Cody Rhodes' WWE Characters Ranked - From Worst To Best
2. Molding A Legacy
A 2008 heel turn for Cody let to the first real opportunity he had to sink or swim near the top of the card. A more polished wrestler than he was during his first year with the company, Rhodes joined Ted DiBiase and Randy Orton in a three-man faction known as 'Legacy', based on the fact that the trio were the descendants of legendary figures within the industry.
The first year of the faction was incredibly rewarding for Rhodes. Along with DiBiase, he feuded with D-Generation X's Shawn Michaels and Triple H, wrestling an outstanding Submissions Count Anywhere match at Breaking Point. A month later at Hell in a Cell, the young duo revisited their feud with the aging degenerates, this time in the main event. Though they lost the rematch inside the steel structure, it felt more like a star-making performance than not.
The split of Legacy left Rhodes in a tough spot, a young star without any discernible character to speak of. He would struggle to rebound but was still, in the eyes of fans, one of the brightest young stars in the industry, his experience working with Michaels and Triple H invaluable to this perception.