4. Triple H
As Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Triple H was a clean-cut aristocrat from Greenwich. Even as his character morphed into the degenerate that led D-Generation X during the Attitude Era, setting the bar for controversial and crude humor, he largely maintained the same appearance. When he turned heel in 1999, however, he knew that he would have to completely alter the way he looked in order to succeed at the main event level. Gone were the long tights, the perfectly groomed head of hair and the clean-shaven appearance. In their place were more traditional trunks, a hairstyle wetter and stringier than before and, most importantly, a beard.
To be perceived as the ruthless, cold-hearted SOB that he was portrayed as on television, he had to look the part and it worked. Where as Triple H without the beard looked like the cocky and arrogant rich guy that everyone hates and wants to punch in the face, the bearded Game looked the part of a tough guy who could go toe-to-toe with anyone placed in front of him. It gave him an edge and helped with the overall evolution of the character.
When he shaved his trademark beard in 2002, fans were greeted by a Triple H that looked old. Really old. Ric Flair old. Actually, Flair looked like a college freshman compared to Triple H. It was ugly and, thankfully, The Game returned to the bearded look, but only after two whole years.
In 2005, he introduced “the Lemmy,” a take on the bearded stylings of Motorhead front man of Lemmy Kilmister. It was unconventional but it somehow worked. The fact that Triple H was a multiple-time WWE and World Heavyweight champion and essentially bullet proof helped.
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