'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt and the Most Unique Characters in Recent WWE History

WWE is no stranger to taking a step into the bizarre.

Bray Wyatt's repackaging as The Fiend is the latest example of that, and the gimmick has been a hit with fans.

It's by no means the first time WWE has created a character that is out of the ordinary, though.

Even in the company's recent history, there have been dozens of examples of characters who will forever be remembered by fans. Some are for the right reasons; others are quite the opposite. 

Here are some of the most unique characters the WWE Universe has seen in recent years.

Gangrel

WWE fans may remember Mordecai, a dark, religious character who debuted for the company in the early 2000s. But before him there was an even more unique Superstar with an occult vibe: Gangrel.

A vampiric character who was one of the most bizarre of the Attitude Era, Gangrel used to spit blood into the crowd during his ring entrance.

He formed an alliance with young duo Edge and Christian to become The Brood, and they made a lasting impression during their short time together. Though the future tag champions were nowhere near as dark and twisted as their faction leader, the stable is fondly remembered to this day.

Their party piece? A blood bath, when the lights would drop and whoever they were facing would be covered in blood.

He eventually turned on Edge and Christian, forming The New Brood with Matt and Jeff Hardy, but it never worked. However, that shouldn't overshadow Gangrel's status as one of WWE's most bizarre and unique characters.

Papa Shango

The early 1990s was the most gimmick-heavy time in WWE's history.

Many of them were average at best, but one or two shone through and made an impact. Papa Shango was a character who had a mixed reception from fans.

Later known as The Godfather during the Attitude Era, Shango was one of the few outrageous gimmicks WWE adopted during a tumultuous time in its history, and the character is still remembered—even if not for the right reasons.

He would come to the ring carrying a skull that billowed smoke, and he could seemingly control the lighting and other things inside the arena, creating a certain mystique.

He frequently cast spells on people, including the likes of Gene Okerlund, and even got such a push that he was booked to interfere in the main event of WrestleMania VIII between Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice. However, he missed his cue and almost ruined the entire angle.

Whether the character was either simply too shocking or just didn't capture enough attention is debatable. However, the fact that he is better remembered as The Godfather underlines that this didn't work with the fans.

'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt has been unique in his own right since he debuted on the main roster in 2013.

However, his recent repackaging as The Fiend has taken one of the strangest characters in WWE history to a whole new level.

That Wyatt has been instantly inserted into a feud for the Universal Championship at Hell in a Cell underlines how big of a hit The Fiend has been.

He will be a strong favorite in the eyes of many to take the title from Seth Rollins on October 6, and there's every possibility he could dominate Raw's main event scene for a long time.

The fact that his playful segments in the Firefly Fun House switch within seconds to devious and unexpected attacks makes him unpredictable as well as unusual.

That's a great mix moving forward.

The Boogeyman

The weirdest character in WWE history? Not even the most creative fan could have devised The Boogeyman, who made his debut on television in 2005.

A character straight from the darkest, most demonic horror movie imaginable, he would often scream in the face of unsuspecting foes before doing all sorts of maniacal stuff.

He would smash an alarm clock over his own head, crawl to the ring eating worms and taunt terrified wrestlers by appearing in the most unlikely of places.

For a time, it looked as though it would be a hit. The Boogeyman had big-time feuds with the likes of JBL and Booker T, including a match against the latter at WrestleMania 22.

In the end, though, his antics faded. By 2007, he was drafted to ECW, and he left the company two years later. He's made sporadic appearances for WWE since, but nobody needs reminding of just how weird he was.

Goldust

Bizarre, unique and outrageous are all words that fit Goldust to perfection.

Some will argue he never managed to fulfil his potential in WWE, owing to a lack of mainstream singles success. Sure, there were a couple of title wins throughout his lengthy run with the company, but he will be more fondly remembered for his segments outside the ring rather than in it.

Goldust debuted as one of the most unusual wrestlers in history in the mid-1990s and constantly reinvented the gimmick to great success.

From his fake electrocution that led to him developing Tourette's-like symptoms in 2003 to his bizarre alliance with R-Truth, Goldust could be funny, entertaining and scandalous all in one go.

Nowadays, the man who played the character to such success is making a name for himself in All Elite Wrestling. But no matter what Dustin Rhodes does there, he will always be Goldust to many fans.