Killing Eve is a BBC drama series that follows MI6 agent Eve Polastri and Russian international assassin Villanelle. The pair chase each other around the globe and develop something of an obsession with outsmarting the other.
Despite being an assassin, there is nothing serious about the character of Villanelle. Portrayed brilliantly by Jodie Comer, Villanelle has a child-like mentality and is extremely creative with how she completes her assignments. Her carefree attitude and her need for Eve's attention have resulted in many memorable kills that stand out from the usual assassinations that are seen in television dramas.
Warning: This article contains Killing Eve spoilers as well as mentions of extreme violence.
10 Tie In The Elevator Door
In the season two episode The Hungry Caterpillar, Villanelle finds herself back in London. Putting on a fake Scottish accent, Villanelle finds her next target, a man named Greg Richardson. She gains his attention by flattering him, claiming to have read an article about him in The Economist, and proceeds to take an interest in his fashion.
However, as he enters an elevator, she reverts to her Russian accent. After saying she can tell his tie is fake, she grabs hold of the tie. The elevator doors close around the tie and viewers can hear him choking from behind the doors.
9 Rhian Dies On The Underground
In the season three finale Are You Leading Or Am I?, Villanelle is looking for an out from the powers that she works for. Fellow assassin Rhian is keen to take Villanelle's place and is unimpressed by Villanelle's childish frivolity.
When Rhian questions Villanelle's hopes that there might be something more for her in life, it pushes Villanelle over the edge and she punches Rhian repeatedly before kicking her onto the tracks in front of an oncoming train. Villanelle watches Rhian die before calmly walking out of the station.
8 Julian Is Killed With Knitting Needles
Hiding out from MI6, Villanelle travels to England where she reluctantly allows herself to be taken in by a seemingly kind stranger, Julian. However, Villanelle comes to realize that Julian, who is controlling and possessive, might actually pose more harm to her than she initially thought.
After a fight breaks out, Villanelle stabs Julian in the neck with a knitting needle and lets him bleed out. She poses his body with a toilet brush in his mouth for Eve to find and makes her escape.
7 Gabriel Gets His Neck Snapped
Throughout Killing Eve, Villanelle has spared the lives of children and tends to stick to adult victims. However, in the first episode of the second season, she breaks this streak. When in the hospital after being stabbed by Eve, Villanelle meets a young teen named Gabriel.
Gabriel was in a car accident that killed his parents and left him with a severely injured face. In a seemingly comforting moment between the two, Villanelle snaps Gabriel's neck and leaves his body in the hospital bed. Although she probably believed that she was helping him, seeing Villanelle murder an innocent child was shocking for viewers.
6 Death By Perfume
In the episode I'll Deal With Him Later, Villanelle disguises herself as a waitress and infiltrates a political fundraiser to isolate her target. Presenting herself as the owner of a beauty company, Villanelle shares her perfume with the target. However, the perfume is a poisonous nerve agent that Villanelle had prepared earlier.
Villanelle watches her victim suffocate and leaves, perfume in hand. The poison is so effective that she accidentally kills her neighbor Sebastian, who became infatuated with Villanelle and wanted to support her perfume business later in the episode.
5 Villanelle Kills Her Family
In the season three episode Are You From Pinner?, Villanelle returns to Russia. Fans get a glimpse of what her life was like before she became an assassin. Comer gives one of her best performances as Villanelle as fans got to see the inner turmoil and conflict that exists inside Villanelle.
The lack of affection she receives from her mother and the anger that she feels for being raised that way leaves Villanelle with no choice but to kill her mother. Getting her brother out of the house and sparing his life, Villanelle causes an explosion and walks away as the house and her family burn.
4 Killing Bill In The Nightclub
In episode three of Killing Eve, Eve and her MI5 associate Bill travel to Berlin to investigate a murder that could be traced back to Villanelle and the organization she works for. When Eve and Bill split up for the evening, Bill runs into Villanelle at a train station.
He recognizes her because of Eve's in-depth description and the scarf she is wearing. Bill follows Villanelle into a club where, in the middle of the dance floor, she stabs him repeatedly. Bill bleeds out whilst Villanelle escapes undetected, leaving Eve to find his body amongst the crowd.
3 Frank Suffers Tremendously At The Hands Of Villanelle
In I Have A Thing About Bathrooms, Eve realizes that a hit has been put out on her supervisor at MI5, Frank Haleton. So, Eve and Elena transport him to a safe house. When Eve returns home, Villanelle is inside and the pair have their first real conversation.
Villanelle takes Eve's phone and obtains the location of the safe house where Frank is staying. When Eve and Carolyn finally arrive at the safe house, they find Frank's body. He is displayed on the bed, in a dress, and missing his genitalia.
2 The Poison Hairpin
In the first episode of Killing Eve, Nice Face, Villanelle rides through Tuscany on a motorcycle to find her next target. This victim is an Italian mafia boss who is having his birthday party at home, surrounded by family. Villanelle scales the drainpipe of his home and hides in a suitcase until he is alone.
She lures the man into a private conversation with her and, equipped with a poisonous needle disguised as a hairpin, she stabs him in his eye. Villanelle watches her victim and smiles as the poison begins to take over his body, letting viewers know from Killing Eve's beginning that she is truly a psychopath.
1 The Amsterdam Pig Mask Performance
In the season two episode Desperate Times, Villanelle travels to Amsterdam. Dressed in a Bavarian dress and a pig mask, Villanelle heads to the red light district where she lures her target in with ease. The victim is willingly restrained, which leaves him unable to defend himself when Villanelle begins to kill him.
What makes this kill so impressive is that it happened in front of a crowd, including the victim's unsuspecting wife. However, because of the situation, Villanelle's outfit, and her attitude, the tourists all believed it was part of a performance.