15 Best Pirates Of The Caribbean Characters, Ranked

From fighting skeletons to free the Black Pearl from a curse to sailing off the edge of the world into Davy Jones’ locker; the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise has had many adventures across five movies with who knows how many more in the future. It is one of Disney’s most successful franchises of all time.

Of course, the fantastical journeys are not the same without the cast of characters that embark on them. Across the many films, there are many iconic characters to enjoy: the heroes, the villains, and those that fit somewhere in between on the seven seas.

Updated on November 27th, 2021 by Melody MacReady: Over the course of five films with a story spanning multiple decades, the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise has introduced many characters. Captain Jack Sparrow’s seafaring adventures force him to ally with quirky and colorful characters as well as fight a fair share of them as well to find some kind of usually mystical treasure. Ten characters are simply not enough since so many characters both top-billed and supporting have managed to shine. With a sixth Pirates Of The Caribbean reportedly on the way, it too will likely introduce new characters so it’s the perfect time to reflect on all five previous films and showcase even more characters.

15 Henry Turner

Portrayed by Brenton Thwaites in Dead Men Tell No Tales, Henry Turner is the son of Will and Elizabeth Turner from the original trilogy. Henry is determined to free his father from the clutches of the Flying Dutchman so that he can return home to his family permanently.

Henry has the good heart of his father with the determination of his mother, willing to take on ghost pirates and other perils to find Jack Sparrow and the means to free his father. Henry’s courage is admirable and he carried the legacy of his parents for a new generation well.

14 Captain Edward Teague

One of the biggest inspirations for Jack Sparrow is rockstar Keith Richards. So fans were delighted to have Keith Richards make a special guest appearance as Edward Teague, the Keeper of the Pirate Codex. He helps keep the Pirate lords in line, honoring the Codex. It’s clear from how other pirates react to him that Edward Teague is a pirate of legend who accomplished many things over the years.

Teague’s brief but show-stealing role made the character iconic; plus, he is the father of the franchise’s star: Captain Jack Sparrow whom he shares a delightful scene in At World’s End. It’s easy to see that the apple did not fall far from the tree as Jack and Edward share many quirky personality traits.

13 Edward “Blackbeard” Teach

Following up the likes of Davy Jones was going to be difficult for any villain. It was one of many things that were going against Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides from the start. That said, Ian McShane brought about an intimidating presence as the famous Blackbeard.

With fuses in his beard, a magic sword that controls every inch of his ship, and a wicked appetite for immortality, Edward Teach AKA Blackbeard was still a solid villain. He was cruel, ruthless, and still had a sense of humor that didn’t distract from his intimidating factors.

12 Tia Dalma/Calypso

Calypso is the eternal love of Davy Jones, the goddess whom he tore his own heart out for and broke his vow to carry souls to the afterlife. As a result, he mutated into the aquatic monster that has become iconic. The love between Calypso and Davy Jones is equal parts romantic as it is dangerous.

Calypso remained on Earth but under the guise of fortune teller Tia Dalma. She’s a quirky yet wise ally to Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and the rest of the heroes of the original trilogy. It’s because of her and her powers that they were able to defeat both Jones and the East India Trading Company.

11 Cutler Beckett

The undead pirates and sea monsters are usually what audiences come for but there is a very human antagonist force in the form of the East India Trading Company. Whoever controls commerce of supplies on the sea, controls the seas themselves like a monarch.

Cutler Beckett is a Governor of the company and is determined to become the most powerful man in the world, controlling even the pirates themselves. He even manages to turn Davy Jones into his own slave and throughout Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End, he proves to be a diabolical villain who deserves his gruesome demise.

10 Carina Smyth-Barbossa

Introduced in Dead Men Tell No Tales, Carina is a woman of science and logic. She is determined to find the Trident of Poseidon, to prove its scientific properties and show that witchcraft is a fantasy. A noble trait, especially in a time when women were not nearly as respected as they are today.

However, Carina is thrust into the world of ghosts, gods, and curses alongside Jack Sparrow and her true father: Hector Barbossa. While she was only featured in one movie, Carina was a breath of fresh air and proved to be a strong female lead, being headstrong and proving to be as much of a fighter as her father.

9 Bootstrap Bill Turner

The father of Will Turner, Bootstrap Bill is a crewmate of the Flying Dutchman and less-than-loyal servant of Davy Jones. Despite his sworn loyalty to the ship, Boostrap Bill is a character willing to do anything for his son. Even when Will frees Bootstrap via a Liar’s Dice game, he sacrifices his freedom to keep Will from having the same fate.

