James Bond Actors, Definitively Ranked

One of the many reasons that James Bond has enjoyed such unique cinematic staying power—25 movies since 1962, with a 26th now in the works—is that the series has never stopped reinventing itself. Six times, to be precise, with every new actor who has picked up the PPK. Connery. Lazenby. Moore. Dalton. Brosnan. Craig.

Everyone has a favorite, of course, which is usually wrapped up in childhood nostalgia—who your Bond is will be defined by who you grew up watching—and all of them brought their own qualifications to the role. It’s a bit like trying to pick your favorite gadget; sometimes you’re in the mood for the cartoonish excess of an exploding pen or a submarine car, others you want something slick and efficient like a fingerprint-activated handgun.

But let’s be unequivocal: there is obviously a definitive, objectively correct ranking of James Bond actors, which we have assembled for your eyes only. So, did we go big on Brosnan? What if we doubled down on Dalton? Hell, the safe choice would be Connery, right? Read on below to find out.

6. Timothy Dalton