Spoiler warning: The following contains spoilers for No Time to Die
James Bond first appeared in Ian Fleming’s novel Casino Royale in 1953. The character appeared in 14 books from Fleming, but his book series also spawned an even more popular film series that is still going to this day.
Sean Connery first played 007 on the big screen, but over the years several actors have stepped into the role including George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig. The 007 films are known for having sexually fueled puns and Bond has truly had some iconic lines since 1962.
Updated on January 17th, 2022 by Mark Birrell: The famous James Bond quotes make up some of the most iconic lines from the history of movies, with great puns and catchphrases abounding. From Sean Connery’s first appearance as the character in Dr. No to Daniel Craig’s last in No Time to Die, 007 has been delivering unforgettable quotes for 60 years.
One of the most iconic James Bond lines came in his very first scene back in 1962. Out of all the James Bond quotes out there, “Bond. James Bond” is probably one of the most well-known. When Bond is introduced, he is sitting at a casino table playing Baccarat.
When his opponent, Sylvia Trench, says that she admires his luck and asks him his name, Bond replies by simply saying, “Bond. James Bond.” The line has been repeated in several of the 007 movies.
Daniel Craig’s 007 didn’t deliver a huge amount of playful puns during the heat of battle compared to some other Bonds but he did have quite a few good ones and his last one is arguably his best.
It’s established earlier in No Time to Die that Bond’s new watch has been designed by Q to emit an EMP, so when Bond uses it in a fight with the henchman Primo, it causes Primo’s eye to spark and explode, killing him. Bond then uses this pun to update Q about his status, showing that he still had some classic 007 spirit left in him.
James Bond has drunk a lot of alcohol onscreen since 1962, but most fans know his beverage of choice. “A martini. Shaken, not stirred.” The line was first written in Ian Flemming’s book but was included in the first James Bond movie, Dr. No.
The famous line has been repeated by 007 in several of the Bond films, but the line first came from the lips of Dr. Julius No, when he offered his opponent a dry martini with a lemon peel. The line has become so iconic that it has even been used in other films that have nothing to do with James Bond.
This is another classic line from James Bond’s history, originating from the 1963 movie From Russia With Love. It’s exactly the mentality that a secret agent should have, knowing exactly when trouble has the chance to occur as any drama is the cause of a bigger incident.
It’s something that most people don’t think of. Whenever there is a small issue, there is normally something bigger going on behind the scenes, and the fact that Bond is smart enough to acknowledge that shows the considered nature of his character.
One of the tensest scenes in Casino Royale is when Bond is poisoned by the villain, Le Chiffre, and must race to counteract the poison’s effects before time runs out.
After narrowly escaping death thanks to the help of Vesper Lynd, Bond returns to the card game he had to leave after being poisoned, delivering this humorously dry line. It’s the kind of pitch-perfect Bond quote that sold audiences on Daniel Craig as a long-lasting 007.
While newer 007 movies are rather serious, some of the older ones were quite funny. Certain scenes are laughably bad, but other times Bond’s puns were simply hilarious. One example of this comes in the 1965 film Thunderball featuring Sean Connery.
In Bond’s fourth outing, the 00 agent is sitting on a beach with Domino (played by Claudine Auger) as one of Largo’s henchmen quietly sneaks behind them. After Domino spots him, she tells Bond, who quickly turns around and shoots the bad guy with a spear gun. Bond then says, “I think he got the point.”
While Die Another Day in 2002 was a rather disappointing entry to the series for Bond’s 40th Anniversary, Eon Productions more than made up for it for Bond’s 50th. In 2012, Skyfall was released, which saw Bond go back to the roots of early Bond films.
In one scene in Skyfall, Eve is watching Bond shave with a straight razor. Moneypenny mentions that his choice of razor is very traditional, to which Bond replies, “Well, I like to do some things the old-fashioned way.” The line perfectly fits the theme of the movie, which was all about celebrating 50 years of Bond.
Daniel Craig has produced some of the greatest lines in James Bond history, and this is yet another one. This one took place during his debut as the character, in Casino Royale as he spoke with Vesper and it is a fantastic line that is incredibly fitting in today’s world.
It suited Bond, who is a confident enough character that he doesn’t need lots of advice, yet he is always willing to listen, which is why it works so well.
James Bond is well-known for being a smooth talker with the ladies, and sexual innuendos are commonplace within the movies because of that. Within the movie, On Her Majesties Secret Service, Bond busts out one of those classic lines, discussing his stiffness.
This takes place while a girl writes on Bond’s leg under the table. It causes him to pull an awkward face, and he is obviously discussing a stiff problem when he brings it back around to his… shoulder. It’s classic Bond in every way possible and is why people love the character so much.
Roger Moore’s Bond movies were some of the worst-reviewed movies in the series, but The Spy Who Loved Me is often considered one of his best. The film has a good story and introduces the famous henchman named Jaws, but it also has a hilarious line right before the credits start.
After Bond defeats Karl Stromberg (played by Curt Jurgens), he and Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) flee using an escape pod. Bond celebrates his success the only way he knows how; by shagging his partner. When his superiors ask what he is doing, Bond replies, “Keeping the British end up, sir.”
Pierce Brosnan’s time in the role of James Bond resulted in four movies, which had varying levels of quality. One of the poorer received films came in 1999 and was titled The World Is Not Enough. The main Bond girl in the film was named Dr. Christmas Jones, played by Denise Richards.
