The Fiend is by far the scariest character in the WWE today. Even more terrifying, though, is that he seems to unlock a darker side to his opponents after he puts them down for the count. Both Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor turned heel after losses to the monster, and now it looks like The Miz is also going in that direction.
But Daniel Bryan has faced The Fiend already and remained a face. Despite losing at Survivor Series (and losing a chunk of his hair along the way) the fan-favorite has still kept himself on the straight and narrow. So what makes Bryan different?
The Fans Decide
Regardless of a character's scripted Face or Heel alignment, the fans ultimately choose who to cheer and the WWE universe has been behind Daniel Bryan even when it looked like he would never wrestle again. Even when he was a heel, the fans loved him.
Bryan's a unique specimen in pro wrestling, a wrestler who got over by being just a genuinely likable guy who wrestled and seldom has a character or gimmick. So when WWE started pushing Bryan to the mid-card when fans wanted him in the main event, the reaction was nuclear. Could the fans support of Bryan be giving him some kind of emotional support the other wrestlers don't receive?
Daniel Bryan, the American Dragon
Daniel Bryan got his start in the underground and independent wresting circuits for years before he signed with WWE. Even the WWE did not believe in his ability to create a fan base or carry the company. He is the perfect example of someone who was underrated, underappreciated and undervalued for his entire rise to the top.
In one of his final storylines before having to retire due to injury, Bryan joined the Wyatt Family. But the storyline lasted less than a month. Why? Because the fans did not want to see Daniel Bryan as a heel going into WrestleMania. The fans rallied behind Bryan, creating the YES! Movement as we know it today, culminating in Bryan winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX.
Always a Good Bad Guy
That’s not to say he doesn't make a good bad guy. When he went from the YES! Movement to the NO! Movement, Bryan was perfect as a delusional, over the top heel. Even when the fans were booing him, it was because they loved to hate him.
Bryan's feud with Kane and eventual formation of Team Hell No! was a textbook case of a heel winning over the audience. From going to anger management classes to hugging it out in the ring, Bryan proved that he could win over the crowd as a good guy or a bad guy. Kane's return to Smackdown building towards the match with The Fiend may mean that Bryan's allegiance with The Devil's Favorite Demon has helped prepare him for The Fiend's antics.
Good vs. Evil
The Fiend is clearly the new face of darkness in WWE. The company needs someone to fill that role and that character does it perfectly. The mystique he carries is incredible, and he's already got fans talking thanks to his exciting visual design.
But the darkness needs light to balance it out, and for WWE the fans have rallied once again behind Daniel Bryan. Bryan's already survived one encounter with The Fiend, but only just barely. Will The Fiend turn another fan-favorite into a bad guy, or is Bryan just going to kick his head in? We'll have to wait for Royal Rumble to find out.