Motley crew

"Feast your eyes, Captain. All of them, faithful hands before the mast. Every man worth his salt. And crazy to boot."

- Joshamee Gibbs to Jack Sparrow

The Motley crew was a pirate crew, most notably as part of the crew of the Black Pearl. Drunken pirates, the crew was led by Captain Jack Sparrow, and his first mate, Joshamee Gibbs.

Originally, the crew was recruited during Jack's attempt to retake the Black Pearl from Hector Barbossa and his crew. These men later participated in Jack's search for the Dead Man's Chest. During the War Against Piracy, the crew was led by both Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa in their journey to meet with the Brethren Court. After the war, Barbossa led the crew in taking the Pearl from Jack. The crew had been on a number of adventures, some involving the supernatural.

Recruiting a Crew
"I'll find us a crew. There's bound to be some sailors on this rock, crazy as you." "One can only hope. Take what you can." "Give nothin' back."

- Joshamee Gibbs and Jack Sparrow

With the help of Will Turner, Captain Jack Sparrow was able to commandeer Commodore James Norrington's ship of the British Royal Navy, the HMS Interceptor. In their attempt to save Elizabeth Swann, daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann, from the clutches of the cursed crew of the Black Pearl, led by Hector Barbossa, Jack and Will would set sail for Tortuga. There, they met with Joshamee Gibbs, who agreed to help Jack in finding a crew.

By the next day, Gibbs was able to bring together a large group of men, including Marty the dwarf and Cotton. Gibbs informed Jack that Cotton was a mute, having had his tongue cut out, and through unknown methods, trained his parrot to talk for him. Jack was then reunited with Anamaria, who fussed at Jack for stealing her boat. With Will's assistance, Jack promised Anamaria that she could have the Interceptor to replace the other boat. And so, aside from Gibbs' warning of having a woman aboard, Jack had a crew that would help him sail to Isla de Muerta.

Voyage to Isla de Muerta
"We should drop canvas, sir." "She can hold a bit longer." "What's in your head that's put you in such a fine mood, captain?" "We're catching up."

- Joshamee Gibbs and Jack Sparrow

Jack Sparrow did realized he had probably recruited a crazy crew, but knew he would need one that would have the courage and fortitude to sail to Isla de Muerta. Although Gibbs had his superstition of having Anamaria aboard, Jack kept her, as he believed he needed as much help as possible for the coming storm. A flash of lightning, and a crack of thunder, as the Interceptor sailed through the storm. On board, the new crew members scurried about with their tasks. Excellent sailors, it took everything they had to keep the ship afloat. With Jack Sparrow using his mythical compass at the helm, the Interceptor was able to catch up with Barbossa's crew to Isla de Muerta.

Arriving to Isla de Muerta, Jack and Will prepared to row ashore on a small longboat. Before leaving to the rocky shore, Jack gave Gibbs one explicit instruction if the worse should happen: "Keep to the Code". The longboat later returned, Will came aboard with Elizabeth Swann, but without Jack, whom Will knocked out and left for Barbossa's crew to find. Gibbs asked Will what happened to Jack, but Will only said he feel behind. Honoring Jack's instructions, Gibbs gave the order to keep to the Code and set sail.

Battle with the Black Pearl
"Lower the anchor on the right side. On the starboard side!" "It certainly has the element of surprise." "You're daft, lady! You both are!" "Daft like Jack! Lower the starboard anchor! Do it, you dogs, or it's you we'll load into the cannons!"

- Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner, Anamaria and Joshamee Gibbs

The Interceptor would soon be chased by Barbossa's crew of the Black Pearl. With Anamaria at the helm, the crew followed Gibbs' orders to follow ideas made by Will and Elizabeth, in preparation for battle with the Pearl. A battle ensued between the two ships. The immortal crew of the Pearl was more then a match for the mortal crew of the Interceptor. After the main mast of the Interceptor was shot and crash-landed onto the Pearl's deck, Barbossa ordered his crew to board the Interceptor to retrieve the medallion.

