Stroke the Beard
This is the need for either Old Masters or Wicked Cultured villains to stroke their Bad Ass Beards/Beards Of Evil as a compulsion. Evil types usually do this while preparing their Evil Plans sipping A Glass of Chianti and indulging in Villainous Slouching. This version is somewhat discredited today.
These people don't necessarily need an actual beard, as even placing their hand on their chin where a beard would be while in thought can suffice.
This trait has several faces; the meticulous planning and deep thought this trope usually suggests tends to be associated with evil. The good type usually suggests a zen-like peacefulness. Some also liken it to shrinks stroking their Freud-like beards. The overarching theme with this trope is intellectualism (or at least sneakiness).
Compare Putting on My Thinking Cap.
- The Pushing Daisies episode "Oh, Oh, Oh, It's Magic!". The magician does this when he tells Emerson in a very dramatic voice that he needs his help in solving the murders of his assistants.
- In an episode of Modern Family, some of Manny's friends draw a beard on his face with magic marker while he's asleep. He strokes his drawn-on beard this way while plotting his revenge.
- A certain Mr. Phoenix Wright is always doing this in court while thinking.
- In Investigations, Quercus Alba does it when cornered
- Judge Dee often does this.
- Pai Mei of Kill Bill was awesome at this.
- Konoemon in Mahou Sensei Negima often does this.
- Robin does this in Robin Hood: Men in Tights while pondering an archery contest. Then flicks his fingers clean.
- Ming the Merciless.
- So does Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequels, he usually strokes his beard meditatively just before doing something totally Badass.
- He and Anakin Skywalker spend a good minute stroking their chins, signaling to each other on how they should make their getaway from General Grievous in a deleted scene from Revenge of the Sith.
- As shown above, Gouken does this in his introduction pose in Street Fighter IV.
- Guan Yu is one of the earliest examples. Just watch any Chinese opera show featuring him as a character.
- In Dragonlance, a dwarf stroking his beard is considered an insult to the party he's speaking to.
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" Stroke your beard the wrong way, and the dwarves will bar the gates to the mountain once again." - Tanis Half-Elven |
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- Sokka of Avatar: The Last Airbender does this almost continuously while in his Wang Fire disguise, whether he's pondering something or not. (Though since he is the idea guy and an engineering genius, it's probably safe to assume that there's something planning-related going on in that head of his.)
- Tenzin from Sequel Series The Legend of Korra is prone to doing this. This would make his Uncle Sokka so proud of him.
- Nolan of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn does this in his character portrait
- Papa Smurf in The Smurfs can be found doing this.
- Harima in School Rumble, several times when he was keeping his beard long.
- Archeologist Radcliffe Emerson had a beard when he met Amelia Peabody, but not after they married; he still strokes his chin meditatively as an action-equivalent to a Catch Phrase. The habit has even been picked up by other characters, including his daughter-in-law.
- Eddie Izzard, regarding the change from Mr. Dog Canned Dog Food to Cesar: "Obviously there was a strokey-beard meeting at Mr Dog headquarters..."
- Saisyu Kusanagi.
- In a Rare Female Example, a very beardless Nostalgia Chick does this in her Dreamworks video.