Mean Mongolian is a minor antagonist in the 1981 action adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first instalment of the Indiana Jones film series.
He resided in Patan, Nepal, in 1936, working as a guide and goon-for-hire for travellers. That year, he served as one of Nazi Gestapo intelligence agents Major Arnold Ernst Toht and Otto's henchmen alongside two others as the two Germans were visiting Patan to retrieve the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra from Marion Ravenwood at her bar.
He was portrayed by the late Sonny Caldinez
Biography[]
During the events of the film, the travelling Nazi Gestapo intelligence agent Major Arnold Ernst Toht and his partner Otto hired the Mongolian, another goon of Nepalese origin and a larger man to help them in their mission to find the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra which they would retrieve from American Marion Ravenwood at her bar The Raven. As with his fellows, Toht secured the Mongolian's loyalty by paying him a handful of cash.
The five men arrived outside the bar shortly after it had closed following a drinking contest between Marion and an Australian climber, won by the former. Still, the men could not yet enter the building as American archaeologist Indiana Jones, an old friend of Ravenwood, was visiting the bar that night. After Jones had left, the Mongolian, the Nepalese man and the two Germans entered the bar, leaving the larger goon outside in case they needed backup. Toht spoke to the bar owner as Otto stood by the fire, the Nepalese man stood in front of the bar, and the Mongolian subtly followed Marion behind the bar.
As Toht walked over to the fire whilst engaged in a passive-aggressive argument with Ravenwood, the Mongolian was fully behind Marion by the bar. When Toht gave the order, he grabbed Marion, picking her right up off the floor, and, with the aid of the Nepalese man, dragged her, screaming to the centre of the room, where Toht slowly approached her with a flaming metal rod, a sight which made both men restraining the American smile. However, just as the rod was put right up to her face, Jones appeared and swung his bullwhip to grab the rod and fling it away, drawing a revolver and pointing it at the men.
The two thugs looked at each other as Toht was threatened, but moments afterwards, Otto emerged from behind the fireplace and fired his machine gun at Jones. The archaeologist ducked behind cover, whilst the Mongolian hopped behind the bar, the Nepalese man took cover beneath a table, Otto remained behind the fireplace and Toht drew a pistol and went behind a pillar. The Mongolian produced a bag and pulled a revolver from it for himself before tossing a machine gun to his associate. As a gunfight ensued, Jones managed to shoot the fire, sending flaming logs tumbling into the Nepalese goon. Burning, the man stood up screaming, only to be shot in the face by Jones, killing him.
Afterwards, Jones began gaining the upper hand when the bigger man entered the bar and accosted him. Distracted by his comrade’s arrival, the Mongolian provided Marion with enough time to slam a burning log over his head, knocking him unconscious. Several minutes later, as the Mongolian came to his senses, Jones had just struck a chair over the bigger man’s back, killing him, Toht had fled the scene after burning his hand with the heated headpiece and Otto had been shot. The only surviving henchman aimed his pistol at Jones, unaware that Marion was pointing her own gun at him. The Mongolian's life ended with one shot to the back, which Jones had briefly thought was the goon killing him, but the blood emanating from the Mongolian's mouth proved to him it had been the other way around. As Jones and Ravenwood fled from the scene, the Mongolian's body was left behind to be consumed by the flames of the burning Raven.
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