Wrestling is a character's game. It is built on the athletic exhibition of larger-than-life personas. Some performers are better at capturing these characters than others, making them some of the biggest stars in the business.

Fans are not coming to WWE to watch athletes battle. Even in technical fights between talented performers, there's a need for a clear story. What has brought together the combatants?

WWE is built on Superstars who are beyond reality. Bray Wyatt is a manipulative children's show host who can turn into an embodiment of pure evil. Roman Reigns is the arrogant leader of a wrestling dynasty who is hell bent on control.

All Elite Wrestling keeps its characters more grounded, but the promotion's key characters are just as engrossing. Jon Moxley is a man who has no fear and will go to the limit to force others to face their own fears. MJF is an aristocrat who refuses to acknowledge the existence of anyone who does not benefit him.

Personas define the greatest performers of the modern era. No matter where they stand on the roster, it is impossible to look away from the work of the best characters in wrestling.

These are the wrestlers who have found their niche, elevating the product when they are on screen beyond the work of some of the best in the business.

Alexa Bliss and Bray Wyatt

When Bray Wyatt returned as the welcoming host of the Firefly Fun House in April 2019, it left many questions to be answered. It only got more confusing when he revealed he had a dark side, the embodiment of all his pent-up rage, The Fiend.

Since the introduction, Wyatt has sold this story with the care and detail one rarely sees in WWE stories. He has embodied these two characters, even bringing back his Eater of Worlds persona for a time without losing a step.

The tale was not complete until Alexa Bliss joined the fun. The Goddess was enchanted by The Fiend after their encounter in the midst of a dramatic rivalry with Braun Strowman. Wyatt won the feud and the heart of Bliss.

While few are as charismatic as Bliss, it was still surprising how effortlessly she fit into this new persona. She had been The Goddess for so long. The way she embraced the playful, child-like wonder of an enchanted fan made her feel like a brand-new person.

Together, these two have been the highlight of any WWE show they are involved with. Right now, that is Monday Night Raw. The two are locked in a war with Randy Orton that has taken many fascinating twists and turns even before a match has taken place.

What makes this pairing so perfect is that the two are so committed to the story. Wyatt and Bliss are joyfully manic inside the Firefly Fun House and hypnotic as The Fiend and his bewitched companion.

Only these two could make this all work, and their performances only seem to get better. The pairing has changed hearts and minds, straddling the line between pure evil and wonderfully friendly.

'Hangman' Adam Page

When "Hangman" Adam Page stepped into the ring with Chris Jericho at AEW All Out 2019, no one gave him a chance. He was not ready to win the heavyweight title. He was not talented enough. He was not interesting enough. Since his loss, all that criticism seems misguided.

The Hangman has turned a story of defeat into a relatable tumble into depression and alcoholism. The Elite turned on him. The only title he could win was half-attributed to Kenny Omega. With no friends to back him up, Page has been left vulnerable and alone with his own thoughts.

There's an energy and life to Page's performance that no one else can match. Whether he's on AEW Dynamite or Being the Elite, he keeps that same focus. It's easy to buy Page now that his character is defined. He's raised his game on every level but especially his character work.

Every step along the way feels like novel unfolding. The Hangman rises and then falls short. His insecurities overwhelm him. He just cannot quite match up to the best. The only thing holding him back is his own fear that he is not good enough.

AEW has tried to sell fans on a fresh take on wrestling. From the varied use of wrestling legends to the major stables formed and developed, nothing has stood out quite as clearly as Page's sad run, and that is thanks to his unforgettable performances.

Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns left WWE TV ahead of WrestleMania 36, with his potential immunocompromization during the COVID-19 pandemic seeing him go home to stay safe. When he returned at WWE SummerSlam, he was a changed man. With Paul Heyman at his back, he was more confident than ever before. Some might call him arrogant.

He backed it up by quickly winning the WWE Universal Championship. He went on to give cousin Jey Uso a series of title opportunities that led to Uso joining his side, protecting him against those who challenge for his title.

Many expected it would be the case, but The Tribal Chief is so much better as a heel. His quiet confidence is so much more natural when he's the villain. He has tortured everyone in his path while elevating them.

What makes Reigns so good in this role is how much he makes his words believable. He is not just a top performer. He embodies the idea that he is the ideal performer, working on a higher level to everyone else.

On top of that, he has embraced his Samoan heritage, calling himself The Tribal Chief. He knows he is the head of his family. He knows that carrying the championship elevates his family's legacy. He uses that to demand respect.

He has become a master manipulator and brutal tactician in the ring. He is a dominant force with a mind for controlling others. He is as dangerous as he has ever been in a role he was always suited to.

Jon Moxley

Few recent departures from WWE were as iconic as that of Dean Ambrose. The former WWE champion walked out even though he was destined for a constant spotlight and more championships.

What followed showed why he was so confident in leaving. He made a huge statement at AEW Double or Nothing by planting Kenny Omega with the Paradigm Shift. He had switched promotions and regained his old wrestling name, Jon Moxley.

The man who stood at the top of AEW for much of 2020 became one of the biggest stars in wrestling. His title as PWI Wrestler of the Year is fully deserved. Only recently losing the AEW World Championship, he carried that title into huge fights and walked out looking even better.

What sells Moxley is that he is confidently and brashly himself, and he is an absolute character. He refuses to quit. He never backs down from a fight, and he loves this business with enough passion that he seems ready to die in the ring.