As the Interceptor was swiftly boarded, every crewmen engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat, in which the Interceptor crew fought to hold off the cursed pirates. Jack Sparrow would soon appear, having escaped from the Pearl's brig, and hurried across to the Interceptor amidst the battle. After meeting with Elizabeth, Jack see Barbossa's monkey with the medallion and chased after him back to Barbossa himself, who revealed that they named the monkey "Jack". By this time, Jack's entire crew was captured, except for Will, who was trapped in the hold of the Interceptor.

Two of Barbossa's crewmen poured out gunpowder to act as a fuse, and set the Interceptor to blow. The motley crew were tied up to the Pearl as they were forced to watch their ship explode in front of their eyes. After the Interceptor exploded, Will Turner, who was able to escape the Interceptor's hold appeared in front of Barbossa's crew. Revealing himself to be the son of Bootstrap Bill Turner, someone Barbossa's crew needed to lift their curse, Will negotiated with Barbossa with the following terms: Elizabeth was to be set free, and the motley crew were not to be harmed. Barbossa agreed to his terms, but turned them into his favor.

Return to Isla de Muerta
"Is it supposed to be doing that?" "They're stealing our ship." "Bloody pirates!"

- Ragetti and Pintel



After marrooning Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann at Rumrunner's Isle, Barbossa had Will and the motley crew sent to the brig as the Black Pearl made way for Isla de Muerta. Along the way, during their imprisonment, the crew listened to Pintel and Ragetti's tale of what happened to Bootstrap Bill to Will Turner. As the Pearl arrived to Isla de Muerta, the crew watched as Barbossa's crew took Will with them to the island. While the crew sat in the brig, two of Barbossa's men, Grapple and Mallot, stood guard aboard the Pearl.

The crew would still be sitting in the Pearl's brig by the time the battle of the Isla de Muerta commenced; a battle which ultimately led the curse upon Barbossa's men to be lifted and the death of Barbossa himself. During the battle, the crew would soon be visited by their rescuer: Elizabeth Swann, who, along with Jack Sparrow, was rescued by Commodore Norrington's men aboard the Dauntless. Free at last, the crew assisted Elizabeth in taking out Grapple and Mallot; the Black Pearl was theirs. Although Elizabeth wanted to row ashore to help Will and Jack in battle, the motley crew decided to take the Pearl for themselves. Because of this action, Jack was left without a ship, forcing him to sail under Norrington's custody to Port Royal to be hanged. Although he was betrayed, Jack was glad that his crew kept to the Pirate's Code.

Rescue at Fort Charles
"Thought you were supposed to keep to the Code." "We figured they were more actual guidelines."

- Jack Sparrow and Joshamee Gibbs



By the day of Jack Sparrow's hanging at Fort Charles, the entire crew had a change of heart and decided to save their captain from the gallows. Before Jack was hung, Will Turner helped Jack escape from his hanging. This escape would end with Jack falling off the fort and landing into the ocean. Luckily, the Black Pearl sailed from the other side of the island, where Jack could swim towards it. The crew helped Jack aboard and gave Jack command of the Black Pearl once again. As Captain Jack Sparrow took the helm, the crew prepared to set sail for new adventures.

For the next year, the crew of the Black Pearl had been on many different adventures, whether it was fighting other pirates and the Royal Navy, searched for treasures, and captured merchant ships. At some point, the crew managed to narrowly escaped Norrington's pursuit off of Tripoli by sailing into a hurricane. The crew would also try to find Isla de Muerta, where they would retrieve its treasure, but they would soon discover that the entire island was taken by the sea along with its treasure. Only Barbossa's monkey Jack would survive this ordeal, having been cursed once more, and find his way aboard the Pearl.

Honest Pirating
"Is that how you're all feeling, then? That perhaps dear ol' Jack is not serving your best interests as captain? "Walk the plank!" "What did the bird say?!"

