Ching

Ching
Biographical information
Gender	Female
Ethnic group	Chinese
Eye color	Black (foggy due to blindness)
Hair color	Black
Born	c. 1650s
Family	Ching's husband
Title(s)	Pirate Lord of the Pacific Ocean
Also known as	Mistress Ching A blind Chinese woman
Bounty	3,400 guineas for her capture or death
Statistics
Weapon(s) owned	Sword Pistol
Ship(s) captained or crewed	Ching's flagship Ningpo Hanyu Pinyin Kin Tai Fong
Battles	Battle of Hong Kong Day of the Shadow Battle of Calypso's maelstrom
Affiliation	Brethren Court Mistress Ching's fleet
Behind the scenes
First appearance	At World's End (video game)
Latest appearance	At World's End
Portrayer	Takayo Fischer

"Do you love Mistress Ching for her beauty...or her great skill?"

―Mistress Ching

Ching was a ruthless Chinese pirate and a mistress based in China. As the Pirate Lord of the Pacific Ocean, Mistress Ching may or may not be completely without her sense of sight. Her crimes included sacking and pillaging countless villages, cutting off ears for souvenirs, running a brothel and gambling house, and collaborating with secret societies to systematically extort local merchants.

Over the years, as piracy along the China coast had a long and profitable tradition, Mistress Ching made a comfortable living at Shanghai, the maritime capital. As Lord of the Pacific, Mistress Ching had many ships to her armada at her disposal, and ruled with bloody terror up and down the coast of China, controlling the pirate confederation in China since her husband's death. Known to have traveled five of the Seven Seas, Ching became a profiteer of smuggled trade goods between Japan and China. Her men were notoriously known to victimize their opponents, with beheadings being the preferred torture. Powerful to the end, she was one of the few pirate captains to retire proper, setting herself up in Canton, a wealthy lady.

As a member of the Brethren Court, Mistress Ching participated in a court of inquiry and later in the quest for the Shadow Gold. Although she was at odds with Captain Jack Sparrow and the crew of the Black Pearl, Ching participated in the Day of the Shadow with the other Lords of the Brethren Court. During the war against piracy, in which Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company led a ruthless campaign to eradicate piracy with an armada led by the Flying Dutchman, Ching attended the Fourth Brethren Court, a conclave of Pirate Lords at Shipwreck Cove. During the Fourth Court, Captain Hector Barbossa put forward the idea that the Pirate Lords free Calypso, to which Ching scorned Barbossa's fancy speechifying, only for the newly-elected Pirate King Elizabeth Swann to declare war. From the Brethren's fleet, Mistress Ching witnessed the battle between the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman, which saw Beckett's death and the armada fleeing.

Biography

Early life and career

Ching's wanted poster.

"I hate that insipid Mistress Ching!"

―Barbara Huntington

Little is known of Ching's early life, other than that she was a mistress and based in China. As piracy along the China coast had a long and profitable tradition, Mistress Ching made a comfortable living at Shanghai, the maritime capital. Through unknown circumstances, Mistress Ching became the Pirate Lord of the Pacific Ocean, with the supposed blind lady's Piece of Eight being a pair of spectacles.

With an armada of ships at her disposal, Mistress Ching ruled with terror up and down the coast, controlling the pirate confederation in China since the death of her husband. A profiteer of smuggled trade goods between Japan and China, Ching was also known for traveling five of the Seven Seas. She also owned a large chain of brothels and whore houses. Her pirates were known to victimize their opponents, with beheadings being the preferred torture. There was discrepancy, however, as to what was known about Mistress Ching, such as whether or not she was completely without her sense of sight. She was also described as a ruthless Chinese pirate who commanded a massive fleet of pirate junks, though the exact number of ships were unknown; her armada consisted of either hundreds or thousands of ships. Nevertheless, she commanded enough junk ships to spare a few to guard the entrance to her territory, as well as follow their orders to loot any merchant ship that came this way and drive off rival pirates.

Mistress Ching was wanted dead or alive by the East India Trading Company for crimes including sacking and pillaging countless villages, cutting off ears for souvenirs, running a brothel and gambling house, and collaborating with secret societies to systematically extort local merchants. The bounty was worth 3,400 guineas.

Rogue pirates

"Upon reflection, I vote aye."
"Perhaps it is because I have experienced his presence before, as Villanueva has not, or perhaps it is because I cannot see him... But I believe that if one of us has broken the Code, we must know. I vote aye."
"I agree, and also vote aye. We will summon Davy Jones. But to do so, we must reconvene aboard Troubadour. He cannot set foot on dry land, save for once every ten years."

