Monday, January 24, 2011

Characters: Pirates of the Caribbean

Characters: Pirates Of The Caribbean

Here are the trope profiles for Disney's most successful live action trilogy (so-far) of films, the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise.

Captain Jack Sparrow

"I've got a jar of dirrrrrt!"

Played by: Johnny Depp (2003-present)

An on-off pirate captain, who is or isn't mad due his Obfuscating Stupidity. His fondness of freedom, love of rum and good portion of randomness makes him a total Wild Card, so you can never predict what he will say or do next. Everything he does varies from verydangerous to just plain weird. How does he stay alive, then? Indy Ploy, Xanatos Gambit, Speed Chess or just dumb luck?; No-one knows. What we do know, is that you'll need to keep a close eye on your wallet (and ship), because he certainly isn't stupid; in fact, he is a Magnificent Bastard who's simply waiting for a proper opportunity to strike. Oh yeah, he can parley himself out of any deal oruse people to his advantage ... Almost.
  • Affably Evil
  • Anti Hero: Type IV
  • Being Good Sucks: One of the patron saints of this trope, as No Good Deed Goes Unpunished when you're Captain Jack. There's actually a written example of this one of the later drafts of the Curse of The Black Pearl screenplay, when Jack realizes Elizabeth will drown if he doesn't rescue her: "Norrington and several other men pick their way down the cliffs. They are too far away to get to her in time. Jack scowls. He has no choice — and it pisses him off."
  • Blessed With Luck
  • Blue And Orange Morality
  • Breakout Character: Would you believe that Jack wasn't intended to be the lead character of the films as of Curse of the Black Pearl?
  • Breath Weapon: Jack seems to have caught onto his own brand of knock-out gas — breath described by Gore Verbinsky as smelling like "a donkey's ass" that is so bad, it can victimize people. Even the Kraken's fabled thousand-rotting-dead-guys-breath isn't so bad to him.
  • Catch Phrase: "I've gotta Jar Of Dirt!"
    • "Why's the rum gone?"
    • "Bring me that horizon."
    • "Savvy?"
  • Chaotic Selfish
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Mildly in the first two, very much so in the third movie. Being dead and in Limbo/Hell all alone will do that to you.
  • Chronic Back Stabbing Disorder: Let's count them shall we? First he allies with Will with the intention of using him as leverage to get his ship back from Barbossa. He allies with Norrington against Barbossa and then tries to ally with Barbossa against Norrington, and then almost immediately double-crossing both of them. And that's just the first movie.
    • What really makes this complicated is that sometimes, he seems to backstab someone, but eventually it is all part of the plan. For instance, in the first movie, he makes a deal with Norrington, gets sent in, and then makes a deal with Barbossa. He tells the latter that the navy is outside coming for them, and tells them to break the curse later(saving Will's life in the process) and attcak Norrington's ship. While this seems to be backstabbing the good Commodore, he told Norrington he was going to send the pirates out, so his ship could cannonade them to pieces. In other words, he didn't backstab him; he helped him. Ok, he didn't see that "take a walk" coming, but still.
  • Crazy Awesome: Provides the quote on the trope page:
    Lord Cutler Beckett: You're mad!
    Captain Jack Sparrow: Thank goodness for that, because if I wasn't, this would probably never work.
  • Ensemble Darkhorse
  • Estrogen Brigade Bait
  • Even The Guys Want Him - He is played by Johnny Depp after all.
  • Genre Savvy
  • The Gunslinger - While Jack is a mostly competent swordsman, Word Of God is that he's actually far more skilled with firearms and other ranged weaponry. We see some of this, too; in Dead Man's Chest he manages to shoot and ignite a falling barrel of powder with a musket at a range that would make the shot hard without rifling, and in the same movie he chucks a rock at one of the Dutchman's crewmen and easily nails him in the head despite the guy running full-tilt AND being a good distance away.
    • In fact, each film's climax features a moment where Jack has to make one shot count... which he always does.
  • Handsome Lech
  • Honor Before Reason - Because even if it may not seem so, when he says...
  • I Gave My Word - And he will keep it, in word and spirit, unlike Barbossa.
  • Insistent Terminology: That's Captain Jack Sparrow, thank you very much.
  • Indy Ploy (He may actually be better at this than the Fedora Wearing Man himself!!)
  • Jack Attack
  • Jerk With A Heart Of Gold: Jack's whole character arch, since a decade before the first movie at least, is caused by the fall out of a good man learning that Being Good Sucks, as every time he does something that isn't at least 60% selfish, it comes back to bite him in the ass. The bigger the bite, the more shy he is of being bitten again. Because of this, he will almost always act purely within his own self-interests, and will even push it as far as it will go (like being prepared to let a hundred people die in his place, or being tempted to sacrifice thousands upon thousands of lives just to save his own skin), but while Jack's conscience is whisper quiet, it will usually force him at guilt-point to save the day. At the last possible second, of course.
  • Launcher Of A Thousand Ships
  • Loveable Rogue
  • Magnificent Bastard- he's quite a good guy by pirate standards, but he's still got just enough of a treacherous streak to qualify for this. Wouldn't want things to get boring, after all. Jack is one of those characters who really puts the "magnificent" in this trope, though.
  • Mysterious Past - the movies only give small, plot-relevant pieces of Jack's backstory. Word Of God goes a bit farther, describing the precise circumstances of how he broke with Beckett and made a deal with Davy Jones, but is still far from the complete story.
  • No Sense Of Personal Space: Why do people with bad breath always wanna tell you secrets?
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: He comes off as The Fool... or is he?
  • Rebellious Prince, if you take said backstory into account. When your father is - at least in the Pirate King's absence - probably the highest recognized authority among pirates, it would be a rebellious act to become a honest merchant sailor in the East India Trading Company...
  • Rules Lawyer
  • Schrodinger Fu
  • Trickster Archetype
  • Wild Card- you can generally trust Jack to do the right thing in the end. What he does leading up to that, on the other hand, range from the heroic to the bastardly to the just plain weird.
  • The Wonka

