Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Encyclopedia
Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character
and a supervillain
from the James Bond
series of novels and films, who was created by Ian Fleming
and Kevin McClory
. An evil genius with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy
of the British Secret Service
agent James Bond and is arguably the primary antagonist
of the entire James Bond franchise. Blofeld is head of the global criminal organisation SPECTRE
and is commonly referred to as Number 1, an official numerical position given to members of SPECTRE.
Blofeld appears or is heard in three novels: Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and You Only Live Twice; and six official James Bond films: From Russia with Love
(1963), Thunderball
(1965), You Only Live Twice
(1967), On Her Majesty's Secret Service
(1969), Diamonds Are Forever
(1971) and For Your Eyes Only
(1981) (the pre-title sequence of which marks his final appearance and apparent death). He also appears in Never Say Never Again
, the 1983 remake of Thunderball.
He was played on screen by Donald Pleasence
, Telly Savalas
, Charles Gray
and Max von Sydow
, among others. It was initially a convention of the films not to show Blofeld's face, only a closeup of him stroking his white Persian cat.
Many of Blofeld's characteristics have become cliché
s of supervillain
s in popular fiction, representing the stock character
of the evil genius. In many versions, even the stroking of his white cat has been retained as a parodic allusion to Blofeld's character, as seen in the Austin Powers film series
with the character of Dr. Evil
and his cat Mr. Bigglesworth.
father and a Greek
mother in Gdynia
, Poland (then Germany). After World War I
, he became a Polish national. Blofeld attended the University of Warsaw
where he studied economics and political history, and then the Warsaw University of Technology
to study engineering and radionics
. He then took a communication position at the Polish Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs, and used his position for buying and selling stocks at the Warsaw Stock Exchange
.
Foreseeing World War II
, Blofeld made copies of top-secret wires and sold them to Nazi Germany
. Before the German invasion of Poland
in 1939, he destroyed all records of his existence then moved to Turkey
, where he worked for the Turkish radio and set up an intelligence organisation. During the war, he sold information to both sides. After the defeat of Erwin Rommel
, he decided to back the Allied
war effort, and was awarded numerous medals by the Allied powers after the war's end. Blofeld then temporarily moved to South America before founding SPECTRE.
In the John Gardner
novel For Special Services
, Blofeld is depicted as having had a daughter, Nena, with a French mistress.
It is commonly believed that the name Blofeld was inspired by the English cricket
commentator Henry Blofeld
's father, with whom Fleming went to school. The truth, however, is that he was named after Ernst Blofeld, the father of the author John Blofeld
with whom Fleming was associated through club membership. Henry and John were cousins of some degree.
. Blofeld is described physically as a massive man, weighing roughly 20 stones (127 kg), has a black crew-cut hair, black eyes (similar to those of Benito Mussolini
's), heavy eyelashes, a thin mouth and long pointed hands and feet. He has violet-scented breath from chewing flavoured cachous (breath mints). Blofeld's lifestyle is read as accordingly in one chapter in Thunderball: "For the rest, he didn't smoke or drink and he had never been known to sleep with a member of either sex. He didn't even eat very much."
Blofeld is absent from the next book, The Spy Who Loved Me, though its events take place while Bond is battling SPECTRE in North America, while briefly being mentioned. In On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1963) Bond learns that Blofeld has radically altered his appearance—he is now tall and thin; has reduced his weight to 12 stones (76.2 kg); sports long silver hair, an infection on his nose, and no earlobes; and wears dark green tinted contact lenses. He is hiding in Switzerland
in the guise of the Comte Balthazar de Bleuville, and Bond defeats his plans to destroy Britain's agricultural economy. In the final sequence of the novel, Blofeld gets revenge by murdering Bond's new wife, Tracy
.
In You Only Live Twice published in 1964, Blofeld returns and is found by Bond to be in hiding in Japan under the alias Dr. Guntram Shatterhand. In this appearance he is still thin but has a gold-capped tooth, a fully healed nose, and a drooping grey mustache. Bond describes Blofeld on their confrontation as being "a big man, perhaps six foot three (190 cm), and powerfully built". Bond strangles him to death at the end of the novel. In both On Her Majesty's Secret Service and You Only Live Twice, he is aided in his schemes by Irma Bunt, who is clearly his lover in the latter and posing as Shatterhand's wife. Bond incapacitates her in their Japanese castle base before it blows up, killing Bunt. The final mention of Blofeld prior to his death in You Only Live Twice is in the beginning of the next book, The Man with the Golden Gun
, published in 1965.
In these first two appearances, he is a perceived, but physically unseen character
, with only his lower body visible as he strokes his trademark white cat.
In the third, fourth, and fifth appearancesYou Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Diamonds are Foreverhe is the primary antagonist, meeting Bond face-to-face.
In the film version of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, he is not the actual killer of Tracy Bond. He drives the car from which Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat
) fires the fatal shots at Tracy, just hours after she marries James.