―Eduardo Villanueva, Ching, and Edward Teague

At some point during the golden Age of Piracy, when the rogue pirates began terrorizing merchant ships on the high seas, Ching was present at the informal meeting of Pirate Lords at the Great Chamber in Shipwreck City. All Pirate Lords at the meeting agreed to take actions against the rogues, to prevent the navies of Europe from declaring war on piracy. During the meeting, she introduced the young pirate Jack Sparrow to the Pirate Lord Don Rafael and his granddaughter Esmeralda.

A few days later, when Jack Sparrow accused the Pirate Lord Borya Palachnik of being one of the rogues, Captain Edward Teague called for an official court of inquiry. Ching, along with all other Pirate Lords at Shipwreck Cove, was present at the court. She was among those who agreed with the idea of summoning Davy Jones, the supernatural lord of the underwater realms, who could confirm or deny Borya's guilt.

Meetings with Jack Sparrow

"Jack Sparrow, charming as ever."
"You remember! Then let me charmingly remind you of an appointment: the Conclave of Pirate Lords at Shipwreck City?"
"Eduardo, would you be ever so kind as to rid me of this Pirate Council errand boy?"
"Um...you mean, to kill him?"

―Ching, Jack Sparrow and Eduardo Villanueva

Captain Villanueva and Mistress Ching confronted by Jack Sparrow in Tortuga.

Shortly after Mistress Ching participated in the quest for the Shadow Gold. She was visited by Captain Jack Sparrow and the crew of the Black Pearl, due to having a vial of the Shadow Gold, though she was at odds with Sparrow's crew. Ching later participated in the Day of the Shadow with the other Lords of the Brethren Court.

Around the time of the search for the Dead Man's Chest, Mistress Ching was running a brothel in Tortuga, along with her apparent friend, fellow Pirate Lord Eduardo Villanueva. Chin was confronted by Jack Sparrow, who was in Tortuga collecting crewmen to look for the heart of Davy Jones as well as gathering Pirate Lords to attend the conclave at Shipwreck City. Intent on getting both Pirate Lords to attend the conclave, Sparrow engaged them in a duel, chasing Villanueva through the streets of Tortuga and then cornered Ching, who was more than willing to fight. During the heated duel, Sparrow was able to knock Ching's head against a gong, knocking her out cold and defeating her. Once they recovered, both Ching and Villanueva agreed to join the gathering of Pirate Lords and, though initially resisting the summons sent out by Hector Barbossa, sailed for Shipwreck City to attend the fourth meeting of the Brethren Court.

Fourth Brethren Court

Ching and her guards at the Brethren Court.

"What say you, Captain Swann, king of the Brethren Court?"
"Prepare every vessel that floats. At dawn, we're at war."

―Ching and Elizabeth Swann

During the meeting, Mistress Ching knew better than most how to weigh a man's words, and scorned Captain Barbossa's fancy speechifying. She also opposed the newly-appointed Captain Elizabeth Swann's idea of fighting Lord Cutler Beckett and the East India Trading Company armada, believing the Brethren to be secure within the fortress-like Shipwreck Cove, but decided against this when Jack pointed out they would all kill each other off. But she only supported the idea of fighting completely once Swann was elected as the Pirate King of the Brethren Court through a vote. The East India Trading Company sent a force of Black Coats against the Brethren, and they separated the Pirate Lords from one another and attacked. Mistress Ching and Villanueva were trapped in the Market Area. They fought off the Black Coats and Blue Coats soldiers. With the assistance of Jack Sparrow, they were able to defeat the soldiers and Black Coats, and made it to their ships. She and her crew later witnessed the battle of Calypso's maelstrom, and celebrated with her crew after the deaths of Davy Jones and Lord Beckett. At some point around this time, Mistress Ching became one of the few pirate captains to retire proper, setting herself up in Canton, as a wealthy lady.

Personality and traits

"I do not need sycophants in my fleet."

―Ching

With a dragon motif adorning a silk robe, Mistress Ching was a ruthless Chinese pirate and the Pirate Lord of the Pacific Ocean, with the supposed blind lady's Piece of Eight being a pair of spectacles. As piracy along the China coast has a long and profitable tradition, Ching made a comfortable living in Shanghai, the maritime capital. With an armada of ships at her disposal, a massive fleet of junks, Mistress Ching ruled with terror up and down the coast, controlling the pirate confederation in China since the death of her husband. A profiteer of smuggled trade goods between Japan and China, Ching was also known for traveling five of the Seven Seas. She also owned a large chain of brothels and whore houses. Her pirates were known to victimize their opponents, with beheadings being the preferred torture. Powerful to the end, Mistress Ching set herself up in Canton, as a wealthy lady and one of the few pirate captains to retire proper.

