WWE 2K23 stands as a significant milestone in wrestling video game history, featuring one of the most expansive and diverse rosters ever assembled. With over 250 playable characters including current superstars, rising NXT prospects, and immortal legends, the game provides a massive sandbox for Universe Mode and local exhibitions. This comprehensive breakdown lists every character available in the game, categorized by their primary brand affiliation, DLC status, and overall performance ratings.

The Core Raw Roster

The Raw brand in WWE 2K23 represents the flagship selection of talent available at the time of the game's release. These superstars are categorized by their default brand settings in the game's exhibition and Universe modes.

  • AJ Styles: 89
  • Akira Tozawa: 73
  • Angelo Dawkins: 80
  • Austin Theory: 82
  • Bobby Lashley: 92
  • Cedric Alexander: 76
  • Chad Gable: 77
  • Cody Rhodes: 91
  • Damian Priest: 84
  • Dexter Lumis: 80
  • Dolph Ziggler: 83
  • Dominik Mysterio: 78
  • Edge: 93
  • Elias: 78
  • Ezekiel: 83
  • Finn Bálor: 87
  • Johnny Gargano: 84
  • Kevin Owens: 87
  • Logan Paul: 84
  • Matt Riddle: 86
  • Montez Ford: 82
  • Mustafa Ali: 75
  • MVP: 75
  • Omos: 82
  • Otis: 80
  • R-Truth: 72
  • Randy Orton: 93
  • Robert Roode: 80
  • Seth "Freakin" Rollins: 92
  • Shelton Benjamin: 79
  • The Miz: 85
  • Titus O'Neil: 76
  • Tommaso Ciampa: 84

Raw Women's Division

  • Alexa Bliss: 85
  • Asuka: 89
  • Bayley: 91
  • Becky Lynch: 96
  • Bianca Belair: 95
  • Candice LeRae: 78 (Added via Post-Launch Update)
  • Carmella: 79
  • Dakota Kai: 80
  • Dana Brooke: 73
  • IYO SKY: 82
  • Mia Yim (Michin): 79 (Added via Post-Launch Update)
  • Nikki A.S.H.: 76
  • Rhea Ripley: 90
  • Tamina: 71

The SmackDown Selection

The blue brand features the highest-rated performer in the game, Roman Reigns, alongside a tactical mix of technical wrestlers and high-flyers.

  • Big E: 88
  • Braun Strowman: 89
  • Butch: 81
  • Cruz Del Toro: 79
  • Drew Gulak: 79
  • Drew McIntyre: 91
  • Erik: 80
  • Giovanni Vinci: 80
  • Gunther: 89
  • Happy Corbin: 83
  • Humberto: 75
  • Ivar: 80
  • Jey Uso: 90
  • Jimmy Uso: 89
  • Jinder Mahal: 77
  • Joaquin Wilde: 76
  • Karrion Kross: 86
  • Kofi Kingston: 89
  • LA Knight: 81
  • Ludwig Kaiser: 80
  • ma.çé: 74
  • Madcap Moss: 80
  • mån.sôör: 75
  • Rey Mysterio: 86
  • Rick Boogs: 75
  • Ricochet: 82
  • Ridge Holland: 81
  • Roman Reigns: 99
  • Sami Zayn: 84
  • Santos Escobar: 81
  • Shanky: 67
  • Sheamus: 87
  • Shinsuke Nakamura: 87
  • Solo Sikoa: 82
  • Xavier Woods: 88

SmackDown Women's Division

  • Aliyah: 76
  • Charlotte Flair: 94
  • Lacey Evans: 76
  • Liv Morgan: 86
  • Natalya: 82
  • Queen Zelina: 74
  • Raquel Rodriguez: 83
  • Ronda Rousey: 93
  • Shayna Baszler: 82
  • Shotzi: 75
  • Sonya Deville: 77
  • Xia Li: 74

NXT Roster Highlights

WWE 2K23 placed a heavy emphasis on the "NXT 2.0" era, introducing many superstars to the video game series for the first time.

  • Apollo Crews: 79
  • Axiom: 79
  • Bron Breakker: 85
  • Brutus Creed: 79
  • Cameron Grimes: 79
  • Carmelo Hayes: 82
  • Commander Azeez: 71
  • Grayson Waller: 81
  • Ilja Dragunov: 85
  • JD McDonagh: 79
  • Julius Creed: 80
  • Noam Dar: 69
  • Reggie: 67
  • T-Bar: 76
  • Tyler Bate: 82
  • Wes Lee: 81

NXT Women's Division

  • Alba Fyre: 81
  • Cora Jade: 79
  • Gigi Dolin: 81
  • Indi Hartwell: 77
  • Jacy Jayne: 80
  • Katana Chance: 79
  • Kayden Carter: 76
  • Nikkita Lyons: 80
  • Roxanne Perez: 81
  • Zoey Stark: 76

WWE Legends and Hall of Famers

The Legends roster is a cornerstone of the 2K series, allowing players to recreate historical matchups with stars from the Golden Age, New Generation, and Attitude Eras.

