History Main / Heel

A Heel is a bad guy in {{professional wrestling}}. He's a HateSink, existing to make the crowd angry and menace their favorites. They are typically the antagonist of a pro wrestling storyline or "angle." The opposite of a heel is a {{Face}}.

* Early in their career, Music/TheRollingStones were strategically marketed as the Heels to [[Music/TheBeatles the Beatles]]' {{Face}}s. Their manager and producer Andrew Loog Oldham was responsible for lines such as ''Melody Maker's'' headline "Would You Let Your Sister Go With a Rolling Stone?" and the memorable press announcement for their first New York visit: "The Rolling Stones, [[UncleanlinessIsNextToUngodliness who haven't bathed in a week]], arrived here yesterday."

** Colby Covington became one of UFC's top draws in the late 2010s by playing himself up as the promotion's "super villain", regularly trash-talking opponents. In one particularly notorious example, during his post-fight interview after defeating Demian Maia in Maia's homeland of Brazil, he called the country "a dump" and the crowd "filthy animals". On top of that, he greatly plays up his stance as a staunch [[UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem Republican]] [[UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump Trump]] supporter to draw heel heat. Before his 2019 fight with Robbie Lawler, he took it UpToEleven, making his ring entrance to Wrestling/KurtAngle's WWE theme music. Yes, the crowd chanted [[MemeticMutation "You suck!"]] right on cue. And he's still going at it in the 2020s, regularly calling former stablemate Dustin Poirier "Louisiana swamp trash" and also occasionally referring to Poirier's "Jezebel of a wife", and after defeating [[WeUsedToBeFriends former friend and stablemate]] Jorge Masvidal in 2022, called him "Miami street trash" in the post-fight interview.

* Wrestling/SgtSlaughter was a big-name wrestler in his day. He was doing Coke commercials and became an on-screen character in ''[[WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero G.I. Joe]]''. (He helped stop Golobulus from exposing the world to his mutagenic spores.) When the Gulf War was turned into a WWF storyline, [[TheQuisling he defected to Saddam Hussein]] and was teamed with a longtime foe (albeit, playing a different character). Slaughter received real-life death threats from viewers over this. Forming the Triangle of Terror with Col. Mustafa and General Adnan might have been ridiculous, but man, did it work in terms of getting Slaughter over as a heel and promoting Hogan as the hero of the United States. Actually, the worst part of the Gulf War storyline was repackaging Wrestling/TheIronSheik, Iranian legend, into Iraqi sympathizer "Colonel Mustafa". [[{{Qurac}} Totally ignoring the acrimonious history between the two Middle East nations]].

* Jake Hager even had it when he worked in WWE as Wrestling/JackSwagger. He represented the dark side byproduct of America's two halves, a proud [[WhiteAngloSaxonProtestant Anglo-Saxon]] and jingoistic jerk. In [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling AEW]], Hager has been the enforcer for Chris Jericho's Wrestling/InnerCircle, which started out as heels but later turned face, and its retooled form, the indisputably heel Jericho Appreciation Society.

Note that hate comes from a desire to see the heel punished and set back, distinct from XPacHeat, which skips that step and simply wants someone gone entirely, which is itself distinct from a [[EightDeadlyWords heat vacuum]], where the crowd neither pops nor boos, they just sit absolutely silent for their entrances. At this point he/she should just hang up the boots because they don't even elicit a response.

* Jake Hager even had it when he worked in WWE as Wrestling/JackSwagger. He represented the dark side byproduct of America's two halves, a proud [[WhiteAngloSaxonProtestant Anglo-Saxon]] and jingoistic jerk. In [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling AEW]], Hager is the enforcer for Chris Jericho's Wrestling/InnerCircle, which started out as heels but have since turned face.

