4 WWE Superstars who never turned face
The best thing about WWE and what they offer is an emphasis on everything being dynamic in nature. The product is never static relative to time, and everything from rosters to storylines and character arcs changes as the weeks, months and years go by.
One WWE trait that keeps on alternating for superstars is the face/heel alignment. Booking and writing changes lead to wrestlers flipping between the good and bad guy. The face/heel turn is a staple of wrestling and an aspect of it that keeps fans engaged and interested while also preventing shows from being lackluster and predictable.
Fans cheer for their favorite superstars every week, and this is noted by those backstage. Overwhelming popularity can result in the biggest heels turning babyface. If said people can keep themselves relevant and engaging, they can define eras.
However, there are a few of WWE Superstars who have remained heel throughout their careers. They were so good at antagonizing things that the company never saw the need to turn them face.
On that note, here are four WWE Superstars who never turned face in their careers.
#4 On our list of WWE Superstars who remained villains throughout their careers: Rick Rude
No hero is complete without a villain, and it was the same case with The Ultimate Warrior. He would have never become one of wrestling's biggest faces had it not been for his nemesis in Rick Rude.
Rude was a master manipulator of crowds and events and had the wrestling ability to back it up. While fans fondly remember his iconic feud against Warrior, he had other memorable ones too.
What made him an elite heel was the fact that he worked hard to ensure that fans were firmly against him every time he stepped foot in the ring. His genius as the bad guy saw WWE commit to it and never turn him face, and the result was one of the best heel characters in wrestling history.
#3 Wade Barrett
Wade Barrett will always be one of the biggest WWE 'what ifs'. Having made his debut as the leader of The Nexus, fans saw a bright future for him in the company, but that failed to materialize due to one booking disaster after another.
Throughout his run, Barrett played an insufferable villain who fans loved to hate. His momentum was always up-and-down, and remained so even as Bad News Barrett and King Barrett. Fans used to cheer for him on occasion, but WWE never pulled the trigger on a face turn.
#2 Baron Corbin
Here is a hot take - Baron Corbin is an elite superstar who nails most fundamentals of wrestling to perfection. Case in point - look around the WWE roster and show us someone who is a better all-round heel than he is.
Corbin is someone who gets booed out of every arena he steps into, and that shows just how stellar his heel work is. Fans love to see their favorite superstars step up and hand him a walloping. He is so good that if WWE wants to promote an up-and-coming babyface, The Lone Wolf is the perfect person to pair them with.
The former RAW Constable may not be the best in-ring performer, but his character work and heat magnet ability make him a legendary modern day villain. WWE can rely on him at any moment in time and shouldn't even be thinking of turning him face anytime soon.
#1 The Iron Sheik
The Iron Sheik is one of the greatest antagonists of all time, and one of a select few to do it while hating the United States of America. The foreign heel gimmick has been overused lately, but Sheik is undoubtedly the benchmark for it.
Sheik's hate for Hulk Hogan saw the company strike gold. Fans remember him for his ability to play to any crowd and get them to react in the way he wanted them to. His agenda against America also made him the villain in any ring he stepped into and instantly elevated every babyface he feuded with, including Hogan himself.
The foreign antagonist was so good that he stuck to his character even when he became a manager later on in his career. He simply gave his employers no reason to turn him face, having mastered the art of villainy to a tee.