Every Member Of The Hart Foundation, Ranked Worst To Best

Other than the McMahon family, the Harts are perhaps the most influential wrestling family of the last 40 years. The patriarch of the family, Stu Hart, was a wrestler and heralded promoter in Canada. All his sons would wrestle at one point or another, most notably Bret Hart and Owen Hart, and all his daughters would go on to marry wrestlers.

RELATED: Every Version Of The Hart Foundation, Ranked From Worst To Best

Needless to say, the Harts are wrestling royalty. A lot of the family's success can be attributed to the popular Hart Foundation stable. Throughout the years, fans have seen several iterations of the group, featuring different members. Some members were unforgettable while a couple are hard to recall.

10 Danny Davis

We're kicking off the list with a deep cut. Some younger fans might not even recognize the name "Dangerous" Danny Davis. Some fans might even take a closer look and ask themselves, "Wasn't that guy a referee at one point?" Yes, Danny Davis was originally a referee for WWE from 1981 until 1987.

In early 1987, Davis was stripped of his refereeing duties after months of showing favoritism towards heels. The straw that broke the camel's back was his turning a blind eye to The Hart Foundation cheating to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. Davis would subsequently join the stable. His association with the group would be over by 1988 and he'd go back to refereeing in 1989.

9 Tyson Kidd

We go from an entry that older fans might remember more to one that younger fans might be more familiar with. In 2010, Bret Hart ended his nearly 13-year rivalry with Vince McMahon and WWE. This led to Hart becoming a full-time character in WWE for the first time since 1997. During this run, Hart would naturally align with The Hart Dynasty.

The group was a spin-off of the legendary Hart Foundation. It featured a couple of next-generation Harts and the talented Tyson Kidd. Kidd's link to the Hart family came from him being the final graduate of The Hart Dungeon. He would enjoy great success as part of The Hart Dynasty. Unfortunately, his career would end prematurely in 2015 after a botched Muscle Buster by Samoa Joe

8 David Hart Smith

Tyson Kidd would enjoy his greatest success as part of The Hart Dynasty while teaming with David Hart Smith. As the son of the late great British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith, David was a perfect fit for the group. At 6'5", 250 lbs, David was more of a physical specimen than even his father. The fact that he was a spitting image of Davey Boy also helped endear him to fans.

David arguably had the most potential out of all the Hart Dynasty members. He had the look and legacy to be a huge star in the business. Unfortunately, things never really played out in his favor. He was released from WWE in 2011. He returned to the company in 2020 but was released in 2021 without ever wrestling a televised match.

7 Brian Pillman

Like Danny Davis, this one was a brief stint in The Hart Foundation. Although, fans likely remember this one a bit more. In 1996, Brian Pillman signed only the second-ever guaranteed deal in WWE history. Later that year, Pillman would begin to heavily favor Bret Hart. In 1997, Hart would reform The Hart Foundation with his brother and brothers-in-law.

RELATED: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Brian Pillman's Time In WWE

An invitation was also extended to Brian Pillman. Pillman had a long history with the Hart family that traced back to his early days in the business training under Stu Hart and wrestling for his Stampede Wrestling promotion. Sadly, Pillman's run as a member of The Hart Foundation ended tragically when he passed away prematurely in October 1997 from a heart attack.

6 Natalya

Sometimes, certain members of stables get labeled as potential future stars while others are simply looked at as roster fillers. When The Hart Dynasty initially debuted on WWE programming in 2009, many experts predicted that the group's breakout star would be David Hart Smith. That wouldn't be the case though.

Instead, Natalya Neidhart would turn out to be the group's breakout star. Natalya would enjoy the most success out of all the members. She would go on to hold the WWE Divas Championship, the SmackDown Women's Championship, and the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. When her career is all said and done, she will be a surefire Hall Of Famer. Not everyone saw that coming in 2009.

5 The British Bulldog

We've arrived at the upper echelon of Hart Foundation members. The top five were all vital members of the group and are all remembered fondly by fans. The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith, in particular, is a performer that many fans grew up watching. He became an official member of the Hart clan in 1984 when he married Diana Hart.

In the wrestling universe, Davey Boy and The Dynamite Kid were two of the original Hart Foundation's biggest rivals. In 1997 however, Davey linked up with his family, forming the version of The Hart Foundation most fans remember. He's considered one of the best performers to never win a World Championship. Sadly, Davey Boy passed away in 2002 from a heart attack.

4 Owen Hart

Unfortunately, in the Hart family, tragedy has reared its head almost as much as success. Up until November 1997, the family was riding high, with almost every member enjoying ridiculous success. In 1997, Bret was the WWE Champion while Owen was dripping in championship gold. Owen was simultaneously the WWE Intercontinental Champion, one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions, and a two-time Slammy Award winner as part of The Hart Foundation.

The good times wouldn't last though, at Survivor Series 1997, the family's fortunes began to turn. In 1999, the greatest tragedy in pro wrestling history occurred live on pay-per-view and in front of a live audience. At Over The Edge 1999, Owen Hart fell to his death while performing an elaborate stunt entrance. His loss is still felt today.

3 Jimmy Hart

Uninformed wrestling fans are probably wondering what in the world "The Mouth Of The South" Jimmy Hart is doing this high up on the list. Well, what some younger fans likely don't know is that Jimmy Hart started The Hart Foundation. The stable has been associated with the Harts for so long, that casual fans have no idea that the group was originally a Jimmy Hart stable.

RELATED: 10 Things Fans Should Know About Jimmy Hart

The tag team of Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart just got over so big that they became associated with the name more than Jimmy Hart. Jimmy was a huge part of The Hart Foundation's early days though. Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart would've likely still been successful without Jimmy Hart but without him, they may've gone by a different name.

2 Jim Neidhart

Some readers might not agree with having Jim Neidhart this high on the list. Some readers might perhaps think the number two spot is better suited for Owen Hart or even The British Bulldog. However, "The Anvil" was arguably more vital to The Hart Foundation's success than either Owen or Davey Boy.

During the 80s, Neidhart was the perfect compliment to Bret Hart. Their tag team operated as a well-oiled machine and enjoyed great success. Sure, Neidhart didn't have the same singles success as the other members but he was one half of arguably the greatest tag team ever. Furthermore, he's half responsible for giving the wrestling Natalya Neidhart. That has to be worth a little extra.

1 Bret Hart

The top spot on this list was never up for debate. Bret "The Hitman" Hart is arguably the most outstanding wrestler ever to live. It should go without saying that he was the unquestioned leader and best member of The Hart Foundation. Bret holds the distinction of being the only performer to appear in all three WWE versions of The Hart Foundation.

His success as a singles competitor helped solidified the Hart family as one of pro wrestling's most important bloodlines. Today, Bret has taken over his late father's role as the patriarch of the Hart family. He truly s "The best there is. The best there was. And the best there ever will be."