Robert Carlyle (Renard)

Robert Carlyle playing Renard

Born in Glasgow, Scotland on 14th April 1961

Starred In The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Film information

Renard played by Robert Carlyle is the final villain of The World Is Not Enough. While not seen, Renard actually saves James Bond’s life in the pre-title sequence when one of Mr Lachaise’s henchmen holds Bond at gunpoint; Bond is in theory at this point unwittingly working for Renard, delivering the money that kills Sir Robert King, so thus it is beneficial for Renard to keep Bond alive.

Renard and his henchmen manage to infiltrate a nuclear facility where after an exciting fight Renard escapes with a nuclear bomb. Later Renard masquerades as wanting to destroy Elektra King’s pipeline, where actually he is merely setting up Bond to be killed, and to prove Elektra is seemingly innocent. Through Valentin Zukovsky, Elektra is able to secure an nuclear-powered submarine that Renard will use in the final stage of her plan - destroy Istanbul by detonating a nuclear submarine in the Bosphorus, consequently forcing the world to rely on Elektra’s oil pipeline. After killing Elektra, Bond manages to board the submarine where after help from Dr Christmas Jones, gets the upper hand on Renard. As he loads the plutonium rod into the nuclear reactor, Bond manages to kill Renard when he gets the rod ejected at high velocity straight into Renard’s chest.

Character information

Renard, real name Victor Zokas, is a truly unique villain. With a bullet lodged in Renard’s brain after a failed assassination attempt by 009, Renard will eventually be killed as the bullet slowly works it way through his brain. Until that day, the bullet stops Renard feeling any pain and means he can force himself to do things a normal person could not. While Renard uses this ability to his advantage, he becomes annoyed that he cannot feel the touch of Elektra on his skin.

Having kidnapped Elektra previously, Renard and Elektra become lovers after she develops Stockholm syndrome when her father, Sir Robert King, refuses to pay the five million dollar ransom on the advice of M. Although Renard is allegedly supposed to be the world’s most feared terrorist, he is not the fiercest of villains. However Renard’s condition does give him a new angle in the world of the James Bond Villain. While Renard is completely in love with Elektra, she does use him as a pawn to help her achieve her goal. §