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Pro wrestling, in a nutshell, is storytelling, and all good stories need good characters. In WWE, there has been no shortage of heroes, as well as heels who have turned face.
Over the past nine months, plenty of stars have seen the light, although not all face turns have been equal. Whilst some superstars were able to get the desired fan reaction, others missed the mark.
Here are three WWE face turns which worked out this year, and two that didn't go according to plan.
#5 Worked: Curt Hawkins
For almost the entirety of his career, Curt Hawkins has been a heel and jobber. Going up against bigger stars, Hawkins would almost always come up on the losing end, amassing an incredible losing streak which eventually started to win fans over to his corner.
Earlier this year, Hawkins began teaming up with Zack Ryder who had remained popular with fans thanks to his internet personality but had also fallen into the jobber role.
With the Internet Champion by his side, Hawkins would eventually turn face, and on the WrestleMania 35 pre-show, shocked everyone by ending his losing streak as the pair beat the Revival for the RAW Tag Team Championships.
Though their reign was ultimately uneventful, the fact that Hawkins was able to be embraced by the WWE Universe after so many years as a jobber and a heel is an accomplishment in its own right.
#4 Didn't work: Kevin Owens (the first and second time)
Kevin Owens is one of the most popular superstars on SmackDown Live today, but things weren't so clear earlier this year.
In February, Owens returned to the blue brand after a long time away and was seemingly packaged as a babyface, though in a very awkward way.
Placed in a feud against then-WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan, Owens was the de facto face in the pairing. Some questionable bookings followed, to say the least. The matches between the pair failed to excite the WWE Universe.
This wasn't the only awkward face turn for the prizefighter this year, as Owens would briefly align himself with the New Day as Big O. However, the less said about that brief period in time, the better.
#3 Worked: The Miz
At the start of the year, The Miz was in a strange position. Though the A-Lister had changed very little about his character, he was cheered by the fans, but still had a long way to go before becoming a full-fledged babyface.
Turning face properly following his SmackDown tag titles win with Shane McMahon, the A-Lister's turn would be cemented when the pair split, leading to a wild and entertaining Falls Count Anywhere match at WrestleMania.
This isn't the first time the company has turned the former WWE Champion good, as Miz had a brief and unsuccessful face run in 2013.
In 2019, Miz has been able to shed his cocky persona and has garnered the respect of an audience which has seen him compete at a high level for the past 13 years.
At Clash of Champions, Miz will have the chance to tie Chris Jericho's record when he takes on Intercontinental Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura, and could win the title for the first time in six years as a beloved face.
#2 Didn't work: Dean Ambrose
When 2019 kicked off, Dean Ambrose was the reigning Intercontinental Champion, capturing the gold from his Shield brethren, Seth Rollins, at TLC.
Despite some questionable segments featuring the Lunatic Fringe, Ambrose would remain an entertaining heel on the red brand, until everything changed on January 29.
On that day, WWE confirmed that Ambrose would not be renewing his contract with the company, and would be leaving.
Almost immediately, Ambrose was turned face, reuniting with Rollins and the recently-returned Roman Reigns, as the company had the Shield have one last hurrah before his departure.
The problem was everyone knew why the turn had been made, as fans simply waited for the end to come and for Ambrose to leave the company.
That's not to say the trio weren't entertaining, but ultimately, fans knew the face turn and run wasn't going to mean anything. Sure enough, Ambrose left the company shortly after WrestleMania and has found himself in a much better position in AEW.
#1 Worked: Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens has certainly had an interesting 2019. After returning to the company from an injury earlier this year, Owens would briefly turn face by joining the New Day, only to turn on the group days later.
This was later revealed to be part of a set-up by the Prizefighter in his unsuccessful attempts to take the WWE Championship from Kofi Kingston. However, KO's best work this year has been out of the title picture.
After coming up short as a heel, Owens would turn his attention to Shane McMahon, criticizing the so-called Best in the World. Reflecting the views of many members of the WWE Universe, Owens has fallen into a babyface role, despite little change in his character.
The main difference is that Owens' targets are now heels, and the former Universal Champion is now considered one of SmackDown's most beloved stars. With all this positivity, Owens may find himself in the title picture soon.
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