Roman Reigns' family tree has gifted the wrestling scene its hottest angle in WWE in the form of The Bloodline, a storyline that has been going on since 2020. The Anoa'i Family is one of wrestling's most important legacy families. This tree has sprouted the likes of WWE Hall of Famers like High Chief Peter Maivia, The Wild Samoans, Yokozuna, and Rikishi. Today, Roman Reigns brings his family to the forefront of WWE storylines, positioning himself as The Head of the Table.

Such positioning has led to Roman Reigns leading WWE's biggest faction, The Bloodline. The seedlings of this storyline first manifested in 2020 inside the WWE Thunderdome and the arc has since spread into a worldwide obsession that every wrestling fan remains on the edge of their seat for. For four years and counting, the Bloodline storyline has continued to evolve with past moments proving to be significant instances of foreshadowing.

Many fans and commentators credit The Bloodline and its story as the main reason behind WWE's current unprecedented and uncontested success. It revitalized interest in the brand, created the best champion and brand ambassador in decades, and made fans believe that the company could deliver good creative ideas again. Here is a story of how it began, and how it is going.

Roman Reigns' Heel Turn Kicks Off a New Era

Beginnings of the Bloodline

After not wrestling a match since the previous February, Roman Reigns returned at the end of SummerSlam 2020, setting up a Universal Championship between himself, champion The Fiend, and Braun Strowman at the following week's Payback PPV. Save for a new "Wreck Everyone and Leave" mantra, he seems like the same old Roman, the showe-it-down-your-throat babyface that audiences grew to dislike in the past years. This was until the August 28 go-home episode of SmackDown, where Paul Heyman unexpectedly appeared in Reigns' locker room.

Fast-forward to Payback, where Heyman finagles his new client to not need to report to the ring until halfway into the main event. This tactic officially signals Roman Reigns' first heel turn since his Shield days, leading to a win that kickstarted his historic multi-year WWE Universal Championship run. Their first promo comes on the following episode of SmackDown, September 4, where Heyman not only establishes himself as Reigns' special counsel but for the first time, refers to Roman Reigns as the Tribal Chief. The Roman Reigns of old - The Big Dog - was always polarizing, but this was a side of Roman Reigns that fans had never seen before.

WWE had always hesitated to pull the trigger on turning Reigns heel upon his post-Shield singles push, but the COVID-19 pandemic presented the company with a new opportunity. Roman has expressed in interviews (like with Ryan Satin on YouTube) wanting to turn heel for years, but WWE remained hesitant about how audiences would react. The timing of the pandemic, keeping fans out of WWE events presented a chance for WWE to try something different with the character and experiment. Upon his internal request, WWE finally let Roman Reigns turn heel, and none of this happens without that turn.

Roman Reigns Officially Becomes the Tribal Chief

What is the Ula Fala?

The result is a megalomaniac villain certain that the only way that WWE and - most importantly - his family can succeed is with him at the Head of the Table. This character was firmly established in how he would brutalize Jey Uso, his first title challenger, as well as an injured Jimmy for trying to intervene on his brother's behalf. However, the tribe behind the Tribal Chief wouldn't start to take shape until Hell in a Cell 2020, where Reigns successfully defended his title in an I Quit Match.

Per the match's stipulation, Jey Uso would be forced to follow Roman's orders at all times and refer to him as the Tribal Chief. Furthermore, the PPV ends with the Wild Samoans (including Sika, Roman's late father) presenting Reigns with the Ula Fala, something that would become a significant MacGuffin throughout the Bloodline storyline. The Ula Fala is a Samoan necklace meant to symbolize the wearer's status as a Samoan chief, expected to be the first option in advising all public matters revolving around the family. With Jey ing in, The Bloodline officially began.

Sami Zayn Infiltrates Roman Reigns' Family

The Beginning of the End for the Bloodline's Stability

While Jey Uso was forced to Roman Reigns initially, he'd eventually fall in line and turn heel himself. His brother would do the same and turn heel upon returning from injury, leading to the Usos becoming the longest-reigning Undisputed Tag Team Champions. In due time, Jimmy and Jey's brother, the then-NXT North American Champion, Solo Sikoa, would be called up to the main roster and his family. The Bloodline was dominant, and it was complete. Well, almost complete, as one more unexpected face would the fray: Sami Zayn.

Beginning on the April 22, 2022 episode of SmackDown, Sami would attempt to ally with Reigns and the Bloodline when they gained a common enemy in Drew McIntyre. After returning respective favors, a delusional Sami was convinced he was in the Bloodline. Although it was clear that Roman's tribe was just using him, the former Intercontinental Champion would surprisingly warm up to the faction long enough to become an Honorary Uce. This frustrated Jey Uso, who never liked Sami from the start and let his disapproval be known, causing tension between himself and Roman Reigns.

Zayn's time in the Bloodline is fondly ed by fans for adding a funny act to the story, and it led to some of the best moments of this saga. However, while Zayn's unwavering dedication to the Bloodline would eventually win Jey over after their WarGames win at Survivor Series, Roman still felt it was necessary to test Sami's loyalties, most notably at the Royal Rumble when Reigns defended against Kevin Owens.

Despite Reigns' goading and bullying, Sami refused to attack his best friend, instead sending a chair shot at Roman's back. For a couple of months, Sami Zayn was the hottest babyface in pro wrestling, and it was all thanks to the incredible tension and emotions created by this story. While Zayn lost his big match against Roman at Elimination Chamber 2023, he would dethrone The Usos for the Undisputed Tag Titles alongside Owens in the main event of WrestleMania 39 Night One, all while further complicating the Bloodline's ' opinions on the Tribal Chief.

