Should Charlotte Flair turn heel?

Charlotte Flair is the top female star for WWE’s Smackdown brand. Between title wins, WrestleMania moments, and consistently being pushed at or around the championship level, she has been well positioned to one day be considered one of, if not the single greatest female star in WWE history — at least by kayfabe standards.

The question remains, though, whether Flair is better as a heel or face.

She’s worked both roles for WWE and the company seems dead set in keeping her in a face role for the time being. However, a number of hardcore fans are suggesting she may be better posed as a heel to take advantage of the skills she brings to that role, especially at this time when a number of fans don’t seem so keen on her.

This article takes a look at a Flair heel turn in a point, counterpoint format before arriving at a conclusion as to whether WWE should go ahead with this big move.

5. Point: The fans are booing her

The crowd certainly sounds ready to boo Charlotte.

There’s very little that’s more fundamental or traditional to wrestling than fans cheering faces and booing heels. Modern day fans have added a wrinkle to conventional storytelling by increasingly thinking for themselves and not necessarily aligning their reaction with what’s happening in storylines or the outcomes WWE is targeting.

In particular, since Becky Lynch turned heel on Charlotte Flair at SummerSlam, fans have notably cheered Lynch and booed Flair. The choice is largely absurd in terms of either woman’s kayfabe actions, but demonstrates the organic connection Lynch has with fans, particularly after years of seeming underutilized.

In contrast, there’s a cluster of very vocal hardcore fans who seem sick of Flair. There’s a certain logic to playing into what fans actually want, as opposed to what was planned, and letting Flair be the heel that fans seem determined to cast her as, in contrast to Lynch as an unconventional face.

4. Counterpoint: She’s the full-time face of the division

Ronda Rousey may come and go, but WWE has been building its women's roster around Flair.

Charlotte Flair has been positioned as the full-time face of women’s wrestling in WWE. She looks the part of a professional athlete, the Flair name lends her immediate credibility with casual fans, and her combination of submission wrestling and aerial expertise make her instantly enjoyable to watch.

Sure, Ronda Rousey is the bigger celebrity than Flair, and does seem invested in learning the business. She may eventually return to MMA, though, and already has a movie career established.

In short, she can’t be counted on to be with WWE forever, and certainly isn’t homegrown. WWE owns Flair, and can more readily take credit for all of her successes.

With Flair in this standard bearer role, and presumably still in the relatively early stages of a long WWE career, it makes sense to position her as a hero, and aim to rally young fans around her who will support her for years, if not decades to come.

3. Point: The Flair family ethos

For all his popularity now, Ric Flair was best known as a heel. Maybe Charlotte should be, too.

Charlotte Flair’s famous father Ric went by the moniker, “The Dirtiest Player in the Game.” He was a face for portions of his career, and popular even as a heel after he found his bearings.

He nonetheless did most of his best and most famous work as a heel, including leading the Four Horsemen, betraying Sting over and over, feuding with Ricky Steamboat and Dusty Rhodes, winning his two WWE Championships, and filling a player coach type role for Evolution.

Sure, Charlotte carries with her the nostalgia based popularity of her old man, and WWE can trot him out to stand in her corner for big moments as needed.

At the end of the day, though, if we’re to accept her as her father’s daughter, she’s the brethren of an all time great wrestling heel. Everything that follows, from her opulent robes to her tendency to win championships sets her up as someone easy for fans to go against.

2. Counterpoint: Too many turns limit a character

The biggest stars tend not to flip-flop as much in WWE.

There are reasons why, once their big pushes started, WWE never turned John Cena or Roman Reigns, even when a vocal portion of the WWE audience started booing them. Could these guys work as heels? Almost certainly.

But if WWE wants to position them as the icons of their generation, it’s a more straightforward kayfabe story to tell that they were always good guys.

Additionally, face and heel turns can diminish a star and limit a character. It’s no longer a shock when The Big Show or Kane turn face or turn heel, because both men have executed so many times across their high profile careers.

As such, no one really trusts these men to stay put in a role, and it makes for an underwhelming moment when they do turn again.

If WWE wants to make Charlotte Flair a legitimate top level star, it make sense to be protective of turning her too much, particularly when she has already had one substantial heel run already in her main roster tenure.

1. Conclusion: Turn her

Charlotte's best role right now is as a heel opposite Becky Lynch.

Though the powers that be seem insistent on digging in their heels when it comes to face or heel alignment in spite of crowd reactions, there are times when it makes sense to go with the flow of the crowd response.

Flair could probably get more over as a heel now than she can as a face, which could help her longer term trajectory as one of the top pushed stars in the company.

Add the way that Flair carries herself, and that she’s physically bigger and stronger than most of her opponents, and it’s difficult to ever sell her as a plucky underdog, or like she doesn’t enter the ring with an advantage.

Playing heel feels a little more natural for her, at least at this point in her career, and WWE would be well served to pit her in a top heel role for the blue brand, and set her up for a face turn when the fans legitimately seem ready to get behind her.