- Jack Sparrow and Cotton's parrot



About a year after the crew rescued Jack Sparrow from the gallows, Jack had begun his search for the Dead Man's Chest, as his debt with Davy Jones was due. However, Jack wasn't intending to surrender his soul to Jones, so he planned to find the chest so he could use the heart of Davy Jones to gain control over Jones himself. After escaping from the Turkish prison, Jack arrived aboard the Black Pearl, where his crew confronted him regarding a matter of them not doing a speck of "honest pirating", to a point where Cotton's parrot suggested that Jack walk the plank. It was at that moment, after a brief dealing with Jack the monkey, that Jack Sparrow revealed what he retrieved from the prison, a piece of cloth with a drawing of a key. Though they were initially confused by the meaning of the drawing, the Pearl's crew realized they were to find the key. And so Jack gave them their next heading using his compass, though seeming unsure of their next direction. Marty and Gibbs discussed Jack's strange behavior as the Black Pearl sailed through the stormy night.

Later that night, Jack met with Bootstrap Bill Turner aboard the Black Pearl. Jack was given the Black Spot as Bootstrap Bill warned him that Davy Jones was sending the Kraken to pursue him. Realizing that it's not safe in the open ocean, Jack ordered the crew of the Pearl to head for the nearest land, a decision they would later regret.

Cannibal Island
"Where's the rest of the crew?" "These cages we're in? weren't built 'til after we got here."

- Will Turner and Joshamee Gibbs



The Black Pearl would sail to the nearest island, Isla de Pelegostos, where Jack Sparrow believed himself to be safe at. However, soon after arriving to the island, the entire crew was captured by the cannibal tribe known as the Pelegostos. Believing that Jack was a god in human form, the Pelegostos made Jack their chief, thereby giving him the fate of being their sacrifice, in which he would be roasted and eaten in a feast. During Jack's time as chief, his crew would be locked in two bone cages, which were made from the bones of some members of Jack's crew, who were eaten by the cannibal tribe, after their arrival to the island. "Come on men! It'll take all of us to crew the Black Pearl!" "Actually, you wouldn't need everyone! About six would do."

- Will Turner and Leech



Will Turner later came to the island in search of Jack Sparrow. Upon finding Jack as the chief of the Pelegostos, Will was sent into one of the bone cages along with the surviving crew members of the Black Pearl. While the cages hung over a ravine, Gibbs informed Will of Jack's situation with the Pelegostos. Saying that they just couldn't stay and wait, Will had the crew attempt to swing their cages across the chasm to climb up the other side. However, Leech and his crewmembers started to compete with Will and Gibbs' crew, which ultimately led Leech's cage to plummet into the ravine. This event drew the attention of a cannibal sentry, who then ran to warn the other villagers. After Will, Gibbs and the rest of the surviving crewmembers managed to go over the cliff, they found themselves being pursued by almost all of the Pelegostos tribe. The crew were soon able to escape after a cannibal boy appeared, after which the tribe left.

With haste, the crew ran towards the Black Pearl, which was riding in shallow water, after being made ready for sailing by former cursed members of Barbossa's crew, Pintel and Ragetti, who were attempting to take the Pearl for themselves. Jack arrived to the Pearl just after having been chased by the entire Pelegostos tribe. As the crew made ready to sail, Will told Jack of his mission to retrieve Jack's compass in exchange for the freedom of Elizabeth Swann, who was locked in prison. Jack agreed to help Will only if he would assist Jack in finding the key from his piece of cloth. And so the crew sailed for Cuba.

Dealing with Davy Jones
"It seems we have a need to find the Flying Dutchman."

- Will Turner to Tia Dalma



Sailing through the Pantano River, the crew arrived to the Cypress Forest where they would seek help from the voodoo priestess Tia Dalma. As payment for her help, Jack presented Jack the monkey, who his crew caught prior to this visit. After Will questioned Tia Dalma about the key, Tia Dalma told Jack, Will and the crew about the known legend of Davy Jones, particularly the fact that he cut out his own heart, locked it in a chest and hid it. She also pointed out that the key, which was represented in Jack's piece of cloth, was kept with Jones himself at all times. It was then that Tia Dalma revealed that Jack was marked with the Black Spot, which frightened the superstitious crew. After giving Jack a jar of dirt, Tia Dalma provided the crew with the whereabouts of Jones' ship, the Flying Dutchman.

