Harrison Ford may be the hero of the Indiana Jones franchise, but the character has never been far off from his cast of eclectic and eccentric supporting characters. Indiana Jones is a full-on callback to old, pulp films, and what’s a good pulp film without a strong woman to keep our hero on his toes? Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth, Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway – it’s practically customary for the genre to have its rugged hero accompanied by some beautiful, often mysterious woman.
Indiana Jones is no exception. Every film features Indy alongside a female co-lead, and each of these characters has their own fans and their own draws. At the end of the day, though, not every co-lead was created equally – and it’s time to see where each of these leads ranks on the list.
4. Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett)
Irina Spalko is an anomaly on this list – she’s the only woman here to not pursue Indiana Jones romantically. Blanchett portrays Irina with a campy Russian accent. While her over-the-top performance is fun, she’s not the deepest character, nor does Irina make the biggest splash on the screen. Ultimately, her search for knowledge and power is her undoing – but the concept had been done in a much stronger fashion during Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
But, come on, she’s still Cate Blanchett. I don’t think she could turn in a terrible performance if she tried. Personally, I love the camp inherent to the character, but it seems as though most fans just haven’t warmed up to Irina like they do the other leads.
3. Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw)
Her theatrical opening number is always a memorable part of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but Willie herself? She’s more well-known for being more of a hindrance than anything. Which, to be fair, Indiana Jones does meet her by taking her as a hostage, but most of the time, Willie can’t help but complain. She’s more of the classical ‘damsel in distress’ than the other women on this list – which can be a bit of a drag when you want to see action and adventure and the characters are not into it at all.
Willie apparently disappeared sometime between Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, which the former is technically a prequel to. It was probably for the best: I don’t see Willie keeping up with Indiana Jones for too long. C’est la vie.
2. Elsa Schneider (Alison Doody)
Elsa is an example of a classic pulp character. Beautiful but cunning and mysterious, she manages to seduce Indiana Jones so that she can procure the Holy Grail. While she double-crosses him initially, Indiana is eventually able to somewhat redeem her (if that’s possible). It’s all for naught, however – her hunger for the Grail consumes her. Elsa’s a real mess – but that’s what makes her a fun character.
Of course, she also seems to be the most…colorful of the female leads. Not only does she, you know, join the Nazis, she’s also implied to have hooked up with Henry Jones Senior (Sean Connery), Indy’s dad. Sorry, Junior, you’ll never be able to live that down, but it made for a classic moment.
1. Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen)
How can I put this? Well, there’s a reason Indiana Jones ultimately ended up with Marion – and it’s not just because the first girl always wins. Spunky and energetic enough to keep up with Indy, Marion knows how to take care of herself. Her character was a damsel, but she wasn’t ever in distress. She is resourceful, smart, and just as willing to punch Nazis as Indy, but also finds herself prone to her own misfortunes. Marion is the blueprint for an Indiana Jones side character.
While the behind-the-scenes story behind Marion and Indy’s romance isn’t so romantic, there’s a reason why Allen was brought back to star in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. And her chemistry with Ford remained: the two were still as warm around each other as ever.
With Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny releasing so soon, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) will be picking up the mantle of co-lead along Indiana Jones. Time will tell how the character is received, but she has quite the legacy to live up to.