#10 Le Chiffre
No list of villains would be complete without including Le Chiffre from Casino Royale. He brought a much needed freshness to the reboot of the series, and was one of the better villains of the post-80s era. The intense battle on and off the poker table was reminiscent of some of the climactic gambling scenes in the Ian Fleming novels.
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 put forward for the role of Dr. No by his step cousin, Ian Fleming. Unfortunately for him, the producers had already cast Joseph Wiseman, but Lee got his chance again twelve years later. He accepted the role of Fransisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun.
Lee was perfect for the role of Scaramanga. He was the spitting image of Fleming's original character, and was received very well by fans and critics alike. His effortless charm, million dollar contracts, golden gun, and third nipple are all memorable parts of the film. Scaramanga has also proved to be a popular character in the 007 video games.
#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. His cheeky attitude added a lot of humour to the film, and he worked surprisingly well alongside Christopher Lee.
From a mini-gun and peanuts, to suitcases and bottles of wine, there is no shortage of entertainment with Nick Nack around. It is also to his credit that he was the inspiration behind Mini-Me in the Austin Powers films. 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
American actor Yaphet Kotto joined the Bond series in 1973, playing politician Dr. Kananga and big time gangster Mr. Big in Live and Let Die. Dr. Kananga was a calm Prime Minister of San Monique, an island used to grow drugs that were to be smuggled into America. He would don a rubber face mask to become his alter ego Mr. Big, the ruthless gangster who controls most of Harlem.
He played the two characters well, and brought a unique contribution to the series. Kananga, alongside his taro reading mistress Solitaire, remains a popular and well known villain amongst fans. His death by a co2 filled bullet was a little cheesy though.
#6 Jaws
Jaws is the quintessential bigger than life bad guy, and without doubt the most well known of the Bond villains. Introduced in The Spy who Loved Me, 7 foot tall Richard Kiel brought to life the steel giant, lending the film a unique charm. He proved so popular that the producers brought him back for the next film, Moonraker.
His second appearance came with a rather cheesy love affair, but Jaws remains a favourite among fans, and has gone down in history as one of the best villains in cinema history. He has appeared in many of the James Bond video games, as both playable characters and as part of the story.
#5 Red Grant
Red Grant was a psychopathic killer working for SPECTRE, with the objective of stealing the Lektor decoding machine, and killing James Bond. Appearing in From Russia with Love, Grant was played by English actor Robert Shaw, who would later star in the film Jaws.
Shaw played the role perfectly, really making the pages of the novel come to life on the screen. From the knuckleduster punch on SPECTRE Island, to the impersonation aboard the Orient Express, it was a great performance all throughout. Red Grant was is one of the classic villains of the 60s Bond films.
#4 Rosa Klebb
With a poison tipped steel shoe knife and a whip, what's not to love about this torture famed SMERSH defector? Appearing in From Russia with Love, Lotte Lenya was a perfect match for the role of Rosa Klebb. It's almost as if Ian Fleming had written the novel with her in mind.
Klebb defected to SPECTRE, and led a mission to steal a Lektor decoding machine and humiliate the British secret service. Lenya was fierce and demanding to her subordinates, who she had hand picked for the mission. But when Bond turned out to be too much for them, Klebb was left trembling at the hands of Blofeld.
#3 Oddjob
In third place comes Oddjob, the personal bodyguard to Auric Goldfinger in 1964's Goldfinger. Oddjob is widely remembered for the scene where he throws a steel rim bowler hat at a statue, slicing off it's head. He would later repeat the same routine, killing Bond girl Tilly Masterson.
Harold Sakata was perfect for the role of this silent man, bringing an aura of strength and danger to the character. Oddjob was based on the character from the novel, where he was trained in Karate, and ate cats! Like Jaws, Oddjob also features prominently in most James Bond video games.
#2 Goldfinger
Goldfinger was not only one of the best James Bond films, but also one the best casting choices of the series. German actor Gert Frobe played the role of Auric Goldfinger, and he was the perfect match. He didn't speak English, which caused a bit of confusion on the set, but he fit in well with the rest of the cast.
His appearance, gestures, and mannerisms were well suited for the character, and he is arguably one of the closest matches in the series to the character in the novel. Goldfinger also spoke the most memorable and oft-quoted line of the James Bond films:
"No Mr Bond, I expect you to die!"
#1 Ernst Stavro Blofeld
No matter how iconic Goldfinger is, 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, he also had a notable presence in the novels, something that I think deserves recognition. He was an integral part of the 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 is 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.
