Henry Turner

"Are you sure you're the Jack Sparrow?" "The real question is... Who are you?" "My name is Henry Turner. Son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann." "Ugh! You're the evil spawn of them two. Does mommy ever ask about me?" "No." " Go on. She calls my name in the sleep?" "She never spoke of you."

- Henry Turner and Jack Sparrow

Henry Turner was the son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. Following his first encounter with his father, Henry decided to find the legendary Trident of Poseidon to free his father from his curse, an obligation to sail the Seven Seas for all eternity as captain of the Flying Dutchman. When he grew up, Henry joined the Royal Navy with the intention to find his parents' old associate, the infamous pirate Jack Sparrow. Hoping that the pirate captain would help him find the Trident, Henry served on several ships, until he ended up on the warship Monarch. During his adventures, he encountered the terrifying ghost crew led by the Spanish pirate hunter Armando Salazar, who requested him to find the man he was already looking for - Jack Sparrow. After being wrongfully accused of cowardly abandoning his shipmates, Henry was forced to form an alliance with Sparrow, his pirate crew and the young astronomer Carina Smyth. Chased by the British forces led by Lieutenant Scarfield and Salazar's bloodthirsty ghosts, Henry and his allies embarked on a perilous journey to find the legendary weapon that would give them control of the sea.

Early Life
"Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me. We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up, me hearties, Yo ho. We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. Drink up, me hearties, Yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me."

- Young Henry Turner

About nine months after the War Against Piracy, this child would be born to Will and Elizabeth Turner (née Swann). Elizabeth settled with Henry in an old lighthouse on the southern coast of Jamaica, across the bay from Port Royal. For the next nine years and few months of his life, young Henry Turner would remain with Elizabeth until his father's return from his ten-year duty aboard the Flying Dutchman.

On the day of his father's return from the Land of the Dead, a young Henry happily sung a song, which his mother (who was beside him) had taught him, while the sun was setting. It was here that Henry witnessed the green flash on the horizon, and saw the Flying Dutchman sailing into the bay. When the ship was anchored, Will came ashore and Henry met his father for the first time.

Reconnecting with his father
"Don't you see I'm cursed to this ship?" "That's why I'm here. I think I know a way to break your curse, to free you from the Dutchman." "Henry, no." "I've read about a treasure. A treasure that holds all the power of the sea. The Trident of Poseidon can break your curse."

- Will Turner and Young Henry

Not satisfied with just seeing his father only once every ten years, Henry decided to free Will from the curse of the Flying Dutchman. He spent several years studying the myths of the sea, researching every legend and every curse. He eventually learned about the treasure that allegedly held all the power of the sea, the Trident of the ancient sea god Poseidon, an object that could break Will's curse. The tales of Henry's father's adventures also spoke of Jack Sparrow, a notorious pirate captain whom Henry's mother never mentioned. Henry believed Sparrow would help him find the Trident. Henry eventually made a plan how to be reunited with his father.

When he was twelve years old, Henry calculated the Flying Dutchman's route and the exact moment when the ship would sail near his home again. In the middle of the night, the boy rowed to the open sea. When he reached his destination, he tied a sack of rocks to his left leg and jumped overboard, letting the heavy weight drag him to the depths of the sea. In a few moments, he fell on the main deck of the Flying Dutchman and the ship rose above the waves, saving Henry from drowning.

Finding himself on the legendary ghost ship, just as he wanted, Henry was ready to live with his father, even if that meant joining the crew of the Dutchman and the end of the normal life he knew. A moment later, Henry's father appeared on deck. Chastising Henry for what he did, Will showed him his face covered in barnacles, but the boy didn't care, believing that once Will's curse was broken their whole family would be reunited on land. Realizing that the ship's crew knew about Henry's presence onboard, Will told him to go home to his mother as there was no place for him on the Dutchman. Still wanting his father to come home, Henry revealed what he knew about the Trident and his hopes about using it to break Will's curse. However, Will replied that the Trident could never be found, as he believed that the trident was just a tale. Henry countered his father's statement by saying that the tales of him and Captain Jack Sparrow were real and that the pirate would help him find it. Will immediately ordered him to stay away from Jack and leave the sea forever. As the Flying Dutchman started sinking Will gave his necklace to Henry, telling him that his curse can never be broken. Will then hugged Henry and told him that he must let him go, as his fate couldn't be changed. The ship disappeared beneath the surface and Henry swam back to his boat, still determined to find Jack Sparrow.

