007's 8 Coldest Kills

"The name's Bond...James Bond"

That line has thrilled audiences since Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, was released in 1953. That's seventy-three years of 007! Now, usually, when you think of Bond, a couple of things come to mind, including fast cars, beautiful women, and fancy tailored tuxedos

What most audience members tend to forget, however, is that beneath all the charm and suave confidence is a trained killer, a government assassin. As M puts it:

"You're licensed to kill, not get killed." - M, Dr. No (1962)

Over the course of 25 films, Bond has dispatched villains and their henchmen in a variety of ways. Some of these kills are remarkably cold-blooded for a charmer like Bond.

With that in mind, I thought it'd be cool to look at eight of Bond's coldest kills.

8. Francisco Scaramanga - Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

Okay, this is going to take some explaining. Roger Moore is often considered one of the...goofier Bonds, but his second outing showcased a pretty cold, clever moment. The film's main villain, Francisco Scaramanga has a sort of carnival funhouse in his hideout. This funhouse has a dummy of James in one spot.

At the end of the film, he chases Scaramanga into the aforementioned funhouse. The two lose each other, and Scaramanga finds himself in the room with the James Bond dummy. As he's crossing the room, the dummy turns and shoots him in the chest.

James found the dummy, took its place, and posed for who knows how long just waiting for his target.

7. Ed Killifer - License to Kill (1989)

This one is very nasty. Franz Sanchez, a Colombian drug lord, bribes DEA agent Ed Killifer to get him out of custody. Killifer is a friend of CIA agent Felix Leiter, and his acceptance of the bribe results in Leiter's mutilation at the jaws of a shark and the murder of his wife, Della.

James Bond subsequently tracks Killifer down at the same place where Leiter was mutilated. Killifer ends up partially dangling over the shark tank. Terrified and desperate to save himself, Killifer indicates the suitcase and offers to split the money with him.

Bond's response is chilling:

"You earned it, you keep it, old buddy." - James Bond, License to Kill (1989)

He promptly takes the suitcase and throws it at his desperate captive, who promptly falls into the tank and...well...becomes shark food.

6. Karl Stromberg - The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

The Spy Who Loved Me follows James Bond as he teams up with KGB agent Anya Amasova as they try to stop a man named Karl Stromberg from starting World War III. At the end of the film, Bond infiltrates Stromberg's facility - Atlantis - to rescue Anya. He ends up in a dining room of sorts, facing off with his enemy.

This long table has a tube under it with a harpoon gun on Stromberg's side. Bond sits at the table, and after some brief back and forth, Stromberg pulls the trigger, and a harpoon flies up the tube, and James only just gets out of the way - narrowly avoiding the harpoon. His retaliation is swift and brutal. The barrel of his gun goes into the tube on his end, and he pulls the trigger and shoots Stromberg in the...delicate areas. Bond, with a steely gaze, shoots him several more times.

Here's a behind-the-scenes story for you guys. Roger Moore sits down in front of the table - that wasn't in the script. When he launched himself to get out of the way of the harpoon, the resulting flash and bang left poor ol' Roger with nasty burns on his backend...OUCH!

5. Professor Dent - Dr. No (1962)

Our No. 5 spot goes all the way back to the very first Bond film. It's also one of the earliest demonstrations of Bond's more ruthless side. Early in the film, he meets a geologist named R.J. Dent and a secretary at the local embassy. Both the professor and the secretary secretly worked for the film's antagonist, Dr. No.

Roughly halfway through the film, Bond seduces the secretary and goes to her home. After a long day of sex and drinking, he tricks her into being arrested, and then begins moving through the house. He throws a few pillows around, drops his jacket and tie in strategic places, then takes some time to cover some pillows to make it look like he's asleep in the bed. As a finishing touch, he puts on some music, slips back into the bedroom, and waits.

He's sitting hidden behind the door, and later, when he hears someone enter the house, he abandons his game of solitaire and picks up his gun. The door opens, and someone empties a pistol into the dummy. When the assassin enters the room, he finds Bond waiting. The two men have a bit of back and forth before the professor grabs his gun and pulls the trigger...only for the gun to click uselessly.

