5 Dark Gimmicks WWE Gave Up on 

Too dark for WWE?
Too dark for WWE?

Dark gimmicks in wrestling are nothing new. In fact, the most beloved character in history of WWE may just be the most dark ever, The Undertaker.

Recently on WWE RAW, former backwoods cult leader Bray Wyatt was given a much needed and long awaited character revamp as a very dark and creepy children's TV show host, like an eerie and disturbing version of Mr. Rodgers called the "Firefly Fun House." Many already have high hopes for the gimmick, but it has also gotten some fans worried that it is something that either could go south very quickly or even just be given up on due to pressure from various WWE sponsors.

Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but it did get me thinking about other dark gimmicks that WWE has come up with that either just about didn't make it to television, or did but were given up on shortly thereafter. These are what I think are the top five dark WWE gimmicks that WWE gave up on.

#5 Gangrel & Kevin Thorne

Vampire Warriors
Vampire Warriors

After having a failed run as another dark character, Mordecai, on WWE TV two years earlier, Kevin Fertig returned to WWE as Kevin Thorn in 2006, a vampire.

At the same time, WWE Attitude Era star Gangrel had been working WWE developmental along with Thorn. The idea at the time shortly before Thorn made his return to TV was to have them debut on WWE's ECW together along with Aerial as a vampire faction. They did work some non-televised live events together, however the faction idea never materialized to television.

Allegedly WWE decided against bringing it to TV due to higher ups not being happy with Gangrel's physic, and he was released for apparently the same reasons shortly thereafter. Not much is known about what WWE would have done with them, but one would assume it would have been a little similar to The Brood in 1999. Kevin Thorn and Aerial still managed to debut on WWE ECW as vampires, but the company never did much with the gimmick itself. Gangrel and Kevin Thorn have since teamed up occasionally on the independent circuit.

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#4 Mordecai

The Pale Rider tried to bring darkness to light
The Pale Rider tried to bring darkness to light

Just over two years before Kevin Fertig debuted as the vampire Kevin Thorn in WWE ECW in 2006, he debuted as another dark character on SmackDown in 2004, Mordecai.

Mordecai was dubbed 'The Pale Rider'. Vignettes had aired for weeks on SmackDown showing him dressed in all while with his hair and beard dyed a very white shaded kind of blonde, as he stood among candles seemingly performing some kind of Zealot style religious ceremony. Mordecai spoke of ridding the world of sin and how he should be followed or revered.

Mordecai made his debut on the Judgement Day pay-per-view, squashing Scotty 2 Hotty. Over the next few weeks he would win more squash matches over the likes of Funaki and Spike Dudley, before defeating Hardcore Holly at the Great American Bash. Without mentioning, Mordecai would make reference to The Undertaker during several promos, which was to lead to a feud between the two. However, after suffering his first loss to Rey Mysterio on the post-Bash episode of SmackDown, Mordecai was removed from television after creative had already given up on the character.

There was never any reason given to why the character was dropped, but some suspect it may have been due to a potential religious backlash, as well as not having any idea's for the character beyond a feud with The Undertaker.

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#3 Hade Vansen

Blink and you'll miss
Blink and you'll miss

Now this has always been a very interesting talking point for fans, and for years, it was one big mystery.

Hade Vansen was an English professional wrestler who signed with WWE in 2007. He was pretty talented, but what caught WWE's eye was his gimmick, which can be described as being similar to Christopher Daniels 'Fallen Angel'. The idea of bringing him up was said to be from Michael P.S Hayes, and with his main priority being fresh blood for a lengthy feud with The Undertaker. Vince McMahon apparently liked the idea originally, but soon soured.

Apparently the plan was for Vansen to have a major feud with the Deadman, which would have seen him begin his own dark faction, joined by Kevin Thorn, Big Daddy V and developmental performer Black Pain. It reached the point where they would air vignette for Vansen talking about how he loved the darkness and had his followers who he had shown the way. He also made reference to The Undertaker, without mentioning his name, saying he required his immortal power.

Just one week later, everything was dropped. Apparently Vince McMahon didn't see much coming out of it in the long term, and also may not have been a fan of Vansen's stature. Vansen would be released from WWE in January 2009 and no one has heard much of him since.

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#2 Sean O'Haire - The Devil's Advocate

He didn't tell you anything you didn't already know
He didn't tell you anything you didn't already know

Sean O'Haire was a very talented performer, he could have succeeded if given the right push, no matter what the gimmick.

O'Haire debuted for WCW in 2000 where he was a 3-time WCW Tag Team Champion and had been pegged backstage by many as a future superstar. He was picked up by WWE when they bought WCW in 2001 and made his debut on WWE TV shortly thereafter in his WCW tag team with Chuck Palumbo. He was removed from TV after just a few weeks in order to take in more training in developmental.

We wouldn't see O'Haire again until early 2003, when vignettes began airing on WWE SmackDown for the re-debuting O'Haire under a new gimmick, a 'Devil's Advocate'. During a month of very interesting vignettes, O'Haire urged viewers to commit adultery, break the law, not pay taxes, and not go to church, among other things, and would end each one by saying ''I'm not telling you anything you don't already know''.

After making it to television, O'Haire convinced Brian Kendrick to streak in an arena, and Dawn Marie to flash the audience. He was also shown to have a calming effect over Bill Demott, after he attacked Kendrick. The gimmick was suddenly dropped out of nowhere with no explanation, and O'Haire was removed from TV for a month, until he returned wearing a long black leather trench coat and sporting new tattoos, appearing to be 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper's new protege.

He was released in 2004, wrestled and became an MMA fighter until 2006 when he retired, and sadly died via suicide in 2014.

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#1 Raven - The Seven Deadly Sins

Under-utilized in every way
Under-utilized in every way

Raven is arguably the biggest superstar to sign with WWE who had a miserable run and was under-utilized in every way.

Raven was easily the best promo-man in ECW history, and although under-utilized in WCW, his mid-card booking there was nothing that he couldn't bounce back from. However, when it was all said and done, Raven's treatment in WCW was main event level when you compare to how he was used in WWE. Raven would mostly compete on WWE C-shows like Heat and would only ever wrestle in Hardcore matches on RAW and SmackDown, when he wasn't used to put others over.

After being a background player during the Alliance invasion in 2001, it seemed like WWE may be about to do something very interesting with the former ECW Champion in 2002. Raven suggested to the management that he take on a gimmick of 'The Seven Deadly Sins', where he would take down members of the WWE roster for breaking them. The gimmick briefly made it to TV on Sunday Night Heat, where he demonstrated the likes of 'Greed'.

As he was feuding with Matt Hardy at the time, apparently there was a plan for 'Lust' and 'Envy' to be brought into it and having Lita side with him over Hardy. The whole angle was dropped before any of that could materialize however. Raven instead reverted to his previous losing ways before being released by WWE in early 2003. Thankfully, he revived his career for a few years in TNA and even had the company use a lot of his ideas.

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