- "It wasn't your blood they needed. It was my father's blood. My blood. The blood of a pirate."
- ―Will Turner to Elizabeth Swann
The Blood of the Aztec Curse was an effortful pursuit made to lift the Aztec curse. After finding the Treasure of Cortés on the mysterious Isla de Muerta, Captain Hector Barbossa and the crew of the Black Pearl fell under the curse, doomed to live forever as undead skeletons. The curse they carry could be lifted only if all of the plundered pieces of Aztec Gold was returned and the blood debt repaid.
For the next ten years, stories of the Black Pearl haunted the Seven Seas. The crew's desperate search led to Port Royal, where the last gold piece was found in the possession of Elizabeth Swann, daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann, who was taken aboard the Pearl. Will Turner, a young blacksmith in love with Elizabeth, joined forces with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, who had his own agenda to regain the Black Pearl, which was once his ship. The adventure, which consisted of evading the clutches of Commodore James Norrington's crew of the Royal Navy and facing cursed pirates, would end with an epic battle on Isla de Muerta. The battle resulted with the curse lifted and the death of Barbossa in the hands of Jack Sparrow, who once again became the captain of the Black Pearl.
Before the Quest[]
The cursed Treasure of Cortés[]
- "This is Aztec gold. One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortés was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold...a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity."
"I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa."
"Aye. That's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale. Buried on an island of dead what cannot be found, except for those who know where it is." - ―Hector Barbossa and Elizabeth Swann
A piece of cursed Aztec gold.
In the early 16th century, during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico, the Aztecs placed 882 identical pieces of Aztec gold in a stone chest which they gave to the conquistador Hernán Cortés as "blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies." But instead of satisfying Cortés, it merely fueled his greed. In response, the heathen gods placed a curse upon the gold: any mortal who removed a piece of the gold from the chest would be punished for eternity. Ultimately, the treasure of Cortés would end up in the caves of the dreaded Isla de Muerta, a mysterious island of the dead that could only be found by those who knew where it was.[2] There the treasure remained, and became one of many legends in the Caribbean, some of which would be a matter of discussion several times in Jack Sparrow's life.[3]
First voyage to the Treasure[]
Mutiny on the Black Pearl[]
- "See, three days out on the venture, the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure, too. So, Jack gives up the bearings. That night, there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die, but not before he'd gone mad with the heat."
- ―Joshamee Gibbs concerning Jack Sparrow
In the 18th century, the notorious pirate Captain Jack Sparrow showed up in Tortuga, at which time he was captain of the Black Pearl and was bent on going after the treasure of Isla de Muerta with the help of his unique compass. While in Tortuga, Jack would recruit a crew, which would have also included Hector Barbossa, who served as first mate, and Bootstrap Bill Turner. Jack also knew about the curse that lied upon the treasure, though he didn't believe in it.[4] Despite this, he told the stories to Barbossa and the other crewmen, but they didn't believe in the curse either, with Barbossa himself having said, "Ridiculous superstition!"[5]
Captain Barbossa's crew of the Black Pearl.
With the crew assembled, the Black Pearl then sailed out on its quest to find the treasure. Three days out into the venture, Barbossa coerced Jack into giving up the exact location of the island, saying that if the crew was going to have a share of the treasure, they should know where they're going. And so, Jack gave Barbossa the bearings to Isla de Muerta, making Barbossa somebody who could find the island because he already knew where it was. That night, Barbossa led the crew in a mutiny against Jack Sparrow, in which Barbossa assumed command as the new captain of the Black Pearl. Jack would be thrown overboard with his compass. Barbossa would have given Jack a pistol with a single shot before marooning his former captain on a desert island known as Black Sam's Spit, a small island that was nothing more than a strip of beach and a few palm trees, where he would be left to die. Bootstrap Bill, while he probably didn't participate in the mutiny, given that he had a good relationship with Jack Sparrow, he stayed on board with Barbossa's crew.[4]
Escaping the island[]
- "Now Will, when a pirate's marooned, he's given a pistol with a single shot. One shot. Well, that won't do much good hunting, nor to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starvin' belly and thirst, that pistol starts to look real friendly. But Jack, he escaped the island, and he still has that one shot. Oh, but he won't use it, though, save for one man. His mutinous first mate."
"Barbossa." - ―Joshamee Gibbs and Will Turner
From the moment he was marooned on a godforsaken desert island, Jack Sparrow was given a flintlock pistol with only a single shot, which was initially intended for him to kill himself. However, Jack would escape Black Sam's Spit three days later and kept the pistol for years to come. Jack cherished his pistol, but never pulled the trigger; he made it his goal to save his pistol's one shot until he could use it on his mutinous first mate whom he now hated for violating the Code and having stole his beloved Black Pearl: Barbossa.[2]
- "How did Jack get off the island?"
"Well, I'll tell ye. He waded out into the shallows and he waited there three days and three nights till all manner of sea creatures came acclimated to his presence. And on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed them together, and made a raft."
"He roped a couple of sea turtles?"
"Aye, sea turtles." - ―Will Turner and Joshamee Gibbs
Legends would be told of how Captain Jack Sparrow managed to escape Rum Island. The most famous of Jack's legends, which would much later be told by Joshamee Gibbs, was the one claiming that Jack waded into the shallows until he roped together two sea turtles, with human hair from his back as rope, and made a raft. But that claim was false, as Jack used the tale in order to improve his own myth. In reality, Jack simply resigned himself to his fate and spent the next three days lying on the beach drinking rum, which he discovered from a cache used by the rumrunners. The rumrunners later came to the island, at which point Jack was able to barter passage off. As years passed, while Jack Sparrow embarked on his quest to regain the Black Pearl, the rumrunners would run out of business by the hands of James Norrington, an officer of the British Royal Navy.[2]
Finding the cursed treasure[]
- "Find it, we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. And we took 'em all. We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered 'em away on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave 'em away, the more we came to realize...the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner. Compelled by greed, we were, but now...we are consumed by it."
- ―Elizabeth Swann and Hector Barbossa
The cursed crew affected by the moonlight.
Although having believed that the curse that former captain Jack Sparrow spoke of was a mere ghost story, Captain Barbossa had the crew of the Black Pearl sail on, pressing towards Isla de Muerta. Locating the island of the dead, the crew found the treasure and took all 882 pieces of Aztec gold from the stone chest. At some point prior to finding the island, Barbossa would get a pet monkey that he would name "Jack", after his old captain, who also took at least one piece of the treasure. The crew then go out spending and trading every bit on food, drink and pleasurable company, eventually ridding themselves of all gold pieces. It was around this point that the crew discovered that they were cursed. They suffered a living death, in which no amount of food, drink or pleasurable company would satisfy. When they step into the moonlight, the grim effects of the curse were plain to see: the crew's flesh vanished from their bones, and become walking skeletons. Therefore, each member of the crew was doomed to reside as members of the undead for their transgression.[2]
Quest to end the Aztec Curse[]
Losing Bootstrap Bill Turner[]
- "Never sat well with Bootstrap, what we did to Jack Sparrow. The mutiny and all. He said it wasn't right with the Code. That's why he sent off a piece of the treasure to you, as it were. He said we deserved to be cursed...and remain cursed."
- ―Pintel to Will Turner
After figuring out that it was the Aztec gold pieces that placed the curse upon them, Barbossa's crew soon learned, possibly through reading the Aztec writing on the stone chest[4], that the only way to undo their curse was by returning all the gold back into the chest. And so with their goal set, the now-cursed crew of the Black Pearl aimed to reclaim all 882 pieces of the Aztec gold and lift their curse. Bootstrap Bill Turner, on the other hand, did not join the crew's desperate search. He had been feeling guilty because of what they did to Jack Sparrow, believing that it wasn't right with the Code, so far as to say that the crew deserved to be cursed for what they did and to remain cursed. That was when Bootstrap sent his piece of the treasure to his child in England, because he never wanted Barbossa's crew to be able to lift the curse. In response, an angered Barbossa had Bootstrap Bill tied to a cannon and thrown overboard, eternally drowning but unable to die because of the Aztec curse. He was left to suffer at the crushing depths of the bottom of the ocean. It wasn't until after Bootstrap was thrown overboard did the crew learn of an additional requirement to lift the curse: all the plundered treasure had to be restored in total and a blood debt repaid, which now seemed impossible with Bootstrap lost to them. However, a chance of salvation lied in Bootstrap's child, who had both his coin and Turner blood in his veins.[2]
Reclaiming all pieces[]
- "The Black Pearl? I've heard stories. She's been preying on ships and settlements for near ten years. Never leaves any survivors."
"No survivors? Then where do the stories come from, I wonder?" - ―A seedy prisoner and Jack Sparrow
The cursed crew searching for the Aztec gold.
The cursed crew of the Black Pearl now had two things to do: get all the gold back and add their blood to the chest. During their search, Barbossa's crew used Isla de Muerta as a base where they didn't just bring the Aztec gold, but heaped up all their plunder into the caves. Until the curse was lifted, wealth was worthless to them, for nothing they can buy brings them pleasure. The treasure on Isla de Muerta included huge quantities of gold and silver bars and coins, which came from raids on Spanish ships heading back to Seville from the country's colonies in Mexico and Peru. But some of the most valuable pieces are jewelry stolen from wealthy passengers on ships the Black Pearl attacked.[6] Sightings of the Black Pearl had been reported all over the world, ranging from Madagascar to Newport to Singapore[7], where the infamous pirate ship preyed on ships and settlements, and was believed to have left no survivors. Due to their immortality and prior fighting experience of most of the crew members, the cursed crew of the Black Pearl was a deadly threat.[2]
Stories and legends would then be told about the Black Pearl, being "crewed by the damned" and Barbossa himself characterized as "a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out". Even members of the British Royal Navy were not above superstition; Joshamee Gibbs was particularly mindful of drawing the attention of the "cursed pirates" when the HMS Dauntless made the crossing from England to the Caribbean. Though some believe it only to be a tale.[2]
Crossing from England[]
- "What happened here?"
"It's most likely the powder magazine. Merchant vessels run heavily armed."
"A lot of good it did them. Everyone's thinking it, I'm just saying it. Pirates." - ―Weatherby Swann, James Norrington, and Joshamee Gibbs
The Dauntless crew seeing a wrecked vessel.
About two years had passed since they fell under the curse, and Barbossa's crew still haunted the seas. It was around this point in time that the HMS Dauntless, the pride of the British Royal Navy, sailed on the voyage from England to the British settlement of Port Royal, Jamaica. While the Dauntless sailed through the Caribbean Sea, young Elizabeth Swann, daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann and one of the passengers aboard the Dauntless, was singing a pirate shanty. One of the sailors, Joshamee Gibbs, warned her about "cursed pirates" and, after Lieutenant James Norrington intervened, stated his superstition about singing about pirates in an unnatural fog. Although Elizabeth expressed her fascination for the subject of piracy, both Norrington and her father showed their concern, with Norrington stating that he intended to see all pirates get "a short drop and a sudden stop". After discovering a young boy lying unconscious on a piece of driftwood, the passengers of the Dauntless happened upon the burning wreckage of a merchant vessel. Though Norrington believed this to be the work of the powder magazine, as merchant vessels were heavily armed, Gibbs took it to be the work of pirates.[2]
The Black Pearl sailing through the unnatural fog.
