Characters & Roles
WWE 2K23 Characters & Roles Guide
WWE 2K23 features a massive roster of over 200 playable wrestlers, spanning current Superstars, Legends, NXT stars, and celebrities. Unlike traditional class-based games, each wrestler has unique attributes, skills, movesets, and alignment (face/heel) that define their role in matches. This guide covers every major playable character, their background, strengths, weaknesses, playstyle, unlock conditions, recommended builds, and team synergy for modes like MyRISE, MyFACTION, Universe, and Exhibition.
1. Roster Overview
Wrestlers are categorized by weight class (Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, Cruiserweight, etc.), style (Powerhouse, High-Flyer, Technical, Brawler, Giant), and alignment (Face/Heel). Each has a rating (overall 60–99), attributes (e.g., Strikes, Grapple, Speed, Durability), and a Skill Tree for upgrades in MyRISE/MyFACTION. Most are unlocked by default in Exhibition; some require completing Showcase mode, MyRISE storylines, or MyFACTION card collection.
2. Major Superstars Breakdown
Below is an exhaustive table of key characters, their background, primary playstyle, strengths, weaknesses, unlock requirements, and recommended builds. Note: Unlock conditions apply to MyRISE and MyFACTION; in Exhibition, all base roster wrestlers are available from the start.
| Wrestler | Background (Kurt) | Role / Playstyle | Strengths | Weaknesses | Unlock Condition | Recommended Build (Skill Tree / Payback) | Team Synergy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Reigns (Tribal Chief) | Leader of The Bloodline, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Dominant powerhouse with Spear and Guillotine. | Brawler / Powerhouse | High damage strikes, resilience, signature finisher (Spear) grants stun. | Slow movement, vulnerable to fast opponents. | Default | Max Grapple and Durability; Payback: Rage or Relentless. Moves: Spear (Sig), Guillotine (Fin). | Best with The Usos (tag team synergy). Faction: The Bloodline. |
| Brock Lesnar | Former UFC Heavyweight Champion, multi-time WWE Champion. Suplex City. | Powerhouse / Brawler | Unmatched strength, German Suplex chain, devastating F-5 finisher. | Low stamina, poor agility. | Default | Focus on Strength and Strikes; Payback: Stonewall. Moves: F-5 (Fin), Kimura Lock (Sub). | None needed (solo dominance). Can feud with Roman Reigns. |
| John Cena | 16-time World Champion. Never gives up. | All-Around / Tech | High endurance, multiple finishers (AA, STF), strong counters. | Predictable moveset. | Default (also unlockable via Showcase) | Balanced Strikes/Grapple; Payback: Comeback. Moves: AA (Fin), STF (Sub). | Ideal for tag with any partner (Cena often works solo). |
| Cody Rhodes | AEW co-founder turned WWE star. Finisher: Cross Rhodes. | High-Flyer / Technician | Agility, diving attacks, strong comeback potential. | Low health recovery. | Unlock via Showcase: John Cena (complete chapter 5) | Speed and Aerial; Payback: Relentless. Moves: Cross Rhodes (Fin), Disaster Kick (Sig). | Tag with Jey Uso? (faction Bloodline). |
| Seth Rollins | Visionary, Architect of The Shield. High-risk moves. | High-Flyer / Stunt | Fast, multiple aerial moves, Curb Stomp finisher. | Low grapple strength, prone to reversals. | Default | Max Speed, Aerial; Payback: Overflow. Moves: Curb Stomp (Fin), Falcon Arrow (Sig). | Tag with Roman Reigns (Shield) or Cody Rhodes. |
| Becky Lynch | The Man, biggest star in women’s division. Striker. | Brawler / Striker | Strong strikes, high aggression, Dis-Arm-Her submission. | Slow submissions, low speed. | Default | Strikes and Submission; Payback: Arms Race. Moves: Manhandle Slam (Fin), Dis-Arm-Her (Sub). | Tag with Charlotte Flair (Four Horsewomen). |
| Charlotte Flair | Queen, daughter of Ric Flair. Styles: Flair flips, Figure Eight. | Technician / Diva | High technical moves, strong submissions, high durability. | Weak to fast strikers. | Default | Max Grapple + Sub; Payback: Dirty Deeds. Moves: Natural Selection (Fin), Figure Eight (Sub). | Tag with Becky Lynch or Bayley. |
| Bianca Belair | EST of WWE, strong, athletic. Finisher: K.O.D. | Powerhouse / High-Flyer | Amazing strength with agility, wipe-out moves. | Slow grapple break. | Default | Stamina + Strength; Payback: Limitless. Moves: K.O.D. (Fin), Handspring (Sig). | Tag with Sasha Banks (now gone) or Bayley. |
| Undertaker (Deadman) | Legend, streaks at WrestleMania. Occult brawler. | Brawler / Giant | High health, Tombstone Piledriver, intimidation. | Slow, limited aerial. | Default (also Showcase unlock) | Grapple + Resilience; Payback: Last Stand. Moves: Tombstone (Fin), Chokeslam (Sig). | Tag with Kane (Brothers of Destruction). |
| The Rock | Great One, Hollywood. Most electrifying. | Brawler / Showman | Rock Bottom, People’s Elbow, high charisma. | Low submission skills. | Unlock via MyFACTION (Ruby card) or Showcase. | Strength + Charisma; Payback: Brains. Moves: Rock Bottom (Fin), People's Elbow (Sig). | Tag with Stone Cold (historic). |