Encounter with Salazar
"Jack Sparrow. Do you know this pirate?" "Only by name." "You're looking for him? Is that a yes?" "Yes!"

- Armando Salazar and Henry Turner

Over the next few years, Henry grew up into a headstrong young sailor, eventually leaving his mother's home and joining the British Royal Navy. Knowing that the British Navy's main goal was hunting pirates in the Caribbean, Henry believed he had the best chance of finding Jack Sparrow as a sailor in His Majesty's service, helping the British in their goal. With little experience and no references, he was forced to start at the bottom of the naval ladder. For some reason, he was kicked off several ships.

Nine years after the meeting with his father, Henry was serving aboard the powerful warship called the Monarch. His obsession with Jack Sparrow eventually became an object of mockery among the ship's crew. One day the Monarch was chasing pirates in the waters West of the Windward Isles. Henry was stationed in the bilge, where a group of sailors under the command of Petty Officer Maddox was trying to pump the leaking water out of the ship. Unlike his shipmates, Henry was looking at the pirate ship through one of the gun ports with a small piece of mirror. Knowing almost all the pirate flags in the Caribbean, he identified the ship as the Ruddy Rose, telling another sailor that she was a Dutch barque stolen by the pirate Bonnet.

Seeing in the mirror the rocky formations and the giant cave in front of the pirate ship, Henry ran up the stairs, ignoring Maddox's orders to stay in his post. Reaching the main deck Henry tried to speak with Captain Toms who was standing on the quarterdeck with his officers, but Officer Cole reminded him that he was not allowed to address the Captain. The boy tried to convince the officers that they were sailing the ship straight into the Devil's Triangle, a mysterious area from which many ships never returned, but the captain dismissed his warnings as mere superstition.

As Maddox appeared on deck, telling the captain that Henry was clearly disturbed, the young sailor asked the captain one last time to change the course. Cole responded by ordering the crew to arrest him. Not wanting to let the captain kill them all Henry ran to the helm, trying to change the course by force, striking a Marine and an officer in the process, but he was quickly subdued. Captain Toms personally ripped the sleeves of Henry's jacket, marking him as a traitor, before ordering the crew to follow the pirate ship into the cave.

Maddox and the two Marines carried Henry below deck, throwing him into the brig. As Henry fell down, several wanted posters of Jack Sparrow fell out of his pockets. A prisoner in a cell next to Henry's reached and picked one of the posters, telling Henry that Jack Sparrow was dead and buried in an unmarked grave on the island of Saint Martin. Henry was unable to participate in battle when the ship was attacked in the haunted waters of the Devil's Triangle. That accidentally led to Henry being the only survivor of the battle, in which the Monarch's crew was massacred by the ghosts led by Captain Armando Salazar. When Salazar walked below deck, he picked up a wanted poster of the infamous pirate Jack Sparrow from the floor and asked Henry if he knew Sparrow. When Henry replied that he knew Sparrow only by name, Salazar walked through the bars and asked the scared Henry to find Sparrow and give him a message about death coming straight for him, to which he nervously agreed. Salazar then hit Henry in the head with the hilt of his sword, knocking him unconscious.

Finding Jack Sparrow
"I am looking for a pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow?" "Well, today is your lucky day. 'Cause I just happen to be... Captain Jack Sparrow!" "No, it can't be. I've spent years searching for.. this?! The great Jack Sparrow is not some drunk in a cell. Do you even have a ship? A crew? Pants?" "A great pirate does not require such intricacies."

- Henry Turner and Jack Sparrow

Floating all the way to the island of Saint Martin on a piece of driftwood, Henry was found on the beach and taken to the military hospital. However, the commanding officer of the British forces on the island, Lieutenant John Scarfield, ordered him to be shackled to the bed to prevent his escape, believing him to be a coward and a traitor. When Henry woke up, he attempted to explain what happened on the Monarch but Lieutenant Scarfield simply sentenced him to death. A moment later, a nun asked Henry for information about the Trident of Poseidon. Though she disbelieved his story about dealing with the dead, she said they should help each other. However, Lieutenant Scarfield a few of his men, identified the nun as a fugitive, Carina Smyth. After being recognized, Carina gave Henry a small metal pick and tried to escape, but the British soldiers quickly caught her. However, Henry used the confusion to unlock his manacles and managed to escape.