Realizing that there was a chance that others may be alive, Lieutenant Norrington ordered the crew to rouse the captain and launch the boats to search for survivors. As sailors rushed about, Governor Swann told Elizabeth to take care of the boy. While some of the Dauntless crew looked through the wreck, the young boy roused in time for he and Elizabeth to introduce themselves. The boy said his name was "Will Turner" before slipping back into unconsciousness. Elizabeth then noticed a gold medallion with a skull about Will's neck. Fearing he was a pirate—and that the strict Norrington and her father would likely have him hanged—Elizabeth took the medallion from Will before he was taken below decks by Norrington's men. As Elizabeth stood on the bow of the Dauntless, taking a look at the medallion, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Looking up, she saw the Black Pearl, a ship with tattered sails and hoisting a flag with a skull, moving silently through the thick fog.[2]
In reality, the cursed crew of the Black Pearl did attack the merchant vessel that Will Turner was on, having sensed the medallion after it touched the water. But around the appearance of the Dauntless, for unknown reasons, the Black Pearl left without getting neither Will nor the coin, either because of the pirates taking off, discretion being the better part of valor, or they were simply lost in the fog. For the next eight years, the cursed pirates continued looking for all the gold they needed to lift their curse.[4]
Quest[]
Eight Years Later[]
The British settlement of Port Royal.
- "Dear, I do hope you demonstrate a bit more decorum in front of Commodore Norrington. It is only through his efforts that Port Royal has become at all civilized."
- ―Weatherby Swann to Elizabeth Swann
Over the years since they first met, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann maintain a respectful friendship, although Will concealed his true romantic feelings for her. Will grew up to be a blacksmith, under the apprenticeship to John Brown, and a master craftsman of fine swords, in spite of the fact that it was his oft-drunken master who usually claims credit for Will's exquisite workmanship. He also practiced with his swords three hours a days, becoming an exceptional, self-taught swordsman. Despite not knowing his true heritage, Will developed a hatred of pirates. Meanwhile, James Norrington made vigorous and determined undertaking for Port Royal to become a civilized British colony with help of the Dauntless, the power of these waters, and the Interceptor, which the British believed to be the fastest ship in the Caribbean. Eventually, after serving as captain for a while, Norrington would be suitable in earning the rank of commodore.[2]
- "Will! It's so good to see you. I dreamt about you last night. About the day we met. Do you remember?"
"I could never forget it, Miss Swann."
"Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth?"
"Once more, Miss Swann. As always." - ―Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner
Eight years after the Dauntless's voyage from the crossing of England, Elizabeth Swann awakened in her room at the governor's mansion from a dream of that fateful day where she met Will Turner and saw a pirate ship. She still had the medallion, kept in a hidden compartment in the bottom of a drawer, and puts it on. Her father, Governor Swann, knocks on the door, startling her as he entered with a gift for her: a dress, said to be the latest fashion in London, which Elizabeth's father hoped for her to wear for an important occasion, Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony. Elizabeth agreed to wear it, though finds the corset highly restricting and uncomfortable.[2]
Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann in Governor Swann's mansion.
Governor Swann was then informed by his butler that he had a visitor, Will Turner, who was delivering a sword, which he forged himself for the soon-to-be Commodore Norrington. After being shown the sword, Swann told Will to send his complements to his master, who Swann assumed made the sword. Elizabeth then entered the room and spoke with Will, briefly telling him that she dreamt about the day they met. But Will's polite and reserved manner, still present after all their years of friendship, irritated her, and they parted on less than good terms as Elizabeth left with her father to their carriage. As they rode to Fort Charles, Governor Swann expressed his hope that Elizabeth would demonstrate a bit more decorum in the presence of Commodore Norrington for all he had done with the town of Port Royal.[2]
Arrival of Captain Jack Sparrow[]
Marketing for a ship[]
- "What's your purpose in Port Royal, 'Mr. Smith'?"
"Yeah. And no lies."
"Well, then, I confess. It is my intention to commandeer one of these ships, pick up a crew in Tortuga, raid, pillage, plunder, and otherwise pilfer my weaselly black guts out." - ―Mullroy, Murtogg and Jack Sparrow
Captain Jack Sparrow arriving to Port Royal.
Meanwhile, the pirate rogue Captain Jack Sparrow sailed towards Port Royal, standing on the rigging of a small fishing dory, the Jolly Mon. Noticing that his boat was filling up with water, he jumped down to bail it out. Jack then spotted skeletal remains of three pirates, still clad in buccaneer rags, hanging from gallows erected from a rocky promontory along with a fourth unoccupied gallows bearing a sign that said "Pirates Ye Be Warned". Pausing, Jack Sparrow took off his hat and placed it above his heart—a moment of exaggerated respect for the doomed pirates as he sailed by them. The harbor of Port Royal was crowded with boats as Jack arrived, his boat continuing to sink lower and lower until he made it to the docks, where only the mast was visible above water. After bribing the harbormaster, Jack Sparrow walked away to find a suitable ship for him to sail on. Simultaneously, high above at Fort Charles, Norrington's promotion ceremony was underway.[2]
Jack Sparrow talking with Mullroy and Murtogg aboard the Interceptor.
Striding through the docks to "commandeer" the HMS Interceptor, Jack Sparrow was accosted by two royal marines, Mullroy and Murtogg, who were assigned to guard the Interceptor and make sure the docks stay off limits to civilians. After questioning the idea of guarding the Interceptor rather than the Dauntless, Jack distracted the two by mentioning a ship that could match the Interceptor for speed: the Black Pearl. While Mullroy and Murtogg debated on whether the Black Pearl was a real ship or not, Jack snuck aboard the Interceptor and took the helm. The two marines then noticed too late and aimed their muskets at Jack, who claimed to plan on commandeering one of their ships, pick up a crew at Tortuga, then raid, pillage, and plunder. After then wondered if he was telling the truth or not, the two marines and Jack engaged in idle conversation.[2]
Rescue and Escape[]
- "You're despicable."
"Sticks and stones, love. I saved your life, you save mine. We're square." - ―Elizabeth Swann and Jack Sparrow
Elizabeth's medallion making the call.
On the battlements of Fort Charles, the newly-promoted Commodore Norrington had a moment with Elizabeth. Norrington confessed that his new status had made clear to him that he had yet to achieve "a marriage to a fine woman," and confessed his love for Elizabeth, saying that she had become a "fine woman". While Norrington proposed to Elizabeth, she fainted because of the tightness of the corset under her dress, and fell off the battlements and plummets into the water, narrowly missing the rocks. Jack Sparrow, Mullroy and Murtogg witnessed Elizabeth falling into the bay. Because neither Mullory nor Murtogg could save her, with both admitting they couldn't swim, Jack dived into the water to rescue her. When Elizabeth fell underwater, having worn her medallion hidden from view in her dress, the gold medallion caused a ripple that was sent across the waters. The ripple was noticed by Mullroy and Murtogg, who saw a change in the wind. Grabbing Elizabeth from the ocean floor, Jack made for the surface and, after taking off Elizabeth's heavy dress, which was dragging the two down, took the damsel as he swam to the port.[2]
Norrington meeting Jack after Elizabeth's rescue.
Back on the docks, Mullroy and Murtogg helped Jack haul Elizabeth out of the water and getting Elizabeth to breathe. Using Murtogg's knife, Jack slits Elizabeth's corset down the middle, and yanked it away so Elizabeth could breathe. Jack then had an interest on the medallion around Elizabeth's neck, but his questions were forestalled by Commodore Norrington, who pointed his new ceremonial sword at Jack. Despite Elizabeth's plea to not kill her rescuer, Norrington recognized a brand on his forearm as a mark used by the East India Trading Company to identify pirates. Looking at Jack's pistol, compass and sword, Norrington stated that Jack was the worst pirate he ever heard of, at which point Jack simply said, "But you have heard of me." After Norrington had his second-in-command Lieutenant Gillette arrest Jack by chaining him with manacles, the infamous pirate held Elizabeth as hostage. Jack used the governor's daughter long enough to have his effects returned to him. Before making his legendary escape, Jack stated, "You will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!" Despite being manacled, Jack managed to escape from Norrington's men and planned to evade arrest. Norrington, however, insisted that Jack had a dawn appointment with the gallows.[2]
Duel in the Blacksmith Shop[]
Jack Sparrow and Will Turner fighting in the Port Royal smithy.
- "Move away."
"No."
"Please move."
"No! I cannot just step aside and let you escape."
"This shot was not meant for you." - ―Jack Sparrow and Will Turner
A fog creeps through, casting an eerie twilight pall, as Norrington's armed search parties move along the streets of Port Royal in an effortless search for Jack Sparrow. Meanwhile, Jack entered the town's smithy, as a hiding place from the authorities. Glancing around, his eyes came to rest on John Brown, a bear of a man, slumped over in a chair, an empty bottle cradled in his arms. Given the man's condition, Jack did not think him a threat and resumed his search for something he could use to take the manacles off. After first using a short-handled sledge, Jack succeeded in breaking free from his manacle chains, thanks to the donkey yoked to the bellows.
Though the oft-drunken blacksmith was fast asleep, his blacksmith apprentice Will Turner entered the forge shortly afterwards and went face-to-face with Jack, who thought Will looked familiar. Upon realizing that Jack was the pirate Norrington's men were hunting, let alone the pirate who had threatened his childhood friend Elizabeth Swann, Will engaged Jack in a duel in the blacksmith's shop.[2]
Jack aiming his pistol at Will Turner.
After a while of fighting, where both had the upper hand on the other, Will would ultimately disarm Jack on the rafters of the smithy. However, Jack pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Will. As Will blocked the exit, Jack pleaded to Will to move aside, in which he refused. Even when he desperately didn't want to, Jack was prepared to use his one shot, which he was saving for Barbossa, to shoot Will so he could escape. But before he had the chance, Jack was knocked out by Mr. Brown, who slammed a glass bottle against Jack's skull, and fell to the ground. The front door smashed open as Norrington's men entered the room, finding Jack on the ground.[2]
Attack on Port Royal[]
- "Come out...and we promise we won't hurt you. We will find you, poppet. You've got something of ours, and it calls to us. The gold calls to us."
- ―Pintel to Elizabeth Swann
Unbeknownst to Elizabeth Swann, when she fell off the battlements of Fort Charles and into the water, the gold medallion sent out a ripple. Because it touched the water, the gold called to cursed pirates. Knowing it was the last medallion, the last piece they needed to lift the terrible curse they were under, the pirates followed the call. That night, Port Royal would be besieged by the Black Pearl.[2]
Before the Attack[]
- "There you go, miss. It was a difficult day for you, I'm sure."
"I suspected Commodore Norrington would propose, but I must admit, I wasn't entirely prepared for it."
"I meant you being threatened by that pirate. Sounds terrifying."
