Mr. Joshua
Shadow Company's ruthless enforcer with a Special Forces tattoo.
Mr. Joshua is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the 1987 American action thriller film *Lethal Weapon*, portrayed by actor Gary Busey. He serves as the right-hand man to retired General Peter McAllister, leading the paramilitary drug-smuggling operation Shadow Company, and is the main physical threat to the film's protagonists, detectives Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh.
- fate
- Killed by Riggs and Murtaugh during the final confrontation
Lore & Background
Mr. Joshua is introduced as the enforcer for Shadow Company, a defunct CIA paramilitary unit that reformed as a drug-smuggling operation after the Vietnam War under General Peter McAllister. He is responsible for killing Michael Hunsaker by planting a bomb in his car after Hunsaker attempts to turn witness against the organization. Joshua later shoots Riggs in a drive-by shooting, but Riggs survives because the bullet hits his badge or a metal object, allowing Riggs to fake his death.
Reader's Guide
Mr. Joshua's significance in *Lethal Weapon* lies in his role as the physical and psychological foil to Martin Riggs. Both men are former Special Forces soldiers with similar tattoos, but Joshua represents the moral decay and violence that Riggs struggles against. His relentless pursuit of Murtaugh's family and his final confrontation at Murtaugh's home underscore the film's themes of trauma and redemption. Joshua's death—killed by Riggs and Murtaugh after he breaks free from police custody—solidifies the duo's partnership and Riggs' choice to abandon his suicidal impulses.
Did You Know?
- Mr. Joshua is portrayed by Gary Busey.
- He has an elite Special Forces tattoo similar to Riggs'.
- He kills Michael Hunsaker with a car bomb.
- He is killed by Riggs and Murtaugh during the final confrontation.
More in Lethal Weapon 1-19
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