First played by Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road, and most recently by Anya Taylor-Joy in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Imperator Furiosa is one of the most compelling characters in the Mad Max universe.
Read on for a deep dive into everything you need to know about the tyrant-slaying road warrior. We’ve got you covered.
Furiosa’s origins
Unlike the war boys and most of the rest of Immortan Joe’s forces, Furiosa doesn’t come from the Citadel and isn’t one of the Wretched who live at its base. Instead, she was one of the Vuvalini, the tribe of many mothers, who lived out in the fertile swamp known as the Green Place. Tragically, her idyllic childhood was cut short when the warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and his biker horde arrived at the Vuvalini’s lands, kidnapping Furiosa and her mother. Compounding the tragedy, her mother then died three days into their captivity, with Dementus taking on what he believed to be the role of a father figure to the young Furiosa, providing her with a great deal of warrior training.
Immortan Joe
Furiosa became Immortan Joe’s captive after Dementus and his horde clashed with Joe and his warboys some years after her initial capture. At first, as part of his quest to sire a perfectly healthy child, Joe made Furiosa one of his wives. However, after failing to impregnate her, Joe went on to pass her off to one of his Imperators and try again with a different woman. Furiosa’s new Imperator “husband” appeared to value her more than Joe, taking her with him on his war rig when he went on missions and teaching her everything he knew.
Imperator Furiosa
Like famous pirate queen Shi Xianggu, Furiosa was able to capitalize on her Imperator husband’s decision to bring her into the field with him by taking over his war rig when he died in combat. She then spent years serving in Joe’s road gang as its only female soldier, climbing the ranks to Imperator and earning the nickname “Bag of Nails” in the process. It was during this period that she lost part of her arm in battle, receiving the prosthetic replacement we saw in Mad Max: Fury Road.
While serving as a trusted member of Joe’s army, Furiosa attempted to abscond and find her way back to the Green Place multiple times, though unfortunately, for various reasons, she was never successful. However, her escape attempts either went undetected or were quickly forgiven, as she retained her rank in Joe’s road gang and was even trusted to personally guard his other wives.
The Wives of the Citadel
Though she had initially been hostile toward The Wives, regarding them as spoiled and ungrateful for the privileges their position afforded them, Furiosa became increasingly fond and protective over them, unable to tolerate the abuse Joe was inflicting on them in his quest for an heir. At the same time, her growing awareness of her own complicity in everything Joe was doing, both inside The Citadel and out, culminated in the need for redemption as she spoke about in Mad Max: Fury Road, eventually leading to her decision to rescue The Wives from their fate and make one final attempt to reach the Green Place with them.
We’ll learn more about Furiosa’s backstory in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga when it releases in theatres on May 24, 2024.
(featured image: Warner Bros. Pictures)
