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WWE is more than a pro-wrestling promotion. As Vince McMahon put it, they're a sports entertainment company. As necessary as 'rassling is, it's only complete with character work.
Throughout WWE history, there've been some superb characters. These gimmicks are the pinnacle of human storytelling and creativity. It becomes more impressive when a panned character transforms into a hot act.
There've been quite a few examples of the latter. When the WWE Universe rejects a character, the overhaul is an acid test. While some sank lower, others proceeded to run with the improved version.
In that regard, here are five of the best character changes in WWE history:
#5. Becky Lynch (The Man)
In 2018, three of the Four Horsewomen were having great years. The odd one was Becky Lynch, whose face character was getting stale.
WWE was quick to turn her heel suddenly. Unfortunately, fans refused to boo her, given their hatred for Charlotte Flair. Every week, she received such a positive reception that WWE allowed The Irish Lass Kicker to become an antihero who called herself 'The Man.'
Within a short time, The Man turned into a babyface and subsequently the biggest star in the women's division. Her meteoric rise and enormous fanbase saw WWE reward her with championships and high-profile matches.
#4. The Undertaker (The American Badass)
The Undertaker is synonymous with his Deadman character. However, his other gimmick was also a brilliant personality. After playing a scary character for years, it was refreshing to see him take on a new style.
In 2000, The Undertaker started entering on a motorbike with a new theme song. He wore sunglasses and a bandana and looked like a badass (pun intended). His biker character was well-received by fans, who praised the gimmick for bringing out a more human side of The Reaper.
#3. The Rock (Heel Turn)
The Rock is one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time. However, he was extremely unpopular during his early days. Hostility towards his babyface Rocky Maivia character was so high that he turned heel within a year. That ended up becoming a historic decision.
Ditching the Rocky Maivia phase, Dwayne Johnson started lashing out at fans who booed him. He referred to himself in the third person as The Rock and began insulting fans and fellow superstars.
The character became such a huge hit that Rock became one of the most popular superstars on the roster. His overwhelming popularity resulted in the megastar we see today, and it all began with the character change in 1998.
#2. Stone Cold Steve Austin (Character repackaging as 'Stone Cold')
The rise of 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin is one of wrestling's best stories. It resulted in the evergreen antihero character, which played a big role in making WWE win the Monday Night Wars.
Austin's time in WCW saw him play the character 'Stunning' Steve Austin. He showed promise but was never main event material. That changed when he joined the WWF and got repackaged as a foul-mouthed, beer-swilling, anti-establishment antihero who had zero Fs to give.
'Stone Cold' became the most popular star due to this character change. He led the charge against his former employees and won the Monday Night Wars, as fans tuned in religiously every week to watch him flip birds, stun people, and drink beers.
#1. Roman Reigns (The Tribal Chief)
Roman Reigns is hailed for introducing a heel gimmick and delivering the best character in many years. After many years, fans loved to see the former embrace his dark side as an unconvincing babyface.
Roman was booed out of most buildings as fans grew tired of his heroic personality. After a hiatus in 2020, he returned as a heel for the first time in six years, calling himself The Tribal Chief and trying to get people to fall in line.
The Head of the Table attained immense success as the main WWE star due to his new character. Fans have indeed acknowledged him as one of the best in the business.
