A true hero is nothing without a good villain to fight against. The larger or more intimidating the foe, the more tension and drama there is. A franchise as large as that of James Bond is littered with memorable (and not-so-memorable) villains across its six decades. From megalomaniacs hell-bent on world domination, to those with more personal vendettas against Bond himself, the 007 series has it all.
This list looks at some of the very best James Bond villains, brought to life by actors of a high caliber indeed. Many of these enemies originated in the original Ian Fleming novels and short stories, but had the chance to flourish in new and terrifying ways on the big screen. Some are camp, some are sinister, but they all posed a very real threat to the most well-known spy in the world.
10 Dr. Julius No
Dr. Julius No is the original Bond baddie, appearing in the first-ever movie in the series. He doesn't have a great deal of screen time, but his presence is felt throughout Sean Connery's 007 debut. Joseph Wiseman brings the sinister scientist to life with relish.
Sophisticated, charming, and sadistic, Dr. No has all the hallmarks of a good Bond villain. From the Nehru jacket to the gimmick of two metal hands, he was a worthy opponent for 007.
9 Rosa Klebb
Lotte Lenya plays a different kind of villain in From Russia With Love. Female antagonists are relatively rare in the Bond franchise, save for the traditional femme fatale and there, but Lenya's Rosa Klebb is the main villain in this 1963 film.
Pulling the strings all the while, she's a scheming, sadistic monster with a penchant for stabbing her foes with a blade hidden in the toe of her boots. Klebb's demise is fairly unique in the James Bond franchise, for her death comes at the hands of Tatiana Romanova, rather than 007 himself.
8 Raoul Silva
Raoul Silva was the main antagonist of 2012's 50th anniversary movie, Skyfall. He brought a touch of Heath Ledger's Joker to the proceedings, with severely psychotic tendencies and a grudge against the beloved M.
Javier Bardem brings a creepy, almost sleazy dimension to Silva, and proves his worth as a top-tier villain by actually killing M. It was later revealed that he worked for the evil organization SPECTRE, but Raoul Silva was perfectly wicked all on his own.
7 Max Zorin
Christopher Walken was perfect casting for a James Bond villain, and takes his performance to the next level as Max Zorin, in Roger Moore's final outing as 007. With Moore clearly showing his age here (he was 57 at the time), Zorin takes center stage.
He's completely sadistic, wiping out an entire group of miners with a bomb, and then gleefully laughing as he guns down the survivors as they desperately try to escape. He doesn't even flinch.
6 Alec Trevelyan
Goldeneye is widely regarded as one of the best 007 movies in the entire franchise, and that is in no small part thanks to the excellent portrayal of 'Spy Gone Bad' Alec Trevelyan, played to perfection by Sean Bean.
Formerly known as 006, Trevelyan betrayed M16 by playing the long game. His intention was to bring down the British government from the inside. Far from the camp villainy of later Pierce Brosnan villains, Sean Bean is cold, calculating, and deadly serious in his role here.
5 Jaws
Jaws is one of the few 007 villains to appear in more than one movie, although his appearance in Moonraker was somewhat misjudged. The Spy Who Loved Me, though, showcases the metal-mouthed hulk in all of his terrifying glory.
Although Jaws is but a henchman, he's arguably more memorable than the movie's main antagonist. He seems almost un-killable, and is capable of doing maximum harm with his bare hands (and teeth).
4 Scaramanga
The Man With the Golden Gun might not be a highlight of the 007 franchise, with rampant misogyny, racial stereotypes and misjudged humor, but Christopher Lee's Scaramanga definitely stands out as a highlight.
Scaramanga is something of a reflection of Bond: a cold-blooded, totally professional killer. Suave, sophisticated, and merciless, he elevates an otherwise mediocre movie. Lee is effortlessly charming but never lets us forget the deadlier side of his character. The final showdown between Scaramanga and James Bond is genuinely thrilling.
3 Le Chiffre
Mads Mikkelsen is the go-to man for villainy right now, and a large part of that could be down to his sinister performance as Le Chiffre in Daniel Craig's debut, Casino Royale. Quietly menacing, Le Chiffre gets more psychotic as the movie progresses. He also has a 'villain gimmick' – he literally cries tears of blood.
Le Chiffre's most memorable moment must surely be the scene in which he ties a naked Bond to a chair, and then hits him hard between the legs. Like Rosa Klebb, Le Chiffre's death also lies at the hands of another character, rather than being eliminated by 007 himself.
2 Auric Goldfinger
Demented, unhinged, incredibly rich, and deviously cunning, Auric Goldfinger ticks all the boxes that make for a top-tier Bond villain. Both he and the movie he features in are responsible for some of the greatest moments in the 007 franchise: the theme tune, the surprisingly tense golf match, and the shocking death of Jill Masterson.
Perhaps Goldfinger's greatest legacy lies in the most iconic exchange of any James Bond movie, one that has been referenced and spoofed numerous times over the years:
“Do you expect me to talk?”“No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!”
1 Blofeld
Blofeld is the definitive Bond villain. Head of the notorious SPECTRE organization, he's a sinister, shadowy figure. A deadly puppet master, he pulls the strings of many other villainous types. He's been played onscreen by many different actors (some better than others), but it's perhaps Donald Pleasance who made the character so iconic – his scar, the suit and the white cat on his lap have all been pastiched and parodied over the years.
Over the years, audiences have seen the character do some shocking things. The ruthless gunning down of James Bond's wife Teresa is one of the most gut-wrenching deaths in the series' long history. More recently, Christoph Waltz took on the role in Daniel Craig's last two 007 outings, where it was revealed that Blofeld and Bond were actually brothers.