# Oddjob
**Oddjob** is the mute Korean bodyguard and enforcer employed by the bullion dealer [Auric Goldfinger](https://www.edgepedia.org/auric-goldfinger) in [Ian Fleming](https://www.edgepedia.org/ian-fleming)'s 1959 novel *Goldfinger* and in the 1964 [Eon Productions](https://www.edgepedia.org/eon-productions) film adaptation, in which he was played by the American wrestler and Olympic weightlifter Harold Sakata.[1](https://bondscenes.com/characters/henchmen/oddjob/) • [2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content) In the film he serves Goldfinger as valet, driver, golf caddy, henchman and bodyguard, and his signature weapon is a steel-brimmed bowler hat that can cut through stone and metal.[2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Ian Fleming's 1959 novel *Goldfinger*; Eon film *Goldfinger* (1964)[3](https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/Oddjob_(Literary)) • [1](https://bondscenes.com/characters/henchmen/oddjob/) |
| Role | Valet, driver, golf caddy, henchman and bodyguard to Auric Goldfinger; mute and loyal to a fault[2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content) |
| Signature weapon | Steel-brimmed bowler hat, thrown as a projectile, that cuts through stone and metal[2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content) |
| Portrayed by | Harold Sakata (Toshiyuki Sakata, 1920–1982), 1948 Olympic weightlifting silver medalist and professional wrestler[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757138/) |
| Film death | Electrocuted by Bond in the Fort Knox vault with a severed electrical cable[2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content) |
| Standing | Grouped with Red Grant, Rosa Klebb and Jaws among the franchise's most iconic henchmen[1](https://bondscenes.com/characters/henchmen/oddjob/) |
## Origins in Fleming's novel
The literary Oddjob first appears in Fleming's 1959 novel *Goldfinger* as Goldfinger's personal guard, driver and manservant, though not his golf caddy.[3](https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/Oddjob_(Literary)) The character was later referenced in [Anthony Horowitz](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-horowitz)'s 2015 continuation novel *Trigger Mortis*.[3](https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/Oddjob_(Literary))
His death differs sharply between book and film. In the novel, Bond uses a knife to shatter the window next to Oddjob's seat on an airplane; the cabin depressurizes and Oddjob is sucked out of the window. The film transfers this fate to Auric Goldfinger himself and gives Oddjob a different end.[3](https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/Oddjob_(Literary))
## Harold Sakata and casting
**Harold Sakata** was born Toshiyuki Sakata in Hawaii on July 1, 1920, of Japanese descent.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757138/) He won a silver medal in the light-heavyweight weightlifting division at the [1948 Summer Olympics](https://www.edgepedia.org/1948-summer-olympics) in London, then took up professional wrestling under the name Tosh Togo.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757138/) • [1](https://bondscenes.com/characters/henchmen/oddjob/) He had trained at the Nu'uanu YMCA in Honolulu and served in the US Army in World War II.[1](https://bondscenes.com/characters/henchmen/oddjob/)
Sakata, despite lacking any experience as an actor, caught the eye of Bond producers Harry Saltzman and [Albert R. Broccoli](https://www.edgepedia.org/albert-r-broccoli) during their search for someone to play the key mute villain role, and he won the part of Oddjob.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757138/) The role followed him for the rest of his career: he never broke free of the Oddjob stereotype, and his later appearances cast him as military figures, muscle-bound brutes or further mute bodyguards.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757138/) He embraced the image willingly, making numerous wrestling matches and exhibition appearances dressed in his Oddjob servant costume.[5](https://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18636606.html?page=4) • [1](https://bondscenes.com/characters/henchmen/oddjob/) Sakata died of liver cancer in Honolulu on July 29, 1982.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757138/)
## Character and signature weapon
Oddjob is a silent figure. The official franchise profile describes him as mute and loyal to a fault, a one-man army performing every function Goldfinger requires of him.[2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content) AlloCiné's profile of the saga's henchmen describes him as valet, chauffeur, bodyguard and an implacable, silent killer trained in karate.[5](https://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18636606.html?page=4)
