James Norrington's ceremonial sword

"This is a beautiful sword. I would expect the man who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of his life."

- James Norrington to William Turner

This sword was forged by William Turner for then-Captain James Norrington to mark his promotion to the rank of Commodore at Port Royal.

A commodore's weapon
"The blade is folded steel. That's gold filigree laid into the handle. If I may? Perfectly balanced. The tang is nearly the full width of the blade." "Impressive. Very impressive. Commodore Norrington's going to be very pleased with this."

- Will and Weatherby Swann



The weapon, an engraved small sword, was delivered to Governor Weatherby Swann by Will Turner himself on the day of Norrington's promotion. Swann admitted it was an impressive weapon, but did not realize Will himself had crafted the sword, asking instead for the boy to pass on his compliments to John Brown.

Norrington wielded the sword during the promotion ceremony at Fort Charles, and carried it with him during the attempted escape of Captain Jack Sparrow. Commodore Norrington continued to use it during the later assault against Hector Barbossa's pirates off Isla de Muerta. Onboard the HMS Dauntless, Norrington killed Koehler, running him through with his sword moments before the Aztec curse was lifted.

The weapon had gold filligree laid into the handle. It was said to be perfectly balanced (the weapon is equally heavy in the handle as the blade, making it easier to use).

Icon of redemption
"&mdash;Including the previous owner of this sword, I believe."

- Cutler Beckett -to Weatherby Swann while holding Norrington's sword.

With the death of Barbossa and the subsequent escape of Jack Sparrow, Norrington did not remain with the British Royal Navy for long. He resigned his commission, after being the only known survivor of his crew after a hurricane off of Tripoli destroyed the HMS Dauntless. Norrington left his sword behind at Port Royal, while he ended up a refugee in Tortuga. Sometime later, Lord Cutler Beckett installed himself in Fort Charles and kept the sword in his office, maintaining it in its sheath and case. Norrington would later come into contact with his old weapon again, after retrieving the heart of Davy Jones from Isla Cruces to gain Beckett's favor.

An admiral's weapon
"Something for you there. Your new station deserves an old friend."

- Cutler Beckett to James Norrington



With recieving the heart of Davy Jones, Beckett reinstated Norrington into service for the East India Trading Company. Norrington was promoted to the rank of admiral, and would later be presented with his sword aboard the HMS Endeavour. Admiral Norrington would carry it with him while commanding Davy Jones and his crew aboard the Flying Dutchman, on behalf of the East India Trading Company.

Davy Jones
"...Nice sword."

- Davy Jones upon acquiring and examining the sword.



Norrington had his sword during the Attack on the Empress and when he helped Elizabeth Swann and her crewmen escape the Dutchman. During the escape, William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner caught Norrington in the act and stabbed him after he let them escape on the Empress. After Norrington had been mortally wounded by "Bootstrap Bill", the last thing he did before dying was to reject Davy Jones' offer to join the crew of the Flying Dutchman by thrusting the sword into Jones' shoulder.

Jones removed the sword and it remained aboard the Flying Dutchman in his possession. He had the weapon with him during the parley with the Brethren Court. Later on, during the battle of Calypso's maelstrom, Jones used his new weapon to duel various foes, Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann. He also used it to kill a EITC soldier, who held the weapon during the battle. Ironically, the blade killed the very man who created it, when Jones mortally stabbed Will in the heart near the end of the battle.

It is unknown what happened to the sword after Jones used it to kill Will, but its possible it became Will's sword.

Behind the scenes
"I am in your debt, William. Your faith has borne dividends. A small gesture of thanks&mdash;the blade is known to you, yes?" "Indeed."

- Lord Cutler Beckett and Will Turner


 * The sword's journey throughout the trilogy has been noted by Terry Rossio, who states that "it's worth tracking the sword from the very start of CotBP all the way through to nearly the final scene in AWE". This journey has led some fans to refer to the weapon as the "Sword of Destiny".
 * The use of the sword as a plot device, determining the fates of the various characters who own and use it, is similar to the title weapon in the Western Winchester '73 (1950).
 * In the original screenplay of At World's End, Lord Cutler Beckett gives Will Turner the sword as thanks for leading the armada to Shipwreck Cove.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
 * 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)