In July, Robert Chelsea became the first African American to receive a face transplant after his face was disfigured in a harrowing car accident. His remarkable before-and-after photos were published in TIME alongside a story titled “The Face of Change.”

While that title describes Chelsea quite literally, it’s befitting of many of the portraits TIME commissioned this year. As startling structural shifts took place around the world, TIME was there to capture both the leaders and the followers of the movements driving them — as well as those on the sidelines whose lives were forever changed.

In Stockholm, Greta Thunberg posed in a resplendent green dress with well-worn sneakers peeking out from underneath the hem, a nod to her travels around the globe demanding that leaders take action on climate change. (She was later named TIME’s 2019 Person of the Year). In Washington, the new class of congresspeople, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Lauren Underwood, were captured in kinetic dialogue, foreshadowing the tenacity and iconoclasm they would bring to their jobs on Capitol Hill.

Cicely Tyson: Djeneba Aduayom for TIME; Chasten and Pete Buttigieg: Ryan Pfluger for TIME; Margaret Atwood: Mickalene Thomas for TIME; Emmanuel Macron: Christopher Anderson—Magnum Photos for TIME; Greta Thunberg: Evgenia Arbugaeva for TIME; Dalai Lama: Ruven Afanador for TIME; Colson Whitehead: Wayne Lawrence for TIME; Lil Nas X: Kelia Anne for TIME; Taylor Swift: Pari Dukovic for TIME

In portraits of unexpected newcomers who came to dominate the cultural conversation, including Lil Nas X, Lizzo and Naomi Osaka, the subjects stare defiantly into the camera, as if daring anyone to tell them they don’t belong at the top of their respective fields.

These images include both well-known figures — like the Dalai Lama, Margaret Atwood and Donald Trump — and faceless unknowns fighting against injustice. Some depict everyday people in mundane situations that speak to the state of the planet in 2019, as in one photograph of two ice-sellers pausing from their jobs on a sweltering day in Jacobabad, Pakistan, one of the hottest cities on earth.

Each portrait assignment is an opportunity for TIME to create an original and lasting visual. The success of that mission depends on factors like how much time we get with the subject (about five minutes with French President Emmanuel Macron); what they may do or wear in front of the camera (Lil Nas X wore a custom suit); and which photographer we choose to execute it all. How will they take command with the subject? Do they need an hour, or can they nail it in just a few minutes?

Sometimes it all goes according to plan. Sometimes everything changes when the subject walks into a room. Each time — and each year — brings something new. Below, see TIME’s best portraits of 2019.

Hellen van Meene for TIMEGreta Thunberg. “Next Generation Leaders,” May 27 issue.

Ice Sellers in Pakistan Hottest City on Earth — Matthieu Paley for TIMEIce sellers in Pakistan. “The Hottest City on Earth,” Sept. 23 issue.

Cait Oppermann for TIMENaomi Osaka. “The Heir,” Jan. 21 issue.

Kelia Anne for TIMELil Nas X. “It’s His Country,” Aug. 26 issue.

ISIS Yezidis — Newsha Tavakolian—Magnum Photos for TIMESubha, 35, and the hands of her children: Fahad, 15; Fahdi, 13; Linda, 10; Liza, 7; and Salam, 5. “What Remains of ISIS,” June 3 issue.

Danielle Levitt for TIMEChristine Blasey Ford, “TIME 100 Most Influential People,” April 29 issue.

Ryan Pfluger for TIMEPete Buttigieg. “First Family,” May 13 issue.

Pari Dukovic for TIMESandra Oh. “TIME 100 Most Influential People,” April 29 issue.

Childcare Motherhood — Anastasia Taylor-Lind for TIMERachel Kahan nurses her daughter Michaela, while nanny Annie Nabbie trims the child’s toenails. “At What Cost?,” Oct. 21 issue.

America's Forever War Marines Parris Island — Gillian Laub for TIMECierra Smith, 18, of Portland, Ore. “America’s Forever War,” Oct. 21 issue.

David Kasnic for TIMEA 17-year-old former boy scout from Michigan. “These Men Say the Boy Scouts’ Sex Abuse Problem Is Worse Than Anyone Knew,” June 17 issue.

Ruven Afanador for TIMEDalai Lama. “The Survivor,” March 18 issue.

Pari Dukovic for TIMEPresident Donald Trump. “‘My Whole Life Is A Bet’,” July 1 issue.

Congressmen and women gather at the United States Capitol in Washington D.C., Jan. 2 — Jeff Brown for TIMEFront row, from left to right: Rep. Antonio Delgado (D–NY), Rep. Deb Haaland (D–NM), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D–MI), Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R–PA); Second row, from left to right: Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (D–NM), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D–NY), Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D–NJ), Rep. Max Rose (D–NY), Third row, from left to right: Sen. Josh Hawley (R–MO), Rep. Carol Miller (R–WV), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D–MA), Rep. Katie Porter (D–CA); Fourth/last row, from left to right: Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D–VA), Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R–TX), Rep. Lauren Underwood (D–IL), Sen. Kevin Cramer (R–ND). “The class of 2019 looks more like America,” Jan. 21 issue.

Mattel Gender Neutral Doll — JUCO for TIMEMattel gender-neutral doll. “It can be a boy, a girl, neither or both,” Oct. 7 issue.

Charlotte Rutherford for TIMEJojo Siwa. “A Brand is Born,” Sept. 2 issue.

Amy Lombard for TIMEJeff Daniels. “Playing Atticus Finch on Broadway, Jeff Daniels marvels at the appetite for public decency,” June 3 issue.

Cait Oppermann for TIMEUnited States Women National Soccer Team. “Athletes of the Year,” Dec. 23 issue.

Nhu Xuan Hua for TIMEAmandine Henry. “Players to Watch,” June 3 issue.

Pari Dukovic for TIMENancy Pelosi. “TIME 100 Most Influential People,” April 29 issue.

From Florida to Alaska, Americaâ€™s LGBTQ Bars Feel Like Home to Many — Peyton Fulford for TIMEDonice Schilling at My Sister’s Room. “From Florida to Alaska, America’s LGBTQ Bars Feel Like Home to Many,” June 27, 2019.

Aidyn Sucec Trans Students Teachers — Maddie McGarvey for TIMEAidyn Sucec. “‘This Isn’t Just About A Pronoun’,” Nov. 15, 2019.

Michael B. Jordan Just Mercy — Mickalene Thomas for TIMEMichael B. Jordan. “The Best of Fall,” Sept. 16 issue.

Margaret Atwood The Testaments — Mickalene Thomas for TIMEMargaret Atwood. “The Best of Fall,” Sept. 16 issue.

Collier Schorr for TIMERep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. “TIME 100 Most Influential People,” April 29 issue.

Djeneba Aduayom for TIMEJenny Holzer. “The Art of Optimism,” Feb. 18 issue.

Yuri Kozyrev—NOOR for TIMEIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “‘The Strong Survive’,” July 22 issue.

Robert Chelsea Face Transplant — John Francis Peters for TIMERobert Chelsea. “The Face of Change,” Nov. 4 issue.

Stefan Ruiz for TIMECanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “The Reckoning,” Oct. 7 issue.

Ida Dickens Hoover Jones — Benjamin Rasmussen for TIMEIda Dickens. “Private Jones Comes Home,” March 11 issue.

Paola Kudacki for TIMELizzo. “Entertainer of the Year,” Dec. 23 issue.

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