Top 10 James Bond Villains
Summary
With over twenty movies released through five decades, the James Bond series has had more than its fair share of great villains. But which ones really stand out, as true classic characters?
Here's my list of the best and most memorable villians in the James Bond Series. Enjoy!
#10: Le Chiffre
I had to include Le Chiffre of Casino Royale in the list, as he is by far the best villain in the post-80's area of the series. It goes to show that even though these 'new age' movies don't have the style of the classics, they can still throw out excellent villains.
With his creepy eye, sly demeanour, and--as if anyone could forget--his comical torture scene, Le Chiffre is the perfect place to start this article, and well deserving of 10th place. Le Chiffre was played by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who reprised the role in the 2008 first-person shooter Quantum of Solace, providing his voice and likeliness for the character.
#9: Francisco Scaramanga
Christopher Lee had originally been suggested to play Dr. No, by Ian Fleming, but the producers had already chosen Joseph Wiseman. Lee got his chance again 12 years later, and accepted the role of Fransisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun.
Christopher Lee portrayed Scaramanga perfectly, and the character became well known for his charm, million dollar contracts, his golden gun, and of course, his third nipple.
#8: Nick Nack
And of course, you can't list Scaramanga without immediately thinking of his small butler and sidekick. He may only have two nipples but he's still a hell of a guy.
From a mini-gun and peanuts to suitcases and bottles of wine, Nick Nack was at the very least an entertaining addition to the movie. Not to forget that he was the inspiration behind Mini-Me. Nick Nack was played by French actor Herve Villechaize, who would go on to play the role of Tattoo in the American series Fantasy Island.
#7: Mr. Big/Kananga
Actor Yaphet Kotto got himself a rubbery face mask and came aboard the Bond series, playing both politician Dr. Kananga, and big time gangster Mr. Big in 1973's Live and Let Die.
He played the two characters pretty well, and alongside his taro reading mistress Solitaire, he made a great addition to the series. And of course only the Bond series could make a death by a co2 filled bullet stylish.
#6: Jaws
The quintessential bigger than life bad guy, in the true style of the Bond series: a tall git with steel teeth!
Introduced in The Spy who Loved Me, 7 foot tall Richard Kiel brought to life the steel giant, and lent the movie several comic, while still tense, scenes. He even came back in Moonraker with a rather cheesy love affair, but thats a different story.
Jaws remains a favourite among fans, and has gone down in history as one of the best villains in cinema history.
#5: Red Grant
Appearing in From Russia with Love, Robert Shaw played Red Grant, a psychopathic killer working for SPECTRE, with the objective of stealing the Lektor decoding machine, and killing James Bond.
Shaw played the role perfectly, really making the pages of the novel come to life on the silver screen. From the knuckleduster punch on SPECTRE Island, to the impersonation about the Orient Express, it was a great performance all through.
#4: Rosa Klebb
With a poison tipped steel shoe knife and a whip, whats not to love about this torture famed SMERSH defector? Lotte Lenya was a perfect match for the role of Rosa Klebb, and it was almost as if Fleming had written the novel with her in mind.
She is a superb actress, and brought a certain atmosphere to From Russia with Love, that noone else could have matched.
#3: Oddjob
In 3rd place comes Oddjob from Goldfinger. Oddjob is of course the silent character known for his steel rim bowler hat that knocked the head off of a statue, and killed Tilly Masterson.
Harold Sakata was perfect for the role, and brought a strong, tough, silent and deadly aura to the character. Oddjob was based on the same character from the novel, where he was trained in Karate, and ate cats!
#2: Goldfinger
Goldfinger was not only the best James Bond movie, but also the best casting choice in movie history. German actor Gert Frobe was cast for the role of Goldfinger, and it was the finest decision they ever made. He didn't even speak English, but he was perfect for the role.
He had the perfect appearance, the perfect gestures and mannerisms, and he is probably the closet match in the whole series to his character in the novel. He also had the most memorable and most quoted line in the series.
"No Mr Bond, I expect you to die!"
#1: Ernst Stavro Blofeld
No matter how good Goldfinger was, there is no dispute that the ultimate villain in the series is in fact Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the notorious leader of SPECTRE.
Not only did he have the most appearances of all the villains in the series, but he also had a great presence in the novels, something that I think deserves recognition. He was in the famous Blofeld trilogy of novels Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and You Only Live Twice, which are probably my favourite three novels in the series.
From left-to-right in the above image are Telly Savalas in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Anthony Dawson in From Russia with Love, Charles Gray in Diamonds Are Forever, and Donald Pleasence in You Only Live Twice.