There's an awe when watching Moxley—especially this past year—that few wrestlers can match. He is an iconic figure, the face of the company. While AEW has moved on to Kenny Omega as the world champion, Mox is the figurehead of this new movement in wrestling through the sheer force of his charisma.

He is captivating in a way that transcends character. Most people in the business can only dream of being as cold and confident as Moxley every time he appears on television.

Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre has been around the wrestling business for a long time. He was anointed as WWE's "chosen one" in 2009. By 2014, he had been released. This only motivated McIntyre, who rebuilt himself in Insane Championship Wrestling, Evolve and more.

When he returned to WWE in 2017, he looked like a star. He wrestled like a star. He just needed the right opportunity. 2020 was that opportunity. WWE was ready to commit to him as the top star on Monday Night Raw, and he defeated Brock Lesnar in resounding fashion at WrestleMania 36.

This journey is what makes him so perfect. He is the underdog who fought back from the brink. He rose above, embraced who he was and became an icon. He can now stand toe-to-toe with Roman Reigns and Randy Orton without anyone doubting him.

McIntyre is a warrior. He fights with the vigor of five men and the power of 20. He refuses to quit, often being the rare performer who kicks out of a pin at one. When his anger flares, even the bravest men cower.

The Scot has accepted what makes him special, so it is no wonder that Raw relies on him. In his second reign as WWE champion, McIntyre feels like the biggest rising star in wrestling, and he's already at the top. It is only a matter of time before he is considered one of the greats.

MJF

When MJF appeared in AEW, this obnoxious, self-absorbed smile sold a man who knew exactly what he was. He is the obnoxious traditional heel. He is an aristocrat with the knowledge he is better than anyone else.

While he could play the role well, MJF has reached his peak by playing off others. Betraying and embarrassing Cody sold him as a name to watch. Stalking and trying to defeat Jon Moxley made him the company's top heel. His recent work with Chris Jericho has established him as the future.

What MJF is varies based on how he is perceived. He infiltrated The Inner Circle seemingly with the hope of gaining help to win the AEW World Championship. He has since either been trying to push Sammy Guevara out of the group or break up the stable.

Either way, no one can replicate what MJF does every week. He sold a sudden musical number to perfection. He convinced everyone to tune in to a trip to Las Vegas and a town hall meeting questioning whether he was worthy of joining a stable that has few accolades to its name.

MJF's arrogance does not take away from his character work in the ring. He is a cocky performer with a mean streak, willing to get nasty as often as he gets dirty. There's a quality to MJF's work as a heel that feels at once old-school and modern.

Orange Cassidy

Orange Cassidy was supposed to be the ultimate joke character. Too lazy to work, he spent his time with sunglasses on his face and his hands in his pockets. However, a few key wrestlers forced Orange to show what makes him special.

Pac brutalized Orange until the lazy man unleashed his most aggressive offense. Chris Jericho taunted Orange again and again, but Freshly Squeezed proved he was more than a joke. Finally, Cody and Brodie Lee pushed Orange to his limit in battles for the TNT Championship.

Despite it all, Freshly Squeezed remains himself. He always commits to his performance. While we know he can care when he needs to, he still enjoys the casual life. That makes him a unique challenge to any opponent.

No one does what Orange does. That's rare in wrestling. Bringing in a comedy performer and turning him into a star typically requires a new gimmick. Instead, he has kept that flair, making him fun and engaging.

AEW needs wrestlers like Freshly Squeezed. He makes sure that every segment he is in lands without feeling like anything else.

Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn has always been one of the best, but it took a while for him to find his footing as a heel. For a period, he was treated more like a manager than wrestler. However, when the time was right, he captured the WWE Intercontinental Championship and never looked back.

Echoing Eddie Guerrero and even New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Toru Yano, The Master Strategist has used count-out victories to defeat bigger and more technically savvy performers. He also sells these wins on the mic, explaining why he is so much smarter than anyone else.

This modern take on the ultimate opportunist character works well because Zayn is so good. He does not cheat because he needs to. He cheats because it is easier than risking the loss. He knows everything he can do as a wrestling veteran.

He can still go. His matches often last long, and he only takes those calculated shortcuts when the time is right. It makes him feel more dangerous than most cheating heels. He can win in so many ways.

Zayn is one of the most gifted and committed wrestlers in WWE, and he sells it with everything. He is working at the highest level of his career, and he is getting better along the way.

Eddie Kingston

Eddie Kingston has been waiting a long time to get his opportunity at achieving greatness. When AEW gave him the chance, he took the bull by the horns. He has gone after the best in the business without any concern. Such is the confidence of The Mad King.

Kingston brings nothing less than everything to his performances. He is a charismatic leader, a general who will use every troop in his army to capture his first gold in AEW.

Much of what Kingston says comes from an honest place. Even when he is playing the character, he sells it all. It's easy to believe anything he says. His words are entrancing. His work has elevated him to the top of the wrestling business.

There is a perpetual cloud over The Mad King's head, a foreboding knowledge that Kingston might say something horrifying at any moment. This allows him to cut in line for title opportunities. It puts him and his allies like The Butcher and The Blade in the main event.

No one speaks from the heart like Kingston. He is a man possessed, willing to take every shortcut and do any despicable thing to get ahead. He's on his last life, and he can sell the world every night on the truth that he will define his legacy before this is all over.