Bullet Club is one of the most popular pro wrestling factions in the world, despite never having been touched by the hands of Vince McMahon. As a matter of fact, there have been several occasions in the past, where WWE has tried to use Bullet Club's popularity in the hopes of boosting merchandise sales, most notably with the Balor Club and The OC.
The faction was founded in 2013 and has had some of the finest wrestlers in the world be its members. It has dominated the championship scene around the world, often springing sub-branches that have made their presence felt in other promotions as well. A lot has happened since its inception and merits an explanation.
10 Birth
Bullet Club was created as a result of a favorable response from fans when Prince Devitt, better known as Finn Balor these days, turned heel on his long-time tag team partner Ryusuke Taguchi and aligned himself with Bad Luck Fale. The duo was eventually joined by Karl Anderson and Tama Tonga, to form an all-gaijin (foreigner) stable.
The name of the faction was a result of Devitt's finger gun gesture and the fact that he was known as "Real Shooter" and Anderson was known as "The Machine Gun" at the time. Just like that, Bullet Club was born, with them adapting the nWo's 'Too Sweet' gesture.
9 The Young Bucks Debut
Bullet Club quickly grew after its debut, adding Rey Bucanero of CMLL to its ranks. After Devitt failed to beat Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Tama Tonga and Bucanero went to CMLL to establish "Bullet Club Latinoamerica."
It was around this time that The Young Bucks debuted as members of Bullet Club. There were initially a lot of reservations surrounding the inclusion of the brothers to the faction, but those doubts were quickly laid to rest as they dominated the NJPW Tag Team Division for years to come.
8 Devitt Steps Down & AJ Styles Emerges
Towards the end of Devitt's run with NJPW, The Young Bucks turned on him as he concluded his feud with Taguchi. After his departure from the promotion, AJ Styles made his presence felt in NJPW, targeting Okada and calling him the young 'boy' he knew in TNA.
Styles was a part-time presence at the time in Japan, so while Karl Anderson led the stable in NJPW, Styles was the leader in ROH. However, by the end of 2015, Styles was made the leader of Bullet Club in Japan, ushering in a new era for the exciting faction.
7 Heavyweight Title Dominance
On May 3rd, 2014, AJ Styles defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in his first match with NJPW. Bad Luck Fale beat Shinsuke Nakamura to become the new IWGP Intercontinental Champion at Dominion 6.21, while Yujiro Takahashi jumped ship from Chaos to join Bullet Club, winning the NEVER Openweight Championship in the process.
During this time, the IWGP Tag Team Championships were also held by Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. This meant that for a period of time, Bullet Club held every top heavyweight championship in NJPW, adding to their already impressive record.
6 The Cleaner Arrives
On November 8th, 2014, Kenny Omega became the newest member of Bullet Club after initially claiming that he was not a gaijin, having spent six years in Japan and being fluent in the language. He later said he had lied and that he only wanted money and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
Omega dubbed himself 'The Cleaner' with the intention of cleaning up the NJPW Junior Heavyweight Division. He'd have a few runs as IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion before moving to the heavyweight division.
5 The Birth Of The Elite
Soon after Wrestle Kingdom 10, it was revealed that AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson had signed contracts with WWE. The next day, the rest of the faction turned on Styles, kicking him out of the group and appointing Kenny Omega as the new leader.
After assuming leadership of Bullet Club, Omega and The Young Bucks formed a subgroup known as The Elite. This was in response to the fact that they were not happy about being forced to join Bullet Club, but understood that it was an invaluable asset for the promotion. Omega also stated that after the latest departures, Bullet Club wasn't really Bullet Club anymore, and hence The Elite was born.
4 Cody & Kenny Omega Get On The Same Page
In the months that followed, wrestlers like Frankie Kazarian, Adam Cole, and Cody all joined the faction (though Kazarian later revealed it was all a ruse to help Christopher Daniels become the new ROH World Champion). When Kenny Omega challenged Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Cody tried to throw in the towel, believing Omega was too injured. This led to dissension between both men, growing into a full-blown feud as they fought over the leadership of Bullet Club.
After a successful title defense against Cody, Omega and the Bucks were joined by Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and King Haku. They beat them down, revealing themselves to be the BC Firing Squad; the true Bullet Club. Cody eventually helped Omega and the Bucks run them off; Omega and Cody embraced, restoring the former as the true leader of the faction.
3 AEW Is Born
In October 2018, Cody revealed that he was no longer a member of Bullet Club. Soon after, it was revealed that Cody, Omega, The Bucks, Adam Page, and Marty Scurll were just The Elite and no longer associated with the faction.
All of them except Scurll then left NJPW and ROH to start All Elite Wrestling, with Cody, Omega, and The Young Bucks serving as the Executive Vice Presidents of the promotion, in addition to being in-ring talent. This was a major loss for Bullet Club, as it lost its leader and two members who had been with the faction since the days of Prince Devitt.
2 Jay White Takes Over
A few weeks before The Elite ended their association with Bullet Club, Jay White, a former member of Chaos, joined the faction at King of Pro-Wrestling. Once The Elite was out of the picture, Tama Tonga announced that White was the new leader of Bullet Club, bringing in a fresh era for the faction.
In the finals of the 2019 G1 Climax, White lost to Kota Ibushi, which led to him taking a brief break from the ring, eventually leading to a power struggle in the faction once he returned.
1 Internal Power Struggle
After defeating Kazuchika Okada in the New Japan Cup 2020 Finals, EVIL turned on Tetsuya Naito and joined Bullet Club. On the next show, Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall, EVIL defeated Naito to become the new IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion.
In White's absence, EVIL announced himself the new leader of the faction. Once White returned to Japan in time for G1 Climax 30, EVIL was reluctant to relinquish power. This led to the faction having two de facto leaders, with other members choosing one leader over another.