10 Best Tragic Bond Girls in the 007 Movies (original) (raw)
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Published Aug 5, 2024, 11:35 AM EDT
Liam Gaughan is a film and TV writer at Collider. He has been writing film reviews and news coverage for ten years. Between relentlessly adding new titles to his watchlist and attending as many screenings as he can, Liam is always watching new movies and television shows.
In addition to reviewing, writing, and commentating on both new and old releases, Liam has interviewed talent such as Mark Wahlberg, Jesse Plemons, Sam Mendes, Billy Eichner, Dylan O'Brien, Luke Wilson, and B.J. Novak. Liam aims to get his spec scripts produced and currently writes short films and stage plays. He lives in Allentown, PA.
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Summary
- Female representation in Bond films has evolved, featuring more prominent and complex female characters.
- Tragic deaths of Bond's love interests humanize his character and add emotional depth to the series.
- Films like Goldfinger and Casino Royale showcase powerful female characters with impactful storylines.
It’s no secret that the James Bond franchise has come a long way when it comes to female representation. While many of the films within the series can be counted among the greatest action films of all-time, the 1960s were a very different decade in which many films sadly utilized outdated sexist archetypes. Thankfully, the Bond series has managed to incorporate more prominent female characters in recent years, including the new versions of M (Judi Dench) and Eve Moneypenny (Naomie Harris).
Many of Bond’s love interests have been with brutal fates, which help to humanize his romantic urges as a character. The most rewatchable films in the 007 series tend to be those that take the time to flesh out their female characters so that they are equals to Bond himself. Here are the ten best tragic Bond girls in the 007 movies.
10 Tilly Masterson, ‘Goldfinger’ (1964)
Played by Tania Mallet
Tilly Masterson (Tania Mallet) holding a gun in 'Goldfinger'
Image via MGM
Goldfingeridentified many of the recurring tropes that would resonate within the rest of the 007 series, including the tragic death of one of Bond’s live interests. Tilly Masterson (Tania Mallet) already has a pretty hard journey ahead of her after her sister is killed, but things get even worse for her when she is ruthlessly taken out by Oddjob (Harold Sakata), the brutal henchman that works for Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe).
Tilly is notably one of the few Bond girls that actually can hold her own in a fight, and her heroic death makes it all the more tragic. While the death of several female characters for the sake of providing Bond with motivation isn’t exactly something that has aged well, Goldfinger is still an all-time classic that has managed to penetrate film fandom outside of the Bond franchise.
Release Date
September 20, 1964
Runtime
110 minutes
Director
Guy Hamilton
Writers
Paul Dehn, Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Berkely Mather
Producers
Harry Saltzman, Albert R. Broccoli
Cast
Gert Fröbe
Auric Goldfinger
9 Paula Caplan, ‘Thunderball’ (1965)
Played by Martine Beswick
Image via United Artists
Thunderball isn’t necessarily one of the best Bond films that Sean Connery ever starred in, but it does feature one of his most engaging love interests. After a thrilling opening chase sequence involving a jetpack, Bond is paired up with the CIA agent Paula Caplan (Martine Beswick) as he is assigned to infiltrate a SPECTRE mission to unleash nuclear weapons. Sadly, Paula’s life is claimed shortly before the climactic final battle. Her death is self-inflicted, choosing a cyanide pill over interrogation.
Thunderball is one of the grittier Bond films that Connery starred in, and Paula’s death is handled with the gravity that it deserves. It’s a reminder that for as much as 007 enjoys indulging in his impulses, he still lives in a gritty world where innocent lives are often taken long before their time. Paula’s death serves as a reminder of how truly evil SPECTRE is, and why Bond needs to stop the sinister organization.
Release Date
December 11, 1965
Runtime
130 minutes
Director
Terence Young
Writers
Richard Maibaum, John Hopkins, Jack Whittingham, Kevin McClory, Ian Fleming
James Bond heads to the Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion scheme.
Played by Lana Wood
Plenty O'Toole (Lana Wood) in Las Vegas in 'Diamonds Are Forever'
Image via MGM
Diamonds Are Forever was a misguided attempt at course correction that nonetheless featured a standout performance from Lana Wood as Plenty O’Toole, an acquaintance of Bond’s who he meets in Las Vegas while investigating the latest conspiracy from SPECTRE. Despite the obvious sexual innuendo in her name, O’Toole is a fairly competent character who uses Bond’s mastery of the crabs table to her advantage.
