A lot has happened since season one of Game of Thrones. Kings have died. Dragons have grown. Costumes have become more black and leathery. And every man's face now wears a beard. But with their roles ending and summer coming, the actors are finally picking up some shaving tools. Watch as these famous beards vanish before your eyes.
1| Kit Harington (and beard)
All this talk about Jon Snow knowing nothing, and yet his grooming skills make us all look like bastards and broken things.
2| Kit Harington (without beard)
In the books, Jon Snow is clean shaven until he ventures beyond the wall. Then he releases his inner wildling.
3| Peter Dinklage (and beard)
In the show, facial hair might be grown to hide scars. In real life, it's grown because it looks awesome.
4| Peter Dinklage (without beard)
Though he begins the series clean shaven, the character Tyrion in the books grows out a blond and black beard.
5| Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (and beard)
In the books, Jamie Lannister grows a beard in captivity and then later shaves his head in order to go unrecognized. Now that's a look.
IMAGE: John Shearer/WIREIMAGE
6| Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (with slight beard)
Okay, so Nikolaj isn't often clean shaven, but we think the stubbled look works best. Pro tip: if you've been blessed with a herculean jaw line, don't hide it.
7| Jason Momoa (and beard)
In the books, Khal Drogo has a long, drooping mustache. We like Momoa's tight, full beard better.
8| Jason Momoa (without beard)
Momoa shaved in order to draw attention to wasteful single-use plastics.
9| Kristofer Hivju (and beard)
In the books, Tormud is a massive man with a massive belly and white beard. Casting director Nina Gold found a much cooler version.
10| Kristofer Hivju (without beard)
Hivju's Instagram post post-shave. Who knew there was a Disney prince hidden under there all along.
11| Sean Bean (and beard)
It was a short lived beard and one that taught us patience and pain.
12| Sean Bean (without beard)
Book Ned Stark is only 35, but sports a trimmed, graying beard. Here's Sean Bean, 52, freshly shaved.
13| Richard Madden (and beard)
Stocky with blue eyes and red-brown hair, Richard Madden was a true-to-book Rob Stark.
14| Richard Madden (and beard)
Madden clean-shaven, looking like Henry Cavill's long-lost brother.
15| Liam Cunningham (and beard)
The book's Ser Davos wears a beard peppered with gray. Oh, and he has seven sons.
16| Liam Cunningham (with slight beard)
Aside from his unmistakable brow, Cunningham is almost unrecognizable.
IMAGE: Jeff Vespa/WIREIMAGE
17| Iain Glen (and slight beard)
In the books, Ser Jorah is a balding middle-aged man with a black beard.
18| Iain Glen (without beard)
Bearded rugged Glen somehow looks younger. His face was just made for stubble.
IMAGE: C Flanigan/Getty Images
19| Alfie Allen (and beard)
After his torture in the books, Theon loses his teeth, 40 pounds, and his hair color, which turns white and brittle. That's a transformation, luckily, we never saw.
20| Alfie Allen (without beard)
The shorter hair and cleaner look we think better suits Alfie.
IMAGE: Jeff Kravitz/FILMMAGIC FOR HBO
21| Rory McCann (and beard)
The Hound's scars are a bit more intense in the book and ooze red.
22| Rory McCann (and beard)
The 6'6" actor would have to continually shave half his face to match his character's description.
23| Aidan Gillen (and beard)
A pointed beard with a touch of grey and a slender face with sly eyes ... casting sounds perfect to us.
24| Aidan Gillen (without beard)
The goatee look works for almost no one, and we like clean shaven Gillen much better. We think. Maybe? He's hard to read.
25| Kristian Nairn (and beard)
In the books HODOR! has a thick brown beard and hair.
26| Kristian Nairn (and slight beard)
Nairn stands at 7'0," only slightly shorter than the fictional HODOR!
27| Iwan Rheon (and beard)
In the book, Ramsay is an ugly, wormish-looking man with pink blotchy skin. Beard: unknown.
28| Iwan Rheon (without beard)
Red wedding role aside, Rheon used to be an actual wedding singer, bringing joy.
29| Mark Addy (and beard)
His death started it all, and his beard is quite the unkempt sight to behold.
30| Mark Addy (without beard)
When asked about his prediction for the show's ending, Addy simply said he hoped it would be "epic and cataclysmic." If so, it's all your fault, King Robert.
This story originally appeared on Esquire.com. Minor edits have been made by the Esquiremag.ph editors.