Captain William "Will" Turner Junior

Played by: Orlando Bloom (2003-2007)

Blacksmith of Port Royal, who loves Elizabeth Swann, the governor's daughter. He was found shipwrecked and (presumably) orphaned roughly ten years before the first movie takes place. Excellent swordsman, but a little too naive when it comes to dealing with pirates, beforehe takes some levels and understands how the world really rolls in those circles. Proceeds to continue his Bad Ass training and power-leveling in the course of second and third movies and eventually becomes the captain of the legendary Flying Dutchman.

Captain Elizabeth Swann Turner

Played by: Keira Knightley (2003-2007)

Governor Swann's daughter, essentially a modern girl trapped in an eighteenth-century world, and keeper of the Mac Guffin in the first film. Somewhere between The Hero, the Action Girl and The Heart, she's the access character who — like the audience — grew up with heavily romanticized pirate stories. She's kind of a fan girl when if comes to pirates, but is a brilliant strategist when given the chance, and takes a level in badass between the first and second movies. Elizabeth is the center of a Love Triangle (or rather a Love Trapazoid) that contains Will, Jack and Norrington all trying to get with her. Fans can't make up their minds on whether she grew more Bad Ass or more annoyingduring the films, because of the huge fanbase of slash-ficcers who would like to stone her to death for messing with the male characters.Despite this, she is most certainly not The Ishmael. Becomes the Pirate King in the third movie.

