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The Indiana Jones saga is a sprawling multimedia property that centers its narrative around the escapades of its namesake, the archaeologist and Doctor Indiana Jones. It all kicked off with the motion picture Raiders of the Lost Ark back in 1981, and it's since expanded to include four additional films, not to mention a TV show, books, graphic novels, digital games, and even attractions at theme parks. This franchise was the brainchild of Star Wars figurehead George Lucas, brought to life by Lucasfilm Ltd., and it stars Han Solo's portrayer, Harrison Ford, as the iconic Indiana Jones; it also boasts other actors and personnel from Star Wars taking on different roles. There have been quite a few instances where the two universes have crossed paths, too.
The concept for Indiana Jones was first floated by Star Wars visionary George Lucas around 1970, envisioned as an homage to the adventure serials popular in the 1930s. Lucas eventually shared this idea with his pal Steven Spielberg during the same weekend that Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope premiered in 1977, which led to Spielberg's commitment to direct the initial film and, down the line, the entire original trilogy. The series commenced with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, and was then followed up by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023.
Star Wars Insider has provided intermittent coverage of the adventures of Indiana Jones. It was the central theme of the magazine's regular column, Indy Vault, penned by J. W. Rinzler. Back in the '80s, Star Wars Monthly and Return of the Jedi Weekly, both published by Marvel UK's, featured supplementary stories that reprinted the comic book series The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones.
In LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, you can spot Indiana Jones's iconic hat in the stage where Han Solo and Chewbacca are on their way to rendezvous with Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2-D2, and C-3PO at Docking Bay 94 located in Mos Eisley. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga includes a playable cameo appearance by Indiana Jones, who uses a whip and a pistol. Promotional materials for LEGO Indiana Jones show him sporting stubble. Interestingly, his face is identical to Han Solo's. The game LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures contains hidden surprises in the form of several Star Wars characters who need rescuing; if players manage to save each character, they unlock Han Solo as a playable character. C-3PO's head also makes a comedic appearance, replacing the idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark. The LEGO subtheme of sets LEGO Indiana Jones features Star Wars easter eggs in two sets; 7621 The Lost Tomb, and 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb, with both sets depicting C-3PO and R2-D2 in hieroglyphs.
In the 1997 novel The Paradise Snare, Han Solo is known by a multitude of aliases provided by Garris Shrike. One such alias is "Jenos Idanian," which is actually an anagram of "Indiana Jones". Furthermore, the moniker of xenoarchaeologist Henrietya "Corellia" Antilles bears a striking resemblance to Henry "Indiana" Jones; both are archaeologists, both are referred to by a nickname that's a place name, and both share a surname that's commonplace in their respective fictional worlds. Jones makes a cameo in Star Wars: Yoda Stories (as a continuation to events seen in Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures), where Luke Skywalker remarks on his likeness to Han Solo. This similarity is also highlighted in the Star Wars Tales story "Into the Great Unknown" where Jones stumbles upon something eerily familiar in the skeletal remains of Solo.
The character of Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra, conceived by writer Kieron Gillen for Marvel Comics' series Star Wars: Darth Vader and Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, was designed to be the archaeological opposite of Indiana Jones, as stated in Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 2. Her vessel, the Ark Angel, also gets its name from the Ark of the Covenant, the coveted artifact that Jones sought in Raiders. In the Star Wars Rebels episode "Through Imperial Eyes," the Holy Grail from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is on display alongside other relics, such as the helmet of Commander Gree in the office of Grand Admiral Thrawn.
In 2023, four episodes of This Week! in Star Wars were rebranded as This Week! in Indiana Jones, in order to promote the then-upcoming film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
- Indiana Jones on Wikipedia
- Indiana Jones (franchise) at the Indiana Jones Wiki