Scrum

"No, no, no, you don't understand, mate. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. The original. The only!" "Scrum. And the pleasure's all mine. Now keep moving."

- Jack Sparrow and Scrum

Scrum was a crafty, mandola-playing Machiavellian pirate. Hardly the sharpest sword in the scabbard, Scrum made up for his life with a natural-born talent for music, and duplicity.

Known for his cheery spirits and slow wits, Scrum joined the crew of the Queen Anne's Revenge, where he would serve under the infamous pirate Blackbeard. During the quest for the Fountain of Youth, Scrum was torn between his duty to Angelica and his admiration for Jack Sparrow. Although he was a scurvy soul, Scrum betrayed a weakness for those scintillating sirens of the sea, the mermaids. Scrum would continue living a pirate's life aboard the Revenge.

Early life
Not much is known about Scrum's past, but it is known that he was born in London. At some point in his life, Scrum learned how to play the mandola. For his playing, his mother said that it brought a tear to her eye, and Scrum later attempted to seduce a Berber princess with his musical talent. However, she was already betrothed to another Berber man, and Scrum fled.

Piracy
At some point in his pirate career, Scrum would have sailed with a beautiful female pirate named Angelica, but with no knowledge that her father was the infamous pirate Blackbeard. Scrum was a notable pub regular in the Captain's Daughter, a pub located in London, where he'd tell tales that stir hearts up to bravery that they may well regret. He was mostly known to provide entertainment while playing the mandola to the patrons.

Jack Sparrow
"I hear you be recruiting a crew." "Aye. That is, Jack Sparrow be puttin' together a modest venture."

- Jack Sparrow and Scrum



In the mid-18th century, Scrum would have met with Angelica in London. Because of their previous time together, he would assist her in recruiting a number of sailors and pirates at the Captain's Daughter, promising them a modest venture sailing under Jack Sparrow. However, while wooing wenches in the tavern by playing My Jolly Sailor Bold with his mandola, the real Jack Sparrow appeared questioning of his recruiting a crew. Thinking he was an imposter, Scrum made fun of Jack after the latter asked "Do you have any idea who I am, mate?", saying that he forgot his own name, in which the crew laughed at Jack.

Soon afterwards, the Royal Guards arrived to the Captain's Daughter and alerted their presence to Angelica, who was confronted by Jack. Scrum attempted to barricade the door to avoid dealing with the Guards, but ran right before they bursted in. As Jack and Angelica fought the guards, Scrum escaped the building. He would later meet with Angelica, who was able to get Jack unconscious, and made their way to Angelica's ship.

Aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge
"Show a leg, sailor!" "Aye, sir! What?"

- Scrum and Jack Sparrow



About five days into the voyage, Scrum woke Jack Sparrow up to work aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, which brought surprised Jack in realizing he was aboard the ship of Blackbeard. While doing their duties, mopping and scrubbing the deck, Scrum befriended Jack aboard while showing him the ropes around the Revenge. He told Jack of Blackbeard's zombie officers as well as Philip Swift's imprisonment aboard. Scrum later met with Jack and some of the other crewmen, who were not satisfied with sailing under Angelica and her zombie crew, and took part in Jack's mutiny aboard the Revenge. He and the other crewmen were convinced by Jack to mutiny as they were heading for certain death at the Fountain of Youth. "We take the ship, then. Now!" "...Go on, then."

- Scrum and Jack Sparrow



Knowing that they faced certain death unless they took the ship, Scrum told the crew to take the ship, though the crew didn't do so until Jack himself said it. In the fight, Scrum dueled with many of the zombie crewmen. Jack's crew were soon victorious until Blackbeard himself came out of his cabin. Blackbeard, in response to being told that this was a mutiny, hung all of the crewmen, including Scrum, with the rigging of the Queen Anne's Revenge. Scrum and the rest of the crewmen were let down to witness the Cook's punishment.

Whitecap Bay
"I'm in love!"

- Scrum after the mermaid attack



As the search continued, the pirates were led to Whitecap Bay, in search of a mermaid's tear for the Profane Ritual. Scrum was put in one of the various longboats, and the spotlight from the tower was cast on his boat. He, with Philip, Purser, Ezekiel, Cabin Boy, Derrick, and a few other pirates, were ordered to sing by Gunner, in order to lure the mermaids.

