The UK has gifted the world with a multitude of iconic fictional characters, but we’d argue that the creme de la creme are their fictional spies. Whether they have captivated audiences with their charm or wit, it’s undeniable that they kept us on the edge of our seats, albeit in very different ways. So, make sure to keep reading to rediscover these impeccably written personalities.

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James Bond

No one will be surprised that the one and only Agent 007 is on our list. Created by Ian Fleming, he was introduced as the titular character of the 1953 novel Casino Royale. From the get-go, we learn that he is a suave ladies’ man, who fights villains while managing to look impeccable. Only a year after its release, CBS offered Fleming a thousand dollars to adapt the book into a TV adventure.

Here, we are introduced to one of Bond’s main loves – baccarat, which had to be explained through a brief tutorial as it wasn’t yet well-known in the USA. While the game in question was typically enjoyed by UK players, its introduction to American audiences via Bond made it a global phenomenon.

Now, the game is so beloved that it can even be found through online casino platforms. In turn, this has led to the creation of live baccarat. Here, players can enjoy the game with a live human host through live audio and video feeds. While we can’t necessarily say that this was all due to Bond’s love of the game, it certainly didn’t hurt.

While originally targeted at a more male demographic, he managed to quickly gain plenty of notoriety with all kinds of demographics through the release of multiple movies where we learnt more about him. There is more to Bond than his love of table games and his incredible spy skills.

He is an incredibly complex and flawed character, where at times viewers struggled to comprehend if he was a hero or an anti-hero. Most will typically agree that he is morally grey, which just adds to why viewers find him so intriguing. But regardless of all this, he is a quintessentially legendary British fictional character who shaped the genre as we know it.

Johnny English

When you think of British spies, if the aforementioned Agent 007 is not the first spy you think of, then it’s probably Johnny English. Portrayed by the one-and-only Rowan Atkinson, his character was an obvious parody, and also homage, to James Bond. Here, you won’t find a suave man, instead, you’ll get a clumsy, somewhat incompetent but kind, MI7 agent who’ll cause many hilarious blunders.

While we won’t spoil the details of his movies, what we will say is that you’ll encounter a rollercoaster of absurdly outlandish situations. And what makes Johnny English’s antics even funnier is the juxtaposition of the other characters that join him during his missions, all of who tend to be much more capable.

Quite frankly, the Johnny English franchise is a refreshing twist to the ever-so-serious spy genre. So, if you’re looking to belly laugh while still getting in some pretty cool action scenes, you’d be remiss not to check the movies out. Plus, the fourth installment is being filmed as we speak in Malta and the UK, meaning that there is more to look forward to.

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While there are many other fictional spies out there that enjoy plenty of popularity, one can’t deny that James Bond and Johnny English deserve the crowns. So, if you needed a sign to revisit these characters, consider this article as one.