Admiral

Admiral James Norrington.

"The world has changed, thanks to you, Admiral Norrington."

―Cutler Beckett to James Norrington

Admiral was a rank given to the highest naval officers. The British Royal Navy, French Royal Navy, Spanish Royal Navy and the East India Trading Company employed this rank. In the East India Trading Company, an admiral's uniform was gold-trimmed, and complete with shoulder epaulets. Pirates who led fleets or joint crews were known to have assumed the title of admiral.

History

"Ah, Admiral."
"You summoned me, Lord Beckett?"
"Yes, something for you there. Your new station deserves an old friend."

―Cutler Beckett and James Norrington

The word "admiral" in Middle English comes from Anglo-French amiral, "commander", from Medieval Latin admiralis, "emir", admirallus, "admiral", from Arabic amir-al- أمير الـ, "commander of the" (as in amir-al-bahr أمير البحر "commander of the sea"). Crusaders learned the term during their encounters with the Arabs, perhaps as early as the 11th century. The Sicilians and later Genoese took the first two parts of the term and used them as one word, amiral, from their Catalan opponents. The French and Spanish gave their sea commanders similar titles while in Portuguese the word changed to almirante. As the word was used by people speaking Latin or Latin-based languages it gained the "d" and endured a series of different endings and spellings leading to the English spelling "admyrall" in the 14th century and to "admiral" by the 16th century.

Rankings of Admirals

"The admiral has me imprisoned, he may torture me, he killed me crew, but he will never find the treasures me sake."

―Unnamed pirate captain on Unnamed admiral

In the British Royal Navy, there were several types of admirals, depending upon their seniority, skill, and accomplishments. The lowest form of Admiral was known as "Rear Admiral". Rear admirals were mostly the newly promoted, younger admirals who generally commanded smaller fleets from a frigate, which they also captained personally; they usually served under an immediate supervisor, commonly a "Vice Admiral". Vice admirals were in control of larger fleets used for war, rather than patrol or single engagements. Above that was the admiral of the fleet who commanded a variety of small squadrons commanded by lesser admirals. The higher ranks of admiral usually possessed a larger warship, such as a ship of the line or other large man of war as their flagship. The only rank above admiral of the fleet was "Lord High Admiral" who were the generals who were in command of the admiralty, the high command for the entire navy.

Notable admirals

• James Norrington (East India Trading Company)
• Henry Morgan (English Royal Navy)
• Bratton (British Royal Navy)
• Unnamed admiral (British Royal Navy)
• Lawrence Norrington (British Royal Navy)
• Armando Salazar's father (Spanish Royal Navy)
• Simon (British Royal Navy)
• Joaquin Da Saldanha (Spanish Royal Navy)
• Maldonado (Spanish Royal Navy)
• Royce (East India Trading Company)

Behind the scenes

"Reinstatement to your former rank and status, all rights and privileges attendant. And I think a promotion is due, as well. Do you agree, Admiral Norrington?"

―Cutler Beckett to James Norrington

• Admiral first appeared in the 2003 video game Pirates of the Caribbean.
• In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's screenplay for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, after James Norrington gave Lord Cutler Beckett the Letters of Marque and the heart of Davy Jones, Beckett gave the former commodore his sword back and promoted him to the rank of admiral. Norrington lifts it out reverently, overwhelmed, examining it as the symbol of his old life, back in his hands again. He then, with military precision, draws the sword, rests it over his left arm, point aimed at Davy Jones' still-beating heart. But rather than give Norrington the order to kill Davy Jones, Beckett suggests that they can instead add the Flying Dutchman as another ship to the fleet. The scene never made it to the final cut of the film but was retained in the film's deleted scene "The Map Is Finished" featured in Blu-ray releases beginning in 2011.
• In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's early screenplay draft for At World's End, James Norrington was given the rank of Captain, while he was first identified as "Now-Admiral Norrington" in his first scene in a late production draft, as well as the final cut of the film.
• In the video game Pirates of the Caribbean Online, there are several weapons named after the admiral. A Vice Admiral's Cutlass, the Admiral's Cutlass, and the Admiral's Sabre.
• In Pirates of the Caribbean Online, the rank of admiral is bestowed upon a player who achieves the highest rank of Infamy during the Privateering.
• In On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide, it was said that Hector Barbossa became an admiral during the quest for the Fountain of Youth. However, it was confirmed that Barbossa was given the rank of "captain" rather than "admiral" in On Stranger Tides itself.
• In Terry Rossio's 2012 screenplay draft for Dead Men Tell No Tales, the main British officer in the film was an admiral called John Benbow. Sent to the Caribbean during the Seven Years' War he would offer a free pardon for all pirates who surrender to the British authorities and agree to serve in the Royal Navy for one year or fight on behalf of the British in one battle under his command.
• In Jeff Nathanson's 2013 early draft of the Dead Men Tell No Tales script Scarfield was a Royal Navy admiral stationed in Port Royal.
• A statue of Vice Admiral Twit stands in front of the Barbossa's Bounty restaurant at Treasure Cove in Shanghai Disney Resort.
• In the publisher's summary for the 2016 Joe Books comic The Guardians of Windward Cove, Norrington is called an admiral, even though the story is set only three days after Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, when Norrington was still a commodore.
• Admiral was meant to appear in Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned, a video game which was scheduled to be released in 2011. But since that game was cancelled, it is unknown if its appearance in the game is canon or not.

Appearances

• Pirates of the Caribbean (2003 video game) (First appearance)
• Jack Sparrow: Sins of the Father
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned
• The Compass of Destiny!
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (comic) (Mentioned only)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (junior novelization)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: The Movie Storybook
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Penguin Readers)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Novelization (Mentioned only)

Sources

• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide

External links

• Admiral on Wikipedia