How the Fiend Borrowed from Horror Films | Explained | PartsFUNknown

In the final part of our series on The Fiend we take a look at how horror movies have influenced the character, from the design, to the shocks and scares he gives other wrestlers and even the way the matches have been structured!
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[@partsFUNknown]

LAURIE: With Part 3 of series on The Fiend in the can, what would you like to see next on Explained? Think character origins, match types, how to book angles, how merchandise is made, secrets of the business! And let me know in the comments!

[@2dtrash19]

Maybe one on Daniel Bryan's transition from the top WWE underdog to the man calling Kofi Kingston a B+ player?

[@KingDumi]

How about all the Easter eggs in the Firefly Funhouse Match?

[@bigh9949]

Thinking what about the demon character of finn. Like origin of character

[@mjb2697]

How to book angles, definitely.

[@hiro120]

How the Demon Finn Balor came to be!

[@doomstadt2371]

The Balor thing has another horror movie link: Think how Drew Barrymore was the first to die on screen in Scream. It sets the tone of "Holy shit, they killed a big name in the first 5 minutes, that means anyone can die".

[@thealjohnsonshow2188]

+DangerOne Great analogy!

[@Dr170]

Bit of a stretch calling Balor a "big name", but sure.

[@malignantjewmor8436]

@@Dr170 Big enough of a name for Vince McMahon to pick him as the very first person to hold a brand new WORLD Championship.

[@m.ibrahim_2501]

@@Dr170 whether vice and his crew likes it or not, Finn is a huge name is professional wrestling and intentionally or unintentionally WWE. even if that was not the chosen reason for the first victim to be finn. the fans will make this association due to their respect and adoration for finns work. that is just the way it works out.

[@mikemedley7269]

No matter what the bray dose he will never be the dead man

[@benisaacs2753]

I'd honestly forgotten about the clown craze. God 2016 was weird

[@partsFUNknown]

LAURIE: I've watched a lot of clips and can confirm: WAS WEIRD

[@dimitrescu182]

@@partsFUNknown it didn't last long in my country after a clown was mugged and beaten up by junkies

[@AceTheSkylord]

And yet strangely I'd feel safer there than in 2020. At least you can punch the clowns, the coronavirus cannot be punched and is ruining families all over

[@amalka_ari]

Wasn't that a marketing thing to promote "It" movie?

[@ASLETTFITNESS]

Bray is this generations mick foley in acting and character ability. I’d love to see the possibility of what he would of been like in an adult audience era

[@2dvscarter727]

Yes bray wyatt is this mankind

[@user-cx5fd9qs2j]

The moment The Fiend, Seth feud started, I kept on thinking that this feud was just too early. Why can't WWE create a character that doesn't care about Titles. Someone who is truly beyond the concept of understanding.

[@patrickj994]

While I agree with the sentiment, Not caring about titles means wallowing on the midcard forever and Bray as a wrestler doesn't deserve that no matter what character he plays.

[@user-cx5fd9qs2j]

@@patrickj994 sooo true. I just wish it was possible for WWE to make it work. I like to dream-book and it doesn't really seem that hard. But with the WWE we know...and love(I guess) we just have to accept the fact that you're 100% right. That plus I don't really think of how the title is won rather than how it is held,lost and how the wrestler moves on after losing.

[@chrisknight4643]

It would have been cool if he started out not caring about titles, but rather just wanting to watch the world burn like Dark Knight Joker

[@user-cx5fd9qs2j]

@@chrisknight4643 his looks are even based off of Joker. Hmmm. If only... Why is it that us fans book better matches/storylines than the company itself?

[@patrickj994]

Again, the problem with this idea in general is that people are putting too much thought into this. You can't ask "Why does the Fiend care about titles?" because then you have to ask "Why did The Undertaker care about titles?" Or "Why did Kane care about titles?" And you'll come up with the simple answer of "Because they're wrestlers. And if they didn't want titles they wouldn't be wrestling."

