James Norrington's sword
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| James Norrington's sword | |
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- "This is a beautiful sword. I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life."
- ―James Norrington to William Turner[src]
This sword was forged by William Turner for then-Captain James Norrington to mark his promotion to the rank of Commodore at Port Royal.
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[edit] History
[edit] Norrington's sword
- "The blade is folded steel. That's gold filigree laid into the handle. If I may? Perfectly balanced. The tang is nearly the full width of the blade."
- ―William Turner to Weatherby Swann[src]
The weapon, an engraved small sword, was delivered to Governor Weatherby Swann by Turner himself on the day of Norrington's promotion. Swann admitted it was an impressive weapon, but did not realize Will himself had crafted the sword, asking instead for the boy to pass on his compliments to John Brown.
Norrington wielded the sword during the promotion ceremony at Fort Charles, and carried it with him during the attempted escape of Captain Jack Sparrow. Commodore Norrington continued to use it during the later assault against Hector Barbossa's pirates off Isla de Muerta. Onboard the HMS Dauntless, Norrington killed Koehler, running him through with his sword moments before the Aztec curse was lifted.
The weapon had gold filligree laid into the handle. It was said to be perfectly balanced (the weapon is equally heavy in the handle as the blade, making it easier to use).
[edit] Icon of redemption
- "Impressive. Very impressive. Commodore Norrington's going to be very pleased with this. Do pass my compliments on to your master."
- ―Weatherby Swann to William Turner[src]
With the death of Barbossa and the subsequent escape of Jack Sparrow, Norrington did not remain with the Royal Navy for long. He resigned his commission, leaving his sword behind at Port Royal while he ended up in Tortuga. Lord Cutler Beckett installed himself in Fort Charles, and kept the sword in his office, maintaining it in its case. Norrington would come into contact with his old weapon again, after retrieving the heart of Davy Jones from Isla Cruces to gain Beckett's favor.
[edit] An admiral's weapon
- "Something for you there. Your new station deserves an old friend."
- ―Cutler Beckett to James Norrington[src]
Beckett reinstated Norrington, promoting him to the rank of admiral, and presented him with his sword. Norrington would carry it with him while commanding the Flying Dutchman on behalf of the East India Trading Company.
[edit] Davy Jones
- "Ah, nice sword."
- ―Davy Jones upon acquiring James Norrington's sword.[src]
When Norrington had been mortally wounded by William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, the last thing he did before dying was to reject Davy Jones' offer to join the crew of the Flying Dutchman by thrusting the sword into Jones' shoulder. Jones removed the sword and it remained aboard the Flying Dutchman in his possession. Later on, during the battle of Calypso's maelstrom, Jones used his new weapon to duel various foes, such as Jack Sparrow and William Turner. Ironically, the blade killed the very man who created it, when Jones mortally stabbed Will.
It is unknown what happened to the sword after Jones used it to kill Will.
[edit] Behind the scenes
- The sword's journey throughout the trilogy has been noted by Terry Rossio, who states that "it's worth tracking the sword from the very start of CotBP all the way through to nearly the final scene in AWE".[1] This journey has led some fans to refer to the weapon as the "Sword of Destiny".
- The use of the sword as a plot device, determining the fates of the various characters who own and use it, is similar to the title weapon in the Western Winchester '73 (1950).
[edit] Appearances
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (First appearance)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
