Davy Jones

This article is about the captain of the Flying Dutchman.. You may be looking for the soundtrack theme, "Davy Jones"..

Davy Jones
Biographical information
Gender	Male
Eye color	Blue
Hair color	Blond (formerly)
Title(s)	Captain
Statistics
Weapon(s) owned	Rapier James Norrington's sword
Ship(s) captained or crewed	Flying Dutchman
Affiliation	East India Trading Company Cutler Beckett's armada
Behind the scenes
First appearance	Dead Man's Chest
Last appearance	At World's End
Cause	Killed by William Turner
Portrayer	Bill Nighy

"Do you fear death? Do you fear that dark abyss? All your deeds laid bare? All your sins punished? I can offer you…an escape."

―Davy Jones

Davy Jones (born David Jones) was a Scottish sailor, and the supernatural ruler of the Seven Seas as the captain of the Flying Dutchman. He was forsaken and betrayed by his love, the sea goddess Calypso, after devoting himself to his duty of ferrying souls into the afterlife. He allied himself with the Brethren Court and had Calypso bound into human form. With this betrayal, he cut out his heart and abandoned his duty, becoming the feared ruler of the seas named in legends. His appearance became monstrous, and he sailed the seas forever, calling upon the Kraken to destroy vessels, and forced their crews into service aboard the Flying Dutchman. His heart was later captured by Lord Cutler Beckett and the East India Trading Company, forcing him to lead Beckett's armada in the war against piracy.

Biography

Early life

"Ye know of…Davy Jones, yes? A man of the sea. A great sailor, until, he ran afoul of that which vex all men…"

―Tia Dalma

File:Davy Jones human.jpg

Davy Jones in human form.

Davy Jones was once a great sailor, who fell in love with the sea goddess Calypso. Davy agreed to ferry the souls of those lost at sea into the afterlife. To carry out this task, Calypso gave Jones a ship, the Flying Dutchman, which could enter the limbo-like dimension that came to be known as Davy Jones' Locker. Jones devoted himself faithfully to this duty for ten years, awaiting the one day when he could be reunited with his love. However, when he returned to the living world, he did not find Calypso waiting for him. Jones felt he had been tricked into his duty, and could not escape his service. Enraged, Jones allied himself with the Brethren Court, telling them how to bind Calypso in human form, so that they could secure the rule of the seas for themselves. The Brethren imprisoned Calypso in the form of Tia Dalma, a voodoo priestess. Feeling guilty for the fate of his love, Davy cut out his heart, and placed it in the Dead Man's Chest. He kept the key with him at all times, and burying the chest on Isla Cruces.

Davy took over Calypso's control of the sea, and forsook the task he was given. As a result of this, his form became monstrous, his physical appearance merging with various aquatic fauna. He instead devoted himself to sailing the seas forever. Using the Kraken, he sank ships across the world, press-ganging the survivors into his crew aboard the Flying Dutchman. Those who refused to join his crew, or those who he saw as unfit to serve were killed and forced to spend a lifetime in the endless confines of the Locker. Those who joined his crew were bound to serve aboard his ship for one hundred years, but like Jones, their appearance merged with various aquatic fauna, slowly losing their humanity, until they become part of the ship itself. Jones became a tyrant on his ship, and mercilessly pushed his crew to exhaustion, allowing his sadistic officers to deal out vicious punishments for even minor offenses. Eventually crewmembers lost their humanity in soul as well as in body. Jones wreaked havoc on the Seven Seas, and created an aura of fear wherever he sailed, only able to make port or step on land every ten years.

Davy Jones showed interest in the Sword of Cortés, and during Jack Sparrow’s early years forced Captain Torrents to retrieve it for him. Torrents failed, and Jones eventually confronted Jack Sparrow, who had previously given the Sword over to Tia Dalma. With the Sword unavailable, Jones set his sights on a different artifact, and pursued Sparrow in search of Fitzwilliam P. Dalton III's pocket watch. Jones also ruled over the Siren and mermaid kingdom of Isla Sirena, which resided in his Locker.

