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WWE Superstars play larger than life characters that make us fans perceive them as heroes or role models based on the influence they have in our lives. Renowned stars such as John Cena, The Rock, and Roman Reigns occasionally utilize their platform to inspire people from all over the globe.
Although they make it look simple on TV, finding the right character and playing it convincingly is a difficult task that requires a lot of work and effort. Superstars who fail to appeal to the audience usually end up getting pushed down the card without being featured in anything significant.
Some Superstars return to the drawing board while others depart from WWE and join other wrestling promotions where they have the opportunity to find a fitting character or gimmick. This has proven to be a success as some of those performers ended up becoming huge stars in their subsequent tenure in WWE.
As time goes on, even the most loved characters can become stale, so WWE Superstars need to reinvent themselves to stay relevant. That's the reason why heel and babyface turns are a necessity in pro wrestling.
The Superstars you're going to read about right now were aware of all this so they altered their character and became universally popular with the fans. Here are five of the best character reinventions in WWE history.
#5 The Irish Lass Kicker to 'The Man' Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch's journey to becoming The Man is one of the greatest success stories in the history of professional wrestling. Lynch went from an underutilized performer to the face of the entire company. If you told anyone in 2015 that the Irish Superstar would main event WrestleMania, WWE's biggest show of the year, they would've asked you to go get yourself checked out.
Becky Lynch made her initial WWE debut by dancing to the ring in NXT and she went on to join the main roster on Monday Night RAW in 2015 along with Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair. All three stars played a huge role in the evolution of women's wrestling.
Unlike Banks and Flair, however, Lynch was misused when she joined the main roster. She's also the only member of the Four Horsewomen who never held the NXT Women's Title. Becky was allied with Paige and Charlotte Flair to form a stable known as PCB in 2015.
While Flair and Paige held a title in NXT and both of them enjoyed a run with the Divas Championship, Lynch was, in Paige's own words, the least relevant female Superstar in the entire division, which was true. All that frustration of being looked down upon for years and years led to the creation of a huge mainstream star.
After the brand split returned in 2016, Lynch was drafted to WWE SmackDown where she received a push by becoming the first-ever SmackDown Women's Champion after she defeated Carmella at WWE Backlash to win the title.
Although she was the inaugural titleholder, Becky Lynch's first run with the championship was rather underwhelming. She had an unmemorable title reign and she was even out due to injury for some time. In 2018, Becky received another opportunity for the title when she challenged Carmella at WWE SummerSlam.
Becky Lynch was a huge babyface, so the fans wanted to see her win the match, but WWE decided to add Charlotte Flair into the mix, making it a triple threat. Flair won the match and the title, which wasn't received well by the crowd. After the bout concluded, Becky Lynch snapped and attacked Charlotte and turned heel for the first time on the main roster to the delight of the fans in attendance.
No one, not even WWE themselves, predicted what would happen next. That night, SummerSlam 2018, was the night it all began for the former RAW Women's Champion. The Irish Lass Kicker was gone and the birth of The Man was imminent.
Becky Lynch becomes the face of WWE
Becky's heel turn was short-lived, because fans didn't want to boo her. Lynch delivered a lot of epic promos which included a lot of valid points, which made it difficult for fans to accept her as a heel. This led to WWE tweaking her character.
She had a notable rivalry with Charlotte Flair which resulted in a classic Last Woman Standing match at WWE Evolution for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Following that, Becky began a feud with then RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, a feud that gained the former a lot of momentum.
During an invasion angle on RAW leading up to WWE Survivor Series 2018, Lynch suffered a concussion at the hands of Nia Jax. Lynch's conduct in the invasion elevated her status even more. Her feud with Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair led to all three Superstars headlining WWE WrestleMania 35.
Becky Lynch won the match and became the first-ever concurrent RAW and SmackDown Women's Champion. Lynch is currently one of WWE's highest-paid stars and one of, if not, the greatest female wrestler in the history of the business. Because she reinvented herself, Becky became a mainstream star and one of WWE's franchise players.
#4 The Deadman to 'The American Badass' Undertaker
The Undertaker is regarded by many WWE fans, critics, and legends as the greatest Superstar to ever lace up a pair of wrestling boots. For three decades, The seven-time World Champion terrorized WWE and established himself as a force to be reckoned with.
The Undertaker made his debut for the company at Survivor Series in 1990 and since then he has main evented multiple WWE PPVs including WrestleMania and SummerSlam. 'Taker also holds several records in the company.
His eerie Grim Reaper persona is one of the greatest in history and while it was created by Vince McMahon, The Deadman's portrayal of the character is the main reason behind its success. Although Mark Calaway, the man behind the character, is mostly known for portraying The Deadman, the WWE Universe was introduced to the American Badass, his other character, in 2000.
'Taker debuted the character at WWE Judgement Day during an Iron Man match between Triple H and The Rock for the WWE Championship. He made his entrance on a motorbike with a new theme song, sported sunglasses and a bandana.
After playing a fearsome character for a decade, the transformation was unexpected but it worked. 'Taker acted more human, interacted more and he looked so badass (no pun intended) with the biker gimmick.
It just felt so cool. Hearing that theme song and watching him ride down to the ring was just awesome. The Undertaker was already an established star at that point. He made a giant leap by becoming something completely different from his original persona.
It could've been a bust -- it could've been career suicide, but it ended up becoming very popular. In 2001, 'Taker turned heel and started referring to himself as Big Evil. He cut his long hair short under the new persona.
At WWE Survivor Series 2003, The Undertaker took on Mr. McMahon in a Buried Alive match. During the bout, 'Taker was attacked by his evil half-brother Kane. The Big Red Monster helped McMahon bury The Phenom, thus retiring the biker gimmick.
