Ranking EVERY James Bond Henchman From Worst To Best
34. Krilencu (From Russia With Love, 1963)
Said to “kill for pleasure”, SMERSH killer Krilencu is introduced as a longtime foe of charismatic Bond ally Kerim Bey. With the Soviets having been tricked into believing Bey to be responsible for the deaths of several agents, the Bulgarian Krilencu is their man of choice in exacting vengeance.
Make no mistake, he’s no simple stooge. As well as being a nasty piece of work, Krilencu is a real nuisance who’s not afraid of a little collateral damage; responsible for a botched limpet mine assassination of Bey, he later organises a violent raid on a gypsy camp in an effort to nail his adversary.
Ultimately, he’s an underling for an agency that’s being duped by SPECTRE, and as such is eliminated relatively early in the film’s runtime. Flushed from his hiding place via a secret exit out of a giant billboard of Anita Ekberg (!), the slippery Krilencu is sniped in the back by Kerim Bey as retribution for his earlier offences.
He straddles the line between nameless thug and credible threat, and might’ve been more notable a figure had he drawn the ire of 007 himself.