A Character Analysis Of Anck-Su-Namun

A Character Analysis of Anck-Su-Namun

TW: Slavery, Abuse

If you’re interested, here’s some of my interpretations and realizations I had while rewatching The Mummy and The Mummy Returns for the millionth time. This is also a complex character appreciation post.In the first movie.

Imhotep seems to be the only person who truly loves, respects, and sees Anck-Su-Namun as a person, unlike the Pharaoh. Seti is most likely very abusive, especially since he's keeping her as a sex slave and has her body painted to tell if someone else has touched her. Anck rests her arm on a cat statue when Seti enters her residence. Cats were worshiped, representing protection, justice, and good luck. The name Seti means “of Set,” indicating that Seti is consecrated to the god of chaos, destruction, and storms. The god's associations could be why it was chosen by the writers.

Anck doesn’t want to be Seti’s sex slave anymore and wants to be with Imhotep. The couple chooses to avenge themselves instead of running away because they’re infuriated by Seti’s abuse of power. Maybe they also believe his death is what’s best for the kingdom and its people too? Anck is an abuse victim who reclaims her agency by shouting “my body is longer his temple!” She trusts that Imhotep will resurrect her and kills herself. Imhotep is the high priest of Osiris, god of underworld, and judge of the dead. In Egyptian mythology, Set kills Osiris twice. Isis, the goddess of healing, protection, magic, and wife of Osiris, successfully resurrects him once by collecting his scattered body parts across the land. Similarly, Imhotep collects Anck’s organs and tries to resurrect her twice too.

In the second movie, we get to dive deeper into these characters. Anck and Nefertiri disliked each other in their past lives. Bullying typically stems from a place of insecurity and powerlessness which explains why Anck bullies Nef. There’s a lack of power in her own life and it makes her feel more in control. She’s jealous of Nef’s freedom while she’s stuck as Seti’s slave and future wife. As Nef and Seti hug each other, Anck looks at them with a sense of sadness, envy, and yearning for freedom.

Nef and Seti appear to have a healthy and happy father-daughter bond, suggesting that he might not abuse his daughter at all. Nef might even be completely unaware of his abusive behavior towards Anck, otherwise I’d expect her to have a lot more sympathy for her. She wants what’s best for her father and doesn’t believe Anck is the best suitor for him because she mistreats her. After witnessing them exchange glances, literally behind her father’s back, she suspects her father’s mistress and his trusted high priest are having an affair. She wants her father to be happy and fears Anck will break his heart.

Imhotep’s objective has changed after being resurrected for the second time. He originally wanted to be with Anck, but it has changed into a want and need for power. He’s fuming because people have prevented his plan to resurrect and be with Anck – TWICE. The Medjai make Imhotep feel powerless as if the whole world is against them being together. Anck notices his want for power and even tries to stop him from fighting the Scorpion King. She says to him “I don’t want to lose you again!” He chooses to fight instead of staying with her though. She believes he has chosen power over being with her and is why she ends up leaving him. After all, she’s already sacrificed herself for him once before. Maybe his want for power and control reminded her of her former abuser, Seti. In the end, Imhotep is so blindsided that he forgets about what he’s truly wanted all along: Anck-Su-Namun.