63 years later, James Bond still remains one of the most entertaining and iconic characters in cinema history. Very early on in Bond’s history, the format became established that various iterations of the character and his adventures could be portrayed on screen. After Sean Connery’s legendary run as the character, many other actors have embodied the role and brought something new to Ian Fleming’s material. However, given that the films are based on novels, there are a lot of opportunities for the lore of James Bond’s world to overlap from generation to generation. Such was the case when Casino Royale in 2006 touched on material that had already been adapted. That aspect of the films has been a lot of fun and keeps Fleming’s original creation intact.

When Daniel Craig took over as Bond in 2006, he was immediately considered to be the perfect fit for the role. With all of his suave and slick one-liners, improved fight skills and emotional depth, Craig’s Bond exceeded expectations for fans of the character. Craig’s five-film saga as 007 had its ups and downs but ultimately ended in a satisfying fashion. It seems that the series was at its best when it was pushing the limits of Bond’s personal conflicts, giving the character much more depth and reasoning behind his decisions. Another big part of the films being successful often correlated with portraying the best villains to compete with Bond. Some villains were better than others, but only one villain is actually one of Bond’s greatest rivals, and he appeared in the most underrated film in Craig’s Bond series.

Ernst Stavro Blofeld Is James Bond’s Most Consistent Villain

He’s the Main Villain In Spectre From 2015

Not only was the casting perfect for the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, but the situation in which James Bond crosses paths with him in the 2015 film, Spectre. While it follows the 2012 mega-hit Skyfall, Spectre has a lot to offer the Daniel Craig saga than many give it credit for. There’s an effective push and pull in Spectre to have Bond nearing the end of his prime when the greatest and most dangerous threat from Fleming’s novels makes an appearance. Furthermore, Christoph Waltz playing Blofeld is a perfect complement to Daniel Craig’s James Bond. The problem fans had with the film was its lack of impactful twists, an elongated plot and poor pacing. However, Spectre really only suffered from not being able to follow the best Craig Bond film, Skyfall. With Sam Mendes returning as director, heightened stakes and a formidable villain, Spectre is as entertaining and action-packed as most Bond films. Audiences just expected more and were left with an underwhelming taste in their mouths. In fact, on an overall scale, Spectre is the most important Bond film in Daniel Craig’s run for multiple reasons.

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For fans of 007, there is an iconic resonance for the sinister organization Spectre and its greater impact in the James Bond novels. Spectre is revealed to be the largest and most dangerous terror syndicate in the world and turns out to be responsible for many of the threats Bond has faced in his 007 career. Not only is the shadow organization Quantum of Solace a subsidiary of Spectre, but Skyfall villain Raoul Silva is revealed to have been a member of Spectre as well. The level of influence Spectre has just makes the organization and Blofeld that much more terrifying. Blofeld is also given greater depth as a villain when he appears in Craig’s final film, No Time to Die, from 2021. By having Blofeld in the film and revealing a dark secret of his past, No Time to Die effectively utilized his impact on Bond, heightened his overall villainy and made him the only villain to appear in multiple of Craig’s films. Even without No Time to Die making Blofeld and Spectre better, the fourth Craig film is an entertaining and thrilling entry in the series. It remains better than Quantum of Solace and as good as No Time to Die. What’s more interesting is the greater relevancy Blofeld has in the overall history of James Bond.

Blofeld Is James Bond’s Greatest Nemesis in the History of the Character

He Appears in the Most James Bond Films

Not only does Blofeld appear in multiple Daniel Craig Bond films, but he also appears in countless other Bond films from previous eras. It’s Blofeld’s consistency in Fleming’s novels that makes him such an important character and villain in the Craig series. While the twist of having Blofeld be Bond’s foster brother was incredibly controversial, it doesn’t actually devalue the importance Blofeld has in the overall story. If anything, it strengthens the push and pull of their relationship, makes them more personal arch-enemies, and gives both characters more depth. What Mendes and Co were trying to do was comment on the long history between Bond and Blofeld and give it even more purpose in Craig’s run as Bond. For fans who might not know, Blofeld was a prominent villain in Ian Fleming’s books and appeared in multiple James Bond films from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Against other Bonds such as Sean Connery and Roger Moore, Blofeld became the most consistent Bond villain of them all.

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Blofeld’s cunning strategies, cold-hearted actions and sinister presence have made him a fiendish and formidable enemy for James Bond. Blofeld’s greatest appearances came in films such as From Russia with Love and Never Say Never Again. Due to him being such an iconic Bond villain from classic Bond films, Christoph Waltz’ portrayal of the character, although good, didn’t live up to the expectations of a lot of fans. Nonetheless, Waltz did a very good job making Blofeld’s presence felt and Spectre’s influence feared. Blofeld had to make an appearance and be a villain for Daniel Craig’s Bond. It just wouldn’t have been right not to include him. Other than Spectre, No Time to Die, From Russia with Love and Never Say Never Again, Blofeld’s other appearances include Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever and For Your Eyes Only. Whether in the books or in the films, Blofeld is an iconic villain who will almost always be likely to appear at some point or another. There will be a point when his presence will feel too repetitive, and it will be interesting to see how the next iteration of Bond handles the character.

Blofeld Is Not the Best Bond Villain in Craig’s Bond Films

He’s Not Even the Second Best, Either

Spectre is a worthy addition to the Craig Bond films if for no other reason than it adds greater depth to the rest of the films in the series and introduces Blofeld in Craig’s run. However, even though Waltz’s Blofeld is a great villain and the most consistent villain, he’s not the best villain in the five-film run of Daniel Craig’s Bond. In fact, he’s not even the second-best villain, with the fifth and final Craig Bond film introducing fans to Safin. While the argument could be made that it is a toss-up between Blofeld and Safin, there is no denying who the most terrifying and most dangerous villain was in Craig’s Bond films. The best villain Craig’s James Bond ever faced was Raoul Silva from Skyfall, and it’s not even close. Not only does Javier Bardem have a way of evoking an emotional response with mere silences, his outbursts as Silva terrify even more. Proving to be extremely strategic, unconventionally juvenile and emotionally empathetic, Silva brought an aura to Craig’s Bond films that no other villain did.

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While fans continue to have an affinity for Mads Mikkelsen’s Le Chiffre and have grown to love Rami Malek’s Safin, Raoul Silva is the only villain as iconic as Ernst Stavro Blofeld. What’s more impressive is that it only took Javier Bardem one film to give his villain that kind of impact. What Mendes and other Bond directors don’t realize is that fans didn’t need Blofeld to exist as the constant arch-enemy of Bond for the modern iteration of the character. Bardem’s Silva was a perfect alternative that could have appeared again in the next two films following Skyfall, if given the proper arc. However, that most likely would have devalued an already perfect ending to Skyfall. Nonetheless, Silva was a real treat for 007 fans, and it was unfortunate for Waltz’ Blofeld that he had to try and follow in Silva’s footsteps. Regardless, Spectre is a Bond film that has gotten better with age, and it might be time for a re-watch of this underrated action gem.

James Bond

Created by

Ian Fleming

Latest Film

No Time to Die

Cast

Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Connery, Timothy Dalton, Roger Moore, David Niven, George Lazenby

Character(s)

James Bond