The Most Memorable James Bond Villains

Our latest research ranks the most memorable villains in the James Bond franchise.

The role of a James Bond villain is one of the most coveted in cinema and these unforgettable characters always leave a lasting mark on popular culture. Whether plotting against Bond for personal revenge or seeking world domination, playing a Bond villain means joining an elite group of actors. But, which of these villains stands out as the most memorable for fans.

Taking the 25 films currently in the James Bond franchise, the casino“>online casino team at Betway have ranked every antagonist based on four key factors: Social media sentiment, social media mentions, monthly Google searches and IMDb rating. This has allowed us to determine which villain is the most memorable.

Here is the top 5:

1.      Goldfinger

Memorability score: 8.07

Auric Goldfinger, the villain from the 1964 film Goldfinger, easily tops the list with 25,000 social media mentions and 14,800 average monthly Google searches over the past year – the highest on our list in both of these categories. Aided by Shirley Bassey’s iconic theme, this megalomaniac’s legacy is firmly cemented in popular culture.

2.      Raoul Silva

Memorability score: 4.25

Raoul Silva, a former MI6 agent turned cyber-terrorist, is the antagonist of the 2012 film Skyfall -the second highest rated Bond movie on IMDb. Javier Bardem’s performance clearly resonated with fans and the villain has received 28% positive social media sentiment, showing he’s a baddie who won’t easily be forgotten.

3.      Alec Trevelyan

Memorability score: 4.16

Alec Trevelyan, formally known as 006, faced off against Bond in the 1995 film Goldeneye. Masterfully portrayed by Sean Bean, Trevelyan has earned 44% positive social media sentiment – the highest on the list – and 1,180 social media mentions in the past year.

4.      Le Chiffre

Memorability score: 4.14

Le Chiffre, the villain in Daniel Craig’s 2006 Bond reboot casino Royale, marked the start of a grittier era for 007. The film was a hit, earning an IMDb rating of 8 out 10 – the highest ever for a Bond movie. In the past year, Le Chiffre has amassed 6,120 social media mentions and averaged 2,400 Google searches per month, proving he has left a lasting impression on fans.

5.      Kronsteen

Memorability score: 4.02

Kronsteen, the chess master behind many of SPECTRE’s schemes, faced off against Bond in the 1963 film From Russia with Love. With a positive social media sentiment of 40%—the second highest on our list—Kronsteen is clearly a fan favorite. The film also boasts a solid IMDb rating of 7.4/10, solidifying Kronsteen’s status as a memorable Bond villain.

The full ranking of the most memorable James Bond Villains is as follows:

With rumours circulating about the next James Bond film, the question of who will next face off against 007 remains a mystery. Stars like Colin Farrell and Oscar Isaac are being tipped as contenders for the role, and whoever takes on the villainous part will follow a long legacy of stars. However, given the prestige of the role, it’s a sure bet that they too will leave a lasting impression on cinema.

Methodology:

The data ranks villains from the James Bond franchise of films on how memorable they are based on 4 factors. Once the data for every factor was collected, the factors were then normalised to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then added together, to give each villain a total score. Finally, the villains were ranked from high to low, based on their total ‘Memorability score’.

The four factors taken into account were:

Positive Sentiment – The percent of positive sentiment for each villain, taken from the social listening tool Brandwatch. A higher positive sentiment = a more memorable villain.

Total Social Media Mentions – The number of social media mentions for each villain, taken from the social listening tool Brandwatch. More mentions = a more memorable villain.

Google Search Data – The average monthly Google searches for each villain, taken from Google Keyword Planner. More Google searches = a more memorable villain.

IMDb Rating – The IMBd rating for the Bond film each villain appeared in. Where a villain appeared in more than one film, the average rating was taken. A higher rating = a more iconic Bond movie and a more memorial villain.