Captain Hector Barbossa

Played by: Geoffrey Rush (2003-present)

The bad guy of the first film, he controls the undead crew of The Black Pearl who Rape Pillage And Burn every city they ran on while trying to collect every single piece of the magical Aztec Gold that cursed them when they stole it and spent it on booze, games and hoo...oh sorry, pleasurable company. He's the very picture of a Magnificent Bastard and, as it pits him against the protagonists, he bites the big one. But fate has more in store for Barbossa, and he is later resurrected for the third film by Tia Dalma when the heroes (and other forces) need him and Jack to return. He's a Smug Snake who's big on the double-cross and willing to take out anyone who stands in his way, but really, he's just trying to take control of his life back. A lot of viewers are confused by his actions in the third film, assuming they contradict his depiction in the first movie, but (like David Xanatos) his character doesn't change, just his enemies. Barbossa remains an arrogant dick, though, and is always convinced — and manages to convince others — that his straightforward plans are foolproof. He then proceeds to shoot himself in the foot, along with the feet of anyone naive enough to follow him.
  • Affably Evil
  • Anti Hero: A Type V in the third movie.
  • Anti Villain: In the first movie.
  • Death By Irony
  • Death Is Cheap
  • Disproportionate Retribution: (Says Barbossa.)
  • Enemy Mine: Pretty much his whole role in the third movie consists of teaming up with Will, Elizabeth, and Jack (all of whom he has reason to hate) to stop Beckett. He does seem to have at least parted with the former two on friendly terms, but convinced Jack's crew to mutiny (again) to help him go after the Fountain of Youth. But even then, this time he leaves Jack in Tortuga with wenches rather than on a deserted island alone.
  • Epic Fail: Barbossa and his big ideas....
  • Evil Counterpart: To Jack. The writers' and director's audio commentary for Curse of the Black Pearl at one point refers to Barbossa as "the dark side of Jack Sparrow".
  • Evil Laugh
  • Horrible Judge Of Character: Part of the reason Barbossa loses in the first film. He does it again in the third film with bad results.
  • I Gave My Word (Though only the letter, not the spirit)
  • Large Ham: his attempt at getting Calypso back to goddess form: "CA-LYP-SO! I RELEASE you from your human bonds!!" If that's how a lover says those words, one wonders how many ladies went deaf after meeting Barbossa.
  • Jerk With A Heart Of Gold: Becomes this in the third movie. Shows open sadness at the passing of the Age of Piracy, gently consoles Jack Sparrow as he realizes meeting with the Brethren Court is the only way to ensure their freedom, and graciously marries Will and Elizabeth during battle. Leaves Will and Elizabeth on good terms, and maroons Jack Sparrow at Tortuga with wenches, rather than on an abandoned desert island.
  • Magnificent Bastard
  • Pride
  • Rules Lawyer: Moreso than any other character, and it blows up in his face.
  • Surrounded By Idiots: Barbossa's temptingly simple schemes tend to attract morons.
  • Talk Like A Pirate
  • Trademark Favorite Food: Apples.
  • Warrior Poet: Well spoken and eloquent (for a pirate), show open sadness at the passing of the Age of Piracy symbolized by the death of The Kraken, and is romantic (or at least, gracious) enough to be genuinely happy for "Mrs Turner" AKA Elizabeth in the aftermath of the final battle and marrying her with Will.

Commodore/Admiral James Norrington


Played by: Jack Davenport (2003-07)

Commodore of the Royal Navy and a fiance of Elizabeth, before he hands her to Will, who has an almost obsessive need to catch Jack Sparrow. However, at the end of the first movie he considers Jack his Worthy Opponent, and gives him a day's Mercy Lead. His act of generosity doesn't impress the higher authority, and he is disgraced from the Navy and ends up with a serious case ofHeroic BSOD and becomes a pirate, dropping from noble officer to borderline Anti Hero who is desperately looking an opportunity to get his old job back. This opportunity comes when the party finds the key item of the sequels, the heart of Davy Jones, whose owner controls the seas. James - seeing it as a free ticket back to his old, happy and presumably wealthy life - steals it and brings it to the new Big Bad Lord Cutler Beckett as a token and he is restored to his normal life, and even given a promotion. But after learning what a Smug Snake Beckett is he saves Elizabeth and the party from his clutch losing his life in the process

Lord Cutler Beckett


Played by: Tom Hollander (2006-07)

The Big Bad of the second and third movies and a professional dog kicker. Also obsessed with catching Sparrow because of their old grudges. Dangerously intelligent and determined, he wants to purge the seas of pirates. His primary plan to achieve this is to find the heart of Davy Jones, so he can control him as a Weapon Of Mass Destruction, and scarily, he succeeds in it, thanks to the help of James Norrington He might've succeeded in his plans, if he wouldn't have played his cards wrong, being arrogantly sure he's already won the game. He then promptly suffers his Villainous Breakdown, but - as a comfort - get a massive action villain explosion as his demise, when two ships blow his flagship to splinters. He does some pretty horrible things, like order the hanging of a child.

