In Steven Spielberg’s 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones’s rival archaeologist is René Belloq.
Belloq is a French archaeologist who repeatedly competes with Indiana Jones for valuable historical artifacts. At the beginning of the film, he takes the golden idol from Jones after Jones escapes a series of traps in a Peruvian temple. Belloq later works with the Nazis to locate the Ark of the Covenant.
The character was played by Paul Freeman. Unlike Indiana Jones, Belloq is willing to cooperate with powerful enemies and use archaeology for personal gain. Their rivalry is central to the film’s story and reflects the contrast between Jones’s adventurous heroism and Belloq’s opportunism.
Belloq is sometimes confused with other villains in the film. Colonel Dietrich is the Nazi officer overseeing the expedition, while Toht is the Gestapo agent identified by his distinctive coat hanger scene. Walter Donovan belongs to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, not Raiders of the Lost Ark.