5 Best And 5 Worst Bond Villains

Francisco Scaramanga isn't just part of Bond classic The Man With the Golden Gun, he is the man with the golden gun. No surprise, then, that he's an all-time great villain, in and out of the Bond pantheon. First off, just let his name roll off your tongue. It's almost too much, isn't it? So many syllables, and all together, it's right on the edge of pretentious. It's the name equivalent of, well, a 24-karat Peacemaker, and darn it if he doesn't pull both of them off with style and precision. 

A former circus performer, Scaramanga has an expert trick shot's deadly skill and showmanship. His gun matches his cuff links and his cuff links match his fountain pen and oh, did we mention his private island? In the hands of a lesser actor, all this might have come off as a bit silly, but Christopher Lee is... well, he's Christopher Lee, giant of stage and screen. Lee plays him like a bon vivant who loves well-cooked mushrooms and a beautifully set table as much as an elegantly executed murder. He has style, he has substance, and he likes to live well. As he tells Bond over dinner, he's not interested in "a hearty 'well done' from the Queen,"  and he convinces you that, bad guy or not, he's worth it.