Mr. Mercer


Played by: David Schofield (2006-07)

One of Beckett's most loyal henchmen with a definite violent and psychotic streak (PsychoForHire?) who fills the absence of Norrington when he tags along with the other good guys. Despite having only a few scenes of screen time, he has gained a surprisingly large popularity among the fanbase, though we'll spare you the details.

Davy Jones



Played by: Bill Nighy (2006-07)

Formerly a human pirate captain who fell in love with Calypso the sea goddess, he acted as her agent, ferrying the dead to their final resting places. After she failed to show up for their scheduled ten-year rendezvous, he turned evil, ripped his heart out of his chest, quit his job and started to terrorize people with his legendary flagship, the Flying Dutchman, offering a 100-year period of servitude to dying sailors as an alternative to facing their deaths. Over time, his bitterness and his refusal to perform his proper function changed and twisted him to resemble Cthulhu's long lost brother and his crew to mutated sea monsters. His heart, locked in the titular Dead Man's Chest in the second film, becomes one of the many (and probably the most important) key items.
  • Alas Poor Villain
  • Anti Villain
  • Beat Still My Heart
  • Combat Tentacles: Jones uses his tentacle beard to kill Mercer via facial Orifice Invasion.
  • Cthulhumanoid: His current appearance is actually the result of Jones not performing his duties to Calypso as expected.
  • The Devil
  • Deal With The Devil ("Do you fear death?")
  • Ensemble Darkhorse
  • Fake Nationality: The Scottish Davy Jones is played by the English Bill Nighy. Originally Gore Verbinski wanted Jones to have a Dutch accent (considering the ship's name), but Nighy could not do one.
  • Flying Dutchman: Literally.
  • Jerkass Woobie
  • Large Ham: Mostly due to the way he accentuates certain wordsuh. He's played by Bill Nighy, after all.
    • "Let no joyful voice be heard! Let no man look up at the sky with hope! And let this day be cursed by we who ready to wake... THE KRRRAAAKEN!"
    • "HARRIDAN! You'll see no mercy from me!"
  • Love Makes You Evil
  • Mobile Menace: As a part of his power over the seas, Jones is able to teleport from ship to ship and phase through objects on the ship (as can his crew). Not only that, but the Dutchman moves faster against the wind and is functionally a submersible.
    • The reason the Dutchman can move faster against the wind has to do with the five staysails that it is rigged with.
  • Motif: His locket's song. This is shared with Tia Dalma on her own identical locket.
  • Nigh Invulnerable: The only way to kill him is stabbing his heart.
  • Ominous Pipe Organ: He plays it with his beard.
    • Apparently the organ had been grown from the coral in Jones' quarters.
  • Soul Jar (the Dead Man's Chest)
  • Star Crossed Lovers: Jones and Calypso. His anger at being spurned is perhaps justifiable, but in the third film she calls him on it, telling him he would not have loved her in the first place if she were not as fickle and unpredictable as the sea itself.
    • Together In Death: As he dies, he reverently whispers her name, before falling into the sea's embrace.

William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner


Played by: Stellan Skarsgård (2006-07)

William Jr's thought-to-be-dead father, who gave Will his piece of the cursed treasure after his crewmates betrayed Jack, since he thought they all deserved to be punished for what they'd done. Barbossa and co. retaliated by tying him to a cannon and letting him sink to the bottom of the ocean. The sequels reveal him to be trapped in the crew of Davy Jones, and saving him becomes Will's main drive.

