10 Movie & TV Spies Better At Their Jobs Than James Bond

Since his debut in the 1953 book Casino Royale, James Bond, the iconic creation of author Ian Fleming, has been the archetypal spy for more than 70 years. From Daniel Craig to Sean Connery, some of the greatest performers in history have played the part, each contributing their own values and unique twist to the character, which makes every incarnation of 007 unique. Even while Bond is frequently portrayed as a dapper, invincible agent, he has flaws and shortcomings that have given his adversaries the upper hand, if only temporarily.

Since there are countless secret agents who could outperform Bond in many areas, the espionage genre as a whole does not live and die with Bond. Spies like Ethan Hunt from the Mission: Impossible trilogy, who has amazing athleticism, or even George Smiley from one of the best British espionage series, Tinker Tailor Soldier espionage, who has an understated and discreet approach just like a real-life covert spy. Even if Bond is the most well-known spy in the movie industry, he is by no means the most skilled; there are other lesser-known agents who might all teach him a few tips on espionage.

1. Ethan Hunt – Mission: Impossible Series

Played By Tom Cruise

The founder of the IMF squad, Ethan Hunt (played by the electrifying Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossible movie), is responsible for operations that everyone else considers unimaginable, frequently involving threats to world governments and acts of terrorism. With a degree of expertise, knowledge, and superhuman physical attributes that just cannot be matched, Hunt has essentially experienced every imaginable espionage scenario. He is more akin to a superhero than a conventional spy because of his extraordinary strength, speed, and reflexes.Bond is a brilliant, successful spy who has done a lot, but Ethan Hunt is the best spy of all time. He just does it all, whether it’s hanging from an airplane, mounting the Burj Khalifa, or holding his breath to accomplish unfathomable underwater tasks. He works with a team that is set up to help him at every turn, and he uses technology, weapons, and cunning and stealth with remarkable skill. The only person leaving through the door if Hunt and James Bond ever entered a room together would be the one whistling the theme song from Mission: Impossible.

2. Nick Fury – Marvel Cinematic Universe

Played By Samuel L. Jackson

Nick Fury, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in Iron Man (2008), is an American spy, former S.H.I.E.L.D. director, and the creator of the Avengers superhero collective. Fury’s true skills are in planning and direction, using each character in their appropriate role to get the best outcomes, even though he frequently takes a backseat to some of the more well-known superheroes. With special abilities from his military training that enable him to succeed in espionage, infiltration, and strategic operations, he is tasked with repelling global threats.Fury chooses a more coordinated strategy, planning and analyzing from a distance, whereas Bond is more interested in getting his hands dirty and dealing with every opponent and terrorist group, primarily alone. Which spy is superior? Who can foresee the worst of the threat so well that it never comes to pass in the first place, or who kills the evil person and thwarts the plot at the last minute? Because of his special skills and vision, Fury is the epitome of what a spy ought to be: cool, calculating, and incredibly intelligent, making him the perfect agent.

3. Harry Hart – Kingsman: The Secret Service

Played By Colin Firth

In Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Colin Firth plays Harry Hart (codename: Galahad), a successful spy and mentor to Eggsy (Taron Egerton), the movie’s main character. As a spy with as much firepower as James Bond and an even stronger support network, Hart is depicted in the film and its follow-up, which offers a self-aware yet in-depth exploration of the espionage genre. As an agent of the Kingsmen, a private intelligence organization established by British elites, Hart, a veteran of the army, has extraordinary abilities in every area required of an agent.Despite being somewhat older, Hart is in excellent physical shape and demonstrates skilled hand-to-hand fighting abilities. By fusing Bond’s arsenal of devices with Lorraine Broughton’s inventiveness, Hart essentially becomes invincible. He possesses a number of commonplace goods that a gentleman would have, such an electrified ring, a bulletproof umbrella, and Oxford shoes with a hidden neurotoxin-coated blade, which, when combined with his extraordinary martial arts prowess, transform him into a deadly killing machine. Nevertheless, he also gets the support of a number of like-minded spies and superiors who band together to form a fantastic force.

4. Natasha Romanoff – Marvel Cinematic Universe

Played By Scarlett Johnsson

Scarlett Johansson plays Natasha Romanoff, often known as Black Widow, an ex-Russian agent who first appears in Iron Man 2 inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She then appears in The Avengers and Black Widow. Being recruited by the KBG and sent to ‘The Red Room’ for training—a facility that puts members through mental and physical torture in order to succeed—Romanoff has one of the most bizarre backstories of any agent. It is astounding in and of itself that she was able to endure and even flourish in such a setting, rising to the status of elite.She is already drawn away from Bond, who also had intense training, but not nearly as much as she did, because of the harsh training and mental toughness required to handle such challenges and situations at such a young age. Romanoff also endured the horrifying trauma of sterilization, which turned her into a cold-blooded murdering machine devoid of interests or diversions. She is unquestionably one of the best spies in the world because to her rigorous training in hand-to-hand combat, unparalleled firearms skills, and, by all measures, a programmed mentality to complete assignments.

