History Characters / IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull

* ColonelBadass / DarkActionGirl: Kicks Mutt's ass in a straight-up fight.

!![[center: '''[[Characters/IndianaJones Main]]''' | '''''Characters/RaidersOfTheLostArk''''' | '''''[[Characters/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom Temple of Doom]]''''' | '''''[[Characters/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade Last Crusade]]''''' | '''''Kingdom of the Crystal Skull''''' | '''''[[Characters/TheYoungIndianaJonesChronicles Young Indiana Jones]]''''' | '''''[[Characters/IndianaJonesAndTheFateOfAtlantis Fate of Atlantis]]''''']]

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Cate Blanchett's natural accent slips out from behind the Russian every so often, particularly when saying "Doctor Jones".

* GenerationXerox: [[spoiler:Acquires a visible facial scar through his WeaponOfChoice, much like his father did on his chin with the whip. He even named himself Mutt.]]

* WeaponOfChoice: The sword. Also a switchblade.

* LadyOfWar: Unlike most franchise villains, Spalko does most of her own fighting, and she's damn good at it too. Her trademark WeaponOfChoice is her trusty RoyalRapier.

* RoyalRapier: Her WeaponOfChoice, used with the skill of a MasterSwordsman.

* RealityIsUnrealistic: Blanchett caught a lot of flak for her apparently unrealistic Russian accent. In point of fact, her ''Ukrainian'' accent (which was specifically mentioned as such in the supporting materials) was dead-on perfect.

* WeakButSkilled: Being a thin woman she is not that physically strong, Indy and Mutt manhandle her with ease. Butt she is very nimble and her skills in hand to hand combat more than make up for it.

* NamesTheSame: No, not that Creator/BobRoss

* AffablyEvil: Out of all of Indy's foes, she treats him with the most respect and as an equal. She is even the second playable character in the LEGO DS adaptation of the film. She also showed genuine horror and sadness at the death of Dovchenko, implying that she saw the fellow Colonel as a friend rather than just a tool. Could also be the [[CruelAndUnusualDeath horrifying manner]] of his death, too.

* AffablyEvil: Out of all of Indy's foes, she treats him with the most respect and as an equal. She also showed genuine horror and sadness at the death of Dovchenko, implying that she saw the fellow Colonel as a friend rather than just a tool. Could also be the [[CruelAndUnusualDeath horrifying manner]] of his death, too.

[[folder:The hotrodders]]

[[folder:Jimmy Keegan, Tommy Shiner, Suzie, and Lindy]]

!!Enemies

[[folder:George [=McHale=]]]
!!!'''George "Mac" [=McHale=]'''
[[quoteright:215:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/georgemchale.jpg]]

->'''Played by:''' Creator/RayWinstone

Indy's former friend, a British [=MI6=] agent whom he knew from UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, now working as a double agent for the Soviet Union in the UsefulNotes/ColdWar.

* AgonyOfTheFeet: During the breakout early in the film, he gets a single bullet fired into his foot, courtesy of Indy dropping his machine-gun near where he stands.
* DeathByMaterialism: His greed is what ultimately did him in.
* DeathEqualsRedemption: [[spoiler:For what it's worth, he regarded Indy as a friend to the very end, and let himself be dragged into oblivion so Indy wouldn't be dragged down with him.]]
* FatalFlaw: {{Greed}}, he would rather ransack a tomb than escape it whilst it is being torn into another dimension, and he betrays his friend Indy just for a big payoff.
* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor
--> '''Indy''': (exasperated) So, what are you, like a triple agent?!\\
'''Mac''': [[spoiler: No, I just lied about being a double.]]
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: When trying to justify his actions to Indy, of course for him, [[OnlyInItForTheMoney he's just a greedy little bastard.]]
* NeverFoundTheBody: Technically he doesn't die, instead disappearing into "the space between spaces". It is possible he didn't die at all.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Mac is essentially a replacement for Sallah; a BoisterousBruiser side kick with a shady past. His character is introduced as if we already knew him from previous installments; a lot of dialog refers to his and Indy's previous adventures; [[spoiler: and the audience is supposed be emotionally invested in his change of alignment from good to evil, even though we never actually get to know him first]].
* TheGamblingAddict: [[spoiler: Implies that his reasons for betraying Indy for the Russians is financial, following a spot of "bad luck with the cards"]].