Most people didn’t like Richards in her role, but her character did allow for a hilarious Bond joke. One scene shows Christmas and Bond together in bed when Bond cracks the joke, “I thought Christmas only comes once a year.” Yes, it’s cringy, but it is the perfect example of how ridiculous and iconic certain Bond jokes had become.
Daniel Craig’s fourth Bond movie brought back an iconic villain from the franchise, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who manages to capture 007 and put him in one of his most deadly situations ever.
Strapped to a chair with a cranial drill attached, Blofeld does some damage to Bond’s brain before moving in for the kill. Before Blofelfd can do it though, Bond manages to hand off his watch to Madeline Swan, telling her it’s set to explode. Just before she tosses it at Blofeld, Bond mutters this typically playful line, showing that he’s still 007 deep down. Bond and Blofeld sparring with one another is one of the most quintessential aspects of the series, and Craig and Blofeld actor Christoph Waltz rise to the occasion with their rendition.
While a lot of Bond’s iconic lines are funny jokes, Sean Connery probably delivered his silly lines the best. Another one of James Bond’s puns comes in the 1964 film Goldfinger. Not only is Goldfinger considered one of the greatest 007 movies of all time, but it also has the hilarious line, “Shocking. Positively shocking.”
Right when James Bond starts to make out with a girl, he sees the reflection of a bad guy in her eye. Bond quickly turns the girl around so she gets hit in the head versus himself and then he starts to fight the henchman. Bond quickly gets the upper hand and shoves the thug in the tub, before swatting a lamp into the tub, electrocuting his enemy. The line was perfect for the scene and proves that nobody can deliver 007 puns better than Connery can.
One thing that has become standard for a 007 movie is to include a hit song at the beginning of each film. As popular as The Beatles were (and still are), it’s surprising they were never chosen to record a song for 007, but maybe it is because Bond hates The Beatles. In Goldfinger, Bond gets up to grab a new bottle of alcohol for himself and Jill Masterson.
When asked why they need a new bottle, Bond responds, “My dear girl, there are some things that just aren’t done; such as drinking Dom Perignon ’53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs”.
Due to his job, James Bond is clearly very clever with not revealing exactly what he does to people. Within the movie Thunderball, Bond is asked by Pat Fearing what is exactly he does, which leads the British spy to give this amazing quote.
His answer is classic Bond, giving away a little bit of his secret without revealing too much. He travels around and he does have a license to kill, which makes this a great line. Bond always has an answer for everything, with this being just one of many examples.
James Bond might be an incredible action hero, but another reason he is so popular with audiences is that he has plenty of wit, charm, and humor to make him relatable. In Die Another Day, Bond shows his humor when he is first introduced to Mr. Kil.
With Kil revealing his name, Bond quickly chimed back with “Now there’s a name to die for.” It’s something that only Bond could get away with, as you know the next moment will see the action pick back up, and the line is hilarious.
In Skyfall, Bond finds himself tied up and at the mercy of villain Raoul Silva, who makes a grand entrance before inspecting 007. It’s then that Silva begins to become a little flirtatious in his curiosity, implying that this is Bond’s first time in such a situation. Bond, however, retorts with this equally playful line, even seeming to take Silva aback.
It’s a great Bond line not just because of the performances of Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem but also because it’s a groundbreaking moment for the character that admits outright that not all of Bond’s encounters have been strictly heterosexual. According to The Guardian, producer Barbara Broccoli had to fight studio pressure to keep the line and it’s a good thing she did as it’s become one of the best James Bond quotes.
One of the most ridiculous names for a character came from one of the best Bond films; Goldfinger. In the film, Honor Blackman plays the character Pussy Galore, who was an associate of Auric Goldfinger. After Bond is captured, he is transported on a private jet and awoken by Galore.
When Bond wakes up and asks the woman who she is, she says her name is Pussy Galore. Looking surprised, Bond smiles and says, “I must be dreaming.” Since early Bond humor was so well received, it translated well to more modern Bond films, but some of the names for female characters were just utterly absurd.
After the success of GoldenEye, Pierce Brosnan returned once again for Tomorrow Never Dies. In the film, the newest Bond girl is played by Michelle Yeoh, who has appeared in popular films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Crazy Rich Asians.
While Wai Lin is the main Bond girl in the film, Bond also hooks up with a Danish professor named Inga Bergstrom. While Bond is practicing Danish with Inga, and making love to her, Bond says, “I’ve always enjoyed studying a new tongue.” Bond has been with dozens of women since 1962, so despite this line being cheesy, it perfectly matches his character.
When his iteration is remembered fully in hindsight in the same way that other classic Bonds are, the most famous quote from Daniel Craig’s 007 may be his last.
Having been infected with nanomachines that will kill the closest people to Bond should they ever reach them, and already gravely wounded, 007 sees no other option but to meet his maker on his own terms and face the oncoming missile strike that he helped set up to destroy the villain’s weapons manufacturing lair. As he says goodbye to his great love, Madeline Swan, she confesses that her daughter is in fact Bond’s child, to which he responds with this classic Han Solo line. 007 goes out in a literal blaze of glory with a smile on his face, giving the franchise one of its most showstopping and controversial moments to date.