The 12 Most Surprising Heel and Babyface Turns in WWE History

For quite some time, fans of WWE were reluctant to see Roman Reigns as the fresh face of the company, much like John Cena before him. Eventually, though, Reigns decided to embrace his darker side.

After taking a short break from wrestling, he made a dramatic return at Summerslam, going after Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman with a new, fierce intensity. What stunned everyone a few days later was his unexpected alliance with Paul Heyman, someone he previously saw as a rival.

What followed was nothing short of historic.

Reigns embarked on an incredible 1,316-day reign as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. During this time, he headlined WrestleMania four times and claimed victories over a who’s who of wrestling stars, including Seth Rollins, Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Logan Paul, Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens, to name a few.

His triumphs in the ring were matched by the evolution of his Tribal Chief persona—a character birthed from a tumultuous and intense rivalry with his cousin Jey Uso. Over time, this character matured into a fearsome leader of the Bloodline faction, defined by manipulation and power.

Week after week, the Bloodline became essential viewing, especially when Sami Zayn joined the narrative, creating a world of its own within WWE. Such was Reigns’ influence that even The Rock found himself entangled in his storyline.

Ultimately, Roman’s formidable reign concluded in what might be considered WWE’s most remarkable narrative arc. At WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes, supported by an ensemble cast including Seth Rollins, John Cena, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, the Usos, and The Undertaker, managed to overcome Reigns and secure the WWE Championship, bringing his journey full circle.

The transformation of Roman Reigns into a heel was pivotal, shaping the current state of WWE into something entirely different from what it might have been.