"Oh. Yes, it was terrifying." - ―Estrella and Elizabeth Swann
Inside Fort Charles, several seedy-looking prisoners try to coax the Prison Dog, who held a ring of keys in his mouth, to their cell. One prisoner holds a loop of rope and another waggles a bone, while the dog just sits and cocks his head. In an adjoining cell, laying down on floor, Jack Sparrow knew his doggy jailer was no more likely to hand over the keys than a human guard.[8] "You can keep doing that forever, the dog is never going to move." Jack said as his fellow prisoners try and lure the hound within reach. One of the prisoners remarked on Jack's inability to resign himself from the gallows. Meanwhile, at the Governor's mansion, a maid named Estrella removed a bed warmer from the fireplace and slid it between the sheets at the end of Elizabeth Swann's bed. Estrella and Elizabeth briefly discussed the events of that day—during which Elizabeth had been rescued and subsequently held hostage by Jack Sparrow, though got into the subject of Commodore Norrington's earlier proposal to her. Finally noting suggestively Elizabeth's affection for Will Turner, rather than James Norrington, Estrella left the room. Elizabeth began reading a book, toying absently with the medallion around her neck until the flame from her lamp diminished and goes out, and the room went dark.[2]
At the blacksmith's forge, Will Turner works until abruptly stopping as his attention was drawn to the window. Peering out, there was nothing but a thick fog, which now blanketed the entire town, with Fort Charles as the only visible structure. Above the fort was a clear black sky and a waxing moon shining, giving both Fort and fog an eerie glow as the Black Pearl had come to Port Royal.[2]
The Black Pearl attacks[]
- "I know those guns...It's the Pearl."
- ―Jack Sparrow
The Black Pearl attacks Port Royal.
A hangman's noose hangs from a gallows in the courtyard as Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington walked along the far wall of Fort Charles, speaking very briefly about Norrington's proposal to Elizabeth until hearing cannon fire in the distance. Norrington rallied the fort's garrison to repel the ongoing attack. The sound of gunfire made Jack Sparrow spring from his hard stone seat to gaze at the bay. Although his prison cell was directly in the firing line, the blasts were music to his ears, for he quickly recognized the sound of the guns as those of his beloved Black Pearl.[8] He and some of the other prisoners peer out through the window bars to see the Black Pearl attacking the town. At the harbor, the Black Pearl could not be seen over the fog, but lit up around her with each boom of her cannons, firing on both sides, hammering both the fort and the town. Villagers panic, running for cover and dodging flying debris, while some form up to meet the attack. Longboats emerge out of the fog, carrying armed pirates who began raiding and ransacking the town.[2]
Unable to see the Black Pearl, the gunners of the fort's garrison were ordered to fire at the muzzle flashes. Norrington ordered a dazed Governor Swann to take refuge in his office. Will Turner participated defending the town, 'killing' at least one pirate, Jacoby, until later seeing Jacoby alive in front of him. Turner's astonished hesitation cost him, and was bashed from behind and fell to the ground, unconscious. From Fort Charles prison, Jack Sparrow continued watching the attack raged on, until a shot from the Pearl blasted a hole out of the prison walls in the cell next to Jack's. The prisoners were still desperate to avoid the hangman. Though they couldn't tempt the Prison Dog, the one cannonball sets Jack's criminal companions free. As they escaped the prison through a hole in their cell wall they sympathize with Jack, still locked inside.[8][2]
Jack while visited by his old cursed crew.
Alone, Jack tried to lure the prison dog close enough to get the keys, until the dog dashed away before the door burst open. Two of Jack's old crew, Koehler and Twigg, who were looking for the fort's armory, spotted Jack in his cell. They came to him and mused that his fortunes hadn't improved since they last saw him on the desert island. Jack warned them that the lowest circle of hell was reserved for betrayers and mutineers. Suddenly, Koehler grabbed Jack by the throat through the bars. Jack looked at the pirate's wrist where they enter the moonlight and then realized that the stories he knew about the curse he knew about was real and not only myth. Koehler sneered as he shoved Jack backwards. Jack stared as Koehler and Twigg left him, alone in his cell, to ponder of what he had just learned.[2]
Parley aboard the Black Pearl[]
Lured by the medallion that Elizabeth wore around her neck, the pirates followed the "call" and stormed the governor's mansion. Killing the butler just as he opens the door, the pirates began pillaging the mansion, while Pintel and Ragetti go after Elizabeth. Despite a terrified Estrella warning Elizabeth that the pirates were after her, the governor's daughter, Elizabeth learned that the pirates were looking for the medallion. While Estrella managed to escape, Elizabeth was found by the pirates. After invoking the right of parley, Elizabeth was forced to go with the pirates as they take her to their captain, following the Pirate's Code.[2]
Captain Barbossa kidnapping Elizabeth "Turner" aboard the Black Pearl.
Amid the thunder of cannon fire, a longboat full of pirates, and Elizabeth Swann, rowed towards the Black Pearl. Climbing aboard the Black Pearl, Elizabeth saw Captain Hector Barbossa with Jack the Monkey perched on his shoulder. Finally meeting with the captain, Elizabeth began to negotiate with Barbossa, persuading the pirates to stop the attack on Port Royal in exchange for the medallion. Amused, Barbossa inquired Elizabeth for her name. She introduced herself as "Elizabeth Turner", to conceal her identity as the governor's daughter, embroidering that she was a maid in the governor's household. Barbossa reacted to the name "Turner", which seemingly confirmed what he had suspected: she was the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner and that she had Turner blood, the blood they needed to lift their curse. After getting the medallion, thus seemingly completing their bargain, Barbossa kept Elizabeth onboard as captive, at which point Elizabeth reminded Barbossa that he had to take her to shore according to the Pirate's Code. Barbossa noted several loopholes: her return to shore was not part of their agreement, that she was not a pirate so the Code wouldn't apply to her, and that the Code itself was more like "guidelines" than rules. Elizabeth stared in speechless terror as Barbossa welcomed her aboard the Black Pearl.[2]
- "First, your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement, so I must do nothing. And secondly, you must be a pirate for the Pirate's Code to apply, and you're not. And thirdly, the Code is more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules. Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss Turner."
- ―Hector Barbossa to Elizabeth "Turner"
Rescue mission[]
- "We have to hunt them down. We must save her."
"And where do you propose we start? If you have information concerning my daughter, please share it."
"That Jack Sparrow. He talked about the Black Pearl." - ―Will Turner, Weatherby Swann, and Murtogg
Will Turner suggesting to use Jack Sparrow to find the Black Pearl.
At dawn of the following morning, Will Turner came to, still where he fell the prior night, and got up on his feet. Will takes in the devastation of Port Royal after the brutal pirate attack before running to Fort Charles, where Commodore Norrington, Governor Swann, and Lieutenant Gillette were gathered around a map. Despite Will Turner saying that they must hunt down the pirates and save Elizabeth, they had no lead on where the pirates might be. Murtogg and Mullroy then mention that Jack Sparrow had talked about the Black Pearl, which then made Will suggest make a deal with Sparrow. But Norrington pointed out that the pirates were not Sparrow's allies, as they left him locked in his prison cell, instead proposing that they determine the most likely course, and launch a search mission. Will angrily slammed his boarding axe into the desk, through the map, saying that Norrington's plan wasn't good enough. Norrington was quick to react by acknowledging that Turner was merely a blacksmith, and that this was not the time for rash actions. Guiding him roughly to the door, Norrington warned Turner that he should not make the mistake of thinking he was the only one who cared for Elizabeth.[2]
Deal with a Pirate[]
- "What's your name?"
"Will Turner."
"That would be short for William, I imagine. Good, strong name. No doubt named for your father, eh?"
"Yes."
"Uh-huh. Well, Mr. Turner, I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell, I swear on pain of death I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass." - ―Jack Sparrow and Will Turner
Will and Jack making a deal in the prison cells.
Having failed to persuade Norrington to help rescue Elizabeth, Will Turner turned to Jack Sparrow, who was now his only link to finding the Black Pearl. In the fort's jail cells, Jack Sparrow tried to budge one of the bars until Will Turner approached his cell, in which Jack lounged onto the floor, and questioned Jack about the Black Pearl. Jack revealed about Captain Barbossa and his crew sail from Isla de Muerta, an island that couldn't be found except for those who knew where it was. Despite their prior differences, Jack Sparrow agreed to aid Will in his daring rescue mission if, as Will previously offered, he is freed from his prison cell. After Will unlocked the cell, Jack proceeded in recovering "his effects", including his pistol, before leaving on their adventure.[2]
Though he initially refused to find the Black Pearl and save Elizabeth, Jack agreed to help Will after learning his name, a name also carried by his father. Prior to beginning their journey, Jack asked Will how far he would go to save her. Will said, without hesitation, that he'd die for her.[2]
Commandeering the Interceptor[]
- "With no ship of our own to give chase, Will and I were forced, by circumstances, to take actions that some might consider piracy. We set sail aboard the Interceptor, a brisk and sturdy vessel formerly the British Royal Navy."
- ―Jack Sparrow
Jack and Will aboard the Dauntless.
Stranded with no apparent way to pursue Barbossa, Jack Sparrow and Will Turner had no choice but to "commandeer" a vessel. While members of the Royal Navy were preparing the Interceptor, Jack and Will grabbed a boat, using it to create an air bubble while walking at the bottom of the harbor. They then proceeded in taking the Dauntless, despite objections from Gillette, who belittled them by pointing out the ship couldn't be crewed by two men, boasting that they would never make it out of the bay. Meanwhile, at the docks, Officer Theodore Groves alerted Commodore Norrington of the predicament of Gillette's crew on a rowboat. After spotting Sparrow and Turner aboard the Dauntless, Norrington remarked "That is, without doubt, the worst pirate I have ever seen," before setting off at once to retake the Dauntless. Aboard the Dauntless, Will saw that the Interceptor was coming towards them and told Jack, who turned and glanced over his shoulder. Norrington was dropping the sails on the Interceptor and preparing for pursuit. Sparrow smiled to see his plan was working.[2]
The Interceptor making a getaway from Norrington's men.
The Interceptor quickly came alongside the Dauntless before sailors drew the two ships together with grappling hooks. Norrington's men swarm across and began searching every part of the vessel, but not noticing Jack and Will boarding the Interceptor and cutting off the hooks before making away with it. Realizing his ship was taken, Norrington ordered his sailors to go back to the Interceptor, but it was too late after one brave sailor tried to swing the across on a rope and fell short with a splash. Across the distance, Jack took the wheel as he thanked the Commodore for getting him and Will ready to make way. Angered, Norrington's order to Groves was measured as he rather see the ship at the bottom of the ocean than in the hands of a pirate. Before Norrington's men could fire the cannons, the steersman told Norrington that Sparrow disabled the rudder chain, thereby making the Dauntless unmovable. The Interceptor dwindled with distance as Groves remarked with admiration, "That's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen," even though Norrington did not share the sentiment.[2]
On the High Seas[]
- "Now, as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these. What a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. Now, me, for example, I can let you drown. But I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesy, savvy? So...Can you sail under the command of a pirate? Or can you not?"
"Tortuga?"
"Tortuga." - ―Jack Sparrow and Will Turner
Jack and Will talking about Will's father.