The crew then sailed immediately to an archipelago where the found a scuttled ship they believed to be the Flying Dutchman. Jack sent Will to the ship, only to find the real Flying Dutchman appearing and Will captured. Shortly afterwards, Davy Jones himself confronted Jack aboard the Black Pearl, and the motley crew being held hostage by Jones' crew. This led to a negotiation between the two captains, which ended with Jones removing the Black Spot from Jack's hand, Will Turner press-ganged into Jones' crew, and Jack was given the task to collect 99 souls in three days. After Jones left, Gibbs asked Jack on how he planned to collect that many souls in three days. Jack then ordered for the Pearl set sail to their next destination, "Tortuga!"

Finding the Chest
"That chest must be worth more than a shiny penny." "Oh! Tsk-tsk-tsk. Terrible temptation." "If we was any kind of decent, we'd remove temptation from their path."

- Pintel and Ragetti



The Black Pearl made port in Tortuga with the intent of recruiting enough crewmen to give to Davy Jones' payment. Jack and Gibbs would go into the Faithful Bride tavern, where they were able to recruit four crewmen before being threatened by former-commodore James Norrington, who threatened both Gibbs and Jack for losing his life at the Royal Navy during his pursuit against them. Although Jack had Norrington hired, Norrington still wanted to kill Jack. While Norrington started a brawl, Jack and Gibbs made their escape and returned to the Pearl as it was loading up at the docks. It was there that they met with Elizabeth Swann, who was accompanied by Norrington. Telling Elizabeth of Will Turner's current predicament of being in Davy Jones' crew, Jack convinced her that the only way to save Will was to find the Dead Man's Chest. After finding their heading, the Black Pearl sailed for Isla Cruces, where the chest was located.

Jack, Elizabeth, and Norrington came to the island, where they would find the Dead Man's Chest and meet with Will Turner, who was able to escape from the Flying Dutchman. Before Will could use the key to the chest, which he was successfully able to take from Davy Jones, a three-way duel ensued between Jack, Will, and Norrington. This simple fight for the key turned into a battle for the chest upon the arrival of Jones' crewmen. Ultimately, Jones' crew had won the chest with the key, and Jack believed he had the heart of Davy Jones in his jar of dirt. However, Norrington had taken the heart into his possession, in which he would deliver the heart to Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company.

Kraken Attack
"It's after you, not the ship. It's not us. This is the only way, don't you see? I'm not sorry." "...Pirate."

- Elizabeth Swann and Jack Sparrow



As the crew of the Black Pearl prepared to make sail, the Flying Dutchman submerged and opened fire at the Pearl. With the wind giving the Black Pearl enough speed, the crew barely escaped the Dutchman and its triple cannons. The crew would then run afoul of the Kraken, sent by Davy Jones to destroy the Pearl. Jack initially attempted to abandon the Pearl and its crew while he raced for land, but found he could not go through with this cowardly plan, and returned to the Pearl. While the crew was able to defeat the Kraken twice, only eight of Jack's crewmembers survived. The Black Pearl suffered heavy damage by the Kraken's second attack. With the likelihood of another attack from the Kraken, Jack ordered his crew to abandon ship. And so the rest of the crew prepared to get away as they loaded onto the Black Pearl's last remaining longboat.

As the crew prepared the longboat to cast off, Elizabeth Swann informed the crew that Jack chose to stay behind on the Pearl to give them a chance to escape. However, in reality, Jack was cunningly tricked into being handcuffed to the Pearl's mainmast by Elizabeth, having realized that the Kraken was only interested in going after Jack, not the ship nor its crew. Sailing away on the longboat, the crew watched as the Kraken appeared and dragged the Black Pearl, along with its captain, down to the crushing depths of the ocean.

A New Captain
"Would you do it? Hm? What would you...hm? What would any of you be willing to do, hm? Would you sail to the ends of the Eart' and beyond, to fetch back witty Jack and him precious Pearl?"

