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There's an old adage, that it's easier to be feared than loved.
In the WWE, there have been plenty of great heels, from the affluent and arrogant Ted DiBiase, to the evil chairman of the board Mr. McMahon.
But for some WWE Superstars, they may have started out with the noblest of intentions, only to find themselves being hated by the fans. With so much negativity, it's no wonder why some stars were turned heel, often for the best.
Some Superstars could even say that their careers were saved by turning on the fans. Here are five WWE Superstars who embraced their dark side, turned heel and changed their careers for the better.
#5: Neville
When Neville joined the main roster in 2015, fans were very excited.
A former NXT Tag Team Champion, the Geordie star had been an incredible force in the company's developmental brand, breaking the record as the longest reigning NXT Champion, before it was broken by Finn Balor.
Unfortunately, Neville's time on the main roster was a dud, as the cruiserweight failed to make an impact, and was featured in little to no feuds.
This all turned around though when Neville returned at Roadblock: End of the Line in 2016, when he returned, attacking Rich Swann in the ring.
The top heel of the company's new Cruiserweight division, Neville captured the purple title at the Royal Rumble, holding the gold for months and adding to its prestige with victories over Akira Tozawa and Austin Aries.
Though he may no longer be a part of WWE, leaving under controversial circumstances, fans will always look back fondly on the King of the Cruiserweights.
#2: Mark Henry
Mark Henry has always been an anomaly in WWE.
Joining with one of the company's most lucrative contracts ever, Henry for years wallowed in the mid-card, before leaving TV in early 2004.
Returning in 2006, Henry would again be part of the mid-card, as very few saw any potential in the future Hall of Famer. That all changed in 2011 though, as the World's Strongest Man was drafted to SmackDown, and attacked fellow blue Superstars Christian and John Cena.
A new heel, Henry showed off his mean-streak with the incredible Hall of Pain, as he would punish stars of all sizes.
This path of destruction set Henry on a collision course with Randy Orton, and at Night of Champions, Henry destroyed the Viper, proving his worth and taking the World Heavyweight Championship in the process.
#3: Santino Marella
When the WWE went to Italy in mid-2007, Vince McMahon didn't care for the rabid European fans.
Looking to crush the spirit of the nation,Vince McMahon picked a random fan, Santino Marella, to face Intercontinental Champion Umaga for the gold, but was left with egg on his face, when Marella (thanks to Lashley) won the title.
Not long after though, Marella's babyface run was a bust, as he was given very little development other than the 'Miracle in Milan', and rumors circulated of when he'd be released.
Hoping to salvage the character, Marella was turned heel, after being infuriated with his girlfriend Maria posing for Playboy.
As a heel, Marella got to show off his comedy chops and though he's no longer part of WWE, is remembered as one of the company's funniest stars.
2: The Rock
The Brahma Bull. The Great One. The most electrifying man in Sports Entertainment.
The Rock has had plenty of nicknames in the WWE, but when he debuted, he was the clean-cut Rocky Maivia.
Taking his name from his father and grandfather, Maivia was quickly pushed, as the commentary team repeatedly referenced his wrestling heritage.
This didn't sit well with fans, as the product was developing to being much edgier, and fans didn't appreciate being told to like the young upstart.
With chants of 'Die Rocky Die' filling arenas, the company finally turned the young Superstar heel, christening him The Rock.
Joining the Nation of Domination, The Rock quickly rose through the ranks of WWE, becoming the then-youngest WWE Champion at Survivor Series 1998, and is now considered one of the most iconic Superstars of all time.
1: John Cena
John Cena is considered by many to be the biggest babyface in wrestling history.
But though the 16-time World Champion has garnered millions of fans with his sense of right, there was a time when fans weren't as forgiving.
Debuting on SmackDown in 2002 against Kurt Angle, Cena was a solid blue chipper, but lacked any personality.
In fact, Cena was on the chopping block, until Stephanie McMahon caught him rapping backstage.
Seeing John's talent, Stephanie had him re-packaged, turning the future World Champion heel, as a white rapper.
Dishing out verbal barbs each and every week, Cena gained a lot more experience on the main roster, and has since gone on to become arguably WWE's biggest ever star.
Though many fans hope for one last Cena heel turn, this seems highly unlikely in 2019.
