5 WWE Superstars who must turn heel in 2022

2021 has been a unique year for WWE, with a lot of changes throughout the past twelve months. Several interesting storylines have taken place, with the potential for even more excitement in the coming year.

One of the biggest twists that can affect a story in WWE is when a Superstar turns heel, with various motivations behind the turn. There are plenty of babyface stars who seem likely to go bad, all of which should happen in 2022.

Most of them are currently occupied, either in a tag team or a bitter feud. But with their next moves in mind, a heel turn would maintain each of their momentum on RAW and SmackDown. From new alliances to family drama, WWE can present a lot of great angles through these potentially shocking moments.

Here are five WWE Superstars who must turn heel in 2022.

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#5 WWE SmackDown star Naomi

Naomi is currently in a program with Sonya Deville, who remains an authority figure on WWE television. The two are yet to have a proper match but whatever the outcome of it is, Naomi should not remain a babyface much longer afterward.

She may be incredibly popular, but the former Smackdown Women's Champion needs to turn heel if she wants to win it again. Naomi can join her husband Jimmy Uso in The Bloodline, further expanding the most dominant faction in WWE today.

It would be interesting to see Roman Reigns interact with Naomi, who would receive a massive boost simply by association.

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#4 Dominik Mysterio

WWE had planted seeds of dissension between Rey and Dominik Mysterio when they were on Smackdown. The father-son duo is currently intact on RAW, but things may change soon. Dominik could turn heel on his legendary dad, before potentially defeating him at WrestleMania.

It would signal the ultimate passing of the torch, with the younger Mysterio becoming a force of his own. WWE can tell an emotional tale between the two, with the family being torn apart because of it. The company hasn't shied away from using Angie and Aalyah Mysterio in storylines before.

#3 Rhea Ripley

Having recently lost the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, Rhea Ripley doesn't particularly have much direction on RAW.

She's still part of a team with Nikki A.S.H., who has been losing every week on RAW. Ripley needs to ditch her superhero friend and become a villain once again.

The Nightmare had a stop-start year in 2021, with her RAW Women's Title reign not exactly setting the world on fire. A heel turn could help her find her inner monster, leading to more success. Rhea Ripley could challenge for the title next year once a babyface is holding it.

She can even win back the Women's Tag Team Titles and enjoy a proper reign alongside Raquel Gonzalez, with the two being best friends. There are several exciting possibilities for Ripley if she turns to the dark side in 2022.

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#2 Former WWE Champion Randy Orton

This is hardly the most surprising idea, but Randy Orton needs to become a villain once again next year. He is currently having the time of his life with Riddle. They are the RAW Tag Team Champions, but for how much longer?

Orton's heel turn seems inevitable once WrestleMania 38 comes closer. But despite its predictability, WWE shouldn't swerve the fans. The Viper does his best work as a heel who has a purpose. His purpose would be to get rid of the happy and fun-loving Riddle.

If he maintains his level of work throughout 2022, Randy Orton may even win the WWE Championship as a heel. It would take him closer to the record of 17 world titles.

#1 WWE RAW star Finn Balor

Perhaps the most prominent WWE Superstar without much direction, Finn Balor is in dire need of a change in character. He will presumably put Austin Theory over. But after that, the two-time NXT Champion must do something drastic.

Balor's heel turn at the start of his second NXT run did him the world of good, adding some much-needed edge to his character. The Prince was excellent on the now-former black-and-gold brand, carrying his momentum to SmackDown.

However, Balor was hurt by his Universal Title feud with Roman Reigns. The Irishman lost twice to The Tribal Chief after his initial shot was taken away by John Cena. He did not even react to the bizarre turnbuckle collapse at Extreme Rules, which gave The Demon his first defeat on the WWE main roster.

Finn Balor needs to turn heel as soon as possible on RAW, as it would help him recover from that mess. He needs to find himself again before re-entering the main event scene. Balor could even challenge Big E for the WWE Championship, with matches against Edge and Damian Priest also sounding great.

He could even form a super team with AJ Styles, now that he and Omos may be splitting. As a villain, the future is much brighter for Balor. He, more than anyone, needs to make a turn.

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Who would you like to see turn heel in WWE in 2022? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.