- "Ask yourself, why do you seek the Cup of Christ? Is it for His glory, or for yours?"
- ―Kazim[src]
Kazim was a descendant of Christian Byzantium royalty. Leader of the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword by 1938, Kazim and his men swore to keep the Holy Grail safe and hidden, being willing to do anything to protect it even if it involved killing seekers. Like many of his secret society, Kazim had a tattoo of the cruciform sword on his chest and often wore a fez.
In 1938, Kazim and his fellow Brotherhood knights picked up on the trail of a group of Nazi treasure hunters led by Walter Donovan, determined to find and the steal the Grail for Adolf Hitler. This mission to stop the Germans' plot to achieve world domination using the artifact would see the Turk and his Brethren make the ultimate sacrifice in order to ensure the safety of the fabled Cup of Christ.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Born around between 1899 and 1901[3] as a Christian[4] Turk,[2] Kazim was of royal Byzantine descent,[5] his ancestors having been princes of an empire that stretched from Morocco to the Caspian Sea.[4] By 1938,[1] Kazim was the leader of the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword,[2] a secret and fanatical cult dedicated to protecting the Holy Grail.[6] As part of the organization, he had[1] the mid-twelfth century[7] symbol tattooed on his chest.[1] He also had an hotel room of his own in Venice, Italy.[8]
Protecting the Grail[]
During that same year, the Brotherhood observed an archaeological expedition financed by Walter Donovan searching for clues to the Holy Grail in Venice.[1] Kazim and his fellow members traveled to Venice from Iskenderun when they were notified of Henry's nosing about the library.[9]
The project was stalled, however, when its leader Professor Henry Jones, Sr. discovered that his colleague, Dr. Elsa Schneider, was in league with the Nazis. Jones sent his diary, his lifelong research into the Grail legend, out of the country and Kazim, whose Brotherhood was sworn to protect the relic, learned that Jones had been captured by the Third Reich and imprisoned at Castle Brunwald on the Austro-German border.[1]
Work resumed in Venice when Donovan, also a secret Nazi agent, acquired the services of Indiana Jones, Henry Jones' son, to continue his father's efforts with Schneider. Joined by Marcus Brody, the Jones and Schneider sought out the Tomb of Sir Richard, which held the second marker to the legendary cup: the knight's shield. For this reason, Kazim and his men targeted the group and proceeded to make several attempts on the lives of the members of the expedition, in order to prevent their uncovering of the Grail's whereabouts.[1]

Kazim and the Brotherhood pursue Jones and Schneider.
When Jones found the entrance to the catacombs in the Library of San Barnaba, Kazim used his pistol to knock out Brody, then followed Jones and Schneider into the catacombs. Seeing the oily seep in the water of the tombs, Kazim threw a match into it, igniting the oil in an attempt to stop Jones.[1]
Kazim and his men left the library, only to find Jones and Schneider had survived and were escaping to the surface through a manhole cover. Kazim summoned more of his men to chase the pair via motorboat through the canals and harbor of Venice. During the pursuit, Kazim attempted to shoot at the two escapees, only managing to damage their motorboat. He ultimately was the only one of his men to survive, reaching a truce with Indy just prior to the boat they were standing being destroyed by a ship's propeller.[1]

Kazim reveals his allegiance.
Kazim revealed the existence and purpose of the Brotherhood, and when Indy declared that he was not seeking the Grail, but instead intent on rescuing his father, Kazim told him where the professor was being held before wishing him luck as he took his leave.[1]
Death[]