Now that Jack and Will sail aboard the Royal Navy's fastest ship, they made way for open water. With Jack at the wheel, the Interceptor cuts across the waves. After sharpening his sword, Will made an attempt at guile to Jack, then accused him of knowing his father, because of Jack agreeing to help only after learning Will's name. Jack then settled with telling Will he knew his father, saying that Bill was a "good man, good pirate." Will refused to believe that his father was a pirate, rather than a merchant sailor who obeyed the law. After Will pulled out his sword as a threat, Jack made the sail boom whip around and sweep Will off the ship and dangling above the water. Jack picked up the sword and tried making a point of "what a man can do, and what a man can't do." Revealing he couldn't sail the Interceptor all by himself, Jack swings the boom back in, bringing Will back to the deck, Jack gave Will back his sword while asking if he's able to sail under a pirate or not. Having resolved their latest difference, Jack and Will resumed course and sailed to Tortuga in search of a crew.[2]
Tortuga[]
- "I'll find us a crew. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock, crazy as you."
"One can only hope. Take what you can."
"Give nothin' back." - ―Joshamee Gibbs and Jack Sparrow
Jack and Gibbs in the Faithful Bride.
Now looking for a crew, Jack and Will sailed the Interceptor to the island of Tortuga, a far less civilized port than Port Royal. Jack and Will move through the crowd, where Jack reunited with Scarlett and Giselle, separately, where they slap Jack in the face. They then met with Jack's only choice for a loyal first mate: Joshamee Gibbs, now a drunken man laying with pigs in the mud. Splashing a bucket of water to wake Gibbs, who then said waking a man while he's sleeping was bad luck, Jack offered Gibbs a drink so he could listen to a proposition. Jack helped Gibbs to his feet before going to sit at a table in the Faithful Bride tavern, while Will kept a look-out. Despite Jack's "fool errand" of going after the Black Pearl and taking it, saying that Barbossa is not one to strike a bargain with a fool, Gibbs agreed to help Jack after learning that Will was the child of Bootstrap Bill Turner. In this fortuitous moment, Gibbs said he'd find a crew as Gibbs and Jack drink down and slammed their tankards on the table.[2]
Ghost stories[]
- "Look! The moonlight shows us for what we really are. We are not among the living, and so we cannot die. But neither are we dead. For too long I've been parched of thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starving to death and haven't died. I feel nothing. Not the wind on my face, nor the spray of the sea...nor the warmth of a woman's flesh. You best start believing in ghost stories, Miss Turner. You're in one!"
- ―Hector Barbossa to Elizabeth "Turner"
Far from the port of Tortuga, the Black Pearl sailed under a moonlit sky. As the Pearl cut through the dark waves, the only light on deck came from the moon, which was filtered by the clouds. Pintel and Ragetti entered the captain's cabin and informed Elizabeth that she would dine with Captain Barbossa, who requested she wear a red dress. At first Elizabeth was "disinclined to acquiesce to his request", but reconsidered after Pintel said that her alternative would be dining with the crew naked. A short while later, Elizabeth sat at a table filled with food.[2]
Barbossa telling Elizabeth about the curse.
With the table set, Elizabeth had dinner with Barbossa. As Elizabeth ate, Barbossa watched, his hungry eyes never leaving Elizabeth's mouth. Pouring a glass of wine, he offered it to his guest and watched once more as she gulped it down. It wasn't until Barbossa offered an apple that Elizabeth was aware of his intense gaze and that he wasn't eating; even Barbossa's monkey was staring at her. Suddenly wary of Barbossa's offer, Elizabeth thought the food was poisoned. Barbossa laughed and said there was no sense in killing her before talking about Elizabeth's medallion. He explained that it was Aztec gold, one of 882 pieces given to Cortés as a bribe to stop him looting their country. Barbossa told the story of how he and his crew became cursed, after taking the gold from Isla de Muerta and spent it all. He added that the curse could only be lifted when all the scattered gold pieces were returned in full and the blood repaid. Having retrieved the medallion and believing Elizabeth is the daughter of the late pirate Bill Turner, he is happy that their curse will end. Finally getting to his point, Barbossa told Elizabeth that she was the last blood sacrifice needed to lift the curse, saying "that's why there's no sense to be killing you. Yet."[2]
Still seated in her chair, Elizabeth stared at Barbossa, horrified, as he again offered her an apple. Elizabeth then came up out of her chair, trying to get away from Barbossa, until she used a knife taken from the table and stabbed Barbossa in his chest. Unaffected by Elizabeth's knife, Barbossa pulled it out with little effort, with blood on the blade. Elizabeth expected Barbossa to fall to the ground, but he didn't. "I'm curious," he said instead. "After killing me, what is it you're planning on doing next?"[2]
Elizabeth staring at Barbossa's cursed hand.
Turning in terror, Elizabeth burst through the doors of the cabin onto the main deck, where she saw Barbossa's now-skeletal crew working at their stations. Right in front of here, the crew of skeletons were at work swabbing the decks and coiling the lines. Screeching, Elizabeth tried to get away, but she fell, landing on a blanket in the cargo hold. A moment later, she was flung high into the air as skeletons pulled the blanket from beneath her. She came down, only to be caught by another skeleton as he swung by on a mast line. Terrified, she screamed again as she fell to the deck, while the skeletons kept working. Elizabeth ran over and hid under a stairway, until she let out another scream when Barbossa's monkey swung down beside her, scaring her with its skeletal appearance. Once more, Elizabeth jumped up, heading for the safety of the captain's cabin. But Barbossa was waiting for her just inside the doorway, out of the moonlight, and grabbed her roughly before jerking her back around and pulling her close. Barbossa explained the curse's effect on the crew, before putting his hand in the moonlight. He revealed his full skeletal form as he said "You best start believing in ghost stories, Miss Turner. You're in one!" Barbossa took a bottle of wine, uncorked it with his teeth, and drank from the bottle—the wine running through his rib cage. Witnessing all this, Elizabeth ran back into the cabin. While Barbossa ordered his crew to get back to work, a terrified Elizabeth huddled in the far corner of the cabin, where she remained for the rest of the voyage.[2]
Voyage to Isla de Muerta[]
- "We should drop canvas, sir."
"She can hold a bit longer."
"What's in your head that's put you in such a fine mood, captain?"
"We're catching up." - ―Joshamee Gibbs and Jack Sparrow
Captain Sparrow with his new crew.
While Elizabeth Swann was busy facing a crew of cursed pirates, back in Tortuga Joshamee Gibbs had managed to gather a ragtag group of sailors to crew the Interceptor. They now stood on the docks, awaiting Captain Jack Sparrow's approval. Jack walked down the line, stopping periodically to question the men. Behind him followed Will Turner, who had an unimpressed look on his face. Gibbs informed Jack that one of the men, known as Cotton, was a mute after having lost his tongue and couldn't speak; so through unknown methods, he trained his parrot to talk for him. One sailor shouted a question to the captain, "What is the benefit for us?" Walking over, Jack was then reunited with Anamaria, who slapped him across the face, causing Will to smirk. But Jack deserved it, as he had "borrowed" her boat without permission. Unfortunately, Jack knew Anamaria was a good sailor, and that he needed her onboard. With some help from Will, who promised Anamaria the Interceptor, Anamaria was convinced to join the crew. Jack and Will now re-set their course, now sailing for Isla de Muerta and the Black Pearl.[2]
The Interceptor sailing through a storm.
While Will doubted their skill, Jack knew he needed a crew crazy enough have the courage and fortitude to embark on this venture. Although Gibbs had his superstition of having a woman aboard, Jack glanced at the sky as he said "it'd be far worse not to have her." A flash of lightning and the crack of thunder, storms rocked the Interceptor. The new crew members scurry about with their tasks, pulling lines and trimming sails, trying to keep the ship afloat. Standing at the ship's wheel, Jack stared down at his trusty compass. When Will asked how they could sail to an island nobody could find with a "a compass that doesn't work," Gibbs responded by saying that the compass doesn't point north, "but we're not trying to find north, are we?" Staggering along the tilted deck, Gibbs advised Jack that they should drop canvas, though Jack said the ship could hold longer. Gibbs also noticed Jack was in a good mood, smiling with the knowledge that the Interceptor was able to catch up with the Black Pearl in their quest towards Isla de Muerta.[2]
A Gallant Rescue[]
Arriving to Isla de Muerta[]
- "Young Mr. Turner and I are to go ashore."
"Captain. What if the worst should happen?"
"Keep to the Code."
"Aye, the Code." - ―Jack Sparrow and Joshamee Gibbs
The cursed crew rowing into Isla de Muerta.
While the Interceptor was drawing closer to Isla de Muerta, the Black Pearl had already arrived. Having retrieved the last medallion and believing Elizabeth was the daughter of Bootstrap Bill Turner, Barbossa's crew were now intent on ending their curse. Once outside, Elizabeth's hands were bound as Barbossa placed the Aztec gold medallion back around her neck. Moments later, Elizabeth found herself sitting in the bow of a longboat as the crew rowed toward a dark cave entrance. In front of her, Barbossa stood in another boat, with the cursed monkey on his shoulder and an eager gleam in his eye. Soon, the curse would be over, and he would be a free man once more.[2]
Back aboard the Interceptor, an eerie quiet had settled over the crew as they lined up against the rail and stared out into a thick fog. As the ship glided slowly through the water, they could make out the shapes of half-sunken ships. Worn masts rotted in the air, the only sign of the vessels that lay below the waves. Jack Sparrow stood, one hand on the wheel, the other holding his compass, with Cotton standing behind him. Feeling the mute pirate's eyes on him, Jack looked back and then snapped the compass closed. While Will Turner was bothered by Jack's secrecy, Gibbs knew the infamous pirate captain had a reason.[2]
While en route, Will learned from Gibbs the mystery behind Jack Sparrow, such as that he was captain of the Black Pearl. When Jack had set out to find the treasure, Gibbs explained to Will, he promised his crew an equal share of the treasure. But as soon as Sparrow revealed the bearings, there was a mutiny. The crew turned on Jack, marooned him on an island and left him to die, leaving him with a pistol and one bullet. Gibbs sat down, gesturing for Will to come closer as he detailed the infamous pirate's legendary escape from the island by roping a couple of sea turtles, and the fact that Jack still had that one shot, but vowed not to use it save for one man: Barbossa. As a longboat was readied for Jack and Will, Gibbs asked Jack what if the worse should happen. Jack said, "Keep to the Code", an order which Will overhear. Without further discussion, Jack and Will slipped into the longboat and headed into the cave, toward Elizabeth and the treasure of Isla de Muerta.[2]
Blood Ritual[]
- "You, maid! Your father, what was his name? Was your father William Turner?"
"No."
"Where's his child? The child that sailed from England eight years ago? The child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner? Where?" - ―Hector Barbossa and Elizabeth Swann
Jack and Will finding Barbossa's crew.
Torches lit, Barbossa's crew took Elizabeth into a large cavern filled with piles upon piles of treasure. Sitting on top of the highest pile of treasure was a single stone chest, the treasure of Cortes himself. Meanwhile, Jack Sparrow and Will Turner rowed their longboat through the island's dark grotto, where Will saw a skeleton with a sword on its back, with a crab crawling next to it; it was this visual that gave Will the idea that Jack might betray him.[6] The two briefly talked about the "Code" Gibbs was suppose to keep, where any man that fell behind is left behind. Jack also talked about Will's path on becoming a pirate, particularly because of his obsession with treasure, an obsession that Will denied having. But Jack said, "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate" right before finding Elizabeth.[2]
Elizabeth's blood used in a ritual.
