Wrestling has had a plethora of horror themed characters and FanSided is here to break down the top 30.
30. The ECW Zombie
One of the most infamous characters in WWE history but not in a good way.
The revamped version of ECW, under the WWE banner, debuted on SYFY on June 13, 2006 and the very first match of the new third brand featured … a zombie?
The Zombie, portrayed by Timothy Calkins Jr., came out to the ring covered in dirt, corpse makeup and raggedy clothes. He walked with his arms outstretched in the classic zombie walk and groaned incoherently into the mic. The Zombie came out to a stunned audience reaction as fans had no idea what to make of this movie monster come to life.
An ECW original, The Sandman, came out to face The Zombie in the inaugural match for ECW on SYFY and won quickly and handily. The Zombie appeared for a few more weeks before disappearing from the company.
The Zombie was one of the most ridiculous characters that WWE has ever produced and one that will be remembered infamously for a long time to come.
29. Lio Rush
Lio Rush? Yes Lio Rush.
Lio Rush, the current NXT Cruiserweight Champion, is a wrestler who’s character has nothing to do with horror. Or so people think.
Rush is a former CZW Champion and while Rush was champion his character took a very dark turn. Rush debuted an alternate persona known as “The Blackheart.” Rush would come out to a haunting cover of “Paint It Black” by Ciara and would have his body painted up with black and white veins emanating from a drawn-on black heart. Rush would slowly creep out to the ring with a molasses-like pace but in the ring his speed was unmatched. Rush, with this persona, had incredibly violent matches with the likes of Shane Strickland, Joe Gacy and Joey Janela.
This version of Rush was more vicious, bloodthirsty and came off as almost evil. “The Blackheart” may never rear his head in WWE but fans can always look back fondly on the dark alternate persona.
28. Joe Gacy
Speaking of former CZW Champions.
“The Chainsaw” Joe Gacy was basically the CZW equivalent of The Joker. Gacy established an army of masked figures under the name F.E.A.R. Dan Barry, Blackwater and Alex Reynolds were some of the bigger names that found themselves in the group.
Gacy felt betrayed by the company he had given his life for and he wanted to destroy CZW in a warped sense of revenge. Gacy used mic tricks, distractions and manipulations to screw with CZW management and the rest of the roster. Gacy even attempted to break down and corrupt one of CZW’s hottest young babyfaces, Kit Osbourne, not unlike how The Joker corrupts Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight.
Gacy won the CZW Title but lost it on the same night to Rickey Shane Page who found a way to outsmart the evil genius.
Gacy was never able to ” burn the company down” like he wanted to but his sick and twisted attempts make him a prime candidate for this list.
27. G-Raver
The tattooed maniac who haunts the dream of many an indie wrestling fan, G-Raver is a 12-year veteran from Lancaster, Pennsylvania who moonlights as a pro wrestler and works as a tattoo artist by day.
G-Raver has said wrestling is a highly artistic venture for him and you can see that shine through with his ring attire, move-set and choice of weapons. G-Raver usually comes out to the ring wearing a mask that looks like a cross between a skull and the head of a baby doll with its jaw broken. If that’s not horrifying enough, G-Raver has a weapon he employs in his matches that leaves fans reaching for the barf bags, and that is a bundle of tattoo needles. He uses the needles to pierce his opponents’ heads and arms in horrific ways.
G-Raver is known for high-risk dives, use of deathmatch weapons, and a reckless style that makes him a man that many wrestlers fear to get in the ring with.
26. Waylon Mercy
The unsettling final persona of Dan Spivey that inspired the character of Bray Wyatt.
Spivey wrestled from 1983 to 1995 for companies like AJPW, WCW and WWF as several different personas but he gained infamy for the last gimmick he portrayed.
Waylon Mercy was inspired by the character Max Cady from the movie Cape Fear and he had many similar attributes to Cady. Similar black hair, the classic Hawaiian shirt, and several tattoos including a dagger tattooed on his forehead.
Mercy would act very calm and kind out of the ring but as soon as the bell rang for a match he would dramatically shift into a vicious heel that destroyed his opponents.
Spivey only had a few matches as the Mercy character but his influence and grasp on the dark character continued onto the next generation as he was brought in by WWE to help mentor Bray Wyatt, who was in line to portray a very similar character.
