Shaken Not Stirred:

The Best Bond Villains

Article By: Dan Clark

Every great hero needs a great villain, and Bond surely has a number of great villains. His rogues gallery of foes can compete with just about anyone.  Bond has faced off against an assortment of rivals in a variety of different shapes and sizes.  I went back through Bond’s history of foes and adversaries to pick out the cream of the crop .  I’m sure I didn’t pick everyone’s favorite so if you disagree with any of my choices feel free to sound off in the comment section below.

Baron Samedi

Actor: Geoffrey Holder

Movie: Live and Let Die

Overview:  Before Baron Samedi the majority of the Bond villains were somewhat based in reality. A Haitian voodoo witch doctor was a little more out there, but it laid the groundwork for future Bond villains during the Moore era. What really made Baron Samedi work was the performance of Geoffrey Holder. His laugh alone could send chills down your back. He was larger than life and a highlight of the ridiculous fun that was Live and Let Die.

May Day

Actor: Grace Jones

Movie: A View to a Kill

Overview: We all know that Bond is a fan of the ladies, and they are typically a big fan of him. May Day however was not one Bond could easily win over. Grace Jones was fierce as the silent and deadly May Day. Watching her performance years later it feels like she belongs in a horror movie.  She has  a memorizing presence  that keeps you on edge.  Her patience allows her to wait for the right moment to strike. One thing for sure is she will make you hesitant to ever go into a drive thru car wash again

Le Chiffre

Actor: Mad Mikkelsen

Movie: Casino Royale

Overview: Strangely Mad Mikkelsen may be one of the few people who could have just used own name when he played a James Bond villain. The biggest challenge in rebooting the Bond franchise for a new generation was creating a Bond villain that stayed true to the franchise but still could work in a modern setting. Le Chiffre was able to pull of both requirements. With so many Bond villains coming up with plots to take over or destroy the world it was a welcome change to have one who is simply trying to save his own ass.

Nick Nack

Actor: Herve’ Villechaize

Movie: The Man with the Golden Gun

Overview: Sure we all remember Tattoo and his famous “The Plane, The Plane” tagline, but Herve’ Villechaize first made a name for himself as a James Bond villain. We all know that archetypal  question, “Does size matter?” Well Herve’ Villechaize did his best to answer that question. He was both hilarious and a bad ass. A role that could have been unbearable comic relief was played straight for the most part. In fact he was more of a threat to Bond than most of Bond’s adversaries.

Karl Stromberg

Actor: Curd Jurgens

Movie: The Spy Who Loved Me

Overview:  Typically I prefer substance over style, but when it comes to Karl Stromberg I’m all for his style. Certain villains want money, some want power, and then you have Karol Stromberg who pretty much wants to destroy everything so he can live in an ocean paradise. You have to admire someone with such strict convictions and wiliness to follow through. Plus his Legion of Doom esc underwater lair makes all of the other evil masterminds jealous.

Alec Trevelyan

Actor: Sean Bean

Movie: GoldenEye

Overview: It’s strange that it took so long to have a rogue OO agent face off against Bond, but when it finally happened they completely nailed it. Sean Bean works perfectly against Pierce Brosnan as the man seeking ultimate revenge. The character was sympathetic, but at the same time his cold calculated manner made him the ultimate evil.

Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd

Actor: Putter Smith (Mr. Kidd), Bruce Glover (Mr. Wint)

Movie: Diamonds are Forever

Overview: Diamonds are Forever wasn’t the brightest spot in Bond’s history, but it did give us two classic henchmen in Mr. Wint and Mr. Kid. Homosexuality was still a very taboo topic at the time so having two blatantly gay killer assassins surely ruffled a few feathers. Their sexual preference was only part of what made them so memorable. They had a nonchalant way of carrying themselves that made them feel like sitcom characters gone wrong. If you listen closely I’m certain you can hear a hushed laugh track underneath their dialogue.