O’Toole’s death is tragic because of how unexpected it is, as she is murdered by SPECTRE goons trying to track down Bond. It’s a particularly shocking moment because unlike the other love interests that Bond frequently encounters, O’Toole has no knowledge of the world of espionage, and is innocent in the entire conflict. Diamonds Are Forever failed as a conclusion to Connery’s arc in the EON films because it was too self-referential and silly, but Wood’s performance served as a reminder that the Bond films were capable of delivering genuinely emotional moments.
Release Date
December 17, 1971
Runtime
120 Minutes
Director
Guy Hamilton
Writers
Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz, Ian Fleming
James Bond infiltrates a diamond smuggling ring, uncovering a plot by his arch-nemesis Blofeld to build a space-based laser weapon. From Amsterdam to Las Vegas, Bond faces off against Blofeld's henchmen and foils the plan, ensuring the diamonds return to their rightful owners.
7 Sévérine, ‘Skyfall’ (2012)
Played by Bérénice Marlohe
Severine (Berenice Marlohe) in a black dress in 'Skyfall'
Image via MGM
Skyfallhinted at some of the darker issues that other Bond films had only hinted at, specifically in the relationship between Sévérine (Bérénice Marlohe) and the psychotic terrorist Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem). After infiltrating Silva’s network and discovering his attempts to stage an attack on MI6, Bond (Daniel Craig) learns that Sévérine was a former child sex slave who has been forced to be part of the conspiracy.
Although her relationship with Bond is somewhat problematic, Sévérine’s death is the ultimate act of cruelty on Silva’s part, as he shoots her in an erratic display of power. It’s the rare moment in which a moment of violence is truly shocking in a Bond film, making it all the more surprising that director Sam Mendes was able to sneak this graphic moment into a PG-13 film aimed at a broadly commercial audience.
Release Date
November 9, 2012
Runtime
143 minutes
Director
James Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
Writers
Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan, Ian Fleming
Main Genre
6 Andrea Anders, ‘The Man With The Golden Gun’ (1974)
Played by Maud Adams
Andrea (Maud Adams) raising her hand in 'The Man With The Golden Gun'
Image via MGM
The Man With The Golden Gun featured an interesting twist on the traditional Bond girl formula, as Andrea Anders (Maud Adams) is initially presented as the love interest to Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee), the ruthless assassin who becomes obsessed with tracking down Bond (Roger Moore). Although she turns away from evil by falling for Bond, Anders ends up being yet another victim of Scaramanga’s quick draw and infamously gold-plated bullets.
The Man With The Golden Gun is one of the seedier Bond films that almost feels like a B-movie, but Adams actually gives a fairly respectable performance that complicates Scaramanga as a character. It was an indication that even the most evil villains in the series were capable of some compassion, as Adams was able to hold her own against an actor as highly regarded for playing antagonists as Lee.
Release Date
December 20, 1974
Runtime
125 Minutes
Director
Guy Hamilton
Writers
Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz, Ian Fleming
James Bond is pitted against the world's most expensive assassin, Francisco Scaramanga, who uses a distinctive golden gun. Bond's mission to retrieve a crucial solar energy device leads him to a deadly duel on Scaramanga's private island, where he must outsmart and outshoot the lethal adversary.
5 Paris Carver, ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ (1997)
Played by Teri Hatcher
Paris (Teri Hatcher) in a black dress in 'Tomorrow Never Dies'
Image via MGM
Tomorrow Never Dies is actually one of the most progressive Bond films when it comes to female representation, as Michelle Yeoh’s performance as the Chinese spy Wai Lin proved to be one of the few love interests who was worthy of 007 (Pierce Brosnan). However, Tomorrow Never Dies also provided another interesting character in Paris Carver (Teri Hatcher), the wife of the media mogul Elliot (Jonathan Pryce) who is attempting to start a war using fake news.
Paris pays the ultimate price for falling in love with Bond after one of her husband’s lavish parties, as Elliot does not take kindly to the idea that his wife has been betraying him to a member of MI6.