"That's a Smith and Wesson, and you've had your six." - James Bond, Dr. No (1962)

The look of pure terror on the professor's face before his death, and the way Bond kills him so casually, make this scene particularly chilling.

4. Alec Trevelyan - Goldeneye (1995)

Goldeneye, the first of Pierce Brosnan's Bond films, has one of the coldest kills in the series; it's also one of the most personal.

Alec Trevelyan, agent 006, is James' colleague and friend. A mission in Russia goes sideways, and Alec is killed in action. A few years later, he's sent to investigate a Russian weapon called Goldeneye.

Towards the end of the film, James discovers that Alec is a traitor - the mastermind of the whole plot. The final confrontation sees the two of them fighting on the satellite's gantry, with Trevelyan ending up upside down with James holding him by one ankle.

He looks up and asks:

"For England, James?" - Alec Trevelyan, Goldeneye (1995)

With a steely stare, James replies:

"No...for me." - James Bond, Goldeneye (1995)

With that statement, he lets go and watches as his former friend plummets.

3. Elektra King - The World Is Not Enough (1999)

This one is very quick. Elektra King turns out to be the villain of the film, James manages to back her into a corner, and holds her at gunpoint to force her to stop her scheme to sabotage oil pipelines in Istanbul.

Instead, she gives the order to dive, and Bond kills her. It's a quick moment, and James' line is chilling.

"I never miss" - James Bond, The World is Not Enough (1999)

The brutality of the scene is what makes it chilling. He doesn't even hesitate to pull the trigger.

2. Dryden - Casino Royale (2006)

2006's Casino Royale is something of an origin story. So, this kill is similar to the one in Dr. No, with Bond lying in wait for his prey. The film starts in a really cool black-and-white noir style. A man in a fancy suit sits at his desk and discovers Bond sitting in the corner of his office. This man is Dryden - an MI6 section chief who's been selling national secrets. This is probably not the best thing to be doing when your company employs assassins.

Anyways, the two have a bit of a chat with Dryden explaining that the second kill to get 00 status is much easier. Of course, that's when ol' Jim shoots him.

Honorable Mentions

Right, so before we hit the no. 1 spot, let's look at a few honorable mentions, shall we?

Elliot Carver - Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Elliot Carver is the head of a newspaper company who causes trouble so that he can get the first bit of coverage. On board the stealth ship that he's using, he and Bond have a bit of a scuffle. In classic James Bond style, Carver is shoved into the path of a gigantic moving drill. It's quick, brutal, and he definitely deserved it.

Hugo Drax - Moonraker (1979)

Hugo Drax is basically trying to create a 'pure' (i.e. white) race of humanity. The plan to do this involves using a space station as a living area and a satellite to destroy the Earth. Bond chases him through the self-destructing station and shoots him with a dart. As Drax is stumbling around in shock, James calmly ushers him into an airlock, closes the door, and hits the proverbial big red button. The airlock opens, and Hugo Drax is sucked out into the cold void of space.

So, who's the unlucky no. 1?

1. Dominic Greene - Quantum of Solace (2008)

Dominic Greene is the main antagonist of 2008's Quantum of Solace; he's also the victim of one of the most brutal Bond kills. Greene is trying to get the water rights for Bolivia, but when that fails, he's driven off into the desert and left stranded. The only thing he's given? A can of motor oil - to drink.

James Bond took this guy into the desert - presumably after a violent interrogation - and left him stranded with only one can of oil to drink. M even mentions that the autopsy on Greene's body discovered motor oil in his system. Imagine how desperate you'd have to be to drink something that's not safe to drink...this kill is perfect because it showcases not just Bond's ability to be cold, it's also one of those moments of rare cruelty.

Final Thoughts

There you have it, my picks for eight of James Bond's coldest kills. I'm curious to know what your picks would've been. Do you agree or disagree with my selection? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.