[@Evl_1]

Bray needs to pop up behind Goldberg and just whisper “He let you win.” That would explain that shit show.

[@westnile21]

Evl _1 - To this day that decision still pisses me off.

[@paddyofurniture9523]

Nah, I think a better explanation would be: The Fiend gets his 'power' from Bray's 'hatred for everyone that's beaten him in the past'. But he and Goldberg never worked together prior to that match, which means Bray has no reason to 'hate' Goldberg. Therefore, the Fiend would have no power over Goldberg anyway. It makes sense.

[@calebramey2723]

Then don’t book the match...

[@bodiesbydefinition]

Pure gold!

[@duende901]

Remember after the match when Goldberg was standing on the ropes raising the championship? Then you see the fiend stand up, ready to attack then the lights go out and he was gone. That was the Fiend's way of saying he let Goldberg win.

[@irrsinnrainer]

I think the fact, that you can make an entertaining three part series to explain and interpret a character without the series getting stale or boring shows how incredibly deep and well thought out this character is. And the last sentence Laurie says here describes the magic of Bray Wyatt best. You wouldn't put it past him that everything he does is on purpose to build his character.

[@Ac3D3ath]

This is a pretty dope series.

[@bigh9949]

U said it

[@user-cx5fd9qs2j]

It's because of this I subscribed

[@rebelngsuperboy6672]

Yes it dose I hope they keep going with This stuff

[@memestation4767]

Cool

[@WisdomeSage1989]

It's funny how months after his Bray Wyatt Experience..... Seth fully embraced the "Messiah" within

[@EpsilonXero]

I love these deep dives into the Fiend.... and I shall forever see Seth as 'the final girl" 😂

[@Augur007]

Epsilon Xero lol

[@thealjohnsonshow2188]

+Epsilon Xero *LOL* I didn't think about that.

[@Xehanort10]

I'd surprised they didn't have Bray brainwash Becky or something during the Seth feud.

[@EpsilonXero]

@@Xehanort10 Might've been interesting or disastrous but Becky and Bray are 2 of the top merch sellers in the company, lumping them together may have slightly decreased revenue. Vince ain't gonna do that.

[@OneManCast]

Here's a title for the next "Explained" series: *From Final Girl to Messiah: The Story of Seth Rollins*

[@animesoul167]

From Shield brother, Plan B, Final Girl, to Messiah

[@bodiesbydefinition]

Finn Balor wearing white-- representing the "sacrificial lamb"-- was so so telling, to introduce the character, proper.

[@matttotef3971]

Great catch didn’t even think of it that way

[@saimtime]

You're doing brilliant stuff here Laurie!!!

[@mattshaw5179]

If you see The Fiend story as a horror film, then after his defeat at the end of the first he'll come back stronger in the sequel!

[@chrisknight4643]

Hence, Firefly Fun House match after losing to Bill Oldberg. And Mr Rogers version of Bray better beat Braun Strowman to illustrate your sequel idea

[@hendersonr235]

This is genuinely brilliant Laurie, well done!

[@TvTrollByIvy]

There's also the creepypasta influence, you have glimpses of things like "Candle Cove" and "Dont Hug me, i'm scared" in the "Firefly Funhouse", specially in it's presentation.

[@lynchsman2069]

I remember when Bray first debuted the episode of Firefly Fun House, I absolutely hated it. I thought they morphed Bray from a psychopath to a child friendly and ruined his character. But after seeing weeks and weeks of Firefly Fun House and seeing the weirdness of Bray slowly made me feel more embracing of the show. Then when the Fiend was mentioned, I was asking "What the Hell is the Fiend?" Then seeing him for the first time, I actually felt scared looking at him. Goes to show how something Bray puts his time into turns into pure gold.

