being a tad edgier, but they both still had a distinct impact on fans.

And that's just the entrance! When you look at what The Fiend pulled off during his debut match against Finn Balor, you start to see what the character is capable of. The way he mystified Balor, played vicious mind games, and choked the guy out in the middle of the ring was all just genius.

It was truly a display of terror in plain sight and took fans on an unforgettable thrill ride from beginning to end. The experience even came complete with the arena cutting to black, Wyatt laughing in the background, and then disappearing into thin air. That's almost unheard of in the WWE today.

The only true person to compare him to would be The Undertaker, who also struck fear with his very presence, played unmistakable mind games at the expense of his opponents, and played on theatrics to enrich his character. Interestingly enough, they are so similar that one almost has to wonder if this is WWE's way of bringing back The Undertaker without actually having to bring him back.

Whether that last part is true or not is just speculation and should not detract from the great work the WWE is doing here. What it should do however is show the WWE Universe the significance of a character like this in today's day and age.

WWE has needed more characters like this for a long time now and while they do flop from time to time, that shouldn't stop the company from trying. The company is also dealing with an aging and injury-prone Undertaker, which seems to be part of the reason why they are putting so much behind The Fiend.

It represents a changing of the guard so to speak when it comes to supernatural gimmicks and it's one that should have happened a long time ago. Sour grapes and silly opinions aside, WWE is seemingly transitioning the metaphorical baton over to The Fiend and it's going to be pretty exciting to see what he does with it.

In the end, it proves that kayfabe is not dead and the WWE can start to experiment with theatrics again to create a better experience. It also proves that WWE fans have a thirst for an Undertaker-like character, which is exactly why Wyatt will thrive in this new era of storytelling. This could even go on to make him one of the top guys for years to come.

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