Davy Jones aboard the Flying Dutchman.

Jack Sparrow's debt

"You have a debt to pay! You've been captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years, that was our agreement!"

―Davy Jones to Jack Sparrow

Many years after the "timekeeper" incident, Jones was approached by Jack Sparrow with a deal. Sparrow asked Jones to raise his ship, the Wicked Wench, from the ocean depths, after it was burned and scuttled on the orders of Lord Cutler Beckett. Jones offered a proposal: in return for raising the Wicked Wench from the ocean floor, Jack would give Jones his soul after being captain for thirteen years, and would then serve onboard the Flying Dutchman for the following century. Jones agreed and raised the ship from the depths of the ocean, and gave it to Jack. Only time would tell if Sparrow would live up to his side of the bargain.

Jack remained captain for only two years before a mutiny lost him his ship, which had been rechristened, the Black Pearl. Having been opposed to the mutiny, William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, cursed with immortality, was strapped to a cannon and cast into the sea by Hector Barbossa. Davy Jones found him on the seabed, and gave him the chance to spare himself one kind of tortured existence for another. Such was his desperation, Turner agreed, and became one of Jones' newest crew members. It was he whom Jones sent to warn Sparrow his debt was to be called in, thirteen years after their deal, and Turner marked the pirate with the Black Spot on Jones' orders. Jones called upon the Kraken and set it after Jack, though continued about his usual business with the destruction of a ship near a isolated shoal. Jones sent his fish-men to collect the surviving crew, so that he could force them to join his crew.

"You are neither dead nor dying, what is your purpose here?"
"Jack Sparrow sent me to settle his debt."
"…What is your purpose here?"
"Jack Sparrow... sent me to settle his debt?"
"Ha, did he now? I'm sorely tempted to accept that offer!"

―Davy Jones and William Turner

While Jones was convincing the survivors to join his crew, he noticed a man among them that was neither dead nor dying, thus not a member of the ill-fated crew. A suspicious Jones asked what his business was, and the man told him that he had come to settle Jack Sparrow's debt. Jones realized that Sparrow was attempting to weasel his way out of his debt, and knew that Sparrow had to be nearby. He spotted the Black Pearl and teleported to it. His men seized Sparrow's small crew, while Jones himself confronted Sparrow. Sparrow tried to explain to Jones that he only been captain of the Pearl for two years, but Jones pointed out that despite this, Sparrow had gone on calling himself Captain Jack Sparrow, even if he did not truly have the Black Pearl under his command. Thus he technically claimed it was under his ownership for thirteen years even if he was nowhere near it for most of that time. Sparrow then pointed out that the man he had sent, William Turner, was his payment, one soul for one ship. Jones became frustrated and told Sparrow that one soul was not equal to another, and when Sparrow asked for the number of souls his own soul was worth, Jones snidely told him he had three days to gather one hundred souls. Jones removed the Black Spot from Sparrow and kept Will as a good-faith payment, and allowed Sparrow to go on his way to collect the remaining ninty-nine souls.

William Turner

"Master Turner, feel free to go ashore…the very next time we make port!"

―Davy Jones to William Turner

While playing his organ one rainy night, Jones heard a loud crash coming from the main deck. When Jones went to investigate, he discovered Bootstrap Bill trying to save the young man he had taken from Sparrow from Jimmy Legs' cat o' nine tails. When Jones probed Bootstrap for his motives, he discovered that William Turner was Bootstrap's son. Making the connection between the names, Jones became highly amused. He then forced Bootstrap to either punish William himself, or suffer Jimmy Legs to do the same. Knowing that Bootstrap would prefer his hand to the sadistic boatswain's, Jones watched with a sinister enjoyment as Bootstrap Bill begrudgingly whipped William five times.

