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The thing that no one wants to admit is that most people want things to happen to them. We tell each other lies about the fight for free will and independence, but we don't really want that. We want to be told how to live and then die when we are not looking. People want oblivion and a few of us are born to build it for them. So here I am, their Invisible God... sneaking under their skin.
~ Lyutsifer Safin to James Bond about his motives.

Dr. Lyutsifer Safin (Russian: Люцифер Сафин) is the main antagonist of the 2021 film No Time to Die, the fifth and final installment of the James Bond reboot film series.

He is a sinister and elusive bioterrorist whose family originally worked as poison manufacturers for Spectre until Mr. White carried out their murders on the orders of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Safin grows up to carry out a campaign of vengeance against the organization for the death of his family, eventually succeeding by utilizing Project Heracles, a programmable DNA-targeting nanobot weapon. He later attempts to use Heracles to initiate a new world order by unleashing it to enact the systematic murder of millions.

He was portrayed by Rami Malek, who also played Tahno in The Legend of Korra, Joshua Washington in Until Dawn, Elliot Alderson/Mr. Robot in Mr. Robot, Jimmy Baxter in The Little Things, and Tom Voze in Amsterdam.

Biography[]

Origins[]

Safin's Family is Murdered

Safin's family is killed in a chemical attack by Mr. White on behalf of Spectre, which he was the sole survivor of.

Safin's father, Gostan, was a toxicologist who supplied poisons for the criminal organization Spectre, working at an island manufacturing facility dubbed “The Poison Garden" under the group's second-in-command, Mr. White. However, Spectre wanted to seize control of the island and facility for themselves, and one day, their leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, ordered Mr. White to kill Safin's entire family. Though Safin himself was spared, he was left facially disfigured and traumatized by the deaths of his family members. As such, he became obsessed with getting revenge against Spectre. Determined to ensure that the entire organisation must be destroyed and that all of its members (including Blofeld and White) must die, Safin grew up to become a wanted terrorist.

In 1998, he located Mr. White's house in Norway and arrived with the intent to kill him, but instead he found Mr. White's ex-wife and murders her in front of her young daughter Madeleine. To protect herself, Madeleine grabbed a gun and shot Safin multiple times, cracking his mask, although his bulletproof vest saved his life. Safin awoke and chased Madeleine as she was attempting to dispose of his body. She fled and ended up falling into a frozen lake. Safin took pity on her, however, and saved her by shooting the ice so it would crack and she could swim to safety.

In 2015, Safin learned that Mr. White had committed suicide after quitting Spectre, and that former MI6 agent James Bond (with the help from a grown-up Madeleine) has gotten Blofeld arrested and imprisoned for his crimes against humanity. Despite this, Safin refused to give up his goal for revenge, knowing fully well that Spectre would still remain active in spite of Blofeld's incarceration. As such, Safin studied Bond's history and planned to use it against him.

Eliminating Spectre[]

Five years later, Safin allies himself with treacherous MI6 scientist Valdo Obruchev, who has created a bioweapon called Project Heracles that, upon touch, poisons the target with nanobots programmed to their genetic code, killing them and anyone who shares their DNA. As part of Safin's plan, Obruchev arranges to be kidnapped by Primo and several Spectre agents, intending to use Project Heracles to free Blofeld from custody, kill Bond, and take over the world. Unbeknownst to Spectre, however, Safin plans to use the bioweapon to kill Blofeld and his organization's entire membership.

Upon hearing about Obruchev's kidnapping and that he will be forced to attend a Spectre meeting in Cuba to discuss plans for the nanobots, Bond, along with CIA agents Felix Leiter, Logan Ash and Paloma infiltrate into the meeting to rescue Obruchev, only to end up being trapped by the Spectre members. Blofeld, who is leading the meeting through a bionic eye to see and communicate while still remaining in MI6 custody, orders for Bond to be murdered with the nanobots. However, Obruchev reprograms the nanobots (per Safin's orders) to murder all of the Spectre members (including Dr. Vogel, Moreau, Abrika, Valerian, and Marshall) instead, something which no one (not even Bond and Blofeld himself) had expected. Even Ash is revealed to be in league with Safin as he murders Leiter before escaping with Obruchev and recruiting Primo (who escaped away from being murdered by the nanobots) to work for Safin.

When Bond goes in to interrogate Blofeld, Safin personally confronts and blackmails Madeleine into poisoning Blofeld, whom she treats in prison. Upon meeting Madeleine, whom he has not seen since ending their relationship five years earlier, Bond touches her and unknowingly infects himself before Madeleine leaves the room. When Bond interrogates Blofeld, the latter reveals that he tricked Bond into believing that Madeleine had betrayed him, as part of his vendetta against Bond. Enraged, Bond attacks Blofeld, which allows the nanobots to infect and murder Blofeld just as Safin planned for, something which a horrified Bond didn't expect. Upon learning that he was infected with the nanobots that caused Blofeld's death, Bond confronts Madeleine, who informs him about Safin's past and actions, and that she has a five-year-old daughter named Mathilde, who also happens to be Bond's daughter.

