50 Greatest James Bond Moments Of All Time

As amazing as moments such as the torture scene and the Madagascar chase were, the best scene in Casino Royale is quite arguably the climactic death of Vesper Lynd, which is simply and utterly devastating.

Following an already-incredible set-piece in a flooding building, Vesper locks herself in a lift and allows herself to drown, knowing that Bond will never be safe as long as she is alive. This is already heart-breaking, since Vesper is a fantastic character and her relationship with Bond is beautifully written, but what makes this even more soul-crushing is what it does to Bond.

Prior to this, Bond had chosen to leave MI6 and pursue a normal life, saying to Vesper he wishes to salavage what little soul he has left. This deeply tragic ending snatches that away from him and turns him into a cold-hearted and brutal assassin who's unable to trust anyone, thus adding never-before seen emotional dimensions to the iconic hero and turning him from a glamorous bad-ass into a very tragic figure.

Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the greatest piece of storytelling in the history of James Bond.