4 reasons why AJ Styles turned heel upon his WWE return

The WWE Universe was shocked by the events that unfolded towards the end of an action packed episode of Friday Night SmackDown. The show featured Roman Reigns' return to the blue brand and chaos unfolded thanks to a second return that very same night.

The main event of the episode was Jimmy Uso vs. Randy Orton. Uso was hesitant about the bout, but ultimately battled The Viper. In the end, he lost, but chaos followed soon, as The Bloodline's Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa joined Jimmy in beating down both Orton and LA Knight.

Then, the second big return happened as AJ Styles showed up. He hit the Phenomenal Forearm on Roman Reigns and cleared the ring of the heels. Then when the babyface trio stood tall together, Styles shockingly laid out LA Knight, and walked out in an angry rage.

Now the big question that keeps popping up is "why?" Why did The Phenomenal One turn heel on Friday Night SmackDown? This article will look at a handful of reasons for the shocking character change.

Below are four reasons why AJ Styles turned heel upon his WWE return.

---

#4. WWE has too many top babyfaces

There was a time around two years ago where WWE barely had any over babyfaces. Roman Reigns was the top heel and dominated the product, but finding opponents was a challenge. In 2023, that issue is long over.

WWE has a plethora of babyfaces who can be at the top. Randy Orton, LA Knight, Rey Mysterio, Sheamus, Bobby Lashley, Jey Uso, Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins, and CM Punk could all headline a major premium live event at any time.

With so many over babyfaces, the company likely realized they neeed top heels to compete against the popular performers. AJ was probably unlikely to take the top spot in the company. Instead of having him as a middle of the pack babyface, he could be a heel and battle the top stars instead.

---

#3. SmackDown needs more heels that aren't The Bloodline

The Bloodline

As noted, WWE has a plethora of babyface competitors. SmackDown alone has Rey Mysterio, Sheamus, LA Knight, Kevin Owens, Randy Orton and even the likes of Carlito, Dragon Lee, and Butch. The division is packed.

Top heels, however, are in fewer supply outside of The Bloodline. Logan Paul is part-time, so he can't really be included. Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits may be babyfaces now, based on recent booking and reactions. That leaves up-and-coming acts such as A-Town Down Under, Pretty Deadly, and Santos Escobar to lead the pack.

As great as those performers are, a top level heel is definitely needed. AJ Styles can fill that role immediately. He has the credibility to fight any babyface in the company, and the skills to pull it off successfully. He's as talented of a WWE performer as they come.

---

#2. The move could have been done to split up The O.C.

The O.C. on SmackDown

The O.C. is a popular WWE faction that was spawned out of The Bullet Club in Japan. AJ Styles launched the faction not long after joining the company, alongside Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.

When The Good Brothers returned to WWE last year, the stable was re-formed. This time, they also recruited Michin. The stable had a lot of momentum, but AJ Styles then suffered an injury and missed a good portion of 2023. Between that and other injuries, combined with iffy booking, The O.C. has seemingly lost all of their momentum.

While the company may see a heel turn for them all as a chance to correct it, there's a better chance that AJ will now be leaving the group. If Styles did indeed turn heel, it may have been done so he can break things off with a group that unfortunately just has no momentum at the present time. He can go his way and they can go their own.

---

#1. It may have been done to elevate LA Knight

An important aspect to remember when considering AJ Styles' heel turn is how he took his turn to the villainous side. The Phenomenal One turned heel in WWE by attacking LA Knight out of nowhere.

While fans can speculate why the attack happened, the fact that AJ assaulted The Megastar may be the most obvious sign to what his future entails. Styles may feud with LA Knight in WWE moving forward. If that's the case, the reason behind the heel turn is suddenly more clear.

Triple H and World Wrestling Entertainment officials may have had AJ turn heel to ultimately elevate LA Knight. Styles can help The Megastar reach new heights in the ring, and on television, thanks to AJ's talent and star power. The heel turn may have been very logical, despite some apprehension from fans.