'Indiana Jones' fan theory points to how Indy survives his adventures
Not everyone can do what Indy can do -- and there's a reason why.
He's fallen into a pit of snakes, bypassed ancient boobytraps and can even escape a runaway boulder. Over the years, a lot of fans have wondered how exactly does Indiana Jones survive all these outrageous adventures.
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A fan theory on Reddit, posted by the user That_secret_chord, may have the answer. It lies in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise.
The user writes in their post on Reddit, "food for Thought: Indiana Jones drinking from the Holy Grail helped him survive unlikely scenarios, most notably the infamous fridge scene."
According to Grail myth (or at least the parts of the myth that The Last Crusade adheres to), is if you drink from the Holy Grail, it will grant you immortality. The only catch is that you can't leave the temple it's housed in (otherwise known as passing through the Great Seal).
However, even though Indy left the cave where they found the Holy Grail, it seems that the Grail gave him special healing powers at the very least -- or even an extended life span.
However, some Redditors have their own doubts.
Reddit user Doctor Death responded to the post saying, "Henry Sr. Drank from it on the other side of the seal, and it didn't do shit... but when Indy poured the water over the bullet wound, it seemingly washed away," adding, "even though drinking from it may not make you immortal, the water held in the cup may have magical healing powers? Only Spielberg knows."
Another user, NewLeaf37, pointed out that the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones keeps close in line to traditional Grail myth. They said, "the Grail's immortality applies if you keep drinking from it, and the Grail can't leave the temple-thing. However, even drinking from it once grants healing properties and extended life, as evidenced by the fact that the knight's brothers lived to extreme old age before dying, despite having left."
In the most recent film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Indy takes his increased longevity to new heights by surviving a nuclear blast inside a refrigerator. This scene in particular has earned plenty of eye rolls from fans.
If you can believe that a small amount of water can heal bullet wounds, why not believe a swallow of water can help you survive a nuclear blast as long as you have adequate covering. You can safely assume that the water from the Holy Grail at least extended Indy's life by making him slightly more resilient.
The fan theory, however, does not answer some other questions about Indy's life. It wasn't until the third film that he drinks from the Grail -- so what about the unlikely scenarios that happened to Indy in the first two films?
It's probably safe to assume that Indiana Jones is no ordinary man -- Grail powers or no Grail powers.
A full discussion of the theory can be found on Reddit.
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Topics Reddit
Andrea Romano -- comedy writer, craft enthusiast, lady -- was a Watercooler Reporter. She worked as an intern at Mashable beginning in January 2014. Andrea recently completed her Masters degree in Media Studies and Film from The New School and writes sketch comedy at Upright Citizens Brigade and The People's Improv Theatre. She once watched three Paul Rudd movies in a row on a bicoastal flight and didn't realize it until she landed. She does things like that a lot. Twitter: @theandrearomano
