History Main / StrokeTheBeard

* ''Literaturen/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'': Guan Yu is one of the earliest examples. Just watch any Chinese opera show featuring him as a character.

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** A certain Mr. Phoenix Wright is always doing this in court while thinking.

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* In ''Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space'', Tumok tells of how he consulted a HermitGuru on Olympus Mons. Lacking a beard, the guru strokes the icicle clinging to his chin.

* Papa Smurf does this on occasion in the ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'' stories.

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* ''Franchise/StarWars'': In the prequels, Obi-Wan Kenobi 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 ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''.

* In ''Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space'', Tumok tells of how he consulted a Hermit Guru on Olympus Mons. Lacking a beard, the guru strokes the icicle clinging to his chin.

** And is most put out when he starts to do so in ''The Chinese Gold Murders'' only to have the villain start stroking his even ''more'' impmressive beard first. He is vindicated in the end, though, when the villain's beard turns out to be false.

This is the need for either [[OldMaster Old Masters]] or WickedCultured villains to stroke their [[BadAssBeard Bad Ass Beards]][=/=][[BeardOfEvil Beards Of Evil]] as a compulsion. [[DastardlyWhiplash Evil types]] usually do this while preparing their {{Evil Plan}}s, sipping AGlassOfChianti, and indulging in [[SlouchOfVillainy Villainous Slouching]]. This version is somewhat [[DiscreditedTrope discredited]] today.

* In ''Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space'', Tumok tells of how he consulted a Hermit Guru on Olympus Mons. Lacking a beard, he strokes the icicle clinging to his chin.

->"When I stroke the beard thusly, do I not appear more... intellectual?"
-->--[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Commander Data]] while trying on a fake beard.

* The quote above comes from an episode of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', where Data tried to emulate Riker GrowingTheBeard. The end result was so ridiculous that Troi had to excuse herself before she completely broke down, and Geordi only did a marginally better job of holding back his laughter.
* The ''PushingDaisies'' 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 ''ModernFamily'', 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.
* ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney:''
** A certain Mr. Phoenix Wright is always doing this in court while thinking.
** In Investigations, [[spoiler: Quercus Alba does it when cornered]]
* JudgeDee often does this.

* Konoemon in ''MahouSenseiNegima'' often does this.

* [[ComicStrip/FlashGordon Ming the Merciless]].
* So does [[Franchise/StarWars 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 ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''.
* As shown above, [[OldMaster Gouken]] does this in his victory pose in ''StreetFighter IV''.
* [[RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms 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.

* Tenzin from SequelSeries ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' is prone to doing this. This would make his Uncle [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Sokka]] ''so'' proud of him.
* Nolan of [[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn]] does this in his character portrait
* Papa Smurf in ''TheSmurfs'' can be found doing this.
* Harima in ''SchoolRumble'', several times when he was keeping his beard long.
* Archeologist Radcliffe Emerson had a beard when he met AmeliaPeabody, but not after they married; he still strokes his chin meditatively as an action-equivalent to a CatchPhrase. The habit has even been picked up by other characters, including his daughter-in-law.
* EddieIzzard, 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...]]"
* [[TheKingOfFighters Saisyu Kusanagi]].
* In a RareFemaleExample, a very beardless [[WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick Nostalgia Chick]] does this in her Dreamworks video.
* Some Literature/{{Discworld}} characters have done this, including [[MagnificentBastard Vetinari]], [[EvilVizier Abrim]], and some of the older and wiser dwarves, who of course ''all'' have beards.
* ''{{Tales Of Xillia}}'': Resident CoolOldGuy Rowen does this. When Elize asks why he does, he explains it helps him think.
** Jiao also does this at times, such as when he activates [[SuperMode Overlimit]].

* Robin does this in ''RobinHoodMenInTights'' while pondering an archery contest. Then flicks his fingers clean.

* Pai Mei of ''KillBill'' was awesome at this.

* So does [[StarWars 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 ''RevengeOfTheSith''.

* Some {{Discworld}} characters have done this, including [[MagnificentBastard Vetinari]], [[EvilVizier Abrim]], and some of the older and wiser dwarves, who of course ''all'' have beards.

* A certain [[PhoenixWright Mr. Phoenix Wright]] is always doing this in court while thinking.