View source for Stroke the Beard

{{trope}}
[[File:gouken-beard.jpg|link=Street Fighter IV|right]]
This is the need for either [[Old Master]]s or [[Wicked Cultured]] villains to stroke their [[Badass Beard|Bad Ass Beards]]/[[Beard of Evil|Beards Of Evil]] as a compulsion. [[Dastardly Whiplash|Evil types]] usually do this while preparing their [[Evil Plan]]s sipping [[A Glass of Chianti]] and indulging in [[Slouch of Villainy|Villainous Slouching]]. This version is somewhat [[Discredited Trope|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 ([[Smug Snake|or at least sneakiness]]).

Compare [[Putting on My Thinking Cap]].

{{examples}}
== 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.
* [[Romance of the Three Kingdoms|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.
{{quote|" 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 ==
* [[Flash Gordon (comic strip)|Ming the Merciless]].

== Stand-up Comedy ==
* [[Eddie Izzard]], regarding the change from ''Mr. Dog Canned Dog Food'' to ''Cesar'': "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJz-yZUOgtM Obviously there was a strokey-beard meeting at ''Mr Dog'' headquarters...]"

== Video Games ==
* A certain [[Phoenix Wright|Mr. Phoenix Wright]] is always doing this in court while thinking.
** In Investigations,  {{spoiler|Quercus Alba does it when cornered}}
* As shown above, [[Old Master|Gouken]] does this in his introduction pose in ''[[Street Fighter]] IV''.
* Nolan of [[Fire Emblem Tellius|Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn]] does this in his character portrait.
* [[The King of Fighters|Saisyu Kusanagi]].

== Web Original ==
* In a [[Rare Female Example]], a very beardless [[The Nostalgia Chick|Nostalgia Chick]] does this in her Dreamworks video.

== Western Animation ==
* Sokka of ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' does this almost continuously while in his [[Memetic Badass|Wang Fire]] disguise, whether he's pondering something or not. (Though since he is [[The Smart Guy|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 [[Avatar: The Last Airbender|Sokka]] ''so'' proud of him. 
* Papa Smurf in ''[[The Smurfs]]'' can be found doing this.


{{reflist}}
[[Category:Characterization Tropes]]
[[Category:Hair Tropes]]
[[Category:Stroke the Beard]]