Let’s face it: a James Bond film is only as thrilling as its villain. Sure, 007 has the gadgets, the suits, and the witty one-liners—but it’s the baddies who give the story its danger, drama, and unforgettable flair. So, in proper Bond fashion, let’s count down the 10 greatest Bond villains ever to hit the big screen. We’re doing it in reverse order—because suspense is half the fun.
10. Elektra King & Renard (The World Is Not Enough)
Finally, a female villain who was worthy of being opposed by Bond. Elektra King is smart, cruel, and manipulative, with Renard acting as her pain-proof henchman. They spin one of the series’ most memorable plot lines involving seduction, danger, and plain Bond-style excess.
9. Rosa Klebb & Red Grant (From Russia With Love)
Rosa Klebb is iconic with poisoned shoes, and Red Grant is the quintessential cold-blooded assassin. Together, they make each fight as tense and memorable—a freezing combination that is as effective decades later.
8. Francisco Scaramanga & Nick Nack (The Man with the Golden Gun)
Christopher Lee’s Scaramanga is the suavest of killers, complete with a golden gun and showmanship finesse. His pygmy henchman, Nick Nack, is a quirky addition. Their cat-and-mouse games with Bond are just the right mix of tension, style, and charisma.
7. May Day & Max Zorin (A View to a Kill)
Grace Jones’ May Day is a powerhouse—bodyguard, assassin, and scene-stealer. Pair her with Christopher Walken’s eccentric Max Zorin, and you’ve got one of the wildest villain duos ever. Their chemistry, chaos, and audacious plans make them impossible to forget.
6. Le Chiffre (Casino Royale)
Mads Mikkelsen’s Le Chiffre is a villain of the modern age: cold, calculating, and unnervingly calm. From high-stakes poker to merciless torture, he pushes Bond to his limits and makes every moment with him razor-sharp with tension.
5. Xenia Onatopp & Alec Trevelyan (GoldenEye)
Famke Janssen’s Xenia Onatopp is not to be forgotten, combining danger with sultry menace. Sean Bean’s baddie, the opposite number of Bond, Alec Trevelyan, makes their battle personal, flammable, and charged. As individuals, they present double the tension and drama.
4. Jaws & Karl Stromberg (The Spy Who Loved Me / Moonraker)
Jaws is the iconic henchman—giant, steel-toothed, and unbeatable. Stromberg is the archetypal megalomaniac scheming for global domination. Jaws hijacks the movie with brute presence, even scoring a love interest subplot to boot.
3. Raoul Silva (Skyfall)
Javier Bardem’s Silva is the perfect modern bad guy: discreet, theatrical, and cold-bloodedly clever. With his vendetta against M and penchant for havoc, Silva takes Skyfall to a level of cinematics that cannot be ignored. His fight at the Skyfall house is cinematic to perfection.
2. Ernst Stavro Blofeld & Oddjob (Various Movies)
Blofeld is Bond’s arch-villain, appearing throughout decades and iterations—from the frosty mastermind of the ’60s or Christoph Waltz’s modern interpretation. With Oddjob, the silent but lethal henchman, their mutual evil represents the archetypal classic Bond villain.
1. Auric Goldfinger (Goldfinger)
Query any enthusiast, and Goldfinger is at the top. Despicable, clever, and legendary, his scheme to irradiate Fort Knox became the new standard for wickedness. With Oddjob, Goldfinger set the gold standard—literally—for future Bond villains.
These ten villains are proof of one thing: in the world of 007, evil never gets old. From masterminds to deadly enforcers, the greatest Bond villains are ones that are impossible to forget because they take the spy—and the story—further than anyone else.