- Tia Dalma



Defeated, the remaining survivors of the motley crew arrived to Tia Dalma's shack to take refuge as Tia Dalma offered the crew comfort on losing the Pearl and their captain. The crew would mourn the loss of Jack Sparrow, until Tia Dalma asked the crew if they were willing to go to the ends of the earth and beyond to save Jack and the Pearl. Though such a chance seemed impossible, the dishearten crew unanimously agreed to take the chance. Seeing that the crew were willing to "brave the weird and haunted shores at world's end", Tia Dalma then presented the crew to their new captain who would lead them on this voyage: a resurrected Hector Barbossa, who then asked what had become of his ship.

Singapore
"None of that. If things don't go the way we want, then we're the only chance they got."

- Joshamee Gibbs to Ragetti



Before they could go and save Jack Sparrow, the crew sailed for Singapore. There, they would attempt to steal the navigational charts, that had the map to the Land of the Dead, belonging to Sao Feng, the Pirate Lord of the Singapore. Captain Barbossa and Elizabeth would meet with Sao Feng in his bathhouse. But Barbossa would not take any chances in meeting him; he had Tia Dalma hide outside as a common hawker, while most of the remaining crew infiltrated the bathhouse in case things didn't go well in the negotiations. The meeting with Sao Feng went well until Feng discovered Barbossa's deception. Barbossa explained his reason for doing so, in saving Jack Sparrow so that the Brethren Court could convene to stand against Lord Cutler Beckett, who used the heart of Davy Jones to accelerate his plans to wipe piracy from the world. Sao Feng then noticed one of his men with a fake tattoo&mdash;undoubtedly a spy in their midst. With a call of "Weapons!", both Feng's Chinese pirates and Barbossa's crew drew their weapons, not realizing of the spy's true alliance.

Suddenly, soldiers of the East India Trading Company burst in, led by Ian Mercer, in which Barbossa's crew united with Sao Feng's men in order to escape. Throughout the battle, the whole crew fought in the streets of Singapore, using muskets, pistols and even explosives to stay one step ahead of the EITC soldiers. While the crew prepared to leave, Will Turner appeared, having managed to get Sao Feng's charts. Will was also able to get a ship, the Hai Peng, and a large crew of Chinese pirates led by Tai Huang. With Sao Feng covering their escape, the crew climbed aboard the Hai Peng and left Singapore, continuing onward in their voyage to find Jack Sparrow.

Rescuing Jack Sparrow
"Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you have tried to kill me in the past. One of you succeed."

- Jack Sparrow

Following the route on Sao Feng's map, the crew of the Hai Peng sailed through a frozen ocean, the uncharted waters of the Farthest Gate, and finally sailed their ship over the massive waterfall, where they reached their destination&mdash;Davy Jones' Locker. While the Hai Peng was wrecked on impact, the entire crew survived the wreckage just as they were reunited with Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl. Though Jack was skeptical on sailing with the crew, being that some of the members tried or succeeded to kill him, Jack had the crew join him aboard the Pearl. The Pearl would sail the seas of the underworld, where Captains Jack and Barbossa would both compete for captaincy throughout the voyage&mdash;with Pintel having unsuccessfully attempted to act as captain at one point.

Although the Black Pearl sailed far and wide, to the point of seeing dead people in boats, including the late Governor Weatherby Swann, who revealed the secret of the heart of Davy Jones, the crew still remained trapped in the Locker. As the Pearl continued to sail, Tia Dalma pointed out that if the crew was unable to escape before the sunset, they would be trapped in the realm between worlds forever. Shortly afterwards, with the help of the navigational charts, Jack Sparrow was able to discover a way of escaping from the Locker. He coerced the entire crew into tipping the Pearl upside down, coinciding with sunset in the Locker that resulted in a green flash&mdash;thereby returning the Pearl and its crew to the world of the living.

Journey to Shipwreck Cove
"Curious. Your friends appear to be quite desperate, Jack. Perhaps they no longer believe that a gathering of squabbling pirates can defeat the Flying Dutchman. And so despair leads to betrayal. But you and I are no strangers to betrayal, are we?"