[@Cinemaclandestino]

I had nightmare on elm street vibes from the firefly fun house, that match looks exactly like the Kruegers nightmares

[@mr.mirchenstein6549]

Dude, you did such a good job with this. I love how much detail you went into, and all the comparisons. It also jus goes to show what an amazing character Bray Wyatt really is as well. How many other current wrestlers could you do a mini series like this about with so much depth and detail. Excellent stuff! 🔥😈🔥

[@carrot708]

It feels weird talking about influences behind The Fiend's character without talking about Don't Hug Me I'm Scared or Happy Appy lol

[@theyankeepower4527]

We need the origin's of the wyatt family

[@wil8740]

Laurie: How about the radically different wrestling promotion known as Chikara? While it may not be a major power like say AEW, NJPW, WWE, or Impact-it has helped in it's own unique creative way across the indies with a very interesting brand of story telling and solid wrestling-which even included a hosting of one of the last if not the *LAST* match of British wrestling great Johnny Kidd?

[@Jestylor6]

Very well done. I wish someone was able to figure out why there's no more 3 Stages of Hell style matches anymore...

[@jo_qYT]

I love this series and it makes me so excited to see more characters be examined like this. They couldn’t have used a better character.

[@patrickwhatsittoyou8059]

I really liked the "I wouldn't put it past him" line at the end. It was done to good use :)

[@khullane]

You are doing amazing in these story's just watched the mist one than started these Wyatt ones. Please keep doing them . you are fantastic

[@1977kreeves]

Love the series... I'd love to see you do an explained on Dustin Rhodes...

[@xanderbryton9893]

I love this series! I can't blame you for being this interested in all of the intricacies of the fiend and the characters creation, I find myself just as intrigued. Keep up the awesome work!

[@Nogarda_]

What I love about the Goldberg loss especially is connected to the themes of his previous wins. Or at the very least this is a fan theory which makes it so much more digestible. Every other person The Fiend has faced in a match had that previous history with Bray, and his entire 'hurt' or 'heal' is by far and wide the greatest heel/babyface turn move, that I'm astonished he doesn't have a bi-weekly program with the Big Show considering his turns. But When you take Goldberg into consideration, he has only EVER really been Goldberg. So there is literally nothing for The Fiend to hurt or heal. To which there is a seed of understanding that is a way he can lose. So now WM is in the bag, all has been reset within the world of WWE to some extent (pandemic aside) The Fiend can return to his previous ways. Braun Strowman is the only remaining member of the Wyatt Family even if he is the added bastard child of the group, it is going to be interesting to watch it unfold. As for future deep dives. The Storytelling of the Hart's would be a great one to pick through. While there are a myriad of booking decisions behind most of it from a logical point of view, The Undertaker's career is so expansive, it might be interesting to go into the lore of the character itself. With this style of storytelling I'd be curious to see a explanation of how WWF caught lightning in a bottle with the underdog story of Sean Waltman's career as WWF jobber through the 1-2-3 Kid story and how unlikely it is WWE would be able to pull something off like this again, without it being a temporary angle ala James Ellsworth.

[@jmjfanss]

Because goldberg exposed the fiend in several words, fear, intimidation and most importantly weakness and only three people could bring an end to the fiend for good (keith lee, mustafa ali and aleister black, (the fiend's supernatural powers are no match for black).

[@Xehanort10]

I think that's also the reason it was Funhouse Bray who wrestled Miz rather than The Fiend. Because Miz wasn't someone who'd crossed him as cult leader Bray like Balor, Bryan, Kane, Lawler Strowman and the like did.

[@bigh9949]

I wonder what character laurie going to do next after the fiend

[@partsFUNknown]

LAURIE: I'll reveal all next week

[@bigh9949]

@@partsFUNknown well i know it will be as good as the fiends

[@mattshaw5179]

@@partsFUNknown is it the Yeti?

[@dbone3356]

@@mattshaw5179 The yeh-tay!