According to Captain Jack Sparrow, Bootstrap was a good man in life as well. Among a crew of murderous monsters and mutants, Bootstrap Bill proved to be one of the most honorable of the Flying Dutchman.

8 Elizabeth Swann

At first, Elizabeth Swann seems like nothing more than a typical damsel in distress. However, she is constantly fighting her captors and as the films go on, she evolves to even become a leading figure of pirates. Though what makes Elizabeth Swann one of the best characters is that she’s not a flawless saint.

Elizabeth makes mistakes and questionable decisions such as leaving Jack Sparrow to be killed by the Kraken. Or she foolishly attempts to kill the captain of the crew she is stuck in the middle of the ocean with. So her qualities and her flaws make her a more realistic character.

7 Commodore James Norrington

James Norrington is a completely different character by his departure in the third film. In Curse Of The Black Pearl, he’s a pompous military man with a disdain for Jack Sparrow. In Dead Man’s Chest, he’s a pirate down on his luck and nearly drowned in rum. Throughout, he remains one of the series’ best sword fighters.

Then in At World’s End, he’s regained his position but ends up betraying the East India Trading Company and everything he served to help Elizabeth and the pirates he once despised. So when the character dies in a noble sacrifice, the viewers end up feeling sad for him as he actually deserved better.

6 Joshamee Gibbs

Every captain needs a quartermaster and Jack Sparrow’s is Joshamee Gibbs. A superstitious ex-navy officer who ends up becoming one of Jack’s most loyal crew members. Joshamee Gibbs has managed to appear in every single Pirates Of The Caribbean film.

He’s funny and a bit easy to agitate but loyal to the very end. In fact, without Gibbs, the crew of the Black Pearl that fans know and love would have never been found.

5 Capitan Armando Salazar

After Blackbeard left fans disappointed, Dead Men Tell No Tales amped things up with pirate hunter Capitan Salazar. This ghost captain and his crew make for intimidating villains of the fifth film. Salazar’s plot makes for a more personal adventure for Jack Sparrow, even showing part of his origin.

The floaty, tattered design with his relentlessness makes him quite the villain. Salazar is also excelled by a perfectly bombastic performance by Javier Bardem who can be equally creepy and quirky at the same time.

4 Will Turner

An orphan turned blacksmith, Will Turner is another character who evolves. At first, he’s a naïve and inexperienced blacksmith thrust into being Jack Sparrow’s ally on an adventure. Soon, he becomes one of the greatest pirates to sail the seven seas, even becoming the captain of his own ship by the end of the third movie.

Orlando Bloom shines brightly as Will Turner, even in his rather short appearance in Dead Men Tell No Tales, he proves to be an astonishing actor. He takes what is already an interesting character and elevates it which is why many hope he returns in the sixth film.

3 Davy Jones

One of the most visually impressive CGI characters ever created, Bill Nighy was to Davy Jones what Andy Serkis is to Caesar in The Planet Of The Apes trilogy. It could have been a typical villain performance but instead, Bill Nighy fills Davy Jones with so much charisma and humor combined with a genuinely threatening presence.

Spanning from Dead Man’s Chest to At World’s End, Davy Jones is an iconic monster of this franchise. He’s cruel and he loves every bit of it as he tortures, kills, or emotionally torments others. All these elements combined have turned Davy Jones into one of the most iconic villains in cinema history.

2 Captain Hector Barbossa

Hector Barbossa is a contender for fans’ most beloved character. Similar to Loki from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he began as a great villain who was equal parts wicked and lovable, especially with his perfect pirate laugh. Of course, everyone was hyped when Barbossa returned to be an anti-hero who dishes many iconic quotes.

Then by the fifth film, Barbossa is as much of a hero of the seas as Captain Jack Sparrow; Jack even refers to him as Hector more than Barbossa by the fifth film. Geoffrey Rush always played Hector Barbossa with so much energy and charisma which is why the character’s death in Dead Men Tell No Tales ended up breaking the hearts of fans.

1 Captain Jack Sparrow

One could argue that Barbossa deserves the top spot but Captain Jack Sparrow is what has carried the franchise. Jack is a crafty pirate who plays the role of a bumbling fool but is actually a genius.

However, Jack is still an oddball of a man with a personality that is both ridiculous and ridiculously charming. Johnny Depp brings the character to life like a boss across all films and while it’s not impossible, it will be a challenge to carry the series without him should he pass the torch onto someone else.

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