25. Hallowicked
The embodiment of Halloween spirit is a wrestler from Philadelphia who has been the center of many a ghoulish storyline.
Hallowicked debuted in 2002 and has called CHIKARA his home for the last 17 years. Teaming with other dark characters like Frightmare, Ultramantis Black and Kobald, Hallowicked has been a constant source of dark energy in the family-oriented promotion.
Hallowicked makes this list due to his involvement in a storyline that included demonic possession and Pagan worship. In 2016, Hallowicked and his stable of brainwashed followers seemed to worship and do the bidding of an unseen god or ancient spirit known as Nazmaldun. Hallowicked, now with significantly less followers, continues to offer praise to Nazmaldun before all of his matches.
Hallowicked has been called one of the greatest indie wrestlers of the past decade and with his history of dark tendencies and creepy storylines he is the perfect wrestler to kick back and watch in the spooky month of October.
24. Damian Priest f/k/a Punishment Martinez
Before he became the “Archer of Infamy” Damian Priest was known by another name.
Punishment Martinez, trained at the infamous Monster Factory wrestling school, was an interesting mix of a Mad Max villain and a vampiric looking warrior. Debuting in Ring of Honor in 2016, Martinez found his way into the Top Prospect Tournament and aligned himself with the evil mastermind, Kevin Sullivan, who was feuding with Steve Corino at the time.
Martinez came out to the ring with pulsating red strobe lights, dark rock electronic music and at times a horde of scary minions. His in ring style complimented his look well as he was able to intimidate his opponents with his size, speed, and agility.
Martinez signed to NXT in 2018 and debuted as Damian Priest in 2019. Priest takes some elements of Martinez but seems to abandon the Mad Max vibes and goes full force into the vampiric character. Priest is not as horror-based as Martinez but Priest can always delve back into that dark energy in the future.
23. Willow
The dark and whimsical alternate persona of Jeff Hardy is as unsettling as it is strange.
Back in 2013, Jeff Hardy was working for TNA under Dixie Carter and after a string of losses he, in kayfabe, walked out of the company. A few months later vignettes started to play hyping the debut of Willow, an old persona of Hardy from his OMEGA days. Willow debuted at Lethal Lockdown to team up with team MVP.
Willow was a deranged, witchy-looking character who donned a black cloak, black and white face paint, laughed hysterically and carried an umbrella to the ring.
Willow feuded with EC3, who tried to hunt for Willow in a haunted abandoned house with his then-tag partner Rockstar Spud. Willow also fought for the TNA Title in matches against Magnus but he was not able to come away with the championship.
Willow only stayed around for a few months due to The Hardy Brothers reuniting in July of 2014 but while he was around he was a scary and kooky presence.
22. Jimmy Havoc
“The King of the Goths” can be summed up as a cross between Hannibal Lecter and Jack Torrance.
Jimmy Havoc gained notoriety in Progress Wrestling where he started out as a fan-favorite underdog but then morphed into the greatest villain in British wrestling history.
Havoc attempted to cash in a title shot on Mark Andrews, who had just won the title that night, but the owners of Progress wouldn’t allow the title match to happen. Havoc started to pour gasoline on Andrews and threatened to light him on fire unless the title match was made. Management had to give Havoc the match which he won and became Progress Champion.
Havoc then spent the next 600 days threatening other roster members with knives, steel chairs and his signature axe. Havoc even attempted to cut Will Ospreay’s ear off with a knife but was stopped by Eddie Dennis and Mark Andrews.
Havoc eventually lost the title to Ospreay and left the company for a year due to injury but when he returned he continued his violent ways.
Havoc seems to be continuing his blood thirsty ways in AEW but there is still a whole other side of his personality that the AEW fans have not seen and may end up seeing very soon.
21. Freddie Krueger
No, not the horror movie villain.
Freddie Krueger a/k/a Nightmare Freddie a/k/a Doug Gilbert is the brother to Eddie Gilbert, the booker for ECW before Paul Heyman took the position.
Gilbert is a former ECW Tag Team Champion and NWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion and is known for his time in the Japanese company WINGS, playing the ripoff Freddie Krueger character.