  • André the Giant: 88
  • Batista: 89
  • Big Boss Man: 81
  • Booker T: 88
  • Bret "The Hitman" Hart: 91
  • British Bulldog: 86
  • Brock Lesnar: 97
  • Bruno Sammartino: 91
  • Cactus Jack: 82
  • Chyna: 88
  • Diesel: 87
  • Doink the Clown: 81
  • Eddie Guerrero: 90
  • Eric Bischoff: 64
  • Faarooq: 88
  • Goldberg: 89
  • Hollywood Hogan: 92
  • Hulk Hogan: 94
  • Jake "The Snake" Roberts: 85
  • JBL: 89
  • Jerry "The King" Lawler: 86
  • Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart: 86
  • Kane: 87
  • Kevin Nash: 88
  • Kurt Angle: 90
  • "Macho Man" Randy Savage: 89
  • Molly Holly: 86
  • Mr. McMahon: 76
  • Randy Orton '09: 93
  • Razor Ramon: 84
  • Rikishi: 86
  • Rob Van Dam: 92
  • Rowdy Roddy Piper: 85
  • Scott Hall: 87
  • Shane McMahon: 79
  • Shawn Michaels: 87
  • Stacy Keibler: 75
  • Stephanie McMahon: 77
  • "Stone Cold" Steve Austin: 96
  • Syxx: 88
  • Ted DiBiase: 85
  • The Boogeyman: 81
  • The Hurricane: 82
  • The Rock: 96
  • Triple H: 93
  • Trish Stratus: 93
  • Ultimate Warrior: 88
  • Umaga: 88
  • Undertaker: 95
  • Vader: 91
  • X-Pac: 85
  • Yokozuna: 90

Women's Legends

  • Beth Phoenix: 87
  • Brie Bella: 87
  • Lita: 90
  • Maryse: 79
  • Nikki Bella: 90

The Complete DLC Guide

WWE 2K23 released five major DLC packs alongside pre-order and special edition bonuses. These packs added significant depth to the roster, including many first-time appearances.

Pre-Order Bonus Pack

  • Bad Bunny: 84

Steiner Row Pack

  • Scott Steiner: 91
  • Rick Steiner: 90
  • Top Dolla: 74
  • Ashante "Thee" Adonis: 75
  • B-Fab (Manager Only)

Pretty Sweet Pack

  • Elton Prince: 81
  • Kit Wilson: 81
  • Karl Anderson: 83
  • Luke Gallows: 84
  • Tiffany Stratton: 80

Race to NXT Pack

  • Harley Race: 87
  • Ivy Nile: 74
  • Wendy Choo: 77
  • Tony D'Angelo: 79
  • Trick Williams: 73

Revel with Wyatt Pack

  • Bray Wyatt: 89
  • Zeus: 87
  • Valhalla: 70
  • Joe Gacy: 76
  • Blair Davenport: 74

Bad News U Pack

  • Wade Barrett: 85
  • Eve Torres: 85
  • Damon Kemp: 75
  • Andre Chase: 77
  • Nathan Frazer: 76

Special Editions and Variations

To celebrate the career of cover star John Cena, the game featured several historical and alternate versions of Cena and his rivals.

Ruthless Aggression Pack (Icon Edition)

  • Brock Lesnar '01: 90
  • The Prototype (John Cena): 75
  • Randy Orton '02: 70
  • Leviathan (Batista): 73

John Cena Showcase Variants

  • John Cena '02: 75
  • John Cena '03: 82
  • John Cena '06: 90
  • John Cena '08: 83
  • John Cena '09: 95
  • John Cena '12: 96
  • John Cena '14: 96
  • John Cena '16: 91
  • John Cena '18: 89
  • Super Cena: 100 (Unlockable invisible character)

Other Notable Variants

  • Batista '08: 91
  • Eddie Guerrero '97: 87
  • Edge '06: 90
  • Hulk Hogan '02: 94
  • Kane '08: 90
  • Kevin Nash (nWo): 90
  • Rey Mysterio Jr.: 82
  • Scott Hall (nWo): 90
  • Shawn Michaels '05: 88
  • The Rock '12: 93
  • Triple H '08: 91
  • Undertaker '98: 93
  • Undertaker '03: 92
  • Undertaker '18: 87

Non-Playable Characters (Managers and GMs)

While not available for standard competitive matches, these characters play vital roles in MyGM and Universe modes.

  • Adam Pearce (GM Only)
  • B-Fab (Manager)
  • Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
  • Mick Foley (GM Only)
  • Paul Heyman (Manager)
  • Scarlett (Manager)
  • Tyler Breeze (GM Only)

Top Ratings Analysis

The power hierarchy in WWE 2K23 is led by a few elite performers. Understanding the distribution of ratings helps in drafting teams in MyGM or setting up balanced tournaments.

The 95+ Club

  1. Super Cena: 100 (Special Unlockable)
  2. Roman Reigns: 99
  3. Brock Lesnar: 97
  4. The Rock: 96
  5. Becky Lynch: 96
  6. Stone Cold Steve Austin: 96
  7. John Cena '12 & '14: 96
  8. Bianca Belair: 95
  9. Undertaker: 95
  10. John Cena '09: 95

Roman Reigns serves as the standard for modern excellence in the game, being the only active wrestler to reach a 99 overall without special conditions. This reflects his long-standing dominance during the game's development cycle. On the legends side, Brock Lesnar and The Rock remain the highest-tier options for those seeking power and high durability stats.

Strategic Roster Use in Universe Mode

With such a vast selection, managing the roster in Universe Mode can be overwhelming. A common strategy involves dividing the superstars into their era-appropriate brands. The inclusion of the nWo variations for Kevin Nash and Scott Hall allows for the creation of a dedicated WCW/Legend brand, while the massive NXT roster supports a fully functional third show.

The DLC additions, particularly the Steiner Row and Revel with Wyatt packs, added much-needed tag team depth. The Steiner Brothers and the various members of Bray Wyatt's circle offer unique move sets and entrances that were highly anticipated by the community.

Even with the online servers now closed, the offline depth of the WWE 2K23 roster ensures that it remains a viable option for local multiplayer and long-term simulation play. The variety of John Cena variants alone provides hours of content for completionists looking to unlock every version through the Showcase mode.