On the July 15, 2019, edition of Monday Night Raw, the WWE Universe was introduced to one of the company’s most creepy yet captivating characters. Just over an hour into the show, Finn Balor defeated Samoa Joe, but the night was going to get much worse for the Irish Superstar. After the match, Balor would become the first victim of ‘The Fiend’ a demonic new side to Bray Wyatt that had been teased for months. Today, on the fifth anniversary of the character’s arrival, we look back on what brought the Fiend to TV.
Before The Fiend
In the six years on WWE’s main roster before the arrival of The Fiend, Bray Wyatt had been one of the most consistently captivating Superstars. In 2016, Wyatt captured the SmackDown Tag Team Titles and followed up by becoming WWE Champion the following year.
More important though than titles, was how Wyatt was able to draw in a crowd with his mastery of character work. From John Cena to The Undertaker to Roman Reigns, it seemed nobody could escape Wyatt’s mind games as he played on potential weaknesses in some of WWE’s biggest stars. This work rightly earned Wyatt a ‘cult-like’ following who were eager to see what was next for him.
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Teasing The Fiend
After vanishing from our screens in early 2019, Wyatt returned in April of that year with a character far different than what we’d seen. Gone was the Max Cady-inspired swamp-dweller, now replaced with an excitable sweater-donned Bray who looked like more like Mr. Rogers than an ‘Eater of Worlds.’
Introducing the WWE Universe to the Firefly Fun House was a brilliant stroke by Wyatt as it added some much-appreciated lore to a character fans had already learned so much (and yet not enough) about. The idea of a children’s presenter with a twisted side proved especially chilling for any parents watching and delivered a sense of dread never before seen in WWE.
The Fiend Arrives
In the episodes of the Firefly Fun House, the jovial Wyatt teased that somebody was coming and that he wouldn’t be able to stop them. That force proved to be the Fiend who from the moment fans saw him, captivated audiences. With a striking design crafted by horror effects staple Jason Baker, the Fiend’s chilling look was another success story to Bray’s latest creation.
The Fiend was able to handle himself in the ring, as seen with his two reigns as WWE Universal Champion, but the character’s best work arguably came outside the squared circle. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced WWE to think outside the box without crowds, and Wyatt would again show his creative chops in the cinematic Firefly Fun House match. The WrestleMania 36 showdown with John Cena saw both participants craft a rich story that saw The Fiend best the man he failed to defeat at the event six years earlier.
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The Fiend Today
In August 2023, Bray Wyatt passed away at the tragically young age of 36 and WWE has, for all intents and purposes, retired The Fiend character. Nevertheless, the creative vision of Windham Rotunda can still be felt today with the recently introduced Wyatt Sicks. Like all great creative minds, Rotunda’s legacy has surpassed his own mortal life, and the WWE Universe will always appreciate (and fear) The Fiend.
