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Since Raiders Of The Lost Ark in 1981,Indiana Joneshas been a staple series of Lucasfilm. There are currently five movies, several games, and a number of spin-offs. As the universe has expanded, so has the timeline, reaching a point where it can be difficult to follow.
In fact, we’ve got such an abundance of Indiana Jones content that his timeline has become its own mystery in places. So we’ve picked this artifact apart, sorted out the non-canon traps from the treasures, and presented the findings for preservation. Preferably in a museum.
Warning: Spoilers for the Indiana Jones movies and games below.
The Indiana Jones Timeline, Explained
There’s a lot of Indiana Jones lore out there to comb through, and going through it all in minute detail would probably crash your browser. So, to keep things trim, we’ll be cutting off a lot of fat from the proverbial meat bysticking to the mainstreammovies and gamesthat are confirmed as canon.
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
We won’t be including theYoung Indiana Jones Chronicleshere, since there is alot of disputeabout if the TV show is canon, primarily due to a lot of inconsistencies between it and the movies.
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones is anedited down version of Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, though it’s often confused as being its own show.
For example, in the TV show episode bookends we see avery elderly Indiana with an eyepatch. But in the made for TV movie version of the show, the elderly Indy scenes wereall removed. Harrison Ford does make an appearance briefly as a1950s version of Indy, but there’s no eye patch there either.
Likewise, Ford’s appearance as a very old Indy in Dial of Destiny alsonever has an eyepatch, which just further adds to the evidence pile of the show being non-canon.
The events in the original production of the TV show were also moved around in the new edited down version. Characters were completely cut from the story, and whole sections wereredubbed or used new actors. So itcompletely changed the storylines and toneof original scenes.
Whilst you could chalk this up tothe era that the show came out inand Lucasfilm taking some creative liberties, it’s just one of many examples that further cement the show and films asseparate universesfrom each other.
We do get a reference to the TV show briefly in Crystal Skull whenJones mentions he was with Poncho Via. That’s about it.
Lucasfilm has alsonever taken a direct stanceon whether the show is canon or not. Although, it’s generally accepted that somevery specific cherry-picked scenes in the show, primarily those with young Indy, are considered canon by some fans. But again, it’s avery hotly disputed subjectthat would take too long to fully compare and contrast.
The Last Crusade Prologue
Set during1912and located atthe beginning of the third Indy movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’s prologue introduced us to avery brief origin storyfor a very young Indy. Played by the lateRiver Phoenix, we see Indiana in Utah, patrolling as a Boyscout with a friend and fellow scout.
The duo come across a group of tomb thievesstealing the Cross of Coronadoand young Indy, remarking that the cross belongs in a museum, sets out after them. We get to enjoya chase across a moving trainas well as a slightly traumatic scene for Jones that acts as the origin of his fear of snakes.
Jones then makes it to his Father, who he hasa relationship with that’s strained at best, before the Tomb Raiders turn up and take the cross. Thus begins one of many bitter arguments between Father and Son over the years as Jones goes further into “artifact recovery”. This showcases the frosty relationship to come in the rest of The Last Crusade.
River Phoenix wasrecommended for the role by Harrison Ford, who remarked that River looked the most like him as a youth out of all the young actors that came in for casting.
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
Now a few of you may be scratching your heads here asTemple of Doom is the second Indiana Jones filmto be released, and on the timeline, it’s alsothe second spot to stop.
It’s a little confusing but, the Last Crusade (the third film) opens up with a prologue of young Indiana, thenTemple of Doom (the second film) sets things in 1935, whilst Raiders (the first film) is in 1936.
Temple of Doomtook Jones to a new setting in India and put him against a Death Cultwith magic stones, and power hungry Raj’s.
Set in1935, it was the “first step” in Indy’s adventures on our timeline, and it paired him up with two companions this time, Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw), and Short Round (Ke Huy Quan). The trio take down the cult,retrieve the stones, and bring balance back to an unstable region of India.
It was a rollicking adventure thatstarts out lighthearted and humorous, before it goes into some very dark territory with human sacrifices and child slavery. Despitecausing some controversywith the infamous “Chilled Monkey Brains!” scene, Temple of Doom did well, was a fun adventure, and sits as the awkward yet respected middle child of the original trilogy.
Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Set in1936, Raiders of The Lost Ark isthird in our timeline, but it was the first film featuring a very young and rugged looking Harrison Ford on his first outing as Indy.