A few hours later, sneaking through the town under the cover of rain, Henry saw a group of soldiers led by Mayor Dix apprehending a pirate they called Jack Sparrow. Now knowing Jack's location, Henry soon infiltrated the prison disguised as a guard, searching cells for Sparrow but receiving no answer. Eventually, he reached a cell where he spotted a prisoner and questioned him but got no answer until he was grabbed by the real prisoner who used a decoy and demanded a sword but Henry replied that he didn't have one because he was wanted for treason and that he was looking for Jack Sparrow. Henry was then released and learned that he was grabbed by the very man that he was looking for.

After brief skepticism that the prisoner was the real Jack Sparrow, due to his current poor state, Henry revealed himself as Will and Elizabeth's son, to Jack's surprise as he didn't know that his old friends had a child. The young Turner then realized it really was him and stated that he needed Jack to help him to locate the Trident of Poseidon to free his father from his curse, even offering the weapon to Jack. However, Sparrow was uninterested in his tale, having fallen asleep in the middle of the story. Henry soon got Jack's attention by asking if he knew of Armando Salazar and revealed that while Jack indeed killed him years ago, the man was resurrected as a ghost. Henry soon relayed the message about Salazar hunting Jack down in vengeance and told the now scared Jack that the trident was now his only chance to defeat Salazar and his undead horde. He then asked Jack if he would team up with him. Jack agreed and told Henry to find his old crew and hire them to help him.

Saving Jack
"From this moment on, we are to be allies." "Considering where your left hand is I'd say we're more than that." "We'll find the Trident together. Do I have your word?" "You're holding everything but my word."

- Henry Turner and Carina Smyth

Henry eventually managed to find Jack's former crew, convincing them to help him save their former captain, who was sentenced to be publicly executed the next day, in exchange for ten silver pieces. The next day, just as Carina was about to be hanged and Jack beheaded on the guillotine, Henry swung on a rope from the clock tower, ending up in the middle of the town square. Though he managed to knock down a few soldiers, he was easily captured. When Lieutenant Scarfield asked him what he wanted to accomplish, Henry revealed that he was just a diversion.

At that moment, Joshamee Gibbs and the rest of the pirates then revealed themselves, uncovering a cannon and firing a cannonball into the platform that held the guillotine, causing a mass confusion among the civilians. Though the pirate Scrum managed to save Carina from one soldier, he accidentally activated the trapdoor, sending the young scientist to her demise. Luckily for Carina, Henry was standing beneath the gallows, catching Carina and saving her from being hung. Holding Carina in the air, Henry asked her for aid in the quest, to which she reluctantly agreed. However, Scarfield appeared, intending to kill them both, because if he would shoot the "traitor", the "witch" would hang a moment later. The two were saved at the last moment by the arrival of the liberated Jack who knocked down the sadistic officer with a piece of wood. However, the deceiving pirate then revealed his true intentions, proclaiming Henry and Carina his prisoners who would lead him to the Trident. As Henry vociferously complained about Jack's treachery, reminding him that they had a deal, Jack stated that there was a slight modification to the original plan.

Search for the Trident
"So this was your plan? To be tortured and killed by pirates?" "You said you needed a ship." "You call this a ship?"

- Carina Smyth and Henry Turner

Making their way to the Dying Gull, Henry and Carina were soon tied to the mast of the ship before Jack tries to get the map to the Trident from Carina. To procure it, he threatens the life of a protesting Henry if she doesn't comply. Jack has his men throw Henry overboard and after he gets the information, he reveals Henry was thrown in a lifeboat tied to the ship to Carina's irritation.

As the ship made its journey into the night, Jack got drunk again as Henry lashed out at him for doing nothing even threatening him with a sword but an unfazed Jack pulled out his pistol telling Henry if he ever threatened him again to prepare to die. Jack soon noticed the affections Henry had for Carina offering him some bad advice, which Henry ignored.

Chased by the dead
"Keep rowing, man. Faster! Faster!" "No, that's it. I'm going with her." "You would leave me for some horologist in her knickers?" "Yes." "You men are all alike."

- Jack Sparrow and Henry Turner

When the Silent Mary started to pursue them, Jack allowed his angry crew to lead a mutiny against him. On a rowboat, Jack, Henry and Carina continued to flee before Carina decided to save herself by throwing off her dress to Henry's protest and Jack's delight.

