WWE Superstars have often switched between joining the dark side and finding the light after they feel that their run with a particular character has completed its course on the brand. Sometimes, a good heel or face turn can do wonders for the careers of stars who are trying to get over with the crowd.
Meanwhile, there are times when management decides to do a slow turn which could take weeks or months before a superstar can fully embody being a heel or a face for the audience instead of turning instantly. There are times when slow face turn has helped the superstar add layers to their characters and keeps the storyline intriguing.
8 Kane
In 2015, Kane played an onscreen role as a member of The Authority for months. However, the Devil’s Favorite Demon was constantly attacked by Seth Rollins verbally due to failing to get the job done on behalf of the heinous stable on Monday Night RAW.
However, it all changed when Brock Lesnar injured Kane’s ankle and Seth Rollins made it worse by insulting him and attacking his hurt leg. This led to the return of the ‘Demon’ Kane who teased going after Seth Rollins for weeks before finally dragging him under the ring ahead of Hell in a Cell 2015. Later, he was fired from his position in The Authority as he went on to reunite with The Undertaker.
7 Edge
In 2010, Edge returned to WWE and won the Men’s Royal Rumble match. After failing to win the World Heavyweight Championship, The Rated R Superstar went back to his heinous ways when he was drafted to Monday Night RAW. Later, he ended his feud with the Nexus and started feuding with the Anonymous RAW General Manager.
The Rated R Superstar slowly started to turn face as he was tired of the Anonymous RAW General Manager’s antics similar to the WWE Universe. After a few weeks, Edge destroyed the laptop of the Anonymous RAW General Manager and became a babyface where he got drafted to SmackDown.
6 Randy Orton
Randy Orton has been a part of several stables in the promotion during his tenure as an active competitor. The Viper’s legendary career has more than one face and heel turn and fans have excepted the veteran in different roles over the past few years in the company.
In 2014, Randy Orton started to slowly turn face as Triple H and The Authority no longer saw him as the future of the stable. The Viper’s jealousy grew towards Seth Rollins with whom he was being replaced. In the end, Randy Orton turned his back on Triple H, Seth Rollins, and The Authority and feuded with them for months to come.
5 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho is regarded as one of the greatest sports entertainers of all time in the industry. Whether it is, AEW, NJPW, WCW, or WWE, Y2J has delivered for each and every promotion numerous times and stood tall as baby face or heel whenever he chose to.
In 2016, Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens were the most entertaining acts on Monday Night RAW as their friendship seemed unbreakable. Moreover, fans started to cheer for Jericho which eventually didn’t sit well with Owens as he shockingly turned heel on his best friend during the Festival of Friendship. The two stars feuded for a while for the United States Championship which was Chris Jericho’s last run for the promotion.
4 Daniel Bryan
In 2012, Daniel Bryan was one of the biggest heels in the company as the World Heavyweight Champion and fans sympathized with AJ Lee as The Yes Man mistreated her on numerous occasions. He ended up blaming Lee for his loss against Sheamus at WrestleMania 28 where he lost the title in a matter of seconds.
However, Daniel Bryan slowly started to turn face in the promotion when a jilted Lee forced him into anger management with Kane. As both men delighted audiences with their segments, Bryan gradually began to turn face once more.
3 Jey Uso
In 2020, Jey Uso stepped up when The Tribal Chief asked him to become his right-hand man during the Pandemic Era. Main Event Jey grew popular, but the management hit the brakes when Jimmy Uso returned and the two started to dominate the tag team division on Friday Night SmackDown while representing The Bloodline.
However, the tides changed once again when Jimmy Uso betrayed The Tribal Chief at Night of Champions 2023 and Jey Uso slowly started to turn face as he wanted to protect his brother from Roman Reigns’ wrath. In the end, Jey Uso super-kicked Roman Reigns for his brother and turned face. While Jimmy went back to his old ways, Main Event Jey still remains one of the biggest faces of the red brand.
2 Eddie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero was a beloved babyface when he started his run with WWE as a singles competitor. The fans rejoiced when he won the United States Championship or defeated Brock Lesnar at No Way Out 2004 for the WWE Championship. However, fans saw something entirely different when he turned heel and feuded with Rey Mysterio.
After his feud with Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero became the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship and feuded with Batista. After weeks of teasing, The Latino Heat decided to ditch his sneaky antics in a match with Batista and turn face during that feud. Sadly, he passed away a while after his face turn and never got to face Batista in a rematch for the title.
1 Batista
Batista’s career was shorter than expected as The Animal had aspirations to start a career in Hollywood. However, he’s been part of some of the most iconic moments in WWE’s history whether it was alongside Triple H or against Triple H when he left Evolution. Batista’s storyline with the Evolution is the perfect example of a slow face turn that went right.
After Randy Orton left Evolution, the doubts were planted in Batista’s head about Triple H using him to remain champion. The Animal for months teased leaving the stable and handing Triple H by himself, and he was waiting for the right moment. It all happened after The Animal won the Men’s Royal Rumble match where he made his intentions clear and dismantled Triple H before challenging him for the title at WrestleMania 21 and the rest is history.