James Bond may be at the forefront when it comes to superior spies taking down nefarious villains, but even he gets help occasionally. Having traveled the globe on his various adventures, Bond has accumulated quite a list of allies and accomplices. While not always on the right side of the law, they have provided him with the necessary assistance to take down the main adversary in each feature film. Check out these six best James Bond allies below, and how they have used their skills to help 007.
6. Wai Lin
Starting our list of James Bond allies is Wai Lin. Played by Michelle Yeoh, Lin is a Chinese secret agent and a formidable fighter in the Bond franchise. She appears in Tomorrow Never Dies and helps Bond escape with her, even though they are handcuffed together. Along with a room full of guns, Lin has a gadget that lets her walk on walls, helping Bond attack the villain’s stealth boat in the film.
5. Tiger Tanaka
Fifth on our list of James Bond allies is Tiger Tanaka. The head of a secret service in Japan, he became a vital ally for James Bond in his home country. Tanaka provided Bond with cultural immersion, ninja training, a cover story, and even an army of skilled ninja warriors. They helped Bond infiltrate Blofeld’s secret volcano base, helping prevent a global war.
4. Q
Next on our list of James Bond allies is Q. The tech whiz from MI-6, he has provided Bond with a variety of handy gadgets that he ends up needing at different points during his various missions. While he isn’t a fighter, he is extremely smart and constantly comes up with new gadget ideas. While mostly played by Desmond Llewelyn, Ben Whishaw has taken over the role after Llewelyn died in 1999.
3. Felix Leiter
Rounding out the top three James Bond allies is Felix Leiter. Over time, eight different actors have taken on the Leiter helm, especially since he appears in ten out of 25 films. Jeffrey Wright is the only one who has appeared as the character more than once. Leiter is a long-time CIA friend and his most frequent collaborator. While he doesn’t fight, he does provide crucial support to Bond.
2. Moneypenny
Second on our list of James Bond allies is Moneypenny. Similar to Leiter, Moneypenny has been played by various actresses. These include Lois Maxwell, Caroline Bliss, Samantha Bond, and Naomie Harris. Moneypenny is mainly Bond’s romantic interest back home, but also serves as M’s secretary. Again, while not a fighter role (unless you count her appearance in Skyfall), she provides another type of support for Bond.
1. M
Last but not least on our list of James Bond allies is M. Unlike the other allies, M has appeared in every single Bond movie except for For Your Eyes Only. As such, several actors have filled the role. These include Bernard Lee, Robert Brown, Dame Judi Dench, and Ralph Fiennes. M is Bond’s boss, who assigns him on missions and oversees the entire operation, but can also hold their own in the field.