Every Main James Bond Villain Ranked Worst To Best

15. Elektra King (The World is Not Enough, 1999)

The World is Not Enough features a unprecedented twist among Bond films by later revealing that Bond girl Elektra King is in fact the main villain responsible for the events of the plot, in cahoots with pain-deficient terrorist Renard. As well as setting the blueprint for The Dark Knight Rises 13 years later, this development earns King some extra points as a baddie among other more conventional villains.

Elektra’s considerable charms also pose a unique threat, making her a villain capable of getting close to Bond in a way that others can’t (even you, Silva). Unfortunately, romantic attachment is by no means a deterrent to Bond’s licence to kill - his execution of King in cold blood is one of the best death scenes among all Bond villains.

A lack of real standout moments of villainy in her own right and hardly the most awe-inspiring scheme are perhaps the only real detriments to her ranking, but from this point onwards, it’s an impressive roster of villains.

Best Moment: The luscious King traps Bond in an antique garrote device and straddles him provocatively. Connery’s legendary “you’ve caught me with more than my hands up” quip comes to mind. Of all the methods villains have used to try and kill 007, this one might rank as Bond’s favourite.

Worst Moment: With M imprisoned in a spacious broom closet, she asks the devious mastermind King for the time. Elektra obliges by placing a small clock on the cage bars: “Time for you to die!” Not one for the annals of Bond villain quotes.