5 heel turns that can change the landscape of the WWE

A lot of people underestimate the impact which a heel turn can have on a superstar's career. One only needs to take a look at what a heel turn did for Shinsuke Nakamura's career in order to understand how effective a properly executed one can be.

Nakamura was slowly losing momentum and beginning to fade into the background within the WWE. His win at The Royal Rumble did revive his career to some extent but it was only when he turned heel at WrestleMania 34 that we saw him truly reinvent himself.

There are a lot of other superstars who would also benefit from a heel turn. The WWE needs to make that bold move and give several superstars the heel turn which they need.

There are some superstars who are more suited to playing a heel than being a babyface character. These superstars really come into their element when playing the role of a heel and give their brand a completely different feel. The atmosphere on SmackDown Live has changed tremendously since Nakamura's heel turn and one can only imagine how the whole of the WWE will be impacted should the Nakamura experiment be replicated.

This article will look at 5 superstars for whom a heel turn would mean changing the landscape of the WWE as we know it.

#1 Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks has been portrayed as a face character for much of her run on the main roster but this is a character which has started to become a bit stale. The "Legit Boss" had been involved in a weird sort of feud with Bayley before WrestleMania 34 and it looked likely that one of these two superstars would turn heel.

It eventually turned out that neither of the two did make the anticipated heel turn and the feud did not even culminate in a match at WrestleMania 34. This is yet another sign pointing to Banks fading away and needing something to get her career back on track.

The WWE Universe is so used to seeing Banks as a "good girl" that a heel turn would make her look like a completely different superstar. Her "Legit Boss" gimmick is something which would definitely be better suited to a heel character, allowing Banks to become one of WWE's top female superstars.

#2 Bobby Lashley

WWE should have paid closer attention to Lashley's heel run back at TNA. The superstar was a powerful character who dominated all those who stood in his way. At the moment it seems as though the WWE want to package Lashley as a "good guy" and this is the worst mistake they can make.

Lashley is a destructive powerhouse in his own right and should be allowed to embrace this side of him. Raw needs a strong heel character which the rest of the roster fall victim to time and again. Brock Lesnar was meant to play this role but with the Beast Incarnate making limited appearances, the WWE would do well to invest in another superstar to play this role.

Lashley is currently on the Raw brand and will find it difficult to be a top face character. Teaming him up with Strowman might seem to be a great idea but the reality is that this will just make him take a backseat to Strowman and undermine his own physical dominance.

This is a role which Lashley could play to perfection.

#3 Randy Orton

Randy Orton turning heel is a topic which has been talked about for the past few years. Orton has expressed his own desire to turn heel on many occasions and the WWE need to start paying attention to this.

Orton is just so much better as a heel. He appears to have a lot more control of his character, has a cunning and lethal approach during his matches and a lot more confidence in every way. Some people are just good at being bad and Randy Orton is one of them.

He looks to be in a feud with Jeff Hardy at the moment and this presents the perfect opportunity to turn him heel. SmackDown Live could use more powerful and influential heel characters and this is a role which Orton could play for the brand.

It is highly unlikely that Jeff Hardy would turn heel during the feud between the two superstars, so making Orton a heel is the way to go. Orton commands more respect and authority as a heel character and this is a huge step up from his "good guy" role which he is currently playing.

#4 Roman Reigns

Fans and former WWE superstars have been calling for a Roman Reigns heel turn for the past few years and it is about time that the creative minds back at WWE headquarters started to listen to this. Reigns was a name which just had to appear on this list, as a heel turn looks to be the only thing that can save his career right now.

The crowd reaction during his match against Samoa Joe at Backlash should have been an eye-opener for the WWE regarding the current state of the superstar's career. Reigns does not suit the role of a face character and it needs to be remembered that it was during his run with The Shield as a heel character that he was at his best.

The crowd is already booing him so a heel turn just makes sense. This will also allow us to see a different side to Reigns whilst giving his character a bit of a refresh. This is something which he desperately needs especially after two consecutive losses to Brock Lesnar.

#5 Finn Balor

Finn Balor is back where he started a few years ago when he made his main roster debut - feuding with Seth Rollins. The main difference is that this time both Balor and Rollins are being pushed as a face character and this is something which will hurt their feud instead of helping it.

Balor is a very charismatic superstar and it isn't difficult to take a liking to him. The problem with this is that it has made his character a bit boring and predictable. He hasn't returned to the main event scene ever since he was forced to relinquish the WWE Universal Championship.

His reunion with Carl Anderson and Luke Gallows did bring him back into the spotlight but this is not enough. If the WWE want Balor to return to the top, a heel turn is the best way for them to get this started.

Balor has always played the role of a face character since he debuted in the WWE and a heel run would inject new life into his current character.