Eduardo Villanueva

Eduardo Villanueva
Biographical information
Gender	Male
Ethnic group	Spanish
Eye color	Brown
Hair color	Black (graying)
Born	1690s
Title(s)	Pirate Lord of the Adriatic Sea Captain
Also known as	Vallenueva Taciturn Spaniard A very reserved Spaniard
Bounty	2,000 guineas for his capture or death
Statistics
Weapon(s) owned	Rapier Pistol
Ship(s) captained or crewed	Centurion
Battles	Day of the Shadow
Affiliation	Brethren Court Spanish Treasure Fleet Spanish government
Behind the scenes
First appearance	At World's End (video game)
Latest appearance	At World's End
Portrayer	Sergio Calderón

"I am a Pirate Lord, and you are nothing!"

―Eduardo Villanueva

Eduardo Villanueva was a Spanish pirate and a privateer of Spain who operated across the Seven Seas during the Age of Piracy. A taciturn Spaniard, Captain Villanueva was a member of the Brethren Court, as Pirate Lord of the Adriatic Sea. His partnering with the Spanish government allowed him a fine retirement of nobility among the European aristocracy.

A very reserved Spaniard, little is known about Eduardo Villanueva's early life and pirate career. Villanueva was a privateer who crossed swords with the Barbary Corsairs and purloined trade from European ships from the Canary Islands. He had traveled to ports across the Seven Seas, such as those in the Philippines and South America. Aboard his powerful flagship, the Centurion, Captain Villanueva's travels and pirating endeavours pitted him against fellow Pirate Lords, the penniless Frenchman Capitaine Chevalle of France and Ammand the Corsair. Chevalle, in particular, notably crossed paths and swords with Villanueva and both shared an animosity as heated as the one between their countries, Spain and France.

With the Brethren Court, Captain Villanueva served as a Pirate Lord of the Adriatic for many years, from the time when the Brethren faced the threat of the rogue pirates and during the quest for the Shadow Gold. Despite being unofficially retired by the Fourth Brethren Court, the reserved and taciturn Spaniard attended the meeting, during which the Pirate Lords argued on whether or not to free the sea goddess Calypso and war was declared between the Brethren's pirate fleet against Lord Cutler Beckett's East India Trading Company Armada. After the release of Calypso, Villanueva and the other Pirate Lords witnessed the titanic battle between the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman, and the retreat of Beckett's Armada.

Biography

Early life and career

Villanueva's wanted poster.

Not much is known of his early life and pirate career, except that Eduardo Villanueva of Spain was a privateer and the Pirate Lord of the Adriatic Sea. He raided ships across the Adriatic, as well as waters near Spanish holdings in Mexico and South America. During his early career, he circumnavigated the World, traveling the Seven Seas to places as far as the Philippines. His travels and pirating endeavours pitted him against fellow Pirate Lords, Ammand the Corsair, and Capitaine Chevalle, all of whom he battled in his powerful flagship, the Centurion. Ammand and the Barbary Corsairs often raided the coasts of the Mediterranean and whenever they ventured into the Adriatic, they would come into conflict with Villanueva's personal privateer fleet, the Spanish Treasure Fleet. Villanueva also developed a heated rivalry with Capitaine Chevalle, and he came to dislike the Frenchman immensely. He was wanted dead or alive by the East India Trading Company for crimes including pilfering gold, instigating and participating in a bar fight, and piracy on the Spanish seas. The bounty was worth 2,000 guineas.

Rogue pirates

"They have been preying off the coast of Spain. And they operate as Borya has described. We have found two burning wrecks, and other ships have simply vanished like this!"

―Eduardo Villanueva, talking about the rogue pirates

At some point in his life, Villanuvea and his crew sailed off the coast of Spain, when they encountered two burning shipwrecks, victims of a band of rogue pirates. A few months later, Villanueva told the tale of his discovery to pirates assembled at Shipwreck Cove. All Pirate Lords at the meeting agreed to take actions against the rogues, to prevent the navies of Europe from declaring war on piracy.