** Colby Covington has become one of UFC's top draws in the late 2010s by playing himself up as the promotion's "super villain", regularly trash-talking opponents. In one particularly notorious example, during his post-fight interview after defeating Demian Maia in Maia's homeland of Brazil, he called the country "a dump" and the crowd "filthy animals". On top of that, he greatly plays up his stance as a staunch [[UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem Republican]] [[UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump Trump]] supporter to draw heel heat. Before his 2019 fight with Robbie Lawler, he took it UpToEleven, making his ring entrance to Wrestling/KurtAngle's WWE theme music. Yes, the crowd chanted [[MemeticMutation "You suck!"]] right on cue.

* UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli based his entire public persona on pro-wrestling heels, especially George Wagner, reasoning that the trick of "get the audience so pissed off they'll pay to see someone beat you up" would work just as well in a real sport as a fake one. He was right.

* OlderThanTheyThink: The Retiarii, the FragileSpeedster class of Roman [[GladiatorGames gladiators]], were generally booed and despised. The fact that their equipment often necessitated BullfightBoss tactics didn't win them any love.

* Lebron James played up a heel image during his first few years with the Miami Heat, coinciding with a time his public image was at its lowest as he was seen as a villain for abandoning his hometown team in pursuit of a championship. He even made an infamous Nike commercial talking about it.

* Wrestling/TheIronSheik innovated many of the tropes used by the foreign heels: Carrying flags, wearing ethnic clothing and the evil mustache.

* Wrestling/LexLuger and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff looked like living He-Man action figures, and they were weeeeell aware of that fact.

* Wrestling/SgtSlaughter was a big-name wrestler in his day. He was doing Coke commercials and became an on-screen character in ''[[WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero G.I. Joe]]''. (He helped stop Golobulus from exposing the world to his mutagenic spores.) When the Gulf War was turned into a WWF storyline, [[TheQuisling he defected to Saddam Hussein]] and was teamed with his longtime foe The Iron Sheik. Slaughter received real-life death threats from viewers over this. Forming the Triangle of Terror with Col. Mustafa and General Adnan might have been ridiculous, but man, did it work in terms of getting Slaughter over as a heel and promoting Hogan as the hero of the United States. Actually, the worst part of the Gulf War storyline was repackaging The Iron Sheik, Iranian legend, into Iraqi sympathizer Colonel Mustafa. [[{{Qurac}} Totally ignoring the acrimonious history between the two Middle East nations]].

Heel champions didn't draw in Madison Square Garden the same way face champions do. The main examples of this are Wrestling/BuddyRogers and [[Wrestling/SuperstarBillyGraham "Superstar" Graham]]. Even Randy Savage, fairly or not, was running out of steam, and (for that matter) Wrestling/RicFlair never took off in [[{{Wrestling/WWE}} WWF]], either. The only heel they ever pushed long and hard was Wrestling/TripleH, and it seems they've learned their lesson since then. Because while there's money in a babyface [[OneManArmy fighting off a swarm of heels]], there's very little draw in a heel champion [[TheBadGuyWins gobbling up faces]] the same way. Considering how many hours of television they have to fill, they need a constant stream of fresh challengers, and the best way to sort through them ''and'' draw money is with a babyface on top. It's a proven formula since 1984.

* [[Wrestling/LuchaUnderground Dario Cueto]] is a heel authority figure who puts the heroes through hell, but he does it in a way which he knows the fans (or 'believers') will enjoy. Example: ''"Sorry, Son of Havoc, in order to get that title shot you need to go through another hurdle with even more VIOOOOLLLENCE and Dario hates waiting so it's now!!"'' Dario is also sympathetic in a way that most heel bosses aren't. The way he interacts with Sexy Star is particularly interesting. Because Sexy Star is a purely heroic character, the old standby of villain-hates-hero would normally be in effect, but here it isn't. Dario gave her a pep talk before her No Más match about standing up to abusers and overcoming evil people. True, it was from his own pro-violence perspective but he did seem to honestly want to help her succeed. The fact their characters are both abuse survivors is touched on here as Dario's mother used to beat him.

