Mostshounen protagonistsare fresh-faced, typically young and approachable. Facial hair is the realm of grown-ups: mature characters meant to be intimidating. Beards signify wisdom as much as age inanime, with many mentors sporting whiskers.
But this is anime, as absurd as it is entertaining. Much like hairstyles, beards provide artists the opportunity to go wild with their imaginations and bring us some truly stunning character designs. Not every beard needs to fill the room, of course, sometimes the simplest designs are the best ones. Here are the anime beards that brought their bearers extra characterization.
8Senzaemon Nakiri
Food Wars
Senzaemon is eccentric, but to run the best culinary school in Japan, you have to be a little eccentric. At least he’s not evil likehis son-in-law. Senzaemon has clearly been eating well his entire life, as despite his age, he is in amazing shape. It must be all the protein in his food.
The years have also been kind to Senzaemon’s scalp as he still has a full head of hair. That plays second fiddle, though, to his glorious facial hair. Senzaemon rocks three sections of glorious bristles and a moustache to match. Much like the rest of his design, the spiky, angular design of his beard makes him look harsh, until he reveals himself to be a kindly headmaster.
7Gendo Ikari
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Gendo Ikari’s beard frames his face and is a natural outcropping of his jawline. Unlike his son Shinji, Gendo is cold and calculating. Like the rest of his outfit, his beard is immaculate and wholly devoid of warmth. There’s not a white hair in sight, but the entire design communicates that this is a man with no give in his personality.
Though it’s often hidden under his hands clasped together in one of the most iconic poses of all time, Gendo Ikari’s beard is every bit as unwelcoming as he is. If beards could talk, this one would tell Shinji to get in the robot, too.
6Shota Aizawa
My Hero Academia
It might be cheating for Aizawa to rank here when he clearly doesn’t maintain his facial hair. In fact, Aizawa doesn’t bother much about his appearance at all, and his beard is just a bit of stubble he probably couldn’t be bothered to shave off.
But Aizawa pulls it off. His stubble makes him look carelessly cool. His unkempt appearance signifies hislaid-back approach to teaching, where every spare minute is one he’d prefer to spend napping. Yet with a quirk as powerful as his, maybe he doesn’t have to bother to shave.
5King Vegeta
Dragon Ball
King Vegeta looks almost exactly like Vegeta with brown hair, with the same widow’s peak and perpetual frown. King Vegeta wasn’t quite so villainous as his son Vegeta thought him to be, but he could rock a beard with the best of them.
The one edge he has over Vegeta is the facial hair. This circular affair with a pointed edge makes the character instantly regal, making him look wiser and more weathered than his clean-shaven son.
4Jet Black
Cowboy Bebop
Jet Black’s beard is a cosplayer’s bane. It’s so sharp, jutting out to the sides in symmetrical spikes, that it seems impossible to maintain unless you have some hairspray handy. Beyond that, he’s got the fork growing on his chin: it’s definitely stylish, if hard to keep shapely.
With the character’s eyes often covered by sunglasses, his beard is left as the main thing that pops out at you. Though he has no moustache or hair on his head, Jet Black is clearly still gifted in follicular affairs.
3Lordgenome
Gurren Lagann
Lordgenome isn’t the definitive Gurren Lagann villain, but he is still the most memorable one visually. The spiral-shaped tuft of hair on his chest, as well as his sharp, aquiline features, certainly help, but his beard plays a role too.
What makes Lordgenome’s facial hair special is that, as he gets more and morefired up in battle, his mutton chops grow so long that they start curling in on themselves. It’s subtle, but his pre-battle and post-battle designs' biggest difference is the facial hair.
2Master Roshi
With his eyes hidden away behind sunglasses in all but the most comedic scenes, Master Roshi’s most distinguishing feature is his long white beard and heavy moustache. This character, mentor to Goku and Krillin, has been growing out his facial hair for presumably hundreds of years.
Though his back is hunched and his teeth are not all there, Master Roshi’s beard remains in peak shape. It singles him out as one of the wisest characters in Goku’s entourage, until you find out the kinds of magazines he reads.
1Endeavor
The coolest beard in anime isn’t made of hair, it’s made of flames. Endeavor is usually clean-shaven, especially when making TV appearances, but when his powerful quirk kicks in, he’s suddenly got whiskers of fire.
As the up-and-comingnumber one hero, Endeavor definitely knows how appearances play into the role. Thus, the beard is a smart choice: it makes him look intimidating, appropriately aged, and fierce. Sadly, the manga never confirms if his beards help heat up his food.