In the sixth and final appearancein the pre-credit sequence of For Your Eyes Only
he is an anonymous, bald villain trying to kill Bond once again. Blofeld remains unnamed and unlisted in this film’s end credits. The only clues to his identity are the trademark white cat, similar clothes to his previous onscreen appearances, the dialogue indicating that he and Bond have met before, and the fact that the scene begins with Bond paying his respects to Tracy, often considered by the producers as a means of providing an "immediate continuity link" in the event of a new actor taking the part of Bond (although this was Roger Moore
's fifth appearance as Bond). The anonymity of the villain was due to the legal dispute between Kevin McClory
and EON Productions over the Thunderball copyrights.
As a villain, Blofeld’s appearance and personality change according to the personifying actor:
He has a full head of black hair in From Russia With Love and Thunderball; a facial dueling scar
in You Only Live Twice; no scar or earlobes in On Her Majesty's Secret Service; and silver-grey hair in Diamonds Are Forever. This metamorphosing is per Fleming’s literary portrayal of a chameleon
ic master criminal striving to go unnoticed with a massive employ of plastic surgery
(which is often used in Diamonds Are Forever
, albeit to create Blofeld doubles rather than change the original). He often wears a jacket without lapel, based loosely either on the Nehru jacket
or on the Mao suit
, a feature which is used in spoofs like the Austin Powers series
, though in his early two appearances on film he wore a black business suit.
Blofeld's last onscreen appearance was in Never Say Never Again, the 1983 remake of Thunderball. As the film was not made by EON Productions
, it is generally not regarded as an "official" Bond film and thus exists outside of the continuity of the EON films. In Never Say Never Again, Blofeld is tall, thin, and bearded, with a European accent more in keeping with the character as presented in From Russia With Love and Thunderball.
Czech actor Jan Werich
was originally cast by producer Harry Saltzman
to play Blofeld in You Only Live Twice
. Upon arriving at the Pinewood set, both producer Albert R. Broccoli
and director Lewis Gilbert
felt that he was a bad choice, resembling a "poor, benevolent Santa Claus
". Nonetheless, in an attempt to make the casting work, Gilbert continued filming. After five days, both Gilbert and Broccoli determined that Werich wasn't menacing enough, and recast Donald Pleasence
in the role – the official excuse being that Werich was ill.
, this time with the likeness of Donald Pleasence, voiced by Gideon Emery
.
Blofeld is a playable multiplayer character in the 2010 game GoldenEye 007
for the Nintendo Wii, with the likeness of Charles Gray.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and a supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
from the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
series of novels and films, who was created by Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
and Kevin McClory
Kevin McClory
Kevin O'Donovan McClory was an Irish screenwriter, producer, and director. McClory was best known for the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again, which was the result of a long legal battle between McClory and Ian Fleming over the writing credits and later the film rights to...
. An evil genius with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy
Archenemy
An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
of the British Secret Service
Secret Intelligence Service
The Secret Intelligence Service is responsible for supplying the British Government with foreign intelligence. Alongside the internal Security Service , the Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence , it operates under the formal direction of the Joint Intelligence...
agent James Bond and is arguably the primary antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the entire James Bond franchise. Blofeld is head of the global criminal organisation SPECTRE
SPECTRE
SPECTRE is a fictional global terrorist organisation featured in the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, the films based on those novels, and James Bond video games...
and is commonly referred to as Number 1, an official numerical position given to members of SPECTRE.
Blofeld appears or is heard in three novels: Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and You Only Live Twice; and six official James Bond films: From Russia with Love
From Russia with Love (film)
From Russia with Love is the second in the James Bond spy film series, and the second to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1963, the film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and directed by Terence Young. It is based on the 1957 novel of the...
(1963), Thunderball
Thunderball (film)
Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
(1965), You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice (film)
You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name...
(1967), On Her Majesty's Secret Service
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Following the decision of Sean Connery to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby...
(1969), Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever (film)
Diamonds Are Forever is the seventh spy film in the Eon Productions James Bond series, and the sixth and final Eon Productions film to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film is based on Ian Fleming's 1956 novel of the same name, and is the second of four James Bond films...
(1971) and For Your Eyes Only
For Your Eyes Only (film)
For Your Eyes Only is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It marked the directorial debut of John Glen, who had worked as editor and second unit director in three other Bond films. The screenplay by Richard Maibaum...
(1981) (the pre-title sequence of which marks his final appearance and apparent death). He also appears in Never Say Never Again
Never Say Never Again
Never Say Never Again is a 1983 spy film based on the James Bond novel Thunderball, which was previously filmed in 1965 as Thunderball...
, the 1983 remake of Thunderball.
He was played on screen by Donald Pleasence
Donald Pleasence
Sir Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE, was a British actor who gained more than 200 screen credits during a career which spanned over four decades...
, Telly Savalas
Telly Savalas
Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas was an American film and television actor and singer, whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz...
, Charles Gray
Charles Gray (actor)
Charles Gray was an English actor who was well-known for roles including the arch-villain Blofeld in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, Sherlock Holmes' brother Mycroft Holmes in the Granada television series, and as The Criminologist in the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show in...
and Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...
, among others. It was initially a convention of the films not to show Blofeld's face, only a closeup of him stroking his white Persian cat.
