Every Main James Bond Villain Ranked Worst To Best

9. Francisco Scaramanga (The Man With The Golden Gun, 1974)

Owing to his reference in the opening line of the article, one might have expected Scaramanga to rank even higher. The golden gun toting assassin is certainly an icon, anchored in Bond history by the towering majesty of Christopher Lee. His deadly accuracy, sophistication and womanising make him a darker reflection of Bond himself. For the sum of one million dollars, his target is as good as dead. Unless the target is 007.

Scaramanga, for all his qualities, is somewhat hamstrung by writing that squeezes all the camp it can out of a three-nippled villain that could’ve been better realised in his potential as a dark mirror of James Bond. The film insists on giving Scaramanga a flying car, a diminutive henchman, and a dummy-adorned funhouse in his island lair.

He holds the reputation of a supreme killer but we don’t get to see the full extent of his abilities, as he mostly dispatches easy targets throughout the film. Nonetheless, Scaramanga’s fearsome reputation, undeniably skilled shot, and Lee’s legendary presence give him a respectable place in the ranking.

Best Moment: “A duel between titans - my golden gun against your Walther PPK. Each of us with a 50-50 chance.” “Six bullets to your one?” “I only need one.” It’s this moment that truly makes us anticipate Bond meeting his match.

Worst Moment: Scaramanga’s solar-powered energy beam that he intends to auction feels out of place and squeezed in by writers that unnecessarily tried to add a grander scope to the characters villainy. Veering closer to Fleming’s source version really would have served the character better.