- Cutler Beckett to Jack Sparrow

Upon returning to the world of the living, Barbossa, Jack, Will, Elizabeth, and Gibbs pulled out their pistols in a standoff&mdash;ending with no one being able to shoot anyone because of wet powder, which made the pistols useless. So with fresh supplies needed, the crew of the Black Pearl set towards the Black Sand Beach, where the corpse of the Kraken would be found. Going into the jungle, the crew found the island's water spring poisoned by a dead body. It was at that moment that Tai Huang and the other Chinese crewmen betrayed the motley crew, taking them as prisoners as Sao Feng's flagship, the Empress, appeared beside the Pearl offshore.

Barbossa and Jack climbed aboard the Pearl to find that their ship was taken over by Sao Feng's men with the help of Will Turner. Turner revealed he only participated on this voyage to get the Pearl, believing he could use it to free his father from aboard the Flying Dutchman. Upon the arrival of Lord Cutler Beckett's flagship, the Endeavour, Sao Feng turned Jack Sparrow over to EITC soldiers to meet with Beckett. After Mercer boarded the Pearl, Feng betrayed Will by having him join the rest of the Pearl's crew, who were all chained together. However, Sao Feng himself was betrayed by Beckett, having been informed by Mercer that he wouldn't be given the Black Pearl. It was then that Barbossa and Feng negotiated, which ended with Feng agreeing to help free the crew in exchange for Elizabeth, whom he believed to be the sea goddess Calypso.

With the deal made, Barbossa and the rest of the crew of the Black Pearl were set free as Sao Feng and Elizabeth climbed aboard the Empress. While Pearl's crew attacked EITC soldiers, the Black Pearl attacked the Endeavour as it sailed away, making their escape. It was during this brief battle that Jack Sparrow made his daring escape from the Endeavour, which the rest of the crew watched from the Pearl. Unlike Barbossa, the crew was intrigued by Jack's miraculous stunt. For Will Turner's treachery, Jack ordered the crew to send Will to the brig. The Black Pearl then set sail for their next destination: Shipwreck Cove, the well-hidden meeting place of the Brethren Court.

At some point during the voyage, Will Turner was able to escape the brig with the intention of leading Beckett to Shipwreck Cove. But in the middle of his plan, Will was confronted by Jack Sparrow who threw him overboard, but not before being given Jack's compass so he could use it as leverage for Beckett. Shortly after arriving to Shipwreck Island, Barbossa had Pintel and Ragetti escort Tia Dalma to the brig. Finally, after sailing through the perilous sea passage known as the Devil's Throat, the crew of the Black Pearl arrived to Shipwreck Cove.

Meeting with the Brethren
"Look at them all." "There's not been a gatherin' like this in our lifetime." "And I owe them all money."

- Pintel, Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow



After docking at the cove, the crew of the Black Pearl joined their two captains as they took their place at the meeting of the Fourth Brethren Court. Ragetti was chosen to collect the nine pieces of eight from each of the nine Pirate Lords, except for Jack, who wanted to wait until Sao Feng joined them. However, Elizabeth Swann arrived with the news of Sao Feng's death by the Flying Dutchman. Elizabeth also informed the Brethren that Lord Cutler Beckett and Davy Jones were on their way to Shipwreck Cove. The meeting would lead to a vote for the new Pirate King, in which Elizabeth Swann was elected. As the King of the Brethren Court, Elizabeth decided to declare war against Beckett. And so joining with the entire members of the Fourth Brethren Court, the motley crew prepared the Black Pearl for battle.

Prior to the Battle
"Calypso...I come before you as but a servant, humble and contrite. I have fulfilled me vow, and now ask your favor. Spare meself, me ship, me crew and unleash your fury upon those who dare pretend themselves your masters...or mine."

