10 James Bond Villains Who Simply Vanished

2. Baron Samedi

Sir Roger Moore’s debut as Double-0 Seven, Live And Let Die (1973) sees a surprising number of bad guys either surviving or having ambiguous fates, not least Baron Samedi (Geoffrey Holder).

Undoubtedly one of the most outlandish elements of this markedly supernatural Bond adventure, Holder’s Samedi initially seems to be a henchman moonlighting as a cabaret performer, but grows decidedly more sinister as the eighth Bond film progresses.

During a seemingly final confrontation with James Bond on the Caribbean island of San Monique, Baron Samedi is hurled into a casket filled with venomous snakes and appears to perish. Nevertheless, in the film’s striking final shot, he is seen riding ahead of a train transporting Double-0 Seven and Solitaire (Jane Seymour) to New York City, laughing maniacally at the audience.

Then-Bond producer, Harry Saltzman wanted the nefarious Baron to return in The Man With The Golden Gun. However, as Saltzman and his producing partner, Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli were overseeing alternating instalments in the franchise at the time owing to their strained business relationship, Samedi’s return was discarded.

Despite this, Baron Samedi has frequently found his way into other Bond media, particularly video games and has therefore remained popular with Bond fans of all ages.

Whether he appears in a physical form or as an apparition at the end of Live And Let Die remains a mystery...

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.