5 times Roger Moore proved he was the most ruthless James Bond

Sometimes, great actors become synonymous with a single adjective. For Johnny Depp, it is eccentric. For Gabriel Byrne, to his immense displeasure, it is 'brooding'. And for Roger Moore, who died on Tuesday at the age of 89, the word is quite simply: suave.

The actor glided through seven Bond films (more than any other actor) and 118 episodes of The Saint in an elegantly caddish manner, dressed to the nines and displaying a wry wit that redefined the leading man. Moore considered the Bond role 'outrageous'. He was seen as too dapper and refined, later remarking that he "played a lot of backgammon, managed to steal a lot of wardrobe, and got well paid." However, many cinemagoers failed to notice just how remorseless Moore's Bond was: he killed 90 baddies onscreen in the course of his Bond career, and did it in a chillingly cheery manner. With every slain villain came a straightening of the tie or a smoothing of the lapels, and more often than not, a rather droll one-liner too. As a result, we have made a list: five times Roger Moore was the most ruthless Bond ever. 1. The Car Kick (For Your Eyes Only) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-f0DwbNF08 In one of Moore's better Bond outings, some sharp shooting sends villain Locque's car out of control and to the precipice of a cliff. Taking a leisurely stroll over in the warm Greek air, Bond looks at the injured Belgian hitman before unceremoniously hoofing him to his death on the rocks below. What makes it ruthless? The postmortal line, delivered with eyebrow cocked: "He had no head for heights." 2. The Rooftop Battle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N_WrYHUq0M In The Spy Who Loved Me, Moore was at his peak, with a great plot and brilliant supporting cast. Here, after a brief fistfight with henchman Sandor, he tosses him off a roof, before tightening his half-Windsor and going about his day. Killer line: After getting the necessary information from Sandor and disposing of him, Bond simply says: "What a helpful chap." 3. Blofeld's Death https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U00tRdMKTqI For Your Eyes Only opens with a thrilling helicopter scene above the London skyline: after killing the pilot, Blofeld attempts to murder Bond by remotely piloting the chopper to destruction. Bond has other ideas however, taking control of the plane, scooping up the disabled Blofeld and jauntily dumping him into a smokestack. Killer line: "Oh, you want to get off?" before calmly tilting the helicopter and consigning Blofeld to a gruesome death. 4. Drax's Spacewalk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXnYoBCJGwI Moore became the first Bond in space in an outrageous take on Fleming's Moonraker, but The Man with the Golden Pun struck at the climax once more. After shooting Hugo Drax with a hidden dart, he guides him to the door with the gentleness of a man helping an elderly lady across the road, before sending him to his death in the vacuum of space. Killer line? "He had to fly," as Drax floats helplessly into nothingness 5. Live and Let Brutally Murder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBncb56Z_xI In one of those underground lairs that Bond villains are so fond of, 007 faces off against Dr. Kananga. After a brief underwater struggle, he forces a compressed gas pellet into Kananga's mouth, causing his body to rapidly inflate and explode in what is easily the most absurd villain death of the series. Killer line: "He always did have an inflated opinion of himself," as pieces of Kananga's corpse flutter gently to the ground. = For a man that almost lost the 007 role due to a fear of guns, Moore certainly proved himself capable of working with them. His 12-year tenure as Bond raised eyebrows other than his own famous pair, but his contribution to the Bond legend is cemented in history, with many acknowledging his era as the highlight of the series. He will be remembered for his extensive charity work with UNICEF and as a loving father, but for millions worldwide, as a dashing and ruthless agent of Her Majesty's Secret Service.