His weapon is a bowler hat with sharp metal incorporated into its brim. Thrown as a projectile, it can cut through metal or stone; after the golf match he demonstrates this by slicing the head off a marble statue.[2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content) • [1](https://bondscenes.com/characters/henchmen/oddjob/) One French-language profile describes the hat differently, as a top hat concealing a lethal circular blade; the English-language franchise and specialist sources describe a steel-brimmed bowler, and the bowler form is the one shown on screen.[5](https://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18636606.html?page=4) • [2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content)
## Role in Goldfinger's plot
Oddjob appears at each of Goldfinger's key operations. At the Miami hotel he knocks Bond unconscious in his suite.[2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content) He kills Goldfinger's disloyal assistant Jill Masterson ([Shirley Eaton](https://www.edgepedia.org/shirley-eaton)) by covering her body in gold paint; the film presents this as causing death by skin suffocation.[2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content) On the golf course he acts as caddy, dropping a duplicate ball from his trouser leg to help Goldfinger cheat.[2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content)
In the climactic vault sequence at [Fort Knox](https://www.edgepedia.org/fort-knox), part of Goldfinger's plan Operation Grand Slam to destroy the gold supply, Oddjob kills the disloyal henchman Kisch to protect the scheme.[1](https://bondscenes.com/characters/henchmen/oddjob/) He remains loyal even after Goldfinger locks him in the vault with Bond and the bomb.[2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content) In the ensuing fight, Bond slides along the shiny floor, grabs a severed electrical cable, places it on the vault bars, and electrocutes Oddjob in a shower of sparks as the henchman reaches for his hat.[2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content)
## Comparison with other Bond henchmen
Oddjob is grouped with Red Grant (from *From Russia with Love*), Rosa Klebb, and [Jaws](https://www.edgepedia.org/jaws-james-bond) (from *The Spy Who Loved Me* and *Moonraker*) as one of the most iconic henchmen in the Bond franchise, and he serves as an archetype for future henchmen in the series: the silent, physically imposing enforcer whose menace does not depend on dialogue.[1](https://bondscenes.com/characters/henchmen/oddjob/) AlloCiné's ranking of the saga's henchmen places him among the most emblematic.[5](https://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18636606.html?page=4)
## Legacy, adaptations and reception
The character has been adapted across media since 1964, including comics, film, television and games.[3](https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/Oddjob_(Literary)) Oddjob has appeared in video games including *[GoldenEye 007](https://www.edgepedia.org/goldeneye-007-1997-video-game)* (1997), *James Bond 007* (1998), *GoldenEye: Rogue Agent* (2004), and *007 Legends* (2012).[1](https://bondscenes.com/characters/henchmen/oddjob/)
The film's 60th anniversary produced licensed merchandise tied to *Goldfinger*: as part of the continued celebrations, Fabergé and [Amazon MGM Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/amazon-mgm-studios) introduced the Fabergé x 007 Limited Edition Goldfinger Egg Objet, limited to 50 editions, an 18k yellow gold egg with a six-prong combination lock containing a stack of gold bars surrounded by 140 brilliant-cut yellow diamonds, following a Fabergé x 007 Egg Safe Locket released in October 2024.[2](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content)
## References
1. [Oddjob — Henchmen, Bond Scenes](https://bondscenes.com/characters/henchmen/oddjob/)
2. [James Bond 007 — Official site character listing (Oddjob)](https://www.007.com/page/3/?a=lists&c=index&catid=12&m=content)
3. [Oddjob (Literary) — James Bond Wiki](https://jamesbond.fandom.com/wiki/Oddjob_(Literary))
4. [Harold Sakata — IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0757138/)
5. [AlloCiné — Oddjob among Bond henchmen (Harold Sakata)](https://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18636606.html?page=4)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Film characters and fictional worlds › Action and thriller film characters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license