WWE is laden with heels and babyfaces. The current regime under Triple H seems to favor the creation of bad guys—maybe because of his own history of playing one for so long in his career.
Whatever the reason, one cannot deny that importance of heels in this business. They drive purpose in storylines. One might even say that they are the driving force behind a babyface path to championship glory.
Throughout the history of WWE, fans have witnessed some huge heel turns. Some superstars turned out of spite and jealousy of their peers. Others played babyface long enough that their gimmick became stale.
A right heel turn at the right time has always done wonders for a superstar. These are the best heel turns in WWE history.
Triple H costs Daniel Bryan his WWE title
Triple H, at one point, was even a bigger heel than Vince McMahon. The Cerebral Assassin even had fans cheer McMahon during their 1999 feud. Hunter gave fans some gut-wrenching full-on bad guy moments during his illustrious WWE career.
He was the brains behind Steve Austin getting run over by a car at Survivor Series 1999. Hunter smashed his best friend Shawn Michaels’ face through a car’s side window in 2002. His most despicable act, perhaps, came when he cost Daniel Bryan his moment at SummerSlam 2013.
Danielson had defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship at the Biggest Party of the Summer. After the match, Randy Orton arrived with his Money in the Bank briefcase to tease a cash-in. The crowd erupted in shock as Triple H put away a distracted Bryan with a Pedigree.
Nobody saw the heel turn coming and that made it so much better. The Cerebral Assassin hadn’t been a heel in seven years. Fans watched in utter disbelief as Hunter counted to three and declared Orton the new world champion.
The Rock is the Corporate Champion (WWE Survivor Series 1998)
Rocky Maivia was a generic babyface with little to no appeal. Fans wanted him gone, so Vince McMahon decided to turn him heel by having him join The Nation of Domination. The heel turn allowed Rocky to truly showcase his potential as a charismatic heel.
By Survivor Series 1998, fan response to The Great One had drastically changed. Chants of “Rocky Sucks” and “Die Rocky Die” had been replaced with loud cheers. However, WWE once again took a gamble by turning the beloved superstar into a conniving heel.
McMahon called for the bell just as The Rock caught Mankind in the sharpshooter, giving the audience some major flashbacks of the Montreal Screwjob from a year prior. Rocky’s heel turn caught fans by surprise and led to the birth of The Corporate Champion.
Shawn Michaels goes solo
The Rockers were a dynamic duo, but there was only room for one in this business. While Marty Jannetty had the flashy move set, Shawn Michaels had the charisma and the confidence to turn into a future WrestleMania main eventer.
The two men would confront each other in the Barber Shop. After a back-and-forth verbal exchange, The Rockers would shake hands, only for Michaels to hit his partner with a superkick out of nowhere.
The Heartbreak Kid proceeded to pick his fallen comrade and sent him crashing through the barbershop’s glass window. Heenan was adamant that Jannetty had tried to escape through the window, leaving fans with another memorable element to the heel turn.
Seth Rollins destroys The Shield
The Shield were unlike any other faction in WWE when they first showed up at Survivor Series 2012. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose completely dismantled competition while winning singles and tag team titles.
The trio would even score back-to-back clean victories over Evolution in 2014. But Triple H always had a “Plan B.” On the night when The Shield were supposed to take out what was left of Evolution, Seth Rollins betrayed his brothers.
The Architect took out Roman Reigns with a steel chair shot while his back was turned against him. The crowd completely went silent as Ambrose looked in horror toward the man he considered his brother.
The rest is history.
Roman Reigns aligns himself with Paul Heyman (WWE SmackDown 2020)
Roman Reigns was pushed to the moon during his early years on the main roster. The former Big Dog was even endorsed by his cousin The Rock but fans rejected the endorsement. WWE had plenty of opportunities to turn him heel but didn’t until the pandemic arrived.
Reigns would show up at SummerSlam 2020 to attack both Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. He’d align himself with Paul Heyman, a man who had spend years as the advocate of one of his fiercest opponents in Brock Lesnar, on the August 28 WWE SmackDown.
The heel turn turned out to be a wise decision as it helped Reigns solidify himself as the biggest star of modern WWE. He’s now sitting at over 1,200 days as the WWE Universal Champion. Fans might have to wait till WrestleMania 40 to see if Cody Rhodes will topple him for the title.
Honorable Mentions
- Larry Zbyszko turns heel on Bruno Sammartino (1980)
- Andre the Giant (WWE Piper’s Pit 1987)
- Bret Hart (WrestleMania 13)
- Vince McMahon (WWE Survivor Series 1997)
- Steve Austin sides with the devil himself (WrestleMania X7)
Also read: Cody Rhodes Wants To Face Roman Reigns Again, Intends To Finish The Story
