Ching

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Ching
Biographical information
Gender	Female
Ethnic group	Chinese
Eye color	Black (foggy due to blindness)
Hair color	Black
Born	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	Attack on Mistress Ching's opium den Battle in the Hong Kong square Battle of Calypso's maelstrom
Affiliation	Brethren Court Pirate Confederation of China
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

Mistress Ching was a blind Pirate Lord during the time of Lord Cutler Beckett's attempts to eradicate piracy in the Caribbean. Ching was the lord of the Pacific Ocean, and was known to have traveled five of the Seven Seas. During the War Against Piracy, Ching supported Elizabeth Swann's election as Pirate King, allowing the pirates to defeat Beckett and Davy Jones during the battle of Calypso's maelstrom. Powerful to the end, Mistress Ching was one of the few pirate captains to retire proper, setting herself up in Canton, a wealthy lady.

Biography

Early life

Ching's wanted poster.

"I hate that insipid Mistress Ching!"

―Barbara Huntington

The Pirate Lord of the Pacific Ocean, Mistress Ching commanded an armada of junks that terrorized the Chinese coasts ever since she took control of the Pirate Confederation of China following her husband's death. She was a profiteer of smuggled trade goods between Japan and China, and her pirates were known to victimize their opponents, with beheadings being their preferred form of execution. She also owned a large chain of brothels and whore houses. Ching was also known for traveling five of the Seven Seas.

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.

Meeting 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

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. She resisted the summons sent out by Hector Barbossa to attend the fourth meeting of the Brethren Court at Shipwreck City. Soon after this, she was confronted by Jack Sparrow, in Tortuga collecting crewmen to look for the heart of Davy Jones. He was intent on getting both Pirate Lords to attend the conclave. After chasing Eduardo Villanueva through the streets of Tortuga and engaging him in a duel, he cornered Ching, who was more than willing to duel Sparrow. During the heated duel, Sparrow was able to knock Ching's head against a gong, knocking her out cold and defeating her. Once she recovered, Ching and Villanueva agreed to join the Brethren and sailed to Shipwreck Island.

War Against Piracy

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 opposed Captain Elizabeth Swann's idea of fighting the armada of the East India Trading Company's Governor, Lord Cutler Beckett, 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 voted Pirate King. 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. Soon after the battle, Mistress Ching returned to China, and retired to Canton, incredibly wealthy.

Personality and traits

Mistress 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. 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.

Equipment and traits

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

―Ching to a foe

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.

Ching's Jolly Roger.

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 Chinese spectacles, 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

• Ching was played by actress Takayo Fischer in At World's End. Fischer reprised the role for the At World's End video game.
• 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 1807-1810 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 cannot be true as At World's End is set around 1729, while Ching Shih was born in 1775.

Appearances

• The Price of Freedom
• 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 (video game) (First appearance)
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)

Sources

• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
• 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 – Esmeralda Prison Dog Fourth Court Pirate Kings Elizabeth Swann Pirate Lords Ammand – Sumbhajee Angria – Hector Barbossa – Chevalle – Ching Sao Feng – Jocard – Jack Sparrow – Elizabeth Swann – Eduardo Villanueva Aides: Askay – Pusasn Keeper of the Code: Edward Teague Others: Prison Dog
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