Davy Jones with his crew.

Later that night, William challenged Jones to a game of Liar's dice. William offered to serve aboard the Dutchman for an eternity, in exchange for the key to the Dead Man's Chest. Fearing for the safety of his heart, though refusing to show weakness in front of his crew, Jones agreed. Just as they were about to start, however, Bootstrap Bill joined them, in an attempt to decrease the odds of his son serving onboard the ship forever. Jones accepted this turn of events, and played on. As the game progressed, Jones cornered William in a lie. Before Jones could call him out, however, Bootstrap took a dive for his son. Jones declared him a liar, won the game, and gave William leave to go ashore, but with the added twist that Turner would have to wait nearly a decade to do so.

"The boy's not here, he must have been claimed by the sea."
"I am the sea."

―Maccus and Davy Jones

The next morning, Davy Jones realized that Will had stolen his key, and had escaped with the aid of his father. Beside himself with rage and fear, Jones set the Flying Dutchman hot on Turner's trail. The ship came up on the Edinburgh Trader, a merchant vessel, but Jones knew Will was onboard. He summoned the Kraken and forced Bootstrap Bill to watch as the Edinburgh Trader was destroyed by the Kraken. Turner was not discovered among the dead, however, and Jones knew that William had been sent by Sparrow to steal his key. Realizing that Sparrow intended to use his heart as a bargaining chip to escape his debt, Jones ordered his navigator, Koleniko, to set a course for Isla Cruces.

Capture of the Dead Man's Chest

"The chest is no longer safe: set a course for Isla Cruces. Get me there first, or there'll be the devil to pay!"
"First?"
"Who sent that thieving charlatan on to my ship, who told him of the key?[...]Jack Sparrow."

―Davy Jones and Koleniko

Davy Jones with the Dead Man's Chest.

Upon reaching Isla Cruces, Jones spotted some of Sparrow's crew on the desserted island through his spyglass. Since he himself was unable to set foot on land for nearly a decade, he ordered his First Mate, Maccus, to lead a team to go ashore and seize the chest. He ordered the ship to dive, and the men swam to the island. After a while the crewmen returned with the chest. It was then that Jones set out to find Jack Sparrow to collect his debt personally. The Flying Dutchman rose out of the water and pulled alongside the Black Pearl. Sparrow confronted Jones and taunted him with a jar of dirt. Annoyed with Sparrow's games, he ordered his cannoneers to open fire. The Black Pearl turned completely around avoiding most of the barrage, and the Flying Dutchman turned in hot pursuit. As the Black Pearl sailed farther away, Jones ordered his chief gunner, Ogilvey, to fire the chase guns, though they were only able to deliver minimal damage as the swift and nimble Black Pearl slipped out of range. Jones broke off the pursuit and summoned the Kraken to destroy Sparrow.

"Damn you, Jack…Sparrow!!"

―Davy Jones, upon realizing his heart was missing from the Dead Man's Chest.

Jones watched from afar as the Kraken was repelled several times. At last it came to an end and Sparrow and his ship were dragged down by the Kraken to the Locker. Jones became suspicious of how easy it was to defeat Sparrow, and suspected treachery on his part. With mounting concern, he went to check on his heart and to his amazement and horror, discovered only an empty chest. Jones became enraged and screamed in anguish, instilling fear and pain in his crew. Despite the fact that Sparrow was supposedly dead, Jones felt a summons from his heart. Confused, he set sail for the source of the summons, Port Royal. Upon arriving, he found that the very man who had inadvertantly spawned Sparrow's debt with Jones, Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company, possessed his heart, given to him by a traitorous former member of Jack Sparrow's crew.

Servitude

Davy Jones confronted by Cutler Beckett.

"This is no longer your world, Jones. The immaterial has become…immaterial."

