The James Bond movies are about more than just action, supervillain plots, and an ever-changing lineup of actors portraying 007 on the big screen. The Bond girls are just as big of an attraction for the franchise as James Bond himself. And it’s now considered an honor for actresses to appear opposite the current 007 on the big screen.
While the next James Bond film may be years away, there’s no time like the present to revisit the 10 best James Bond girls. There has been considerable debate over the years over which Bond girl is the greatest of them all, and this list won’t end that debate. However, almost all of the top names are accounted for here alongside the all-time greats.
Need more recommendations? We’ve also gone over the 10 best James Bond movies and the 7 best James Bond villains. Then check out the best new movies to stream this week, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
10. Camille Montes
When Bond was on a revenge mission in Quantum of Solace, he met a woman whose vendetta may have been even more intense than his. The woman in question was Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko), one of the rare heroic Bond girls who doesn’t have a one-night stand with 007. Camille isn’t interested in hooking up with Bond, and she’s annoyed that he’s getting in the way of her own plans for payback.
Camille and Bond finally get on the same page and work towards the same goals. He may never get together with Camille, but Bond finds the experience is enough to help him move past his grief for someone he loves.
9. Paloma
Given that Paloma was less than truthful about how much training she’s had, we can’t be certain that was even her real name. Regardless, Ana de Armas was spellbinding as a so-called rookie CIA agent who fought side by side with Daniel Craig’s Bond in No Time to Die.
Armas’ turn in this role almost certainly helped her land the John Wick spinoff, Ballerina. Paloma would have ranked even higher on this list if she had a bigger role in the movie. But she made quite an impression in the short time that she was on screen.
8. Jinx Johnson
For his final turn as James Bond in Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan was paired with Halle Berry’s Jinx Johnson. She’s an NSA agent who matches up well with Bond, and she proves to be very formidable as well. Jinx even gets her own homage scene to Ursula Andress’ Honey Rider, which speaks volumes about how MGM viewed her in the role.
For a while, there was even talk that Jinx might get her own spinoff movie, which would have been a first for a Bond girl. Sadly, those plans never came to pass.
7. Wai Lin
As much butt as Jinx kicks in her movie, she comes up short compared to Michelle Yeoh’s Wai Lin in Die Another Day. 25 years before Yeoh won an Oscar for Best Actress for Everything Everywhere All At Once, she was already an action icon in Hong Kong cinema. That lent Yeoh much credibility for Wai Lin’s action scenes alongside Bond as a special agent for China.
Wai Lin and Bond may have been from different countries, but they had a common goal: to prevent their leaders from being tricked into a devastating war. She left quite an impression on 007, and Wai Lin clearly belongs on this list.
6. Xenia Onatopp
Not every Bond girl is a good girl. Famke Janssen’s Xenia Onatopp is the first villain on this list. That’s partially because Janssen completely outshined her fellow Bond girl Izabella Scorupco in GoldenEye. Xenia’s over-the-top personality is hilarious, and she has a penchant for using her thighs to crush her enemies to death.
Xenia did have to play henchwoman to Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean), but it’s a role she played well. She’s so entertaining to watch that her relatively quick exit was disappointing.
5. Anya Amasova
Who is Anya Amasova? She’s the spy in The Spy Who Loved Me, as memorably played by Barbara Bach. Anya, who was also known as Agent XXX, is a KGB operative forced to work with Roger Moore’s Bond. She also has a personal vendetta against Bond for killing her lover at the beginning of the movie.
Anya doesn’t hide her intentions from Bond, and she’s only holding back on getting her revenge until they finish their mission. That elevated the tension between them throughout the film. But the title of the movie should tell you how that worked out.
4. Pussy Galore
Honor Blackman’s Pussy Galore may have been a henchwoman to Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe), but she stole the spotlight with more than just her provocative name. Sean Connery’s James Bond encountered Galore when she was working for Goldfinger as a pilot, and she’s on the opposite side for most of the film.
Bond being Bond, it was only a matter of time before James convinced Galore to side with him over Goldfinger. That’s why she gets to live to see the end credits while sharing some romantic moments with Bond.
3. Tracy Bond
James Bond (George Lazenby) has pursued countless women, but he’s only married one. Diana Rigg left her mark on the franchise as Tracy Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. But her real name is Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo, and she’s the daughter of one of Bond’s enemies, Marc-Ange Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti).
Tracy’s romance with Bond might be faster than a whirlwind, but it’s easy to see why he loves her. She’s smart and quick-witted and proves to be one of his most loyal allies in his latest struggle against Blofeld (Telly Savalas). Their decision to tie the knot only gave Blofeld the perfect way to get his revenge on Bond by murdering his young bride at the climax of the film. Her death remains one of the most shocking scenes in the franchise.
2. Honey Ryder
Among Bond girls, Ursula Andress’ Honey Ryder is the icon. When she emerged from the water in Doctor No, Andress became an instant sex symbol and the prototype for every Bond girl who came after her. Honey is a shell diver who is a little out of her depth in Bond’s world, but she’s also fierce and brave in the face of danger.
While Andress physically played Honey, her voice was dubbed over by Nikki van der Zyl, with Diana Coupland handling her singing voice. Those actresses also deserve their due for Honey’s place on this list.
1. Vesper Lynd
Honey Ryder may be the icon, but Vesper Lynd was the original Bond girl. She just didn’t get her due until the 2006 adaptation of Casino Royale. Ursula Andress actually played the same character in the 1967 comedic adaptation of Casino Royale, but it’s Eva Green’s portrayal in the second adaptation that earned Vesper No. 1 on our list.
Vesper is an MI6 operative who is more than an intellectual match for Bond and one of the few who can see past the performance he puts on for others. While this initially puts Bond off from Vesper, he eventually falls hard for her. That only complicates things for Vesper, as her secrets come back to haunt both of them and doom her to an early grave. Her impact on Daniel Craig’s Bond is so powerful that it extended all the way through to No Time To Die. There has yet to be a Bond girl who had that same grip on his heart other than his late wife in the original films.
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