Release Date
December 19, 1997
Runtime
119 Minutes
Director
Roger Spottiswoode
Writers
Bruce Feirstein, Ian Fleming
4 Aki, ‘You Only Live Twice’ (1967)
Played by Akiko Wakabayashi
Aki in 'You Only Live Twice'
Image via MGM
You Only Live Twice finally took the Bond franchise to Japan, where Bond teamed up with the ninja Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi) in an attempt to siege SPECTRE’s headquarters. With her snarky sense of humor and martial arts skills, Aki is simply one of the coolest Bond girls ever. Although she proves to be an accomplished hero worthy of Bond’s respect, Aki is killed in her sleep when SPECTRE administers a secret poison.
Aki’s death is a tragic one because she isn’t overtly sexualized or stereotyped in the way that Bond’s other love interests are; it seemed plausible that she would help Bond take down the SPECTRE threat and celebrate his victory. While You Only Live Twice is guilty of utilizing some racist caricatures that haven't aged well, the depiction of Aki was actually rather progressive, particularly in comparison to the other female characters in this era of the saga.
Release Date
June 13, 1967
Runtime
117 minutes
Director
Lewis Gilbert
Writers
Ian Fleming, Harold Jack Bloom, Roald Dahl
3 Jill Masterson, ‘Goldfinger’ (1964)
Played by Shirley Eaton
Shirley Eaton as Jill Masterson in Goldfinger
Image via MGM
Goldfingerfeatures one of the most iconic Bond girls of all-time, as Shirley Eaton’s performance as Jill was so heralded that some fans of the franchise actually thought she died whilst filming the movie, leading to conspiracy theories that lasted for years after its initial release. Initially presented as an ally to Bond in his attempts to pin down Goldfinger, Jill is found dead when her body is covered in golden paint, leading her to suffocate.
The image of Jill covered in gold is one of the most recognizable in the entire Bond franchise, and is prominently featured in the film’s novel opening credits musical sequence. While the notion of “skin suffocation” is implausible according to modern scientific research, it still makes for a particularly chilling moment in Goldfinger that ensured its status as the Bond film that changed everything_._
Release Date
September 20, 1964
Runtime
110 minutes
Director
Guy Hamilton
Writers
Paul Dehn, Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Berkely Mather
Producers
Harry Saltzman, Albert R. Broccoli
Cast
Gert Fröbe
Auric Goldfinger
2 Vesper Lynd, ‘Casino Royale’ (2006)
Played by Eva Green
Eva Green and Daniel Craig as Vesper Lynd and James Bond 007, almost kissing in Casino Royale.
Image via EON Productions.
Casino Royaleis the most tragic of the modern Bond films, as it explored the circumstances that truly turned Bond (Daniel Craig) into the remorseless assassin that he would become in later entries in the series. Bond briefly considers putting behind his role in MI6 all together after he falls deeply in love with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), and her death only fuels his desire to see justice carried out.
The chemistry between Green and Craig was so excellent that Vesper’s death felt even more tragic, with some pundits believing that the duo deserved Academy Award nominations for their powerful performances**.** Vesper’s shocking murder was a moment that reshaped Bond’s character arc in the subsequent films, as he goes on a mission of revenge in Quantum of Solaceand later visits her grave during the opening sequence of No Time To Die.
Release Date
November 17, 2006
Runtime
144 minutes
Director
Martin Campbell
Writers
Neal Purvis, Paul Haggis, Robert Wade, Ian Fleming
Main Genre
1 Tracy Bond, ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969)
Played by Diana Rigg
George Lazenby and Diana Rigg in On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Image via Britannica
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the ultimate Bond tragedy, as it's the only film in the franchise in which he actually gets married. After working together closely on a thrilling Christmas adventure, Bond (George Lazenby) and Tracy (Diana Rigg) are wed in a private ceremony. Sadly, she is gunned down in a cruel twist of fate, with the tragic tune of “All the Time in the World” carrying over into the credits.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a true outlier within the Bond franchise that feels like a standalone adventure, as it contains a level of emotional nuance that is unrivaled by any other installment. There are more than enough Bond films that show how cool or ruthless he can be, but On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was the first entry in the series to suggest that even 007 could get his heart broken.
Release Date
December 18, 1969
Runtime
142 minutes
Director
Peter R. Hunt
Cast
George Lazenby
James Bond
Writers
Richard Maibaum, Ian Fleming, Simon Raven
Main Genre
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