Looking through a hole into the treasure room, Jack and Will saw Elizabeth standing behind the stone chest. From their hiding spot, they watched as Barbossa gave a speech to his crew, reminiscing of their search for all 882 pieces of Aztec gold. Before getting on to the ritual, Barbossa avowed that the first thing he'd do when the curse lifts was to "eat a whole bushel of apples." Barbossa then turned to Elizabeth to perform the blood ritual by making a small cut on Elizabeth's hand with a flint knife, covering the medallion with her blood, and dropped it into the chest. Simultaneously, Will knocked Jack out with an oar, believing that he was going to betray him, and tried to find a way to sneak around to save Elizabeth. For a brief moment, Barbossa's crew waited for some sort of change, but they didn't feel any different. As a test to see if the curse was lifted, Barbossa drew his pistol and fired it at Pintel; but Pintel didn't die. Realizing that Elizabeth didn't have Turner blood, Barbossa asked her who the real child of Bootstrap Bill was. When Elizabeth did not answer, an enraged Barbossa slapped her, sending her, and the medallion, flying down the pile of gold.[2]
Jack Sparrow reuniting with his old crew.
Because Elizabeth was not the child of Bootstrap Bill, the cursed crew began to argue amongst themselves, first blaming Pintel and Ragetti for bringing the wrong person, then turning their attention to Barbossa, for every decision he had made. As the accusations continued to fly, no one bothered to keep an eye on Elizabeth, who took the medallion and retreated with Will Turner, unnoticed, to safety. Barbossa regained order over his crew before realizing that Elizabeth left with the medallion. Scrambling into action, the pirates headed for the longboats, but found that all the oars had gone missing. While searching for the oars, Barbossa's crew were reunited with their old captain of the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow. To avoid being killed by his former crew, Jack invoked the right of parley so that he would be brought to Barbossa himself.[2]
Escape aboard the Interceptor[]
- "Hey, boy, where be Jack?"
"Jack? Jack Sparrow?"
"He fell behind." - ―Joshamee Gibbs, Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner
Elizabeth brought aboard the Interceptor.
Streaming out behind in a long line were the oars to the pirates' longboats, taken by Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann when they escaped the cave. Will threw the last of the oars overboard before joining Elizabeth in climbing onto the deck of the Interceptor, where they stood dripping in front of Jack's crew. Elizabeth had a brief reunion with Gibbs, whom she remembered meeting eight years prior on the crossing from England, before Gibbs asked Will for Jack's whereabouts. Will only answered that he fell behind. Honoring Jack's instructions, Gibbs gave the order to keep to the Code as the Interceptor prepared to set sail.[2]
Captains Reunited[]
- "Gents, you all remember Captain Jack Sparrow? Kill him."
"The girl's blood didn't work, did it?"
"Hold your fire! You know whose blood we need."
"I know whose blood you need." - ―Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow
Barbossa confronting Captain Jack Sparrow.
Meanwhile, Jack Sparrow was attempting to negotiate his out of a sticky situation. Having no way to escape from Isla de Muerta, he now found himself face-to-face with his old first mate and current nemesis—Hector Barbossa. "How the blazes did you get off that island?" Barbossa asked upon seeing Jack. His eyes remaining cold and guarded, Jack only said that he was "Captain Jack Sparrow." Though Barbossa was astounded by Jack's survival, he ordered his crew to kill Jack. However, as the crew happily cocked their pistols, Jack brought up that Elizabeth's blood didn't work. Now having the upper hand, Jack revealed Barbossa that he knew whose blood they needed to end their curse. So Barbossa had no choice but to bring Jack aboard the Black Pearl to recover the medallion.[2]
Retrieving the Medallion[]
- "I'm having a thought here, Barbossa. What say we run up a flag of truce, I scurry over to the Interceptor, and I negotiate the return of your medallion, eh? What say you to that?"
"Now you see, Jack, that's exactly the attitude that lost you the Pearl. People are easy to search when they're dead. Lock him in the brig." - ―Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa
Elizabeth giving the medallion to Will.
At full sail, the Interceptor headed out to open sea as Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner talked alone in a cabin belowdecks. After her wounded hand was bandaged, Elizabeth gave Will back the medallion. Holding the medallion, which Will said was a gift sent by his father, Will asked Elizabeth why she took it. Elizabeth admitted she took it because she thought he was a pirate. Upon learning this, understanding flooded through Will. Elizabeth had told the pirates her name was Turner, and Jack had mentioned that his father was known as "Bootstrap Bill", a pirate. Therefore, Barbossa's crew had believed they held a pirate's child captive, when they were really after Will and his blood.[2]
Jack and Barbossa in the captain's cabin.
Onboard the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow found himself back in the captain's cabin, this time attempting to reach an accord with Barbossa. Jack bartered the name of Turner's child in exchange for his ship, but not before Barbossa was left standing on some beach. Barbossa showed concern while of being left on a beach with only a name, pointing out that the plan required trusting Jack's word—not something he was inclined to do given their history. But, as Jack pointed out, of the two of them, only Barbossa had taken part in a mutiny. So it was Jack's word that they should be trusting. Then, as an afterthought, Jack added that he should thank Barbossa, because if his betrayal hadn't taken place, Jack would have had an equal share in that curse. Smiling, Jack took a bite out of a green apple from the bowl in front of Barbossa, who jealously watched Jack chew the apple. They were interrupted by the Bo'sun, who informed Barbossa that they were catching up with the Interceptor. Pulling out a spyglass, Barbossa focused in on the Interceptor until Jack interjected, blocking Barbossa's view, and offered a flag of truce and scurrying over to retrieve the medallion. Glaring at the wily pirate, always negotiating and plotting, Barbossa knew better when telling Jack that was the attitude that lost him the Black Pearl, and that people were easier to search when they're dead. Turning to Bo'sun, Barbossa ordered Jack to the brig before throwing Jack's apple overboard.[2]
Pursuing the Interceptor[]
- "Lower the anchor on the right side. On the starboard side!"
"It certainly has the element of surprise."
"You're daft, lady! You both are!"
"Daft like Jack! Lower the starboard anchor! Do it, you dogs, or it's you we'll load into the cannons!" - ―Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner, Anamaria and Joshamee Gibbs
The Interceptor sailing with the Pearl gaining.
Miles of blue water, the Interceptor sailed through the seas, leaving a long white wake in its path. Elizabeth Swann emerged onto the deck and noticed that the crew was frantically running around as Joshamee Gibbs shouted orders. She then saw the Black Pearl the horizon, surrounded by a thick fog, gaining. Despite Elizabeth asserting that the Interceptor was renowned as "the fastest ship in the Caribbean," Anamaria simply remarked "You can tell them that after they've caught us." Acting fast in escaping Barbossa's clutches, Elizabeth suggested that since they're shallower on the draft they could lose the Black Pearl among the nearby shoals. Gibbs and Anamaria agreed to the plan and ordered the crew to throw the cargo overboard, so that the Interceptor could gain speed.[2]
Barbossa ordering hard to port.
Onboard the Black Pearl, Barbossa ordered his crew to ready out the guns, confident that the Pearl would catch up with the Interceptor. From the mainsail, the black-and-white skull and crossbones of the Jolly Roger unfurled. Walking onto the Interceptor's deck, Will Turner saw oars appearing from the side of the Black Pearl and began to row, adding to the ship's already increasing speed. Despite their efforts, the Pearl was close behind the Interceptor, though it bought them time to prepare for battle. Acting quickly, Will told Gibbs they should load the cannons with whatever they could find. Gibbs ordered the crew to load the remaining guns with silverware, nails, and glass; though Marty threw in Gibbs' now-empty drinking flask. To get the Black Pearl to face their cannons, the crew of the Interceptor dropped the starboard anchor into the blue water before hooking on a reef. The Interceptor began to pivot around the anchor. As Barbossa saw the Interceptor clubhauling, he quickly ordered to turn the ship hard to port, and to prepare a full broadside. The crews of both ships now sat parallel to each other, manning the cannons at the ready for a fight.[2]
Broadsides[]
- "We need us a devil's dowry."
"We'll give them her."
"She's not what they're after."
"...The medallion." - ―Joshamee Gibbs, Anamaria, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann
The Interceptor and the Pearl firing broadsides.
At almost the exact same moment, "Fire!" rang out from both ships, and the air filled with the sound of cannons blasting. Still locked in the brig, Jack Sparrow peered through a hole in the Black Pearl and watched as the cannons fired, until a blast suddenly rang out in which he ducked just as a huge hole was blown through his cell wall. "Stop blowing holes in my ship!" he cried out. When the smoke cleared and the guns were momentarily silenced, everyone took in the damage. Over on the Pearl, silverware and glass littered the deck and hull. Near one of the one of the cannons, Pintel looked at the silverware and noticed that Ragetti had a fork sticking out of his wooden eye and yanked it out. In the brig, Jack found Gibbs' flask and tried drinking out of it, only to find it empty, until he saw his cell blasted open. Now free, Jack pushed open the door further and made his way out. As Barbossa continued to lay siege to the Interceptor, Elizabeth, Will, Gibbs, and Anamaria desperately tried to think of a new plan whilst defending themselves from the cursed pirates. After Gibbs said they needed a devil's dowry, Anamaria advocated that they'd give Elizabeth to Barbossa's crew. But Will and Elizabeth realized that they wanted something of much more value: the medallion. The fight was in full force as Will went belowdecks in search of the medallion.[2]
Jack before swinging to the Interceptor.
Back aboard the Black Pearl, Barbossa compel the Interceptor crew to strike their colours before a chain-shot was fired at the mast of the Interceptor, which snapped before crashing down on the Pearl's deck. Fallen, the mast made a bridge between the two ships. Barbossa ordered his men to board the Interceptor and recover the medallion. The cursed crew met fierce resistance as they swung across to the Interceptor and engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat while Koehler and Twigg proceeded to the powder magazine. Meanwhile, Jack Sparrow had snuck unnoticed onto the deck of the Pearl, and swung across amidst the battle. Upon landing, Jack gave Gibbs back his now-empty flask before rushing to Elizabeth, asking where the medallion was. Despite initially reaching out to slap Jack, Elizabeth realized Will hadn't returned from finding the medallion belowdecks.[2]
Barbossa holding the medallion before the Interceptor exploded.
As water rose steadily below the decks of the damaged Interceptor, Will Turner searched in vain for the medallion until seeing Barbossa's cursed monkey leaving with the medallion in hand. On the other side, he heard Elizabeth as they tried reaching each other. Then, as Will watched helplessly, two pirates grabbed Elizabeth and dragged her away. While Will was claimed by the sea and Elizabeth was dragged away by the cursed pirates, Jack Sparrow chased after the monkey as it scampered over the mast towards the Black Pearl reaching out to grab the medallion. But he was too late as Barbossa had the medallion with the monkey on his shoulder. "Why, thank you, Jack," Barbossa said. "You're welcome," Jack replied. "Not you. We named the monkey Jack." Turning, Barbossa raised the medallion and addressed his crew, saying their hope was restored. Barbossa's crew took all survivors aboard the Pearl, while Twigg ignited a trial of gunpowder aboard the Interceptor.[2]
Finding Bootstrap's child[]
- "Name your terms, Mr. Turner."
"Elizabeth goes free!"
"Yes, we know that one. Anythin' else?"