―Cutler Beckett

Lord Beckett used Davy Jones to attack and destroy pirate ships all across the Caribbean. Beckett was distrustful of Davy Jones, however, and he forced Jones to kill the Kraken, by ordering it to beach itself on an island. Davy Jones did not accept servitude lightly, and adopted a bad mood whenever in the presense of Beckett. During his attacks against pirates, Jones obliterated every single vessel he was faced with, destroying ship after ship with ease. However, he was so brutal, that he left absolutely no survivors, and left no piece of wood unbroken. This destructive streak annoyed Beckett, because of his desire for prisoners to interrogate. Jones did not care about Beckett's quest for information, but in retribution, Beckett had the chest taken aboard the Flying Dutchman. Armed guards protected the chest at all times, and were ordered to kill Jones if he did not follow Beckett's orders more closely to the letter. Beckett also stationed aboard the Flying Dutchman, the very man who stole Jones' heart to begin with, James Norrington, now an admiral. Jones was irritated by the heart's presense on his ship, because it constantly reminded him of his servitude.

Jones was ordered to find and capture the ship of a infamous Chinese pirate, the Empress. Jones easily caught up to the ship, and after several cannon shots, his crew boarded the vessel and apprehended the crew. Jones found Elizabeth Swann, who claimed to be the captain of the Empress. Jones was in disbelief that she was the captain of the infamous vessel, but Admiral Norrington recognized her, and he had the crew of the Empress locked in the Flying Dutchman's brig. The Empress was tied to the Flying Dutchman, and towed slowly behind, as Jones set out to rejoin Beckett's armada.

Davy Jones onboard the Dutchman after the death of Admiral Norrington.

"James Norrington, do you fear death?"
"[...]"
"I take that as a no."

―Davy Jones and James Norrington

During the night, the crew of the Empress was set free by Admiral Norrington, who was in turn stabbed by Bootstrap Bill, who had been locked in the brig since helping his son escape the Flying Dutchman. Davy Jones tried to recruit the dying Norrington into his crew, who only stabbed Jones' shoulder, before succumbing to his wounds. Jones admired the sword he had been stabbed with, and kept it for himself.

Jones believed he was finally free from Beckett's control. He ordered his crew to kill the East India Trading Company soldiers stationed on the ship only to find that Beckett's second in command, Mercer, still possessed the key to the chest, and was still guarding the chest with a few other soldiers. Jones bregrudgedly accepted Mercer's control of the ship.

The return of Calypso

"There is an issue far more troubling: I believe you are familiar with the person called Calypso?"
"Hmph, not a person, a heathen god who delights in cursing men with their wildest dreams, and then revealing them to be hollow and naught but ash. The world is well rid of her."
"Not so well actually, the Brethren Court intend to relase her."

―Cutler Beckett, Davy Jones, and William Turner

The Flying Dutchman finally caught up with Beckett's ship, the HMS Endeavour. Fresh troops from the Endeavour refreshed the ones killed by Jones' crew. Jones was once again summoned aboard, much to his mounting annoyance. When he walked in to Beckett's quarters, he was shocked to see William Turner having tea with the mighty enemy of pirates. Will told Jones that he and the surviving crew of the Black Pearl had gone to the Locker, and freed the soul of Jack Sparrow. Jones shock was soon overcome by anger, since it was apparent that Beckett was well aware of the plot. However, Beckett asked Jones of his old love, Calypso. Jones told Beckett that the world was rid of Calypso, but he was rebuked by Turner, who informed him that the Brethren Court intended to release Calypso. Jones told Beckett that they couldn't release Calypso due to a bargain he had with them. Beckett became suspicious of this comment, and asked Jones of his involvement with the Brethren. He confessed that he was the one who revealed to the Court how to bind Calypso, but said that she was untrustworthy and it was the proper thing. Will realized that he loved her and berated him for betraying her. Turner told them that he wanted Jones to set his father free in exchange for the location of Shipwreck Cove, the meeting place of the Brethren. Turner offered Beckett Jack's compass, a mystical item that could lead its user to the thing that they wanted most. Jones told Turner that he would only accept Calypso murdered, and so he told Jones that she was imprisoned in the Black Pearl. With that, Jones set off on the Flying Dutchman to meet Calypso one last time.

