Crew of the Black Pearl

"And what makes you think you're worthy to crew the Black Pearl?"

- Joshamee Gibbs

The crew of the Black Pearl was a pirate crew that operated on the Seven Seas, most notably in the Caribbean, aboard the infamous pirate vessel known as the Black Pearl.

In the Age of Piracy, during the time of the Fourth Brethren Court, there have been two captains of the Black Pearl: Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa. The many crewmen who served aboard the Pearl embarked on a number of adventures, some involving the supernatural.

The Cursed Crew
"You've seen a ship with black sails, that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out?"

- Mullroy

This crew was under the command of Captain Jack Sparrow when the Black Pearl left from Tortuga to find the Treasure of Cortés, located on the mysterious "island of the dead" known as Isla de Muerta. During the voyage, Jack gave up the bearings to his first mate, Hector Barbossa, which soon led to a mutiny against Jack. The crew marooned Jack on a desert island, with a pistol with a single shot, and left him to die.

Soon afterwards, Captain Barbossa and his crew found Isla de Muerta and the treasure, consisting of a stone chest filled with 882 pieces of Aztec gold that lied within its caves. However, after spending all 882 pieces of the Aztec gold, the crew became cursed, thereby becoming immortal, but the inability to feel, taste, or satisfy their desires. If the crew exposed themselves to the moonlight, they would appear as rotting, skeletal beings. The curse would later be lifted 10 years later, which resulted in Barbossa's death at the hands of Jack Sparrow, who was able to escape the island.

A 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



This crew were recruited by Jack Sparrow, with the assistance of Joshamee Gibbs, during his helping of Will Turner in his attempt to save Elizabeth Swann from the clutches of Barbossa's crew. By the time of the battle of the Isla de Muerta, the crew was imprisoned aboard the Pearl, until Elizabeth came to save them. After which, they took the Pearl for themselves, leaving Jack, who was able to kill Barbossa, at the mercy of the British Royal Navy, led by Commodore James Norrington. The crew later had the Black Pearl arrive to Port Royal to save Jack from his appointment at the gallows, giving him command aboard the Pearl once again.

Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew would embark on many adventures for the next year. However, their freedom wouldn't last too long, as Jack's debt with Davy Jones was due, having received the Black Spot from former crewmember Bootstrap Bill Turner. Jack's only hope was to find the fabled Dead Man's Chest, which lied the heart of Davy Jones. The search would end with a disgraced Norrington, who briefly served aboard the Pearl, stealing the heart, and the Kraken dragging the Pearl to the depths, along with its captain.

Some believed Jack to be dead and the Pearl gone, but in reality they ended up in Davy Jones' Locker. With the use of a map owned by Sao Feng, Jack's crew would journey to the Locker to save Jack, with Hector Barbossa, resurrected by Tia Dalma, leading them. After escaping the Locker, the crew had to find Shipwreck Cove to attend a meeting with the Brethren Court to stop Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company, who now possessed the heart of Davy Jones, thereby giving him control over the Flying Dutchman. The Black Pearl's crew would led by both Jack and Barbossa, in which they would compete over captaincy of the Pearl. After the battle between the pirates and the EITC, the pirates achieved victory. With their newfound freedom, the Pearl made port at Tortuga, where Barbossa would steal the Pearl from Jack and left a dinghy in its place. All the crewmen would join Barbossa, save for Gibbs, who was left sleeping on Tortuga's docks.

At some point after departing from Tortuga, 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 survived this encounter, with the cost of his right leg. After the battle, 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.

Behind the scenes

 * Out of the various crews that served aboard the Black Pearl, only two were given names in Visual Guides (Cursed crew and Motley crew). The other crews have yet to be named, though it is unlikely they will be.
 * 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: Legends of the Brethren Court
 * 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
 * Kingdom Hearts II
 * LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game