WWE is filled with lots of characters. Some wrestlers have portrayed construction workers, dentists, doctors, people that the common person can relate to. Others don masks in the tradition of Lucha Libre, where high flying offense and the mask itself makes you who you are. Some arejust serious, athletic people who love to use their strength and power to beat their opponents down. A lot of fans love those types of wrestlers. But there is one type of gimmick that some fans have a hard time liking. The scary and spooky gimmicks are the ones that are expressed with doubt, seen as ridiculous, and are regarded as cartoonish by many fans. However, there are some reasons as to why those types of characters are necessary in the world of WWE.
If there’s one group of people that will get a reaction out of those types of characters, it will be kids. They’ll either be terrified of their presence, or they’ll be mesmerized by the smoke and mirrors surrounding everything. A lot of adults say the same thing when reminiscing online. They say that Kane and the Undertaker used to scare them as a kid.For people who are around college age or a few years older, the same thing can be said about the Boogeyman. They don’t remember the random jobber or the bland character that hung around for a few years. Kids remember scary wrestlers because it makes a serious impact whenever they’re seen. That’s why those memories are so easy to recall. They aren't expecting those types of characters at a wrestling show, so when they pop up, the memory sticks with them for years.
WWE has a long history of scary characters
The use of creepy characters and gimmicks also has a use from a production standpoint as well. They don’t just come out in costumes and then act like regular wrestlers. Their surroundings are used to enhance them in various ways. Bray Wyatt had the Firefly Fun House, where puppets were his best friends. The Fiend was his dark side, with dark lighting and a vicious looking mask enhancing the presentation. The Boogeyman had his infamous worms, which he ate whenever he entered the ring. Casket matches were a favorite of the Undertaker, as well as him rising up from a casket on occasion to scare wrestlers. Down on NXT and Evolve, Wendy Choo had a creepy character who never spoke, staring at everyone with creepy makeup. The production aspect of wrestling gives life to those types of characters in a big way.
WWE has been filled with lots of great characters over the decades. But there are some gimmicks that some people just can’t get behind. One of those is the spooky and scary character. It’s always seen as silly and not scary at all by adults. But the kids are a huge reason why the Undertaker, Bray Wyatt, and others are remembered. Scary masks and creepy outfits stick out to them when they are young. The production aspect of those characters are also on display. The makeup, sound and visual effects, and costuming definitely give off the feel that these characters are meant to be scary. The visual effects team have pulled that off spectacularly for Kane, the Boogeyman, and others. Scary characters and gimmicks leave lasting memories for kids while highlighting the talents of WWE’s visual effects team.