* Wrestling/TheMiz is such a [[MilesGloriosus natural]] [[TheFightingNarcissist heel]] that it helped sabotage [[GoodIsBoring every]] [[BadassDecay attempt]] at a {{Face}} run he ever had.

* Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield (formerly only ''Bradshaw'' of the APA, and nephew to "Blackjack" Lanza) turned heel in 2004 and never looked back. His transformation from trailer-trash Texan to conniving stock-broker was inspired in part by his [[RealLifeWritesThePlot actual exploits on Wall Street]], for which he became eminently known in the world of finance. Throughout that period, he was hardly ever seen without his trademark white Stetson hat and matching limousine, which his opponents had the pleasure of wrecking! (Wrestling/TheUndertaker once chokeslammed Bradshaw through the limo.)

* Former WWE Diva [[Wrestling/KarleePerez Maxine]] played 'The Bitch' so well that in her entire career, she was never a face. Most talent get tested out in different roles but she was always a heel on television, only getting to be a face in a dark tag team match alongside two other long established faces. Since she was the General Manager of FCW, she got to be Wrestling/TheAuthority, too. She also appears as a heel in ''Lucha Underground''.

* If you are managing a Monster Heel and you name happens to be Wrestling/HarleyRace... your opponents should think twice before get in the ring!

* Jake Hager even had it when he worked in WWE as Wrestling/JackSwagger. He represented the dark side by-product of America's two halves, a proud [[WhiteAngloSaxonProtestant Anglo-Saxon]] and jingoistic jerk. In [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling AEW]], Hager is the enforcer for Chris Jericho's Wrestling/InnerCircle heel stable.

->''The Wrestling/HonkyTonkMan made a career out of being a cowardly heel. Wrestling/SethRollins has really brought that old-school feel back.''\\\

2. The '''[[TheFightingNarcissist Narcissist]]'''. Overinflated, good-looking heel. [[ArrogantKungFuGuy They know they are better]] than anyone else on the roster, and that adds to the ego, which gives them great heat. Go look at the wildly-popular [[UsefulNotes/UltimateFightingChampionship UFC]]. Look at people like Tito Ortiz or UsefulNotes/ConorMcGregor. If they were pro wrestlers, they would be heels. They talk shit constantly, and fans actually pay money with the hopes of seeing them lose. (Which is a win/win for the company.) But they don't run away (well, unless you're Tito), or [[ChairmanOfTheBrawl use steel chairs]], or [[JustYouAndMeAndMyGUARDS call for interference]]. They take on the #1 contender and either demolish them or go down swinging.

4. The '''{{Foreign|WrestlingHeel}}er'''. Foreign accents signal to the audience that you won't be getting much mic time. So why not make it work for you? Just keep bringing up local differences and claiming that your country's better. "Your local sports team is unsatisfactory!" "The inhabitants of this city have a higher level of body odor than average!" "I almost forgot to mention that all your local women are overweight and unattractive!" The natural predator of the AllAmericanFace.

5. The '''[[AxCrazy Psycho]]'''. Often more a danger to themselves than to others, nevertheless capable of going great lengths to prove no one is tougher than them. Several wrestlers created the prototype for a particular type of heel. Incidentally, this was the pre-steroid age; by the 80s, everyone was pretty gassed up working for Wrestling/{{Vince|McMahon}}, but meanwhile in the territories, heels looked like ordinary tough guys. [[Wrestling/DrDeathSteveWilliams Dr. Death]], "Dirty" Dick Slater, Ray "The Crippler" Stephens, and Wrestling/BrayWyatt today--those guys don't look like male models who watch what they eat. They look like hard-drinking men who you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.

