Entertainment

Seeing 'Game Of Thrones' Men Without Beards Will Change Everything

I never really realized how big a role facial hair played in Westeros until I saw how different Game of Thrones men look without their beards. This all started when I was talking Game of Thrones with my mother the other day, and she asked me who Renly Baratheon was. After telling her that he was Robert and Stannis Baratheon's brother didn't jog her memory, I very eloquently said, "You know, he was that guy with the beard" — and she promptly laughed in my face.

I took the moral high ground for actually knowing who Renly was, but she had a definite point: After all, Game of Thrones might be the hairiest show on television, because just about every single cast member of the fantasy epic is sporting a beard. Now, said facial hair runs the gamut from sparse scruff, a la Theon Greyjoy/Reek, to straight-up bearded madness, a la Tormund Giantsbane — hitting every level of beardiness in between.

But take those beards away and some of these characters are unrecognizable. Remember how shocking it was when Jaime Lannister went from bearded-prisoner to clean-shaven knight? Yeah, it's like that. Read on and prepare to be surprised by these fresh-faced fellows.

by Rosie Narasaki

May 22, 2015

Tyrion Lannister

Kidnapped Tyrion is even more beard-y than usual.

Image: Macall B. Polay/HBO

Peter Dinklage

Dinklage tends to favor a goatee on the red carpet, but if you look back (way back) to The Station Agent, he rocked a very dashing clean-shaven look.

Image: The Station Agent/Miramax

Jon Snow

Luxurious mane? Check. Well-groomed mustache and beard? Check. Sad eyes? Check.

Image: Helen Sloan/HBO

Kit Harington

I searched through 15 pages of Kit Harington in formal wear to find this. (Oh, the sacrifices I make in the name of journalism.)

Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Stannis Baratheon

Stannis’ stock has really been rising lately — how great was that adorable scene with Shireen?

Stephen Dillane

Dillane looked just as serious as Thomas Jefferson in John Adams as he does as the rightful Lord of the Seven Kingdoms.

Image: John Adams/HBO

Oberyn Martell

The roguish mustache was a big part of the Red Viper’s charm…

Image: Macall B. Polay/HBO

Pedro Pascal

… but Pascal manages just fine without it (especially with his bestie Sarah Paulson by his side).

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Jorah Mormont

I don’t know about you, but I’m still holding out a lot of hope that Ser Jorah will pull through this whole greyscale death sentence thing.

Image: Helen Sloan/HBO

Iain Glen

Oh, and assuming he does make it back to Meereen, Ser Jorah should totally take a leaf out of Glen’s clean-shaven book when he finally makes his bid to win Daenerys back, eh?

Daario Naharis

In the books, Daario has a blue braided beard — and I think this is one book/TV show divergence that we can all get behind.

Image: Macall B. Polay/HBO

Michiel Huisman

I had to dig deep into Huisman’s filmography to find a beardless image of him, but this one was worth the extra searching: Yes, he’s shirtless, but that isn’t even the best part — take a closer look at his leading lady, and you might just recognize her as Carice van Houten (aka Melisandre). The two of them starred in Black Book, a Dutch film from back in 2006.

Image: Black Book/AVRO Television

Samwell Tarly

Adorable.

Image: Helen Sloan/HBO

John Bradley-West

Also adorable. (Please don’t die).

Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Ned Stark

It’s tough to imagine Ned without his trademark long hair, scruff, and grimace…

Image: Game of Thrones/HBO

Sean Bean

… But Sean Bean pulls off the look quite dashingly.

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Tywin Lannister

That’s some trademark evil mastermind facial hair going on there.

Image: Helen Sloan/HBO

Charles Dance

Dance is considerably less villainous sans his goatee/quilted black doublet, but the floral scarf is a bold fashion move that Tywin would surely respect.