Ranking every Roman Reigns character from worst to best
Roman Reigns recently faced a massive upset at Crown Jewel Premium Live Event, where Solo Sikoa pinned him in a Six Man Tag Team Match. However, his loss in the hands of his former Enforcer has spiced The Bloodline Saga even more, as it could potentially lead to another barnburner of a bout at the upcoming Survivor Series: WarGames later this month.
Reigns, currently deemed the Original Tribal Chief, has donned numerous personas since debuting on the main roster in 2012. Whether he is a face or a heel, it proves how versatile he is in portraying a certain character.
To that end, check out these personas that Reigns portrayed over the years.
#5. The Guy
Roman Reigns' "The Guy" character was first introduced in 2016 on RAW after WrestleMania 32. Reigns won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Triple H at The Show of Shows, who was the spearhead of The Authority faction at the time.
On that aforementioned episode of the red brand, Reigns delivered a promo, stating he was neither a bad guy nor a good guy but "the guy." That same night, he issued a challenge to any WWE Superstar who wanted to take a shot at his championship, to which AJ Styles, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn heeded the call.
Like the first entry, this Reigns character was ill-received by fans, as he was also booed most of the time. Instead, his former Shield teammate Seth Rollins became more popular with the WWE Universe.
#4. The Big Dog
Roman Reigns' "The Big Dog" persona came to fruition in 2014. It was believed to be his initial portrayal of a good guy after parting ways with The Shield. Further, this was how famed commentator Michael Cole would call him during a match.
Despite being a babyface, he was getting booed at most of his matches, as it did not sit well with fans at the time. A case in point was during the 2015 Royal Rumble when The Rock came to his aid to win the 30-man battle royal.
The moniker was also significant during his feud with former WWE Superstar Baron Corbin. In January 2020, Reigns, alongside The Usos, were pitted against then-King Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode, where the loser of the match will be smothered with dog food.
Reigns' team won, and what transpired afterward went down to infamy.
#3. The Shield's Powerhouse
As mentioned, The Shield was WWE's breakout stable at the time, where Reigns, alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley), made an explosive main roster debut during 2012's Survivor Series.
Among the three, Roman Reigns was introduced as the faction's powerhouse. He was the team's muscleman, possessing impressive athleticism. Despite his brute strength, he was not much of a talker at the time.
A notable highlight of this character was during the 2014 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event. Despite being a heel at that time, the former Universal Champion was heavily favored to win the Rumble match, and it came down to him and Batista as the final two competitors. The Animal won the bout and went on to main event WrestleMania that year alongside Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) and Randy Orton.
#2. Roman Reigns as the OTC
After months of absence following his loss at WrestleMania 40, Roman Reigns made a thunderous return at this year's SummerSlam and sent a clear message to Solo Sikoa that he returned to take back what is rightfully his. This also confirmed rumors that he will be donning a new persona as the Original Tribal Chief (OTC).
Needless to say, WWE was spot on in reintroducing Reigns as a babyface this time around, as was evident from the crowd's reaction during The Biggest Party of The Summer.
Now that Reigns is on his redemption arc, it will be interesting to see what happens next, especially now that things are heating up between him and Solo Sikoa.
#1. The Tribal Chief
Roman Reigns was one of the top babyfaces before he went on a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic. However, when he returned at that year's SummerSlam, he turned heel. And just like what was written on the shirt he wore then, he literally wrecked everyone (Braun Strowman and The Fiend) and left. From that moment on, everyone knew that he meant business.
Days later, he aligned himself with Paul Heyman and was deemed The Tribal Chief. Come Payback that same year, he captured his second Universal Championship, and the rest is already etched in WWE's rich history.
It was also during this time that The Bloodline was born and has grown to become the most dominant faction within the promotion. Further, the storyline was praised by both critics and fans, who deemed it the most compelling wrestling narrative they've witnessed in years.