Few positions in entertainment allow an individual to express themselves creatively quite like being a heel in WWE.
The best heels are able to walk a line between being “cool” enough to generate interest and being unlikable enough to enable the crowd to cheer for the babyface.
Heels are supposed to be unselfish in the pro wrestling sphere, doing whatever they can to generate heat in terms of negative energy directed at them so that this same energy can be transferred into a positive force from the crowd for the babyface.
Here are the 10 best heels in WWE right now.
10. Bron Breakker
Turning heel was exactly what Bron Breakker needed in order to freshen things up in NXT.
Everyone could tell that Breakker is a legitimate talent and one of the most explosive athletes in WWE, but he was way too bland as a babyface.
He was losing credibility every time the NXT crowd would take over and essentially mock Breakker for being boring.
The double-turn with Carmelo Hayes has kept things fresh on Tuesday nights. Breakker is a menace as a heel, imposing himself on any opponent physically.
9. Finn Bálor
Finn Bálor has fulfilled a number of different roles during his time in WWE, but he is undoubtedly at his most interesting as a heel. Who can forget the Real Rock’N’Rolla of NJPW? The creator of the original Bullet Club?
If this were a ranking based on performance at that time, Bálor would have a strong shot at No. 1. But even after his peak years, Bálor is still a major asset to WWE as the veteran of the Judgment Day.
8. Shinsuke Nakamura
Heels that can perform psychological mind games on opponents are often the best characters in professional wrestling. Shinsuke Nakamura is someone fans have the utmost respect for due to years and years of excellence at the highest level, yet he can just as easily get under their skin with his antics.
Remember when Nakamura hit AJ Styles with a low blow at WrestleMania 34 to ruin a dream match? And then went on to terrorize Styles?
One of his best tongue-in-cheek moments was snapping a pen in half at the contract signing and slyly quipping “This pen is broken”.
In 2023, Nakamura has been at his vintage best again in a program with Seth Rollins, seamlessly returning to the main event scene on Monday nights under Triple H’s leadership. “I know about your back.” Classic.
7. The Miz
The Miz is a Hall of Famer in every sense and the perfect example of how far grit, determination, and work ethic can take someone. Even though the real Mike Mizanin is a humble success story anyone can relate to, the Miz character is the exact opposite. He is arrogant, entitled, flashy, and as boisterous as they come.
For years, Miz has been the heel fans love to hate, earning a unique level of respect from them.
His work on Talking Smack in 2016 as the Intercontinental Champion helped set the tone for SmackDown in the early months of the full brand split, and it’s honestly a shame that Miz wasn’t given more limelight in the main event scene.
At this point in his career, he’s a “gatekeeper” for wrestlers entering the upper mid-card. It is still an important role, though, and Miz’s elite promo work is still able to shine through when called for.
But for the most part, he is scaling his efforts depending on what the babyface needs, allowing WWE to assess how ready someone is for the next step.
6. Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley is only outside of the top five because she isn’t truly disliked as a heel. If anything, she gets babyface reactions from fans because of how brilliant she is as a character and wrestler.
A prodigy of pro wrestling, Ripley was destined for greatness ever since stepping foot in WWE. She has fulfilled her potential – and then some.
One of the most dominant athletes in the entire sport, Ripley has blossomed into a smart, witty, and serious character.
The Judgment Day kicked out Edge so that there would be no true leader, but we all know that Ripley is the de factor leader of Monday night’s power faction.
5. Bayley
Bayley is a legend of the wrestling business, and it took a heel turn upon SmackDown’s move to FOX in order for her to truly break out of her shell. It’s not that Bayley was a bad babyface.
In NXT, she was arguably the best babyface in pro wrestling during her biggest programs.
However, Vince McMahon could only book her main roster character in a childish way, and it took a heel turn for her to show the depth she is capable of as a performer.
4. Dominik Mysterio
Nobody gets louder boos in pro wrestling right now than Dominik Mysterio. What he lacks in experience and know-how on the mic, he more than makes up for by being able to play the sleazy, cowardly heel role perfectly.
The dynamic he and Ripley have together in the Judgment Day is fascinating and has helped make the faction must-see every week on Raw and NXT. Dom can barely get a word out because of how vociferously the crowd boos him.
3. Gunther
Gunther is on his way to becoming the greatest Intercontinental Champion in WWE history. He is an absolute titan, producing the most hard-hitting matches in the company and bringing an in-ring style that the company has sorely been missing.
He adds a certain aura and class to the IC Title that we haven’t seen in ages. The Miz brought it on the stick, but Gunther’s in-ring pedigree affords him a certain cachet that even Miz could not offer.
Why Gunther should stay Intercontinental Champion until WrestleMania 40
Chopping and steamrolling opponents with his technical and physical prowess, Gunther’s work on the mic cannot be underestimated either. He mixes in German perfectly to accentuate the pointed statements he makes towards opponents, and his poise in backstage segments gives the IC Title an additional status. He is a rare breed in modern wrestling.
2. Grayson Waller
The next big thing in WWE, Grayson Waller is so good that he doesn’t even need a match on a Pay Per View to make headlines. WWE trust him in segments with John Cena and Cody Rhodes, and he even impressed Edge by “swimming” at Madison Square Garden.
Waller was clearly quite the talent in NXT, yet he seems even better on the main roster, utilizing the spotlight to his advantage. He can turn anything into gold, and he truly does have a knack for finding the right way to strike a nerve.
Like so many great heels over the years in WWE, Waller is someone fans love to boo, and he is willing to make it easy to hate him. Yet because he’s so good at his job, he naturally earns respect from those who understand what he is trying to achieve.
1. Roman Reigns
There is no question that Roman Reigns stands alone at the top of the pantheon of great heels amidst this all-time great run as world champion. Reigns operates on an entirely different plane of existence to anyone else in pro wrestling, reaching his final form as a heel after years of already getting the biggest heel reactions in WWE…as a babyface.
Reigns’ mafia-type character makes him the master of manipulation, unscrupulously turning his own family members against each other in order to maintain his stranglehold of power on WWE.
The Tribal Chief has run through everyone on the roster, though he often wins by the skin of his teeth through nefarious means, further giving the crowd every reason to despise him.
Even so, his promo work and unceasing ability to deliver in the biggest matches have enabled him to achieve their respect after years of never quite getting it universally as a face.
