Aristotle Kristatos is a James Bond villain from the Ian Fleming short story Risico found in the anthology For Your Eyes Only. The character was later portrayed by Julian Glover as the villain from the 1981 Bond film For Your Eyes Only, in which he is referred to as Aris Kristatos.

Julian Glover as Aristotle Kristatos.

Short story biography: In the short story, Bond is sent to Italy to break up a drug-smuggling operation. While there his contact is Aristotle Kristatos, who occasionally works with the CIA. Kristatos informs Bond that the man behind the operation is Enrico Colombo. After being captured and taken aboard Colombo’s ship, the Colombina, Bond learns that Kristatos is actually a double agent, working for the Russians and the man behind the drug smuggling operation. Colombo proves this to Bond by taking him on a raid of Kristatos’ warehouse where they catch Kristatos and his men loading a shipment of drugs. During a gun battle, Kristatos flees, only to be confronted and shot by Bond.

Film biography: Generally regarded as a hero for his bravery in World War II and the Greek Civil War that followed, Kristatos was actually a double agent during both conflicts. Though he appears to be a respectable businessman in the years thereafter, he is in fact a heroin smuggler and a Soviet agent. He develops a blood feud with rival smuggler Milos Columbo, whom he had served with, and betrayed, during the war. Assigned to steal the ATAC (a machine which controls the launching system of British submarines) and deliver it to the Soviets, he kills Sir Timothy Havelock, the head of the British salvage effort, attracting the attention of James Bond and Havelock’s vengeful daughter Melina. Kristatos framed Columbo for his various crimes, hoping that Bond would kill him.

Columbo and Bond eventually join forces, and Kristatos meets his end when Columbo threw a knife in his back as he is preparing to kill Bond and Melina with a hidden weapon.

See also:

• Bond villains