Every Bond Girl Ranked - Worst To Best
9. Dominique “Domino” Duvall (Thunderball, 1965)
Claudine Auger’s Domino is one of two tremendously memorable ladies in Thunderball, as the angelic opposite of devilish redheaded SPECTRE femme fatale Fiona Volpe.
Domino plays a key role of importance in Thunderball as the sister of murdered NATO Francois Derval, as well as the pampered albeit trapped mistress of villain Emilio Largo. With the film focusing on Bond’s efforts to locate a pair of stolen atomic bombs, it becomes vital to turn Domino against Largo by disclosing the details of her brother’s death. This allows for a real arc of growth, significant for a Bond Girl in the franchise’s early days.
Domino enjoys similar character perks to Tatiana; not only is she outrageously attractive, but she too lands the killing blow on the evil villain. Rather than a bullet in the heat of the moment, though, it’s a calculated harpoon to the back, and not a drop of remorse to go with it.
She may have learned the technique from Bond; it’s her calm, collected remark that “Vargas is behind you” that prompts him to casually turn around and shoot the teetotal, virginal henchman.
Elsewhere, Domino actually has the distinction of triggering an ultra-rare moment of genuine emotion and vulnerability from Sean Connery’s otherwise unflappable 007, as he dons a pair of sunglasses presumably to hide his watery eyes before revealing the death of her brother.
Not to mention her domino-themed bikini, which without hyperbole must be one of if not the greatest piece of clothing ever donned by a Bond Girl.
Best moment: It’s tempting to mention the bikini and leave it at that, but her finest moment has to be her act of revenge on Largo. Her harpoon-bolt arrives in the nick of time, with Bond beaten and at gunpoint. “I’m glad I killed him,” she says coldly. “You’re glad?” quips 007.
Worst moment: Domino’s failure at snooping around the Disco Volante leads to her being subjected to some cruel and unusual punishment from Largo.