Klebb

Lore & Background

In the novel, Klebb is a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, where she served as an infiltrator in the ranks of the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM). She was rumoured to be both the mistress of Andreu Nin i Perez and the assassin who killed him. In the present of the novel, she is in her late 40s when tasked by her superior to get revenge on James Bond for his involvement in the deaths of three SMERSH operatives. After questioning one of her allies, Bond confronts Klebb in Paris. She successfully poisons Bond with a toxin-laced blade, but she is captured by Bond's friend René Mathis. The following novel depicts Bond's recovery from the toxin, but mentions that Klebb died in the intervening time between the novels. The circumstances of her death are not explained.

Reader's Guide

Klebb's name is a pun on the popular Soviet phrase for women's rights, khleb i rozy (Cyrillic: хлеб и розы), which in turn was a direct Russian translation of the internationally used labour union slogan 'bread and roses'. Klebb and Pussy Galore have been described as the 'two memorable lesbians' from Ian Fleming's Bond novels, but Klebb is depicted as a typical butch.

Did You Know?

• Klebb's shoe blade has been featured in other films including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Dark Knight, and Kingsman: The Secret Service.
• In the 2010 reimagining of GoldenEye 007, the weapon named 'Klobb' was changed to 'Klebb', and Klebb herself is a playable character in multiplayer.