Apart from introducing new characters to the franchise, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom missed out on most of their backstories—one of those characters is the iconic Short Round. The Golden Globe winner Ke Huy Quan’s Short Round is seen in the movie as Indy’s side-kick who helped him throughout his adventure in India. However, in the movie, we don’t see much of his history in the franchise, and there are multiple reasons behind that.
In The Temple Of Doom, Steven Spielberg (franchise director) focused on the relationship between Indy and Short Round. As the present connection between the characters became the fundamental basis for the film, their elapsed history did not matter as much; that is why the story did not reveal much Short Round or how he got there in the first place. While the movie certainly missed these details, some outside sources, such as books and comics, shed light on Short Round’s backstory. Let’s see how he ended up with Indy and what type of future awaits him in the franchise.
How Short Round Made His Way To Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom?
Short Round plays a versatile role in the movie that goes from being the driver in Shanghai to serving as an associate adventurer of Indiana Jones. However, that doesn’t tell us how he got into this adventure business. In the movie, there’s no particular cinematic reference to his backstory. However, later in the film, Indy only verbally explains how he met Short Round.
According to Indiana Jones, Short Round is an orphaned Shanghai resident whose parents died in a bombing. Furthermore, he said that Short Round has been on the streets since age five. He initially tried to pickpocket Indy, which didn’t go according to the plan, but that’s how they had their first interaction. After that, Indy took him in as a side-kick and brought him to his first adventure in The Temple Of Doom.
How Indy And Short Round’s Relationship Impacted The Temple Of Doom?
Throughout the adventures, Indy got stuck in multiple problems, which Short Round helped him with. As a matter of fact, it was the father-son relationship between the two characters that served as the heart of the whole movie. When Indy was brainwashed, we saw Short Round getting punched by him. Still, he didn’t leave Indy’s side, referring to him as his best friend. The link between these two characters not only built the base of The Temple Of Doom but also paved its way toward humongous success in the box office.
Where Did Short Round Go After Temple Of Doom?
In all the next Indiana Jones movies, we never heard anything about Short Round, which is sad considering his relationship with Indy in The Temple Of Doom. However, the book, The Lost Journal of Indiana Jones, uncovered that Short Round became an adventurer just like Indy. It was also disclosed that the character went on to find The Peacock’s Eye in 1957.
According to comics, right after the events of The Temple Of Doom, Indy took Short Round back to the US, where he was enrolled in a boarding school. But that doesn’t mean it ended his adventurous side-kick career. In the comics, Short Round accompanies Indiana Jones on his journey to find Atlantis. However, that did not turn out so well, and Indy’s side-kick ended up again in boarding school. The character made his cameo in a combination comic of Indiana Jones and Star Wars, where he and Indy came across the remains of Han Solo.
Is Short Round Coming Back In Indiana Jones 5?
After The Temple Of Doom, Short Round disappeared and was never mentioned again. Should the character return in Indiana Jones 5, it will help update the whole story of Indy’s side-kick. However, chaned of seeing Short Round in Indiana Jones 5 are slim. Recently, Ke Huy Quan met Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones) at the D23 expo, and this emotional meet-up melted everyone’s heart. When asked about the reunion with Indy, Quan revealed that he had not met Ford again since The Temple Of Doom’s set, and their D23 meeting was the first time they got together. According to the statement, Short Round’s return to the franchise is unlikely.
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