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.

Examples of Stroke the Beard include:

Anime and Manga

Konoemon in Mahou Sensei Negima often does this.
Harima in School Rumble, several times when he was keeping his beard long.

Film

Pai Mei of Kill Bill was awesome at this.
Robin does this in Robin Hood: Men in Tights while pondering an archery contest. Then flicks his fingers clean.
Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars 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.

Literature

Judge Dee often does this.
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.

" Stroke your beard the wrong way, and the dwarves will bar the gates to the mountain once again." - Tanis Half-Elven

Archaeologist 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.

Live Action TV

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.

Newspaper Comics

Ming the Merciless.

Stand-up Comedy

Eddie Izzard, regarding the change from Mr. Dog Canned Dog Food to Cesar: "Obviously there was a strokey-beard meeting at Mr Dog headquarters..."

Video Games

A certain Mr. Phoenix Wright is always doing this in court while thinking.
- In Investigations, Quercus Alba does it when cornered
As shown above, Gouken does this in his introduction pose in Street Fighter IV.
Nolan of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn does this in his character portrait.
Saisyu Kusanagi.

Web Original

In a Rare Female Example, a very beardless Nostalgia Chick does this in her Dreamworks video.

Western Animation

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.
Papa Smurf in The Smurfs can be found doing this.