Confronting Bond[]

Having succeeded in murdering Blofeld and destroying Spectre, Safin makes his next move by sending Ash and several of their men to kidnap Bond, Madeleine, and Mathilde. Though Bond kills Ash and several of Safin's men, Safin succeeds in kidnapping Madeleine and Mathilde, taking them to his island base via helicopter. Giving an escort to a place called the Poison Garden where his father created toxins for Spectre, Safin takes Mathilde prisoner while having Primo hold Madeleine in a different cell. Upon heading over to the base with MI6 agent Nomi, Bond soon learns that Safin has converted the base into a nanobot factory where he is having Obruchev to create millions of nanobots for his next plot: to kill millions of people and create a new world order.

Bond and Nomi infiltrate Safin's base, killing several of Safin's men, while Madeleine escapes her cell. In a rare moment of compassion, Safin lets Mathilde go free and waits for Bond's next move. After Bond and Madeleine rescue Mathilde while Nomi kills Obruchev by kicking him in a toxic acid pool, Bond helps Nomi, Madeleine and Mathilde escape on a boat while he stays behind to open the island's missile silos so that the British Navy can launch a missile strike to destroy the base with the nanobots inside. Bond manages to kill Primo and the rest of Safin's men before heading to the control console to open the silos. However, before Bond can escape, Safin closes the silos, prompting Bond to go back to the control console to re-open them. However, Safin ambushes Bond, shooting him while he is en-route at the Poison Garden.

Death[]

Before Bond breaks his arm, Safin and Bond engage in a brawl, in which Safin once again infects Bond with nanobots, this time programmed to the genetic codes of Madeleine and Mathilde. Safin taunts Bond that even if he escapes, Madeleine and Mathilde will both die if he ever touches them again. Devastated, Bond silently picks up his pistol and kills Safin by shooting him in the face three times, right before re-opening the silo doors.

Deciding that Swann and Mathilde's lives are more valuable than his own, Bond decides to remain behind and explains the situation to Madeleine via radio before bidding goodbye to her and Mathilde. Bond then accepts his fate as the missiles strike the silo, killing him and destroying Project Heracles, ruining Safin's plan and allowing Madeline and Matilde to live the rest of their lives safe and free.

Appearance[]

Safin is a handsome, tall, slim and young-looking man with fair skin, thick black hair and dark brown eyes. His face is notably covered with chemical burns from Mr. White's dioxin attack on his family. In his youth, he hid this with a white Noh mask depicting a blank facial expression.

He appears to have a rather expensive and elegant fashion sense as well, with his most advertised outfit being his navy-blue long kimono with charcoal tunic and trousers underneath it.

Personality[]

A powerful terrorist mastermind, Safin is the most dangerous enemy Bond ever faced. His ultimate plan is to create a new world order by using the Heracles bioweapon to kill millions of people.

Safin's most defining trait is his desire for revenge against Spectre, as their leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld ordered Mr. White to murder Safin's family. However, despite Safin's tragic backstory, it becomes less of a factor in his motivation. It's this trait that differentiates him from Bond completely: whereas Bond used the loss of his loved ones to prevent further pain and suffering of innocents in the hands of Spectre, Safin blamed his loss not just on Spectre, but society as a whole, finding the very concept of innocence to be redundant.

This was even apparent in the past when he murdered Mr. White's wife for the sole crime of having been married once to his family's killer, even though she had nothing to do with Mr. White's crimes. Even when after learning that Mr. White committed suicide out of remorse after quitting Spectre and that Blofeld was arrested afterwards, Safin refuses to give up his desire for revenge as he managed to have Blofeld and all the Spectre members murdered with the usage of the nanobots. By the time Spectre is completely wiped out, Safin's tragedy no longer holds up and is solely interested in fashioning himself as a deity determined to take over and rule the world for himself, making him just as despicable as Blofeld. Even Bond himself points out that while Safin's backstory may justify his successful plot in taking down Blofeld and all of Spectre, it doesn't justify his endgame in taking over the world by killing millions of innocents through the nanobots.

Despite his ruthless nature, Safin is not without a few redeemable qualities. Despite having murdered Swann's mother, Safin spared Swann in the moment by rescuing her from drowning in a frozen lake. While holding Bond and Swann's daughter Mathilde hostage, Safin gets bitten in the hand by Mathilde, but he willingly lets her go free rather than trying to hurt or kill her. However, this is somewhat undermined as he inputted both Swann and Mathilde's genetic codes in several nanobots that could kill them both if James ever made physical contact with them, rendering his care for them somewhat hollow.

Despite that, it could be also said that he at least has qualms against hurting or killing children directly because of deciding to not kill Mathilde and rescuing a young Madeleine from drowning, especially since he would have hurt both Bond and Madeleine even more by doing so. Additionally, even though it doesn't excuse his actions, Safin genuinely cared about his late family, as part of his motivation was to avenge them. However, his desire for vengeance and hunger for power proved to be so great that his care for them no longer became a factor for his motivation and only wanted to remake the world in his image as a god. Also, it should be noted that his plan will not only kill those related to Spectre, but many families, including children who had nothing to do with his tragedy, thus making his standards somewhat moot in the process.

