heel turns
Heroes becoming villains
A heel turn is when a character in professional wrestling or other serialized entertainment suddenly switches from being a hero (or "face") to being a villain (or "heel").
The term comes from wrestling's theatrical tradition where performers play defined moral roles.
It has spread beyond wrestling to describe any dramatic betrayal or unexpected shift to antagonism: The CEO's heel turn shocked employees who trusted him.
In gaming and fan communities, heel turn often describes real people whose public persona takes a villainous turn.
- kayfabeStaged authenticity in wrestling
- villainWicked story antagonist
- defectionAbandoning one's loyalty
- renegadesTraitors to a cause
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
treachery · backstabber · betrayal · swerve · babyface · fan favorite · traitor · lucha libre · professional wrestling · deception · moral ambiguity · cheap heat · disloyalty · undermines · dramatic irony · storyline · slow burn · boos
- ballroom dancewaltz, foxtrot, tango, quickstep, cha-cha
- wrestlers in filmsNacho Libre, Hulk Hogan, Dwayne Johnson, John Cena, Andre the Giant