LandonAnalyzesALot: The Undertaker (WWE)

 

In Case You’re Wondering…

Given that this blog will be covering a character from a medium that’s a bit unorthodox in a VS context, we’ll be discussing the Undertaker’s appearances in all official WWE media, namely the shows, cartoons, comics, video games, etc. The only stuff we won’t be discussing is crossover material, so stuff like Scooby-Doo, King of Fighters and Brawlhalla will not be covered. Although one could argue the feasibility of them considering Death Battle themselves used them for Randy Savage vs Kool Aid Man, we’ll be seeing how powerful Undertaker can get without these additional feats.

Background

“You have made a fatal mistake, seeking to challenge me. I do not make mistakes; I bury them.”


World Wrestling Entertainment: one of the biggest sports companies in the world and the biggest wrestling promotion of all time, where some of the biggest names in sports entertainment call home. From the immortal Hulk Hogan, to the undeniable John Cena, to the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns, we’d be here all day listing off some of the most iconic characters to ever grace the four-sided ring. But none have struck true fear and terror into the hearts of many quite like the Deadman himself: The Undertaker. 


The Undertaker’s origins are a bit shrouded in mystery across different media, but most accounts detail him being born on March 24th, 1965 in Death Valley, living in a funeral parlor with his parents and half-brother Kane. There would be no brotherly love between the two, however, as Taker would corrupt Kane’s mind, teaching him how to play with matches and smoke cigarettes. Eventually, the Undertaker would burn down his family's funeral parlor; by the time the authorities arrived on the scene, the boy had already disappeared into the night, and the rest is history.


However, The Undertaker would return to the public eye in 1990 at WWF’s Survivor Series, proving himself to be an absolute threat to anyone who dared challenge him. For years, he terrorized the WWF alongside his manager, Paul Bearer. From Hulk Hogan, to Jake “The Snake'' Roberts, to even his half-brother Kane, who miraculously survived the fire and sought revenge against Taker, all fell to the Deadman’s hands. Over the years, the Undertaker would undergo multiple different personas, from the emotionless Western Mortician, to the leader of the cult-like Ministry of Darkness, and even ditching the church organs for Limp Bizkit with his American Badass persona, though he would eventually return back to the Deadman we all know and love.


He seemed almost inhuman, unable to truly be put down for good. This supernatural resiliency would prove to be quite useful as he began competing at the grandest stage of them all: WrestleMania, where he seemed to win every single match he competed in. This would kickstart The Streak, a continuous winning streak at the show that lasted for over 20 years. Jimmy Snuka, Kane, Triple H, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, all fell to the immovable strength of The Undertaker. That was until 2014, when the Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar did the unthinkable and pinned the Deadman 1-2-3, giving him his first L at Wrestlemania.


This would mark the beginning of the end for the Undertaker; he was showing up less and less, and his age was beginning to show. While he would be successful in defeating Bray Wyatt and Shane McMahon in the following years, his second loss to Roman Reigns was another nail in the coffin for the longevity of his career. Ultimately, after burying the Phenomenal AJ Styles alive in 2020 in a Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36, The Undertaker would hop on his motorcycle one last time, riding off into the night, indicating the final time we would see the legend himself in action.


Well… sorta. The Undertaker would continue to show up time and time again, even being instrumental in Cody Rhodes finishing his story and defeating Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship. It’s hard to know what comes next for the Deadman; whether he’ll come back for one more match, continue to show up on occasion for one-off appearances, or finally hang up the hat and jacket and never be seen again. Regardless, The Undertaker’s legacy in the world of professional wrestling, and even pop culture in general, cannot be understated. So when you hear that iconic gong ring through the area, you’d better hope you can find a way to survive. Otherwise, you’ll do what so many in the past have done after an encounter with The Undertaker.


Rest. In. Peace.

Experience & Skill

The Undertaker has been in action for decades, fighting with some of the best in the business. He is considered the best pure striker in sports history, even superior to the likes of Randy Savage and John Cena. He’s been able to tussle with wrestlers with plentiful experience and training, such as Kurt Angle, a multiple-time gold medalist in wrestling. In the Chaos Comics, he is stated to be multiple millennia old, spending most of that time guarding the prison realm of Stygian.


