Kane is one of the most impressive Superstars to have ever stepped foot inside a WWE ring and when all is said and done, he will go down as a Hall of Famer, without a shadow of a doubt. But, that doesn't mean his career has been sunshine and rainbows...or hellfire and brimstone if you prefer.
Kane's career has always mixed the highs with the lows and we have seen The Big Red Machine undergo a number of changes to his character over the years. Ever since his explosive introduction back in the 1990s, he has made himself comfortable at any position on the card and this is an invaluable talent.
Sure, there have been times where creative has completely messed with the character, but the highs definitely outweigh the lows, and today we are here to pay homage to all the different gimmicks Kane has undertaken over the years as we rank them for your viewing pleasure.
So, without further ado, here are the Faces of Kane, ranked from worst to best:
#12 ECW Champion Kane
This is probably the worst incarnation of Kane and it has more to do with the ridiculous storylines he was booked in rather than anything that was his fault.
With ECW dying a slow death, no one was excited about his role in proceedings and no one really cared about the once beloved brand. A time we would all rather forget.
#11 Embrace the Hate Kane
The only thing that saves this from taking the last spot instead of the ECW Champion incarnation of Kane is that it gave us Zack Ryder on a stretcher and transitioned into the surprisingly enjoyable Team Hell No angle.
While fans were excited to see the return of the masked version of Kane, losing feuds against John Cena and Randy Orton did very little to lend any credibility to The Devil’s Favourite Demon.
#10 Lita and the baby Kane
Kane, Lita, forced marriage, Snitsky, miscarriage and all sorts of weird misogynistic nonsense. The less said about this angle the better for everyone involved.
#9 May 19 Kane
When Kane randomly started losing his mind over the date May 19, everyone’s curiosity was piqued. What was this new and deranged gimmick that Kane was going for? The intrigue didn’t last long, though, as the real reason was revealed: The release date for Kane’s big new movie – See No Evil.
An utterly stupid marketing stunt that benefitted no one, the only reason it isn’t higher on this list is that it’s less stupid than the previous, rather than being any good itself.
#8 Teaming with X-Pac Kane
We finally get to a half decent gimmick of Kane’s as we look back on his run in the WWE’s tag team division with X-Pac. With The Big Red Machine floundering after his initial burst onto the scene, the WWE decided on trying to humanise the monster by giving him a girlfriend in the form of Torrie Wilson and pairing him from X-Pac.
The two would enjoy good chemistry and capture the tag belts on two occasions. Kane would even speak for the first time in his career during this phase – initially through a voice modulator and later with his real voice. It was a good angle which was let down by the end, which saw X-Pac turn on his teammate and make off with his girlfriend.
#7 Unmasked Kane
When Kane lost his wager match against Triple H, we finally got to see the face behind the scary mask. With all the build up and the hype, it turned out to be utterly rubbish with Glen Jacobs – Kane’s real name – appearing with some half-concocted makeup and half his hair missing.
Despite this less than stellar start to the unmasking, it was fun to see the deranged monster Kane destroying everything in his path.
#6 Brothers of Destruction Kane
In 2001, Kane enjoyed a pretty successful run teaming up with kayfabe brother, The Undertaker to form The Brothers of Destruction.
Though not as good as the rest of the entries on this list, it’s a solid middle of the pack entry for The Big Red Machine, especially considering he became a Grand Slam Champion after winning the Intercontinental Title.
#5 Demon Kane
I’ll tell you why I respect the hell out of Kane’s whole Demon Kane shtick. The man can play his part absolutely anywhere on the card to perfection. World Champion? No problem. Midcard? No problem. Undercard? No problem. Face? No problem. Heel? No problem.
This is the current persona of Kane and it was one that showcases all of his strengths.
#4 World Heavyweight Champion Kane
Kane’s run as the World Heavyweight Champion around the turn of the decade was one his finest runs in the company as he built his reputations as one of the finest heels on the roster more than a full decade after his explosive entry into the WWE.
#3 Corporate Kane
To this day I have no idea how Kane pulled off this gimmick. When I first saw it, I completely expected it to suck but Corporate Kane proved me wrong as he played the role like he was born for it.
Taking a terrible idea and making it work is what places this one so high on the list.
#2 Hell No Kane
When Kane and Daniel Bryan got sent to “anger management” by then Raw GM, AJ Lee, everyone just groaned and shook their heads. But, incredibly the two would go on to have an incredibly successful run both as allies and enemies even capturing tag team gold along the way.
Kane and Bryan had the one thing you can’t force in wrestling – chemistry.
#1 Original Kane
There are no words to describe how cool Kane’s debut was. It’s one of the most impactful debuts in the history of the WWE and his initial run really established Kane as a monster heel and set the tone for the rest of his amazing career.
When it comes to The Big Red Machine, there is no beating the original Kane.
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