This week’s rankings deal with the Raymond Benson villains. Again, characters from the novelizations are eligible.
So how do you rank the Benson villains? I rank them this way:
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Domingo Espada / Olivier Cesari aka Le Gérant – DOUBLESHOT – As I mentioned in the main henchmen ranking thread, Doubleshot has two villains who seemingly are teamed up but, in fact, have different, competing agendas. As a result, we get two separate villains here. Espada is more front and center in this story while Cesari lurks in the background. Both are good and entertaining, but of the two, I prefer the strutting peacock madman that is Espada, a retired matador legend who wants to seize Gibraltar back from the British. Cesari, meanwhile, is the unquestioned leader of The Union, a SPECTRE-like organization whose tentacles (for lack of a better word) stretch around the globe–and he has a curveball or two to throw at James Bond and even Espada himself.
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Olivier Cesari aka Le Gérant – NEVER DREAM OF DYING – After being teased in High Time To Kill and expanded on a little more in Doubleshot, this time Cesari comes to the fore as the sole villain in NDOD. Cesari makes for a remarkable villain who has an uncanny knack for “seeing” things even though he is totally blind. Ironically, this seems to result in his obsession with eyes/vision as it forms the basis for the Union’s identifying signature. Cesari is a unique and great villain who is one of the best of the entire series.
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Elliot Carver – TOMORROW NEVER DIES – I’ve always liked Carver–film or novelization–and think he is one of the more underrated villains of the film series. He gets even more background in the novelization to good effect. A solid villain.
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Paul Baack / Roland Marquis – HIGH TIME TO KILL – Again, like Doubleshot, HTTK features two villain teams that not only compete with 007 but with each other as well. I like both characters, but of the two, Marquis is my favorite. He has a great rivalry with Bond throughout the book that goes back to their school days and where both of men can’t help but compete with–and try to outdo–the other whether it’s golfing, ice ax throwing, mountain climbing, or women. Baack is solid too, but in a behind the scenes way. But it’s Marquis who steals the show and who proves he IS a match for 007.
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Guy Thackeray – ZERO MINUS TEN – Thackeray is perhaps the most sympathetic villain in the series. Here’s a guy who, through no fault of his own, is about to lose everything he has in a matter of days and can find no way to stop it. As a result, he’s going to make everyone pay. The character is a little more on the subdued side, but he has enough quirks and tricks to keep him interesting.
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Elektra King – THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH – Like Carver in TND, we get a little more backstory on Elektra in the novelization, particularly in the kidnapped/hostage scene(s), where her manipulative skills come across even more so than they do in the film.
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Tan-Gun Moon aka Gustav Graves – DIE ANOTHER DAY – The character is pretty much the same as the film version. In the film series I like Moon/Graves–and his smarminess–better than Elektra, but when it comes to the novelizations, I like Elektra better as I think TWINE is a little more fleshed out and cohesive than DAD.
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Goro Yoshida – THE MAN WITH THE RED TATTOO – Yoshida is a decent villain. A powerful Japanese yakuza leader who hates the west and wants to destroy them. He devises a deadly virus that can be transmitted by mosquitoes and sets out to unleash them on his enemies. He believes in the old ways, up to, and including, harakiri, which is demonstrated in a memorable scene during the story.
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Konstantine Romanos – THE FACTS OF DEATH – Romanos is the leader of a cult-like assassination organization, The Decada, who is unleashing deadly viruses around the globe. The man has an almost god-like opinion of himself and no morals. Still, his demise is a bit surprising. Romanos is not a bad villain, but he’s my least favorite of the Benson run.
So how do you rank the Raymond Benson villains?