Darby Allin: Potential AEW Heel Turn?

AEW star Darby Allin recently weighed in on the possibility of a character shift, addressing the idea of turning heel and utilizing his signature daredevil style as motivation for a darker persona.

​For Allin, the motivation behind his highly physical, death-defying approach remains purely internal, regardless of fan feedback. He dismissed the notion that his actions are aimed at impressing the audience.

​“It’s just wherever the wind takes me,” Allin stated. “And I feel a lot of fans, they're always like, ‘Darby, you don't have to go crazy anymore to impress us.’ I'm like, I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for me. I actually love going out there and jumping off ladders or whatever it is I get myself into.”

However, the 32-year-old acknowledged that he has witnessed the speed at which the audience can move on from a wrestler, which provides the strongest justification for a change in attitude. This perceived lack of loyalty from the fanbase could serve as the foundation for a heel run focused on ingratitude.

“On the flip side, I do see how fast the fans forget about you. I do see how quick they move on. Say if you got like an injury or something, they're like, ‘All right, what's the next shiny toy?’ So in that sense, I could see being a heel and just straight up being like, ‘You are so ungrateful for what it is that we do.’”

Despite recognizing this , Allin concluded by circling back to his original point about his motivations. Because he performs for himself and not the fans, he feels he cannot truly be angry at them for moving on.

Ultimately, Allin left the door open for a future change, stating,

"But at the end of the day, I don't do it for them. So I feel like you can't get mad at them for that. But who knows? Wherever the wind takes young Darby Allin, maybe I will go rogue.”

Allin’s comments suggest that a potential heel turn would not be based on cowardice or evasion, but rather a character whose anger stems from the perceived disloyalty and ingratitude of the audience he once performed for.

Kimster AFW