Character Relationship Map: Lethal Weapon 2

Characters

• Martin Riggs (played by Mel Gibson) — protagonist

  Reckless LAPD detective with elite combat training and a tragic past.

• Roger Murtaugh (played by Danny Glover) — protagonist

  Cautious veteran LAPD sergeant balancing family life and dangerous cases.

• Leo Getz (played by Joe Pesci) — supporting

  Nervous, fast-talking informant and federal witness who aids investigations.

• Arjen Rudd (played by Joss Ackland) — supporting

  Corrupt South African diplomat hiding behind diplomatic immunity.

• Pieter Vorstedt (played by Derrick O'Connor) — supporting

  Rudd's ruthless right-hand man and assassin.

• Rika Van Den Haas (played by Patsy Kensit) — supporting

  Diplomatic staff member aiding the investigation.

• Hans (played by Mark Rolston) — supporting

  Mercenary working for Rudd's operation.

• Captain Murphy (played by Steve Kahan) — supporting

  LAPD precinct captain who assigns cases to Riggs and Murtaugh.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Arjen Rudd → Rika Van Den Haas (Professional Employer) — Rika works within Rudd's diplomatic organization while opposing his racial philosophy.

  Rika is identified as Rudd's secretary and diplomatic staff member.

• Arjen Rudd → Pieter Vorstedt (Power Right-Hand Man) — Rudd commands Vorstedt as his principal enforcer.

  Vorstedt is described as Rudd's security agent and is dispatched to warn Murtaugh, murder investigators, and eliminate Riggs.

• Martin Riggs → Rika Van Den Haas (Romantic Interest) — Their romance briefly gives Riggs emotional hope amid the investigation.

  Riggs romances Rika after learning that she despises Rudd's racial philosophy.

• Arjen Rudd → Hans (Professional Employer) — Hans works for Rudd's smuggling operation and is discarded after the shipment is lost.

  Hans is identified as Rudd's man who lost the Krugerrands, after which Rudd and Vorstedt kill him.

• Captain Murphy → Roger Murtaugh (Professional Supervisor) — Murphy is Murtaugh's commanding officer in the LAPD investigation.

  Captain Murphy reassigns Murtaugh and Riggs to witness protection after the attack on Murtaugh's residence.

• Captain Murphy → Martin Riggs (Professional Supervisor) — Murphy directs Riggs's official assignments.

  Captain Murphy reassigns Riggs and Murtaugh to protect the federal witness Leo Getz after the home invasion.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Rika Van Den Haas → Leo Getz (Alliance Indirect Ally) — Their shared opposition to Rudd connects them indirectly within the investigation.

  Rika opposes Rudd's organization while Leo's testimony and laundering knowledge help Riggs and Murtaugh attack that same operation.

• Pieter Vorstedt → Leo Getz (Conflict Kidnapper) — Vorstedt's operation uses Leo's abduction to neutralize a dangerous witness.

  During the attack on Murtaugh's home, Leo is abducted while the assassins attack Murtaugh.

• Arjen Rudd → Leo Getz (Conflict Target) — Leo becomes a target because his laundering knowledge threatens Rudd's network.

  An attempt is made on Leo's life, and Leo is later abducted during the attack on Murtaugh's home.

• Arjen Rudd → Roger Murtaugh (Conflict Adversary) — Rudd's criminal activities repeatedly endanger Murtaugh and his investigation.

  Rudd's operation targets Murtaugh's home, abducts Leo during an attack, and faces Murtaugh during the final confrontation.

• Arjen Rudd → Martin Riggs (Conflict Adversary) — Rudd is the criminal power Riggs pursues throughout the film.

  Riggs openly harasses Rudd, investigates his smuggling network, destroys his house, and confronts him aboard the Alba Varden.

• Pieter Vorstedt → Rika Van Den Haas (Conflict Murderer) — Vorstedt eliminates Rika because of her connection to Riggs and opposition to Rudd's operation.

  Vorstedt orders his men to kill Rika by drowning after seizing Riggs at her apartment.

• Pieter Vorstedt → Martin Riggs (Conflict Arch Enemy) — Vorstedt's personal connection to Riggs's tragic past makes him Riggs's most personal enemy.

  Vorstedt reveals that he caused Riggs's wife's death, has Rika drowned, attempts to drown Riggs, and fights him aboard the freighter.

• Roger Murtaugh → Leo Getz (Alliance Protector) — Murtaugh treats Leo as both a protected witness and an investigative asset.

  Murtaugh is assigned to protect Leo, enlists his help at the consulate, and joins Riggs in rescuing him after his abduction.

• Martin Riggs → Leo Getz (Alliance Protector) — Riggs protects the witness while also using his information to pursue the laundering operation.

  Captain Murphy assigns Riggs to protect Leo Getz, and Riggs later helps rescue Leo after his abduction.

Story Analysis

Two police partners expose a South African money-smuggling operation while confronting violence, diplomatic immunity, and personal loss.

Plot Progression

1. The Lost Krugerrands — Riggs and Murtaugh uncover an illegal shipment of Krugerrands while pursuing suspected drug traffickers. Rudd and Vorstedt respond by eliminating Hans and attacking Murtaugh's home.
2. The Witness Connection — The detectives are assigned to protect Leo Getz after the home invasion. Leo's knowledge reveals that the witness case and the Krugerrand investigation are connected through money laundering.
3. Immunity And Betrayal — Rudd blocks police action by invoking diplomatic immunity, while Riggs pursues Rika and Murtaugh pressures the consulate with Leo. The harbor route for Rudd's money is finally deduced.
4. Loss And Vengeance — Assassins attack Murtaugh's home and abduct Leo. Vorstedt reveals Riggs's connection to his wife's death, Rika is killed, and Murtaugh abandons his badge to join Riggs's revenge mission.
5. The Harbor Reckoning — Riggs and Murtaugh assault the Alba Varden, discover the laundered money, and fight Rudd's men. Riggs kills Vorstedt, while Murtaugh kills Rudd despite his diplomatic immunity.