Gilbert came out in the classic Krueger mask with the infamous sweatshirt and needle gloves. Gilbert found a common ally in another ripoff horror icon, Leatherface, who he won the WINGS Tag Team Championship with.
Trademark issues caused Gilbert to drop the Krueger name for several appearances in his career but he will infamously go down in history known more for this iconic copycat persona.
20. Jimmy Jacobs
The definition of a spurned lover gone crazy.
The former WWE producer Jimmy Jacobs has a dark and bloody past in companies like CHIKARA and Ring of Honor.
Jacobs’ first descent into the darkness was during his time in ROH tagging with BJ Whitmer and being managed by the beautiful Lacey. Jacobs professed his love for Lacey but received no affection in return. Jacobs went on to feud with Whitmer and Colt Cabana as he continued to attempt to win Lacey’s heart.
All throughout his attempts at winning Lacey’s heart, Jacobs was making MySpace-esque music videos detailing his love for his former manager.
Jacobs formed the stable The Age of the Fall soon afterwards and dismissed Lacey, who had started to show affection towards Jacobs. Jacobs became an almost cult leader-like figure as he feuded with teams like The Briscoes. Lacey left the side of Jacobs to purse Austin Aries and that “betrayal” sparked a nasty feud between Aries and Jacobs.
Lacey left ROH and didn’t return until Jacobs’ retirement match for ROH where she saved Jacobs from a beatdown and walked off into the sunset with his time in ROH now over.
Jacobs was known and is known for his goth attire and signature spike he uses on his opponents. The story of a spurned lover turning into a monstrous cult leader is a tale that can raise goosebumps on many a horror and wrestling fan.
19. The Moth Tribe
The horrifying incestuous brother and sister duo from Lucha Underground, Marty “The Moth” Martinez and his sister The Mariposa shocked audiences back in 2015 when the duo kidnapped and tortured Lucha Underground fan favorite Sexy Star. Martinez was a mentally stunted and violent individual who seemed to pick fights with other wrestlers because he found it fun and Mariposa was a towering Amazon that was looking to empower The Moth Tribe while also protecting Marty.
Marty had infamous battles with Killshot and Fenix as he looked to intimidate his opponents with his creepy demeanor.
Marty’s most infamous storyline was with Fenix and his girlfriend Melissa Santos. Marty developed an infatuation with Melissa and continually harassed her until Fenix stepped in and challenged Marty to a mask vs. hair match, which Marty lost.
Mariposa eventually grew tired of Marty and turned on her brother, as he was not paying enough attention to her. The two eventually had a match in which Marty won with the help of his new manager, Reclusa.
The creepy “keeping it all in the family” schtick that these two played was unnerving as it can get and fit perfectly into a cheesy murder/horror flick vibe.
18. Abyss
The demonic son of Father James Mitchell and TNA’s answer to The Brothers of Destruction scares his way on to this list at number 18.
Abyss made his debut for TNA back in 2002 and ran rampant in the company up until 2019. Abyss was known for his trademark mask, his spiked 2×4 and his impressive size and stature as many opponents were intimidated and outwrestled by the big man.
Abyss’s manager, James Mitchell, helped the monster focus his rage towards his opponents but also feuded with him over the years they were both in TNA. Abyss also had high-profile feuds with the likes of Judas Messias, Kurt Angle, Sting and Christian Cage.
Abyss removed his mask on several occasions to wrestle as his alternate personality, Joseph Park, but fans will always remember the man behind the mask for his time as Abyss.
17. Killer Kross
“The White Rabbit” may have a cute ring to it but the man behind the nickname is an absolute madman.
Kross first gained notoriety in AAA when he debuted to assist Johnny Mundo. Later joining the heel stable MAD, Kross gained attention for his violent nature and his intimidating mannerisms.
Kross continued to gain attention when he debuted for IMPACT Wrestling after attacking wrestlers and leaving ominous red cards on his victims. Kross eventually teamed up with Austin Aries as his hired muscle until Aries left the company after his match with Johnny Impact. Kross is now in an estranged relationship with IMPACT due to disputes over the booking of his First Blood Match against Eddie Edwards.
Kross also brought his brand of madness to Lucha Underground where he joined The Rabbit Tribe and “murdered” several wrestlers on the roster. Kross’ finisher in the company was a Mandible Claw that drew blood from his opponents mouth in a horrifying sight.