Soon, they rowed further to an island before Henry became annoyed with Jack and decided to join Carina but before he could follow after her the boat was attacked by Salazar's undead sharks. Jack grabbed a stumbling Henry and the two were forced to deal with the shark's repeated attacks as well as the attack of the charging Salazar and his crew. Henry then dove into the water and was nearly attacked but Jack narrowly managed to save him from being eaten, as they crashed on a nearby island where Jack was confronted by the undead specter of his nemesis Salazar. However, they were relieved that neither he or his men can't step foot on land without being destroyed as Henry followed after Carina as she started to run off while screaming in disbelief at the sight of actual ghosts before her.

Henry and Jack journeyed through the forest where Jack poked fun of Henry's feelings for Carina which he denied. The two soon found Carina trapped in a net and Jack tells Henry to help her but before he could both of them are captured as well. Three men appeared and knocked out Jack and took the trapped trio to their leader Pig Kelly.

Hangman's Bay
When Jack awoke, he found a rope around his neck as well as Henry and Carina tied up. Because Jack owed Kelly a debt, the man has decided for him to repay it by marrying his sister Beatrice Kelly. Henry was the unwilling best man while Carina was the bride's maid, though Jack was not willing to do so even under the threat of death but inadvertently said "I do" once Carina and Henry pointed out the union wasn't legal.

However, before the kiss can occur, the wedding is halted by the arrival of Hector Barbossa and his crew who dispatches Kelly and his men, thus freeing Henry and his companions. Barbossa then used Sword of Triton to release the Black Pearl from its imprisonment in a bottle as Henry watched in awe as the ship grew to its natural size.

Journey on the Pearl
"This ship. Those ghosts. There can be no logical explanation." "The myths of the sea are real, Carina. I'm glad you can finally see you were wrong." "Wrong? Perhaps I had some doubts." "This is the worst apology I've ever heard."

- Carina Smyth and Henry Turner

Upon Barbossa establishing captaincy of the vessel, Henry and Carina were soon tied to the wooden stand for ship's bell. As the ship sailed, Carina warned Barbossa that his maps were incomplete but her pleas were ignored though Henry supported her. However, after some time Barbossa realized he needed her help so he released her and Henry allowing Carina to take the helm to locate the Black rock island by using the stars as a map.

As Carina guided the Pearl, Henry kept a lookout with his spyglass just as she started listing all the unbelievable things that she has witnessed as Henry told her all the myths of the sea were real, jokingly telling her to admit that she was wrong but Carina retorted she merely had doubts. Henry called her out on this being the worst apology he heard but she stated that he had to apologize for putting her life in danger with said myths as Henry stated they were something that she now believed in, apologizing for that. Carina accepted this apology, causing him to realized he walked into her hands and leaves as she stated he saw things her way.

Capture
Very soon, Henry spotted the Essex led by John Scarfield approaching them with the intent on attacking but they were easily wiped out by the Silent Mary who attacked the Pearl. During the battle, Henry quickly took a sword and freed Jack as Salazar started to come after him and joined in the battle.

At the end, Salazar saw that they were approaching Black rock island and knowing he couldn't tread land abducted Henry, taking him back to his ghost ship.

Possession
"You cut me, you cut the boy, Jack!"

- Armando Salazar to Jack Sparrow

Onboard the ghost ship, Turner's body was possessed by Salazar who knew that once he possessed the Trident of Poseidon he could undo the spell. With Henry's body, Salazar traveled the island where he found the way to reach Poseidon's Tomb.

Salazar began to fight against Sparrow who was unable to defeat him without harming Henry in the process. After grabbing hold of the trident, it released Salazar from Henry's body, and he laid unconscious as he was tended to by Carina.

Destruction of the Trident
"All curses are broken!"

- Henry Turner

Henry soon regained consciousness, as he and Carina witnessed Salazar using the Trident to torture Jack. Carina was able to remind Henry on how to break all the curses at sea. After Jack managed to hold the trident in place, Henry was able to destroy the Trident breaking all the curses and causing Salazar and his entire crew to turn back into their human forms. However, the trio soon realized that the split sea was slowly coming to a close, and they were right in the middle at the risk of drowning.

