The legacy of Steve Austin saw him able to shine in any role given to him throughout his career. Austin became one of the most influential wrestlers of all time during his rise to the top of WWE. Fans tuned into the program to see what Austin would do next. The ability to shine as both face and heel characters showed the variety to the game of Austin.

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We will look at both character styles that Austin attempted to make the most out of. Each dynamic was different to the performance put out by Austin. The face role featured him trying his best to make the audience invest in rooting for him. Austin completely changed it up as a heel looking make everyone despise him. Make your decision regarding the better side as we break down five reasons why Stone Cold made a better face along with five reasons why he was a better heel.

10 Face: Vince McMahon Feud

The rivalry between Steve Austin and Vince McMahon was the hottest storyline of the Attitude Era. Austin’s rise to the top of WWE would see McMahon becoming a heel authority figure trying to hold down the unpredictable superstar.

The segments between the two created huge box office and ratings successes. Austin needed someone to be his arch nemesis and the Mr. McMahon character did it. The angle helped make Austin even more beloved as an iconic WWE face.

9 Heel: King of the Ring Promo

The promo to start Steve Austin’s rise as a relevant singles star came at the King of the Ring 1995 tournament. Stone Cold delivered his infamous “Austin 3:16” promo after winning the tournament with a victory over Jake Roberts.

The incredible moment would see fans starting to show stronger interest in Austin for the first time in his WWE career. Austin had more freedom on the heel side of things to talk his trash in the promo. Heel Austin was one of a kind with this getting the ball rolling.

8 Face: Post-Retirement Returns

Steve Austin will be able to return to WWE for the rest of his life and receive a huge pop from any audience. The face side of Austin has given him quite a few reasons to return to WWE television in the storylines after retiring from the ring.

Austin played the co-General Manager of Eric Bischoff for his first major non-wrestling angle. Both men went back and forth trying to gain control of the Raw brand. Other angles like being a special guest referee or moderator would let Austin shine as a face while having a story on the show.

7 Heel: WrestleMania 17 Main Event

The WrestleMania 17 main event between Steve Austin and The Rock is arguably the biggest match in WWE history. Both men were at the top of their game with the huge blockbuster attraction headlining the most successful WWE show to that point.

RELATED: 10 Of The Best Stone Cold Steve Austin Promos Of All Time

Austin’s heel turn allowed him to win the WWE Championship while aligning with Vince McMahon in shocking fashion. Fans were livid as Austin received legitimate heel heat just minutes after getting cheers. Austin’s ability to switch roles was showcased strongly on this evening.

6 Face: Crowds Loved Chanting His Catchphrases

The promos of Steve Austin were more enjoyable for fans when he played the face side of his character. Austin always had great catch phrases that fans eventually started to chant along with him much like a rock band playing their biggest hits at a concert.

The end of promos would see Austin stating “that’s the bottom line ‘cause Stone Cold said so” with fans joining in with great excitement. Austin even got the “What?” promo line over. That one started during his heel run before getting popular when he turned face.

5 Heel: Tag Team Run With Brian Pillman

The WCW chapter of Steve Austin’s career is often forgotten, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have good moments there. Austin and Brian Pillman found instant chemistry together when forming the heel team known as the West Hollywood Blondes.

Both men showed great potential and found a way to channel it together in the tag team action. The West Hollywood Blondes were underutilized by WCW management, but they still found a way to entertain the fans with superb matches and fun promos as heels.

4 Face: Helped Make New Stars

Steve Austin’s run as the top face in WWE would see new stars step up to oppose him. Mick Foley scored the biggest push when getting to feud with Austin over the WWE Championship as Dude Love. The work of Foley with Austin and Vince McMahon proved he was ready for the main event scene.

RELATED: 5 Wrestlers Stone Cold Made Look Legit (& 5 He Made Look Like A Joke)

WWE saw the same thing happen with The Rock during his heel run as the WWE Champion representing The Corporation faction. Austin’s work with Rock made him a hated character as the two found massive success together.

3 Heel: Powertrip Team With Triple H

The heel turn of Steve Austin in 2001 saw him align with Vince McMahon and Triple H. WWE witnessed the duo of Austin and Triple H forming a powerful team that took over the company during their short time together. Undertaker, Kane, the Hardy Boyz and Lita all found their way on the attacks of the power trip team.

Triple H and Austin showed great chemistry together playing the sadistic heels that showed no mercy. The infamous quad injury to Triple H cut their run short. Fans never got to see Triple H’s face turn for a singles feud with Austin, but their run as a heel team at least provided great entertainment.

2 Face: Face Run Won WWE the Monday Night War

Steve Austin’s importance as a face character changed the WWE landscape together. The run of Austin as the top star for WWE started in 1998 when defeating Shawn Michaels to win the WWE Championship. Things changed in the Monday Night Wars once Austin adopted this role.

Fans started leaving Nitro to watch Raw since Austin provided a must-watch character for the live experience. WWE eventually overtook WCW in the ratings war and never looked back during the run of Austin as a face. The success came for Stone Cold came at the most important time for WWE’s future.

1 Heel: Bret Hart Feud

WWE fans started to view Steve Austin as a legitimate top star when he feuded with Bret Hart. A breakout match at Survivor Series 1996 showed that Austin could hang with the top star in the company. The two continued feuding into WrestleMania 13.

Many fans forget that Austin was a heel during the early portion of this feud. The edge as a villain made him the cooler character and inspired the “double turn.” Austin was so good as a heel against Bret that he was forced to turn face due to the fans loving his work.

NEXT: 10 Worst Things Stone Cold Ever Did (In Wrestling)