When it comes to heel turns in AEW, there haven’t been a whole load of major ones in recent times, so when looking at the last 10, you need to go back over the last year or more. There have been some “turns”, but often it is heels further cementing themselves as worse heels, such as with MJF and Daniel Garcia.
The most recent heel turns in AEW have been up and down, with some being executed far better than others. There has been a mixed bag, though for the most part they have been good, though this isn’t exclusive to every recent heel turn. These will be viewed with a variety of factors, from the moment itself, to the build to the heel turn, to the aftermath of the turn too.
10 Sonny Kiss
When Sonny Kiss turned heel and aligned with The Trustbusters, it hinted that AEW may finally start doing something with Kiss. However, this wasn’t the case, as The Trustbusters faction has been nothing more than a jobber group who barely get any TV time.
The moment itself was fine, but Kiss hasn’t really benefitted from aligning with the likes of Ari Daivari and Slim J. This has certainly been the worst recent heel turn, though Kiss is not at fault for it.
9 William Regal
The moment in which William Regal turned heel and helped MJF win the AEW World Championship could’ve been a legendary one. However, just two weeks later this was all rendered obsolete as MJF attacked Regal, writing him off TV for good.
Regal would then leave AEW shortly after to return to WWE. Having this much focus on Regal and spotlighting his heel turn was a big mistake, and it resulted in the heel turn being among the most frustrating in AEW history, even if the moment was initially a huge one.
8 Luchasaurus
After Christian Cage turned against Jungle Boy, it took a little while to fully see where Luchasaurus’ allegiance was. At the All Out PPV, he attacked Jungle Boy, cementing his heel turn and aligning with Christian Cage as his “hand hand of destruction”.
The build to this turn was very messy, as there was unnecessary doubt and false turns during the story. The assault itself was okay, but it resulted in an annoying squash match at the PPV. Luchasaurus, aside from a strong match Jungle Boy, hasn’t done anything really since turning heel, and it isn’t clear where he goes from here.
7 Preston Vance
Since his heel turn, Preston Vance’s character has been great, but unfortunately it has been on a small platform. Vance’s turn happened on an episode of Rampage, which felt like a bit of a letdown after the years of being with the Dark Order. Following that, there was no revenge sought out by the Dark Order, lessening the impact of the turn.
Vance turning his back on Negative One was a good moment, but it must be said that there were many ways to handle this turn far better than AEW actually did.
6 Toni Storm & Saraya
Saraya’s return to the ring was losing some steam, so a heel turn was necessary. AEW listened to the audience and built towards a babyface turn for Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker and a heel turn for Toni Storm & Saraya.
That being said, it did all feel a little rushed, and the aftermath hasn’t been great. The whole “spraypainting” gimmick has fallen flat. Saraya in particular looks more comfortable as a heel though, which is good.
5 Athena
Athena’s heel turn was one of the more understated of the last year, but it was one that was executed very well. During matches on Dark and Elevation, Athena was showcasing more aggression and played into some reactions she was getting from the crowd.
She finally gave in to it all and became a full blown heel. She took this momentum to Ring of Honor where she became the Women’s World Champion. Perhaps this would have been more effective on national television, but it was nice for AEW to use their YouTube shows for an angle for a change.
4 Samoa Joe
After a brief tag team with Wardlow, Samoa Joe turned his back on his friend. It was a simple heel turn, but one that worked well. Joe unlocked more of his vicious personality and his quality in promo work also shot up.
Joe is more natural as a heel, so this was a good booking move from AEW. Unfortunately, Wardlow’s booking took a hit, but for Joe himself, the heel turn was a brilliant decision.
3 Blackpool Combat Club
The Blackpool Combat Club’s heel turn is one of the most recent in AEW, so it is arguably too soon to judge it compared to other heel turns recently. However, thus far it has been very good.
Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta have all displayed a lot of aggression, physicality, and a nasty side which has been very entertaining. If AEW continues booking them as violent ass-kickers who enjoy dishing out punishment, then this heel run could be incredible for the trio.
2 Ruby Soho
Ruby Soho recently turned heel to align with Toni Storm and Saraya of The Outcasts. This came after weeks of uncertainty for her character. The booking in the lead up to the turn left a lot to be desired, but Soho has looked like a whole different animal since turning heel, and it has ignited a lot of promise into her AEW run.
Soho’s promo work has gone up a level, and she has been arguably the most entertaining part of The Outcasts since her heel turn.
1 Swerve Strickland
The heel turn for Swerve Strickland had been anticipated for a while due to tension between him and Keith Lee. It finally came to a head as Strickland embarked on a brutal assault on Lee.
Strickland is a natural heel, and his work as a bad guy has been strong so far, even if he hasn’t gotten much of a chance on Dynamite. It feels like just a matter of time for Strickland to climb up the card in AEW after his great heel turn.
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