"And what of your fate, Davy Jones?"
"My heart will always belong to you."

―Tia Dalma and Davy Jones

Jones reached Shipwreck Cove and confronted Tia Dalma in the Black Pearl's brig. He expressed his hatred of her for her betrayal. Dalma said that she still loved him, but that her untamable nature prevented her from waiting for him. Jones' mood slowly mellowed, and he asked what fate she had planned for the Brethren Court, to which she said they would suffer a cruel fate. Jones offered his heart and his love to her, and agreed to join her later on.

The battle of Calypso's maelstrom

"Hard to port and into the abyss!"

―Davy Jones

Jones fighting onboard the Flying Dutchman.

Jones, Beckett, and Will met with the Brethren Court's emmisarries: Hector Barbossa, Elizabeth Swann, and Jack Sparrow. Barbossa and Elizabeth offered Jack in exchange for Will. Beckett agreed, and Jack was given over to Jones. The pirates would not surrender, however, and battle was enevitable. The fleets of the two sides lined up, and Beckett ordered Jones to attack and give no quarter, and at that moment, a tremendous storm appeared, and Jones realized it was the result of the newly released Calypso. The Black Pearl advanced, as a massive maelstrom formed in between the fleets. Despite the protests of Mercer, Jones steered the ship straight into it. The Black Pearl came in on the opposite side of the swirling vortex. Jones ordered the cannoneers to fire, and for several minutes, the two ships exchanged broadsides. A stray cannonball hit the quarterdeck, and all of the East India Trading Company soldiers near the helm were killed or wounded. Jones had shielded Mercer from the blast, but took advantage of Mercer's moment of weakness, and suffocated him with his tentacles. He then took the key from his body and began to head to his organ room, where he would reclaim the chest, and his freedom.

"You will not forestall my judgement!"

―Davy Jones to William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner

File:JonesJack.jpg

Jones during his duel with Jack Sparrow.

While descending the stairs however, Jones spotted Jack Sparrow, out of the brig, with the chest in hand. Jones tried to seize the chest, but Sparrow climbed a rope on to the top of Dutchman's main mast. Jones was able to teleport to Sparrow's location, and a duel ensued. Jones was able to knock Sparrow off the mast, but he still held onto the chest. The struggle ended with the chest on the deck, the key severed from Jones' tentacles, and Sparrow trapeesing through the rigging. Jones came down and the duel continued, with the interferance of Will Turner, who briefly confronted Jones, but was kicked aside with Jones' massive crab leg. As he closed in for the kill, he was again interrupted by Elizabeth Swann, who Jones also flung aside. He then realized that the two were in love, and amusingly decided to kill Turner to cause Swann pain and anguish. Sparrow revealed to Jones that he had freed Jones' heart from the chest, and threatened to stab it with the shard of his broken sword. Jones perceived this as a bluff, and stabbed Turner anyway, but a grief-stricken Bootstrap Bill viciously attacked Jones like a crazed animal. Just as he finally gained the upper hand in his struggle with Bootstap Bill, Jones felt a horrible and foreboding pain in his chest, and turned to see his heart, pierced by Will Turner with the help of Jack Sparrow. Davy Jones became dizzy and gazed up into the sky, calling out Calypso, and then falling to the darkness of the maelstrom, to his death.

Equipment and traits

The development of the character.

Appearance

"But you have to do the job, Jack. Or you'll end up like Jones"
"I don't have the face for tentacles."

―William Turner and Jack Sparrow

Like the rest of his crew, Davy Jones had, over the course of time spent aboard the Flying Dutchman, taken on the appearance of various aquatic flora and fauna, to the point where he seemed to have lost all humanity. Before he lost his humanity, his appearance was not unlike that of many other sailors. His face was rough and his beard was beaded into several strands.