A brilliant piece of cinema thatharkens back to the old adventure serials of the 50’s,it’s stood the test of time as a shining example of cinematography and has had a massive cultural impact.
It introduced us to thecatchy theme song written by John Williams, and burned the image of an adventurer with a whip into our minds forever.
The plot followsIndy chasing down the Ark of The Covenant for the American Governmentbefore the Nazis can get it with the help of Marian Ravenwood, thedaughter of an archeology professor Indy used to work for when he was younger, and his old flame.
The Germans are working with Rene Belloq,a French rival of Indiana’swho had him chased by angry natives at the beginning of the film.
According to George Lucas, Belloq was supposed to appear throughout Indy’s anthology. The original plan was for him to be agood friend turned into a bitter rival.
The two sides race to Egypt to find the Well Of Souls, a map that is said toshow the location of the Arkand it all culminates in aspectacular setpiece scene on an islandused as a Nazi submarine base.
The bad guys open the Ark,get melted by God, and the good guys save the day by just not messing with the God Box anymore as it’s put safely into storage.
At the time, the box’s location was said to beunder the watch of “Top Men”. In Crystal Skull we find outthe Ark was stored in Area 51,alongside alien remains.
Indiana Jones And The Great Circle
Released in 2024, Indiana Jones and the Great Circlepicks things up in 1937. Indy is fresh off of defeating the Nazis, is still working at the university, and is on his way to beingmarried to Marian Ravenwood,despite blowing off their relationship before Raiders of The Lost Ark.
Unfortunately,the wedding bells don’t ring for long, or at all, because at the beginning of The Great Circle, we find out thatJones and Marion have broken up for the second time, and called off their wedding.
This point, if you know your Indy lore, was whenMarion became pregnant and was left to raise their son “Mutt"all alone. But we, and Jones, won’t find that out until Crystal Skull.
The events of the Great Circle focus aroundspecial stones that empower Noah’s Ark. The stones allowed Noah toteleport across the world to collect two of every animal for the Ark, and the Nazi’s want to use them to take over the world.
Jones stops the Nazis, again, saves the world and parts ways with his new friend to go off and do more archeology adventures.
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
Set both in1912 and 1938, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was the final Indiana Jones film at the time.
The story followedJones and his Father in a race to stop the Nazisfrom obtaining the Holy Grail. It was an action-packed adventure from start to end and its finaletied the initial three film series off in a nice neat bow.
The bad guys were defeated, Jones had repaired his relationship with his Father, and our favorite characters; like Brody and Salah, had lived to fight another day.
But Indiana wasn’t finished yet ashis story still wasn’t done,according to Lucas.
Indiana Jones And The Spear Of Destiny
Spear of Destiny is worth a mention because it’sa four-issue graphic novelthat’s rare amongst Indiana Jones books. It’s the only one Lucasfilm were happy toconsider canon.
It wasn’t written or created by them, but it picks up rightafter the events of The Last Crusadebefore scooting forward to the end of the Second World War in 1945.
This tale followsJones and his Father chasing after the Spear of Destiny. The fabled spear said to have pierced the side of Christ whilst he was on the cross.
Naturally, the Nazis are after it to use as a weapon, and the two set off onanother globe-trotting journeyto stop them. The story leans heavily intopagan and christian theology,and it’s an enjoyable romp through classic Indiana Jones territory before wrapping up in a big scene with implied magic being involved.
The last we see of Indiana is of him in a bar listening to the news thatthe US has bombed Japanwith atomic weapons.
A nice touch in Spear of Destiny is that Indy’s Father muses on the fact that he wanted to becomethe Grail’s next guardianbut was too weak. Whilst Indy justadmits he’s annoyedhe lost the Grail.
Indiana Jones And The Fate Of Atlantis
If we follow the timeline, Fate of Atlantis happensbetween the beginning and endof the events shown in Spear of Destiny. It’s setduring 1939when the world was on the brink of beginning World War 2, whilst the book bouncesbetween 1938 in the beginning and then 1945at the end.
Fate of Atlantiskeeps things in one spot in the timelineas we follow Indy stopping the Nazis, who once again are after some horribly powerful hidden artifact that will probably just kill them instead.
In this case, it’s a machine created by the people of themythological lost cityof Atlantis. But all it does is horribly transmogrify anyone that steps foot in it.