Kazim shortly before his death.
Later, as the Nazis mounted their expedition in Hatay to find the Holy Grail, Kazim spied on their meeting with the Sultan of Hatay. When the Nazi caravan entered the desert, searching for the Canyon of the Crescent Moon, Kazim and the Brotherhood mounted a surprise assault from the hillside, using rifles to mow down the Nazi and Hatayan soldiers. Despite initially having the upper hand, the Brotherhood was eventually overwhelmed and, during the attack, Kazim was mortally wounded by enemy fire[1] just after killing a Nazi soldier about to stop Jones, his father and Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir between the rocks and horses.[4] Before expiring, the Turk gave a final warning to Walter Donovan and Elsa Schneider, then succumbed to his injuries.[1] Donovan glanced at Elsa, sneered and walked away during Kazim's final moments, with Elsa wondering whether Donovan held any disdain for Kazim's last words or his reaction to them, but concluded that it didn't matter anyway.[10]
Legacy[]
However, the deaths of Kazim and his men weren't in vain, as Indiana Jones went on to find the Temple of the Sun and used the Holy Grail not for his own glory, but to save his father from a certain death at Donovan's hands. As for Donovan and Schneider, just like Kazim had warned them, their greed ended up being their undoing, as Donovan died due to drinking from a fake grail and Schneider fell to her doom trying to take the Cup of Christ for herself.[1]
Personality and traits[]
- "My soul is prepared! How is yours?"
- ―Kazim to Indiana Jones[src]
A swarthy Christian with wavy black hair protruding from his fez,[4] a commanding personality and an imposing moustache,[8] Kazim was devoted to the Brotherhood and its sacred mission. Although he had no qualms over killing to protect the Holy Grail, he was more than willing to help Indiana Jones once he learned that Indy's intentions were pure. Kazim also didn't fear death as he was fully prepared to give his life to his cause.[1] He was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice if that meant protecting the Grail.[11] When threatened with death, he merely asked Jones if his soul was prepared for judgment, confident that his own was.[1] In turn, Indy considered Kazim a brave guy willing to give his life for the Grail, but a suicide charge.[8]
Behind the scenes[]
Kazim was portrayed by Armenian actor Kevork Malikyan and doubled by Dickey Beer in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.[1] Malikyan later portrayed the Armenian Agent in Masks of Evil (Istanbul, September 1918).[12] Malikyan originally tried to audition for the role of Sallah in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but arrived late to his meeting with director Steven Spielberg due to a traffic jam.[13]

Kazim warns Elsa.
In the third revision of Jeffrey Boam's original script, the Kazim character was introduced as Kemal, an agent of Hatay seeking the Holy Grail and an ally of the Nazis who ultimately meets what became Walter Donovan's fate in the final film. In a rewrite, Kemal attempts to destroy the Grail Temple in a comical fight where the gunpower is lit and turned off constantly, but ends up killed by Indiana Jones.[14] However, during his revisions, Tom Stoppard changed Kemal's name to Kazim and the character's motivation to that of Grail protector.[15] Kazim and his men are referred to as "Turkish Agents" in the published script.[2]
In the shooting script of Kazim's death scene, which was actually a recreation of Louis Bernard's death from Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 film The Man Who Knew Too Much, Kazim was to collapse into Elsa Schneider's arms and slide down her body before expiring. After grabbing him, Schneider pulls her hands back only to find them covered with the Turk's blood. While the scene was filmed, it didn't achieve the impact which Spielberg wanted for the shot so he dropped it.[16]

Kazim is killed by Walter Donovan with a shot in the back as depicted in the comic.
In the Marvel Comics' comic book adaptation, Kazim is shot in the back by Donovan himself and later succumbs to his wounds but not before warning Donovan about his sealed fate.[17] In LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures, Kazim comically begs Indiana Jones to save him instead of being defiant at the face of death, and later on, he and other members of the Brotherhood actually survive during their Canyon of the Crescent Moon ambush.[18] In the game's sequel, however, both Kazim and his brethren are absent due the Cruciform Sword subplot being cut along with the Biblioteca di San Barnaba scenes.[19]
Appearances[]
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (First appearance)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade novel
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade junior novel (1989)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade junior novel (2008)
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade comic
- LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (Non-canonical appearance)
- LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (Non-canonical appearance) (Portable consoles exclusive)
Sources[]
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Original Movie Script
- Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide
- The Complete Making of Indiana Jones
- Top Trumps: Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones Heritage trading cards (Card: The Pursuit's Violent End)
- Indiana Jones Adventure Series (Pack: Kazim)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Original Movie Script
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rob MacGregor's novelization of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade describes Kazim to be in his late thirties, setting his birth around between 1899 and 1901.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade novel
- ↑ Top Trumps: Indiana Jones
- ↑
Indiana Jones Heritage trading cards (Card: A Lunchtime Surprise)
- ↑ The Lost Journal of Indiana Jones
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade junior novel (1989)
- ↑ Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide
- ↑ Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade junior novel (2008)
- ↑ Top Trumps Specials: Indiana Jones
- ↑ Masks of Evil
- ↑ Chapter 2: Casting the Crusaders at TheRaider.net
- ↑ Indy III
- ↑ The Complete Making of Indiana Jones
- ↑ Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - Deleted Scenes at TheRaider.net
- ↑ Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade comic
- ↑ LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
- ↑ LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues