After the months of teases, the Exalted One is about to be revealed. The Dark Order's mysterious leader is scheduled to debut on the 3/18 episode of Dynamite.
AEW has teased the Exalted One's identity via Dynamite and Twitter. The candidates range from free agents fresh from WWE to legends who haven't been active performers in years. No one is quite sure yet who the Exalted One will be, but they've quickly become the talk of the wrestling fanbase.
Matt Hardy
Hardy's future plans have been a hot topic lately. After being written off of WWE TV, Hardy teased a jump to AEW with a tweet. The Young Bucks appearing on Hardy's web show, "Free the Delete", seemed to confirm his signing with AEW. A tweet from AEW's official account teased ties to the Dark Order, with the first letter of each line spelling out Matt Hardy.
Hardy seems like the most likely choice for the Exalted One. It would also probably be the best use of the 45-year-old in AEW. He could cut promos for the group and compete in multi-man tag matches instead of having the kind of intense singles matches AEW expects out of its talent. His skill for pre-taped segments would also mesh well with the vignettes AEW has aired as part of the Dark Order's recruitment drive.
Raven
The hardcore legend made a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo on Dynamite. It was his first appearance in a major promotion since his run in TNA ended in 2010. He was seen in the crowd during the #1 Contender Tag Team Battle Royal, watching a brawl between Scorpio Sky and Dark Order member Stu Grayson. AEW teased him as the Exalted One in a tweet, noting that "The Exalted One is always watching."
The Dark Order's cult vibes would be a good fit for Raven. He put together similar groups of misfits in ECW, WCW, and TNA, and he's known for having a great mind for wrestling and great promos. That said, he appears to have been a red herring and may have just been visiting AEW while they were in his hometown of Atlanta. He's also been retired from the ring for years, meaning he's unlikely to be able to contribute physically.
BRODIE LEE
The Exalted One's Dynamite debut was scheduled for Lee's hometown of Rochester, New York. It's gotten fans talking about the possibility of a Lee debut in his hometown, though Coronavirus precautions forced AEW to move the show to Jacksonville.
Lee would be an interesting choice based on his time in WWE's Wyatt Family. Going from henchman to evil mastermind would be a swerve for the former Bludgeon Brother, which is the kind of thing AEW likes to make allusions to in promos and on commentary.
Lance Archer
Before he ever appeared on Dynamite, AEW teased the massive Texan as the Exalted One. An Exalted One teaser tweet referenced his New Japan Pro Wrestling catchphrase, Everybody Dies. Archer has since been revealed as Jake Roberts' client, making it unlikely he'll be leading the Dark Order.
Christopher Daniels
The Dark Order has been recruiting Daniels heavily for months, leading to tension with his SCU teammates Scorpio Sky and Frankie Kazarian. On Revolution's pre-show, Daniels briefly appeared to be unveiled as the Exalted One before coming to SCU and Colt Cabana's aid. Now he's taunting the Dark Order by parodying their recruitment videos and claiming they Exalted One doesn't exist. This could all be leading to a huge swerve, but it seems unlikely, given how well SCU operates as a trio.
Marty Scurll
The Villain was expected to join the rest of the Elite in AEW when his Ring of Honor contract expired last year. Instead, he took ROH's offer of big money and a spot on the creative team to stay. His contract does allow him to work with other promotions, including his current feud with NWA Champion Nick Aldis, and rumors are he's going to attempt to be a bridge between ROH and AEW. Even if he winds up showing up in AEW, it's hard to believe they would use someone not under contract to the promotion in such a major role.
Hardy and Lee are the most obvious choices. Either would be an interesting choice for the leader of AEW's cult-like stable and would definitely raise the profile of a stable that lacks star power. It would also be a chance for either man to reinvent themselves in AEW after WWE runs, the way Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley have.