"And the crew. The crew are not to be harmed." - ―Hector Barbossa and Will Turner
A short while later, the crew of the Interceptor found themselves tied to the Black Pearl's mast. Holding the medallion in his fingertips, Barbossa waited at the rail while Pintel pointed his gun at the captives and advised, "Any of you so much as thinks the word 'parley', I'll have your guts for garters." Tied up with the crew, Elizabeth believed her beloved Will was still somewhere onboard the Interceptor. Pushing the ropes up and over her head, she slipped free and moved forward, but the Interceptor exploded, sending debris high into the air. With rage in her eyes at what she saw, Elizabeth attacked Barbossa. Grabbing her by the wrists, Barbossa told Elizabeth she took advantage of their hospitality and could now return the favor. He shoved her at a group of dirty pirates who began to hoot and jeer. They surround her, pawing at her hair and dress. Climbing up onto the rail aboard the gunnel, his clothes soaking wet, was Will Turner, much to Elizabeth's relief.[2]
Will Turner confronts Barbossa.
Revealing himself to Barbossa, Will jumped off the rail before grabbing a pistol and pointed it at Barbossa, demanding to free Elizabeth. Unbothered by Will's dramatic appearance, Barbossa pointed out they couldn't die. In response, despite Jack pleading "Don't do anything stupid," Will pointed the pistol at his head and threatened to kill himself, thus making his blood unattainable for lifting the curse. When Barbossa asked the boy's identity, Jack dismissively explained that Will was a "distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed" before Will himself revealed he was Bootstrap Bill's child. As murmurs of understanding began to ripple among the crew, Barbossa requested Will's terms. Glancing over at Barbossa's captives, Will demanded the release of Elizabeth and the crew, however neglected to mention Jack Sparrow. Briefly considering the circumstances, Barbossa agreed to the conditions.[2]
Marooned at Black Sam's Spit[]
Walk the Plank[]
- "That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship."
- ―Jack Sparrow
Elizabeth forced to walk the plank.
After giving Will his word, Barbossa set course back to Isla de Muerta, but with one stop on the way. Now the Black Pearl sat off the shore of Black Sam's Spit. By this time, the Interceptor crew was sent to the brig, while Barbossa planned to maroon Elizabeth, along with Jack, on the island. Elizabeth's dress billowed in the ocean breeze as she stood on a plank over the blue Caribbean Sea. Meanwhile, Will struggled, angered at Barbossa for his duplicity. However, Barbossa responded by saying he agreed to free Elizabeth but didn't agree on when or where. He got what he needed: the medallion and Turner blood. Turning his attention back to Elizabeth, Barbossa let her walk the plank, but not without first requesting for the red dress back. Elizabeth moved to the end of the plank and, with the help of Bo'sun, she fell into the water below.
Jack and Elizabeth marooned.
As his crew laughed, Barbossa proceeded to Jack Sparrow, whose hands were tied. Having been reminded by Jack, Barbossa produced Jack's pistol, which still had the single shot. Jack then asked for two pistols, but Barbossa left Jack with only one and threw Jack's effects into the water. With a splash, Jack dove in after them before making for the island. While Jack and Elizabeth swam to the island, Will was sent to the brig as the Black Pearl prepared to make sail back towards Isla de Muerta.
Rescue from the island[]
- "But we've got to save Will."
"No. You're safe now. We will return to Port Royal immediately, not go gallivanting after pirates."
"Then we condemn him to death."
"The boy's fate is regrettable, but so is his decision to engage in piracy."
"To rescue me. To prevent anything from happening to me." - ―Elizabeth Swann and Weatherby Swann
Elizabeth and Jack singing around a fire.
Stumbling onto the white sand that surrounded the tiny strip of an island, Elizabeth Swann and Jack Sparrow turned and watched as the Black Pearl faded into the horizon. Watching Jack sashay away from the shore and stomping on the sandy ground, Elizabeth tried convincing him to escape the island so they could save Will. After telling him the stories she knew about him, Elizabeth asked Jack how he escaped the last time. Jack revealed the truth that he bartered passage off the island after spending three days on the island drinking rum from the rumrunners' cache. But seeing that they were long out of business, Jack has no plan of escape. As the truth of Jack's so-called adventure sunk in, Jack could only say "Welcome to the Caribbean, love." Beneath a night sky, Elizabeth and Jack danced around a large fire with their rum bottles in hand, singing song before sitting next to the fire. After briefly conversing, Elizabeth and Jack toasted to freedom and to the Black Pearl; though Elizabeth feigned a swig as Jack chugged. Unaware of Elizabeth's ruse, Jack tilting his head back as he swallowed until, with one last gulp, he fell back into the sand, unconscious.
As soon as Jack fell asleep, Elizabeth took matters in her own hands by burning the island's palm trees (their source for food and shade) and the rum supply to create a signal for the Royal Navy to know her location. By the time Jack came to, everything was burned, leaving a horrified Jack to ask "Why is the rum gone?" As Elizabeth plopped down, Jack briefly considered using his pistol on her but ended up stalking up the sand dune, just to get away from her. As he tried putting as much distance as he could between himself and Elizabeth, Jack was angered with the knowledge that things would be terrible on the island. Looking incredulous out to sea, Jack saw, on the horizon with white sails billowing, the HMS Dauntless.
Rescued aboard the Dauntless.
Safely back aboard the Dauntless, Elizabeth met with her father, Governor Swann, and betrothed, Commodore Norrington. Despite her persuasions for them to help save Will Turner from Barbossa's crew, both the governor and the commodore proposed against the mission, as Will engaged in piracy, and intended to return to Port Royal. Even Norrington passed the chance of capturing the Black Pearl, the "last real pirate threat in the Caribbean" as Jack Sparrow put it. It wasn't until Elizabeth promised to accept his marriage proposal that Norrington agreed to help Will and ordered Sparrow to be accompanied by Mullroy and Murtogg to the helm to provide their heading.
In the Brig[]
Bootstrap's Story[]
- "And last we saw of ol' Bill Turner, he was sinking to the crushing, black oblivion of Davy Jones' Locker. 'Course it was only after that we learned we needed his blood to lift the curse."
"That's what you call ironic." - ―Pintel and Ragetti
The brig of the Black Pearl.
While the HMS Dauntless changed course and began heading to Isla de Muerta, the Black Pearl was already well on her way. In the brig below-decks, the surviving members of Jack's crew from the destroyed Interceptor stood and watched as Pintel and Ragetti mopped the floors. In the crew's cell, Gibbs interpreted the parrot squawking on Cotton's shoulder, as saying that they missed a bit. Will Turner, in a separate cell, rested his arm on the cell bars while asking Pintel if he knew William Turner, his father. Pausing mid-mop, Pintel looked up and, with slight assistance from Ragetti, relayed the tale of Bootstrap Bill. As Pintel spoke of Bootstrap's action of sending off a piece of the treasure, Will lowered his head. His father was a man who knew right from wrong and who had made these pirates pay; he was a good man, and a pirate. Will had spent all his life hating pirates, but now everything had changed. By the end of his tale, Pintel and Ragetti added the irony of needing Bootstrap's blood to lift the curse. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the brig and Barbossa appeared, flanked by several other pirates, ordering the duo to bring Will before tossing the keys to his cell. The Black Pearl had arrived at Isla de Muerta, closer to ending their curse once and for all.
Lifting the Curse[]
Jack's Plan[]
- "You've been planning this from the beginning. Ever since you learned my name."
"...Yeah." - ―Will Turner and Jack Sparrow
Jack with Commodore Norrington.
With the use of Jack Sparrow's compass, the Dauntless arrived to Isla de Muerta. Looking at the Black Pearl through the lens of his spyglass, Commodore Norrington expressed his dislike of the situation, as his men could be put at a disadvantage. Jack then suggested that he go in and convince Barbossa to send his men out on their boats while Norrington's men return to the Dauntless and blast the pirates with their cannons. Aboard the Dauntless, Elizabeth Swann found herself being escorted unceremoniously toward the captain's cabin for her own "safety." Struggling against the marines, Elizabeth tried to warn that the pirates were cursed and undead, but Gillette mocked her by saying that "a little mermaid" already told him the whole story. Meanwhile, out on the water, Jack Sparrow smiled as he rowed to shore. However, despite allowing Jack to go in after Barbossa alone, Commodore Norrington ignored Jack's plan with the cannons. Floating safely outside the cave, the majority of the crew of the Dauntless sat floating in several longboats, waiting to attack. Sitting among the men, Murtogg and Mullroy argued back and forth about their strategy to get the pirates, rather than doing what was given to them by Jack. From his spot at the front of the longboat, Norrington pointed out that it was Jack himself, an irreverent trickster, who suggested it.
Jack telling Barbossa to wait to lift the curse until "the opportune moment".
Inside Isla de Muerta, the cave of treasure filled with light as Barbossa's crew entered with their torches, this time intending to spill all of Will's blood to lift the curse. Before Barbossa could perform the blood ritual, again, Jack miraculously appeared. As he sashayed his way to the front of the crowd, Jack assured to Will that Elizabeth was safe before adding that she had promised to marry Norrington and that, of course, Will had promised to die for her. Jack then informed Barbossa of the Dauntless waiting for the pirates offshore. Now putting the last of his plan into action, Jack convinced Barbossa to not kill Will yet, but wait until after killing all of Norrington's men. Then Barbossa could keep the Dauntless as his flagship, introducing himself as "Commodore Barbossa" while Jack captains the Black Pearl and gives a fair percentage of his plunder. To make his point of waiting for the opportune moment, Jack picked up a handful of coins from the chest, then dropping the coins one-by-one back into the chest to emphasize his words. But only Will, curious after hearing the pirate use a familiar phrase, saw him slyly steal one of the gold coins. Jack predicted that he may be able to divide and conquer Barbossa's forces, but also anticipating the battle to come. So to bring off this whole strategy, Jack figured as insurance he might as well make himself immortal just in case. This was also the moment when Will realized, that from the beginning, this was Jack's plan: to get Will close enough to the treasure to lift the curse but at the moment that is most profitable to Jack, which in this instance would also be most profitable to Will.[4] Having reached an accord, Barbossa and Jack shook hands.
After Jack inadvertently ordered Barbossa's crew to the boats, apologizing to Barbossa before letting him give the order "Take a walk." From his spot beside him, Jack gave a confused expression. Jack's plan was to keep all of the British on the Dauntless, and have all of the pirates row out on rowboats where basically the Dauntless could just keep firing cannonballs at them until the curse was lifted.[4] However, he did not anticipate Commodore Norrington going to ambush Barbossa's crew as they came out of the cave, nor did he anticipate Barbossa giving his crew a different order than to use the boats.
Underwater March[]
- "All hands to the boats! Apologies. You give the orders."
"Gents. Take a walk."
"...Not to the boats?" - ―Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa
The cursed crew walking underwater to ambush the Dauntless from below.
Outside the caves of Isla de Muerta, the clouds parted, revealing the bright face of a full moon hovering over the Dauntless, silently moored off the coast. Underneath the water, shafts of moonlight pierced the murky blue, illuminating a school of fish. Suddenly, the fish scattered in all directions as out of the shadows marched Barbossa's cursed crew. Once again, their flesh had disappeared and only their bones could be seen through their tattered clothing as they simply walk upon the sea bed toward the unsuspecting Dauntless. As the cursed pirates climbed up the ship's anchor, Norrington and his men sat in the longboats, unaware of the impending danger facing their fellow crew members. All eyes were trained on the cave entrance, where a longboat rowed into view. Inside the longboat, sat Pintel and Ragetti, dressed in women's clothing. As Pintel rowed, Ragetti twirled a parasol about, smiling as he said what they were doing was "just like what the Greeks did at Troy." Rolling his eyes, Pintel continued to row.