- Hector Barbossa

The Black Pearl joined the combined ships of the Brethren's fleet off of Shipwreck Island, where the crew await for the arrival of Lord Beckett. The entire crew was shocked to see the number of ships in Beckett's armada; almost three hundred vessels, led by the Flying Dutchman, easily outnumbering the Brethren. Upon seeing these ships, Cotton's parrot flew away, saying "abandon ship". This motivated Jack Sparrow to call for parley, in which Elizabeth, Jack, and Barbossa sailed to a sandbar where met with Beckett, Jones, and Will Turner, the one who led Beckett to Shipwreck Cove. The parley ended with Will leaving with Elizabeth and Barbossa, joining the pirates, and Jack being handed over to Jones, but with the fight still to continue.

Upon arriving on the Black Pearl, Barbossa prepared to free Calypso from her human form, as Tia Dalma, by burning the nine pieces of eight, the last of which he took from Jack and Elizabeth. Though Will and Elizabeth were reluctant to employ such a risky gambit, Barbossa ignored them and successfully freed Calypso, with the help of Ragetti, who spoke the magic words, and Will, who told Calypso the person who betryed her to the Brethren&mdash;Davy Jones. Barbossa then implored Calypso to spare himself, the Pearl and the crew, and to focus her rage on their enemies. The goddess then exploded into millions of crabs, showering the Pearl's crew before disappearing into the sea. The crew recovered from this unexpected event, and prepared for the coming battle.

Battle with the Flying Dutchman
"Gentlemen...Hoist the colors." "Hoist the colors." "Hoist the colors." "Hoist the colors!" "Aye. The wind's on our side, boys. That's all we need!"

- Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner, Ragetti, Pintel, and Joshamee Gibbs



Although Barbossa believed that their hope was now lost, with Calypso having failed them, the winds blew, which inspired Elizabeth Swann. She gave a rousing speech to the motley crew, reminding them that the Brethren would be looking to the Black Pearl to lead. With the order to "hoist the colors", the flags of all the pirate vessels present were raised as a storm began to brew. As it started to rain, which angered Pintel and worried Ragetti, the Black Pearl sailed out to face the Flying Dutchman. Before they would meet, however, Calypso controlled the waters of the ocean creating a maelstrom in between the two opposing fleets. Barbossa took the helm as a massive whirlpool formed, allowing the Pearl and the Dutchman to prepare for the titanic battle.

As the Black Pearl sailed in the giant whirlpool, the crews of the respectable ships prepared to fire. Barbossa, Elizabeth, Gibbs, and Will Turner ordered to fire, after which the Pearl sustained damage. The battle would rage on. Throughout the battle, Will and Elizabeth would be married, presided over Barbossa, while continuously fighting EITC soldiers and members of Davy Jones' crew aboard the Pearl. Shortly afterwards, the masts of the Pearl and the Dutchman would crash into each other. By the end of the battle, as the maelstrom subsided after Davy Jones' death, Barbossa ordered the crew to shoot a chain-shot at the masts, allowing him to safely guide the Black Pearl out of the maelstrom, leaving the Dutchman to sink. Among the Pearl's casualties, Will Turner was mortally wounded by Davy Jones, though with the help of Jack Sparrow, Will was able to kill Jones before passing away. As Jack climbed aboard the Pearl, the crew prepared to face the Beckett's ship, the Endeavour.

Though Barbossa and the crew expressed their concern in facing the Endeavour, Jack believed they would win and had the crew prepare the Pearl for one last attack. With the Endeavour fully armed, the crew feared the worst; and to make matters worse, the Flying Dutchman rose out of the depths, except Will Turner was now captain of the Dutchman. So with their renewed faith, the crew had the Black Pearl sail to attack the Endeavour with help from the Dutchman. After Jack, Gibbs, Barbossa and Elizabeth ordered to fire, the crew fired the Pearl's cannons, destroying the Endeavour. This resulted in the defeat of Lord Cutler Beckett.

As the rest of the armada was forced to retreat, the crew of the Black Pearl rejoiced and celebrated their victory along with the other crews of the Brethren's fleet. Cotton's parrot returned to Cotton's side as the pirates continued to cheer. Among the pirates celebrating were Mullroy and Murtogg, who were the only surviving EITC members of the Dutchman, though they switched into being pirates and joined the motley crew. Though celebrations were cut short as it was discovered that Elizabeth only had one day to spend with Will, who now had to take the burden to ferry souls into the next world. After a farewell from the crew, Barbossa and Jack among them, Elizabeth climbed off the Pearl.