Challenges From All Corners

While Cody Rhodes Threatens Roman From the Outside, Jey's Betrayal Undermines the Bloodline's Stability

Meanwhile, Roman would face the biggest contender to his throne to date, Cody Rhodes. The returning superstar took the WWE by storm after abandoning the rival company he himself founded, AEW, and immediately became a fan-favorite. After a career-defining feud with Seth Rollins, Cody was ready to challenge Roman, and after the Usos' loss on night one, it seemed like the Tribal Chief was ready to fall. However, in the main event of WrestleMania 39, Roman retained his title, but things were not as good as it seemed for the Bloodline.

In the buildup to Mania, Sami Zayn tried to convince The Usos that Roman was only manipulating them, just as Roman did him. Sami's words seemed to be getting through to both Usos, even affecting their dynamic with Roman Reigns after WrestleMania 39. On the night of Clash of Champions 2023, one shove from Roman to Jey motivated Jimmy to superkick Reigns in the face. Jey would follow Jimmy out of the group, though their brother Solo remained by Roman's side for Bloodline Civil War at Money in the Bank. There, Jey became the first man in four years to pin Reigns.

Save for Solo, the Bloodline no longer felt like a group. Roman was a Tribal Chief without a tribe. Things changed when Jimmy suddenly turned heel on his brother at SummerSlam 2023. Jey's Tribal Combat match with Reigns had the stipulation that had Jey won, he'd become the new Tribal Chief. Jimmy worried that the position would change Jey for the worse, thus re-aligning with Roman and Solo. During this period, with Jey gone, Roman professes Solo Sikoa as his Tribal Heir, meaning that if anything happened to Roman Reigns, Solo would have the right to the Tribal Chief throne.

Bloodline 2.0 Forms After Roman Reigns' Title Loss

The Original Bloodline Falls Apart - Can They Rebuild?

From there, 2024 would kick off in style as The Rock returned to the wrestling ring, declaring that he wanted to sit at the Head of the Table. He'd initially challenge Roman Reigns to a match at WrestleMania, but an intervening two-time Royal Rumble winner named Cody Rhodes would force an alliance between the distant cousins. WWE itted changing direction after the explosive reaction of Cody Rhodes' fans when they learned that Rock had essentially booked himself in the main event of Mania, but it resulted in some of the most memorable months in pro wrestling in recent years.

The Rock's new "Final Boss" character often overshadowed Roman Reigns during the build to Mania, but the Bloodline story remained the most important and most entertaining one in the landscape. At WrestleMania 40, however, it seemed that all good things must come to an end, as Cody finally "finished the story" and won the WWE Undisputed Title from Reigns in what seemed to be wrestling's rendition of the Avengers movies, with all the top babyfaces who had been screwed by the Bloodline coming together to help Cody win. Luckily for us, the story was still far from over.

Both Roman and Rock disappeared after Mania. In their absence, Jimmy's worst fears about Jey potentially becoming Tribal Chief had become true in his other brother, Solo Sikoa. Solo would cash in on his Tribal Heir status, forcing his way into the role of Chief and possessing the Ula Fala. Solo forcibly kicked Jimmy out of the Bloodline in favor of bringing in new blood in the form of uber-violent Guerillas of Destiny, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa, and his new enforcer, Jacob Fatu. The Bloodline had become unhinged and untamed. Not even Paul Heyman could control them, and he was kicked out as well in most violent fashion.

Roman Reigns would finally return at SummerSlam 2024, Jimmy Uso returned at Bad Blood to his Tribal Chief, while his brother Jey begrudgingly followed. Even former Honorary Uce Sami Zayn ed his brothers in arms when the new Bloodline became far too dominant across all shows. Still, though, when Bronson Reed ed the fray for Solo's side, the numbers game was still out of Roman's favor.

The tides wouldn't turn until a returning Paul Heyman made a phone call to CM Punk in exchange for a favor to the OG Bloodline for one night only at Survivor Series. Evening the odds, Roman's team would beat Solo's at Survivor Series to win WarGames. Still, though, this Bloodline vs. Bloodline feud would not officially end until the first episode of Raw on Netflix, where Roman would defeat Solo Sikoa in Tribal Combat to secure for himself the Ula Fala, becoming the undisputed Tribal Chief.

Is WWE's Bloodline Dead?

Has WWE's Hottest Storyline and Faction Reached an End?

For months following the Netflix premiere, 2025 looked as if it was preparing to signal the end of the Bloodline. While attaining Tribal Chief status, Roman Reigns embarked as a one-man army, with his Wiseman in tow, while the rest of the OG Bloodline went their separate ways after their temporary alliance. CM Punk's favor would create friction between Roman and Paul Heyman, in which the favor was for Heyman to escort Punk into his WrestleMania 41 main event against Roman and Seth Rollins. In said main event, Heyman would turn on both men to Rollins in what some would say officially killed the Bloodline as a faction.

As for Bloodline 2.0, both Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa were sidelined with injuries, while Jacob Fatu would become more defiant in the face of supposed leader Solo Sikoa, especially after becoming WWE United States Champion. Ironically enough, just as it seemed the Bloodline was ending, a new chapter began at Backlash when free agent Jeff Cobb would debut to the stable. This was enough to create newfound intrigue into the Bloodline storyline, as well as pump it with new life.

There are several layers beneath the surface of this storyline, which is rare in wrestling arcs. It is the definitive proof of the company's new creative direction during the Paul Levesque era, which favors long-term storytelling and proper builds. With plenty of room still to grow, it's safe to say that The Bloodline ranks as one of WWE's best storylines ever, if not the best one.