Many of Blofeld's characteristics have become cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
s of supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s in popular fiction, representing the stock character
Stock character
A Stock character is a fictional character based on a common literary or social stereotype. Stock characters rely heavily on cultural types or names for their personality, manner of speech, and other characteristics. In their most general form, stock characters are related to literary archetypes,...
of the evil genius. In many versions, even the stroking of his white cat has been retained as a parodic allusion to Blofeld's character, as seen in the Austin Powers film series
Austin Powers (film series)
The Austin Powers series is a series of action-comedy films written by and starring Mike Myers as the title character, directed by Jay Roach and distributed by New Line Cinema...
with the character of Dr. Evil
Dr. Evil
Dr. Evil is a fictional character, played by Mike Myers in the Austin Powers film series. He is the antagonist of the movies, and Austin Powers' nemesis. He is a parody of James Bond villains, primarily Donald Pleasence's Ernst Stavro Blofeld . Dr...
and his cat Mr. Bigglesworth.
Character
Fleming details Blofeld's background in the novel Thunderball, though none of his past is ever revealed in the Bond films. According to the novel, Blofeld was born on 28 May 1908 (which is also Ian Fleming's birthday) to a PolishPoles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
father and a Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
mother in Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
, Poland (then Germany). After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he became a Polish national. Blofeld attended the University of Warsaw
University of Warsaw
The University of Warsaw is the largest university in Poland and one of the most prestigious, ranked as best Polish university in 2010 and 2011...
where he studied economics and political history, and then the Warsaw University of Technology
Warsaw University of Technology
The Warsaw University of Technology is one of the leading institutes of technology in Poland, and one of the largest in Central Europe. It employs 2,453 teaching faculty, with 357 professors . The student body numbers 36,156 , mostly full-time. There are 17 faculties covering almost all fields of...
to study engineering and radionics
Radionics
Radionics is the use of blood, hair, a signature, or other substances unique to the person as a focus to supposedly heal a patient from afar. The concept behind radionics originated in the early 1900s with Albert Abrams , who became a millionaire by leasing radionic machines which he designed...
. He then took a communication position at the Polish Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs, and used his position for buying and selling stocks at the Warsaw Stock Exchange
Warsaw Stock Exchange
The Warsaw Stock Exchange , , is a stock exchange located in Warsaw, Poland. It has a capitalization of € 220 bln .The WSE is a member of the World Federation of Exchanges and the Federation of European Securities Exchanges.-History:...
.
Foreseeing World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Blofeld made copies of top-secret wires and sold them to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. Before the German invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
in 1939, he destroyed all records of his existence then moved to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, where he worked for the Turkish radio and set up an intelligence organisation. During the war, he sold information to both sides. After the defeat of Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
, he decided to back the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
war effort, and was awarded numerous medals by the Allied powers after the war's end. Blofeld then temporarily moved to South America before founding SPECTRE.
In the John Gardner
John Gardner (thriller writer)
John Edmund Gardner was an English spy novelist, most notably for the James Bond series.-Early life:Gardner was born in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland. He graduated from St John's College, Cambridge and did postgraduate study at Oxford...
novel For Special Services
For Special Services
For Special Services, first published in 1982, was the second novel by John Gardner featuring Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond. Carrying the Glidrose Publications copyright, it was first published in the United Kingdom by Jonathan Cape and in the United States by McCann and Geoghegan.-For...
, Blofeld is depicted as having had a daughter, Nena, with a French mistress.
It is commonly believed that the name Blofeld was inspired by the English cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
commentator Henry Blofeld
Henry Blofeld
Henry Calthorpe Blofeld is a sports journalist. He is best known as a cricket commentator for Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.Blofeld had an exceptional career as a schoolboy cricketer, cut short by injury...
's father, with whom Fleming went to school. The truth, however, is that he was named after Ernst Blofeld, the father of the author John Blofeld
John Blofeld
John Eaton Calthorpe Blofeld was a British writer on Asian thought and religion, especially Taoism and Chinese Buddhism.-Early life:Blofeld was born in London in 1913...
with whom Fleming was associated through club membership. Henry and John were cousins of some degree.
Novels
Blofeld makes three appearances in the Ian Fleming novels. He first appears in a minor role as the leader of SPECTRE in the 1961 novel Thunderball. The plot that he formulates is carried out by his second-in-command Emilio LargoEmilio Largo
Emilio Largo is a fictional character and the main antagonist from the James Bond novel Thunderball. In the novel he is depicted, according to the British stereotypes about Italians, as a large, heavyset, olive-skinned, powerful man exuding animal charm, with the profile of a Roman emperor, and...
. Blofeld is described physically as a massive man, weighing roughly 20 stones (127 kg), has a black crew-cut hair, black eyes (similar to those of Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
's), heavy eyelashes, a thin mouth and long pointed hands and feet. He has violet-scented breath from chewing flavoured cachous (breath mints). Blofeld's lifestyle is read as accordingly in one chapter in Thunderball: "For the rest, he didn't smoke or drink and he had never been known to sleep with a member of either sex. He didn't even eat very much."
Blofeld is absent from the next book, The Spy Who Loved Me, though its events take place while Bond is battling SPECTRE in North America, while briefly being mentioned. In On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1963) Bond learns that Blofeld has radically altered his appearance—he is now tall and thin; has reduced his weight to 12 stones (76.2 kg); sports long silver hair, an infection on his nose, and no earlobes; and wears dark green tinted contact lenses. He is hiding in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in the guise of the Comte Balthazar de Bleuville, and Bond defeats his plans to destroy Britain's agricultural economy. In the final sequence of the novel, Blofeld gets revenge by murdering Bond's new wife, Tracy
Tracy Bond
Teresa "Tracy" Bond is a fictional character and the main Bond girl in the James Bond film and novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service...