The Undertaker’s fighting style primarily focuses on pure brawler-like offense, focusing on strong strikes and devastating grapples to get the job done. Occasionally he’s shown to be somewhat acrobatic, like jumping off of the top rope or diving out of the ring. But pure wrestling isn’t all that he’s good for, as he’s shown to be a near-master of the dark arts, able to utilize his wide array of abilities flawlessly, even able to match and outdo other skilled magic users like Kane or the Embalmer.


Being a professional wrestler, The Undertaker has picked up quite a few moves in his years. Some of his signature moves include…

Chokeslam

A simple slamming attack in which Undertaker picks his opponent up by the neck and slams them down onto the mat.

Last Ride

A Powerbomb in which Undertaker lifts up his opponent just before the slam for even greater power.

Old School

The Undertaker takes his opponent’s arm and twists it, then guides them to the ropes, where he walks across the top rope, finishing the maneuver by diving back down with a dropping fist.

Suicide Dive

Ignore the botch

True to its name, the Undertaker puts it all on the line and dives out of the ring to attack their opponent from the outside.

Hell’s Gate

A somewhat less-utilized but still quite dangerous move, Hell’s Gate is a submission move in which the Undertaker forcibly grinds his ankle into the opponent’s neck, using his arms to pull them harder and harder into the hold. This move can be quite dangerous, even causing Big Daddy V to cough up blood.

Tombstone Piledriver

One of the most iconic moves in wrestling history, the Tombstone Piledriver is an inverted piledriver that drives an opponent right down onto their head, typically ending with the Undertaker pinning their arms similar to how a deceased person’s arms would be in a casket. This move is so deadly that practically no one is allowed to use it; of course, aside from the Undertaker.


Equipment

Wrestling Weapons

Typically in professional wrestling, wrestlers aren’t allowed to use weapons in standard matches. However, oftentimes these restrictions can be lifted for No Disqualification matches, allowing them to use a variety of different objects found under the ring as weapons to dish out additional punishment. The Undertaker and other WWE superstars have access to, but aren’t limited by:

  • Steel chairs

  • Tables

  • Ladders

  • Kendo sticks

  • Trash cans/lids

  • Fire extinguishers

  • Lead pipes

  • Chains

  • Crutches

  • Baseball bat

  • Sledgehammers

  • Steel steps

  • Shovels

Scythe

In promotional material, the Undertaker is seen with a large scythe. Something tells me corn isn’t the only thing he reaps with that…

Motorcycle

The Undertaker’s primary method of transportation, he’s typically seen riding a motorcycle both in-ring and in promotional material. Contrary to popular belief, this vehicle has been seen prior to his American Badass persona, as seen above.


3-Wheel Chopper

In WWE Crush Hour, the Undertaker rides a three-wheeled chopper motorcycle, noted for its great strength and defense, but poor handling and somewhat lackluster speed. In the game, racers have their own Special meter that when filled, can unleash an ultimate attack. In Taker’s case, his ultimate attack involves ghosts coming up from the ground to inflict damage onto other racers.


Additionally, racers in Crush Hour can pick up a variety of different weapons, such as laser-guided rockets, mines, lasers and armor.

Horse & Carriage

At the Royal Rumble in 2006, the Undertaker came in riding a small carriage pulled by a white horse.

Caskets

Although their use became more limited in the modern era, The Undertaker would often utilize caskets to his advantage early in his career. They’re primarily used to trap opponents inside of them, some even being airtight to where they can’t breathe. They can also invoke fear into their opponents and even show them their future, like how he showed Diesel in a casket before their match, or when he did a similar stunt to Randy Orton and his father, and can even release some kind of harmful gas. They also seem to be indestructible from the inside, seen when the Ultimate Warrior tried to break out of his.

The Urn

While not regularly carried around by the Undertaker, it would be a disservice not to mention a staple within the lore of the Deadman. The Urn acts as the source of the Undertaker’s ultimate power, allowing him to rise up from just about any damage inflicted upon him. However, the Urn also seems to control the Undertaker, as any time it’s been stolen, he seems to bow to whoever wields it, though has managed to resist its mind-controlling effects from time-to-time. The Urn has also been shown to be capable of absorbing souls, sealing them inside.

