Sao Feng

"Can I be blamed for my efforts? All men are drawn to the sea. Perilous though it may be."

- Sao Feng

Sao Feng was a Chinese pirate and the Captain of the junk ship Empress, crewed by demonic Chinese pirates under Feng's command. He was based in Singapore, and presumably connected to the Asian elements of the East India Trading Company.

NOTE that the following information is based on an early version of the final screenplay for Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End, and is thus subject to change up until the release of the finished film.

Deal with a Demon
"Often men offer desire as an excuse for their crimes." "I offer simply my desire."

- Elizabeth Swann and Sao Feng

Sao Feng resided in a modest temple in Singapore, from which he commanded his junk fleet and the pirate soldiers that crewed his ships. As well as this, Feng had a knowledge of the more mystical elements of the world, and knew well the tales of Davy Jones and his Dead Man's Chest. Further, he also believed that Jones' former lover, Calypso, whom caused the dread Captain to rip out his own heart, was more than just a myth. His interest in such legends was perhaps in part thanks to his association with a mysterious woman known as the Dragon Lady, a powerful being to whom Feng acted as translator on occasion.

Seeking charts to navigate the waters at World's End, it was to Sao Feng that Captain Hector Barbossa and his crew turned during their attempt to rescue Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker. They arrived at his temple with a prisoner, said to be Lang Si, the man who killed the Dragon Lady's brother. However, it transpired that this was all but a ruse, and the prisoner was in fact Will Turner. A fight broke out between the forces of Barbossa and Feng, though the former was able to escape with his crew aboard the Hai Peng. Although the plan seemed to have failed, another ruse had already been set up; this time between Feng and Will Turner himself, who wished to lay claim to the Black Pearl, currently residing in Purgatory with its fallen Captain. Feng handed over the charts as per their agreement, allowing Turner and his companions to escape the harbor.

The Claiming of Calypso
"Let me weigh the choice. The sweet satisfaction of revenge or a maiden as beautiful, as untamed as the sea itself?"

- Sao Feng on Elizabeth Swann

Although the crew escaped, Sao Feng's part in the deal was not over. Once Jack had been returned to the world of the living, the crew made for a black sand beach that had become the resting place of the Kraken. There, Captain Feng's pirates, aboard the Empress, caught up with the Black Pearl and held its crew captive. Feng himself met with Will Turner, and asked the boy to hand over Jack Sparrow in exchange for the capture of the Pearl. However, Jack, true to form, was able to turn the situation to his advantage, making a series of bargains of his own to spare himself, though at the cost of Elizabeth's freedom. Feng accepted, having become attracted to the girl, comparing her to the wild yet beautiful ocean. Jack asked for her to be delivered back to him at Shipwreck Cove, to which Feng agreed&mdash;he would be finished with her by then.

Onboard the Empress, Sao Feng dressed Elizabeth in a stunning silk outfit and allowed her to reside in his harem within his cabin. Here, he admitted that upon first sight, he believed Elizabeth might be Calypso herself, and her actions since then only made him certain. However, Elizabeth did not agree, and refuted his advances. Infatuated now, Feng leaned in for a kiss, but was pushed backwards by the girl. It was in that moment of chaos that the Empress fell under attack from the Flying Dutchman, flagship of Davy Jones, under the command of Admiral James Norrington. And it was at that moment that a canonball ripped through the hull of the Empress, catching Sao Feng full on and throwing his bloodied body to the floor.

Elizabeth found his prone body in time to catch his dying words, and to recieve the pendant that designated the Captain of the Empress. With his last breath, Sao Feng asked if Elizabeth truly was Calypso in human form, to which she replied, after much thought, with an emphatic "no". The hope in his eyes replaced by blank disappointment, Sao Feng died. Elizabeth, now in possession of his pendant, would go on to command the Empress during the battle with Davy Jones' pirates.

Behind the scenes

 * Sao Feng is portrayed by Chow Yun-Fat.
 * The character was based on the legendary Chinese pirate Cheung Po Tsai.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End