There aremultiple endingsin Fate of Atlantis, not all of them positive. But,according to fansthe “good ending” is considered canon.
Jones manages to collapse the ruins the machine is kept in Nazisare killed by the machineand their own lust for power. Jones then sets off for home with a new outlook on life.
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Despitenot being on our screens for many decades, like the artifacts Indy chases, it seems some things can’t stay buried forever. Our timelinejumps to 1957, and it’s an interesting choice for a setting, considering it’s the height of the Cold War.
Our story opens withJones unceremoniously tossed into the dirt outside Area 51after being kidnapped by a group of Soviet infiltrators. The base, despite beingfresh off the Roswell Incident, and at the peak of the Cold War, is worryingly understaffed. But, nobody seems to figure things out until it’s too late. But never mind that small detail, we’ve gotmuch worse aheadof us.
The Soviets are afteran alien body from the infamous 50’s crash. It seems it’s made from a material resembling crystal and there arereferences to others like it found throughout ancient historyaround the globe.
The Russians want to find the Aliens for power, knowledge and more. Whilst Indiana wants to stop them,albeit begrudgingly.
The end of the scene in Area 51 is capped off withJones surviving a nuclearblast by hiding inside a fridge. This one moment coined the term“Nuking The Fridge”to describe something ridiculously improbable in media.
Along the way, we encounter Mutt,Indiana’s son(played by Shia LaBeouf) who he had with Marian Ravenwood before they split. Remember that fact going forward, because the writers of the next film sure didn’t.
The twotry to rebuild their relationship, much like Indy did with his own Father, and they’re fairly successful.
It all culminates with Jones, Marion, Mutt and Mutts' adoptive Father Ox, trying to stop the Russians from waking the Aliens, but not really managing much in the long run.
The Russians,after a few get eaten by ants, reawaken the Aliens. The extraterrestrials thendownload all their knowledgeinto the main antagonist’s head, but it’s too much to handle and they literally combust into ash. All whilst Jones and crew just casually leave.
It turns outthe ruins they found the Aliens in was a ship, and we get a shot of the UFO disappearing into theuniverse between universes. Jones and Marion marry, Mutt gets a little hint at being the next Indiana Jones, and the credits roll.
This movie was afinancial success at the box office, but it wasabsolutely hated by fans. The backlash to Crystal Skull was so massive, and so negative, that it caused Lucasfilm to backpedal their futureIndiana Jones movieplans rather quickly.
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
Set in1969, Dial of Destiny introduces us to Jones being a stereotypical ‘angry old neighbour upstairs’.Banging on his neighbours' doors about their loud music, living in squalor and now divorced from Marion.
For those keeping track of Marion’s rough run, the count stands at: Oneimplied grooming and then break upbefore Raiders, one called off wedding with a pregnancy after Raiders, and now a bitter divorce post-Crystal Skull. So that’sthree break-ups with Indyoverall.
Indy’s approached by hishitherto unmentioned goddaughter Helenaasking for help. Whilst a CIA group that’sled and staffed by Neo Nazisis also in pursuit. Yes, it’s the old“Stop the Nazis from getting the artifact”plot again.
What we get next is a whistle-stop tour of exotic locales as the two groups try to find the pieces for the Dial as well as the last known resting place of its creator.
It turns out the Dial can be used topredict temporal portalsand, whilst everyone thinks this will be used by the Nazis to change history, in realityit’s absolutely useless. The dial canonly direct to one portal that goes to one place and time in history. Thanks to continental drift, it’s the Siege of Syracuse by the Romans in 212 BC.
The Nazis then decide, well if we can’t revive the Third Reich, we might as wellkill some random Romans. Despite machine-gunning down a few of them, and being in a plane, they still crash and all of them die.
Jones survives, somehow. And whilst sitting on a rock watching the ancient battle below and willinglywanting to stay behind and die, he’spunched out by Helena, and wakes up in his rat-eaten apartment back in New York. Then Helena patronizes him beforewheeling in Marion, presenting her like a prizeto Jones.
The movie ends hinting thatthe two of them get back togetheragain. Despitenot sharing a single conversationin Dial of Destiny.
By this point in the timeline, Indy is at hisoldest, slowest and most tired.
He just wants to stop, andlike the artifacts he used to recover, he’s an old thing in a new world.
Not much of a high note to go out on, but at least some of the games are doing well at keeping the original legend alive.