Books of Death

The MacGuffin of the Chaos Comics run, the Books of Death (also known as the Books of the Dead) act as another source of ultimate power for the Undertaker, using it to rule over Hell's prison, Stygian. Their power is so cataclysmic, that even just one of the three books has the power to reshape the universe, and bring down Armageddon upon it as well.

Abilities

Lightning Manipulation

One of the Undertaker’s more notable abilities, with just a wave of his hands, he can conjure lightning to strike at whatever he pleases.

Fire Manipulation

Although more of a staple ability of his brother Kane, the Undertaker has also been shown capable of using pyrokinesis, like when he created a wall of fire behind AJ Styles.

Dark Aura

Along with fire and lightning, the Undertaker seems to be able to use some kind of dark energy. In WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game, he can shoot out an unnamed darkness-tinged projectile, and in the comics, he can use it to block attacks.

The Fog

The fog that accompanies the Undertaker isn’t just for show, as it’s shown to be quite a help to him in the past. He can manifest himself from within the fog, such as when he appeared behind Xavier Woods from the fog, and dragged him into a mysterious dimension.

Resurrection/Immortality

Probably the most notable and recognizable attribute of the Phenom, the Undertaker truly is hard to put down for good. Even after being set on fire, buried alive and ascending to the Heavens, the Undertaker seems to come back time and time again, and it’s implied that it’s next-to-impossible to defeat the Undertaker just by killing him.

Regeneration

After gaining the power of two Books of the Dead, the Undertaker was able to regenerate the wounds he sustained from being impaled by a stone cross. In Escape the Undertaker, even after his body was destroyed upon the destruction of the Urn, his body is shown intact in the ending.

Soul Stealing

Being… well, the Undertaker, he’s able to collect souls, constantly threatening superstars that he’ll steal their souls. This isn’t just bragging, however, as in some endings of Escape the Undertaker, he’s successful in stealing the souls of The New Day, making them his pawns in his plans. Additionally, the Undertaker implies that the Urn is constantly stealing souls.

Levitation

The Undertaker can take limited flight and hover. He also has… bat wings?

Teleportation

it’s the meme!!!!!

Another one of the Undertaker’s more common abilities, he can teleport just about everywhere he wants, no worse for wear at that. He used it to appear behind AJ Styles, appear inside of an empty casket, and appear behind anyone out of thin air, albeit usually when the lights go out, though the AJ example shows that it doesn’t need to be pitch black for it to work.

Necromancy

In his Wrestlemania 29 entrance, the Undertaker walked out to what appeared to be zombies, implying that he can raise the dead.

Madness Manipulation

Taker can cause others to go insane, using this to make Kofi Kingston go uncharacteristically mad, and overtime with his mind games, he did the same to Randy Orton.

Telekinesis

Somewhat less-commonly utilized, Taker can lift and manipulate objects with his mind, like when he made a car drive by itself, made blood rain over Mr. Kennedy, or when he lifted the ring off of the ground.

Possession

Taker can take control of others’ bodies, seen when he possessed an interviewer to give Randy and Bob Orton a scare.

Illusions

Another trademark ability of the Phenom, the Undertaker can create illusions to trick and invoke fear into his targets. Examples include making Randy Orton see his father covered in blood, making him see the Undertaker in a mirror even though he’s not actually there, (he really liked fucking with Randy at that time), and in Smackdown vs Raw 2011, he warped the player’s perception of the arena, making everyone look like druids.

Dimensional Travel

Using the power of the third Book of Death, Undertaker can freely travel between Earth and Hell.

BFR

Utilized by both him and his brother, the Undertaker can forcibly drag people to Hell from under the ring, though can also do it after sending them through it as well, seen when he sent Edge to Hell after Chokeslamming him. In the comics, he can also send demons to Sygian with his magic.