As the first mermaid, named Tamara, arrived, she asked if Scrum was the one who was singing. He said yes, and wanted a kiss. The others tried to hold him back, but Scrum insisted he would have a kiss from a proper mermaid. Tamara then started to sing, making other mermaids show up, and then lured Scrum underwater, where he saw her true form. Scrum screamed as Tamara tried to attack, only to be warded off by Ezekiel, who hit her with an oar. The mermaids then attacked. Scrum's boat was destroyed and he was caught in the net by the rest of the crew, mistaken for a mermaid. When they unraveled the net, all they saw was a lovestruck Scrum.

Fight at the Fountain
"Hand it over. The tear. There's a good lad." "I'm more afraid of her than I am of you."

- Jack Sparrow and Scrum



With a mermaid captured, the crew proceeded to the fountain. Once there, Hector Barbossa and his own crew came to kill Blackbeard. As the fight commenced, Angelica had Scrum follow her to the Fountain. With the Chalices, and the tear, Angelica and Scrum had to face Jack, who wanted the items. An interesting switch occured and Scrum was left to continue fighting others.

Serving Barbossa
"I claim Blackbeard's ship and crew and this sword payment for me missing limb."

- Hector Barbossa

When Barbossa fatally wounded Blackbeard, he claimed his sword, ship, and crew for himself. Scrum and the other surviving members of Blackbeard's crew followed him back to the Queen Anne's Revenge. While aboard, Scrum witnessed Barbossa's usage of Blackbeard's sword to make the ship sail at a fast speed to Tortuga. His further fate is unknown.

Personality and traits
"Boys! There ain't much been given to me in my brief, miserable life, there's the truth of it. But by God, I'll have it said that Scrum had himself a kiss from a proper mermaid!"

- Scrum to his fellow crewmen

Scrum was a crafty pirate known for his cheery spirits, and slow wits. A Machiavellian pirate, Scrum was never loyal to anyone, as he would go anywhere there's a pound note and a job involved. His quirks included having a huge scar around his face near his right eye, which was a slightly glass eye as he only got half an eye. If brains were the true measure of a man, Scrum would be even more diminutive than he already was. Scrum makes up for his dull edge with a natural-born talent for music and duplicity.

During the quest for the Fountain of Youth, Scrum was torn between his duty to Angelica, whom he sailed with before, and his admiration for Jack Sparrow. He seemed to have given up on them once he joined Hector Barbossa, who became the new captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge after killing Blackbeard. A scurvy little soul, Scrum betrayed a weakness for those scintillating sirens of the sea, the mermaids.

Equipment and skills
As a pirate, Scrum had many skills, whether he was a fighter or lover. Given that he owned a sword with half-basket hilt, which protected his hand, Scrum was a fair sword fighter, having survived many fatal encounters. Scrum was also talented in playing stringed instruments, such as the mandola, even though its eight strings were all out of tune. On his neck, Scrum wore a necklace that included a whistle and a lucky shark's tooth. Among other items he had on his person was the spine of a large friend he had to eat, a ring for a prostitute he asked to marry but she had refused, and the jawbone of his dog which had the use of an eating utensil, sewing, a weapon, and digging.

Behind the scenes

 * Scrum was portrayed by Stephen Graham in On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales.
 * Stephen Graham stated that he based his role as the scrappy Scrum in part on English comedian Les Dawson as well as a bit of the Artful Dodger. "My character was originally from the Greenwich area of London," notes Graham, "a true sailor who's been out to sea since he was a kid. I kind of think of Scrum as being like the Artful Dodger of the pirate world, always looking for something to do, always with his hand in something. He's always looking for another way to make more money, or go on another adventure. Scrum is a great, fun character to play, and after playing a few psychos lately, it’s great to be able to let all that go and just really enjoy myself."
 * In earlier interviews, Stephen Graham thought of Scrum as a proper, loveable Cockney rogue. He also said that he was going to play him as a Scouser, but decided against it because he didn't think Americans would be able to understand the accent. He also revealed that Scrum would be the right-hand man of Angelica in On Stranger Tides, but that "he'll go anywhere there's a pound note and a job involved".
 * Originally, as per the On Stranger Tides screenplay, Scrum strums a jaunty tune on his mandola as the Queen Anne's Revenge sailed away under Hector Barbossa at the end of the film. It is unknown why the scene didn't make it into the final cut, or if that moment was even filmed, though Stephen Graham did mention playing the mandola in an interview.
 * In LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, Scrum was knocked out by Angelica and was forced to join the Blackbeard's crew, along with Jack Sparrow. However, as evidenced in the On Stranger Tides film, Scrum was associated with Angelica for some time. Scrum also never wielded a sword in LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean, only using his mandola as a weapon.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
 * LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game