The Undertaker is quite possibly the greatest figure to ever compete inside a WWE ring when you consider the legacy, the impact, and the importance of The Deadman to Vince McMahon’s wrestling promotion.
It is a testament to the Mark Calaway – the man who made The Undertaker gimmick into something to be feared and respected – that he was able to take something as ludicrous as the idea of a man being an undertaker and transform it into The Phenom we know and love today.
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Sure, there have been some forgettable moments even in his legendary career, but for the most part, Taker has been one of the best things to ever come out of the world’s premier wrestling promotion.
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So, without further ado, here are the Faces of The Undertaker, ranked from worst to best:
#9 American Badass
Remember those forgettable moments I talked about? Well, most of that can be attributed to The Undertaker’s run in the early 2000s as a biker. Sure, his wrestling skills were still top notch but after getting used to the evil figure who terrorised the wrestling world, this was a major step down for the man.
The loss of mysticism crippled the character badly and he was no longer the Taker that people had feared and adored in equal measure in the 1990s. It wasn’t a terrible run, because he just doesn’t do those, but it was still lacklustre.
#8 Debut Undertaker
This was the run that brought The Undertaker into the eyes of the public. Starting off as a stoic individual who didn’t feel any pain, Taker’s first run with the company wasn’t anything to write home about.
He was still a bit green with his wrestling skills and his quiet demeanour meant there were no eerie promos to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. In addition to all this, this version of the Deadman was some sort of zombie who felt no pain so that kind of made him no-sell all of his opponents’ offence. Not great for a wrestling match.
#7 The Original Deadman
This was the first evolution of The Undertaker in the WWE as he returned from an eight-month absence converted from his debut zombie look to a far more intimidating getup. The grey gloves were replaced by purple ones and he added an aura of mysticism that would be a sign of things to come for more than the next two decades.
It was also the jumping off point for Takers excellent run in the Attitude Era as one of the leaders of the WWE’s Monday Night Wars against WCW.
#6 Big Evil
Big Evil is a gimmick that seems to divide public opinion. Some people love the whole “I want respect” spiel that The Undertaker sprouted while others detest it and couldn’t wait for the Deadman to return to his roots. Me? I’m on the fence about this one.
It was a fairly decent outing for Taker in this guise but it still doesn’t hold a candle to his greatest moments inside the squared circle.
#5 The Last Outlaw
The Undertaker’s greatest claim to fame is the legendary Wrestlemania streak where he went undefeated for 21 fights on The Grandest Stage of Them All before being vanquished by Brock Lesnar.
Regardless of your opinion on the ending of the streak and whether it should’ve happened or not, The Phenom made a great return to the ring after suffering his most devastating loss. He looked every part the wearied war veteran he was but still managed to put on great matches with the likes of Lesnar and the Wyatt family even after this.
This gimmick deserves respect just for the amount of work Taker puts in to make an impact around the time of Wrestlemania year after year.
#4 The Lord of Darkness
The first incarnation of The Undertaker to truly embrace his magical side and create a flair for the theatric. When The Deadman showed up in his new and improved druid-like outfit in 1996, the wrestling world had never seen anything like it.
It was also the time when Taker built his CV as a top-level performer as he started racking up title wins and main eventing big shows and truly starting to make his mark on the business.
#3 The Streak
As The Undertaker’s career started entering its twilight, he made the shift over from regular weekly performer to the man who was defined by his Wrestlemania streak. It was the same routine every year but it worked to perfection.
Someone would challenge The Phenom on the Road to Wrestlemania and the two would put on a show for the ages at Mania with Taker ultimately walking away victorious. It might seem like the same thing every year but the quality of the matches and the reverence for The Streak made it a thing of beauty.
#2 The Phenom
When The Undertaker finally abandoned his non-Deadman gimmicks once and for all and returned in all his undead glory at Wrestlemania XX, it was a joy to behold. The Phenom and well and truly returned to the ways that made him into a global megastar.
The matches he had might not have been the greatest, but it was the fact that he made his long-awaited return to the dark side and still managed to look just as good as he ever had that makes this a truly epic incarnation of The Demon of Death Valley.
#1 The Ministry of Darkness
The most larger than life character ever played by The Undertaker was his run as the leader of The Ministry of Darkness during the WWE’s Attitude Era when it was all out war between multiple factions which included the likes of The Nation of Domination, DX, and the Corporation.
This was The Deadman at his heelish best and made for some truly compelling television. Just the look itself escalates this into elite-level territory and Takers commitment to his role as a heel makes this his greatest gimmick of all-time.
