WWE and AEW Stars Who Need to Turn Babyface or Heel in 2026

Every new year provides WWE and AEW with the opportunity to hit the reset button on certain competitors to ensure they have the strongest start possible. A change of character can go a long way in accomplishing that.

There haven't been any epic turns on either Raw or SmackDown in some time, leading to stagnancy on the shows. John Cena going heel last March was the last major turn in WWE, and even the execution of that was ultimately a failure.

Over in All Elite Wrestling, The Young Bucks recently reunited with Kenny Omega to complete their long-teased turn back to babyfaces, and Samoa Joe's betrayal of Adam Page in October resulted in him regaining the AEW World Championship shortly thereafter.

Multiple names in both companies could benefit from switching up their stale gimmicks and working with fresh faces. Doing so sooner rather than later would be a big boost to kick off 2026 and prevent them from getting lost in the shuffle.

With WWE and AEW on the fast track to the Royal Rumble and Revolution, respectively, anything can happen, so fans should expect to see some significant shifts. These are the seven stars who need to go heel or babyface before the year is done.

Jon Moxley

Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Jon Moxley is a curious case at the moment, as no one seems to fully understand what his character alignment is supposed to be or where he's headed.

The AEW OG was positioned as the promotion's lead heel at the onset of 2025 during his tyrannical reign as AEW world champion. The Death Riders continued to run roughshod over the roster even after he dropped the title to Adam Page at July's All In.

That should have been the beginning of the end for the group, specifically Moxley being at the helm. For a while, he was racking up high-profile losses to the likes of Darby Allin and Kyle O'Reilly and was well on his way to being booted—until he wasn't.

Moxley began cutting babyface promos in the Continental Classic, which should have been a precursor to him losing in the semifinals and then getting betrayed by his own faction. Instead, he advanced to the finals, captured the title and subsequently celebrated with The Death Riders in babyface fashion.

If it isn't already official, Moxley should soon be cemented as a babyface, a role he has always excelled in. That can be accomplished by having him sever ties with the group, or by disbanding it all together.

Randy Orton

Craig Melvin/WWE via Getty Images

Fans have been anxiously awaiting Randy Orton to go heel for what feels like ages, but WWE has yet to pull the trigger on the turn for one reason or another.

Since it would be difficult for fans to boo The Viper because he's so beloved, he would need to do something dastardly to ensure the audience is no longer on his side, or at least is willing to rally behind his adversary.

That's why him betraying longtime pupil and fellow fan favorite Cody Rhodes has always made the most sense.

The Viper has come close to stabbing Rhodes in the back on more than a handful of occasions in the last year and a half, but they've remained on friendly terms.

Orton clearly has his sights set on the Undisputed WWE Championship, and based on how he hesitated against The American Nightmare at Night of Champions last June, he knows he has to be the Orton of old in order to win it.

Interestingly, he's been away from WWE TV for nearly three months and was last seen unsuccessfully teaming with Rhodes against The Vision on SmackDown. When he's ready to return, it should involve The American Nightmare in some form or fashion.

Rhodes defending against Orton could feasibly be the match for WrestleMania 42, and if The Viper is heel by then, he'd have a realistic chance of leaving with the gold in his grasp.

Jamie Hayter

Jamie Hayter was the hottest commodity within the AEW women's division three years ago. She was firing on all cylinders as women's world champion until an untimely injury abruptly ended her title run and put her on the shelf for over a year.

Although she's been a part of some strong matches since returning at All In 2024, she hasn't been able to recreate the connection with the audience she once had.

Her most recent rivalry with Kris Statlander in particular fell flat because both women seem to be struggling with establishing their identities, despite the match itself being an excellent, hard-hitting affair.

For as likable as Hayter is as a character, it's best she return to her roots as a heel and go back to what worked best for her when she was at the peak of her success as a singles star in AEW.

Thekla is apparently next in line for a shot at Statlander's strap, but Hayter's decisive loss at Worlds End shouldn't deter her from continuing to chase for it. A change in attitude could convince Statlander to give her another opportunity and result in Hayter getting back the belt she was never beaten for in the first place.

Solo Sikoa

Andrea Kellaway/WWE via Getty Images

WWE has tried out several different roles for Solo Sikoa since his arrival on the main roster in 2022, but he still struggles to find what works best for him. The only thing left for him to do at this point is attempting to turn face.

Sikoa's most compelling character work actually came during his one-year stint in NXT. He portrayed a silent-but-deadly, one-man wrecking crew who posed a threat to the rest of the roster and organically had the crowd behind him.

He instead settled into a spot as the enforcer of The Bloodline upon moving to SmackDown. He was heavily protected for that first year but has gradually lost every ounce of his aura since then because of how he's been booked.

Sikoa's storylines, matches and mic work have not been his strong suit, but he has shown he can be entertaining when he's allowed to show off more of his comedic personality.

It's possible WWE initially has him tap into that as a heel before he endears himself to fans and becomes a babyface for the first time on the main roster. It could salvage The MFTs as a whole from fading into obscurity, especially since they can't be taken seriously as they are.

Konosuke Takeshita

Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

Aligning with Don Callis and going heel in the spring of 2023 was a massive turning point in the AEW career of Konosuke Takeshita, who went from being a "good hand" to one of the most promising prospects in the entire company.

He helped build The Don Callis Family from the ground up, pinned Kenny Omega on back-to-back pay-per-views and clinched the International Championship in late 2024. Last year, he was a workhorse, but his valiant efforts weren't enough to earn him the Continental Classic crown at Worlds End.

He's been teasing tension with stablemate Kazuchika Okada for months, and after The Rainmaker cheated to beat him at Worlds End, it's only appropriate they finally engage in a formal feud, starting with Takeshita turning face and separating himself from the group.

Takeshita is exceptional enough in the ring that he can let his matches do the talking for him, though his promos are perfectly serviceable. Fans are ready to start cheering for him if they aren't already doing so, and he has the potential to be elevated even further up the card later in 2026 once his angle with Okada runs its course.

Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan

Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images

Dominik Mysterio has been among WWE's most hated heels for the better part of the past three years, yet he's never been closer to being accepted as a babyface by the fans.

He somehow went from being despised upon betraying his father, Rey Mysterio, and joining The Judgment Day to becoming infinitely more despised when he dumped Rhea Ripley for Liv Morgan in the summer of 2024.

His heat was off the charts in the final stretch of 2025, but he and Morgan have such stellar chemistry together that fans have grown to love the pairing.

They wouldn't necessarily have to change much about themselves if and when they do turn face, but it is imperative they break away from The Judgment Day to expedite the group's demise.

Dom being sidelined with a shoulder injury right now will likely delay the inevitable, but he and Morgan being the ones to decide to split from the rest will make their turn that much bigger and send the message that they're evolving.

WWE can take the popularity of Mysterio and Morgan to the next level by solidifying their status as true fan favorites in 2026.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.