James Hook

"You'll never guess who I encountered at Oporto a few months ago!" "Who was that?" "James."

- Don Rafael and Teague

James Hook, sometimes referred to as James, was a pirate captain during the Age of Piracy, most notably in command of the Jolly Roger. He was known to all the Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court before the War Against Piracy. At some point during his career, he lost a hand and placed an iron hook in its place. He was notorious for his bad temper. Hook's real name was unknown, and he was generally known as James to other pirates.

Biography
"Just before we parted company, James mentioned that he had come upon a man, half dead, floating in the sea. They pulled him out, and before he died, he told them a story similar to the ones I have heard here today. He said it happened off the coast of India. It seems these villains are everywhere."

- Don Rafael to pirates assembled at Shipwreck Cove

James Hook was a well-known and feared pirate, especially to all members of the Brethren Court. He was a relatively close friend to Don Rafael, the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean. At a certain point in his life, James lost his hand and replaced it with an iron hook in its place.

Many years later, when people thought he would have met the rope or be in prison, James went on many voyages across the Indian Ocean. During one of the journeys, he discovered a body of a half-dead sailor in the water. His men pulled him out, and before the sailor died, he told them that his pirate ship was destroyed by another pirate ship. Some time later, James sailed for Portugal, where he encountered Don Rafael at Oporto. While having dinner in a tavern, James told Rafael of his tale, in which Don Rafael would later repeated it to the pirate captains assembled at Shipwreck Cove. After their discussion, James sailed off on further ventures.

It is unknown what ever happened to James.

Personality and Traits
"Did he brag as much as he used to?" "No, and that was strange, too, James was a lot more...subdued. You remember his temper. He’d fly into such rages." "I kept expecting his crew to slit his throat in his sleep and send him to Davy Jones. But they were all too frightened of him."

- Mistress Ching, Don Rafael and Villanueva

James Hook was known as one of the most fearsome pirates during the Age of Piracy. James was known to have bad temper tantrums many times over. Before his hand was cut off, he was known to be a good duelist. After his hand was cut off, however, his skills improved with his iron hook being as useful as a dagger in a fight. At some point before having dinner with Don Rafael in a tavern at Oporto, he developed a fear of children.

Behind the scenes
"When I asked him later on how he was managing without the hand, he said that it wasn't so bad, the hook was as good as a dagger in a fight."

- Don Rafael on James


 * Though this character's full name wasn't revealed in the novel, it was confirmed by the author A.C. Crispin that this man is indeed Captain James Hook, the main antagonist from J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan.
 * Capitaine Chevalle, the Pirate Lord of the Mediterranean Sea, bears a strong resemblance to Captain Hook. One of the early concept arts of Pirate Lords for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End showed a pirate with a hook in place of his left hand.
 * Captain Hook also makes an appearance in Kingdom Hearts II. Although this appearance is non-canonical in both the Pirates of the Caribbean universe and the Peter Pan universe.
 * In the 2007 American animated film Shrek the Third, James Hook was voiced by Ian McShane, who later portrayed Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom
 * Kingdom Hearts II