5 Best Anti-heroes in the WWE 

The lines between a heel and a babyface have been blurred so much over the past few years that it has become almost impossible to distinguish between the two. If one takes a closer look at today's independent wrestling scene, the concept of a heel and a babyface has almost become redundant. These promotions rely more on the story arc leading up to the match and actual in-ring action than the heel-babyface dynamic. It would be difficult to name a pure heel in today's independent circuit although people like Tama Tonga and Sam Adonis are despised by the fans for their actions, they are few and far between.

The WWE, on the other hand, relies heavily on the heel-babyface dynamic. The WWE product caters more to the casual fans and is more entertainment oriented. While an ROH or New Japan looks to put on classic matches, the WWE relies more on the great moments created during a show. So, for this to happen they need a clear-cut babyface and a cocky and arrogant heel. The babyface finally managing to beat the heel despite his underhanded tactics is what makes a great moment.

WWE still continues with the heel-babyface dynamic in their weekly programming. Whether it is actually working in today's environment is a debate which we can have later. Over the years, there have been some Superstars who cannot be categorized either as a heel nor as a face. These Superstars had the attributes of both a face and a heel and are universally adored by scores of fans all around the world. They were rebellious and never tried to be a holier-than-thou character which attracted fan attention to them. They can be best described as an anti-hero.

Here are the top five Anti-heroes in WWE history :

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#5 Dean Ambrose

The Lunatic fringe Dean Ambrose

How can you like a person who is unstable, unhinged and borderline crazy? Well, Dean Ambrose is all of the above and much more but that hasn't stopped the fans from cheering on the man known as 'The Lunatic Fringe'. The Shield member is one of the most decorated Superstars of the current generation and was the first Shield member to become Grand Slam Champion when he along with Seth Rollins defeated the Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro) for the RAW Tag Team Championship.

Dean Ambrose has been a babyface for a major part of his career but to categorize him as a true-blue babyface would be a huge mistake. The Ohio-native attacked his opponents from behind, a trait not associated with a babyface. His in-ring style is that of a brawler which again is not conducive to a babyface character. In spite of all of this, Ambrose's grit, determination and never say die attitude has made him one of the most beloved superstars of this generation.

Ambrose recently returned to in-ring action after almost 9 months and it looks like he hasn't missed a step. In fact, he looks leaner and meaner than his previous self. With the Shield reuniting once again to take down the Monster Among Men, Braun Strowman, expect Dean Ambrose to reek havoc upon the entire RAW roster alongside his Sheild Brethern

#4 Eddie Gurrero

Latino Heat Eddie Gurrero

Eddie Gurrero is one of the most beloved superstars in the wrestling world. Born in the legendary Gurrero family, the youngest son of Mexican Wrestling promoter would go on to achieve success in every promotion that he was a part of. Eddie was the greatest Latin American wrestler in the history. He has inspired a generation of wrestlers who consider Latino Heat to be the main force behind them getting into the business.

Effective as both as a heel and as a face, Eddie was one of the few Superstars who could pull off both characters effortlessly. But even as a face, Eddie never seemed to get over his three vices i.e, lying, cheating and stealing and this is precise reason why fans loved him so much. Eddie was never your typical babyface as he would cheat to win his matches.

Even the biggest win of his career against Brock Lesnar at No Way Out 2004 came courtesy of an interference by Bill Goldberg. But, was anyone complaining? Never.

Everyone in the crowd and everyone watching on television was rejoicing at the sight of seeing one of the true greats of the business winning the most prestigious title in the business. Eddie's time with us was cut short by his untimely death on November 13, 2005, but he will always be remembered as one of the greatest Anti-heroes in WWE's history.

#3 Sting

Sting was one of the most popular stars in WCW

Sting is one of the most prolific performers in wrestling history. The former WCW Champion was the backbone of the company and undoubtedly it's most popular star. Sting was in the main event of both the first and the last episode of Monday Night Nitro. Sting was a true blue babyface for the early part of his career until the industry itself underwent a seismic change. On July 7, 1996, at WCW Bash at the Beach, the biggest babyface in the wrestling business at that time, Hulk Hogan turned heel and joined forces with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to form the New World Order (nWo).

