Opinion: should Randy Orton turn heel?

There's no doubt that Randy Orton is considered one of the greatest superstars since the beginning of the new millennium. Being a multi-time world champion and staying a relevant figure on WWE programming for more than 10 years, Orton has all the tools of what makes a successful WWE superstar: he has a good look, an interesting persona, and is a quality in-ring performer; it's no surprising that Orton has stayed on top of the WWE for so long.

However, some may feel that Orton has become stale over the years, and ever since his feud with Wyatt ended in 2017, Orton hasn't really done much as of late. Some may argue that Orton's character has been somewhat bland for years, even during his time with the Authority. But in this case, when discussing his current state in WWE, it seems that he hasn't had a meaningful feud since his WWE Championship program with Jinder Mahal.

Regardless of whether Orton turns heel in the future or not, many feel that his best work was playing a "sadistic" villainous role. It comes into question on whether or not Orton has anything left to prove in WWE, especially considering rumors that he is apparently taking up a more part-time role with the company. It's also worth questioning on how much longer Orton will be around with the company, considering that a lot of new young stars like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Braun Strowman are being booked as main-event stars.

Orton possibly turning heel could get fans more interested in him, and thus giving Orton more meaningful programs to work while being on WWE programming. And with all the criticism Smackdown Live has been getting lately, with many claiming that it's completely repetitive every week, Orton being booked as the top heel on that brand could help change things up a bit.

Some may argue that Orton had more success as a heel than a babyface, which could be the case considering that he may have been more of a relevant figure on WWE programming as a heel. It's worth noting that before Orton's heel turn in 2013, Orton wasn't really in many memerable storylines since Sheamus became the main star on Smackdown in 2012. Turning heel in 2013 seemed to make him more of an important character, which ended up giving him the main-event role at WrestleMania 30, defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

It would make sense for Orton to freshen up his character by, for example, moving to Raw and becoming one of the top heels of the brand. People might take him more seriously, considering that there's not much going on for him at this point on Smackdown. Orton has even stated not too long ago on the Edge and Christian podcast that he would love to turn heel.

But then again, if Orton is taking up a part-time schedule, it wouldn't be surprising either that WWE keeps him as a face if they felt he would generate better business by playing the "good guy," since being the main heel on a certain brand may not work out in a part-time basis.