Kross is a master of violence and intimidation and his future in the wrestling business looks quite bright.
16. Vampiro
The Canadian Vampire that made his name in Mexico and WCW, Vampiro made his name in Mexico as he became one of the biggest wrestling stars in the company’s history. Vampiro appeared in companies like CMLL and AAA for the majority of his career and making his name internationally as a member of the WCW roster.
Vampiro had a career renaissance when he worked for Lucha Underground as a commentator and a manager. Pentagon Jr. and Vampiro even had a death match in the company that birthed an entire new generation of Vampiro fans
Infamous feuds of Vampiro’s career such as his programs with Sting and Pentagon Jr. captivated fans of all generations and memorialized the vampiric figure in the minds of many.
15. Matanza
The monstrous brother of Dario Cueto lands at number 15 on this list.
Matanza, also known as Jeff Cobb, was the most dominant champion in the short history of the Los Angeles promotion Lucha Underground.
Matanza was the brother of the matchmaker Dario and had been shown in small clips since the first season as a violent monster being kept in the basement of the temple. Dario visited him several times over the show’s run until the second edition of Aztec Warfare where Matanza made his debut and won the Lucha Underground Title.
Matanza showed zero emotion and came off as bloodthirsty juggernaut with no sense of right or wrong. A very similar character to Michael Meyers, the silent monster tore through the Lucha Underground roster and made mincemeat out of several wrestlers.
In season 4 Matanza even started “sacrificing” other wrestlers to the gods who gave him his immense power.
A monster that may never be equaled in his otherworldly strength and viciousness.
14. Gangrel
The most famous vampire in wrestling history.
Gangrel, also known as Vampire Warrior, made his name appearing as his infamous vampire character during his time with WWE and his appearances on the independent scene afterwards.
Gangrel made his WWF debut in August of 1998 before forming The Brood with other vampiric characters Christian and Edge. The Brood’s iconic entrance still holds weight today as fans fondly remember the trio rising out of the floor inside of a ring of fire and sauntering down to the ring. Gangrel would also always carry a goblet of “blood” to the ring, sip and spit the “blood” into the air in a Triple H-esque fashion.
Gangrel never won a title during his time with WWF/WWE but his mentorship of Edge and Christian helped them to go on and have incredible careers. Gangrel still appears as his iconic character for several indie companies all across the country to this day.
13. Kevin Thorn/Mordecai
Another horror-themed character that had a lot of potential but never lived up to it, Kevin Thorn started out his career in Memphis Championship Wrestling where he portrayed a character names Seven, which was based around the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Thorn first debuted in WWE in 2004 as the zealot Mordecai character where he was set to take on The Undertaker in a WrestleMania feud. But Thorn was taken off TV due to a lawsuit that had come out of a bar fight Thorn was involved in.
Thorn re-debuted for WWE on the revamped ECW brand in 2006 where he played his original vampire character alongside his manager Ariel.
Thorn joined The New Breed as the enforcer of the group. Thorn made his WrestleMania debut in 2007 taking on a team of ECW Originals alongside his New Breed brethren. Thorn continued to portray his vampire character up until November 2007 where he dropped the gimmick and went back to Ohio Valley Wrestling and was eventually released.
12. The Boogeyman
One, two, The Boogeyman’s coming for you.
Coming out with his face painted, worms crawling out of his mouth, his gnarled staff, and his oversized comical alarm clock, The Boogeyman is an instantly recognizable character from WWE’s past.
The Boogeyman first gained attention as his horrifying character down in Ohio Valley Wrestling and then SmackDown for WWE. The Boogeyman never won a title but had several notable feuds with people like JBL and Booker T and had several infamous moments usually revolving around his infatuation with worms.
The Boogeyman continues to make appearances on the indie scene as well as sporadic appearances with WWE around Halloween time.
11. Doink The Clown
The very definition of a creepy clown, Doink first made his debut 1992 and has been played by several wrestlers over the years for the overall run of the character. Bruce Prichard created the idea of Doink the Clown and imagined him as a sad and heelish character.
