8 Greatest Face & Heel Turns In Modern Wrestling History

There is nothing quite like the joy or sadness that comes with an unexpected face or heel turn. These are consistently some of the moments that get keyboards clacking like a pneumatic drill, and the blood pumping with cartoonish fervor. No matter which way your tribal allegiances lean, WWE and AEW have nailed some of the most shocking and satisfying turns in recent years.

Whether it's the tease of long-term storytelling or a spontaneous moment that catches us completely off guard, the past five years have been loaded with coming-of-age face turns or wicked heel turns for the audience in attendance and millions watching around the world. A change of lane is a magic moment for a superstar, when the world is sent into a frenzy of fantasy booking and speculation about where we go from here.

Even if the character change doesn't work out for the performer in the long run, if the switch is executed properly, these are moments that can live in the memory forever, and the following are the very best examples of face and heel turns in the recent history of professional wrestling.

It's nigh on impossible to remember the days of Dominik Mysterio being the innocent little cherub he once was. Raised by the most wholesome wrestler to ever lace a pair of boots, Dominik Mysterio's in-ring career saw him slowly introduced to the WWE Universe as Rey's inexperienced son, with the duo even scoring the WWE Tag Team Championship during Dom's first year in the company.

This all came crashing to a halt with a swift kick to Edge's balls and a clothesline to his father at Clash At The Castle 2022. As The Judgment Day laughed from outside the ring, Dom's transition from Rey's protege to the Dirty Dom we know and love today was one of the most instantly satisfying turns in recent memory.

Through memorable runs with Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan as his partners in crime, all the way to Dom's Intercontinental Championship run, his dastardly excellence has seen him assume the mantle of The Judgment Day's MVP and establish himself as the man the WWE Universe loves to hate.