The Undertaker: Every Reinvention Ranked Worst To Best

Taking time off over the winter of 2003-4, the Undertaker returned at WrestleMania XX with old manager Paul Bearer in tow to face his storyline brother Kane. The event was notable as it saw a much-anticipated return to his Phenom character after four years as the motorcycle-riding American Badass and Big Evil.

He entered Madison Square Garden to the bells and organ of the classic version, with druids lighting the way, much as they had done in his previous WrestleMania match against Kane six years earlier. Back in a long leather coat for his entrance, his hat was now much more of a cowboy style, demonstrating a hangover from his American Badass days. Appearance-wise, it was a subtle yet welcome update of the traditional Undertaker character fans had been longing for.

One element of this return to the old days was the revival of the classic Undertaker vs. Large and Strange Monster trope. Characters such as Heidenreich were created to be larger than life opponents for the Undertaker to destroy. As with the original run of similar foes in the early '90s, this led to poor matches from an in-ring standpoint, as well as incredulous storylines that undid some of the good work 'Taker had done in rebuilding his reputation as Big Evil.

This return to the Deadman started well but soon ran out of steam, ultimately making it a disappointment.