The Undertaker returns as the American Badass at WWE WrestleMania 36
Years later, many fans called for the return of the American Badass. The Undertaker's career was nearing its end, so many people lost hope that the character would ever appear in WWE again. In 2020, The Undertaker made his return as the American Badass for the first time in nearly 20 years.
At the Grandest Stage of Them All, 'Taker defeated AJ Styles in a Boneyard match and rode to the moonlight on his bike following the victory. It's true what they say; never say never and anything can happen in WWE.
#3 Isaac Yankem/Fake Diesel to Kane
It looks like transformations run in the family because Undertaker's brother Kane has also gone through some changes of his own in his WWE career. Kane, however, played not one, not two but four characters in the company. Another interesting note is that he wrestled The Undertaker as all four characters.
He initially competed in WWE in non-televised matches as Mike Unabomb in 1995 and he made his televised debut as Isaac Yankem DDS, Jerry "The King" Lawler's evil private dentist. He was used as an enhancement talent to the stars, losing to top stars such as Bret "The Hitman" Hart, The Undertaker and The Ultimate Warrior.
The following year, WWE legend Jim Ross introduced two imposters, Diesel and Razor Ramon, who were played by Kane and Rick Bognar, respectively. Fake Diesel, as the character became known, was also used as an enhancement talent during his run with WWE. Kane finally caught his big break when WWE repackaged him as The Undertaker's long lost sibling.
"The Big Red Machine" Kane arrives in WWE
Unlike the other previous gimmicks, this one was a success. Kane debuted as 'Taker's brother at WWE Badd Blood: In Your House in 1997 by costing the latter his match against Shawn Michaels.
At WrestleMania 14, Kane and Undertaker had their much anticipated bout which The Deadman won. The Big Red Monster defeated Stone Cold at WWE King of the Ring 1998 in his first PPV main event to win the WWE Championship. He went on to win two more World Titles during his career.
Kane also holds several records in WWE. He has competed in the most PPV matches in WWE, eliminated a total of 44 competitors in the Royal Rumble and he held the record for most eliminations in a single Rumble match from 2001 to 2013.
The transformation from Isaac Yankem/Fake Diesel saved his career and today Kane is regarded as a legend and a future WWE Hall of Famer.
#2 The Ringmaster to Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin, the poster boy of the infamous Attitude Era and the man partially responsible for WWE winning the Monday Night Wars, which resulted in the death of WCW.
Austin competed in World Championship Wrestling as "Stunning" Steve Austin from 1991 until he was fired by Eric Bischoff in 1995 because he wasn't viewed as a marketable wrestler. In WCW, Austin sported flowing blonde hair to match his "Stunning" moniker.
After his WCW departure, Austin joined ECW, which was run by Paul Heyman. His tenure in the promotion helped him develop the 'Stone Cold' character. In 1996, he made his WWE debut as The Ringmaster on an episode of RAW. Austin was managed by "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and he was bestowed the Million Dollar Championship.
After his partnership with DiBiase dissolved, Austin went through a significant character change. He shaved his head bald, grew a goatee, became a foul-mouthed beer-drinking wrestler who drove his boss crazy. As "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, he gained mainstream popularity and success.
Austin won the 1996 King of the Ring tournament by defeating Jake Roberts in the finals. After the match, Austin made the popular "Austin 3:16" speech that is still talked about to this day.
Stone Cold becomes WWE's top Superstar
In 1998, Austin won the Royal Rumble match and defeated Shawn Michaels to win the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 14. He held the WWE Title six times, Intercontinental Championship twice and the Tag Team Championship four times.
Austin is one of the most popular Superstars in pro wrestling history. In an interview with Off the Record with Michael Landsberg in 2004, Vince McMahon stated:
“He [Austin] surpassed all of [Hulk] Hogan's records... in terms of merchandising and licensing, and pay-per-view and live events. Without question the most popular performer we've ever had.”
Austin has starred in various movies, shows, main evented several WrestleManias and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. His last in-ring bout was against The Rock at WrestleMania 19. Speaking of The Rock...
#1 Rocky Maivia to The Rock
The Rock debuted in WWE in 1996 as a clean-cut babyface under the name Rocky Maivia. He had his first match at Survivor Series, which he came out victorious as the sole survivor. The company hyped him as the first third-generation Superstar.
Looking at his early appearance, no one could've predicted how popular Rocky Maivia would become. Vince McMahon was high on him though, so he gave the former a push despite his wrestling inexperience.
Rocky defeated Triple H to win the Intercontinental Championship just a few short months after his debut. He had a successful title defense at WWE WrestleMania 13, his first 'Mania. Although management was high on him, he was rejected by the fans.
Maivia took some time out due to injury after losing his title and returned as a heel and joined the Nation of Domination. He started referring to himself as The Rock and regularly insulted fans and wrestlers in his promos.
The Rock becomes the WWE Champion and a mainstream star
After The Rock started becoming popular with the fans, he turned face and broke up the Nation of Domination stable. After that, he entered the tournament for the vacant WWE Championship which he won at Survivor Series 1998 by defeating Mankind.
The People's Champion turned heel again by allying himself with the McMahons. The Rock went on to become a huge star and added more championships to his astonishing career. He and Stone Cold Steve Austin were the biggest Superstars at the time. The Rock defeated and retired Austin at WWE WrestleMania 19.
He is currently a huge Hollywood star and a shoo-in for the WWE Hall of Fame. Although he hasn't wrestled since 2016, he has spoken out about a possible match with Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan.