Barbossa's Second Mutiny
"Sir. Some of the men don't feel entirely settled about leaving Captain Jack behind..." "Again." "...again." "Is that so?"

- Pintel, Ragetti, and Hector Barbossa



In their newfound freedom, the motley crew of the Black Pearl sailed back to Tortuga. While Jack Sparrow was in the town, Barbossa took the Pearl from Jack under circumstances that can only be described as mutiny. The rest of the crew joined him, except for Joshamee Gibbs, who was left sleeping on Tortuga's docks. With Cotton at the helm, the Black Pearl sailed out on the high seas. Shortly after leaving Tortuga, Pintel, Ragetti, Marty, Mullroy and Murtogg met with Captain Barbossa, reporting that some of the men weren't settled in leaving Jack. To make themselves feel better, they demanded Barbossa to show them the "item" he told them about. Taking out the navigational charts, Barbossa revealed that he planned to find the Fountain of Youth. But when Barbossa opened the charts, both he and the crew discover that the map to the Fountain was cut off from the charts by none other than Captain Jack Sparrow himself.

Blackbeard's attack
"The rigging had come to life! Our own ship turned against us. Tangling the crew, wrapping them around like snakes...and wrapping around my leg."

- Hector Barbossa to Jack Sparrow

At some point after their departure from Tortuga, the crew of the Black Pearl was attacked by the Queen Anne's Revenge, a ship of the notorious pirate Blackbeard. During the attack, the rigging of the Pearl came to life and turned against Barbossa and his crew. Barbossa barely escaped this encounter, with the cost being his right leg. After this, Blackbeard had the Pearl shrunk and put it into a glass bottle. While it is unknown if the crew survived or not, Cotton's parrot and Jack the monkey can be seen inside the Pearl's bottle.

Everyday life
"Captain, I think the crew, meaning me as well, were expecting something a bit more...shiny."

- Joshamee Gibbs

The crew was characterized as a group of drunken scallywags. They hailed from a dozen nations. Like most pirates, many of them were mutual acquaintences, so they were each able to help the other. One example was Gibbs' sense of helping a crewmember, as well as Ragetti's assisting Elizabeth Swann, during the Kraken's attack on the Black Pearl. All the crewmembers had the same dream&mdash;of leading a pirate's life&mdash;they did work well together.

There seemed to be a slight dislike their original captain, Jack Sparrow, who led the crew in an odd way because of his view on what they were doing, most notably after Jack's retrieval of a drawing of a key during his search for the Dead Man's Chest. Despite this, all crew members worked together out of mutual necessity to embark on various voyages, and finding what untold treasure they needed to find or fighting for their freedom with the Brethren Court. The crew cared about their ship and kept it clean.

Behind the scenes

 * It is possible that the name "Motley crew" is a reference to the American heavy metal band, "Mötley Crüe", since Johnny Depp mentioned his belief that pirates were "the rock and roll stars of that era", which inspired his performance as Jack Sparrow. However, it may come from the actual term "motley crew", used to describe a group who came from different background and ethnicities, yet having a common goal.
 * The pirate flag used by this crew is unknown, though it is likely they never used one, as a flag was never used in Jack Sparrow's command.
 * The crew's fate after At World's End is unknown. It was assumed that the crew may be dead as they didn't appear in On Stranger Tides. However, with the fact that Cotton's parrot and Jack the monkey can be seen inside the shrunken Black Pearl, it is possible that they survived.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (junior novelization)
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow
 * The Accidental Pirate!
 * Revenge of the Pirates!
 * The Capture of Jack Sparrow!
 * Legend of the Aztec Idol!
 * In Jack We Trust!
 * Open Sesame!
 * A Revolting Development!
 * The Sidekick!
 * The Duel!
 * Enter... the Scarecrow!
 * Chain Reaction!
 * Going Overboard!
 * The Eye of Dispair!
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
 * LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game