- "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?"
- ―Jack Sparrow to Hector Barbossa
The White flag was the international symbol of surrender or truce.
History[]
- "Captain, I've spoken to the men and reassured them. The pirates will be boarding in a few minutes. We have a white flag up. But they’ll want the two of us down on the weather deck, too, so they can keep an eye on us."
- ―Jack Sparrow to Nathaniel Bainbridge
The white flag indicates peace and is usually flown in times of war. Historians believe the use of a white flag to surrender dates back to the Eastern Han dynasty of 25 AD - 220AD and maybe even earlier.
The flag of France was a plain white flag which had a fleur de lys added to it. The flag of England was a white flag with the red cross of St George. The flag of Spain was a white flag with the red cross of Burgundy. The flag used by Portugal on ships and territories of the Portuguese Empire was the white flag with the Cross of the Order of Christ.
Behind the scenes[]
- In the non-canon LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, during the Fourth Brethren Court, Eduardo Villanueva, Chevalle, Ching, and Sumbhajee Angria pull out miniature white flags to show their unwillingness to fight against the East India Trading Company.
Appearances[]
- Walt Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean (Mentioned only)
- The Price of Freedom
- Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean (First appearance)
- Legends of the Brethren Court: The Turning Tide
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (First mentioned)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
- LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)