[@thegeekingchannel4711]

Harvey Reeves My prediction is Aliester Black

[@WTFisTingispingis]

What I get out of this is that Bray _REALLY LOVES_ horror movies and it's amazing.

[@MidwestBlissGreatLakes]

That's what I like about Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss because I watch Horror movies too as well. I have the whole Franchise of Leprechaun. As well as Friday the 13th. I'm like a Horror movie Fan

[@MidwestBlissGreatLakes]

I'm huge on Horror Movies

[@DoctorProfessorPablo]

Jeez man this is quality! Thank you bro!

[@abyss815]

Absolutely love these videos.... really dig the in depth dive into the psychology of the character... thank you for all you do

[@FearNLoathing0]

Excellent video, hosted grippingly! Thanks for the fantastic entertainment!

[@Djiehh]

Personally, I still think Kane's debut in 1997 remains the single greatest execution of a debut WWE/F has ever managed. It was six months of build-up, focusing on one of their all-time greatest characters in the Undertaker, and the debut itself was tied into the first ever Hell in a Cell match, and nobody was expecting it to happen at that show. Funny how they consistently seem to have done their best ever work with horror-based characters.

[@dfahey205]

I've absolutely loved this series ❤️. I really want more

[@OVALetsPlay]

Randy Orton setting the fiend on fire at TLC references the horror movie trope of the main character seemingly defeating the monster only for it to come back in the next movie. hope you cover this and more in a future episode. love these videos and the effort you put into them.

[@JimKandol]

if I still watched WWE, Fiend would be the reason. I always liked Bray.

[@wickedsky7093]

Make a video on the Broken Universe

[@yt49ab6p5]

I genuinely think that, aside from liking the guy behind the character and thinking that he deserves more than what he had, The Fiend represents the fear we want to inflict on others. Like, everyone has people who have wronged us and would want to have our comeuppance, right?

[@anirudh.v.n7636]

Amazing series I would like to see The Undertaker character explained next

[@lewismaclean8849]

Amazing series Laurie. Can’t wait to see your next explained video, regardless of what the topic is.

[@djinndevyl7077]

"Y'all, lived HIM but, never ME!" I can hear him screaming it and meaning it.

[@Headlesspig302]

Love these mini docuseries

[@ajtp1349]

Who wants a fiend horror movie too? Imagine this: A family moves into a country town with an old legend of a man in the woods( a friendly one) this is not directly known to them and the town folk seem a bit off. But children seem to disappear here more often. This was not told to them by the people they purchased the home from. Then their child starts to tune into a local tv show: The firefly funhouse Subliminal messages will lead the child to wander off into the woods. The parents will search everywhere until venturing into the forest. They go in even with the warnings off the townspeople. They reach an old but internally labyrinthine cabin that ultimately leads to the set of the firefly funhouse. The doors will lock or lead to nowhere. And the fiend would make his first on screen fully visual appearance and kill folks by either ripping their jaws off with mandible claws, neck snapping, or giant mallet bashing. Alternatively it could be a detective going to the town trying to understand the disappearances

[@Dr170]

I just want to see Abby the Witch vomit a leech onto someone.

[@EmmaBonn96]

Ah Children being Spirited Away by a pied Piper Classic trope

[@ThatRandomKid]

This is an amazing series! I’m hooked! Laurie has a way of words that makes this all the more interesting!!

[@brandonbeck3672]

This are so good, I love these series of videos. Lori does such a great job, his voices is perfect for these. He should do voice overs on more documentaries. Great job, guys.

[@TokenDrew]

Adam Blampied sent me here. Instant sub. Cool video man!

[@Luke-on1lk]

What a superb series please keep these going

[@ellismartin8257]

Love that Waylon Mercy shot there.

[@ew55448]

incredible work Laurie!!! I loved seeing show your talents in this series! This is ART my friend

[@dyslexofficial2798]

The only thing about the Fiends entrance is get ride of the FFFH theme at the beginning and have the scream cut the music of whoever he's facing, lights out the music comes in with a creepy FFFH vocal verson of the song he uses.