.
In You Only Live Twice published in 1964, Blofeld returns and is found by Bond to be in hiding in Japan under the alias Dr. Guntram Shatterhand. In this appearance he is still thin but has a gold-capped tooth, a fully healed nose, and a drooping grey mustache. Bond describes Blofeld on their confrontation as being "a big man, perhaps six foot three (190 cm), and powerfully built". Bond strangles him to death at the end of the novel. In both On Her Majesty's Secret Service and You Only Live Twice, he is aided in his schemes by Irma Bunt, who is clearly his lover in the latter and posing as Shatterhand's wife. Bond incapacitates her in their Japanese castle base before it blows up, killing Bunt. The final mention of Blofeld prior to his death in You Only Live Twice is in the beginning of the next book, The Man with the Golden Gun
The Man with the Golden Gun (novel)
The Man with the Golden Gun is the twelfth novel of Ian Fleming's James Bond series of books. It was first published by Jonathan Cape in the UK on 1 April 1965, eight months after the author's death. The novel was not as detailed or polished as the others in the series, leading to poor but polite...
, published in 1965.
Films
In the film series Blofeld first appears in From Russia with Love, then in Thunderball.In these first two appearances, he is a perceived, but physically unseen character
Unseen character
In fiction, an unseen character is a character that is never directly observed by the audience but is only described by other characters. They are a common device in drama and have been called "triumphs of theatrical invention". They are continuing characters — characters who are currently in...
, with only his lower body visible as he strokes his trademark white cat.
In the third, fourth, and fifth appearancesYou Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Diamonds are Foreverhe is the primary antagonist, meeting Bond face-to-face.
In the film version of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, he is not the actual killer of Tracy Bond. He drives the car from which Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat
Ilse Steppat
Ilse Paula Steppat was a German actress. Her husband was noted actor and director Max Nosseck....
) fires the fatal shots at Tracy, just hours after she marries James.
In the sixth and final appearancein the pre-credit sequence of For Your Eyes Only
For Your Eyes Only (film)
For Your Eyes Only is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It marked the directorial debut of John Glen, who had worked as editor and second unit director in three other Bond films. The screenplay by Richard Maibaum...
he is an anonymous, bald villain trying to kill Bond once again. Blofeld remains unnamed and unlisted in this film’s end credits. The only clues to his identity are the trademark white cat, similar clothes to his previous onscreen appearances, the dialogue indicating that he and Bond have met before, and the fact that the scene begins with Bond paying his respects to Tracy, often considered by the producers as a means of providing an "immediate continuity link" in the event of a new actor taking the part of Bond (although this was Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
's fifth appearance as Bond). The anonymity of the villain was due to the legal dispute between Kevin McClory
Kevin McClory
Kevin O'Donovan McClory was an Irish screenwriter, producer, and director. McClory was best known for the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again, which was the result of a long legal battle between McClory and Ian Fleming over the writing credits and later the film rights to...
and EON Productions over the Thunderball copyrights.
As a villain, Blofeld’s appearance and personality change according to the personifying actor:
He has a full head of black hair in From Russia With Love and Thunderball; a facial dueling scar
Dueling scars
Duelling scars have been seen as a “badge of honour” since as early as 1825. Known variously as "Mensur scars", "the bragging scar", "smite", "Schmitte" or "renommierschmiss", duelling scars were popular amongst upper-class Austrians and Germans involved in academic fencing at the start of the 20th...
in You Only Live Twice; no scar or earlobes in On Her Majesty's Secret Service; and silver-grey hair in Diamonds Are Forever. This metamorphosing is per Fleming’s literary portrayal of a chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
ic master criminal striving to go unnoticed with a massive employ of plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
(which is often used in Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever (film)
Diamonds Are Forever is the seventh spy film in the Eon Productions James Bond series, and the sixth and final Eon Productions film to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film is based on Ian Fleming's 1956 novel of the same name, and is the second of four James Bond films...
, albeit to create Blofeld doubles rather than change the original). He often wears a jacket without lapel, based loosely either on the Nehru jacket
Nehru jacket
The Nehru jacket is a hip-length tailored coat for men or women, created in India in the 1940s. The jacket essentially blends the collar of the achkan, historically the royal court dress of Indian nobles, with the Western suit jacket...
or on the Mao suit
Mao suit
The modern Chinese tunic suit is a style of male attire known in China as the Zhongshan suit , and known in the West as the Mao suit...
, a feature which is used in spoofs like the Austin Powers series
Austin Powers (film series)
The Austin Powers series is a series of action-comedy films written by and starring Mike Myers as the title character, directed by Jay Roach and distributed by New Line Cinema...
, though in his early two appearances on film he wore a black business suit.
Blofeld's last onscreen appearance was in Never Say Never Again, the 1983 remake of Thunderball. As the film was not made by EON Productions
EON Productions
Eon Productions is a film production company known for producing the James Bond film series. The company is based in London's Piccadilly and also operates from Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom...
