MOVIE NEWS – James Bond is a legendary agent, but some may not know what his iconic 007 code name means.

The entire James Bond series is full of intrigue, regardless of which era one chooses. There are plenty of interesting mysteries and storylines that the average casual viewer of the show might completely miss if they aren’t paying attention. Some may argue that all versions of Bond are actually the same character. Others believe that a new person will take on the codenames “James Bond” and “007”. Also, most people don’t really know what 007 means and why it’s so significant.

Codenames are nothing new in spy media, and although James Bond has been around longer than most of us have been born, avid fans will know that being 007 is much more than a codename.

Flying around the world, thwarting the plans of nefarious scientists and meeting all kinds of interesting people can’t be an easy task. But Bond looks as if for him every new mission is just another chore…

What does the code name 007 mean?

Rather than having to decipher some sort of hidden meaning behind 007, the Bond series actually makes it quite clear. The iconic 007 doesn’t really mean anything. The “00” part of the notation counts. Those marked “00” are secret agents who have been given permission to kill while on assignment.

It’s not clear exactly what the limits of permission are, but it seems that killing any number of villains is acceptable, as long as the kills serve to complete the mission at hand.

Interestingly, there is some debate as to how important the “7” is to 007’s designation. As Bond is often considered the most elite 00 agent in the service due to his success, 007 is often considered the highest-ranking agent. There is information that, unfortunately, contradicts this idea. Ian Fleming himself referred to other agents with higher and lower numbers than Bond, and other authors have since. This week is nothing more than a number used to distinguish the different agents of the service. Not a suggestion about their general “skill level”.

How does James Bond get 007 status?

In the 2006 classic Casino Royale, one of the most critically acclaimed Bond films – in which Henry Cavill is said to have almost played Bond – James Bond takes on 007 status for the first time on the big screen. Originally, it was known that in order to obtain the 00 status, an agent had to commit some type of killing in the line of duty. But it is not known whether a single kill, multiple kills, or a kill combined with another feat is required. Bond received the status of 007 after successful assassinations. One took place at the British Embassy while he was in Prague. The assassinations were carried out against two people: Dryden, who wanted to reveal everything he knew, and one of his relations became the victims.

While this moment is considered to be where Bond earned his license to kill in his career, it may not actually be true and instead something that was thought up for the movies.

In the original novel led by Ian Fleming, the 007 codename is not actually a license to kill until Moonraker. So while the meaning of the status has changed over the years, it’s clear that Bond’s actions at the opening of the Casino Royale sequel were more than enough to establish him as one of the deadliest men on the planet.

007 is much more than just a title, especially considering the time of Daniel Craig’s character. In an interview with The Guardian, James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli had this to say about the character’s evolution:

“Daniel gave us the ability to mine the emotional life of the character … and also the world was ready for it. I think these movies reflect the time they are in, and there’s a big, big road ahead reinventing it for the next chapter and we haven’t even begun with that.”

Instead of simply letting 007 be the cold-blooded killer that his call sign suggests, it’s clear that the film franchise is still looking to make the character as interesting as possible while continuing the legacy of everyone’s favourite 00 agent.

Source: ALR, The Guardian