- "I did not note any fear in the eyes of the Spanish as they passed us by."
- ―Hector Barbossa to his crew
The Spaniard's crew, otherwise known as the Spanish Armada or simply the Spanish, was a crew of the Spanish Royal Navy. Led by The Spaniard, King Ferdinand's most trusted agent, the crew followed their leader not out of fear, but through devotion and with absolute trust. The crew participated in the quest for the Fountain of Youth, sailing aboard three Spanish galleons. By the end of the quest, the crew succeeded in their mission.
History[]
Quest for the Fountain of Youth[]
Discovery[]
- "I have a report. The Spanish have located the Fountain of Youth."
- ―King George II
When an old castaway was caught in a fishing net off the coast of Spain, he was found to be clutching an old book. Rushed to the royal palace, the book turned out to be the log of the Santiago, a Spanish vessel that vanished two centuries before. It told of explorer Ponce de Leon's fabled discovery of the long-lost Fountain of Youth. Upon this unorthodox discovery, King Ferdinand sent The Spaniard to find and destroy the Fountain.[1] To make this mission a success, the Spaniard was assisted by a loyal crew that followed him not out of fear, but through devotion. Three galleons were sent to find the Fountain under the Spaniard's command. The Spaniard was given an army for his fleet, most of which crewed aboard his flagship, including a loyal officer and soldier. As the Spanish had the Santiago's logbook, which had the route to the Fountain, the voyage wouldn't be too difficult.[2]
Race to the Fountain of Youth[]
- "He never so much as turned his head."
"The Fountain is the prize. It appears we be not even worth the time to sink us." - ―Joshamee Gibbs and Hector Barbossa
The next morning, the Spaniard sailed from Cádiz with his fleet of three Spanish galleons. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the Spaniard's fleet encountered the HMS Providence of the British Royal Navy, whose commander, Captain Hector Barbossa, was also sent to find the Fountain. Though the Spanish heavily outnumbered and outgunned the British, the Spaniard decided they posed not so big a threat to his mission, and his fleet passed them by without open fire. Barbossa and his crew were shocked as they prepared for the battle which never began, which cost them precious time and fell behind in the race to the Fountain.[2]
Obtaining and losing the Chalices[]
- "The Spanish."
"They're ahead of us, mate." - ―Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow
Following the directions from Ponce de León's logbook, the Spanish found the island that the Fountain of Youth was located. The Spaniard's men quickly discovered the wreck of Ponce de León's ship, the Santiago, stranded on the edge of the cliff. The Chalices of Cartagena, a key element for the Profane Ritual, were hidden on the ship. The Spanish was able to find the Chalices and quickly retrieved them, leaving the two stones in their chest instead.[2]
With the Chalices in possession, the Spanish made camp at Palm Tree Grove. The Spaniard instructed a Spanish officer to examine the Chalices. However, the Chalices were soon stolen by Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow, and had the officer knocked unconscious. Though the Spaniard's men quickly caught the thieves, they managed to make a daring escape and temporarily dispatched his men the same night. With the Chalices stolen, the Spanish had to find the Fountain of Youth.[2]
Destruction of the Fountain[]
- "Only God can grant eternal life, not this pagan water.
[stomps on the Chalices of Cartagena and throws them into a pool]
Men! Destroy this profane temple!" - ―The Spaniard
Soon the Spanish would make their way to the Fountain to complete their mission. At the Fountain, they found Barbossa and his British crew in a battle against a pirate crew led by Blackbeard. From out of the fog, the Spaniard appeared, backed by soldiers carrying tall banners of the Spanish Monarchy. Heavily outnumbering both groups, the Spanish soldiers surrounded them, and the fighting stopped. Seeing the Spanish flags, the British officer Theodore Groves then attempted to proclaim the Fountain as the property of King George II. But the Spaniard simply took a pistol from one of his soldiers and shot Groves, immediately killing him. After ordering one of his men to make a note about Groves' bravery, the Spaniard had the Chalices forcefully taken from Angelica.[2]
Stepping towards the Fountain, the Spaniard held the Chalices and proclaimed that only God could give eternal life. The Spaniard then dropped the Chalices and stomped on them. He tossed them into a deep pool and ordered his men to destroy the Fountain. The Spanish then took their grapples and began to destroy the temple around the Fountain, though two of Blackbeard's zombie officers, the Quartermaster and Gunner, tried to stop them. As his men destroyed the Fountain, the Spaniard drew his sword and confronted Blackbeard, shortly before Barbossa used the moment of truth to fatally wound him.[2]
The Spanish continued pulling down the columns of the temple, which soon made it fall onto Blackbeard's zombie officers and destroyed the Fountain. Seeing the Fountain in ruins, the Spaniard surveyed his work, by doing the cross, and led his men back to their ships to return to Spain victorious.[2] The crew's further fate is unknown.
Everyday life[]
Unknown by any name other than "The Spaniard", this enigmatic figure was the one agent that King Ferdinand had never known to fail. With dashing good looks, the Spaniard combined hard-won experience with the arrogance of a natural leader. He believed that destiny had placed the quest for the Fountain of Youth in his hands, and that it would lead him to success. The Spaniard was assisted by a loyal crew that followed him not out of fear, but through devotion. They would lay down their lives at his merest word. With absolute trust in their leader, none truly knew his purpose on this voyage into the unknown.[1]
When the Spanish Armada fleet crossed paths with the British Royal Navy vessel HMS Providence, The Spaniard decided the ship wasn't worth the time it'd take to sink, despite the British ship being heavily outnumbered and outgunned by three Spanish galleons. The Spanish were able to find the silver Chalices of Cartagena, the most valuable prize in Juan Ponce de León's coffers in the treasure chests of the wrecked Santiago, and set up camp at San Miguel. Though the ancient logbook revealed their purpose,[1] the Spanish fought pirate Captain Jack Sparrow and privateer Hector Barbossa in an incident that resulted in Sparrow retrieving the silver Chalices. However, the Spanish were able to complete their mission and destroyed the Fountain.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
- The Spaniard's crew would first be identified in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide. Although the name doesn't appear within "The Spanish" pages, the name "The Spaniard's crew" would be found listed in the "Index" at the back of the book.[1] The crew was identified as the "Spanish Armada" in the back over of the junior novel for On Stranger Tides.[3]
- In LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, the Spaniard's crew never sailed pass the HMS Providence in their voyage to the Fountain of Youth. They also never caught Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa, they only fought with them at their camp.
- According to costume designer Penny Rose, Javier Bardem's military costume as Captain Salazar in Dead Men Tell No Tales was based on the uniforms of the Spaniards from On Stranger Tides. Rose altered the uniform to give the character a more majestic look.[4][5] The pre-ghost costume is "long and majestic looking, with a lot of braid." For the cursed version and those of his ghost crew, Rose worked very closely with Gary Brozenich and his visual effects department, which would enhance them with a flowing, supernatural appearance. "We did a lot of tests, and then manufactured 200 uniforms in Poland, 100 of which were clean, and another 100 ghostly."[6]
Appearances[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (junior novelization) (First appearance) (First identified as Spanish Armada)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (mobile game)
- LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)
Sources[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide (First identified as The Spaniard's crew)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide, pp. 12-13: "The Spanish"
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (junior novelization)
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales: Behind the Scenes, pp. 12-13
- ↑ The Matador & The Bull : Secrets of Salazar & The Silent Mary
- ↑ POTC5 Presskit