5. George Smiley – Tinker Tailor Soldier Sp

Played By Alec Guinness And Gary Oldman

First played by Alec Guinness in the enduring television series and then by Gary Oldman in the 2011 film, George Smiley is a modest intelligence officer in the classic adaptation of John le Carré’s 1974 novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Smiley, who was initially characterized as “short, overweight, balding, and bespectacled,” was purposefully made to be the complete opposite of Bond in every way. This portrays a far more typical, well-rounded depiction of a spy character. Despite his average build and lack of natural physical prowess, he is the ideal spy that Bond ought to have strived to be.The act of camouflaging, disappearing into obscurity while mercilessly carrying out your duties, is the exact definition of espionage and becoming an elite spy. Bond stands out because to his charm, larger-than-life demeanor, and movie star good looks, but Smiley is a much more realistic and true portrayal of a real-life spy. This is not to suggest that he lacks talent; rather, he has extraordinary intelligence, guile, recall, and a distinct methodical methodology that consistently completes tasks with a success rate greater than Bond’s while staying covert and unnoticed.

6. Jack Ryan – Jack Ryan Franchise

Played By Harrison Ford And John Krasinski

Based on author Tom Clancy’s novel series, the franchise features a number of top-tier actors, such as Harrison Ford and John Krasinski, portraying Jack Ryan, the ultimate CIA analyst. Ryan is frequently assigned to intricate political and global crises where he must plan and carry out the best possible conclusion using his military knowledge, expertise, and information. Although having a Ph.D. in economics may not seem like the ideal foundation for a spy, Ryan has proven that he is more than capable of managing any circumstance that comes his way. Everything he touches turns to gold.Although they might not be as combat-assured as the others, espionage is frequently a tactical and mental war rather than an unlicensed boxing bout. Ryan’s ability to think things through and deflect, negotiate, and strike when the timing is appropriate is his main strength. He demonstrated his natural ability to outsmart and outthink his rivals by creating “the canary trap,” a method that identifies the leak in an organization. Despite being more of a typical, everyday person, he is one of the world’s greatest spies due to his extensive skill and expertise.

7. Michael Westen – Burn Notice

Played By Jeffrey Donovan

Jeffrey Donovan plays former CIA agent Michael Westen in Matt Nix’s espionage series Burn Notice, who is mysteriously “burned” or banned by the agency. Following his release, he continues to work as a spy and formally starts a private investigator job, all the while trying to figure out what happened that left him stranded by his superiors following his last operation. Westen is the undeniable master of inventive improvised tools and weapons; he is highly inventive and resourceful, building gadgets and devices out of cell phones and radios.Over the years, Bond has proven to be a great spy, although frequently using a number of devices, whereas an agent like Westen can handle challenging situations with just his own intuition. Having trained in karate for thirty years, Westen’s primary skills are his proficiency in martial arts and his ability to use psychological warfare and manipulation in his missions. In contrast to Bond, who frequently has a prepared report, Westen goes about learning everything he can about his adversaries, identifying weaknesses that give him the upper hand before a gun is even drawn.

8. Lorraine Broughton – Atomic Blonde

Played By Charlize Theron

Kurt Johnstad wrote the screenplay for David Leitch’s action thriller Atomic Blonde, which is based on Antony Johnston and Sam Hart’s comic novel The Coldest City. After one is killed, Charlize Theron plays the relentless MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton, who is sent to Germany to find a lost list of hidden double agents. Broughton is portrayed to be flawed throughout the movie, suffering numerous injuries and beatings, but what really makes her ferocious is the fact that she continues to rise above the challenges.The fact that she battles gangs of attackers is evidence of her competence, and the movie has received accolades for using an action hero who isn’t unbeatable. The agent’s skill with firearms and weaponry, as well as her proficiency in hand-to-hand fighting, are impressive, but what really sets her apart is how creatively she uses objects around her, such as doors, kitchenware, and even her high-heeled shoes. Broughton defeats most Bonds nine times out of ten in a straightforward fistfight without any rules or weapons. She also excels at blending in and manipulating situations.

9. Jack Bauer – 24

Played By Keifer Sutherland

The main character on Fox’s series 24, Jack Bauer, is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Captain who leads a counterterrorism force tasked with swiftly resolving national security concerns. Since the show is set in real time, Jack has a limited amount of time to identify the criminals and stop any significant terrorist acts in the US. His ability to make snap decisions, respond to fresh information, and navigate unclear situations while doing everything it takes to complete a task is demonstrated by the pacing, which truly demonstrates his intelligence and resourcefulness.With his Special Forces and Delta training, as well as his actions earning him a Purple Heart and Legion of Merit, Bond’s service history just qualifies for 24 stars, despite Bauer’s and Bond’s both outstanding service backgrounds. He differs from many other spies due to his exceptional training and capacity for high-pressure work. Although Bond has also demonstrated greater empathy and emotion, particularly in previous iterations, Bauer lacks these moral concerns and is more than willing to kill, torture, and destroy anybody or anything that stands in his way of completing his objective.

10. Archer – Archer

Voiced By H. Jon Benjamin

In his series of the same name, Archer is a fictitious cartoon Secret Service agent who serves for the government organization known as the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS). Working with a diverse group of coworkers, including his mother and employer, Malory Archer, Archer—voiced by H. Jon Benjamin—finds himself taking on a number of specialized, risky missions to preserve the nation and the planet. Given his resume and list of skills, it may be difficult to argue against Archer’s claim to be the “Greatest Spy in the World.”The show Archer is renowned for its humorous take on espionage shows, which contributes to Archer’s transformation into the agent he portrays himself as. He is depicted as a physical specimen with extensive knowledge of every aspect of fighting, including firearms and martial arts. His greatest strength, however, may be his self-awareness—as he has frequently mentioned—that he is the main character in an anime series, which gives him a strong narrative armor that helps him handle risky situations. Ultimately, his greatest power might be his disregard for his own mortality.