Doink terrorized children at ringside and his opponents with childish clown-like pranks in an attempt to turn the crowd on him and get in his opponents’ heads. Doink eventually turned face and debuted his dwarf sidekick Dink. Doink continued to play pranks on wrestlers but these pranks weren’t as mean-spirited.
One of the most famous wrestlers that portrayed Doink, Matt Osborne, also wrestled in ECW as an even darker version of the clown character.
10. Sting
The man called Sting has a dark side that was on full display during the latter half of his WCW run.
Sting debuted in 1985 in a tag team with The Ultimate Warrior known as The Bladerunners. In 1987, Sting made his debut in WCW where he went on to become the face of the company up until Hulk Hogan’s arrival in the promotion.
Hogan and his heel factio, the nWo ran through the entire roster of WCW and Sting had to switch up his persona to the silent-but-deadly Crow-inspired Sting.
Sting would wear a long black trench coat, carried a black baseball bat and painted his face black and white. The arrival of Sting to the arena would sometimes be foretold by the sight of a crow in the building and many times Sting would surprise his opponents by descending from the ceiling on a bungee cable.
Sting also appeared in TNA for many years after the fall of WCW. Sting continued to portray his Crow character but also delved into a mad Joker-esque version of his persona for a brief period of time.
9. Leatherface
The Japanese Chainsaw Massacre.
Leatherface, also known as Corporal Kirchner, first gained notoriety when he portrayed a soldier character in WWF where he feuded with Nikolai Volkoff in 1986. Kirchner left the WWF in 1987 and went to Japan where he made a career out of wrestling as a knockoff version of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre villain Leatherface.
Wrestling for WING and FMW, Leatherface came out to the ring waving a chainsaw around as fans scattered in a mass exodus. Leatherface was jailed for a brief time due to an incident with a fan and the Leatherface character was given to another wrestler. The original Leatherface returned, though, and formed a tag team with his newer counterpart to form the horrifying tag team The Leatherfaces.
Leatherface was infamous for his temper and nasty in-ring style as the man underneath the mask of leather was as scary an opponent as the mask made him look to be.
8. Abdullah The Butcher
One of the most haunting figures and most influential hardcore wrestlers in history, Abdullah The Butcher is a retired Canadian wrestler who made his name as one of the early pioneers of hardcore matches and had a long catalog of bloody brawls with the likes of Bruiser Brody and Terry Funk.
Abdullah’s gimmick was a non-English speaking Arabian monster who used weapons like forks and chairs mercilessly to destroy and cripple his opponents.
Abdullah’s forehead was a major component in his horrific appearance as the years of blading had left his forehead emblazoned with deep scars, that Mick Foley famously said were deep enough to hold a poker chip in place.
Abdullah’s reign of terror lasted 44 years and spanned across countries like Japan, Puerto Rico, New Zealand and many others.
7. Sycho Sid
The man known as “Sycho” and “Vicious, “Sycho Sid made his name in WCW and WWF over the course of 1989 to 2001. Sid debuted in WCW where he quickly formed the tag team The Skyscrapers with Danny Spivey and later joined The Four Horsemen.
Sid made his WWF debut in 1991 where he would go onto become a two-time WWF Heavyweight Champion before returning to WCW in 1999.
Sid’s signature music, horrifying facial expressions and scary voice made him a hell of a sight for many fans to see and engage with over the course of his career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHlEt95WeEI
6. Kevin Sullivan
One of the original and most influential horror-based characters in wrestling, Kevin Sullivan made his debut in 1970 but didn’t start delving into the dark reaches of his psyche until his run in 1982 in Championship Wrestling From Florida.
Sullivan was the leader of a group called Army of Darkness. Sullivan painted his face and emulated a killer cult leader, which was heavily inspired by Charles Manson and The Manson Family. Sullivan feuded with Dusty Rhodes quite a bit during his time with CWF.
Sullivan is also know for his role in the sometimes fondly-remembered goofy stable The Dungeon of Doom.
Sullivan also appeared for Ring of Honor in 2016 where he joined forces with BJ Whitmer and Punishment Martinez and feuded with Steve Corino.
Sullivan was the first example of a cult leader-like character in wrestling, which has inspired many performers throughout the years.
5. Bray Wyatt a/k/a The Fiend
Let him in.
