Beards! Does anything say evil genius quite like a beard? I do not think so. Take a look at Mirror Universe Spock up there ↑. From the moment you see him you know he's evil. Nothing about the Star Trek Mirror Universe needs explaining as everything is understood with a look at that beard. Remove the beard...
Peaceful Spock. Happy Spock. Live long and prosper Spock. Give him a beard and all of a sudden he's evil..
See! Even Spock agrees.
But it's a particular type of beard that invokes the sense of evil and menace. Put Spock in full beard and it's a different story...
Discovery Spock sported what may be referred to as a Hero's Beard. It's a softer look, a more trusting look, and one for another article. It's the kind of beard worn by a character who, even if they are shown in situations that may seem as if they may be up to no good, we know ultimately we can trust. But fashion that beard into a pointier, sharper, more goatee style of facial hair and you have, simply, pure evil...
Yes, that's Ming The Merciless. But does he really need the addendum to the name? His beard says it all, doesn't it?
Original flavour Spock's beard is a perfect example of the Evil Twin Beard, where seemingly the addition of styled facial hair on the same/similar actor/character is enough to denote their evilness. When Doctor Who decided to introduce another Time lord who would be both the Doctor's intellectual equal and moral opposite it was vital that he made a striking first impression. From the moment he steps out of the recently materialised horsebox, before he even utters a word, we know he's not good news. Why? Evil beard...
The actor changed, the evil beard remained...
It's that iconic, even the John Simm Master eventually ended up sporting one...
And of course, there was that time when Missy had one too...
But it's not all evil twins and megalomaniac dictators, the evil beard has other uses.
Breaking Bad features, possibly, one of the best modern day examples of the use of the evil beard to depict the switch from good guy to bad. When we first meet Walter White he's a meek mustached high school science teacher...
Over the course of the series he transforms into a ruthless player in the methamphetamine drug trade. And he gains an evil beard as a visual depiction of this transformation...
That image says all you need to know about where Walter White is on his journey. The show may be called Breaking Bad but take a look at him above and you know he's broke! As a continuation to the facial hair journey, in the last two episodes of the series, Walter White is seen sporting a full atonement style beard. A beard full of sorrow...
There's a fine line between atonement/hero beard and evil beard. Quite literally. Because an evil beard doesn't have to consist of just a goatee, additional facial hair can accompany it. But the cheek areas need to be finely shaven and clean. As a prime example of this extended version of evil beardedness, take Alan Rickman. Here he is in 1988 as villain Hans Gruber in Die Hard...
Sporting a mighty fine evil beard with optional thin side attachments. Clean shaven cheeks leaving you in no doubt about his character's intentions. He's a bad 'un and no mistaking.
Alan Rickman example number 2: Here he is in 1991 as the villainous Sheriff Of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves...
Again with the evil beardedness. And both great examples of the optional additional facial hair style.
Now, you may be thinking, it's not the character, it's just Alan Rickman, perhaps that's just how he looked at the time? Well, in 1990, between making those two films, he starred as the mild & meek Jamie in Truly Madly Deeply...
No evil beard in sight. Just another meek mustache (again, that's another article).
But what is it about the goatee that makes us instantly associate it with evil, or at the least a morally questionable person - outside of it's continued use in film/TV/comic-book to depict such characters that is.
Well, there's actually some science behind it. Researchers from the University of Warwick conducted a study that found the human brain tends to perceive downwards-facing triangles as inherently threatening, and our brains tend to perceive goatees as making the human face resemble a downwards-facing triangle, causing individuals to subconsciously perceive those with goatees as inherently sinister or threatening.
So there we have it. It's science warning our brains to take heed - Goatee beard equals evil individual.
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