AEW Finally Revealed The Identity Of The Dark Order’s Exalted One

Going into tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite, fans knew it would feature two unique things, both of which could go really well or really poorly. It was All Elite Wrestling‘s first coronavirus-prompted no-audience show and the night the Exalted One of the Dark Order would be revealed.

Fan theories had circulated about the Exalted One’s identity since this mysterious character was first mentioned, and by the time of the reveal, Matt Hardy seemed like the most likely person to be under the cloak. He revealed on YouTube that he would likely be coming to AEW and both he and the official AEW account had teased his cult leader status with cryptic tweets. But it turned out these posts were red herrings and another former WWE wrestler is actually the Dark Order’s mysterious leader.

About halfway through tonight’s episode, Stu Grayson and Evi Uno entered the ring. Uno’s promo about the Exalted One was interrupted by Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian, with Daniels again claiming the existence of the Exalted One was a lie.

Daniels’ heretical promo was cut off by a spooky video on the big screen. A figure in a white hooded robe appeared and began to speak, his voice distorted at first, but becoming clearer. He threw back the hood and revealed himself to be Brodie Lee, fka WWE’s Luke Harper. Lee told Daniels he’s, “not the first out of touch old man to not believe in me, but I will make damn sure that you are the last.”

The screen went dark and when the show cut back to the ring, Lee was standing with the Dark Order behind SCU. The cult jumped Daniels and Kazarian, and Uno, Grayson, and the Beaver Boys stood in formation behind Lee shouting “We are one!” to end the segment. Lee is now officially All Elite and has graduated from swamp cult family member to masked cult leader.