The entire James Bond series is filled with intrigue regardless of the era one chooses to enjoy. There are plenty of interesting mysteries and lore that the average casual viewer of the series may completely miss out on if they aren’t paying close attention while Bond battles all those femme fatales. Some might argue that every version of Bond is in fact the same character, while others believe that it is a new person taking on the Bond and 007 codenames. Further, most people aren’t actually sure what 007 means and why it is so significant in the first place.

Codenames are nothing new for spy media, and while James Bond has been around for longer than many people have been alive at this point, avid fans will know that the designation of 007 is so much more than a code name. Jetting around the world, thwarting nefarious scientists, and meeting all kinds of interesting people can’t be an easy job, but Bond makes it look like every new mission is just another Tuesday. Whether he’s best known as Bond or 007, there’s a lot to know about 007.

RELATED: Brian Cox Has A Hilarious Story Behind His James Bond Reality Show Role

What Does The 007 Code Name Mean?

Instead of having to decrypt some kind of hidden meaning behind 007, the Bond series actually spells it out quite plainly. The iconic 007 doesn’t actually mean anything, it is the “00” part of the designation that actually matters. Those with a “00” designation are secret agents who have been given the license to kill while out on assignment. Exactly what the bounds of the license are is not clear, but it seems that any number of villains are deemed acceptable to be killed so long as the killings are in service of completing whatever mission is currently ongoing.

Interestingly, there is some debate about the importance of the “7” in the designation of 007. As Bond, thanks to all his gifts, is often noted as the most elite 00 Agent in the service, 007 is often viewed as the highest-ranking agent designation that can be attained. There is information that, unfortunately, conflicts with this idea as Ian Fleming himself has referred to other agents with higher and lower numbers than Bond’s, and other authors have since done the same. This frames the seven as nothing more than a number given to differentiate the different agents in the service rather than any suggestion to their overall skill level.

How Does James Bond Earn 007 Status?

In the 2006 classic Casino Royale, one of the most critically acclaimed Bond movies to date -- one that supposedly nearly featured Henry Cavill in the role of Bond, James Bond is seen earning his 007 status for the first time on the big screen. It was originally known that for one to earn 00 status, an agent must make some kind of kill while in the line of duty, but whether a single kill, multiple, or a kill in combination with some other feat is required is unknown. Bond received 007 status after successful assassinations, one within the British embassy while in Prague. The assassinations were against two individuals, Dryden, a man who was intent to betray everything he’d known, and one of his contacts.

While this is seen as the moment in which Bond attained his license to kill over the course of his career, this may not actually be true, and instead, something that was retconned for the movies. In the original novel run by Ian Fleming, the 007 code name is not actually referred to as a license to kill until Moonraker. So while the meaning of the status has changed over the years, it is clear that the actions taken by Bond in the sequel-spawning opening to Casino Royale were more than enough to consider him as one of the deadliest men on the planet.

007 is much more than just a simple title, especially with Daniel Craig’s time as the character in mind. In an interview with The Guardian, James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli had this to say about the evolution of the character:

Rather than simply allowing 007 to be the cold-blooded killer that his callsign allows him to be, it’s clear that the film franchise will continue to strive to make the character as intriguing as possible while continuing the legacy of everyone’s favorite 00 Agent.

How Many 00 Agents Are There?

The amount of 00 Agents out there depends on which medium one takes a look at, especially considering the formats have changed over the years. When looking directly at Ian Fleming’s works, it is clear that a minimum of five different agents exist within the program, though there is likely more outside of the ones directly mentioned. 006 is mentioned in the novelization of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, 008 Bill is mentioned in both Moonraker and Goldfinger, 009 is mentioned in Thunderball, and 011 is also mentioned in Moonraker, though this agent is said to have gone completely missing while on a mission. Across all media, there have been mentions of various agents taking up the roles of agents from the designation of 001 all the way to 0013.

In the mainline James Bond movie franchise, agents from 002 to 009 have either been mentioned or have directly appeared. Throughout the series, it isn’t uncommon for the various 00 Agents to go completely unnamed, though a few have been named and played important roles in the stories. While not a major figure, 002 did receive the full name of Bill Fairbanks in The Man With The Golden Gun, though he was ultimately killed by the Bond villain Scaramanga. Possibly most notable outside of 007 is 006 Alec Trevelyan, who is the antagonist of GoldenEye. He always blamed the British government for the death of his family despite being raised by the Brits, resulting in his scheme to destroy the British economy. Luckily, 007 is there to thwart his old comrade’s plans.

The other known agent to take up the mantle of 007 in the quotable No Time To Die, Nomi, also deserves mention. Taking up the mantle after the retirement of Bond, Nomi’s adventures in the role are relatively unknown. Possessing great skill, it is likely that she was an asset to MI6, but an aged Bond makes their skill gap clear as often as possible. She would ultimately work alongside James Bond, giving him back his old title and assuming the role of 005 for the foreseeable future.

MORE: James Bond Producer Refuses To Make One Choice For The Next 007