The attack on the Dauntless.
Back aboard the Dauntless, Governor Swann made his way toward the captain's cabin to speak with Elizabeth, praising her decision to wed Norrington earlier that day. But Elizabeth moved toward the window and climbed down a long line of knotted sheets before getting on a single longboat that floated near the ship's stern. As Elizabeth rowed away, Governor Swann entered the cabin and looked out the open window, wondering what her daughter had done. Meanwhile, Pintel and Ragetti, still dressed as ladies, were rowing ever closer to the Dauntless. For a few confused moments, all eyes on the Dauntless were focused on Pintel and Ragetti's longboat, allowing Barbossa's crew to board the ship and assassinate several marines. It wasn't until Pintel and Ragetti got in a little squabble, revealing their cursed forms, did the Dauntless crew realize something was wrong. Knowing they were discovered, Pintel pulled out his pistol and fired at Gillette, knocking his hat off, while the rest of the skeleton crew climbed up the steps and revealed themselves. The marines rushed forward, their guns blasting and swords drawn to the pirates' surprise attack. Governor Swann heard the commotion and went over to the captain's cabin door, only to see a skeleton stab a marine through the chest. Terrified, he closed the door and locked himself in the cabin to avoid the cursed pirates.
Turning point[]
- "Whose side is Jack on?"
"At the moment?" - ―Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann
Fight in the treasure cave.
As the battle raged on outside, Captain Jack Sparrow busied himself looking through the large amounts of treasure that littered the caves of Isla de Muerta. Off to one side, Will Turner stood, guarded by pirates Jacoby and a large bald pirate. While sitting, Barbossa said that Jack was a hard man to predict. Turning to face Barbossa, Jack responded by saying he's dishonest before suddenly grabbing a sword out of Monk's belt and threw it to Will, as the other pirates stared in shock. Turning quickly, Will freed himself before facing his attackers. Startled, Barbossa drew his rapier as Jack pulled his own sword from its scabbard and rushed to fight Barbossa. The sound of clashing iron filled the cave as Barbossa's crew fought Will, ducking in and out of the moonlight. Seeing a skeleton where he expected a man, Will paused, but then quickly recovered and whipped his sword through the air. Meanwhile, Jack and Barbossa parried across the cave until Jack drove his sword through Barbossa's chest. With a sigh, Barbossa pulled Jack's sword free and drove it into Jack's chest. However, stumbling backwards into a shaft of moonlight, Jack's body of flesh was revealed to be a skeleton, to Barbossa's astonishment. Revealing the single coin he had taken from the chest, clinking over his skeletal fingers, Jack said, "I couldn't resist, mate." Both Jack and Barbossa continued their duel, blades clashing in and out of the moonlight now, two skeletons in pitched battle.
The Black Pearl pulling away.
Back out on the water, while cursed pirates attack the Dauntless, Elizabeth Swann rowed her boat up beside the Black Pearl. Climbing up the ship, she saw two pirates, Mallot and Grapple, sitting below decks with a table covered in food, trying to decide what they would eat first when the curse was lifted. Pulling herself onto the empty deck, she gasped as Barbossa's skeleton monkey dropped down in front of her. Mallot and Grapple heard a clunk as the monkey fell overboard and splashed into the water below. As the pirates ran up the stairs to the deck, Elizabeth hurried down the stairs to the brig. There, still locked in a cell, was Jack's crew from the destroyed Interceptor. Quickly, she raced over and let them out before they all used a suspended longboat of the Black Pearl to knock the cursed pirates off the ship. Elizabeth tried convincing Jack's crew to help her save Will, but they refuse. Jack Sparrow owed his crew a ship, and with the Pearl, they now had one. Upon hearing Gibbs point out the Code, Elizabeth told the pirates to "hang the Code and hang the rules," saying they were more like "guidelines," quoting Barbossa. Moments later, Elizabeth rowed toward Isla de Muerta alone. "Bloody pirates," Elizabeth fumed as the Black Pearl began to pull away.
Epic battle[]
- "So what now, Jack Sparrow? Are we to be two immortals locked in an epic battle until Judgment Day and trumpets sound? Hmm?"
"Or you could surrender." - ―Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow
Aboard the Dauntless, the fighting continued. Men and skeletons slashed at one another with swords, filling the air with the sounds of groans. Before a wounded British sailor was killed, he managed to ring the ship's bell to call the commodore's soldiers back. Out in the water, still waiting to ambush the pirates, Norrington turned as the bell tolled. Hearing the sound of battle, he realized the Dauntless was under attack and ordered his men back to the ship. Pintel and Ragetti, now having climbed aboard the Dauntless, took control of the cannons loaded the cannons and fired as Norrington's boats rowed towards the Dauntless. Governor Swann, meanwhile, was still hiding in the captain's cabin as the fighting outside raged. Suddenly, one of the skeleton pirates saw the cowering governor and stuck his hand through the glass. But Governor Swann grabbed a large candlestick and brought it down on the pirate's arm, though the governor found himself fighting against the severed skeletal arm.
Two immortals locked in epic battle.
Back inside the cave, Jack and Barbossa battled, ducking in and out of the moonlight. A moment later, Jack pushing Barbossa against a pile of treasure. Smiling, Jack pointed his sword directly at the other captain, who turned skeletal as the light from the moon fell on him. Leaning on the pile, the skeletal Barbossa sneered while asking Jack if they were to be two immortals locked in battle until Judgment Day and the trumpets sound. Jack only answered by suggesting, "Or you could surrender." The two resumed their duel as Jack leaped on top of the pile, his body also turning skeletal in the moonlight. As the captains clashed blades, there would be no surrender yet.
Battle aboard the Dauntless.
While Elizabeth rowed toward the cave to save Will, Pintel and Ragetti climb on the main deck of the Dauntless where they realized the Black Pearl was being stolen, in which Ragetti said, "Bloody pirates!" Simultaneously, having survived the cannonfire, Commodore Norrington and his men finally reached the Dauntless. Swords and pistols drawn, they leaped onto the deck and engaged the enemy. Norrington fought Koehler, while Gillette faced Bo'sun. As swords clashed, it was a full on battle, Royal Navy against skeleton pirates. After being hit, Ragetti's wooden eye popped out of his head in the middle of the fight. Realizing his eye was gone, Ragetti instantly panicked and started chasing after it amidst the battle. Climbing aboard the Dauntless, Mullroy and Murtogg saw the horrifying spectacle of living skeletons. Despite this, they shared a brotherly handshake before charging into battle.
The Last Shot[]
- "Ten years you carry that pistol, and now you waste your shot."
"He didn't waste it." - ―Hector Barbossa and Will Turner
Meanwhile, across the cave, Will Turner continued to fight Barbossa's cursed pirates. Advancing upon him, Jacoby sneered as he told Will Turner he'd teach him the meaning of pain. Behind him, Elizabeth Swann swung a long golden pole and knocked him to the ground. Elizabeth then helped Will to his feet before their attention was quickly drawn to the fight at hand between Barbossa and Jack, nothing more than skeletons in the moonlight. After wondering whose side Jack was on, Elizabeth and Will left Jack to fight his own battle while they faced the other cursed pirates. As the pirates recovered, Elizabeth swung the golden pole, hitting Monk square across the face before Jacoby and the large bald pirate. Working as a team, Elizabeth and Will continued to fight until they lanced all three skeleton pirates together. Then, smiling, Will picked up a lit grenade Jacoby had dropped and shoved it inside the man's chest before the three pirates were pushed out of the moonlight and into a shadow. Clutching at his chest, Jacoby looked up and said "No fair." The grenade exploded, blowing the undead pirates to smithereens.
Will Turner beside the Aztec chest.
Simultaneously, both Jack and Barbossa, now flesh and blood again, were briefly distracted by the explosion. Looking over, Jack watched as Will headed towards the chest of Aztec gold. Jack quickly cut his hand before throwing his piece of the gold to Will, who caught it in his hand. Barbossa then turned and pulled out his pistol, aiming straight at the approaching Elizabeth. Across the cave, their eyes met as a shot rang out. Across the cave, their eyes met as a shot rang out. But it was not Barbossa's gun that had been fired. Perplexed, Barbossa turned and looked at Jack Sparrow, who stood holding his smoking pistol pointed directly at Barbossa's heart. With a smile on his cracked lips, Barbossa boasted that Jack wasted the one shot he carried for the past ten years. "He didn't waste it," said Will. Barbossa looked over to see Will standing beside the Aztec chest. In his right hand Will held a knife, a strip of blood gleaming red in the moonlight. Barbossa watched as Will opened his left hand, revealing the cut in his palm. Two pieces of gold—one the medallion that Elizabeth had carried for so long and the other, Jack's piece—fell with a clink into the filled chest.
Barbossa before Will lifts the curse.
From where she stood, Elizabeth smiled before watching Barbossa turn back to Jack, a look of anguish on his face. Looking down, Barbossa pulled aside his jacket and revealed his white shirt. Suddenly, a spot of red appeared and began to grow larger. Jack, pistol still in hand, waited and watched as Barbossa began to grow pale. "I feel...cold," Barbossa said softly, before falling heavily to the ground and, dropping his apple, finally died.
Aftermath[]
The Curse Lifted[]
- "With the curse lifted, the Heathen Gods' unholy pact was complete."
- ―Jack Sparrow
The pirates surrendering.
Back aboard the Dauntless, at the very same moment that Barbossa drew his last breath, Commodore Norrington and his men continued to fight. With a cry of rage, Norrington lunged, running his sword through Koehler's chest. Shocked, Koehler looked down, as he felt the wound. As he fell down, dead, the other pirates looked down at their own bodies. In the bright light of the moon, their flesh was visible and they were no longer skeletons. At that moment, the pirates realized the curse had been lifted, which meant they no longer had the upper hand. One by one, the pirates began to drop their weapons in surrender until they stood, unarmed, in front of the marines. Mullroy and Murtogg aimed their muskets at Pintel and Ragetti; Ragetti recovered his wooden eye, while Pintel simply said "parley?" As his men overwhelmed the pirates, Norrington announced, "The ship is ours, gentlemen." With the assistance of Governor Swann, who came out of the captain's cabin, the marines thrust their swords into the air and cheered.
Jack realizing his crew left him behind.