, it is generally not regarded as an "official" Bond film and thus exists outside of the continuity of the EON films. In Never Say Never Again, Blofeld is tall, thin, and bearded, with a European accent more in keeping with the character as presented in From Russia With Love and Thunderball.
Czech actor Jan Werich
Jan Werich
Jan Werich was a Czech actor, playwright and writer.-Life:Between 1916 to 1924 he attended "reálné gymnasium" in Křemencová Street in Prague...
was originally cast by producer Harry Saltzman
Harry Saltzman
Harry Saltzman was a Canadian theatre and film producer best known for his mega-gamble which resulted in his co-producing the James Bond film series with Albert R...
to play Blofeld in You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice (film)
You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name...
. Upon arriving at the Pinewood set, both producer Albert R. Broccoli
Albert R. Broccoli
Albert Romolo Broccoli, CBE , nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer, who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career, most of them in the United Kingdom, and often filmed at Pinewood Studios. Co-founder of Danjaq, LLC and EON Productions, Broccoli is most notable as the...
and director Lewis Gilbert
Lewis Gilbert
Lewis Gilbert CBE is an English film director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:He was the son of music hall performers, and spent his early years travelling with his parents, and watching the shows from the side of the stage. He first performed on-stage at the age of 5, when asked to drive a...
felt that he was a bad choice, resembling a "poor, benevolent Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
". Nonetheless, in an attempt to make the casting work, Gilbert continued filming. After five days, both Gilbert and Broccoli determined that Werich wasn't menacing enough, and recast Donald Pleasence
Donald Pleasence
Sir Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE, was a British actor who gained more than 200 screen credits during a career which spanned over four decades...
in the role – the official excuse being that Werich was ill.
| Year | Film series | Actor/Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | From Russia with Love From Russia with Love (film) From Russia with Love is the second in the James Bond spy film series, and the second to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1963, the film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and directed by Terence Young. It is based on the 1957 novel of the... |
Anthony Dawson Anthony Dawson Anthony Dawson was a Scottish-born actor, best known for his supporting roles in British films.Born in Edinburgh, he made his film debut in 1943's They Met in the Dark, going on to appear in such classic British films as The Way to the Stars , The Queen of Spades , and The Wooden Horse , before... , person, Eric Pohlmann Eric Pohlmann Eric Pohlmann was an Austrian theatre, film and television character actor.Born Erich Pollak in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, he was a classically trained actor who studied under the renowned director Max Reinhardt... , voice; both uncredited as only hands and back of head are seen; the end credits list a question mark Question mark The question mark , is a punctuation mark that replaces the full stop at the end of an interrogative sentence in English and many other languages. The question mark is not used for indirect questions... instead of an actor’s name. |
Active/Indirect involvement in the field. |
| 1965 | Thunderball Thunderball (film) Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham... |
Anthony Dawson Anthony Dawson Anthony Dawson was a Scottish-born actor, best known for his supporting roles in British films.Born in Edinburgh, he made his film debut in 1943's They Met in the Dark, going on to appear in such classic British films as The Way to the Stars , The Queen of Spades , and The Wooden Horse , before... , person, Eric Pohlmann Eric Pohlmann Eric Pohlmann was an Austrian theatre, film and television character actor.Born Erich Pollak in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, he was a classically trained actor who studied under the renowned director Max Reinhardt... , voice (though other sources mistakenly claim that it is Joseph Wiseman Joseph Wiseman Joseph Wiseman was a Canadian theater and film actor, best known for starring as the titular antagonist of the first James Bond film, Dr. No, his role as Manny Weisbord on Crime Story, and his career on Broadway... ); both uncredited as only hands and white hair are shown; end credits do not list Blofeld. |
Active/Indirect involvement in the field. |
| 1967 | You Only Live Twice You Only Live Twice (film) You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name... |
Donald Pleasence Donald Pleasence Sir Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE, was a British actor who gained more than 200 screen credits during a career which spanned over four decades... ; initially unseen as previously, before a dramatic reveal. |
Escaped. |
| 1969 | On Her Majesty’s Secret Service On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film) On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Following the decision of Sean Connery to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby... |
Telly Savalas Telly Savalas Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas was an American film and television actor and singer, whose career spanned four decades. Best known for playing the title role in the 1970s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz... ; appears with earlobes removed to back up claim to a noble title. |
Escaped; Was driver in the drive-by murder of Teresa Bond. |
| 1971 | Diamonds Are Forever Diamonds Are Forever (film) Diamonds Are Forever is the seventh spy film in the Eon Productions James Bond series, and the sixth and final Eon Productions film to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film is based on Ian Fleming's 1956 novel of the same name, and is the second of four James Bond films... |
Charles Gray Charles Gray (actor) Charles Gray was an English actor who was well-known for roles including the arch-villain Blofeld in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, Sherlock Holmes' brother Mycroft Holmes in the Granada television series, and as The Criminologist in the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show in... ; appears also as doubles, all created via plastic surgery. |
He attempts to escape in his mini-sub, but Bond gains control of it and crashes it into the Control Room. |
| 1981 | For Your Eyes Only For Your Eyes Only (film) For Your Eyes Only is the twelfth spy film in the James Bond series and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It marked the directorial debut of John Glen, who had worked as editor and second unit director in three other Bond films. The screenplay by Richard Maibaum... |
John Hollis John Hollis John Hollis was an English actor. He played the role of Lobot in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and the German porter at the chateau in The Dirty Dozen... , person, Peter Marrinker, voice; Blofeld’s face is not seen close-up. |
Dropped into tall chimney stack from a helicopter. |
| 1983 | Never Say Never Again Never Say Never Again Never Say Never Again is a 1983 spy film based on the James Bond novel Thunderball, which was previously filmed in 1965 as Thunderball... (non-EON) |
Max von Sydow Max von Sydow Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more... |
Active/Indirect involvement in the field |
From Russia With Love
- Rosa KlebbRosa KlebbColonel Rosa Klebb is a fictional character and the main antagonist from the James Bond film and novel From Russia with Love. She was played by Lotte Lenya in the film version...
