Who would have thought an undead zombie wizard character could have the longevity that it did? It is a testament to Mark Callaway, who combined the spooky persona with unmatched athleticism for a man of his size.

The WWE Hall of Famer carved quite a legacy in sports entertainment for over 30 years, with his WWE in-ring career spanning from 1990 to 2020. The Undertaker’s feuds with the likes of Kane, Mankind, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H, just to name a few, were unforgettable.

Despite winning multiple WWE Championships, The Undertaker’s greatest achievement would definitely be the WrestleMania Streak, in which he went undefeated for 21 consecutive years.

As his career wound down, The Phenom became a mentor to younger WWE stars and was a locker-room leader. Most of the young kids who watched him wrestle in the New Generation, Attitude, and Ruthless Aggression Era would now be old enough to start in the wrestling business. His influence can be seen in the new generation of wrestlers in both WWE and AEW.

It makes you wonder, who can be compared to The Undertaker in AEW? All Elite Wrestling has been around for nearly four years and the roster is now one of the most stacked in the entire industry. While no one person can fully encapsulate everything that made Taker so beloved, there are a few AEW wrestlers who could possibly take up that mantle.

Whether it’s their current gimmick, experience, size, or aura, here are 5 stars who could become AEW’s version of The Deadman.

#5. Luchasaurus has been compared to The Undertaker’s storyline brother Kane

Standing at over 6 ft 5 inches and weighing over 233 lbs, Luchasaurus certainly has the size to stand up to The Undertaker. Despite his enormous frame, he’s been known to pull off impressive moves such as a moonsault and tope suicida. This is similar to The Deadman as he was a large man who was highly athletic as well.

But throughout his career, the former AEW Tag Team Champion has been compared to the other Brother of Destruction and Taker’s greatest rival, Kane. Legendary wrestling manager Dutch Mantell is one of the many veterans who have publicly made that comparison.

While the fact that both wrestlers wear masks is an obvious comparison, Luchasaurus could easily emulate The Undertaker and Kane’s careers. Judging by his recent rivalry with former tag team partner Jungle Boy, he has proven to be a vicious heel.

With his menacing promos and intimidating presence, he can easily grow into becoming AEW’s conscience ala The Phenom, given the right storyline and push.

#4. Darby Allin has mastered the mysterious, brooding character just like The Undertaker

The coolest thing about The Undertaker was his aura. He was a brooding presence that barely spoke during his early years, letting his legendary manager Paul Bearer take the lead. A man of few words, Taker preferred to let his actions do the talking.

While most AEW fans would compare the new TNT Champion Darby Allin’s fearless antics to another WWE legend, Jeff Hardy, The Undertaker is a more fitting, yet far less obvious comparison.

Allin is a unique enigma in relation to the rest of the AEW roster. Despite being known as one of the four pillars of AEW, he doesn’t need to feature heavily in championships or major storylines but still retains a great degree of popularity with the audience.

This is very much similar to The Undertaker, who is hugely over with the WWE Universe despite rarely being in the world title picture in the 1990s. Allin has remained focused mostly on feuds outside of titles even though he is now a two-time TNT Champion.

Darby also remains one of the most protected members of the roster and hasn’t grown stale despite being on television for years because he is being used so strategically.

While the likes of The Rock, Triple H, and Stone Cold hogged the title scene and fought to be the face of WWE, it was always The Undertaker who carried the company on his back at times without asking for any limelight.

He was very much the soul of WWE, just like how Allin is the soul of AEW. The comparisons just don’t stop at their similar career paths. Darby also introduced the Coffin Match to AEW, which, of course, is a homage to The Deadman’s legendary casket matches.

#3. Brody King hails The Undertaker’s influence on the House of Black

The Undertaker was famous for leading The Ministry of Darkness during the Attitude Era, which introduced demonic and supernatural elements to mainstream professional wrestling.

The modern version of that stable is very much House of Black in AEW. AEW star Brody King has spoken highly of his faction’s presentation and compared it to WWE Hall of Famer, The Undertaker.

During an interview conversation with tattoo artist Paul Booth, King highlighted the uniqueness of the faction in the modern era:

Brody King’s heavyweight build and tattooed appearance are very much similar to Taker’s look. Putting the two wrestlers side by side, you wouldn’t be remiss to think that King could be related to The Deadman in some regards.

#2. Malakai Black has The Undertaker’s mystique and dark persona

Malakai Black has personified a dark and sinister-type character in the modern era of professional wrestling. Throughout his career in WWE and now in AEW, the Dutchman has created a mysterious and terrifying aura that echoes the horror The Deadman used to strike his opponents.

In an interview with CBS Sports, Black discussed how his character’s supernatural aspects derive from his traumatic childhood:

While Mark Calloway delved into the occult, death, and funeral homes once he was given the Deadman gimmick, Malakai Black was shaped by it as a person both in and outside of the ring. This makes him truly the perfect person to carry on The Phenom’s dark legacy for the next generation of pro wrestling.

#1. Chris Jericho is an AEW locker room leader like The Undertaker

AEW star and former WWE World Champion Chris Jericho is now at the stage of his career where he is a veteran voice and locker room leader. This was the role that Taker used to have in WWE and it seems like The Ocho has now taken on that role in his new promotion.

During a recent interview with PopCulture, Chris Jericho gave props to The Phenom for his impact on the WWE roster:

Chris Jericho has been an integral part of All Elite Wrestling since the promotion first appeared. With over 30 years of experience, the former ROH World Champion has managed to reinvent his character countless times to stay relevant just like how The Phenom used to do.

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