The nWo would go on to become one of the influential factions in wrestling history and helped revive the career of Hulk Hogan, who was facing a slump before joining them.

The introduction of the nWo changed the wrestling business forever. With bad being the new good, the franchise player of WCW had to do something to stop the nWo and save WCW and boy did he do it. Gone was the day glow face paint and blonde hair flattop. It was replaced by black and white face paint and long black locks. Sting adopted a broody, supernatural character where he changed his attire and look complete. He also used his famous baseball bat during his time and continued to portray this character throughout his career.

This radical transformation of Sting from a do-gooder to an anti-hero was heavily praised by critics and fans. Sting's success contributed heavily to the rise of WCW in the Monday Night Wars. Sting had the ability to change with times and went on to reinvent his character multiple times during his illustrious Carrer. The legacy that the man known as Sting has left in the wrestling business is unparalleled and he is undoubtedly the greatest WCW superstar of all time.

#2 CM Punk

The Voice of the Voiceless CM Punk

The early stages of CM Punk's illustrious WWE career wasn't a bed of roses. The Chicago-native was never supposed to get past the development system, let alone be the longest reigning WWE Champion of the modern era. His attitude and persona rubbed people the wrong way and had it not been for Paul Heyman, we would have never seen CM Punk on the main roster. CM Punk's accomplishment in the early stages in his WWE run includes winning the Money in the Bank Match twice consecutively at WrestleMania 24 and 25.

He would successfully cash-in his contract to capture the World Heavyweight Championship on both occasions but was never treated as a main-event talent and had slowly started to become an afterthought that is until the summer of 2011. In the Summer of 2011, CM Punk's contract with the WWE was up. The Company used this storyline with Punk facing John Cena for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank. In the build-up to the match, Punk would deliver his infamous PipeBomb promo which was basically a rant against his employers and the fans. In spite of being a heel at that time, Punk was cheered by the fans. He became the voice of fans who were frustrated by the WWE product and thought of Punk as their last hope.

Punk would go on to have a lengthy 434-day run as the WWE Champion from November 2011 to January 2013 before losing the title to the Rock at the Royal Rumble in 2013. Punk, throughout his WWE career, was portrayed as an outsider, a rebel and anthesis of what a WWE Superstar should be. He was never a pure babyface as he himself proclaimed numerous times that he isn't a good guy but the fans loved and adored him immensely. Even after leaving the company in 2014, CM Punk chants can be heard in every WWE event and that is the proof of the legacy that the Second City saviour has left behind him.

#1 Stone Cold Steve Austin

The Texas Rattlesnake Stone Cold Steve Austin

Had it not been for the heroics of Stone Cold Steve Austin in the late 1900's, Vince McMahon would have run out of business and eventually sold off his now billion-dollar empire. The Texas Rattlesnake is the biggest reason why the WWE won the Monday Night Wars against WCW which eventually led to Vince McMahon buying his biggest competition in 2011. Stone Cold's popularity is unmatched in the wrestling business and he is considered by many to be the biggest draw in the wrestling business.

Austin was the biggest and the best anti-hero the wrestling world has ever been, his in-ring style was that of a brawler, which is a style generally adopted by a heel. He was foul-mouthed, drank beer and attacked his opponents when they least expected it. But what attracted fans to the Rattlesnake was his ability to wreak havoc over his opponents especially the Chairman of the WWE, Vince McMahon.

Austin's rivalry with McMahon was a big tuning for the company which turned the fortunes in its favour during the Monday Night Wars. This was a time when a lot of fans in the crowd were office-goers who held a grudge against their boss and thus lived vicariously through Austin. Everybody wanted to punch their boss in the face, but Austin did it and also got paid to do it. Austin's character and persona were never that of a true blue-babyface as he was an anti-hero for the most part of his career.