Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword
Guardians of the sacred, not seekers of power.
The Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword is a secret organization, led by Kazim, that has protected the Holy Grail through the centuries in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Where the villains sought godhood through conquest, the Brotherhood prioritized divine wisdom and the sanctity of the Grail.
Quick Facts
- First major appearance
- The main 1938 narrative of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Lore & Background
While the Nazis follow the trail to the Grail in Hatay, they are ambushed by Kazim and the Brotherhood, but the Nazis manage to kill them all. Apart from the Brotherhood, the Grail Knight guards the Grail itself in the Temple of the Sun; a cult of protectors, the Knights of the Cruciform Sword, formed around the presence of the Grail, but it is not known whether they knew about the Knight.
Reader's Guide
Kazim (Kevork Malikyan) leads the Brotherhood. In Venice he first tries to kill Indy and Elsa by setting fire to the petroleum-soaked waters of the catacombs, and he and his men chase them in speedboats. After Indy saves Kazim, Kazim tells him that his father is held at Brunwald Castle in Austria. In early drafts the character was Kemal, an agent of the Republic of Hatay who sought the Grail for that state; he was renamed Kazim and changed to want to protect the Grail rather than find it.
Origins and Identity
In 1938, Indiana Jones returns to his university classroom in the United States before traveling to Venice alongside Marcus Brody. Beneath a library where Henry was last seen, Indy and Elsa discover a catacomb containing an inscribed shield which reveals that the path to the Grail begins in Alexandretta. The two are subsequently attacked by a mysterious group who reveal themselves to be the secret Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword, dedicated to protecting the Grail. After saving the group's leader Kazim, Indy learns that Henry is being held at Brunwald Castle in Austria. This encounter establishes their role as defenders within the narrative structure of the film released in 1989 by Paramount Pictures.
Intelligence and Guidance
The Brotherhood serves a pivotal informational function during Indiana Jones and his father’s search for the Holy Grail. Following the attack in Venice, Indy entrusts Marcus with a map from the diary detailing a route to the Grail and sends him to Alexandretta to rendezvous with their old friend Sallah. However, it is through the Brotherhood's leader that the specific location of Henry Jones Sr. is confirmed as Brunwald Castle in Austria. This intelligence allows the protagonists to infiltrate the castle under Nazi control commanded by Standartenführer Ernst Vogel.
Combat and Ambush
Once Indy and Henry arrive in Hatay, Sallah informs them that the Nazis have also traveled there using the map. While they are following the trail, the Nazis are ambushed by Kazim and the Brotherhood, yet the enemy forces ultimately succeed in eliminating every member of the order. This confrontation takes place while Henry takes advantage of the distraction to try to rescue Marcus but is captured. Indy attacks the Nazi convoy in response and is eventually able to destroy it with help from Henry and Marcus while sending Vogel and his tank over the cliff. The Brotherhood's attempt to stop the convoy marks a significant escalation in the conflict between the guardians and those seeking the Grail.
Sacrifice and Consequences
During the ambush in Hatay, the Nazis manage to eliminate the entire group, ending their active protection of the Grail site. This event occurs before Indy, Henry, Marcus, and Sallah proceed to a temple containing the Grail, where they observe the Nazis attempting to overcome the temple's traps before being captured. The loss of the Brotherhood leaves Indiana Jones without their direct aid as he faces the final challenges involving Walter Donovan and Elsa Schneider.
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