For other uses, see Arabella (disambiguation) |
- "All right. I'll come with ye. But we play by my rules. Hear?"
- ―Arabella Smith to Jack Sparrow.
Arabella Smith, also known as Bell, was a female pirate in the Caribbean during the early 18th century. She was the first crew member recruited by Jack Sparrow at the start of the quest for the Sword of Cortés, in which she sailed with a ragtag crew aboard the Barnacle.
Biography[]
Early life[]
- "Let me guess. Ale, ale, ale and...oh, probably another ale?"
- ―Arabella Smith
Arabella was raised by her father on Tortuga and believed her mother, an infamous pirate named Laura Smith, had died after being dragged out of the tavern by the infamous pirate captain Left-Foot Louis. Her father owned the Faithful Bride tavern, in which Arabella worked as a barmaid during her teenage years. Her father was a drunkard and did not provide a good upbringing for his daughter, though Arabella was known to have an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Pirate Lore, even at a young age.
At around the age of fifteen, Arabella encountered a young Jack Sparrow in the Faithful Bride, where he started a fight with Captain Torrents after stealing a sack from the pirate. Arabella rescued Jack from the ensuing brawl, learning that he was attempting to retrieve his belongings, presuming Torrents' sack to be Jack's own property. The sack was not Sparrow's, though did contain the scabbard of the Sword of Cortés, which Arabella immediately recognized. Sparrow decided to set out to find the sword itself, and Arabella vowed to join him, realizing life in Tortuga held little future for her.[1]
Quest for the Sword of Cortés[]
- "Hello there! Even if this lot here does not want to complete this mission, it's still you and I, lass. You and I who decided to do this. You and I who found the scabbard. You and I who secured the Barnacle and set sail and defeated Torrents. It's you and I who are going to find this blasted sword, and keep it out of the hands of thieves, pirates, and most of all, Davy Jones. And it's you and I who will be free to do whatever we wish with its power."
- ―Jack Sparrow to Arabella
The quest began on Salty Cove, where Arabella and Jack met Fitzwilliam P. Dalton III. Arabella had mixed feelings about the latter, knowing that his handsome exterior belied something of a snob. She has also shown to be equal to Jack Sparrow, standing up to him and earning herself his respect. Arabella had managed to procure a small ship, the Barnacle, in which the three-strong crew set out. They braved a fierce storm conjured by Torrents and reached Isla Esquelética intact. There, they encountered Tumen, Jean Magliore and his sister, Constance. They also discovered the City of the Dead and realized that Left-Foot Louis was in possession of the sword.[1]
The crew also uncovered Stone-Eyed Sam's secret treasure stash. Arabella decided that with her share of the treasure, she would never have to return to her father again, though Jack ensured the crew remained focused on the quest. Before they could leave the island, however, the crew was confronted by Captain Torrents, ultimately defeated and left stranded by Jack. The crew, now with Jack as their true captain, set sail to track down Left-Foot Louis.[1]
When the Barnacle was assaulted by the song of the Sirens, Arabella became affected by it despite Jack's efforts to save her. She attempted to act upon her desire to find her mother, even if that meant following her into her supposed death. Arabella threw herself overboard in her dazed state, content to drown herself if death was the only means to be reunited with her mother. She was rescued from her watery fate by Jack, who struck a deal with the mermaids to spare the ship's crew—though at the cost of his freedom, whenever he truly found it.[16] Arabella and the crew continued on their search for the Sword, now able to navigate with the navigational power of its scabbard.[12]
The Sun-and-Stars amulet[]
- "I thought ye were dead."
"Oh. Well, I wasn't." - ―Arabella Smith and Laura Smith
After finishing the quest for the Sword of Cortés, Arabella sailed with the rest of the Barnacle crew to Tumen's village in Yucatan. While there, they were accused of stealing the Sun-and-stars amulet and bringing bad luck. In order to clear their names, they tracked the thief to New Orleans. Once there, they stole back the amulet, fought Madame Minuit, and picked up a new crew member, Tim Hawk.[17]
On their way back to Tumen's village, they were taken aboard a pirate ship. To Arabella's surprise, the ship was captained by her mother, Laura Smith, whom she believed to be dead. She was hurt that her mother never thought to tell her that she was alive, but put aside her feelings long enough to help fight in a mutiny against her mother.[15]
After putting down the mutiny, Arabella was asked if she would like to sail with her mother or return to the Barnacle. Before she could decide, her mother simply sailed away with her.[15]
Arabella wasn't separated from her friends for long. Jack correctly predicted that Laura Smith would come to New Orleans to get revenge on her mutinous crew. Together, they battled Madame Minuit and her underlings.[13]
Once the battle was won, Arabella announced that she was going to sail with her mother, at least for a while. Arabella eventually reunited with Jack when searching for the Trident of Poseidon. When Jack was reunited with Arabella, he brought along with him a young Bill Turner, whom Arabella displayed significant affection for.[14]
Later life[]
By the time of the Battle of Calypso's maelstrom, Arabella had become a pirate captain herself. The East India Trading Company has been on the hunt for her as well, trying to end her "family business". Sometime after the War Against Piracy, she returned to Tortuga and took over operations of the Faithful Bride. She eventually married a pirate and gave birth to a child which followed in her buccaneering footsteps.[5] Her further fate is unknown.