Zombification

In WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009’s Road to Wrestlemania mode, the Undertaker turned one of the members of Nu-School into a zombie that can fight for him and follow his orders, with seemingly the only way to reverse it being for the Undertaker to undo it himself.

Pocket Reality Manipulation

In Escape the Undertaker, the Phenom sent each member of the New Day into a small pocket reality to face their fears, implying that he can manipulate these realities into whatever he wants based on the victim’s fears.

Limited Fourth Wall Awareness

In Escape the Undertaker, the title character is aware of the player, taunting them at the beginning in asking if they’re brave enough, and at the end where he goads them into trying again if they fail.

WWE Immortals Moves

The Undertaker appears as a playable fighter in the mobile game WWE Immortals. Each fighter has their own unique attacks and special moves, as well as passive abilities.


Special Equipment:

  • Paul Bearer: Increases Undertaker's Health by 10%.

  • Grave Shroud: Increases Undertaker's Damage by 10%.

  • Deadman's Arsenal: Increases Energy Regeneration by 10%. The arsenal is a tombstone, an urn, and a shovel.


Standard Abilities:

  • Chokeslam: Lifts opponent by the neck, jumping into the air and slamming them hard into the ground, causing it to crack.

  • Tombstone Piledriver: The Undertaker teleports away before crawling up under the ground below the opponent. He then lifts the opponent before smashing them into the ground, causing them to bounce into a coffin. The Undertaker summons a lightning bolt that then strikes the coffin and lights it on fire.


Deadman Abilities:

  • Last Ride: Lifts opponent onto his shoulders before jumping into the air and throwing the opponent into the ground, cracking it.

  • Deadman: When killed, a lighting bolt will strike Undertaker and bring him back to life at 30% health but full Adrenaline.


Necromancer Abilities:

  • Lightning DDT: Grabs opponent, jumping into the air before being struck by lighting and sent back at the ground at similar speeds, smashing the opponent into the ground.

  • Soul Collector: Every time the Undertaker KO's an opponent, his Damage increases by 25%.

Resistances


Support

Druids

The Druids are mysterious hooded figures that often accompany the Undertaker. Different interpretations depict these druids as being followers of the Deadman, but regardless, they seem to obey his every whim and can assist him in different ways. They can bring out caskets, disappear just like Taker, and are seemingly capable of fighting.

Feats

Overall

 

  • Became one of the most iconic wrestlers in the WWE

  • Became a 4-time WWE Champion and a 3-time World Heavyweight Champion

  • Maintained an undefeated streak at Wrestlemania for over 2 decades, defeating the likes of Kane, John Cena, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Edge

  • Came back from the dead multiple times

  • Overpowered the Embalmer and regained control of the three Books of Death

  • Met Scooby-Doo, Fred Flintstone and Terry Bogard

Strength

Speed

Durability

Scaling

The WWE Roster

The Undertaker has wrestled with and even beat some of the best wrestlers from both the past and present. Thus, he should be able to scale to a variety of different feats performed throughout the company’s history.

Hulk Hogan

The Ultimate Warrior

Misc.

Weaknesses

The Undertaker’s power is freakish and superhuman, but at the end of the day, he’s just that: human. Age unfortunately caught up to Taker, and in the last few years of his career, showed that he isn’t quite as refined or nimble as his younger years, most painstakingly seen when he struggled to do his classic sit-up after losing to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33. What this ultimately means is that the Undertaker is not perfect, and is prone to human error.


Additionally, the sources of the Undertaker’s power, namely the Books of Death and the Urn, can be a detriment to him as well. The Urn can be taken and used against him to severely weaken him, and it’s also shown that the books can be taken away from him, seen in how the Embalmer, in a last-ditch effort, created a storm that scattered the books across three separate winds, with the entire run ending with the Undertaker becoming practically powerless.

Q&A

To wrap things up and hopefully clear up some misconceptions one might have about WWE scaling, I’ll be discussing some of the feats I mentioned as well as bring up stuff that I didn’t mention, just so I can cover as much ground as possible.