Tia Dalma/ Calypso


Played by: Naomie Harris (2006-07)

A mysterious voodoo woman with unknown connections to Jack. Is actually the Goddess of the Sea trapped in human form, and was Davy Jones' lover before she betrayed him.

Captain Teague


Played by: Keith Richards (2007-present)

Former Pirate Lord of Madagascar turned Keeper of the Pirate Codex, which he keeps with him at Shipwreck Cove. Still the most feared pirate in the world and Jack Sparrow's father.
  • Actor Allusion: Cast because Jack Sparrow was a Shout Out to Keith Richards in Real Life.
  • Badass: Once the most feared pirate to roam the seas, everyone's still scared of him even though he's semi-retired. Quite rightly, too.
  • Bunny Ears Lawyer
  • Cool Old Guy
  • Pet The Dog: Seems to have adopted the jailhouse dog. Also seems to have real affection for his son, Jack, and must have been at least quite fond Jack's mum for him to be carrying her shrunken head around with him everywhere he goes.
  • Shout Out: Looks rather like one of these to Blackbeard. Also, his name is quite close to Blackbeard's real name (Edward Teach, or Thatch).
    • Though the real Blackbeard is slated to be the villain of the fourth movie, On Stranger Tides
    • Others believe him to be none other than Captain Hook himself, prior to sailing for Never-neverland. There is certain similarity in appearance, it would fit in Disney theme, and the fact that every other pirate lord save for Jack and Barbossa is a caricature of a real pirate captain, so it would make sense for Teague to be a recognisable character, as well. Also, he lacks Blackbeard's trademark bushy beard.

Pintel and Ragetti


Pintel played by: Lee Arenberg (2003-07)
Ragetti played by: Mackenzie Crook (2003-07)

An inseperable pair of pirates who crew on the Black Pearl under both Barbossa and Jack. Their personal incompetence and bizarre personal quirks result in their mostly providing comic relief (they're genuinely menacing precisely once in the series- in their first appearance facing off against the Governor's unarmed staff and an untrained Elizabeth Against anyone else, they're way out of their league).

Murtogg and Mullroy


Murtogg played by: Giles New (2003, 2007)
Mullroy played by: Angus Barnett (2003, 2007)

An inseperable pair of British sailors who crew under Norrington. Their personal incompetence and bizarre personal quirks result in their mostly providing comic relief.

Sao Feng


Played by: Chow Yun-fat (2007)

Pirate Lord of Singapore and one of the nine lords of the Brethren Court. Elizabeth and Barbossa try to recruit him (and steal his charts) at the beginning of the third movie, and he bounces back and forth between loyalty to them and working for Beckett throughout the movie, finally settling on loyalty after coming to the (incorrect) conclusion that Elizabeth is Calypso. He's killed by the Flying Dutchman, but lives long enough to pass on his captaincy, lordship, and Piece of Eight to Elizabeth.
  • Advertised Extra
  • Attempted Rape: He tries to rape Elizabeth after she refuses his advances but gets blasted with a cannon before he can do the deed.
  • Dirty Coward: What Elizabeth calls him, though he generally seems less cowardly than self-interested.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: He's not happy when Beckett breaks his word at the drop of a hat. Sao Feng himself seems to always keep his word, even if only to the letter rather than the spirit.
  • Redemption Equals Death ( As he's dying, he passes on his captaincy to Elizabeth and begs her to forgive him)
  • Thirty Xanatos Pileup
  • Yellow Peril: He fits a lot of stereotypes of the Asian villain, but isn't particularly better or worse than any of the other pirate characters, and is notably less evil than the white Big Bad.

Joshamee Gibbs


Played by: Kevin McNally (2003-present)

Former Royal Navy sailor, old seadog and quarter master of the Black Pearl, Mr. Gibbs is Jack Sparrow's right hand man. Gibbs is also perhaps the only person in the whole series who can stand being with Jack Sparrow for several days without turning on him.

Anamaria


Played by: Zoe Saldana (2003)

The female pirate who Jack steals a ship from in Curse Of The Black Pearl. She also helps in the attemp to rescue Elizabeth from Barbossa in the same film.
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