In 1998, Undertaker and Kane had a brutal rivalry, typical of the animosity between the brothers. Once this rivalry ended, Undertaker formed an iconic faction that became one of WWE’s most dangerous elements. We’re talking about the formation of the Ministry of Darkness.

How did Undertaker form the Ministry of Darkness?

Although it sounds like something out of a Harry Potter novel, the Ministry of Darkness was one of WWE’s most iconic factions. In 1998, Taker and Kane faced at Judgement Day: In Your House for the vacant WWE Championship.

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Towards the end of the match, Paul Bearer walked out and walloped Kane with a steel chair, siding with Undertaker once again.

Special guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin refused to count the pinfall and hit Taker with a Stunner. He picked up the chair and struck Taker in the face, counting the pinfall with both men on the floor, and declared himself the winner.

The next night on Raw, Taker cut a promo where he explained his reconciliation with Paul Bearer. He claimed he’s forming a Ministry of Darkness, which led to Kane coming out and challenging him to a casket match. However, the match ended with no winner after Taker and Paul Bearer retreated backstage.

How did Stone Cold Steve Austin get involved?

Taker and Kane then met at Survivor Series 1998 in a WWE Championship tournament. Paul Bearer’s interference gave Taker the win, but he would lose in the next round to The Rock after Kane interfered and Chokeslammed The Rock, giving him the disqualification victory.

At the following PPV, Austin and Taker were booked in a Buried Alive match, but Taker kidnapped Austin and attempted a human sacrifice. To his fortune, Kane stopped the ritual and saved Austin. Austin and Kane repeatedly foiled Undertaker’s attempts at forming his Ministry of Darkness, and he had to deal with them.

Instead of Taker handling Kane and Austin, he got taken out and driven away in a body bag, only for Kane and Austin to kidnap Paul Bearer. They trapped him in a sewer and left him, only for Taker to get the ultimate revenge. He beat up Austin and knocked him out, only to crucify him to his symbol for the entire word to see.

Who did Undertaker recruit to the Ministry?

At Rock Bottom 1998, Austin and Taker met in a feud-ending Buried Alive match. After brawling around the arena, Kane showed up and delivered a Tombstone to Taker, after which he rolled him into the grave to be buried alive.

With the Undertaker gone, two brooding men named Bradshaw [JBL] and Farooq [Ron Simmons] formed a spooky new team. The Acolytes terrorized the WWE Universe and kidnapped Dennis Knight, a fellow wrestler and member of the Bone Street Krew.

They took Knight to a druid-like figure the Acolytes referred to as ‘He’. The ‘He’ turned out to be the Deadman, who found his newest recruits in the Ministry of Darkness. A team called the Brood [Edge, Christian and Gangrel] also joined the Ministry, making it a faction to be feared.

They terrorized the WWE by attempting to perform strange rituals. Taker even faced Vince McMahon‘s bodyguard, the Big Boss Man, at WrestleMania X5 and kayfabe ‘hung’ him from the roof of Hell in a Cell. These events continued until the group disbanded, but they remain an important part of WWE and the Undertaker’s legacy.

WATCH: When WWE Legend the Undertaker Crucified Cold Steve Austin in a Chilling Segment