[[folder:Irina Spalko]]
!!!'''Colonel/Dr. Irina Spalko'''
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/irinaspalko.jpg]]

->'''Played by:''' Creator/CateBlanchett

-->''"How fortunate our failure to kill you, Dr. Jones. You survive to be of service to us once again."''

A KGB agent who is leading a Soviet expedition to find the Crystal Skull of Akator.

* AffablyEvil: Out of all of Indy's foes, she treats him with the most respect and as an equal. She also showed genuine horror and sadness at the death of Dovchenko, implying that she saw the fellow Colonel as a friend rather than just a tool. Could also be the [[CruelAndUnusualDeath horrifying manner]] of his death, too.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: By far the strongest bad guy in the film.
* BadassBookworm: Unlike most villains in the franchise, Spalko does her own fighting and holds her own against Mutt. When the two get into a direct scrap, she is quite easily his superior.
* TheBaroness: She's a perfect cross between both versions of the trope. Her personality leans more towards the Rosa Klebb than the sexpot, but she's clearly ''much'' younger and more attractive than your average Rosa Klebb.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Said to her by Indy.
* BigBad: Of the fourth film, since her actions and theft of the alien corpse kick off the plot.
* BrainyBrunette: All in all, Spalko is an intelligent operative with brunette hair. Her intellectual prowess is displayed in the fact that she's a military colonel, KGB Agent and highly respected scientist, all by her ''mid 30's''.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Mentally, she's a little "out there" compared to most other ''Indiana Jones'' villains.
* ColonelBadass / DarkActionGirl: Kicks Mutt's ass in a straight-up fight.
* DoubleEntendre: ''"You fight like a young man; eager to begin, quick to finish!"''
* EmotionlessGirl: She rarely outwardly shows any kind of emotion, rather appearing cool and almost impenetrable.
* FatalFlaw: [[SevenDeadlySins Gluttony]], actually. She doesn't just crave knowledge, she craves ''all'' knowledge, even surpassing what she already knows or what her mind could possibly handle. It's this desire for excess that [[spoiler: ultimately destroys her when the aliens' unfathomable knowledge overloads and fries her brain.]]
* HeroesPreferSwords: More like Villains prefer swords, she is hardly seen without her smallsword on the belt and is a deadly fencer.
* IcyBlueEyes: Her eyes are incredibly blue and incredibly unsettling when she's trying to 'read' Indy.
* IKnowKarate: According to Cate Blanchett, Irina knows Shotokan-Ryu Karate to be exact. However, considering Irina's vocation as a Russian soldier, it's more likely to be the Soviet Military art of Sambo.
* LadyOfWar: Unlike most franchise villains, Spalko does most of her own fighting, and she's damn good at it too. Her trademark WeaponOfChoice is her trusty RoyalRapier.
* LargeHam: It's pretty clear Cate Blanchett is having a blast playing a bad girl with an Ukrainian accent, who ''always'' speaks with intensity.
* LaserGuidedKarma: See FatalFlaw.
* MasterSwordsman: She is noted by US intelligence as being a 'master of edged weapons'. Oh, and she can fence and beat her opponent whilst balancing on a moving vehicle.
* MsFanservice: She may not dress in a traditionally sexy way but she does wear almost PaintedOnPants and also she's a Ukrainian dominatrix who can fence and is played by Cate Blanchett.
* MySkullRunnethOver: [[spoiler:Her brain ignites after the aliens [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor tell her]] [[ExactWords everything]].]]
* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Cate Blanchett's natural accent slips out from behind the Russian every so often, particularly when saying "Doctor Jones".
* PsychicPowers: Spalko believes she has psychic abilities and can [[{{Telepathy}} read people's minds]] but the movie is fairly vague on whether she actually does or not as she is unable to read Indy's mind or communicate with the crystal skull. The {{Novelization}} on the other hand explores her (apparently real) abilities in more depth. She displays her telepathic ability to Mac (to chilling effect) and she finds the entrance to Akator through her own precognition, rather than via Mac's tracking beacons.
** [[WordOfGod Supplemental material for the movie]] says that she displayed some kind of psychic ability as a child, and was thought by the people of her small Ukrainian village to be a witch. At some point, her apparent talents caught the attention of the NKVD, and she eventually wound up working directly for Beriya and Stalin.
* RealAwardFictionalCharacter: InUniverse Spalko was the recipient of both the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Lenin Order of Lenin]] (three times!) and the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_of_Socialist_Labour_(USSR) Hero of Socialist Labour]], both real medals and pretty much the ''highest'' distinctions that a civilian and member of the armed services could receive in the former Soviet Union.
* RoyalRapier: Her WeaponOfChoice, used with the skill of a MasterSwordsman.
* SciFiBobHaircut: She sports her hair in this style, perhaps fittingly due to ''Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' being an affectionate homage to the 50's sci-fi b-movie.
* SoftSpokenSadist: Rarely raises her voice, which adds to the creepy effect.
* TragicVillain: [[spoiler:Her lust for knowledge leads to her destruction.]]
* VillainousCheekbones: Cate Blanchett famously has very high and prominent cheekbones, so much so that they have inspired [[https://newhive.com/mmmarie/cate-blanchett-s-cheekbones epic poetry]].
* VillainousFriendship: If her reaction to his death is any indication, she seems to have genuinely liked Dovchenko.
* WeakButSkilled: Being a thin woman she is not that physically strong, Indy and Mutt manhandle her with ease. Butt she is very nimble and her skills in hand to hand combat more than make up for it.

