Chris Jericho is widely regarded as one of the best performers when it comes to character work. Those at the very top of their game have the ability to shift their characters into new directions, drastically changing their personas to freshen up their act entirely. Stepping into the darkness is a tried and true method of shaking things up, from Sting's transition to his black-and-white appearance, to Pentagon Dark wreaking havoc in Lucha Underground, to even the likes of Keiji Mutoh's transformation into The Great Muta. This is exactly what Chris Jericho tried to do with "The Painmaker".
Jericho has taken his on-screen character in many directions over the years, from being a cocky, Goldberg-provoking cruiserweight, to an egomaniac in a suit, to his current guise as "The Influencer" of sports entertainment. After leaving WWE in the late 2010s, he was eager to find a new character he could throw himself into upon his arrival in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and thus, The Painmaker was born.
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The Origins of The Painmaker
The Painmaker began as an extension of the reinvigorated Chris Jericho the world saw surrounding the 'Alpha vs. Omega' dream match between Jericho and Kenny Omega. The Jericho that New Japan fans first got in 2017 was more or less a harder-edged version of how he had been portraying himself in WWE not long before, sans lists, but keeping the scarves. Not a consistent presence on New Japan's tours, Jericho stalked Omega through video packages and surprise attacks in the lead to their no-disqualification clash over the IWGP United States Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 12.
After losing the battle of the Winnipeggers, Jericho set his sights on Tetsuya Naito, ambushing him the next night at New Year Dash. Jericho employed the same mind games against Naito, but with a more violent flair to them, with one attack leaving Naito a bloody mess. Over his feud with Naito, Jericho began painting his face in harlequin-like patterns and hiding behind plastic face masks. In another No-DQ match at Wrestle Kingdom 13, Jericho lost to Naito and disappeared for a few months once again.
Jericho returned to New Japan later in the summer of 2019, this time going after another main event talent, the reigning world champion Kazuchika Okada. With Okada known as "The Rainmaker", Jericho's eye for branding led him to calling this new persona he had cultivated as "The Painmaker".
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The Painmaker is Inadvertently Jericho's Goofiest Character Yet
There are a number of things that make "The Painmaker" the goofiest character in Chris Jericho's catalog. First is the appearance of "The Painmaker" itself. Face paint can be a huge tool in bringing a character to life, but Jericho's A Clockwork Orange-inspired make-up is pretty baffling in its own right. Then, pairing that with a black fedora and leather jacket covered in spikes, the whole thing comes across as Jericho trying his very best to be edgy, but lacking all the punch needed to do so. At best, it comes off as the personification of 'edgelord' internet culture.
Stemming from that, another factor that makes "The Painmaker" so bizarre is how all the effort ends up being only skin deep. Speaking on "The Painmaker" character in interviews and podcasts, Jericho clearly sees this character as being such a high concept, envelope-pushing idea. Comparing it to other characters "The Painmaker" draws on shows just how weak this claim is. "Crow" Sting was a fundamental shift in who Sting was a performer top to bottom. The Great Muta was an entirely different entity to Keiji Mutoh. Even something like Cactus Jack was a noticeably more violent version of Mick Foley's other personas. "The Painmaker" just comes across as Chris Jericho in weird make-up.
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As "The Painmaker", Chris Jericho speaks the exact same, wrestles the exact same, and feels the exact same. 'Judas' plays the exact same regardless of whether Jericho is painted up or not. Though he likes to use "The Painmaker" as something he can pull out of his bag of tricks at a moment's notice, embracing this 'dark side' when the mood calls for it, the effects are essentially negligible. All that really changes is Jericho's likelihood to use a steel chair or not. Jericho has adapted his in-ring style to become more of a brawler as he has gotten up in age, so what some might see "The Painmaker" using weapons as a more vicious turn, it's pretty much the norm for how Jericho has been wrestling, fedora or not, for the past few years now.
He might not be reading from a long list over a commercial break, spouting catchphrases or starring in comedic pairings, but "The Painmaker" is far and away the goofiest character Chris Jericho has ever put in front of a camera. However much he might like to say it's a groundbreaking, next-level persona, "The Painmaker" isn't much more than some smudgy paint.
