Emilio Largo
SPECTRE's ruthless second-in-command who stole nuclear weapons.
Emilio Largo is a fictional villain who serves as the primary antagonist in Ian Fleming’s 1961 novel *Thunderball* and its 1965 film adaptation, where Italian actor Adolfo Celi played him. He also appears as the main antagonist in the 1983 unofficial James Bond film *Never Say Never Again*, a remake of *Thunderball*, though his name is changed to Maximillian Largo and he is portrayed by Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer.
In the novel, Largo is described as a ruthless Neapolitan black marketeer and fence who, after five years smuggling from Tangiers and five years orchestrating major jewel heists on the French Riviera, moved into riskier and more profitable international crime. He is the last survivor of a once-famous Roman family and inherited their legacy. Largo becomes second-in-command of the terrorist organization SPECTRE. In the 1965 film, he is known as “No. 2” and heads extortion operations. In the novel, he is “No. 2” as well, with Blofeld remaining “No. 1” and very much alive in charge of SPECTRE. Largo serves as the field commander of “Plan Omega,” not its supreme commander.
Largo’s two main bases are in the Bahamas. His estate, Palmyra, features a large swimming pool filled with sharks—into which James Bond is thrown but escapes. His private yacht, the *Disco Volante*, is a hydrofoil central to the seizure and transport of two nuclear weapons.
Failure is punishable by death in Largo’s organization. When henchman Quist fails to kill Bond, Largo has him thrown into the shark pool. He shows little regard even for those close to him, torturing his own mistress, Domino Vitali, after discovering her betrayal. Henchman Ladislav Kutze helps Domino escape, and she kills Largo with a spear gun while he has the upper hand over Bond. Largo collapses onto the yacht’s controls, jamming them; Bond, Domino, and Kutze evacuate moments before the *Disco Volante* hits rocks and explodes.
Largo’s scheme in *Thunderball* involves stealing two nuclear weapons from NATO at sea and threatening to detonate them in Britain or the United States unless a ransom of £100 million is paid. This plot has been reused many times and is even parodied in the *Austin Powers* films. The basic concept carries over into *Never Say Never Again*, where Maximillian Largo steals two nuclear warheads directly from a U.S. Air Force base in the UK.
- field
- Fictional criminal, SPECTRE operative
- nationality
- Italian (novel); portrayed by Italian actor Adolfo Celi (1965 film) and Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer (1983 film)
- known_for
- Main antagonist in Thunderball (novel and film) and Never Say Never Again
- role
- Second-in-command of SPECTRE (1965 film); No. 2 in novel (Blofeld is No. 1)
Lore & Background
Ian Fleming describes Largo in the 1961 novel Thunderball as a ruthless Neapolitan black marketeer and fence who moved to riskier ventures after five years smuggling from Tangiers and five years of masterminding jewel robberies on the French Riviera. He is supposedly the last survivor of a once famous Roman family whose legacy he inherited. Largo eventually became the second-in-command of the terrorist organisation SPECTRE. In the 1965 film, Largo is 'No. 2' and head of extortion operations; in the novel, he is also 'No. 2', with Blofeld as 'No. 1' and still very much alive and in charge. Largo is the field commander of 'Plan Omega', not its supreme commander.
Reader's Guide
Emilio Largo is significant as one of the most memorable James Bond villains, embodying the cold, calculating cruelty of SPECTRE. His scheme of stealing nuclear weapons to hold the world hostage has been used countless times since Thunderball and is even a joke in the Austin Powers series. Largo's appearance—including his black eye patch in the 1965 film—and his role as SPECTRE's second-in-command inspired Robert Wagner's character Number Two in the Austin Powers films. The character's legacy also includes the 1983 remake Never Say Never Again, where he was renamed Maximillian Largo and played by Klaus Maria Brandauer. Adolfo Celi's portrayal in the 1965 film was dubbed by Robert Rietty, who also played an Italian Minister in Never Say Never Again. Largo's shark-filled swimming pool and hydrofoil yacht have become iconic elements of the Bond franchise.
Did You Know?
- In the novel, Largo is 'No. 1' of SPECTRE, but in the 1965 film he is 'No. 2' and head of extortion operations.
- Largo's private yacht, the Disco Volante, was a hydrofoil craft purchased with SPECTRE funds for £200,000.
- Adolfo Celi's voice as Largo in the 1965 film was dubbed by Robert Rietty, who also played an Italian Minister in Never Say Never Again.
- Largo's surname refers to a musical tempo meaning 'slow and broad'.
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