In May 2013, Prince Devitt (now Finn Balor) turned his back on his longtime tag team partner Ryusuke Taguchi on a New Japan Pro Wrestling show. He aligned himself with Karl Anderson, Bad Luck Fale, and Tama Tonga. They called themselves the Bullet Club. Little did they know that this one act would create one of the most popular factions in wrestling history.
Over six years later and the Bullet Club is still riding high. They have gone through several changes and appeared across various promotions. The group has included some of the best wrestlers in the world but the roster has been bloated at times. There have been wrestlers weighing the group down. We're looking at the good and the bad, picking the best and worst members of the Bullet Club.
10 Worst: The Guerrillas of Destiny
If this list were purely based on loyalty and longevity, these guys would rank higher. Tama Tonga has been a member since day one and his brother Tanga Loa has been right by his side for the past few years. They're a successful duo, winning the IWGP Tag Team Titles on five separate occasions.
The reason they make this side of the list is that the tag team division in NJPW is pretty scarce. The Guerrillas of Destiny can dominate a division that barely has any other consistent teams. They consistently have lackluster performances and their most notable claim to fame is the foul-mouthed highlights from their matches.
9 Best: The Young Bucks
One of the main things that made the Bullet Club so popular was the Young Bucks. This brother tandem of Matt and Nick Jackson became one of the hottest acts in wrestling outside of the WWE. They joined the Bullet Club in late 2013 and quickly took over the Jr. Heavyweight tag ranks.
Along with winning the Jr. Tag Titles seven times, the Young Bucks also won the heavyweight titles. They were a consistent part of the stable under multiple leaders. Without their "superkick parties," the group may not have become as famous as they did. When they eventually left New Japan, some of the Bullet Club's appeal was lost.
8 Worst: Cody Hall
Scott Hall is one of the most prominent wrestlers of the 1990s. He shined in WWE as Razor Ramon and then helped revolutionize the industry in WCW as Scott Hall with the nWo. Standing 6 foot 7 inches and weighing 287 pounds, he was also an intimidating presence.
His son Cody Hall had even more physical gifts at 6 foot 10 inches and 268 pounds. Unfortunately, that was pretty much all he had. Hall mostly played the role of the team's muscle. After an injury in 2016, he departed New Japan and has spent the last few years working in various other companies in Japan.
7 Best: Jay White
The story of Jay White is a unique one. The New Zealand native came up as a Young Lion through the New Japan Dojo. He went on an excursion to Ring of Honor and Revolution Pro Wrestling before returning to NJPW with a new attitude. White went by the nickname "Switchblade" and started doing underhanded tactics to win.
Jay White joined CHAOS only to turn on them and reveal himself as the new leader of the Bullet Club. While with the group, White defeated Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 13 and then bested Hiroshi Tanahashi to capture the IWGP Heavyweight Title. He also recently added the IWGP Intercontinental Title to his growing list of accomplishments.
6 Worst: Hikuleo
Like the Guerrillas of Destiny, Hikuleo is one of the sons of the legendary Haku. Being part of a wrestling family and being blessed with a 6 foot 8 inch frame should have made Hikuleo into something of a prodigy. He was also trained by both the New Japan Dojo and the Dudley Boyz.
Yet none of this seemed to make for a compelling wrestler. Hikuleo has been working in NJPW since 2017 and hasn't made much of an impact. He is mostly used in big tag matches and his biggest singles match was a snoozefest. At 28 years of age, he still has time to develop but it isn't good right now.
5 Best: AJ Styles
Most casual wrestling viewers might only know AJ Styles as a multi-time WWE Champion. Some might even remember him for his stellar run in TNA Wrestling. But in between that, he shined in New Japan. Styles debuted for the company about 30 minutes after the Bullet Club's first leader departed. He stepped right into the leadership role.
AJ Styles quickly won the IWGP Heavyweight Title and remained atop New Japan's roster during his two years with them. He also helped popularize the Bullet Club brand in the United States thanks to some great matches in ROH. Styles is an incredible wrestler who might have had his best run ever while with the Bullet Club. That's saying something.
4 Worst: Jado
In his heyday, Jado was a notable competitor in Japan. Alongside Gedo, Jado has wrestled across multiple promotions and won a slew of championships. However, he is way past his prime. Behind the scenes, he and Gedo are the head bookers of NJPW and both are members of the Bullet Club.
Jado's current role with the stable is just to interfere in matches with his trusty kendo stick. That's not all that valuable, especially since he helps wrestlers who are far superior to him. He's a constant annoyance who drags down and ruins matches. We don't come to these shows to see his shenanigans.
3 Best: Kenny Omega
At New Year Dash 2016, Kenny Omega shocked the world by attacking AJ Styles after they won a tag match. This moment changed everything for Omega and the Bullet Club. He took over as leader and forcefully kicked AJ out while also establishing himself as the next major star within New Japan.
As the leader, Kenny Omega helped Bullet Club rise to new heights. They took over the company and dominated ROH. Omega won the IWGP Intercontinental, IWGP United States, and eventually the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. He was also the first gaijin to win the G1 Climax and put on some of the best matches in recent memory. Omega took the faction to the top of the wrestling world.
2 Worst: Bone Soldier
We aren't talking about Taiji Ishimori. He's the current Bone Soldier and he's great. We're reserving this spot for the original Bone Soldier. Before joining the Bullet Club, he was known as Captain New Japan and he was most famous for being a consistent loser with one of the worst win/loss records in history.
Changing his name to Bone Soldier didn't help his fortunes. He entered the World Tag League with Bad Luck Fale and proceeded to go 0-7. Kenny Omega dubbed him an "intergalactic disaster" and would even call him "Boner" during matches. He is the unquestioned worst of the worst in the Bullet Club.
1 Best: Prince Devitt
The original will always remain the best. As noted earlier, Prince Devitt was the guy who threw down the gauntlet and formed the Bullet Club. He dominated the Jr. Heavyweight division, reigning as champion for over 400 days and sweeping the entire Best of the Super Juniors Tournament.
Prince Devitt also set a new precedent by chasing the IWGP Heavyweight Title while being Jr. Heavyweight Champion. That led to him competing in the G1 Climax and scoring wins over the likes of Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. Though he left New Japan and the Bullet Club about a year later, Devitt remains synonymous with the group. There's a reason he still uses the "Balor Club" term in WWE.