- Morzeny
- Donald Red Grant
- Kronsteen
- Rhoda
- Krilencu
Thunderball
- SPECTRE Agent # 11
- SPECTRE Agent # 9
- Emilio LargoEmilio LargoEmilio Largo is a fictional character and the main antagonist from the James Bond novel Thunderball. In the novel he is depicted, according to the British stereotypes about Italians, as a large, heavyset, olive-skinned, powerful man exuding animal charm, with the profile of a Roman emperor, and...
- Fiona VolpeFiona VolpeFiona Volpe, played by Luciana Paluzzi, is a fictional character in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball. The character is a creation of the film-makers, an addition to Ian Fleming's original plot...
- Count Lippe
- Angelo Palazzi
- SPECTRE Executive Board
You Only Live Twice
- Hans
- Mr. Osato
- Helga Brandt
- SPECTRE Agent # 3
- SPECTRE Agent # 4
- Dikko Henderson's Assassin
- Car Driver
- SPECTRE Astronaut
- Mr. Fong
- Helicopter Squad
- Tiger Tanaka's Ninja School Assassin
- Bedroom Assassin
- Innumerable Asian footsoldiers in pastel coloured jumpsuits and matching hard hats.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
- Irma Bunt
- Grunther
- Gebrüder Gumbold
- Braun
- Felsen
- Josef
- Slovak
- Eckford
- Chrono
- Sonny
- Herb
- Tony
- Jacky
- Riker
Diamonds Are Forever
- Mr. Wint
- Mr. Kidd
- Bert Saxby
- Professor-Dr. Metz
- Japanese Contact
- Egyptian Contact
- Marie
- Dr. Tynan
- Joe
- Mrs. Whistler
- Tiffany CaseTiffany CaseTiffany Case is a fictional character in the James Bond novel and film Diamonds Are Forever. For the 1971 film she was portrayed by Jill St. John...
- Peter Franks
- Morton Slumber
- Shady Tree
- Klaus Hergersheimer
- Ivanhorff
- Rodney
- Bambi
- Thumper
- Maxie
- Rocko
- Riker
- Private army in blue jumpsuits and orange hardhats serving on an oil rig off the coast of Baja CaliforniaBaja California PeninsulaThe Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...
Unofficial henchmen/henchwomen
- Max Largo
- Fatima Blush
- Jack Petachi
- Count Lippe
- Dr. Kovacs
Other appearances
Blofeld appears in the 2004 game GoldenEye: Rogue AgentGoldenEye: Rogue Agent
GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is a 2004 action-adventure Science-Fiction First-Person Shooter video game, developed and published by Electronic Arts. Despite it is set in an alternate timeline of James Bond universe, the player takes the role of an ex-MI6 agent who is recruited by Auric Goldfinger, a...
, this time with the likeness of Donald Pleasence, voiced by Gideon Emery
Gideon Emery
Gideon Emery is an English actor and voice actor, known for his stage work in South Africa and for providing voices in video games. He lives in Los Angeles.-Early life:...
.
Blofeld is a playable multiplayer character in the 2010 game GoldenEye 007
GoldenEye 007 (2010 video game)
GoldenEye 007 is a 2010 first-person shooter video game developed by Eurocom and published by Activision for the Wii video game console, and the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is a reimagining of the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, and the 1997 Nintendo 64 video game GoldenEye 007...
for the Nintendo Wii, with the likeness of Charles Gray.
Cultural impact
- Pleasence's incarnation as Blofeld in You Only Live Twice served as inspiration for Dr. Evil, the chief villain of the Austin PowersAustin Powers (film series)The Austin Powers series is a series of action-comedy films written by and starring Mike Myers as the title character, directed by Jay Roach and distributed by New Line Cinema...
films, portrayed by Mike MyersMike Myers (actor)Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
, complete with facial scar, grey collarless suit and white cat. - WaldorfWaldorf MusicWaldorf Music AG is a German synthesizer company. It was founded on 1 January 2003 to take over the actual business of the Waldorf Electronics GmbH which had become insolvent. Waldorf is best known for its Microwave wavetable synthesizer and Q virtual analogue synthesizer lines.- History :Waldorf...
released a desktop synthesiser named BlofeldBlofeld (synthesiser)The Waldorf Blofeld is a synthesizer combining virtual analogue subtractive synthesis with wavetable synthesis. It is available as a small desktop unit and as a 49 key velocity and aftertouch sensitive keyboard version. The keyboard version features some extra controls such as two performance...