Bray Wyatt’s Lantern

A common statement I’ve seen floating around is the topic of Bray Wyatt’s lantern. In the WWE Immortals intro, the lantern is stated to act as a portal to “infinite universes” where WWE superstars are superheroes, vikings, cyborgs, etc. People have proposed that this would mean that the lantern itself would reach those levels, but a pretty simple argument against that would be in the intro itself: the lantern acts as a portal, and isn’t necessarily stated to contain those universes. Furthermore, even if the latter were true, superstars being able to survive being hit by the lantern wouldn’t necessarily translate to that level of durability, since they would be hit by the container itself, and not an infinite amount of universes at once.

Curt Hawkins Counting To Infinity

In a teaser for Curt Hawkins’ return in 2016, the first fact stated is that he has counted to infinity twice. This would mean that he, and thus the Undertaker since he should obviously be superior to him, should be Infinite speed, right?


…eh.


Firstly, it’s really only a statement made, and there really aren’t enough similar feats within WWE to back it up, so it’s probably an outlier even if we took it at face value. Plus, the statement itself comes from a pretty joke-y promo that isn’t meant to be taken 100% seriously, with the other two statements being that Curt Hawkins can slam a revolving door and literally scare the crap out of a toilet instead of flushing it, very obviously being in reference to classic Chuck Norris jokes.


Although one could argue the validity of the feat itself being Infinite speed, the details surrounding it make it a bit hard to apply it to the verse as a whole.

“Is WWE really at those high levels? The wrestlers never even show that kind of power in their matches.”

If you’ve been reading all of these insane feats, you might be asking that question above, or some kind of variation of it, at least. This is somewhat understandable, since the WWE world seems to be generally pretty grounded in reality, especially since it tries to sell itself like it’s all real. However, the WWE matches that you watch on TV are really just one aspect of the universe, as stuff like backstage segments and extended material like the comics and cartoons show that there’s more to this franchise than meets the eye. An example can be seen in the Undertaker himself: without the limitations of a live audience with content like the Boneyard Match or the aforementioned comics, WWE can showcase the true power of the Undertaker’s abilities and potential. This is further backed up by the comics stating that the events of the run are stories that the WWF cannot tell, implying that the aforementioned limits of live wrestling shows simply aren’t enough to showcase the full capabilities of the Undertaker.


And as for the characters not showing these levels of power consistently, as implied earlier, while the live events are the more prominent showcase, it’s not the only way that these characters are portrayed. Really, it shouldn’t be any different from something like Dragon Ball: characters aren’t constantly destroying planets or busting universes in their fights, yet the feats they’ve shown off in the past should be an indicator of their full strength. This could easily apply for other franchises as well: Naruto, Jujutsu Kaisen, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, and so many more franchises that are commonly discussed in VS debates, and there’s really no reason that WWE is so different (at least with the material we’re giving the Undertaker) that the consistent cosmic feats showcased throughout the company’s history shouldn’t count.

Overall

“Be not proud. The spirit of the Undertaker lives within the soul of all mankind. The eternal flame of life that cannot be extinguished. The origin of which cannot be explained. The answer lies in the everlasting spirit. Soon, all mankind will witness the rebirth of The Undertaker. I will not rest in peace.”


  • Universal-at-minimum attack potency

  • MFTL+ speed scaling

  • Great hand-to-hand fighter with a ton of experience fighting skilled brawlers

  • Possesses a wide variety of long-range abilities, as well as defense and healing options

  • Plenty of options to end a fight, like sending opponents to Hell or Stygian, or sealing their souls inside the Urn

  • Solid mobility with teleportation and plethora of vehicles

  • Difficult to put down due to his regeneration and immortality

  • Multiple amazing theme songs (yes, even this one)

  • One of the greatest WWE superstars of all time

Potential Opponents

Grave Digger (Monster Jam)

Yes, this is serious.


Honestly though, while I don’t know the connections, it sounds kinda awesome? I’m sure Monster Jam has a ton of wacky material just like WWE, and both franchises have a pretty similar over-the-top, nonsensical-yet-awesome aesthetic that would clash really well. Hell, Undertaker has his Crush Hour vehicle, so it’s not like it would just be a guy fighting an inanimate object. It’s stupid, but it sounds fun.