| Stone Cold Steve Austin | Texas Rattlesnake, Attitude Era icon. Stunner. | Brawler / Stiff | Stunner stun, high aggression, middle finger taunt. | Low stamina for long matches. | Default | Resilience + Strikes; Payback: Stunned. Moves: Stunner (Fin), Lou Thesz Press (Sig). | Tag with The Rock or Triple H. |
| Triple H | The Game, Cerebral Assassin. Strong style. | Powerhouse / Technician | Pedigree, sledgehammer (weapon), high durability. | Slow on ropes. | Default | Strength + Sub; Payback: Game Over. Moves: Pedigree (Fin), Crossface (Sub). | Tag with The Undertaker (DX vs Brothers). |
| Randy Orton | Viper, Apex Predator. Calculated striker. | Technician / Striker | RKO out of nowhere, high counter rate, Ground Pound. | Slow buildup. | Default | Speed + Counter; Payback: Viper. Moves: RKO (Fin), Punt Kick (Sig). | Tag with Bray Wyatt (Legacy). |
| AJ Styles | Phenomenal One. High-flyer technician. | High-Flyer / Tech | Styles Clash, Phenomenal Forearm, exceptional speed. | Low durability. | Default | Aerial + Grapple; Payback: Overflow. Moves: Styles Clash (Fin), Forearm (Sig). | Tag with Finn Balor (Club). |
| Roman Reigns (Broken) | Alternate Universe variant (MyRISE). | Powerhouse / Mystic | Special mystical powers, dark aura. | Unlockable only. | Complete MyRISE as evil champion. | Max all attributes; Payback: Vampire. Moves: Chokeslam, Spear. | Solo. |
3. NXT & Indies Standouts
| Wrestler | Background | Role | Key Move | Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bron Breakker | NXT Champion, powerhouse. | Powerhouse | Spear, Steiner Recliner | Default |
| Carmelo Hayes | NXT high-flyer. | High-Flyer | Nothing But Net | MyRISE finale (face route) |
| Ilja Dragunov | Mad Russian, brawler. | Brawler | Torpedo Moscow | Default |
| Zoey Stark | NXT Woman’s powerhouse. | Striker | Z360 | Default |
| Roxanne Perez | NXT Woman’s high-flyer. | High-Flyer | Pop Rox | Default |
4. Legend & Celebrity Roster
| Wrestler | Era | Playstyle | Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hulk Hogan | 80s-90s | Powerhouse (Hulking Up) | Default |
| Ultimate Warrior | 80s | Sprint + Shock | Default |
| Batista | 2000s | Powerhouse | Default |
| Bad Bunny | 2022 | High-Flyer (Musical cues) | MyFACTION reward |
| Logan Paul | 2023 | Showman / High-Flyer | Pre-order bonus (otherwise MyFACTION) |
5. Recommended Builds & Skills
For each wrestler, you can customize their Skill Tree (available in MyRISE/MyFACTION) and assign Paybacks (unique comeback abilities). Below are optimal builds for top tiers:
- Roman Reigns: Put points into Resilience (to recover from finishers) and Grapple (for Spear damage). Payback: Rage (increase damage for 30 seconds). Best for elimination matches.
- Brock Lesnar: Max Strength and Stamina. Payback: Stonewall (take no damage from one finisher). Use German Suplex spam for quick damage.
- John Cena: Balance Strikes (for AA setup) and Submission (STF). Payback: Comeback (auto-counter after a taunt). Great for long matches.
- Bianca Belair: Max Aerial (for K.O.D.) and Athleticism. Payback: Limitless (increase speed after a finisher). Ideal for Royal Rumble.
- Undertaker: Max Grapple and Resilience. Payback: Last Stand (survive one elimination in battle royale). Use Chokeslam to set up Tombstone.
6. Team Synergy & Factions
Tag team and faction bonuses exist in MyFACTION and Universe. Here are the most synergistic pairs:
| Team | Wrestlers | Bonus Effect | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bloodline | Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa | All get +10% damage when together | MyFACTION |
| The Shield | Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose (now Jon Moxley, in game as Moxley replaced) | +5% counter rate | Universe |
| The New Day | Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Big E | +10% stamina recovery | MyFACTION |
| Four Horsewomen | Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks (not in game), Bayley | +5% submission power | Universe (custom) |
| DX | Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn | +10% finisher damage | MyFACTION |
| Brothers of Destruction | Undertaker, Kane | +15% health regen | Exhibition |
7. Unlock Conditions Summary
- Default: All base roster (over 180 wrestlers) unlocked from start in Exhibition, MyFACTION base packs, Universe.
- Showcase Mode: Unlock John Cena '02, '06, '10 variants; also retro Undertaker, Rock, etc. (Complete specific Showcase chapters).
- MyRISE: Unlock Carmelo Hayes, Roxanne Perez (face route), and “Broken” Roman Reigns (heel route).
- MyFACTION: Celebrities (Bad Bunny, Logan Paul), certain legends (Ric Flair '88, Sting '98) via packs or market.
- Pre-Order / DLC: Logan Paul, Ruthless Aggression pack (e.g., Goldberg '03, Randy Orton '09), Steiner Brothers pack.
8. Conclusion
Understanding each character’s role and optimal build is crucial for dominating in WWE 2K23. Whether you prefer powerhouse brawlers like Roman Reigns or technical wizards like Chris Jericho (not listed but default), this guide ensures you know their strengths, weaknesses, and how to unlock everything. Use team synergies to your advantage in tag matches and faction wars. For further details, see our MyRISE Walkthrough, MyFACTION Pack Opening Guide, and Showcase Mode Guide.