It's astonishing to think that Triple H has gone over a quarter of a century as a top WWE star. He began as just another random 1990s character, the Greenwich snob Hunter-Hearst Helmsley. While his partnership with the Kliq and an IC Title run were okay, it was being put with Chyna and then DX that made Triple H a true star. Since then, he's dominated as multiple WWE/World Champion, main-eventing some of the biggest shows around.
He has scores of detractors who complain about his ego, spotlight-hogging, and his relationship with Stephanie McMahon. At the same time, Triple H has proven himself a main event star and handled being one of the prime faces of WWE. His work creating NXT has also won respect, even with some going after him for past issues. Depending on who you ask, Triple H has either improved his game or gotten worse along the way.
10 BETTER: Adapting His Character
Triple H started in WCW as "wild man" Terra Ryzing. He then adopted "French aristocrat" Jean-Paul Levesque. He used elements of that for his original persona of "Greenwich snob" Hunter Hearst Helmsley, then added Chyna to spark it up.
Hunter then changed all that for DX and became The Game. He later shifted once more to the authority figure, proving a key reason for Triple He's success is his amazing ability to adapt his character to flex with the times.
9 WORSE: The Burials
This can be tricky as Triple H has been able to put over guys like Roman Reigns, Batista, and even Chris Benoit. Yet, it cannot be denied the man has a well-earned rep for cutting the legs off many a promising star. His "Reign of Terror" included burials of Booker T and RVD and beating Goldberg before losing to him.
There was also the horrible face turn of Randy Orton that took years for Orton to recover from. It kept up later with Triple H beating Sting at WrestleMania 31 as his track record for burials is one of the worst in WWE.
8 BETTER: Excelling As Main Eventer
There were doubts in Triple H moving from midcard champion to the main event, but he more than overcame them. The man was able to adapt quickly to being WWE Champion, not just in his wrestling but also in his persona, knowing the main event spot needed a different vibe.
He lived up to the pressures of carrying the company as champion and selling his persona as a main eventer. While some may be upset about his tenure on top, it can't be denied how he works there.
7 WORSE: Workrate
Look up videos of Triple H in his early days and you'll see an actually very good ring technician. He was hardly a master but still good at working matches and could be surprisingly effective in technical moves. Time changed that as various injuries hampered Triple H and forced him to adapt to a brawling style.
He also, frankly, got lazier in many matches, relying on the same moves and the sledgehammer. Early Triple H could likely wrestle rings around his later incarnation.
6 BETTER: Big Time Matches
While his Mania matches' quality can be lacking, Triple H has learned to bring it for some major PPV bouts. He has turned in truly epic encounters with the Undertaker, Daniel Bryan, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, and others.
His WrestleMania entrances are often fantastic, and he knows when he has to pull a big match off. Oddly, he seems better in the main event of smaller PPVs, yet Triple H is tops when it comes to making a top-level battle work.
5 WORSE: Dominating Too Much TV
Yes, he's established as a huge star for WWE, but that doesn't mean fans want Triple H on screen all the time. It was truly awful from 2002-'06 where he insisted on starting practically every RAW with a huge promo and then making shows all about him.
It seemed to die down, but then The Authority came around and made him big all over again. While part of The Authority, The Game injected himself into high-profile feuds, even becoming WWE Champion once again in the process, effectively taking the spotlight that could have been given to full-time wrestlers.
4 BETTER: Business Savvy
Whatever else his many detractors say, Triple H has to be credited for helping create NXT. Hunter knew that without some sort of sound development system, WWE would suffer and has helped NXT become the best part of the company.
It's not his fault the main roster creative team can't use these guys right as he's gone to bat for a few WWE probably wouldn't have touched like Kevin Owens. If and when he does take over the company one day, Triple H's experience might be a boon for WWE.
3 WORSE: Injury Prone
It must be recognized that Triple H had some lousy luck when it came to injuries. His 1998 IC Title run was cut short when he injured his leg in the victory. Then there was the terribly torn quad in 2001, which put him on the shelf for almost a year, and he was never quite the same after that.
Further injuries struck, often at bad times and each hampering his progress. It's little wonder he ultimately cut down on his in-ring time as it's arguable that, without those injuries, Hunter's in-ring career might have gone better.
2 BETTER: Promos
Hunter Hearst Helmsley's early stuff had promise, yet he held back by being this snobby figure speaking in an educated tone. It took working with Shawn Michaels and being allowed to be more himself for Hunter to become a terrific promo guy.
Okay, a few promos may have gone on too long, yet Triple H was capable of holding a crowd as either a heel or face and captivating in some big feuds. From boasting on his greatness to threats on an enemy, Triple H became one of the better mic guys in WWE, which he still holds today.
1 WORSE: The Ego
Granted, a big ego is natural for a wrestling star, but Triple H's got out of hand. His infamous "Reign of Terror" is notable, but there are scores of times Hunter should have taken a backseat and done a job but didn't.
He truly made himself central to WWE, even painting himself as the key figure of the "Attitude Era" at times. Part of that drives his character, but Hunter's ego is the cause of many problems in WWE.