[@cybervenom2001]

nWo and the ideas of peer pressure and joining a popular crowd until its overpopulated would be neat

[@ren3gadeviews274]

AMAZINGLY done video!!

[@ajayhoey2910]

Wow that opening few seconds had me hooked from the beginning

[@BrinkleyComics]

Wonderful series, Laurie. These are fantastic and can't wait for more!

[@RobDW24]

Bray really was a genius story teller regardless of booking he was always captivating. I'm sure many will try but there will never be another Bray. R.I.P

[@BizarreBazaarBW]

Maybe a Explained series on the 3 faces of Foley?

[@AsherSotelo]

These are very good! Plus Laurie us very engaging, thanks for putting these up.

[@kopkl1]

Big point I got from this is that Caligari of Caligari Carnival from ‘A series of unfortunate events’ is based on 1920’s German horror.

[@anthonygonzalez7291]

This series is absolutely brilliant

[@archangel2015]

The two creepiest things in childhood are clowns and mimes.

[@jeromelancashire3278]

I tell what, If The Fiend wants revenge that can only mean one thing The Fiend vs Undertaker is gonna happen.

[@thegeekingchannel4711]

Aliester Black and Finn Balor explained would be cool

[@aronwasher5669]

Really loved this series of videos!

[@nunodias9359]

Thank you for this content Laurie!

[@SidhantMathur]

You guys are overthinking the shit of the character and I am loving it!

[@Jatbuie7]

the fiend changes you check everyone he beat they changed , seth, finn, they changed

[@johnnymorningstar2855]

Bryan and turned face and so did Miz just for that fight lol

[@Mrstitchywithlauratt]

I like the theories about the fiend , but what if wyatt is just winging it as he goes along. I love the character and hope he continues a destructive, demonic tone as his career goes forward.

[@boiboi8008]

11:22 Guess they trying to keep it true everyone changes after meeting with The Fiend. Finn Balor became heel Seth Rollins became Monday Night Messiah heel Braun Strowman has not recover The Miz became heel Randy Orton going psycho Alexa Bliss Possessed

[@KyrianXVII]

I think I'd love to see you stick to the wrestlers who had dynamic themes or gimmicks to play with. Undertaker or Balor, perhaps? Maybe Punk, if you could swing it. Blampied sent me here and I haven't regretted listening to this for even a second.

[@v1olante]

It'd be cool to see a video on Finn Balor and the demon

[@sportsnewz5608]

Every segment of the firefly funhouse puts him over

[@bigbadseed7665]

What the Firefly Funhouse match fortunately got right, unlike the Hell in a Cell match, was making Bray Wyatt the babyface.

[@joshsherman2318]

I wonder if Bray is a fan of Poltergeist 2: the other side. The demon in that movie is well done. Plus his old man form of it keeps wanting the family to "let him in"

[@PJClutch]

Impressive work, Laurie! Hats off

[@joshhale9355]

This is a video I’ve been wanting. I’ve really wanted some of the spooky stuff KZbin channels (like Night Mind, Nexpo, Reignbot, Inside a Mind, etc.) to cover this because it’s a horror story told through the medium of wrestling and would be interesting to see a take on this by someone outside of wrestling but very into horror.

[@joeyattack99]

You could have Bray beat Seth at Hell in a Cell so easily - The Fiend wants vengeance not titles, so just don't make it a title match. It's not gonna devalue Seth or the Title that much because why would a literal demonic figure care about a championship? Furthermore, when the Fiend story was drawing to the end you can always re insert him to the title picture because he did beat the champ.

[@multiyapples]

Well partsfunknown explained this in 3 parts.

[@jpmcpheemcphee2695]

Not defending Vince's idea for the ending at all, but I could see him saying exactly everything you said, the match being a "horror match" but, it WAS a match, not a horror movie, thus Vince pulling a fast one with the stoppage and then the horror movie ending to send everyone home happy

[@lumporgini]

wow. i never thought that i would even begin to understand that HIAC ending...

