For ages, humans have feared monsters. Whether it's The Boogeyman, Big Foot, or just the monster under the bed, monsters have always represented danger. With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that wrestling promoters picked up on that underlying fear and decided to exploit it. In the wrestling business, a proper monster heel can make even the toughest babyface appear to be in serious peril.
Typically, a good monster heel will have the height or girth to appear physically imposing. However, we've seen a slew of monster heels come through the business, and they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
10 Umaga
From the moment Umaga debuted in 2006, he ran roughshod through most of the Monday Night Raw roster. Depicted as a wild Samoan savage, Umaga was able to showcase his brutality and his amazing agility for a man his size. For a while, it seemed as though there were big things on the horizon for Umaga.
Unfortunately, he ran into John Cena and his mythical golden shovel. After being defeated by Cena multiple times, the shine wore off Umaga pretty quickly. Umaga would go on to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship twice and enjoy moderate success for the rest of his time in WWE. It leads one to wonder though, what might've been had Umaga's push culminated properly.
9 King Kong Bundy
Before ever debuting in WWE, King Kong Bundy was leaving a path of destruction all throughout the other wrestling territories. At 6'4" and over 450 lbs, Bundy was a sight to behold. Blessed with rare agility for a man his size, Bundy was poised for a strong WWE run when he debuted in 1985.
Bundy's WWE debut came right in the middle of Hulkamania. Unsurprisingly, the monstrous Bundy was eventually tapped to face Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 2. Bundy gave Hogan everything he could handle but ultimately came up short. After ending his program with Hogan, Bundy would continue to terrorize the mid-card. He would leave WWE in 1988 and become semi-retired from wrestling. Bundy returned to WWE in 1994 but was nowhere near his former dominant self.
8 Andre The Giant
From a strictly physical standpoint, Andre The Giant was imposing enough to merit consideration as the top monster heel of all time. Realistically though, Andre's run as a monster heel represents a very small part of his wrestling career. Although being as physically imposing as a human can possibly be, Andre was always more of a gentle giant.
It wasn't until he joined forces with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan in 1987 that Andre finally combined his physical gifts with a mean streak. Andre would be the top monster heel in the business for the next few years before breaking away from Heenan in 1990 and reverting back to his gentle ways.
7 Mark Henry
Mark Henry was one of the most sought after free agent signings in WWE history. In 1996, Henry was viewed by Vince McMahon as a blue-chipper to help legitimize his struggling promotion. Unfortunately, it would take Henry a while to adapt to his new profession. It would take WWE even longer to learn how to properly use him, but they eventually did.
In the middle of 2004, Henry adopted a new, more aggressive attitude. Gone were the days of the happy smiling Olympian and "Sexual Chocolate". Henry was finally allowed to step into the role of a monster heel and he never looked back. Many fans fondly remember Henry's 2011 "Hall Of Pain" run, during which he finally captured the World Heavyweight Championship that had alluded him his whole career. A man with Henry's strength should've been portrayed as a monster from the start.
6 Bruiser Brody
Over the years, the legend of Bruiser Brody has left many fans in absolute awe. To anyone who saw him wrestle, Brody was undoubtedly the top monster heel not only of his era but of all time. Brody mixed this crazy wild man gimmick with a believability that is almost nonexistent nowadays in the sport.
Brody was legitimately feared by other performers and promoters alike. Unfortunately, that reputation most likely led to his untimely death in Puerto Rico in 1988. Many fans can't help but wonder what might've been of Brody's career had he joined WWE at the height of Hulkamania. He would've been the perfect opponent for Hogan. Although, Brody jobbing out to Hogan night after night is a bit hard to imagine.
5 Yokozuna
Very few performers have the kind of dominant run that Yokozuna had between 1993 and 1994. Even fewer performers have ever enjoyed that kind of success in their first two years in WWE. Yoko had arguably the best rookie year in pro wrestling history. Immediately upon debuting, Yokozuna was treated not only as a legitimate monster but a star as well.
Excluding the hiccup of losing the WWF Championship to Hulk Hogan in an impromptu match at WrestleMania IX, Yokozuna was absolutely unstoppable for two-plus years. Ultimately, it would be Yoko's size that put an end to his run atop the WWE card. His weight issues became too much to handle and he would, unfortunately, pass away in 2000.
4 Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to being a monster heel. Lesnar isn't necessarily tall and he's definitely not a super heavyweight. Instead, Lesnar is an absolute freak of nature. At 6'3" and over 280 pounds of animalistic brute strength, Lesnar is the most unique monster heel of all time. As if the physical attributes he was blessed with weren't enough, Lesnar also has the resume and skill set that would put even the most accomplished amateur wrestlers to shame.
From his WWE debut in 2003 to his re-debut in 2012, Brock Lesnar has been nothing short of dominant throughout the entirety of his wrestling career. Monsters might be mythical but "The Beast Incarnate" is as real as it gets.
3 The Undertaker
When The Undertaker debuted in 1990, he was unlike any other character that came before him. The original Undertaker concept is as close to a real-life monster as a character gets. Equipped with an ominous aura and menacing look, The Undertaker quickly became the top monster heel in all of wrestling. Over the years, he has played different monster heel roles, including his 2001-2002 heel run as the American Badass and when he was the leader of the Ministry of Darkness in 1999.
The Deadman's legend only grew when he defeated Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series 1991. The Undertaker would go on to have one of the greatest pro wrestling careers ever but, for many fans, his best incarnation was the original undead monster that terrorized the WWE roster during the early 90s.
2 Big Van Vader
Any fan that only saw Vader work in WWE might be oblivious to the fact that he's one of the greatest big men and monster heels ever. Before making the mistake of signing with WWE, Big Van Vader struck fear into the hearts of the entire WCW roster. Additionally, before ever stepping foot in WCW, Big Van Vader was a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and was considered arguably the greatest foreign heel in Japanese wrestling history.
At one point, the likes of Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Cactus Jack, and Sting were all victimized and brutalized by Vader. WWE might be the top promotion in the world, but Vader is one of the "can't miss" talents that they somehow managed to botch. Luckily, his legacy was already secure by the time he made his way to WWE.
1 Kane
The groundwork for the Kane character was laid down years before his debut as part of The Undertaker's origin story. Kane has the distinction of being the most successful spin-off character of all time and arguably the greatest monster heel ever. Most monster heels typically have one very memorable run as an absolute monster. However, Kane is the rare case where a performer has two equally memorable runs as a monster.
In 1997, Kane debuted as The Undertaker's vengeful brother. In 2003, a more humanized Kane reverted to his monstrous ways when he was forced to unmask. Both runs left behind a path of destruction, but more importantly, they set Kane apart from his monster heel peers.