As promised, here is the second half of the list.
5. Goldust
Many fans incorrectly identify the rise of Stone Cold Steve Austin as the beginning of the Attitude Era – the most profitable period in WWE history. However, there was someone who came along and changed the game long before Austin would cut his Austin 3:16 promo on Jake Roberts. That person was the man known simply as Goldust.
The son of the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, Dustin Runnels had shifted back and forth between the WWE and rival WCW during the early 90s before ultimately signing with the WWE in 1995 as Goldust. The character was sexually suggestive, frequently engaged in behavior that was considered homoerotic, and was unlike anything the WWE Universe had ever seen.
Goldust was a pioneer in pushing the WWE away from the traditional face/heel booking that the company had relied upon for years in favor of a product that was appealing to adults and featured morally ambiguous characters. Had the product not shifted back to a PG rating, Goldust would be even higher on this list, but as it stands, he is still one of the most important superstars in company history.
