Indiana Jones Is Only a True Hero in Temple of Doom

One thing that's clear about the character of Indiana Jones is that he is forever inseparable from Indiana Jones' legacy. Looking back at the adventurer's film history, it's worth noting that the character is only ever a true hero in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Of course, Indy does heroic things in every film, like punching Nazis right in the face. In both Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, Indiana Jones' race to stop the Third Reich never begins with that goal. In both, his motivation is simultaneously to go after a high-ticket artifact and save someone he knows. This is also his motivation in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Temple of Doom still draws criticism for problematic cultural representations and its "white savior" narrative. Ke Huy Quan, who played Short Round, dismisses that notion. In deference to the storytellers, while that savior narrative might be present, it's less about the bigger picture and more about the intimate motivations of Dr. Henry Jones, Jr. In one way, it's Indy's least problematic turn as the character. He abandons his quest for fortune and glory, returning the artifact to the people it belongs to rather than putting it in a museum. His most heroic moment on-screen, however, may be the moment he smiles when unlocking the chains of child slaves.

In Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones Makes the Choice to Be a Hero

In every other Indy story, his heroic actions are born from a personal connection to someone -- from his old mentors to his "true love" to his father. In Temple of Doom, there is a moment when Indy is in possession of the three Shankara Stones. If he'd returned to Willie and Short Round, they may have fought off the trio of guards that found them and escaped. Later, when they can escape, Indy makes sure that everyone is getting out, not just him and his friends.

Despite being the second movie in the canon, Temple of Doom takes place before Raiders of the Lost Ark. His explicit motivation throughout the film is riches and acclaim. Freeing a bunch of child slaves doesn't preclude that. One might think that after returning their children to them, the villagers might be inclined to let Indy keep their religious artifacts. Still, he doesn't even think of that at the moment. All he cares about is rescuing those kids and visiting mortal consequences on those who chained them up.

Perhaps, Indiana Jones' hatred of Nazis finds its origins in his experiences in Temple of Doom? At the very least, it establishes that despite any moral failings in archeological ethics, Indiana Jones has a respect for people's right to live. From not insulting their starving hosts who offer them food as a gesture of hospitality to returning their religious artifacts despite his more selfish desires, Indy is at his most heroic in this film.

Indiana Jones Learned His Most Important Lesson in Temple of Doom

In true Indiana Jones fashion, he almost loses multiple times. In the climactic moment, where Indy and Mola Ram fight over the stones while hanging from the broken rope bridge, Indy only wins when he gives into belief in magic. The trailer for Dial of Destiny may feature Indy saying he doesn't believe in all that hocus pocus, but it's just not true. He told Marion not to open her eyes after the Nazis opened the Ark because of lessons learned in this film. In both Hindi and English, Indiana Jones only triumphs over Mola Ram by telling him that he "betrayed Shiva" and activating the Shankara Stones' power.

Throughout the movie, Indy is dismissive of the villagers' beliefs, at least in the power held by the stones. Indy chose to be a hero when he decided to risk his life to free the kids. Yet, he continues to be at his most heroic when he returns the stones to the rightful owners. It was only when he shared their belief that the tide turned for him. Whether he thinks it was a fluke or not, he realized that the rightful place for these relics was not a museum. Taking the villagers' belief at face value, even if he didn't fully believe it himself, is how he survives the other films.

Indiana Jones is one of cinema's greatest adventurers, and he does heroic things in every film. Yet, the only movie in which he actively chooses to be a hero despite what's "best" for him is Temple of Doom.

See Indy be a hero once more in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, in theaters June 30, 2023.