->''Jake the Snake could teach a class on the art of being a psycho heel. Apparently there's a good reason to call Wrestling/DeanAmbrose "The Lunatic Fringe".''\\\

6. The '''{{Bitch|Alert}}'''. Female heels used to fulfill one of two roles: scary hag or big bruiser. (See TheGiant or "Psycho" above.) A good female babyface is a potential role model for young girls, so her clothes are meant to convey tradition and athleticism. Everything about the bitch is alluring: provocative entrance poses, boob zippers, illusion netting simulating nudity, and so on. They lean toward the 'woman of loose morals' stereotype ([[PsychoLesbian homoeroticism]] included), pompous attitude, and an obsession with shiny things.

7. The '''[[WrestlingMonster Monster]]'''. ''"From PartsUnknown...",'' a menace capable of demolishing top stars, modern heroes and legends of the industry. Usually doesn't talk much. The idea is to sell them as a threat without having to compete to be "the best" in the main event scene. They mainly fight against guys [[EvilIsBigger below their height/weight class]], whether it be in tag team or singles action. Having a 'small' guy who can defeat the big guy on an even playing field is a great way to build them up. Note that the Monster has considerable overlap with The Giant and the WildSamoan.

8. The '''[[RepulsiveRingmaster Authority Figure]]'''. A rich asshole with their own federation. These people hold positions of power (often real, sometimes {{kayfabe}}) in the promotion itself. They can pull off the ''I have an entire NY investment firm backing me'' vibe, along with some very-serious suited men who accompany them because they have to keep tabs on their investment.

Special mention can be made for '''[[BrainsAndBrawn Managers]]''' (sometimes known as valets). It's implied that they're handling the business side of their client's career. And let's face it, most people in the world who can cut great promos are not good athletes. (And some of the best in-ring workers are terrible on the mic!) Managers can also have stories and be compelling characters in their own right. When Wrestling/{{Rusev|AndLana}} made his debut, Lana spoke for him, and Rusev looked to her when he was getting beat by a tough opponent. Lana also offered sex appeal, and became involved in two different love triangles (in kayfabe) with Rusev—first with Wrestling/DolphZiggler and later with Wrestling/BobbyLashley.

Virtually all the heel managers, from Wrestling/MrFuji to [[Wrestling/JamesMitchell Father Mitchell]], are chickenshit. That's because most of them went to wrestling school but were too small, or didn't have the right look. Same with a lot of referees. Of course, you have photographers like Wrestling/JimCornette and Wrestling/PaulHeyman, who hung around it for so long that they got roped in.[[note]]There are only a few babyface managers, and most of the time they came across as a hype man/cheerleader. But some of them are iconic such as Arnold Skaaland (who managed Wrestling/BrunoSammartino), Wrestling/BobBacklund, Cousin Slim of The Scufflin' Hillbillies and Wrestling/PreciousPaulEllering of Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors.[[/note]]

The [[CombatCommentator Color Commentator]] is often a former wrestler providing his expert opinions. Heel announcers usually end up taking the side of the bad guy, to better egg the fans on. Wrestling/JesseVentura, Wrestling/JerryLawler, The Honky Tonk Man and Wrestling/RandySavage; all of them former heels turned color commentators.

1. The '''[[DirtyCoward Chickenshit]]'''. Bog standard heel from the golden age. (You know the type, the ones who kept [[Wrestling/FreddieBlassie Fred Blassie]] in business.) They [[CombatPragmatist cheat]] a ton, exaggerate about everything, change the rules each time they lose, use [[HumanShield bystanders as shields]], and win on [[DisqualificationInducedVictory technicalities]]. Plus, they have that punchable face which is damn-near a blueprint for CheapHeat.

1. The '''[[MilesGloriosus Chickenshit]]'''. Bog standard heel from the golden age. (You know the type, the ones who kept [[Wrestling/FreddieBlassie Fred Blassie]] in business.) They [[CombatPragmatist cheat]] a ton, exaggerate about everything, change the rules each time they lose, use [[HumanShield bystanders as shields]], and win on [[DisqualificationInducedVictory technicalities]]. Plus, they have that punchable face which is damn-near a blueprint for CheapHeat.

