In 2022, Triple H took creative control of WWE from the hands of Vince McMahon, which represents a huge and unimaginable change in the content of WWE programming. It was clear everywhere that the product was much better and more popular than it had been for some time, and that is thanks to Triple H.

Over the last two years, members of the roster have gone in a new direction with a heel or babyface turn, although some have been far better than others. When selecting the very best, every aspect is taken into account, such as the build-up to the turn, the execution of the turn itself, and also the consequences in terms of how well it worked and helped the wrestler.

Roman Reigns became a babyface without even being on TV

Reigns is WWE’s most popular babyface since his return

• Solo Sikoa took over The Bloodline
• Fans were desperately waiting for the return of Roman Reigns
• He has perfectly fitted into the role of babyface

At this point, it’s too early to properly judge the long-term success of Roman Reigns’ babyface turn, but it was certainly a success in the short term. He turned face because fans missed his presence and hated Solo Sikoa’s “New Bloodline.”

Paul Heyman’s work during his absence certainly helped too, and when Reigns finally returned he was given a hero’s welcome. He got a great reaction from the crowd and is once again a good guy, although it remains to be seen if this will still be one of WWE’s best performances in a year.

Liv Morgan’s heel turn helped her rise to the top

Morgan’s best time in the WWE was due to him getting bad

• Her return in 2024 brought a heel turn
• Her feud with Rhea Ripley established her as a villain
• Morgan & Dominik Mysterio are one of the most despised acts in the WWE

After years of failing to fully establish herself, Liv Morgan finally became a top star with her heel turn in 2024. Her character work during her “Revenge Tour,” her feud with Rhea Ripley, and her partnership with Dominik Mysterio was the best work of her career.

Her heel turn has led her to the Women’s World Championship and every week she receives some of the biggest heats.

AJ Styles’ heel turn surprised everyone

AJ Styles became a heel… and then a double heel

• Styles returned and immediately became a villain
• His character work was refreshing
• He briefly became the “Face”, but then withdrew to establish himself as a villain

After years of stagnation, a sudden turn to villainy in 2024 made AJ Styles interesting again. The turn was shocking as he attacked LA Knight and sparked a fun feud. Styles continued to challenge for the WWE Championship but then seemingly returned to the babyface side.

This did not last, however, as he became a villain again, hinting at his retirement but using this to gain another shot at the WWE Championship by attacking Cody Rhodes.

Chad Gable’s best WWE work comes from his heel turn

Gable channeled his inner angle when he became the villain

• Fans were behind Gable as the face in 2023
• He became frustrated after failing to win the IC title
• His role as a villain and his character work were top notch

Although he gained a lot of attention as a babyface, WWE took a risk in turning Chad Gable into a heel when he ambushed Sami Zayn after he was frustrated with not winning the Intercontinental Championship. The risk paid off and Gable’s heel turn was ultimately a success.

From his brilliant initial attack on Zayn to his devious heel turn to forming his own faction after his former allies abandoned him, he has become a strong act on RAW and delivered some of the best performances of his entire WWE career.

It was fantastic that the Usos broke away from the bloodline

Jimmy & Jey Uso became Babyface after a long build-up

• The Usos had a slow turnaround in 2023
• Jey Uso became the bigger star of the two
• Jimmy Uso’s babyface run was canceled

The Usos’ babyface turn is a mixed bag overall, but it has more positives. Their appearance against Roman Reigns around the time of Night Of Champions 2023 was one of the hottest moments in WWE at the time and led to the “Bloodline Civil War.” While Jimmy Uso went back to being a villain not long after, Jey Uso has become one of WWE’s most popular stars.

Despite losing several major feuds and sometimes not even being involved in the storyline, Jey Uso is super hot and a top babyface.

The wait for LA Knight’s babyface turn was worth it

Thanks to Turning Face he became a megastar

• Knight was a heel for too long
• The WWE took the time to make him a good guy
• When the change came, it was a resounding success

Fans were eager to cheer for LA Knight, but for a while WWE kept him as a heel. A steady babyface turn began in mid-2023, which was fully fleshed out by the summer when he finally started scoring crowd-pleasing wins and appeasing the crowd in his promos.

The “turning point” moment itself wasn’t that special, but the babyface run that came after it ticked all the boxes. He remained popular throughout, spent some time in the main event, and then won the United States Championship at SummerSlam 2024.

Drew McIntyre’s steady heel turn made him a star again

McIntyre went from irrelevant to a star when he became a villain

• McIntyre was boring as a face
• His star status had diminished significantly
• His turnaround brought him back to the top

Under Vince McMahon, Drew McIntyre went from being mega-over to one of the cheesiest and most difficult to stomach babyfaces on the roster. In 2023, McIntyre’s frustration with one loss after another led him down a dark path – one he felt was justified. Eventually, he snapped and sought revenge on those who had wronged him.

In the months that followed, McIntyre was one of the best characters on WWE television and felt right at home in his position, which made him even more intriguing. His storylines were top-notch and his work on the mic was nearly unmatched thanks to his role as a villain.

The Rock’s heel turn saved WrestleMania 40

He became the “final boss” through a breathtaking twist

• The Rock returned to take Cody Rhodes’ place at WrestleMania
• The fans didn’t like that, so the WWE changed its plans
• The Rock became a villain for the first time in two decades

The Rock has been a babyface for the last 20 years and it seemed inconceivable that he would ever go back to being a villain. However, the course of events leading up to WrestleMania 40 made it the logical option. The Rock became a villain at the WrestleMania 40 press conference in one of the most shocking and jaw-dropping takes since Triple H took creative control.

The Rock teamed up with Roman Reigns and the pair feuded with Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in a star-studded main event scene. This version of The Rock is one of his best ever, with incredible character work, world-class promos and an attempt to make WWE less X-rated.

Dominik Mysterio has developed into one of the best heels in wrestling

He went from being a boring face to an incredible villain

• Dominik turned against his father
• He joined The Judgement Day
• No one gets more pressure on the list

Fans were hesitant when Dominik Mysterio became a villain, but it didn’t take long to realize he was a natural for the role. His first beating of his father Rey Mysterio was a fantastic moment and led to an entertaining feud and a strong match at WrestleMania 39.

Mysterio developed a fantastic character with Dirty Dom, where he worked brilliantly with Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan. This was by far one of the most successful heel turns of all time.

Sami Zayn’s official babyface appearance was one of WWE’s biggest hits

The build-up to this round was breathtaking

• Zayn was a tweener in The Bloodline
• In a magical moment he became a babyface
• His face turn led to a WrestleMania main event

The best twist of WWE’s Triple H era came when Sami Zayn rammed a chair into Roman Reigns’ back at Royal Rumble 2023, which is probably one of the biggest blowouts in the entire history of WWE. Although fans were on his side for a while, Zayn toed the line between heel and babyface during his time in The Bloodline in one of the most thrilling storylines in modern WWE.

Eventually, he couldn’t stand being the villain anymore and in one magical moment, he turned into a babyface, organizing PPV main events, title wins, and more over the next two years as one of the company’s most popular and respectable stars.