His head resembled a cephalopod, and a "beard" of forty-six tentacles hung from his mottled, green-skinned face. He would often use these tentacles in place of his upper limbs, such as to hold the key to the Dead Man's Chest or play his pipe organ. During his duel with Jack Sparrow, he lost one of his two larger tentacles. A prominent sac bulged from the back of his head, underneath a barnacle-encrusted hat. A siphon was located on the left side of his face, making up for his lack of a human nose. He had a crustacean-style claw for his left arm, and a long tentacle-like index finger on his right hand. His right leg was that of a crab, resembling a pegleg, and giving Jones an awkward gait.

Talents and Equipment

"Ah, nice sword."

―Davy Jones commenting on his new sword.

Davy Jones was known as a master swordsman, being matched by few others. His strokes were often swift, powerful, and highly varied. It was very difficult to defend against his attacks, and it often took up most of an average-skilled opponent's attention and concentration. His own defense was nearly as keen as his offense, and some opponents took to using unorthodox methods to defeat him. Davy Jones was able to overwhelm some of the best known duelists, such as Jack Sparrow and even the most talented, William Turner, being responsible for the latter's death. Jones was known use his unique attributes during duels, such as his crab-like leg, his many tentacles and on occasion, his crab claw.

Davy Jones playing his organ.

Jones kept a pipe organ aboard the Flying Dutchman, and played it seemingly on a daily basis. Utilizing the tentacles that made up his "beard", Jones would play the organ as if he were three or more people. The song he often played was from a music box, possibly given to him by his lost love. He would use the organ as an outlet for his anger. It was by his organ that he would show a more sensitive and troubled side to his being. (For additional information on this trait, see "Davy Jones Plays His Organ."). Before using the sword of the then deceased James Norrington, Jones kept a barnacle-encrusted broadsword at his side.

Personality

"I cannot be summoned like some mongrel pup!"
"Apparently you can."

―Davy Jones and Cutler Beckett

Jones was known for his sadistic ways, showing no more care for his crew than his foes. Proud, cruel, and hateful, he was a creature of malice. Perhaps a nihilist as a result of Calypso's perceived betrayal, the only thing he seemed to enjoy was to ensure the lives of those around him were as miserable and joyless as his own. Although Jones demanded good faith from others, he was treacherous and felt no obligation to return in kind.

Jones' physical mannerisms were distinctive. He had a strong Scottish accent which was accented by various vocal and facial tics, and had an unctuous and mocking laugh. He would commonly extend vowel sounds and was known to release water through his mouth when in despair or rage.

Behind the scenes

• The legend of Davy Jones' Locker is hundreds of years old (found in works such as Treasure Island) though previously not connected to the legends of the Flying Dutchman.
• Davy Jones comes from the term "Duffy Jonah", used by West Indian slaves. "Duffy" means "ghost" and Jonah refers to the Biblical Jonah.
• As the being assigned to ferry souls into the afterlife, Davy Jones draws parallels with Charon, the ferryman of Hades in Greek mythology. Souls unable to pay Charon were forced to wander the banks of the Acheron for one hundred years, while Jones press-gangs sailors into service for one hundred years.
• Davy Jones shares various characteristics with the undead pirate LeChuck from the Monkey Island series.
• In addition to providing the performance for the CG Davy Jones, Bill Nighy also portrayed Jones as his original human form before he cut out his heart and became cursed. The character was voiced by Robin Atkin Downes in the At World's End video game.

Appearances

• Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow 1: The Coming Storm (Mentioned only)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow 7: City of Gold
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow 8: The Timekeeper
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Mentioned only)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (First appearance)
• The Journey of Will Turner!
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
• Pirates of the Caribbean attraction (2006 revamp)