Personality and traits[]
Arabella Smith was the young barmaid of the Faithful Bride tavern. Being a barmaid in a dangerous tavern had taught her quite a few tactics over the years.[15] Arabella is depicted as having a highly retentive memory, easily recalling collections of random facts about history, current world events, and folklore from all over the globe, as well as being resourceful and having a fairly balanced moral compass. She is described as having tousled auburn hair and brown eyes. Although she talks just like a pirate, her hygiene would make her stand out if she was one. She has a habit of biting her lower lip when scared or worried. She is friends with Jack Sparrow, who refers to her as "lass", "love", and on some occasions "Bell", but according to Arabella only when he wants something from her.[12] Arabella was shown to be the moral compass of the group, especially the captain, and the one who often scolded Jack for his callous and inappropriate behavior. Albeit she was not interested in Fitzwilliam's advances, she was in a relationship with a fellow sailor Billy Turner. It is however unknown if that relationship ended, or it evolved later on.
Equipment and skills[]
- "There was this wonderful first mate, lovely girl. With surprisingly strong ankles. Could haul a rope like no one's business."
- ―Jack Sparrow
Arabella is highly intelligent, knowing more about the history and Pirate Lore than anyone else on the Barnacle. She is also shown to be a capable fighter, probably picked up in her years as a barmaid, and can also use a sword to a certain degree. She also owns a fake gun that she uses for intimidation purposes.
Behind the scenes[]
- Arabella Smith first appeared in the 2006 book Jack Sparrow: The Coming Storm.[1]
- Arabella is the proprietor of the Tortuga Tavern restaurant at the Magic Kingdom park. The backstory has her taking over operations of the Faithful Bride and choosing to rename it. Both Jack Sparrow and Blackbeard have visited the tavern. Arabella herself lives above the tavern, with her coat and hat hanging outside the door.[18]
- In Poseidon's Peak Arabella begins dating Billy Turner. This has led some fans to speculate that Arabella may be the mother of Will Turner. They point to a section from The Secret Files of the East India Trading Company that states that she "wed a pirate, and is mother to a pirate",[5] as well as Jack Sparrow's indication in Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean that he knew Bootstrap's wife well, and that they'd all had quite a few adventures together.[19] However, Will Turner stated in The Curse of the Black Pearl that his mother had died,[20] which clashes with the Secret Files book stating that the Arabella was wanted dead,[5] meaning his mother is either somebody else or the information obtained by the Files is incorrect.
- Arabella Smith was meant to appear in the graphic novel Pirates of the Caribbean: Six Sea Shanties, which was scheduled to be released in 2011.[21] But since the book was cancelled, it is unknown if her appearance is canon or not.
Appearances[]
- Jack Sparrow: The Coming Storm (First appearance)
- Jack Sparrow: The Siren Song
- The Nosy Stranger
- Jack Sparrow: The Pirate Chase
- Jack Sparrow: The Sword of Cortés
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Six Sea Shanties
- Jack Sparrow: The Age of Bronze
- Jack Sparrow: Silver
- Jack Sparrow: City of Gold
- Jack Sparrow: Poseidon's Peak
- Jack Sparrow: Bold New Horizons
- Jack Sparrow: The Tale of Billy Turner and Other Stories
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Jack Sparrow: The Coming Storm
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jack Sparrow: The Coming Storm, p. 18
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Jack Sparrow: The Siren Song, p. 4-5
- ↑ Jack Sparrow: The Age of Bronze, p. 134
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 The Secret Files of the East India Trading Company, p. 8
- ↑ Jack Sparrow: The Coming Storm, p. 37
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Jack Sparrow: Silver, p. 68
- ↑ Jack Sparrow: The Coming Storm, p. 34
- ↑ Jack Sparrow: City of Gold, p. 69
- ↑ Jack Sparrow: The Coming Storm, pp. 49-50
- ↑ Jack Sparrow: City of Gold, pp. 112-113
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Jack Sparrow: The Pirate Chase
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Jack Sparrow: City of Gold
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Jack Sparrow: Bold New Horizons
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Jack Sparrow: Silver
- ↑ Jack Sparrow: The Siren Song
- ↑ Jack Sparrow: The Age of Bronze
- ↑ http://disneyshawn.blogspot.com/2011/08/tortuga-tale.html
- ↑ Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: Six Sea Shanties
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