Back inside Isla de Muerta, Elizabeth stood near a pile of gold, her eyes filled with sorrow. Despite having defeated Barbossa and helped save Will, the price had been high. When she left this cave, she would become Norrington's fiancée. Feeling as though her heart were breaking, Elizabeth forced back tears, even after finding herself looking into the eyes of the man she truly loved and now could never have—Will Turner. Looking over, both Elizabeth and Will watched as Captain Jack Sparrow sifted through various pieces of treasure, randomly throwing them over his shoulder. Elizabeth then told Will they should return to the Dauntless, in which Will replied her fiancé would want to know she's safe. Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears as she nodded, then headed out of the cave. Walking up behind Will, a gold crown on his head and his arms piled high with jewels, and a string of pearls around his neck, Jack watched Elizabeth leave. "If you were waiting for the opportune moment," he said, raising a finger in the air thoughtfully, "that was it." Then, as he continued past the heartbroken Will, Jack requested that the two would drop him off at the Black Pearl. Moments later, Jack sat at the prow of a longboat, looking out at the empty spot of sea where his ship was supposed to be. "I'm sorry, Jack," Elizabeth said. For a moment, Jack said nothing, only his eyes betraying his sadness. Then he spoke, "They did what's right by them. Can't expect more than that." Captain Jack Sparrow found himself in an all-too-familiar position. He was, once again, a captain without a ship. Knowing his crew followed the Pirate's Code, Jack was forced to join Will and Elizabeth in returning to the Dauntless.
The Hanging of Jack Sparrow[]
Hanging at Fort Charles.
- "And for these crimes, you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul."
- ―Town Clerk
From high atop the cliff that overlooked Port Royal, the sound of drums filled the air. Standing in front of a noose, his hands tied in front of him, stood Captain Jack Sparrow. Because his crew sailed away aboard the Black Pearl, Jack had no choice but to keep his appointment with the hangman. As he listened, the Town Clerk listed Jack's crimes. Among the crowd of townspeople who had come to witness his hanging was Will Turner, who was granted clemency even after engaging in piracy. Decked out in their finest was Commodore Norrington, Governor Swann and Elizabeth Swann. Since their return to Port Royal, Elizabeth had gone through the motions of being the commodore's fiancée. But that did not mean she agreed with his actions. For better or worse, Jack Sparrow had helped her and the man she truly loved. "This is wrong," she said aloud. But her father pointed out that they were all bound by the law. Moments away from death, Jack can't help smiling as he remembers some of the crimes the town clerk reads out: "...impersonating a cleric of the Church of England..." His smile fades as the list ends with his sentence to be "hung by the neck until dead."[8]
Cotton's Parrot at the Fort.
Meanwhile, in the crowd, Will Turner saw Cotton's Parrot land on a flagpole, cawing as Mullroy and Murtogg stand guard. After the town clerk finished reading Jack's penalty, Will Turner approached Elizabeth, boldly confessing his love for her, ignoring the glares of Norrington and the governor. Elizabeth stood, shocked. She felt her heart begin to race. But before she could respond, Will disappeared into the crowd just as the noose was placed around Jack's neck. Elizabeth then glanced over and saw a familiar parrot fly away from a flagpole. With a knowing look, she waited for what was to come.
Rescuing Jack Sparrow[]
- "You forget your place, Turner."
"It's right here between you and Jack."
"As is mine." - ―James Norrington, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann
Will and Elizabeth standing with Jack.
Just as Jack began to think that his luck has finally run out, Will dashed to the rescue, making his way through the crowd. Seeing this, Commodore Norrington prepared to call the marines, while behind him Elizabeth pretended to faint, distracting both her father and the commodore momentarily. The executioner pulled a lever, sending Jack falling through a hole in the wooden floor. Just as Jack had fallen, Will managed to throw one of his two swords below the gallow's hole. By standing on Will's blade, Jack stops the noose from tightening around his neck.[8] Running onto the gallows himself, Will pulled out his other sword and fought the executioner while Commodore Norrington and his men charged. Untying himself, Jack fought with Will against the marines, until they were surrounded. Norrington and Governor Swann approached, looking at Will with disappointment; though he was granted clemency, Will threw his lot with a pirate. "And a good man," Will said simply, adding that his conscience would be cleared. Norrington responded, "You forget your place, Turner." But Will had not forgotten anything, and knew his place was beside the man who had helped rescue Elizabeth and who had told him the truth about his father. And knowing her place was beside Will, Elizabeth walked past the marines and stood with him, her hand resting on his arm. At the governor's order, the marines lowered their weapons. Watching Elizabeth gaze up at Will lovingly, Norrington asked Elizabeth if this was where her heart truly lied. Elizabeth replied that it was.
Elizabeth, Will, Governor Swann, and Norrington's men after Jack's escape.
Just then, looking up, Jack noticed Cotton's parrot flying away from the fort. Sensing time was of the essence, Jack tiptoed around Will and Elizabeth, and made his way over toward Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington. Bringing his face right up to the governor's, Jack said they were all in "a very special place" before sliding over to Norrington, adding that he was "rooting" for the commodore. Moving past a shocked and confused Elizabeth and Will, Jack went to the rim right below the fort's wall. Behind him, Norrington and his marines stood at the ready, guns and swords drawn. Holding up a hand, Jack turned to the crowd and dramatically said, "this is the day you will always remember as the day that..." But the rest of Jack's speech went unfinished as he tripped and fell back, plummeting into the water below. After watching the pirate land with a splash, Gillette said that Jack had no where to go but back to the noose. In the harbor, Jack sputtered to the surface as one of Norrington's men noticed something. Everyone turned their gaze toward the horizon and saw the Black Pearl, with her black sails no longer tattered and her sides gleamed in the bright sun. With a smile, Jack's eyes landed on a familiar sight as he began to swim.
Elizabeth and Will sharing a kiss.
Back atop the cliff, Gillette urgently asked Norrington for his plan of action, but the commodore didn't reply. Seeing this, Governor Swann suggested that this could be one of the rare occasion where the right course is committing an act of piracy. After listening to the governor's words, Norrington then called for Will Turner. Elizabeth and Will then looked at each other; because he had helped a pirate escape, Will most likely now faced the hangman's noose. Despite this, Will insisted that he'd accept the consequences of his actions. Holding the same sword that had been given to him days prior, the commodore said "This is a beautiful sword. I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion to every aspect of his life." Turning, he and the other officers moved off, but not before Norrington made it clear to Gillette, who asked about Jack Sparrow, that they could afford to give him a day's head start. Seeing how happy his daughter was, Governor Swann asked if this was the path she's chosen, even for a blacksmith. "No," Elizabeth said proudly to her father with a smile. Gently easing the hat off Will's head, she said, "He's a pirate." Leaning forward, Will pulled Elizabeth closer and there, high above the crystal blue waters, they melted into a long and lingering kiss.
New Adventures at Sea[]
- "Captain Sparrow. The Black Pearl is yours."
- ―Anamaria
Captain Sparrow on the Black Pearl.
Out at sea, Jack swam close enough to the Black Pearl where he got heaved on board, where he was greeted by Joshamee Gibbs and other members of his crew. Jack asked Gibbs about not keeping to the Code. Gibbs said they figured the Code were more "guidelines" before helping Jack to his feet. Cotton, the mute pirate, gave Jack his tricornered hat before Anamaria stepped aside from the helm and gave "Captain Sparrow" command of the Black Pearl. Jack then ran a hand lovingly along the ship's wheel, feeling good and right in his hands, and smiled. He enjoyed it, until noticing his crew watching him, and then shifted to 'Captain' mode. Giving orders to his crew, Captain Jack Sparrow stood at the wheel of the Black Pearl. As he looked out to sea and felt the Pearl's wood beneath his fingers, Jack said, "Now...Bring me that horizon." Jack then began to hum the pirate song Elizabeth taught him before, and in his hand he held his compass. He realized what he's doing and smiles. Setting a new course, Captain Jack Sparrow sailed his ship across the turquoise waves of the Caribbean, preparing to sail for new adventures on the high seas.
Misadventures[]
- "You'd best be coming up with a new plan, Jack, and it better not be relying on that Compass. The whole crew knows it ain't worked since you was saved from the gallows."
- ―Jack Sparrow and Joshamee Gibbs
For the next year, the crew of the Black Pearl had set out for many adventures, whether it was searching for treasures, evading the Royal Navy, or captured merchant ships. At some point, the crew managed to narrowly escaped Commodore Norrington's pursuit off of Tripoli, despite the Dauntless running afoul of a hurricane. The crew would also try to find Isla de Muerta, where they would retrieve its treasure, but they would soon discover that the entire island was taken by the sea along with its treasure. Only Barbossa's now-undead monkey Jack would survive this ordeal, having been cursed once more, and found his way aboard the Pearl. About a year after being saved from the gallows, Jack Sparrow had problems with his unique compass, to a point where the whole crew knew it hadn't worked properly since he was saved from the gallows.[9]
War Against Piracy[]
- "You sent Will to get you the compass owned by Jack Sparrow. It will do you no good."
"Do explain."
"I have been to the Isla de Muerta. I have seen the treasure myself. There is something you need to know."
"Ah, I see. You think the compass leads only to the Isla de Muerta, and so you hope to save me from an evil fate. But you mustn't worry. I care not for cursed Aztec gold. My desires are not so provincial. There's more than one chest of value in these waters." - ―Elizabeth Swann and Cutler Beckett
About a year after their first kiss, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann were to be married. However, at the Port Royal chapel on their wedding day, both Will and Elizabeth were arrested by Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company. During this meeting, Beckett ceremoniously read off his newly appointed powers by the Royal Commission for Antilles Trade and Protection, then produced the warrants. Beckett also had a warrant for James Norrington, though Governor Swann told Beckett Norrington resigned his commission months ago. After Elizabeth and Will demanded to know the charges, Governor Swann and Beckett said the charge was conspiring to secure the unlawful release of a convict, charged and tried for crimes against the Crown and Empire, and condemned to death. For aiding in the escape of Jack Sparrow a year prior, Beckett added that their punishment was also death.
This would lead to the search for the fabled Dead Man's Chest, an item of unknown size and origin. Among others, Jack Sparrow wanted to find the chest to settle his debt with the legendary Davy Jones, the captain of the ghostly Flying Dutchman. Even Cuter Beckett sets his sights on retrieving the chest, intending to use it for his plan to destroy every last pirate once and for all.
Behind the scenes[]
- There is currently no official name of the event in which Hector Barbossa's crew embarked on their quest to restore the Aztec Gold and free themselves from the Aztec curse, and Jack Sparrow's quest to regain the Black Pearl. The name was partly chosen based on a community vote, and partly based on screenwriter Terry Rossio's opinion.[10]
- In The Legend of Jack Sparrow, Jack would reveal his experiences throughout the adventure, where he revealed his side of the story of his attempt to save Elizabeth Swann and getting the Black Pearl back. As he told the tale, Will Turner would correct some of Jack's claims.
Sources[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003 junior novelization)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2006 junior novelization)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (video game)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow
- The Pirates' Guidelines
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide
Notes and references[]
- ↑ The timeline established in On Stranger Tides (which takes place in 1750) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (which takes place in 1751) sets the events of The Curse of the Black Pearl around 1728. Hector Barbossa's mutiny had to happen ten years earlier, in 1718.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.46 2.47 2.48 2.49 2.50 2.51 2.52 2.53 2.54 2.55 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
- ↑ The Price of Freedom
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 The Curse of the Black Pearl Audio Commentary with Screenwriters Stuart Beattie, Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and Jay Wolpert
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide, p.36-37: "Curse of the Aztec Gold"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide, p.40-41: "Isla de Muerta"
- ↑ The Pirates' Guidelines, p.104
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide, p.26-27: "Pirates Beware!"
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (junior novelization), p.84
- ↑ Terry Rossio on POTC 1-4 events and CotBP Blood of the Aztec Curse
