James Bond is the MI6 Agent 007 with a license to kill, created by Ian Fleming back in 1953. This series of novels spawned a film franchise that would make a huge mark in cinematic history, beginning with the release of Dr. No in 1961. Since then, a total of 24 films have been made revolving around the British agent, with legendary actors Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, and, most recently, Daniel Craig playing the titular role of James Bond.
Since the release of No Time to Die, Craig has hung up his gun as 007. Now, there has been a great deal of speculation over who will become the next James Bond (via Esquire). With Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, and even Tom Hiddleston in the lineup, many have gotten lost in the potentials without even considering who else may be in the new films. One of the best aspects of Bond films is the Bond Girls. From Pussy Galore to Xenia Onatopp, the Bond Girls show us the aspects of women in the same setting as 007. Here are the best Bond Girls in the 007 franchise, ranked.
10 Xenia Onatopp — GoldenEye
Famke Janssen played the role of Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye. Xenia makes the list as one of the most intimidating Bond Girls considering that she tried to crush Bond between her legs. Her Soviet background makes her a force of nature, willing to go to almost any lengths to achieve her mission. After some considerable conflict between her and Bond, he managed to use his charm to get past Xenia's rough exterior to her true nature inside. While Xenia met her end in GoldenEye, Janssen would go on to play Jean Grey/Phoenix in the X-Men film series, a role she would become known for.
9 Vesper Lynd — Casino Royale
Vesper Lynd is arguably the most complicated Bond Girl, whose closet is full of skeletons. Played by Eva Green, Vesper had a deep romance with James, which was one of the main plot points in Casino Royale. Their tragic relationship helps us understand what makes James Bond the cold womanizer he has become. Vesper's influence over him is strong as he winds up resigning from MI6 for her and even names his martini after her. Bond is met with a great deal of heartbreak and betrayal when he discovers that Vesper double-crossed him and kills herself in the hopes of gaining some form of redemption.
8 Kissy Suzuki — You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice is a classic Sean Connery James Bond film that features a number of Japanese characters. One such character is a fellow agent/ninja Kissy Suzuki, who pretends to marry Bond for their covert mission. Off camera, actress Mie Hama was almost fired for not learning fluent English fast enough, an act for which she threatened to commit suicide due to the shame. Fortunately, this did not come to fruition, and we get to see Mie as the badass Kissy, who takes her job very seriously. After the film, Mie Hama posed for Playboy, being the first ever Asian woman to be featured in the magazine.
7 Jinx Johnson — Die Another Day
Halle Berry made a name for herself as Jinx Johnson in Die Another Day. While her name doesn't leave much to the imagination, this super-sexy NSA agent survives some impossible situations including nearly drowning in a melting ice palace. Her toughness combined with her sex appeal places Jinx pretty high on the Bond Girl list, especially since her sex scene with Pierce Brosnan's Bond are considered the best in the entire franchise. Berry is not only one of the sexiest Bond Girls, but she also was the first Black Bond Girl to play a heroine and not a villain.
6 Melina Havelock — For Your Eyes Only
For Your Eyes Only is one of Roger Moore's best Bond films and features a number of interesting characters, including Bond Girl Melina Havelock. After seeing her parents' dead bodies, she swears revenge for her parents, which is how she meets James. Bond winds up having a soft spot for Melina and helps her get her revenge by taking out the men who killed her parents while also uncovering something much bigger. Played by Carole Bouquet, Melina is one of the most underrated Bond Girls. Very capable with a crossbow, she can hold her own in a fight while also managing to hold onto her femininity.
5 Tatiana Romanova — From Russia With Love
The second installation in the 007 franchise is From Russia With Love, a turbulent Bond film that features a charming-as-ever Bond and his fellow Russian agent Tatiana Romanova. Over 200 actresses auditioned for the role of Tatiana, but only one took the cake: Daniela Bianchi. Daniela managed to melt the hearts of audiences everywhere with her beauty and charm as she is tasked with seducing Bond for the sake of Mother Russia. Bianchi spoke almost no English and learned her lines phonetically, however, producers hired a less-accented actress to record her lines, but that doesn't make Daniela's performance any less effective.
4 Fiona Volpe — Thunderball
Fiona Volpe is the villainous viper in Thunderball who gives 007 a run for his money. Fiona is an undercover SPECTRE assassin who conspires with Number 2 to take out 007. Fiona uses her sensuality as a weapon and manages to bring Bond to his knees. Played by Italian actress Luciana Paluzzi, Fiona Volpe shines on-screen even more than her competition Domino Derval. Fiona was originally meant to be a red-headed Irish assassin, but the producers figured that aligning the character with Luciana's own nationality.
3 Honey Ryder — Dr. No
The very first Bond Girl in Dr. No was Honey Ryder, played by Ursula Andress. In one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history, Honey walks out of the ocean in a white bikini with a knife strapped to her hip as she hums a cheerful tune. Honey is not easily charmed by Bond and proves to be tough enough to handle herself. Bond takes care of her in a more compassionate way than can be seen in later films. Like Tatiana Romanova, Honey's character was dubbed over by a different actress because of Ursula's heavy Swiss accent.
2 Octopussy/Andrea Anders — Octopussy / Man with the Golden Gun
Maud Adams is the only actress who played two different characters in two separate films, making her double the Bond Girl. Starring in both Man with the Golden Gun and Octopussy, Adams proves herself to be sexy and feminine, while also dangerous and captivating. She is the quintessential Bond Girl. It's difficult to believe that Adams was not the original choice for Octopussy, and even Faye Dunaway was considered for the role, but was deemed too expensive. Thanks to her performance in Man with the Golden Gun, producers deemed her worthy enough to play the part of Octopussy, which would come to be one of her most memorable roles to date.
1 Pussy Galore — Goldfinger
Without a doubt, Pussy Galore is the most well-known Bond Girl in the entire franchise. Between her ridiculous name and her magical ability to see Bond for the womanizer he is, Pussy Galore shines in Goldfinger as the feisty woman. While Honor Blackman's portrayal differs very greatly from the black-haired lesbian in the source material, Pussy Galore is nothing short of entertaining. Despite the fact that she works for Goldfinger, she eventually sees sense and winds up helping Bond carry out his mission for the greater good, making her a fan-favourite whose name will ring out eternally as one of the best Bond Girls of all time.