Beards: Heroes or Villains?

There are whole websites dedicated to the facial hair evident on fictional villains and heroes in the Marvel and DC world of comic books, which leads to the thought that some people have far too much time on their hands. But facial hair is still subject to a certain amount of stereotyping, and the kind of hair a man wears on his face and how he wears it, still leads to speculation and often conclusions about his character, even in this day and age. When was the last time you saw an unbearded terrorist in a Hollywood movie? These speculations and conclusions are often (if not mostly) incorrect. So what are some of the best-known heroic and villainous types of facial hair?

Obi-Wan Kenobi

So he’s not exactly real, but for a legion of fans, he’s truly been an inspiration of virtue and killing villains with a lightsaber (only when necessary though). Sir Alec Guiness was the original and best (apologies to Ewan McGregor) Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi master who encounters Luke Skywalker in the original 1977 Star Wars. He teaches young Luke the ways of the Force, and sports a dignified white beard that makes him look like the definition of wise.

Charles Manson

A wild, scraggly beard is a difficult look to pull off and can often be associated with dangerous lunacy, as in the case of Charles Manson. Manson was the head of the Manson Family; a Californian commune who believed that selected murders were the only way to prevent a racially motivated war that would signal the end of the world. Manson instructed his followers to carry out these murders, including the 1969 murder of Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski. Manson was convicted, and will end his days behind bars with an awful mess of a beard. Not recommended as a grooming style for anyone.

God

While an individual’s idea of what God looks like is subject to some wide variation, let’s not forget that he’s usually depicted as having a long, flowing, white beard, demonstrating that a white beard is a strong signifier of wisdom in fictional characters, non fictional persons and omnipotent deities. The same could be said of Santa Claus…

A beard, moustache or facial hair isn’t for everyone, but if that’s a grooming look you want to pursue, remember just what your facial hair can suggest about your personality.