When all had seemed lost, everyone noticed Barbossa swinging in from atop of the Pearl's anchor, urging them all to climb. Quickly climbing aboard, the group proceeded to climb the anchor as the still vengeful Salazar followed after them. As they climbed, Barbossa saved Carina from nearly falling before he noticed Salazar was closing in on her but Jack took Henry's sword giving it to Barbossa who relinquished his grip on the anchor and fell stabbing Salazar in the back on his way down. Salazar let out a horrified scream before he hit the anchor face first, killing him. The stunned group watched as both Salazar and Barbossa were washed away in the consuming seas.

As the sea finally tamed itself, the group returned to the surface and with the rest of the crew mourned Barbossa's sacrifice. Henry saw the distraught in Carina's eyes as she just found and lost her father, he pondered on how to approach her as Jack helped him win her over by giving Henry her diary so he could return it to her. With this, Henry approached Carina and questioned if she was alright as she stated she didn't know as she had everything (her father)she looked for, but in a moment it was gone again. Henry told her not everything as he gave her the book and she accepted the gesture since the book was given to her by her father as Henry called her "Miss Smyth" but she corrected him, and told him that her name was "Barbossa".

Reunion with father
"Henry." "Yes, father." "Look at you, son. How did you do it? How did you break the curse?" "Let me tell you a tale. A tale of the greatest treasure known to man."

- Will Turner and Henry in their reunion

All was calm as the crew of the Pearl sailed back to Henry's home, where he and Carina were dropped off. The two walked as he realized that Jack was right about how he felt about her, with that he tried to kiss Carina, who slapped him, jokingly thinking he was still possessed. He forgave her and kissed her, a sentiment she returns.

Henry then witnessed the arrival of the Flying Dutchman and saw his newly-freed father walking up the hill and quickly went to speak with him. Will embraced his son, as Henry returned him his necklace and promised to tell the tale of how he freed him. Henry's mother then emerged from the hills and reunited with her husband as Henry and Carina held hands, as they happily watched this scene. His further fate is unknown.

Personality and traits
Henry was a kindhearted young man who wanted nothing more to reunite with his father after barely seeing him for years. This was seen when he underwent great research of the curses of the sea and risking his life just to be with his father again.

Due to witnessing his father's cursed fate and hearing the tales of his parents' adventures with Jack Sparrow, Henry was very open to the supernatural as he warned the crew of the Monarch of tales of the Devil's Triangle even though his actions were accurate he was branded a traitor but his beliefs saved his own life after Salazar killed his crew. Henry also gets frustrated when others disbelieve his stories but will become somewhat smug after they witness it for themselves.

When he first met Jack Sparrow, he was clearly disappointed that he was not all what he imagined. However, like his parents before him Henry slowly came to see Jack for the great pirate he was after he was saved by him on several occasions and helped him win over Carina.

He is somewhat modest and seemed inexperienced with women as he was excited by seeing Carina's ankles after she took off her dress and could not admit his growing affections for her until the end where he impulsively kissed her and held her hand.

Behind the scenes

 * Henry Turner was portrayed in the final scene of At World's End by Dominic Scott Kay, credited as "Young Will Turner" in the film's credits. Lewis McGowan portrayed Henry in the very first scene of Dead Men Tell No Tales, credited as "Henry Turner (12 yrs old)" in the film's credits, while Brenton Thwaites portrayed the adult Henry for the rest of the film.
 * Before Thwaites was selected to play Henry in Dead Men Tell No Tales, actors Taron Egerton, George MacKay, Mitchell Hope, Ansel Engort and Sam Keeley were considered for the role.
 * Before it was confirmed that Henry was the son of Will and Elizabeth in the fifth Pirates film, it was rumored that the character's full name was "Henry Maddox," and that he was a brash young British officer who would intercept Jack Sparrow in his quest for the Trident of Poseidon, falling head over heels for Carina Smyth in the process. The name Maddox was later given to another character, a Petty Officer aboard the Monarch.
 * According to the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Novelization Henry freed Will Turner from his curse seven years after their meeting on the Flying Dutchman. However, the film itself and its comic book adaptation reveal that nine years have passed between the two events.
 * Henry Turner is the only character in the film series to be portrayed by three actors.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
 * The Brightest Star in the North: The Adventures of Carina Smyth
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales: Movie Graphic Novel
 * LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game

Notes and references
Henry Turner Henry Turner Henry Turner Генри Тёрнер ヘンリー・ターナー