Mori Calliope (Hololive)

No.

Sting (WWE/AEW/WCW)

This one is a little weird to talk about, namely because, as you can see, this is kind of a same-series matchup. The idea of the matchup in general comes from The Undertaker vs Sting being a dream matchup for most wrestling fans (mine was Undertaker vs John Cena and look how THAT turned out), and unfortunately one that we’ll probably never see due to both being practically retired now. The match did technically happen, but it was before Taker was the persona he eventually became, and only happened at a house show with only one picture taken, so it’s not really the same as the Deadman vs the Icon we know and love today.


Still though, it would be cool to see these two in a fight with all of their abilities from their respective comic series; heck, it technically being same-series means that you could equalize stats and talk more about their abilities and hax, which is always a nice bonus. Overall, I do think there’s quite a bit you could do with this as a VS match and a What-If wrestling match, but I don’t know, I think I want just a bit more out of an Undertaker matchup.

Itachi Uchiha (Naruto)

Ah yes, the matchup you were probably anticipating or dreading seeing brought up. Well, what do I think of it?


…it’s pretty cool.


Theme-wise, it does make sense, and fight-wise, Itachi’s wide variety of abilities could definitely play off of the Undertaker’s. It could also give off a spookier vibe than most Naruto episodes from the past and future, with plenty of potential for fakeouts and some super haunting imagery. Imagine a scene where Undertaker makes Itachi see his dead clan, or Itachi makes Taker burn in his parents’ house while Itachi disguised as Kane chokes him out. Imagine a scene where Itachi brings out the Susanoo, only for Taker to ride his motorcycle right through it. I can see why some people don’t like this matchup, but I think writing it off just because it features a WWE character is a bit silly, especially with all of the material I’ve showcased that more than proves that it could work as a legitimate fight. I don’t really see this as a joke matchup at all, and it genuinely has a decent bit of potential.


That being said, it isn’t my favorite Taker matchup, so what is?


The Crow

Yeah, out of every Undertaker matchup I’ve seen, this is the one that sounds the most appealing to me personally. While the connections are probably a little too simple, I think the overall aesthetic and fight potential more than make up for it. These two have plenty of abilities to play off of one another, and it could really give off that gothic horror vibe that I think would fit the Undertaker the best, while still showing off a bit of the goofiness of wrestling in general. Imagine Crow summons a bunch of crows to swarm the Undertaker, but he bursts out of the swarm on his motorcycle, leading to the two having a high-speed chase. Plus, the Crow has some surprising showings of hand-to-hand combat, so you could unironically lean into the wrestling angle with this one, probably more than any other Undertaker matchup aside from Sting.


Overall, I like this matchup a lot, and while I am open to other matchups taking the spot for my favorite Undertaker matchup, this will suffice for now.

Thanks/Big Update

Hey y’all, Landon here and thanks so much for reading this if you made it this far. This whole thing was made on a whim and I was surprisingly able to get it done in just over a week. Still, I did put a lot of effort into it, so I hope you enjoyed it. I really love WWE and professional wrestling as a whole, so it was really awesome to go back and revisit some iconic moments from the Deadman himself, and discover some stuff I didn’t know about beforehand.


As for what’s next? Well, you’re probably wondering where the hell Mr. Clean vs Terry Crews is, and to give it to you straight, we sorta got to a certain point and just… stopped. And it’s really no fault of the people who volunteered to work on it, it’s me for not making sure we get it done, especially since a lot of unfortunate personal life stuff happened around that time that made me put the brakes on it. As such, I’ve decided to make the decision to put Clean vs Terry on the backburner. I’ve sort of realized with these blogs that I am not a very good leader, so from now on, the blogs will only be done by me. This doesn’t mean that I won’t take help at all, and if a matchup piques your interest and you think you could lend your help, then shoot me a DM and I’ll consider it. Who knows, maybe I’ll realize I can’t do it all by myself and go back to the way things were, but I’d like to try out this format and see how it works out for now.


Hopefully you enjoy the upcoming content anyway, as I do really enjoy putting this stuff out for people to see. Hope you guys have a good Sunday and take care!

Next Time


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