Safin is also shown to be resourceful as he uses his own intelligence and skills to outsmart others. He is also very diabolical in nature as he intends to unleash the nanobots to kill millions of people and establish a new world order under his fists. Even before being defeated and shot to death by Bond, Safin manages to infect Bond with the nanobots that would kill Madeleine and Mathilde, forcing Bond to sacrifice himself in order to spare Madeleine and Mathilde.

Victims[]

  • Mrs. Swann (shot dead by Safin)
  • Spectre (dismantled)
    • Ernst Stavro Blofeld (indirectly, infected with nanobots by an unknowing Bond)
    • Dr. Vogel (infected with nanobots by Obruchev)
    • Moreau (infected with nanobots by Obruchev)
    • Abrika (infected with nanobots by Obruchev)
    • Marshall (infected with nanobots by Obruchev)
  • James Bond (infected with nanobots by Safin, then perished in a missile explosion following Blofeld and Safin's deaths)

Quotes[]

Safin: Welcome. James Bond… history of violence, license to kill, vendetta with Ernst Blofeld, in love with Madeleine Swann. I could be speaking to my own reflection.
Bond: We've made different choices.
Safin: No. We have visionary plans for the same goal, only your skills die with your body. Mine will survive long after I'm gone… and life is all about leaving something behind, isn't it?
~ Safin meeting Bond in person while holding Mathilde hostage.
We both eradicate people to make the world a better place. I just want to be a little… tidier. Without collateral. I want the world to evolve, yet you want it to stay the same. Let's face it… I've made you redundant.
~ Safin retorts to Bond's accusation of him playing God by accusing him of doing the same and explaining why he thinks he's better at it.
Simple choices, Mr. Bond. Like do you want to die in front of your daughter? Or do you want your daughter to die in front of you?
~ Safin threatening to kill Mathilde in front of Bond.
Safin: Quite the mess you've made, like an animal!
[Bond and Safin have a brief fight with Safin infecting Bond with nanobots. Bond later breaks Safin's hand.]
Safin: Now, we are both poisoned with heartbreak. Two heroes in a tragedy of our own making. Everyone we touch, we are their curse. A stroke to their cheek… a kiss… would kill them instantly. Yes… Madeleine. Yes… Mathilde. You made me do this, you see. This was your choice.
~ Safin's final words before being killed by Bond after infecting the latter with nanobots that would instantly kill Swann and Mathilde.

Gallery[]

Screenshots[]

Promotional[]

Trivia[]

  • Producer Barbara Broccoli described the character as "the one that really gets under Bond's skin," adding that "he's a nasty piece of work," while Malek described the character as someone who considers "himself as a hero almost in the same way that Bond is a hero". Fukunaga described Safin as "more dangerous than anyone Bond has ever encountered" and a "hyper-intelligent and worthy adversary".
  • Safin is fascinated with plants and botany, running a Poison Garden with various plants that have varying capabilities.
  • Prior to the film's release, some theorized that Safin could be the rebooted series' adaptation of Dr. Julius No due to the film's title, which some interpreted as a threat from Bond himself prior to the movie. Additionally, the two characters share similarities:
    • Both have a secretive island lair.
    • Both have extreme god complexes that are challenged by Bond.
    • Both villains are involved in biochemical warfare.
    • Both have injuries/scarring relating to a biohazardous accident.
    • Both villains wear clothing with a Japanese aesthetic; Safin wears a kimono, vaguely resembling Dr. No's Nehru jacket. Additionally, Safin's mask is inspired by the Noh and Kabuki-style Japanese masks.
    • Additionally, in No Time to Die, Safin is referred to as "Doctor" by several of his subordinates, despite there being little evidence to suggest he is one. A popular theory was that Safin was Dr. No in an earlier draft of the film where Heracles was intended to be a biological virus instead of a nanobot weapon, and the reason why this may have been rewritten was due to the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid poor-taste comparisons to a real-life deadly virus. The film's confirmed rewrites during the pandemic, and multiple delays in release, may have been influenced by this decision.
  • A limited number of Safin's mask replicas are available for sale on the official 007 store for £295.
  • Safin's first name is pronounced as Lucifer, better known as Satan, the ruler of Hell.
  • To date, Safin is the only villain in the entire 007 franchise who succeeded in killing Bond (albeit indirectly and posthumously), something that all the others in the past (including Blofeld, whom Safin also killed) have failed to do.
  • Rami Malek had to be aged with makeup to appear years older than Lea Seydoux, as in real life he is only four years older than her.
  • With No Time to Die being the last of Daniel Craig’s Bond films, Safin is the final antagonist to die in the series. He is also the only villain in the reboot series to be shot and killed by Bond, as well as the second villain to be personally killed by Bond, the first being Raoul Silva (who Bond killed by throwing a knife in his back).

External Links[]

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           007 Villains

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Never Say Never Again
Ernst Stavro Blofeld | Maximillian Largo | Fatima Blush

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