5 WWE, AEW Stars Who Are Way Better Heels Than Babyfaces

Some wrestling stars are just better in certain roles.

Prime good guys in today's era include Jeff Hardy and someone like Braun Strowman. Sure, they have had heel runs, but nothing comes close to their work as a babyface.

And the opposite is doubly true.

WWE and All Elite Wrestling aside, some people are just made to be the bad guy or gal. They fit the archetype too well. Their characters, which blur the lines between real and fake, draw instant heat pretty much no matter what they do. And they're elite at what they do, which creates even more heat—and they aren't afraid to let fans know it.

While the following names have been crowd favorites in the past, they are much better heels and should probably stick with the role for good.

Seth Rollins is a prime example of the divide.

The former universal champion was a red-hot face for a while, but as has happened to many before him, he hit a wall—the chase has to end sometime. When the chase ended most recently and he had the top title, well, he got boring fast.

Now, though? Rollins has punched the reset button in his Monday Night Messiah role and is a borderline cult leader whose cocky ways get under the skin of fans. It's the same old amazing skill in the ring and solid mic work with an antagonistic slant.

We've seen this example time and again with Rollins. His face runs have been good, but we could argue his best work came when he was the whiny, weaselly, do-anything-to-win heel aligned with The Authority.

He is one of those stars who plays the heel so well fans largely shout him down when he tries to do anything else. As we're seeing right now, his best option is simple: embrace it in a way only he can.

It always felt a little weird when WWE tried to paint Randy Orton as a sympathetic good guy fans should get behind and cheer.

Quite frankly, some gimmicks are a point of no return for some. That was the case for a younger Orton when he put on his Legend Killer gimmick and demolished older Superstars.

The Viper has never been able to shake the heat, and it doesn't help that his look, mannerisms and moves in the ring scream "snake-like bad guy originally given his place in the company because of his heritage after being anointed by Triple H."

It just is what it is. Orton is too dangerous and too poisonous to be believable as a good guy these days. He's The Viper, and there's little room for him to wiggle his way out of the carefully built character now.

AJ Styles had a dominant run as a good guy, especially on SmackDown.

But it was a mirage; he played up to the crowds as a good guy and did little else, letting his in-ring work do the talking. And when that happens, it's hard for fans to hate him because he's the best in the world, and it hasn't been particularly close in recent years.

But when The Phenomenal One talks, forget it. He is as versatile of a heel as it gets. He can crack jokes, and he can be serious. He's as lethal as ever in the ring but willing to do the extra things that anger fans.

We could also go on about his devious deeds in other promotions as a villain, including his time in a certain club.

In WWE, from punching Mr. McMahon to unforgettable feuds with John Cena and Dean Ambrose, Styles has always worked better as a heel. There's a reason for that: he grabbed the world's attention as the top non-WWE bad guy on the planet.

AEW tried really hard to give Dr. Britt Baker a starring role as a lovable babyface, but it proved to be a bad idea.

However, her going heel created one of the must-see elements of the company's programming.

Before the turn, Baker was a relative unknown to a grander audience. She's correct in the promo above; all anyone talked about was the fact that she is a dentist.

Not anymore. AEW threw out the script and let Baker be herself. Seemingly overnight, she turned into a dynamite act on the mic, sparring with fans and putting down her opposition atop great in-ring work. She's right up there with the biggest names in the company as far as entertainment value goes.

We don't need to see more of Baker the babyface. This is one of those turns that should stay permanent so everyone can flourish.

This one spans multiple promotions.

The man formerly known as Dean Ambrose has had an amazing run with AEW since debuting in May 2019. Everyone played it right in delaying his big win as champion for as long as possible while feuding with Chris Jericho. Now that Jon Moxley is top dog, he's been the badass, cool good guy everyone can get behind with no major end in sight.

But it could be so much more.

Moxley was pretty boring as a good guy in WWE. He had an edge to him, but some of his best work happened when he was allowed to cut loose on the mic and use whatever means he could to get wins, as a member of The Shield or otherwise.

His current presentation could cool sooner rather than later. While he has plenty of heels to spar with, his shift into that role (which would help AEW build up other top babyfaces along the way) could work wonders for the longevity of his title reign.

While Moxley is freer to do what he wants in AEW, it feels like he still isn't as unhinged as he could be. We're not advocating going back to his deathmatch days or anything, but instead of straddling the line, he needs to stomp right back over it and run roughshod like he's shown he can in the past.