Tier List

James Bond Movies Ranked: The Complete 007 Tier List (2026)

All 25 official James Bond films ranked from S-tier to D-tier, six actors, sixty years, every era. Then build your own Bond tier list with head-to-head comparisons.

The Complete James Bond Tier List

Sixty years. Six Bonds. Twenty-five official Eon films. Ranking the James Bond franchise is the longest-running argument in cinema, and every era has loyalists who'll die on a hill for their guy. Here's our take, split into classic S/A/B/C/D tiers. Disagree? You should, and you can settle it yourself with Shortlist.

Casino Royale

(2006)Daniel Craig

The reboot that saved the franchise. Craig's gritty Bond, a legendary poker game, and one of the best opening parkour chases in cinema.

Goldfinger

(1964)Sean Connery

The film that defined what a Bond movie is. Aston Martin, the laser scene, "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die."

Skyfall

(2012)Daniel Craig

Sam Mendes, Roger Deakins cinematography, Javier Bardem chewing scenery. Bond at his most operatic.

From Russia with Love

(1963)Sean Connery

Hitchcockian spy thriller. The train fight with Red Grant is still elite.

Dr. No

(1962)Sean Connery

The original. Ursula Andress emerging from the surf is one of cinema's most iconic shots.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

(1969)George Lazenby

Lazenby's only Bond. Underrated for decades: the ending is genuinely devastating.

GoldenEye

(1995)Pierce Brosnan

Brosnan's debut after a six-year hiatus. The tank chase, the dam jump, and the N64 game made it legend.

No Time to Die

(2021)Daniel Craig

A proper send-off for Craig. Polarizing ending, but emotionally earned.

The Spy Who Loved Me

(1977)Roger Moore

Peak Roger Moore. The ski jump, the Lotus submarine, Jaws. A perfect blend of camp and craft.

Thunderball

(1965)Sean Connery

The underwater action drags, but the spectacle holds up.

For Your Eyes Only

(1981)Roger Moore

Grounded Moore-era Bond after the Moonraker silliness.

Licence to Kill

(1989)Timothy Dalton

Dalton's darker take. Ahead of its time, basically pre-empted Craig's Bond.

Tomorrow Never Dies

(1997)Pierce Brosnan

Underrated Brosnan entry. Michelle Yeoh holds her own as a co-lead.

Spectre

(2015)Daniel Craig

The opening Day of the Dead sequence is incredible. The Blofeld retcon is not.

You Only Live Twice

(1967)Sean Connery

The volcano lair villain HQ template originates here. Bond turning "Japanese" has aged badly.

Live and Let Die

(1973)Roger Moore

Moore's debut. The voodoo subplot is dated; the boat chase is still great.

Quantum of Solace

(2008)Daniel Craig

The shortest Bond. The writers' strike shows. Still has Craig at the height of his powers.

The World Is Not Enough

(1999)Pierce Brosnan

Sophie Marceau's villain is great. Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist is not.

The Living Daylights

(1987)Timothy Dalton

Dalton's debut. Cold War thriller energy that mostly works.

Octopussy

(1983)Roger Moore

Moore in a clown costume defusing a bomb. Yes, that happens.

Diamonds Are Forever

(1971)Sean Connery

Connery's return is tired. The Las Vegas setting is fun, but the plot is a mess.

The Man with the Golden Gun

(1974)Roger Moore

Christopher Lee's Scaramanga is great. The film around him is not.

Moonraker

(1979)Roger Moore

Bond goes to space. Pure post-Star-Wars cash-in.

A View to a Kill

(1985)Roger Moore

Moore at 57. Christopher Walken having fun is the only highlight.

Die Another Day

(2002)Pierce Brosnan

Invisible car. CGI surfing. Madonna cameo. The film that forced the Craig reboot.

Build your own Bond tier list

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James Bond Actors, Ranked

The eternal Bond debate. Each actor brings something different, and the "best" Bond depends entirely on what you value:

Sean Connery: The original, the template. Goldfinger, From Russia with Love, Dr. No.
Daniel Craig: The reinvention. Casino Royale and Skyfall are masterworks.
Roger Moore: The longest-serving Bond. Camper, lighter, more comic-book.
Pierce Brosnan: The 90s revival. GoldenEye is iconic; the others are inconsistent.
Timothy Dalton: The serious Bond before serious was cool. Underrated.
George Lazenby: One film, but it's a quietly great one.

How to Build Your Own James Bond Tier List

Ranking 25 movies in your head is impossible. Star ratings collapse: most Bonds end up a 3 or a 4. The fastest way to build a real Bond tier list is with head-to-head comparisons:

Open Shortlist and search "James Bond" or 007 to find every film.
Add them to a custom list: Shortlist supports custom lists, so you can create a "Bond" list that only contains 007 movies.
Compare head-to-head: the app shows you two Bond films at a time. Pick your favorite. That's the whole interaction.
Watch your tier list form: after 25-30 comparisons, your complete Bond ranking builds itself.
Share it: every ranking gets a shareable link. Send it to the group chat and watch the arguments start.

You can read more about the comparison-based approach in our movie tier list guide.

James Bond Movies in Order (1962-2021)

Watching the entire 007 franchise in release order is a 60-hour project, but the chronology is part of the appeal. Each Bond actor handles the role differently, and the films themselves are time capsules of Cold War paranoia, 70s decadence, 80s excess, and 21st-century reinvention.

Connery era (1962-1971): Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever
Lazenby (1969): On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Moore era (1973-1985): Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill
Dalton era (1987-1989): The Living Daylights, Licence to Kill
Brosnan era (1995-2002): GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day
Craig era (2006-2021): Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre, No Time to Die

Note: Never Say Never Again (1983) and the 1967 Casino Royale parody are not part of the official Eon canon, so they're not in this ranking.

Best James Bond Movie of All Time

Critical rankings consistently put Goldfinger (1964), Casino Royale (2006), and Skyfall (2012) at #1. Goldfinger is the cultural template: every Bond movie is in conversation with it. Casino Royale is the most acclaimed reboot in franchise history. Skyfall is the most cinematically ambitious Bond ever made and the only one to gross over a billion dollars.

Worst James Bond Movie of All Time

The bottom of every Bond ranking is usually Die Another Day (2002), A View to a Kill (1985), or Moonraker (1979). Die Another Day is the consensus low: invisible cars, CGI parasailing, and a pre-credits torture sequence the franchise never recovered from until Craig.

The Next James Bond

At time of writing (2026), the role of 007 is officially vacant after Daniel Craig's exit in No Time to Die. Rumors swirl around every British actor in the industry. Whoever takes it on inherits one of the most loaded movie franchises ever, and a tier list waiting to be re-debated.

James Bond Tier List FAQ

How many James Bond movies are there?

There are 25 official Eon Productions James Bond films from Dr. No (1962) to No Time to Die (2021). Two unofficial films exist outside the main canon (the 1967 Casino Royale parody and 1983's Never Say Never Again).

Who is the best James Bond actor?

The two-way tie is almost always Sean Connery vs. Daniel Craig. Connery created the role; Craig reinvented it. Polls flip between them every few years. Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, and Timothy Dalton are the next tier.

What order should I watch James Bond movies?

Release order. The franchise is best appreciated as a 60-year time capsule, with each Bond actor having their own arc. The Craig films are the only ones that benefit from in-order viewing because they're a single continuous story.

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