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The Fiend has become one of the most polarizing figures in WWE in recent memory. A lot of that has to do with what the company has done with him. Then again, it's also what they haven't done with him that has arguably changed the character since its original creation.
Whether fans of The Fiend want to admit it or not, WWE has made a lot of changes to the character since its debut, and even retconned him to a degree. Of course, some of these changes were for the better and benefited the character, but they also took good qualities away from "him."
With that being said, while The Fiend continues to cement himself as the new face of fear, here are five ways WWE has subtly changed the character in one way or another. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
#5 The Fiend giving Alexa Bliss super powers
Believe it or not, The Fiend has seemingly given Alexa Bliss a number of different powers, which raises a lot of interesting questions about the character. First off, when did The Fiend get the ability to give away powers and why was Alexa Bliss chosen as the recipient?
It may have something to do with WWE wanting to create a Joker and Harley Quinn dynamic, but this revelation goes well beyond it. Keep in mind that Quinn usually played second fiddle to the Joker, but the same doesn't seem to be true for Alexa Bliss.
In the end, seeing Alexa Bliss being able to orchestrate these mind tricks is a very bizarre concept. Not only due to the fact that it means The Fiend can give other Superstars his powers, but also because of the unknown when it comes to what abilities Bliss will display next.
#4 The Fiend using the red light during matches
It was heavily hinted that the red light during The Fiend's matches was what gave him his powers, but WWE never explicitly came out and said that was the case. In fact, they eventually gave up on the idea of the red light for one reason or another, which hurt the character from a continuity standpoint.
Of course some fans hated the idea of the arena going red during The Fiend's matches, but it also created a surreal reality for the company to play with. It was a distinguishable feature of the characters persona and actually made for some bizarrely awesome moments.
Again, some might feel this belongs in the same place as The Fiend's hidden weakness, but the light also swerved an aesthetic purpose. It was something that added an extra layer to The Fiend's matches and made the event all the more special for fans to watch. Now, it's gone without even so much as an explanation.
#3 WWE getting rid of Wobblin Walrus when The Fiend moved to RAW
Bray Wyatt introduced Wobblin Walrus to the Firefly Funhouse after having his Universal title taken from him by Roman Reigns at Payback. However, the character was never seen again. In fact, WWE ditched the idea for The Fiend to work with Roman Reigns altogether and shipped him off to Monday Night RAW, which was probably a good idea.
There is nothing wrong with shifting plans for a character, but WWE did it in a way that took away the continuity of the Firefly Funhouse. Furthermore, it had to be insanely jarring for fans to go from seeing a Paul Heyman parody puppet, to Alexa Bliss joining Wyatt's cult.
In the end, bringing in Alexa Bliss was probably the better decision, but it really allowed WWE to add a interesting layer to the character. It has also crated a feeling of anything can happen in this storyline and has made fans pay attention in a way they haven't before.
#2 WWE changing the origin story of The Fiend
Believe it or not, The Fiend's origin story has changed a few times over the course of his run, and it's now getting confusing. The first hint of information about The Fiend character was that he was a very bad man looking to make up for his past deeds. This apparently inspired him to start a kids show.
That seemed bizarre enough, but then WWE later changed this to John Cena prompting his change into The Fiend. In fact, Wyatt even claimed that if it wasn't for what Cena did to him at WrestleMania 30, there would be no Firefly Funhouse. Thats a huge difference from what WWE claimed at the beginning.
Fast forward to the fall of 2020, and The Fiend claimed that it was Randy Orton who created the Funhouse by burning down the Wyatt compound. Now, both explanations are very interesting and play off Wyatt's history with other characters, but which one is true?
#1 The Fiend being impervious to pain
Part of what made The Fiend character so unique was the fact that he's seemingly impervious to pain.
Sure, other Superstars would get some offense in against him every once in awhile, but it would always result in The Fiend getting right back up for more. He took punishment almost like nothing had even happened to him. It was almost like the character enjoyed the pain and wanted more of it.
WWE even started teasing that The Fiend had a secret weakness, but they became mute on the subject immediately after introducing it. They also seemed to stop Rabblin Rabbit issuing warnings or trying to escape the Funhouse as well.
Unfortunately for The Fiend character, WWE became very inconsistent with this particular plot point and just used whatever was convenient for the storyline. That's probably why The Fiend popped up after his surprising loss to Goldberg, but laid down after a surprise spear from Roman Reigns at SummerSlam. It has literally just been about what the moment called for and Wyatt was their means to an end.