* The Strong Bads from ''Tag Team Wrestling'' (1983), one of whom who was later recycled as the star of ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner''.

** Aran Ryan. Whenever he uses one of his (''many'') illegal moves, such as a headbutt, the audience boos. As with most opponents, if he's Star Punched out of one of these moves, [[HoistByTheirOwnPetard it's an instant KO]].

[[quoteright:350:[[Wrestling/HulkHogan https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wwe2k14_render_hulkhogan_hollywood_12529_512.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"As far as I'm concerned, all this crap in the ring represents the fans out here."]]

* Dario Cueto is a heel authority figure who puts the heroes through hell, but he does it in a way which he knows the fans (or 'believers') will enjoy. Example: ''"Sorry, Son of Havoc, in order to get that title shot you need to go through another hurdle with even more VIOOOOLLLENCE and Dario hates waiting so it's now!!"'' Dario is also sympathetic in a way that most heel bosses aren't. The way he interacts with Sexy Star is particularly interesting. Because Sexy Star is a purely heroic character, the old standby of villain-hates-hero would normally be in effect, but here it isn't. Dario gave her a pep talk before her No Más match about standing up to abusers and overcoming evil people. True, it was from his own pro-violence perspective but he did seem to honestly want to help her succeed. The fact their characters are both abuse survivors is touched on here as Dario's mother used to beat him.

* The Music/BeastieBoys' early BarbaricBully image was heavily influenced by the {{Heel}} role, according to then-manager Rick Rubin, a huge WWE fan.

* Pro wrestler Wrestling/HanaKimura starred in the Japanese RealityTV series ''Series/TerraceHouse'', where she was asked to play this role. Sadly, after a scripted incident where she blew up at another housemate over a misunderstanding, she was [[{{cyberbullying}} cyberbullied]] by fans of the show on Website/{{Twitter}} [[DrivenToSuicide to the point of suicide]]. This, along with revelations of the show's scripted nature, led to its eventual cancellation.

** Incineroar, the final form of ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Sun and Moon's]]'' Fire starter, is explicitly categorized as the "Heel Pokémon", is part [[CombatPragmatist Dark]] rather than Fighting, and is described as being a dirty enough fighter to even attack non-combatants like the opposing Pokémon's Trainer. Incineroar represents ''puroresu'', the Japanese take of the American-based professional wrestling (similar to characters like [[Franchise/StreetFighter R. Mika]]). One thing that defines this is despite his heel status, he is still cheered by the audience, as heels in ''puroresu'' operate in a slightly different way. [[FriendToAllChildren They're also said to especially enjoy the cheers of young Pokémon and children.]]

* Wrestling/TheMiz is such a [[MilesGloriosus natural]] [[TheFightingNarcissist heel]] that it helped sabotage [[VirtueIsWeakness every]] [[BadassDecay attempt]] at a {{Face}} run he ever had.

* Wrestling/TheMiz is such a [[MilesGloriosus natural]] [[TheFightingNarcissist heel]] that it helped sabotage every attempt at a {{Face}} run he ever had.

* Wrestling/TheMiz is such a [[MilesGloriosus natural] [[TheFightingNarcissist heel]] that it helped sabotage every attempt at a {{Face}} run he ever had.

3. '''GorgeousGeorge'''. The spiritual father of all polyamorous wrestlers, Wrestling/GeorgeWagner invented the modern concept of the heel and pro wrestling itself, in addition to having a big influence on sports in general (see "Real Life" entry). The stuff he did was pioneering, from having the ring and the referee "purified" with disinfectant to that time when he stopped a match just so that he could have "Florida Air" imported to him via air canister. In lucha libre, there is a similar gimmick known as ''[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/discussion.php?id=q90qoprevzur2tmeetneu70a "Exóticos"]]'', but they are more likely to be babyfaces.