James Bond first appeared in Ian Fleming’s novel Casino Royale in 1953 and the character went on to appear 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, actors George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig have all played the spy for Eon Productions’ films, with each one delivering iconic lines written for the movies.
The most 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. Though aspects of the James Bond franchise have changed over the decades, 007’s quick wit and distinctly dark sense of humor have remained.
20 “Bond. James Bond.”
James Bond in Dr. No (1962)
One of the most iconic James Bond lines came from his very first scene on the big screen back in 1962. Out of all the James Bond quotes out there, “Bond. James Bond” has to be without a doubt the most well-known throughout the world. When Bond is introduced, he is sitting at a casino table playing Baccarat. When his opponent, Sylvia Trench (Eunice Gayson), 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 but there is a certain magic to Connery’s first delivery of the words.
19 “I Always Enjoyed Studying A New Tongue.”
James Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
After the success of GoldenEye, Pierce Brosnan returned in the role of James Bond for Tomorrow Never Dies. In the film, Bond teams up with Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh) to take down a megalomaniacal media mogul (Jonathan Pryce) who’s trying to start a new World War for his own personal gain. However, this James Bond quote comes from an intimate moment between 007 and a Danish professor named Inga Bergstrom (Cecilie Thomsen). Bond says this line while he’s in bed with Bergstrom, and it shows just how self-aware the writers of the Bond movies are regarding 007’s successful bachelor lifestyle.
18 “I Just Showed Someone Your Watch. Really Blew Their Mind.”
James Bond in No Time To Die (2021)
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 (Ben Whishaw) to emit an EMP, so when Bond uses it in a fight with the henchman Primo (Dali Benssalah), it causes Primo’s bionic 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.
17 “A Martini. Shaken, Not Stirred.”
James Bond in Goldfinger (1964)
James Bond has drunk a lot of alcohol onscreen since 1962, but most fans know 007’s beverage of choice. “A martini. Shaken, not stirred.” The line was first written in Ian Fleming’s book but Bond’s drink of choice 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. Bond himself doesn’t say the line until Goldfinger in 1964, when he orders one on Goldfinger’s (Gert Fröbe) plane.
16 “There’s A Saying In England: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire.”
James Bond in From Russia with Love (1963)
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, as knowing exactly when trouble has the chance to occur is essential to their staying alive. This James bond quote showed earlier on in the franchise that 007 was going to be a smart character who would use his brain to get out of situations as often as he would use brute force. Bond doesn’t come off as cultured and well-traveled just because he lives a playboy lifestyle, he’s also well-read, intelligent, and plugged into the world around him.
15 “That Last Hand Nearly Killed Me.”
James Bond in Casino Royale (2006)
One of the tensest scenes in Casino Royale is when Bond is poisoned by the villain, Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), and must race to counteract the poison’s effects before time runs out. After narrowly escaping death thanks to the help of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), 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.
14 “Well, I Like To Do Some Things The Old-Fashioned Way.”
James Bond in Skyfall (2012)
While Die Another Day from 2002 was a fairly 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 his roots in every sense. In one scene in Skyfall, Bond shaves with a straight razor and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) mentions that the choice is very traditional, to which Bond replies with this quote. The line perfectly fits the theme of the movie, which was all about celebrating the 50 years of Bond.
13 “I Think He Got The Point.”
James Bond in Thunderball (1965)
Bond is famously not above cracking a joke after killing someone. One example of this comes in the 1965 film Thunderball featuring Sean Connery. In the movie, 007 is sitting on a beach with Domino (Claudine Auger) as one of the henchmen of the main villain, Largo (Adolfo Celi) quietly sneaks behind them. After Domino spots him, she alerts Bond, who quickly turns around and shoots the henchman with a spear gun. It’s one of Bond’s most brutal kills yet produces one of his funniest lines.
12 “Why Is It That People Who Can’t Take Advice Always Insist On Giving It?”
James Bond in Casino Royale (2006)
Daniel Craig has produced some of the best James Bond quotes from the franchise as, though he gets his fair share of jokes, the dialogue between characters in his films is often more mature and intelligent than in more action-orientated installments. This James Bond quote comes from when he first meets Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. It suited Bond, who is a confident enough character to not need lots of advice, but there’s still a hint of arrogance in this more inexperienced version of the character. It’s another perfectly delivered line from Craig.
11 “I Thought Christmas Only Comes Once A Year.”