Rosa Klebb

Actor: Lotte Lenya

Movie: From Russia with Love

Overview: I’m not going to lie when rewatching From Russia with Love it is hard to take Rosa Klebb completely seriously due to her portrayal in Austin Powers. They parodied that character so well you can’t help but have an instantaneous laugh. They say you only make fun of those you love and that is the case with Rosa Klebb. She’s like that cold hearted librarian from Elementary school that you swear is either an alien or a secret agent bent on your ultimate destruction. Sure there are villains that bigger, stronger, and faster but none put the fear in you quite like Rosa Klebb.

Scaramanga

Actor: Christopher Lee

Movie: The Man with the Golden Gun

Overview:  Scaramanga was built to be Bond’s ultimate foe. He was one of the few people who could go toe to toe with our hero and walk away the victor. Of course when you are attempting to create the Anti-Bond you get the ultimate villain actor in Christopher Lee. Lee just knows how to scream elegant evil. He makes it impossible not to fall for his charm. Sure he’ll try to destroy the world, at least he’s polite about it. Scaramanga also has the evil Fun House that we would all love the play in. He’s classic final duel with Bond is one moment that will forever rank highly in Bond lore.

Red Grant

Actor: Robert Shawn

Movie: From Russia with Love

Overview: Red Grant is the villain that is often duplicated but never replicated. His formula seems simple enough, but none have been able to nail the character like Robert Shaw in From Russia with Love. For one he’s not someone who has ‘henchmen’ written all over him, which allows him to use his head as well as his fists. Not many have been able to get the upper hand on Bond quite as cunningly as Grant. In a way you can say he out Bonded Bond.

Goldfinger

Actor: Gert Frobe

Movie: Goldfinger

Overview: “Do you expect me to talk?” “No Mr. Bond I expect you to die!”. For a franchise full of quotes and quips that exchange still remains as one of the most memorable. No one is mistaking Goldfinger as a physical match for Bond, but that doesn’t make him any less of a threat. How can you not like a man named Goldfinger that also happens to have a golden gun? (A motif we of course will see later in the Bond franchise).  He see’s Bond less as a danger more of a nuance.  A nuance he can easily deal with.

Oddjob

Actor: Harold Sakata

Movie: Goldfinger

Overview: Goldfinger could not work nearly as well if it wasn’t for the hat throwing Oddjob. Goldfinger presents no physical threat to Bond so he needed someone to do that task for him. Oddjob fits that job description perfectly. He’s like a cross between a comic book character and a professional wrestler. That combination works as well as peanut butter and chocolate. Having a hat be your weapon of choice is rather silly, but they play it completely straight. When you have a physical presence like Harold Sakata you can give him anything and it will immediately become an ominous object.

Jaws

Actor: Richard Kiel

Movie: The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker

Overview: Jaws has been a fan favorite character since his inception and remains so to this day. The Frankenstein meets Dracula character of Jaws has a physical presence that is similar to Oddjob with a campier execution. Jaws provides both  a momentous challenge to Bond and some comic relief for the audience. Watching Jaws take a bite out of a SHARK is both badass and hilarious. You also have to give Jaws credit for being the only henchmen ever to appear in multiple Bond films. His character falling in love was one of the few bright spots in Moonraker. It was entertaining in a disturbing kind of way.

Ernst Blofeld

Actors: Anthony Dawon, Donald Pleasence, Telly Savalas, Charles Gray, John Hollis

Movie: From Russia with Love, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds are Forever, and For Your Eyes Only

Overview: Superman has Lex Luthor, Batman has the Joker, Wesley Snipes has taxes, and James Bond has Ernst Blofeld. The bald head, creepy cat petting, and an unsightly scare all became mainstays on the nemesis checklist. Blofeld was only a mysterious figure in his first few appearances until You Only Live Twice when his face was finally revealed. Blofeld has been in six Bond films and has been played by 5 different actors. (And we give Marvel grief for recasting the Hulk three times). As the leader of SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion) Blofeld was the man pulling the strings early on in Bond’s career. He was the one person who knew more about Bond than Bond did. Bond thought he had Blofeld numerous times but he would always find a way to give him the slip. If not for legal issues I’m sure Blofeld would have been utilized far more often.  When Blofeld finally meat his demise it was a significant moment not only for the character but the franchise as a whole. It was a changing of the guard and a representation that it was officially time to move on.