5 most influential WWE Superstars of the Ruthless Aggression era

#4 WWE’s Generational Star: Randy Orton

Before he was the WWE’s Viper, Randy Orton was supposed to be the chosen one. He had the looks, the body, and the pedigree. He just needed a gimmick. Then along came Evolution, and Orton’s star was soon on the rise. Orton was the group’s first breakout star over Batista. He won the WWE World Title at SummerSlam, and his eventual feud with Triple H was supposed to make him the next big thing.

Strangely, WWE fans didn’t take to Orton as a straight-up babyface. The rocket strapped to his back at the time never took off. Instead, the WWE repositioned Batista to his role, and he would be the breakout star in battling Triple H. Randy Orton would need to reinvent himself to become a star.

Orton has always been better in the WWE for being a dangerous heel. He really took off when he became “The Legend Killer” and feuded with legends like Mick Foley, The Undertaker, and even Hulk Hogan. Orton’s skill all along was his ability to have good matches against all types of opponents. The Ruthless Aggression Era allowed Orton to do just that.

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#3 WWE’s Deadman: The Undertaker

The beauty of the Undertaker character has always been the ability to adjust the character to best suit the time in WWE. He was over the top gimmicky during the end of Hogan’s era. He was the Phenom during The New Generation Era and the Deadman during the Attitude Era. During Ruthless Aggression, The Undertaker went from a redneck biker character to an athletic Deadman character and raised the level of his performances.

WWE saw the best of the Undertaker during the Ruthless Aggression Era. Taker changed his look from biker back to the Deadman, got in shape and put on some of the best matches of his career. He had an amazing match with a young Brock Lesnar. He had equally great matches with Edge, Randy Orton, and Batista. In each feud, he elevated his own performance while also enhancing the credibility of his younger foes. This was truly the height of Undertaker’s powers.

By the end of the Ruthless Aggression Era, the Undertaker’s character had evolved from a biker to the original gimmick to finally a more well-rounded version. He got himself in the best shape of his career and was able to have high-quality matches with several different opponents. It would set the stage for the classic matches of the Streak at WrestleMania against the likes of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and, of course, Brock Lesnar.

It is testament to the constant tinkering of his character that the Undertaker has been considered among the top five superstars over the past 25 years. The Ruthless Aggression Era was no exception.