James Bond in The World Is Not Enough (1999)
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 so-called ‘Bond girl’ in the film was named Dr. Christmas Jones (Denise Richards). The character herself didn’t become one of the more well-remembered female leads of the franchise’s history, but the character’s name did produce one of the most well-remembered James Bond quotes. Bond cracks the joke in bed and though other Bond actors had gag lines like these in their films, Brosnan clearly had a special talent for them.
10 “I Said – Doesn’t Time Fly.”
James Bond in Spectre (2015)
Daniel Craig’s fourth Bond movie, Spectre, brought back an iconic villain from the franchise, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), 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 serious 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 Swann (Léa Seydoux), telling her it’s set to explode. Just before she tosses it at Blofeld, Bond mutters this typically playful line, showing that his enduring spirit hasn’t been broken.
9 “Shocking. Positively Shocking.”
James Bond in Goldfinger (1964)
Like most action movie heroes, 007 is no stranger to delivering pay off lines when dispatching bad guys, and this one makes for one of the best James Bond quotes in the 1964 film Goldfinger. During an intimate moment with a woman, Bond sees the reflection of a bad guy in her eye, and a fight ensues. Bond quickly gets the upper hand and shoves the would-be assassin in the tub, before swatting a lamp into the tub, electrocuting his enemy. he then tops it all off with this perfectly cheesy James Bond quote.
8 “That’s As Bad As Listening To The Beatles Without Earmuffs.”
James Bond in Goldfinger (1964)
With the catchy Bond theme songs that have played over the vast majority of the title sequences within the franchise and the memorable themes of John Barry and Monty Norman, James Bond has been associated with good music for a long time. He has, however, made at least one famously odd statement on pop music before. In Goldfinger, Bond gets up to grab a drink for himself and Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton). When asked why they need a new bottle, Bond responds with what can be construed as criticism of one of the most beloved bands in the history of pop music.
7 “Oh, I Travel – A Sort Of Licensed Troubleshooter.”
James Bond in Thunderball (1965)
Due to the highly sensitive information involved in his deadly line of work, James Bond plays it very suave and cool with not revealing exactly what he does to people. In the movie Thunderball, Bond is asked by Patricia Fearing (Molly Peters) about what he does, which leads the spy to give this sly response. 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 one of the cleverer James Bond quotes.
6 “Now There’s A Name To Die For.”
James Bond in Die Another Day (2002)
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 one of the henchmen of the main villain, Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens), fittingly named Mr. Kil (Lawrence Makoare). Upon hearing Kil’s name, Bond quickly chimed back with “Now there’s a name to die for.” It’s the kind of line that only 007 could get away with, and it stands out as one of Pierce Brosnan’s best James Bond quotes.
5 “Just A Slight Stiffness Coming On… In The Shoulder.”
James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
James Bond is well-known for being a smooth talker, and sexual innuendos are commonplace within the movies because of the franchise’s emphasis on using this aspect of his character to add comedy to the films. Actor George Lazenby only appeared in one film as James Bond, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, but he got to deliver one of the most famous James Bond quotes that utilizes these innuendos. This happens when a girl writes on Bond’s bare leg under the table–he’s wearing a Scottish kilt at the time)–and he deflects questions about his shocked reaction with this line.
4 “Keeping The British End Up, Sir.”
James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
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 as well as one of the quintessential entries into the franchise. The film has a good story and introduces the famous henchman named Jaws (Richard Kiel), but it also has an all-time great James Bond quote right before the credits start. After Bond defeats Karl Stromberg (Curt Jurgens), he and Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) flee using an escape pod, and when Bond’s superiors catch the two during an intimate moment, Bond says this classic line to explain what he’s doing under the covers with a deadly Russian agent.
3 “What Makes You Think This Is My First Time?”
James Bond in Skyfall (2012)
In Skyfall, Bond finds himself tied up and at the mercy of villain Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), 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.
2 “I Must Be Dreaming.”
James Bond in Goldfinger (1964)
One of the most famously ridiculous movie character names ever came from one of the best James 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 Galore her name, she tells him flatly. 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 the franchise never saw a name quite like this ever again. The genuine look of incredulity of Connery’s face says it all, really.
1 “I Know… I Know.”
James Bond in No Time To Die (2021)
When his iteration is remembered fully in hindsight in the same way that the other Bond actors 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, and already gravely wounded, 007 sees no other option but to meet his maker on his own terms and stand in the path of the oncoming missile strike that he helped set up to destroy the villain’s weapons manufacturing lair.
As Craig’s Bond says goodbye to his great love, Madeline Swann, she confesses that, despite what she said to him earlier, her daughter is in fact his 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 James Bond franchise one of its most showstopping and controversial moments to date.
