The Best Pure Heels In AEW Right Now

Being a “pure” heel in professional wrestling is a skill that has become harder and harder to master, with the illusion of kayfabe no longer present and with it often being “cool” to cheer for and support a heel amongst fans. In AEW, there are certain names who still garner true, impassioned hatred from fans, and can get whole arenas of people booing for them.

Being a great heel isn’t just about getting heat (because go-away heat isn’t ideal), but it is about crafting a villainous character that deserves hatred, booing, and someone that is hard to root for due to the decisions they make and the personality they showcase. In AEW right now, these heels might not necessarily be the best wrestlers or more popular characters, but those are the best “pure” heels.

6

Tommaso Ciampa

• Ciampa turned heel soon into his AEW run.
• He has already become one of the most natural heels on the AEW roster.
• Ciampa can be nasty, aggressive, and does all the little things well.

Tommaso Ciampa came to AEW in 2026, turning heel a little while later to become one of the best pure heels in the company. He has been aggressive, vindictive, and nasty during his heel run, putting in great work in feuds with Mark Briscoe and Chris Jericho thus far.

He has managed to garner a lot of negative reactions from the crowd, and has a knack at doing all the little things and nuances well to expand his status as a bad guy. For instance, attacking dolls of mascots of the hometown he’s in, prompting wild boos from the audience, much like he did in his show-stealing match with Jericho.

5

Ricochet

• Ricochet turned heel and changed his AEW career.
• His personality is annoying, leading to AEW fans hating him.
• Ricochet’s The Demand faction is highly unlikable.

Ricochet’s personality is annoying, and he plays that role to perfection. When he cuts a promo, issues an attack, and shows off in the ring, there is not a member of any audience that decides to cheer him.

Ever since his heel turn at the back end of 2024, Ricochet has been one of the most unlikable names on the entire AEW roster, and he is so effective in elevating his opponents and creating heat. His feuds with the likes of Swerve Strickland are a perfect example of just how good he can be as a villain.

4

Mercedes Mone

• Mone has been a heel in AEW since her arrival in the company.
• Her presentation in AEW makes fans hate her.
• Mone is a natural heel and elevates every babyface opponent in AEW.

Mercedes Mone exudes arrogance, self-obsession, wealth, and someone who is the antithesis personality of what AEW is all about, which makes her one of the best pure heels in the company.

Ever since coming to AEW, Mone has had countless show-stealers which have gotten fans red hot behind whichever babyface shares the ring with her, such as Maya World, Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, and Jamie Hayter, among others.

3

Don Callis

• Don Callis gets more heat than almost everyone in AEW.
• His Don Callis Family faction holds a massive presence in the company.
• His heel work in AEW has been effective for years.

The moment anyone hears the voice of Don Callis, the natural instinct of any AEW fan in the arena is to boo with all the force they have in their body. Callis’ heel work has been sensational throughout his time in AEW, cutting scathing, annoying promos in his effective role as a heel manager.

Callis was the perfect sidekick to Kenny Omega’s heel run, he elevated the stock of Kyle Fletcher, and everyone else in the Don Callis Family benefits from him being the hateable mouthpiece. Whether it be his promo, his drawn-on scar that differs in size every week, his red sunglasses, or sneaky screwdriver, everything about his act works well.

2

Thekla

• Thekla does walk the line of being a “cool heel”.
• She has a detestable personality that can easily turn AEW fans against her.
• Her feud with STARDOM brought out her best work.

With how good Thekla has been in AEW, she is currently walking the line of being a “cool heel”. However, the way she portrays herself as a cocky, despicable heel is something not seen in AEW in this form. She curses with expletives, she spits, she cheats, and she’s happy to disrespect any and everyone (even the STARDOM president, in one of the best cross-promotional feuds right now).

Her run as the AEW Women’s World Champion saw her display tremendous heel work, backing this up with good in-ring performances and heelish antics.

1

MJF

• MJF is a heel 24/7 both inside and outside the ring.
• Fans do sometimes get behind MJF and cheer for him.
• MJF has the ability to turn fans against him in an instant.

Over the years, there have been instances of fans cheering for MJF despite him being a heel, which comes due to the fact that his work is far too good to ignore. However, within just a few seconds MJF can utter some magic to turn those cheers into heckles and boos. His heelish promos are better than almost everyone in the professional wrestling business, and this proves him to be one of the best pure heels.

MJF can be vicious, cowardly, manipulative, or all three combined, and his work over the years against the likes of Cody Rhodes, Chris Jericho, Darby Allin, CM Punk, Mark Briscoe, Adam Page, Will Ospreay, and so many more has given him one of the best catalogs of feuds as a heel ever. MJF is a bad guy 24/7, retaining his personality within the real world to blur the lines between his real personality and the character, which sets him apart from almost everyone in the business.