Harrison Ford may be the hero of the Indiana Jones franchise, but Dr. Henry Jones Jnr. wouldn’t be half the hero he is without the aid of an ever-growing 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 a requirement of the genre to have the rugged hero accompanied by some beautiful, often mysterious, woman.
And the character of Indiana Jones is no exception. Every film features Indy alongside a female co-lead, and each of these heroines (or villainesses, occasionally) 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 rank from worst to best.
5. Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett)
Irina Spalko is an anomaly out of the franchise’s main female characters, as she’s the only villain. Brought to life with a cartoonish Russian accent, Cate Blanchett’s over-the-top performance is fun, but Irina is not exactly the deepest character, nor does she make the biggest splash on 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.
4. 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. To be fair, Indy does meet her by taking her as a hostage, but it’s true, most of the time, Willie can’t help but complain. She’s more of the classical ‘damsel in distress’ than other Indy women, 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 Temple of Doom and Raiders of the Lost Ark, and that was probably for the best: I don’t see Willie keeping up with Indiana Jones for too long. C’est la vie.
3. Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge)
With Indy a divorced 70-year-old in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth and (we’re pretty sure) final installment in the series naturally doesn’t introduce a new love interest for the aging archaeologist. Instead, it pairs him up with his (never-before-seen) goddaughter, Helena Shaw, as portrayed by Fleabag‘s Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
How much you take to the character of Helena will probably depend on the level to which you enjoy Waller-Bridge’s whole shtick, but she earns her high ranking here by dint of being the first Indy woman since Marion to have a streetwise and independent quality to her and the quasi-parental nature of her relationship with Indy offers a fresh twist on the classic formula of Dr. Jones’ adventures.
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 Snr. (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 before cameoing in Dial of Destiny. The franchise never bettered the chemistry between Ford and Allen and it’s been trying to recapture that magic ever since.
