Although this article is based on canonical information, the actual name of this subject is pure conjecture.
Please see the reasons for this title in the "Behind the scenes" section below, and/or the relevant discussion on the talk page.
The Thuggee assassin, also known as the Pankot assassin, was hiding in Indiana Jones's suite at the Pankot Palace in 1935.
Biography[]
In 1935, while visiting Pankot Palace, Indiana Jones had questioned Chattar Lal about the dark stories of Pankot Palace and the Thuggee cult. With Jones having revealed himself as a liability, the Thuggee sent an assassin to Jones' suite that night to dispatch the archaeologist. He hid himself the room and went undetected by standing against a wall mural, camouflaged as if he was one of the guards in the painting.[1]
Jones battles the Thuggee assassin in his room at Pankot Palace.
As Jones waited for Willie Scott to come to his room, the assassin stepped out from his hidden position and attempted to garrote him with a silk cord. Indy rammed him against a pillar in an attempt to loosen the assassin's death grip, to no avail. Indy even slammed a brass pot against his attacker's head and flipped him over his back, but the struggle continued with Jones eventually gaining the advantage.[1]
With the tables turned and no other means of carrying out his duty, the Thuggee tried to escape through the door but Indy cracked his bullwhip, ensnaring the fall of the whip around the man's neck, throttling him. The assassin managed to yank the whip out of Indy's hands, but it became caught in the blades of the rotating ceiling fan, much to the man's horror. Helpless, the assassin met his death when he was lifted off his feet by the neck and consequently hanged.[1]
Legacy[]
While tracking down Jones on his search for the Sankara Stones, the French mercenary archaeologist René Emile Belloq was informed about the assassin's presence in Jones' room, as Short Round told everyone how Indy fought him off.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
The article "50 Fascinating 'Facts' About Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" in Indiana Jones: The Official Magazine 3 previously accredited the role of the Thuggee assassin to Chief Guard actor Pat Roach, also identifying him as the gong striker at Club Obi Wan.[3] However, both Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy have since confirmed that the article's claims are incorrect. Furthermore, The Complete Making of Indiana Jones reveals that the gong striker was played by stuntman Bill Reed (who is listed in the film's credits).[4] By elimination, it is more likely that Bill Reed played both the Thuggee assassin and the gong striker, though this has yet to be confirmed.
The Thuggee assassin as depicted in the comic book adaptation's cover.
An ultimately unused idea during development of the script was that whoever drank the Blood of Kali had their eyes turn yellow, with the Thuggee assassin being one of those affected.[4]
While filming the confrontation scene between Indiana Jones and the Thuggee assassin, Harrison Ford herniated a disc on his back, which nearly caused the production of Temple of Doom to shut down. Ford was sent back the United States of America and stuntman Vic Armstrong stepped in until the actor could resume filming sometime later.[4]
The Thuggee assassin and his fight with Indiana Jones was featured on the cover of the second issue of the comic book adaptation but his appearance differs from the film, depicting him as a white-haired, older man with different colored attire.[5]
Appearances[]
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom junior novel
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom novel
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom comic
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: A Tale of High Adventure
- LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (Non-canonical appearance)
Sources[]
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: The Illustrated Screenplay
- Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide
Indiana Jones Heritage trading cards (Card: A Deadly Intrusion)- The Greatest Adventures of Indiana Jones
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Annual 2009
- Indiana Jones Cryptic