, after Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Waldorf has also released a software synthesiser named Largo, perhaps after Blofeld's henchman Emilio Largo. - The Inspector GadgetInspector GadgetInspector Gadget is an animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted cyborg detective named Inspector Gadget – a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's arch-nemesis is Dr...
cartoon series features a character named Dr. Claw who was a parody of Blofeld, including signature shots of just the chair, and arms, similar to shots of Blofeld. Like Blofeld, who was head of SPECTRE, Claw was the head of a large criminal organisation, called MAD and had a cat ("Mad-Cat"). - In the Evil Genius computer game, the character of Maximillian is based on Blofeld.
- In the TimeSplitters: Future Perfect and TimeSplitters 2TimeSplitters 2TimeSplitters 2 is a first-person shooter video game available for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube game consoles. The game was published by Eidos and developed by Free Radical Design. The game was first released in October 2002 in North America and Europe, and later in Japan...
computer games, the character of Khallos is based on Blofeld. Khallos in Future Perfect also appears with a robotic white pet cat named Strudel. - Additional parodies of Blofeld can be found in:
- Police Squad!Police Squad!Police Squad! is a television comedy series first broadcast in 1982, created by Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker and starring Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, the series was packed with ZAZ's usual sight gags, wordplay and non sequiturs...
episode "Rendezvous at Big Gulch (Terror in the Neighborhood)Rendezvous at Big Gulch (Terror in the Neighborhood)Rendezvous at Big Gulch is the fifth episode broadcast of the short-lived TV series Police Squad!. The episode was directed by Reza Badiyi and written by Nancy Steen and Neil Thompson. As usual, the episode was produced by Robert K...
". - The Teen TitansTeen Titans (TV series)Teen Titans is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics characters of the same name. The show was created by Glen Murakami, developed by David Slack, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003, and the final episode "Things Change"...
episode "Episode 257–494 aka Don't Touch That Dial".
- Police Squad!
- In the video game Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive PeopleStrong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive PeopleStrong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People is an episodic point-and-click adventure game developed by Telltale Games based on the Homestar Runner web cartoon, with Strong Bad as the lead character. A total of five episodes were released for WiiWare and Windows between August 11, 2008 and...
Episode 4, Uzi Bazooka is shown on the video left in the office sitting in a big chair, head out of view, stroking The Cheat. - Dr. Robotnik from the Sonic The Hedgehog SatAmSatamSatam is an Arabic given name for males.-Notable bearers:* Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud , Saudi deputy Governor of Riyadh...
series owned a robotic chicken instead of a white cat. - In the Dragon BallDragon Ballis a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995; later the 519 individual chapters were published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. Dragon Ball was inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the...
cartoon series, the Red Ribbon Army and his commander are loosely based in Blofeld and SPECTRE. In this fact, the Commander Red's face isn't seen in early episodes of the Red Ribbon Army Saga, and only shows his hands with a cat. Mission failures are punished with the execution, like SPECTRE, and his members are identified with colours instead the numbers on SPECTRE. - In the Bruce LeeBruce LeeBruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
movie Enter the DragonEnter the DragonEnter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts co-production with Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. studios, directed by Robert Clouse; starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973...
, villain Mr. Han (Kien Shih) cradles a white Persian cat while showing Roper (John SaxonJohn Saxon (actor)John Saxon is an American actor who has worked on over 200 projects during the span of sixty years. Saxon is most known for his work in horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Black Christmas, both of which feature Saxon as a policeman in search of the killer...
) around his museum of weaponry. The film has been referred to as "a low-rent James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
thriller", a "remake of Doctor NoDr. No (film)Dr. No is a 1962 spy film, starring Sean Connery; it is the first James Bond film. Based on the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather and was directed by Terence Young. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R...
" with elements of Fu ManchuFu ManchuDr. Fu Manchu is a fictional character introduced in a series of novels by British author Sax Rohmer during the first half of the 20th century...
. - In the Operation: Jet FusionOperation: Jet FusionThis article is about the Jimmy Neutron telefilm. For the videogame of the same name, see Jimmy Neutron: Jet Fusion.Operation: Jet Fusion is a 2003 telefilm of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius television series...
of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy GeniusThe Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy GeniusThe Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, often shortened to just Jimmy Neutron, is an American animated television series, and spin-off of the Academy Award-nominated computer-animated movie, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. The series first officially aired on July 20, 2002, on Nickelodeon...
TV series, a film starring Jet Fusion (a parody of James Bond) has two villains, one who resembles Blofeld and another who looks like Auric GoldfingerAuric GoldfingerAuric Goldfinger is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the James Bond film and novel Goldfinger. His first name, Auric, is an adjective meaning of gold...
. - In the 1972 animated film Tintin and the Lake of SharksTintin and the Lake of SharksTintin and the Lake of Sharks is a Tintin animated film, directed by Raymond Leblanc . It was not written by Hergé, who supervised, but by the Belgian comics creator Greg , a friend of Hergé...
, the main villain, RastapopoulosRastapopoulosRoberto Rastapopoulos is a fictional character in The Adventures of Tintin, the series of classic Belgian comic books written and illustrated by Hergé. He is the antagonist in many of Tintin's adventures....
, is based on the Blofeld character. In the first part of the film only his arms and his chair are visible, but later on his face appears. - In the Danger Mouse cartoon series, the main antagonist, Baron Greenback, is also based on Blofeld. In his scenes he appears stroking a white-haired caterpillar instead of a white angora cat.
- The main villain of Charles StrossCharles StrossCharles David George "Charlie" Stross is a British writer of science fiction, Lovecraftian horror and fantasy. He was born in Leeds.Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera...
' novel The Jennifer MorgueThe Jennifer MorgueThe Jennifer Morgue is the second collection of stories by Charles Stross featuring Bob Howard, containing the title novel The Jennifer Morgue, the short story "Pimpf", and an essay titled "The Golden Age of Spying"...
patterns himself after Blofeld consciously, including the white cat, Nehru suit, and elaborate plan for world domination (using the Glomar Explorer to raise a ChthonianChthonian (Cthulhu Mythos)Chthonians are fictional creatures in the Cthulhu Mythos. The species is the creation of Brian Lumley and was first featured in his short story "Cement Surroundings" —though the creature never made a direct appearance...
superweapon from the Caribbean sea floor). In the afterward of the novel, Stross discusses Blofeld's influences (Doctor MabuseDoctor MabuseDoctor Mabuse is a fictional character created by Norbert Jacques in the novel Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler, and made famous by the three movies director Fritz Lang made about the character; see Dr. Mabuse the Gambler. Although the character was designed deliberately to mimic pulp magazine-style...
, Professor MoriartyProfessor MoriartyProfessor James Moriarty is a fictional character and the archenemy of the detective Sherlock Holmes in the fiction of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Moriarty is a criminal mastermind, described by Holmes as the "Napoleon of Crime". Doyle lifted the phrase from a real Scotland Yard inspector who was...
, and FantômasFantômasFantômas is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre .One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared in a total of 32 volumes written by the two collaborators, then a subsequent 11...
), as well as featuring a fictional interview between Stross and Blofeld. The 'real' Blofeld is currently serving as the Minister of Interior Investment of TransnistriaTransnistriaTransnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
and, as a follower of Leo StraussLeo StraussLeo Strauss was a political philosopher and classicist who specialized in classical political philosophy. He was born in Germany to Jewish parents and later emigrated to the United States...
and Ayn RandAyn RandAyn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
, was attempting to restore liberty to Britain after he considered it taken over by communist agents such as Harold WilsonHarold WilsonJames Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
and Jim Callaghan. - In the PokémonPokémon (anime), abbreviated from , is a children's TV anime series, which has since been adapted for the North and South American, Australian and European television markets...
animated series, Giovanni is a reference to Blofeld, being the head of a criminal organisation, being rarely shown (often with just his lower body visible) while having a white Persian cat. This appearance only lasted until near the end of the first season. - The main villain of children's drama MI High (called the Grand Master) is very similar to Blofeld, except he strokes a rabbit instead of a cat.
- The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
animated series has briefly parodied Blofeld on several occasions, most elaborately in the 1992 episode Itchy & Scratchy: The MovieItchy & Scratchy: The Movie"Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons fourth season and first aired on November 3, 1992. The plot follows Bart continually getting in trouble, and how Homer is unable to give him any suitable punishment. Marge gets Homer to agree to make a punishment stick, and he...
in which Bart SimpsonBart SimpsonBartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
amuses himself by melting a plastic figurine of James Bond in a microwave oven — "Stick around, Mister Bond. Things are really starting to ... cook!" — and laughing evilly while petting Snowball II, the family cat. - In the 1969 Monty Python episode "Owl-stretching time," the Big Cheese (the arch villain of that particular sketch) enters stroking a rabbit, although he quickly shoots it.
- Larius Nefarious from Johnny TestJohnny TestJohnny Test is an American/Canadian animated television series. It premiered on Kids' WB, on The WB Television Network, on September 17, 2005. Five months later, it was introduced to Cartoon Network UK on January 12, 2006, first, as a sneak preview on Jungle Saturdays Block, and then on June 5,...
episode "The Quantum of Johnny" is a parody of Blofeld as well as Emilio Largo from ThunderballThunderball (film)Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
esque the cat and the eyepatch. Also, in the episode "00 Johnny," there is a brief scene where Mr. Mittens's butler is stroking him and not showing his face, parodising Blofeld. - Writer/animator Bruce TimmBruce TimmBruce Walter Timm is an American character designer, animator and producer. He is also a writer and artist working in comics, and is known for his contributions building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, the DC animated universe.-Animation:Timm's early career in animation was varied; he...
has cited Blofeld as an influence on the way Lex LuthorLex LuthorLex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
was portrayed in Superman: The Animated SeriesSuperman: The Animated SeriesSuperman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
and Justice LeagueJustice League (TV series)Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
: "In my mind, I always saw Luthor as being like Telly Savalas in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, one of my favourite James Bond movies, where he, in essence, portrayed Blofeld as a cultured thug. He was basically like this bruiser who wanted to be taken seriously and wanted to be treated like a baron and I thought that was like a good way to treat Luthor."