10 Wrestling Heels Who Got Better With A Small Change

Over the years, a lot of wrestlers have undergone huge alterations to their characters. Some totally transform themselves, physically and in character, to become massive stars. These are obvious changes from a new outfit to persona and often a heel turn that unlocks their potential. But more interesting are people who only need a small alteration to take their act to a new level.

It's not just changing a hairstyle, a new manager/partner, or how they look. It can be as simple as new music, a little boost to their character or something else but it pays off dividends. It makes them better as a heel, unleashing further arrogance and other inner character bits that shine well. These ten heels just made a small alteration to go from good to great to show it's sometimes the little things that go a long way.

10 Seth Rollins - The Visionary

Putting aside the "Seth Freaking Rollins" nickname, transforming into the Visionary has been a boon for Rollins' heel work. Already cocky and arrogant, Rollins dropping the "Architect" stuff for flashy outfits and a wilder manner has boosted him up with fans and even sparked up his ring work more.

Rollins' mic work is still clicking but a new fire to him and seems to really enjoy flaunting this persona more. It's not a huge alteration, but it fits Rollins and keeps him as one of the hottest figures in WWE and still a fantastic heel.

9 Kurt Angle - "You Suck"

Some can argue Angle started to really improve in his heeldom after he was shaven bald, but that was a pretty big step for him. However, this coincided with another move in the chant that made Angle a bigger star. It was actually Edge who started mocking Angle with the line as fans were soon chanting it in perfect time with his entrance music.

At first, Angle would be driven crazy by it but eventually embrace it and either way it boosted him more. It was used in the times Angle was a face, but somehow the "You Suck" chants made him as a heel even more fun.

8 The Rock - Speaking In Third Person

By now the story is known how Rocky Maivia was a total flop with crowds as the classic smiling babyface. His injury was a great thing to put him on the shelf for a bit and come back with a harder attitude. But what truly brought the change was when he began referring to himself in the third person.

At first as Rocky then just "The Rock," it made him more arrogant and thus easier to hate, but also letting his true persona shine. Not only did this make him a better heel but laid the seeds for the megastar he'd become as "The Rock says" was what set Dwayne Johnson on the path to superstardom.

7 Randy Savage - Macho King

Having lost the WWE title to Hulk Hogan in 1989, Randy Savage could have kept up as simply the wild man character. The first good move was to make Sherri Martel his new manager as they fit perfectly together. Then Savage won the "King" label from Jim Duggan and the "Macho King" shone brilliantly.

He got new outfits with a "royal" motif and the crown while bragging about his greatness. Even "Pomp and Circumstances" fit this character so much better, keeping Savage hot again with crowds and his later heel run better than the first.

6 Triple H - Dropping Classical Music

Hunter Hearst Helmsley always had the goods as a "Greenwich snob" character, but that lame classical music didn't help. He got a spark winning the Intercontinental title but coming out to "Ode to Joy" didn't work nearly as well as Ric Flair's classic music theme did.

Adding Chyna was a huge thing for Hunter, but dropping that music for a better theme coinciding with the IC title reign helped Hunter look tougher. That led to his run with Shawn Michaels which finally pushed him to stardom and much better entrance themes.

5 The Hollywood Blondes - Camera Motions

Steve Austin and Brian Pillman were already good heels when they were thrown together as a tag team in late 1992. Before long, the pair were clicking perfectly and the Hollywood Blondes were soon on the rise. Getting matching shorts and jackets was a good touch, but the real fun came with the Blondes incorporating old-styled movie camera motions to mock fallen opponents.

It made them look like arrogant jerks but also relished in the pain of opponents. Adding things like boots that lit up elevated them more as the Blondes became the hottest team in WCW and led to Austin's own rise to stardom.

4 Hollywood Hogan - The Beard

When Hulk Hogan turned heel in 1996, it was an epic moment for fans. The patron saint of babyfaces turning into the bad guy had the entire industry talking and made WCW must-watch TV. The first move by Hogan was dropping the red and gold for pure black. He then painted a "beard" to his face to look more sinister.

While that seemed stupid at first, it oddly fit Hogan's new persona, still arrogant and trying to look even tougher. It could be mocked, but that just made it more fun as Hogan kept it up to push himself to the top as a heel as much as he'd been a hero.

3 Ted DiBiase - Million Dollar Belt

In 1989, Ted DiBiase was in a tricky place in WWE. He wasn't quite main event level anymore with Randy Savage around but also too big to go into the lower card. So DiBiase announced that since he couldn't win a belt, he'd just make his own.

The Million Dollar Championship looked fancy with the gold and jewels but also boosted DiBiase back up with fans. It would be the focus of feuds with Virgil and the like and kept DiBiase in the conversation until he and IRS won the tag team titles. Oddly, the real title didn't fit DiBiase as well as this did.

2 Chris Jericho - Silent Man

Chris Jericho summed up his return to WWE in 2007 wasn't that good at first as fans were tired of his Y2J persona. Jericho kept up the arrogant edge for a time in his heel turn but then hit on an idea inspired by Javier Barden's character in No Country For Old Men.

This "silent" figure was a departure from the usual motormouth Jericho, but it worked as his intensity got him back on top with multiple title runs. Jericho has always been a genius at shifting up his character and this was one of his best turns yet.

1 Bayley - Ding Dong

Bayley is an amazing example of the seemingly perfect babyface who transformed into a stellar heel. She was already great with her partnership with Sasha Banks and showed an arrogant attitude. But then in early 2021, Bayley started dressing in suits with shades and her "Ding Dong" catchphrase.

That was just taking off when her injury put her on the shelf for a year. Now back, Bayley is keeping up the suits and such as the leader of her own faction and proving how genius her heel turn has been for her career.