5 best heel turns in WWE history
Even the most talented WWE Superstars can find themselves in a rut. Quite often, nothing can rejuvenate them better than a well-timed heel turn. In addition to giving their characters an edge, certain wrestlers are better at expressing themselves after tapping into their dark sides.
As evidenced by Hulk Hogan's decision to ditch the red and yellow and join the nWo, the right heel turn can not only elevate a promotion's fortunes but catalyze the professional wrestling industry as a whole.
With that being said, here are the five best heel turns in WWE history:
#5 Triple H joined The Corporation in 1998
After losing to Kane earlier in the night, Triple H turned on D-Generation X colleague X-Pac to help Shane McMahon retain the European Championship at WrestleMania 15.
Ditching DX for The Corporation certainly earned The Game the wrath of the Philadelphia audience at the time. However, it proved to be the best decision of his career as it helped him to grow into one of the biggest stars of the Attitude Era.
He soon became one of the predominant villains in WWE and had an incredible feud with The Rock.
#4 Becky Lynch became one of WWE's biggest stars after turning heel
Becky Lynch earned a shot at Carmella for the SmackDown Women's Championship and seemed poised to win the title at SummerSlam 2018. However, Charlotte Flair was also added to the match and ended up walking away with the crown instead.
After the bout, the Irish star assaulted The Queen, turning heel in the process. This was one of WWE's best creative decisions in recent years as it led to the birth of The Man. Lynch went on to become one of the hottest characters in professional wrestling and is a bonafide star to this day.
#3 Roman Reigns became The Tribal Chief in 2020
Vince McMahon has always been a firm believer in Roman Reigns' potential to become the top star in WWE. The Georgia Tech product was positioned as the promotion's biggest babyface after The Shield broke-up and was pitted against Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 31.
However, Reigns was scripted poorly and was shackled by lackluster creative. The audience rejected him entirely. After years of struggle, McMahon finally relented and turned the Florida native heel in 2020.
Reigns, with The Usos and Paul Heyman by his side, has now discovered himself as a performer and has become one of the most entertaining acts in professional wrestling.
#2 CM Punk attacked The Rock at RAW 1000
After winning the WWE Championship at Survivor Series 2011, CM Punk embarked on a 434-day run with the title. While he started off as a babyface, The Straight Edge Superstar turned heel to set up a massive clash with The Rock at Royal Rumble 2013.
Punk's iconic championship reign became even more entertaining when he turned heel and aligned himself with long-time friend Paul Heyman. The two stars became the focal point of RAW and made for compelling television.
The Chicago native elevated his work on the microphone even further and had compelling programs with Ryback, John Cena and The Rock.
#1 The Rock joining The Nation of Domination paid dividends
Ever since he was signed to a contract, the higher-ups in WWE believed that The Rock was a generational talent. However, the Rocky Maivia character didn't connect with the fans, who rejected him.
The audience had grown to expect an edgier presentation of professional wrestling following the success of the nWo in WCW.
In August 1997, The Rock returned from an injury and joined The Nation of Domination, turning heel. Portraying a villainous character allowed the third-generation star to showcase his personality and come into his own on the microphone. The rest was history.