10 Worst Supernatural Gimmicks
6. Gangrel
Gangrel had an absolutely fantastic entrance.
It feels a required disclaimer before ripping the one-dimensional gimmick to bits, but his emergence from the depths encircled by a ring of flames was an outstanding visual that meshed beautifully with his darkly melodic entrance music and gothic presentation.
Literally and figuratively, his weekly arrival set the stage on fire. Everything else about the act was hot garbage.
The former 'Vampire Warrior' in ECW and USWA, David Heath was perfectly cast as the mysterious Gangrel at the behest of creative heavy hitters Bruce Prichard and Vince Russo.
A beneficiary of the company's roaring overall success in 1998, Gangrel's gimmick afforded select talking points at least, including the dramatic 'bloodbaths', in which opponents would be drenched in the red stuff dropped mysteriously from the ceiling at his apparent behest.
As with many of his ilk, a lack of meaningful programmes saw the persona drift into mediocrity amongst a fiercely competitive roster of would-be industry icons.
An undefeated streak did little to enhance his lower-card stature, and 'Brood' pairings with Edge, Christian, and The Hardy Boyz only served to elevate the tag specialists rather than the supposed leader of the miniature cults.
Despite his indifferent WWE run, the bells and whistles of the gimmick and his dependable in-ring prowess ultimately offered him a lifetime of steady income back on the independent scene following his quiet 2001 release.