Kane’s Original WWE Concept Nearly Featured a Burned Face Mask

Every major WWE Superstar has a backstory, and Kane is no different. Just like every debut for the company, Kane’s needed to be played in the perfect way, and that also included playing with the idea of a second mask for the Big Red Machine.

Kane’s story is that of The Undertaker’s half-brother, born after Paul Bearer had an affair with Taker’s mother. This relationship eventually led to a tragic incident at a funeral home, where a fire left The Undertaker believing he was an only child—until he discovered otherwise.

On the latest episode of Something To Wrestle With, Bruce Prichard discussed the creation of the Kane character, the reasons for delaying his debut, and more. He emphasized the significance of fire in shaping Kane’s identity.

“Yeah, as far as all the initial iterations of it, giving them feedback on what we saw and how we saw him. And it was — the fire theme was a big part of it as well. The fire theme, because he had perished in a fire allegedly, was a big part of who this character was, because we kept with the story. Man, it was a fire. It was a fire that killed his parents. It was a fire that really damaged his little brother. His little brother just didn’t pass. So that’s where really the red and black came from. It kind of reminds you of fire. And it was evil in its tone. So you know, yeah, they were a perfect color scheme.”

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When developing Kane’s iconic look, Prichard also revealed that there were considerations for a burned facemask for the character. “We looked at a lot of different things. I think trying to pull it off as if it was not a mask and do it like a burn victim was not something that we looked at seriously, because we wanted to cover him up. That was the idea. It was shame, that ‘I’m ashamed of the way I looked. I want to cover myself up. Don’t look at me because I’m hideous.’ So I don’t recall ever doing anything to try and get a mask like that made,” Prichard explained.

The story of Kane and The Undertaker continued for years, eventually leading them to team up as the Brothers of Destruction. This duo became one of the most dominant teams in WWE history, with matches that will be studied by wrestlers for years to come, as they are two of the greatest big men in the business.

The Undertaker has retired from in-ring competition, but Kane has not officially declared his retirement. Whether WWE will bring back Kane’s fire-filled entrance remains to be seen, but if it happens, we’ll be here to cover it at Ringside News.

What are your thoughts on the development of Kane’s character and the creative choices made in shaping his backstory and appearance? How do you think the use of themes like fire and masks contributed to his lasting impact in WWE? Share your favorite Kane moments or how you felt about his storyline with The Undertaker in the comments below!