The five "wives" of the main villain Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) are central to the plot of Mad Max: Fury Road, which follows Furiosa (Charlize Theron) helping the women escape captivity, picking up Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) along the way. The Mad Max legacy sequel saw an unprecedented reception, swiftly becoming considered one of the best action movies of all time and creating its own legacy in the genre. Elevating the thrilling chase sequences is an impactful story, primarily about these women and their lives in the Wasteland.
The wives as a group were originally conceptualized with each woman defined by one core characteristic — "funny, brainy, fragile, seductive, and leader" (via lithub.com) — allowing the writers and actors to further develop them later. The final product of Fury Road does not give the wives a surplus of time to showcase their personalities, but fleeting moments and well-planned dialogue still allow their characters to come across. Together, they stand alongside Furiosa and Max as a kaleidoscope of different takes on survival in this setting.
5 The Splendid Angharad (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley)
Angharad Is A Leader, Alongside Furiosa
The woman known as the Splendid Angharad is the clear leader of the group, who is mentioned by the other women as having convinced them to flee with Furiosa's aid. Her name, with Angharad meaning "a much loved one," alludes to her being considered a prize by Immortan Joe, as she is also said to be his favorite. She is kind, brave, and inspiring, allowing her to be an effective leader.
Angharad is heavily pregnant at the time of the escape and makes herself visible to Immortan Joe during the chase to protect everyone, knowing he will not damage the War Rig and risk harming the baby. However, she is then thrown from the rig and trampled under the vehicle's wheels, killing both her and her child. The Mad Max tie-in comics detail more about the brutality Angharad faced during her time at the Citadel and the alliance between her and Furiosa that developed before they attempted an escape.
4 Toast The Knowing (Zoë Kravitz)
Toast Is The Brains Of The Fury Road Operation
Toast the Knowing is the group's brain, as evidenced by her title of "Knowing." Her more informal name "Toast" is an in-joke with the cast and crew, named after Fury Road visual effects data wrangler Shyam "Toast" Yadav (via IndieWire). Toast is seen managing supplies during Fury Road and spent some time traveling on her own before the events of the movie, fostering a compendium of practical skills.
George Miller could direct spinoffs focusing on supporting characters Nux, the Splendid Angharad, and Praetorian Jack after Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
With the rest of the surviving cast, Toast helps kill Immortan Joe and take the Citadel in Mad Max: Fury Road's ending. Presumably, she stays there to help Furiosa and the others establish a new regime with a fairer distribution of supplies. Given her personality, it wouldn't be surprising if Toast stayed closer to Furiosa than the others and learned more about driving and weaponry, to help defend the Citadel in the future.
3 Capable (Riley Keough)
Capable Has A Somewhat Romantic Presence In Fury Road
Capable started out as the "seductive" one of Immortan Joe's wives, which is a very loose descriptor for the role she plays in the story, while her name might actually seem more suitable for a character like Toast. However, it can also be interpreted that she is "capable" of forming trusting relationships in a way that many people in the Wasteland aren't, where it's often kill or be killed. This is seen when Capable discovers that Nux (Nicholas Hoult) has stowed away aboard the War Rig and forms an affectionate relationship with him.
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Capable and Nux's interactions aren't necessarily romantic, but they are physically comfortable around each other, and Capable's words inspire Nux to help them, perhaps making their eventual victory possible. Capable also returns to the Citadel at the end of Fury Road, while Nux is killed during the final battle. Given her temperament, Capable might try to encourage friendlier relationships among those who reside at the Citadel.
2 Cheedo The Fragile (Courtney Eaton)
Cheedo Shows Fear & Then Surprising Strength In Fury Road
Cheedo's defining quality is in her name/title, making it clear what her role is and how her character started out. Namely, Cheedo has the most reservations about running from Immortan Joe and has to be protected by the others. Following Angharad's death, Cheedo wants to go back to the Citadel and beg for Joe's forgiveness, as they will at least not be killed by fighting or exposure there, but is convinced that this is not possible by the others.
By the standards of much of today's media, Cheedo is the character who the audience is probably least inclined to like, because she is not as fearless as Angharad or Toast. However, her moment of despair is important to the story, showing that the supplies provided at the Citadel are no small thing in this world and the real doubt that can arise from grief. Despite these things, Cheedo carries on with the others and eventually helps fight back, before returning to the Citadel.
1 The Dag (Abbey Lee)
The Dag Has A Subtle But Sharp Presence While On The Fury Road
The "funny one" can be a useful narrative tool for gritty stories, breaking up the intensity with some dark humor. However, the Dag isn't given a ton of wisecracking jokes during her on-screen appearances in Fury Road. A "dag" is also Australian slang for an eccentric person, fitting her prescribed personality. Dag is also pregnant during the women's flight to freedom and makes some sarcastic remarks about whether she is having a boy or a girl while talking with one of the Many Mothers.
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She subtly provides a sharp presence among the main characters in Mad Max: Fury Road and also returns to the Citadel, where she, presumably, later gives birth. The core characteristics that were the initial ideas of the wives in this movie morphed into personalities that contrast and complement each other. From their dangerous journey to finding eventual peace and relative security, the women's different skills and personalities prove invaluable.
Mad Max: Fury Road is the fourth film in George Miller's long-running sci-fi franchise, with Tom Hardy starring as Max Rockstansky, a vagabond who lives on the road in an apocalyptic wasteland. When Max comes across a cult group that keeps its people in fear and under control with a monopoly on water and other crucial supplies, he joins up with Imperator Furiosa, a warrior woman leading a rebellion against the cult's leader, Immortan Joe.
Director George Miller
Release Date May 14, 2015
Studio(s) Village Roadshow Pictures , RatPac-Dune Entertainment , Kennedy Miller Mitchell
Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures
Writers George Miller , Brendan McCarthy , Nick Lathouris
English (US) ·