[@jpmcpheemcphee2695]

As a Bostonian I was really looking forward to Summerslam, first, we would hopefully have Bray back on his throne, second, we're in Jona Cena home turf, and maybe see some type of culmination of the wrestlemania storyline, and maybe see the start of Cenas final run, and maybe if we're lucky, his long awaited heel turn

[@stayreal2928]

I wanted episode 20 yesterday

[@dan7845]

Yes! And as I have been telling my friends since Hell in a Cell the only thing wrong with that match was the timing. Honestly I think even the finish was great - but it was way too early. Better scenario would have been to have Wyatt win the title in the Autumn and be an absolutely monster (like Lesnar but more extreme) and then at the end do the match from HIAC.

[@animesoul167]

Just finished all three parts. Fantastic series. Gonna need a series on Randy Orton, and then on Alexa Bliss Fiend.

[@bludragon1979]

These would make such good podcast!

[@chrisknight4643]

MANKIND EXPLAINED!!!! Make it happen!

[@abhigudimella]

this series is so brilliant

[@peterc2672]

The only way the first Rollins v Fiend match works is if it is last man standing. Rollins tries running but cant escape. So he fights back. He throws everything at him that he can but it just doesnt work. He keeps coming back like every other villain. So Seth does the only thing he thinks will work. He buries The Fiend. Lures him stage side and hits him with a move off the stage. He then triggers a stage collapse and everything falls onto the Fiend. This gives that huge pop of destruction and a believable demise of the monster. The ten count sounds and the night ends. Then on RAW the Fiend cam return just like all the slasher villains inevitably do.

[@paulellington1505]

Love your videos on the fiend.

[@EverettDudgeon138]

The Firefly Funhouse is actually based on Creepy Pasta story Candle Cove about a disturbing puppet show children can see when they watch static TV. The Fiend mask is actually quite similar to the character of Sweet Tooth in Twisted Metal Black. A child killer inspired by John Wayne Gary who in addition to raping and molesting boys, was also a highly respected children’s clown named Pogo. There is also a fairly obscure 70s flick called The Psychopath about a children’s TV show host who goes and kills the parents of abused children who write to him.

[@MayorofPainsvilleDAN]

Laurie you have truly mastered this.

[@curbydinobot8633]

Imagine the Fiend vs 1997 debut Kane

[@benjaminfalbo]

Did you retroactively make the HIAC Match somewhat vital to the narrative and slightly decent? Nice.

[@EmmaBonn96]

I didn’t see it live and only recently saw it I think it works, but in context of a larger story It should’ve been much further on When we’ve stopped reveling in the Fiend and have started looking for someone to take him down This would be my order A. Finn B. Randy C. Taker D. Cena E. Braun F. Bryan G. Seth I think Bryan works super well as “the final boy” the one who makes the sacrifice play The one who gives the final girl a chance to escape The key to unlocking the heel turn of the Fiend I’d also change the ending of the Hell in a Cell match to be Seth attacks the referee causing him to cut the match off for his own safety Before then attacking the Fiend

[@somtochukwuokoye4649]

This really explains alot👌

[@FinBrennan]

Good lord, Laurie. The amount of work and research gone into this series is Nardwuar levels of research :P

[@paulwenceslao4122]

Laurie has pretty much given the channel Wisecrack some needed competition. Fantastic work, guys! 👍

[@johnmorganbatneal5681]

I have wondered if Bray got the line "Let Me In" from The Babadook.

[@Philosophoholic163]

Consider also the American remake, "Let me in", of John Ajvide Lindqvist's "Let the right one in".

[@platonicpapashaga]

This series is so well done.

[@JackB_2013]

Nice job laurie!!! Hope you do more of these style vids

[@partsFUNknown]

LAURIE: That's the plan!