heel turn
Hero becomes villain
A heel turn is a dramatic shift from hero to villain, originally from professional wrestling where a "face" (good guy) becomes a "heel" (bad guy).
The term has spread to describe any sudden betrayal or reversal of allegiance: The senator's heel turn shocked his former allies.
In wrestling, heel turns are often staged for narrative effect; in broader use, the term implies the change feels theatrical or calculated.
Staged authenticity in wrestling
- babyfaceYouthful, innocent appearance
- faceHead's anterior surface
- promoBrief publicity piece
- feudBitter ongoing rivalry
storyline · gimmick · finisher · tag team · stables · manager · valet · entrance
Betray someone's trust
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
- treacheryDeliberate violation of trust
- defectionAbandoning one's loyalty
- selloutCompromiser of integrity
disloyalty · traitor · perfidy · duplicity · deception · two-faced · snake · judas
One who opposes another
- protagonistStory's central figure
- villainWicked story antagonist
- arcCurved line segment
- twistRotating motion or surprise
revelation · plot · storyline · character · motivation · redemption · foreshadowing · climax
Group within group
- stableSecure and unchanging
- sideLateral portion of something
- alignmentCorrect relative positioning
- allegianceLoyalty owed to authority
loyalty · partnership · coalition · camp · team · affiliation · joining · defection
kayfabe
Staged authenticity in wrestling
feud · storyline · gimmick · finisher · tag team · stables · manager · valet · entrance · turnbuckle
backstab
Betray someone's trust
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
- treacheryDeliberate violation of trust
- defectionAbandoning one's loyalty
sellout · disloyalty · traitor · perfidy · duplicity · deception · two-faced · snake · judas · switch sides
antagonist
One who opposes another
- protagonistStory's central figure
- villainWicked story antagonist
- arcCurved line segment
twist · revelation · plot · storyline · character · motivation · redemption · foreshadowing · climax · tension
faction
Group within group
allegiance · loyalty · partnership · coalition · camp · team · affiliation · joining · defection · switch
- wrestlingbody slam, wrestlers, takedown, pinfall, suplex
- dance movespirouette, shimmy, waltz, tango, cha-cha
- redemptionredemption arc, redeemed, forgiven, saved, moral redemption
- story tropesquest, hero's journey, plot twist, chosen one, red herring
- Pro WrestlingWrestleMania, Royal Rumble, kayfabe, gimmick, suplex
- ballroom dancewaltz, foxtrot, tango, quickstep, cha-cha
heel turnface turn
Villain becoming protagonist
redemption arc · redemption · reformation · turning over a new leaf · moral awakening
turn, return, heel, turning, turned, overturn, heels, turnaround, turncoat