The bayou cult leader who has recently morphed into The Fiend persona, Bray Wyatt is best known for his time as a brain-washing cult leader who taunted his opponents with riddles
Wyatt first made his WWE debut on the NXT reality competition under the name Husky Harris. Harris joined up with Nexus and CM Punk’s version of The New Nexus before being sent back down to developmental.
Wyatt then debuted his Bray Wyatt persona on NXT TV alongside his Wyatt Family brothers Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. Wyatt and his family made their main roster debut by attacking Kane and ran rampant on the main roster for years.
Wyatt was able to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after beating AJ Styles in the Elimination Chamber and went on to defend and sadly lose his title at WrestleMania against Randy Orton. Wyatt then teamed with Matt Hardy until Hardy was put on the shelf due to injury.
Wyatt disappeared from the main roster and reemerged as The Fiend a few months after WrestleMania 35, where he has gone on a rampage choking out legends and attempting to brainwash a new generation of young and impressionable fans.
The Fiend will be a name that this young generation of fans will remember for the rest of their lives as the source of many a nightmare.
4. Papa Shango
The shaman character that haunted many a young 90’s wrestling fans’ nightmares, Papa Shango, a/k/a Charles Wright, started wrestling in 1989 and was brought into the WWF in 1991 due to The Undertaker vouching for him.
In January of 1992, Wright made his first appearance as Papa Shango, a Voodoo shaman adorned with a painted face and wearing a necklace of bones. The Voodoo practitioner could cast “spells” on his opponents which would make them sick.
Shango’s most infamous feud was with The Ultimate Warrior. Fans still vividly remember the traumatic moment when Shango cast a “spell” on Warrior and made him collapse and later throw up.
Wright made his final appearance as Shango at the 1993 Royal Rumble event.
3. Mankind
The horrifying alternate persona of the WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley, Foley debuted in WWE in 1996 after a successful career appearing for companies like WCW and other reputable promotions around the world.
Foley was given the gimmick of the unhinged masochist character Mankind when he arrived in the WWF. Mankind was a character who resided in boiler rooms, screamed and squeaked constantly, talked to rats and pulled his own hair out.
Mankind, after debuting, almost immediately began a feud with The Undertaker. Their feud hosted the first ever “Boiler Room Brawl” which is remembered quite fondly by a generation of fans.
Mankind ran through a host of other opponents such as Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin before feuding with The Undertaker again which led to the most infamous match of all time, the 1998 Hell in a Cell match.
Mankind also had an incredible run as a face in which he debuted his trademark sock puppet “Mr. Socko” and won the WWF Championship due to the help of Stone Cold.
Foley will be remembered for his many characters and personas over the years but none will be as beloved as the horrific Mankind.
2. Kane
The Devil’s Favorite Demon, Kane made his WWF debut as Isaac Yankem, an evil dentist, but gained notoriety as the evil brother to The Undertaker, Kane, who emerged in 1997. Kane made his debut by interfering in the Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker Hell in A Cell match.
Kane wore a bright red suit and a red mask, very similar to Jason from Friday The 13th, and also had a mystical control of fire.
Kane made his career on setting his opponents on fire, brutally hurting people and dragging people under the ring. Kane also endeared himself to fans with his two beloved tag teams in The Brothers of Destruction and Team Hell No.
Kane is quite possibly the most violent and sadistic character to ever step foot in the WWE and fans will fondly remember “The Big Red Machine” for decades to come.
1. The Undertaker
I think everyone saw this coming.
The Undertaker, a/k/a Mark Calloway, goes down as FanSided’s number 1 scary, horror-themed pro wrestler of all time.
Calloway made his WWE debut in 1990 where he was the surprise partner in Ted Dibiase’s Survivor Series team.
The Undertaker was a mystical phenom with a sadistic temper, a pension for justice, dark mannerisms and a mystical control of fire, light and lightning. The first part of The Undertaker’s career was with Paul Bearer, a dark caretaker, as his manager who was later revealed to be his father.
The Undertaker has had several different versions of his persona over his career. From The Ministry of Darkness to The American Badass to The Deadman to The Last Outlaw, Calloway has made his name on keeping The Undertaker up to date with the times.
There’s no doubt that The Undertaker is the greatest horror-themed wrestler of all time, and will most likely be forever.