[[folder:Antonin Dovchenko]]
!!!'''Colonel Antonin Dovchenko'''
[[quoteright:205:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/antonindovchenko.jpg]]

->'''Played by:''' Igor Jijikine

A Soviet military officer who is serving as Spalko's right-hand man during the expedition.

* AintTooProudToBeg: [[spoiler:As the siafu ants begin feasting on and carrying him away, he screams for help in Russian several times.]]
* AllThereInTheManual: According to ''Crystal Skull'''s {{novelization}}, he has a crush on Spalko.
* BreakTheHaughty: He can kick Indy's ass, but is incredibly annoyed when he has to have the entire Jones Family hostage while they are arguing.
* ColonelBadass: Fights Indy and utterly kicks his butt due to their age difference.
* DevouredByTheHorde: [[spoiler:Having thousands of giant ants eat you from the inside out is never pleasant.]]
* TheDragon: Mild subversion as he actually holds ''equal rank'' to Irina Spalko, namely a Colonel. She's clearly his superior in hierarchy though as she gives him direct orders which he readily complies with.
* {{Expy}}: He basically fills up the role of giant, hulking characters as played by Creator/PatRoach from the older films, such as the huge German mechanic and the head Thuggee guard.
* FalseFlagOperation: Dovchenko and his men roll up to [[Area51 Warehouse 51]] in US Army vehicles, American uniforms (he even wears Colonel's Eagles), and carrying American Weapons. The US Air Force [=APs=] at the gate are about to ask about an unscheduled delivery when they get hit with a hail of bullets.
* GiantMook: Fairly tall.
* HuskyRusskie: The male Russian colonel is a big 6'3 3/4" strong guy. What are the odds?
* IKnowKarate: Specifically, the Russian military martial art of Sambo, which focuses on throws, grappling and painful joint-locks/breaks. Combined with his already impressive size and strength, Dovchenko's mastery of Sambo ''almost'' allowed him to ''kill'' Indy were it not for the timely presence of a tree branch...
** Igor Jijikine knows Sambo from [[ActorSharedBackground his pre-showbiz time in the Red Army]].
* MightyGlacier: Though he relies more on technique and skill rather than brute force alone, he's still a very big and fairly slow guy.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Ends up on the receiving end of this, after giving Indy a thorough beating. Gets hit in the side with a stick, then again in the leg, and then so hard over the head the branch breaks! Indy then proceeds to punch him until he simply topples over.
* PunchPunchPunchUhOh: Indy hits him repeatedly, only for Dovchenko to tank the punches and strike back.

* FamousLastWords: [[spoiler:"Jonesy, I'm gonna be all right."]]

* {{Expy}}: He basically fills up the role of giant, hulking characters as played by Creator/PatRoach from the older films, such as the huge German mechanic and the head Thugee guard.

* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:And a wink.]]

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Cat Blanchett's natural British accent slips out from behind the Russian every so often, particularly when saying "Doctor Jones".

* IKnowKarate: According to Cate Blanchett, Irina knows Shotokan-Ryu Karate to be exact. However, considering Irina's vocation as a Russian soldier, its more likely to be the Soviet Military art of Sambo.

* TragicVillain: [[spoiler:Her lust for knowledge lead to her destruction.]]