There was discrepancy, however, as to what was known about Mistress Ching, such as whether or not she was completely without her sense of sight. She was also described as a ruthless Chinese pirate who commanded a massive fleet of pirate junks, though the exact number of ships were unknown; her armada consisted of either hundreds or thousands of ships. Nevertheless, she commanded enough junk ships to spare a few to guard the entrance to her territory, as well as follow their orders to loot any merchant ship that came this way and drive off rival pirates.

One of the most dangerous people in the chamber of the Fourth Brethren Court, Ching was an egotistical woman, viewing the lives of her enemies as worthless compared to her own. She considered herself beautiful enough to distract her opponents mid-battle, and often attributed her success to her beauty. During the Fourth Court, Ching attempted to remain logical and confident, considering the fortress of Shipwreck Cove to be strong enough to repel an attack from the East India Trading Company. Ching also knew better than most how to weigh a man's words, and scorned Hector Barbossa's fancy speechifying.

Mistress Ching was an elegant woman, with long black hair tied up into a tight bun and clasped with an elaborate headdress. Her face was covered in makeup, with a powdered white face, blushed cheeks, and reddened lips. She wore a light brown blouse and a crimson-and-gold coat embroided with dragons over a dark green skirt, clasped with a jade broach. She also wore three rings, each enclasping a large jewel.

Equipment and skills

"I will have no problems ending your worthless life!"

―Ching to a foe

Ching's Jolly Roger.

One of the most dangerous people during the Fourth Brethren Court, Mistress Ching possessed a long sword, and proved to be a masterful duelist. During a duel, she overwhelmed her enemies with extremely fast strikes and slashes, varying her attacks constantly. She also possessed a Chinese pistol, which she kept on her belt at all times. Mistress Ching also possessed a unique piece of eight, as did all of the Pirate Lords. It appeared to be an ancient pair of spectacles dangling from a fishing line and hook, which she kept on the inside of her coat. It was destroyed during the freeing of Calypso, along with the other eight pieces of eight. Due to her extremely bad eyesight, Mistress Ching took to carrying a cane with her when traveling abroad, which she used to find her way through crowded areas.

Behind the scenes

• Mistress Ching was first mentioned in the 2007 reference book Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide before making her first appearance in the junior novelization for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Takayo Fischer portrayed Ching in At World's End, and voiced the character in the video game adaptation.
• In the 2007 book The Pirates' Code Guidelines, which had a map featuring pirate flags from all nine Pirate Lords, "Mistress" was misspelled as "Mistres" under Ching's flag.
• While unconfirmed, Ching was likely based on the Chinese pirate Ching Shih who dominated the South China Sea with her fleet in the early 1800s. She was also known as the "Widow Ching" and was active from 1801-1810 and at the height of her career commanded the largest pirate fleet in history. While some fans had supposed that Ching is in reality Ching Shih, this may not be true as At World's End is set around 1729, while Ching Shih was born in 1775.

Appearances

• The Price of Freedom (In flashback(s))
• Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean (Mentioned only)
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Rising in the East
• Legends of the Brethren Court: The Turning Tide (Mentioned only)
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Day of the Shadow
• The Shanghai Tigers
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (junior novelization) (First appearance)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (comic)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: The Movie Storybook
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Penguin Readers)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)

Sources

• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide
• The Pirates' Guidelines

Notes and references

Members of the Brethren Court
First Court Pirate Kings First Pirate King Pirate Lords First Pirate Lord of the Atlantic Ocean Aides: Davy Jones Second Court Pirate Lords Henry Morgan – Bartholomew – Grandmama Third Court Pirate Lords Sao Feng's father Others: Tartaglia Court of Inquiry Pirate Lords Ching – Boris Palachnik – Rafael – Edward Teague – Eduardo Villanueva Aides: Davy Jones Keeper of the Code: Edward Teague Others: Hector Barbossa – Jack Sparrow – Ragetti – Melinda – Esmeralda Prison Dog Fourth Court Pirate Kings Elizabeth Swann Pirate Lords Ammand – Sumbhajee Angria – Hector Barbossa – Chevalle Ching – Jocard – Jack Sparrow – Eduardo Villanueva Aides: Askay – Pusasn – Ragetti – Joshamee Gibbs Keeper of the Code: Edward Teague Others: Sao Feng – Pintel –Prison Dog – Carriers of the Code
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