When the young pirate Jack Sparrow accused the Pirate Lord Borya Palachnik of being one of the rogues, Captain Edward Teague called for an official court of inquiry. Villanueva, along with all other Pirate Lords at Shipwreck Cove, was present at the court. He initially opposed the idea of summoning Davy Jones to confirm or deny Borya's guilt, but he agreed after a brief conversation with the fellow countryman Don Rafael.

The Shadow Lord

"Out. The Centurion is leaving now."

―Eduardo Villanueva to his new crewmembers

Several years later, Villanueva made port in Tortuga, where he forced some pirates to join his crew, instead of joining the crew of a young pirate captain, Jack Sparrow. At that time, he also made a deal with the Spanish monarchy to completely take over the Caribbean for Spain. Later, he fought a duel with Jack Sparrow for one of the vials of the Shadow Gold. Although he proved that he was a good swordsman, he was eventually defeated.

Some time later, it was revealed that one of Villanueva's new crewmembers, Henry, was actually the infamous sorcerer Shadow Lord. Villanueva was captured by the Shadow Lord, who commandeered his ship, the Centurion. The Centurion, with the whole crew imprisoned, sailed for Marseilles, where the Shadow Lord abandoned the ship, leaving Villanueva and his men behind.

A few days later, Villanueva and his men were freed by Jack Sparrow and the French Pirate Lord Chevalle. They had to board the Centurion because the Shadow Lord commandeered the Black Pearl. Villanueva told them that Henry was the Shadow Lord.

In the final battle, the Pirate Lords discovered that the Shadow Lord was none other than Henry Morgan, one of the Pirate Lords of the Second Brethren Court and the creator of the Code of the Pirate Brethren. Despite Morgan's supernatural powers and his control over the vast fleet of EITC and Spanish Royal Navy ships, the Pirate Lords were able to defeat him.

Unofficial retirement

Captain Villanueva confronted by Jack Sparrow in Tortuga

"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?"
"Uh...you mean, to kill him?"

―Jack Sparrow, Mistress Ching and Eduardo Villanueva

Around the time of the search for the Dead Man's Chest, Eduardo had retired from the life of piracy, though he retained his Pirate Lord status, and founded a piggery in Tortuga. He also helped his close friend Mistress Ching, who had sailed five of the seven seas, run a brothel. Soon after this, however, they were confronted by Jack Sparrow. Sparrow was intent on getting both Pirate Lords to attend the conclave in Shipwreck City. He confronted Villanueva at his piggery. Villanuva loosed his men on Jack Sparrow, and ran through the streets to warn Mistress Ching. Sparrow defeated Villanueva's men and followed him to Ching's brothel. Outside the brothel's main balcony, Villanueva engaged Sparrow in a duel. Villanueva was outmatched by the young pirate captain, and conceded. After the subsequent defeat of Mistress Ching, Villanueva agreed to join the Brethren and sailed to Shipwreck Island.

The Fourth Brethren Court

Captain Villanueva at the time of his retirement.

"Calypso was our enemy then, she will be our enemy now."
"And it's unlikely her mood's improved."
"I would still agree with Sao Feng. We release Calypso."

―Jocard, Chevalle and Villanueva

Despite initially resisting, Villanueva followed through on the summons issued by Captain Hector Barbossa to attend the Fourth Brethren Court at Shipwreck Cove. During the meeting, Villanueva agreed with Barbossa's proposal to free the sea goddess Calypso in the hope that she will destroy Lord Cutler Beckett and the East India Trading Company, but only after Tai Huang, the first mate of recently-deceased Sao Feng, stated that Sao Feng would have agreed with Barbossa had he been alive. The other Pirate Lords mistrusted Calypso and doubted that she would ever forgive the Brethren, with Chevalle saying that years of captivity will not have improved her mood. Villanueva then drew his pistol to intimidate Chevalle. The Frenchman took great insult from the gesture and punched the taciturn Spaniard in the face, causing him to discharge his pistol, which then instigated a brawl among the two pirates and their crews. The concerned bodyguards of the other Pirate Lords soon joined in and soon the entire hall was filled with the sounds of pistol shots and broken bottles. Barbossa was able to stop the fight and calm the fighting pirates. During the vote for a new Pirate King, Villanueva voted for himself, but was defeated by Elizabeth Swann. Villanueva ultimately abided by the decision of Captain Swann to go to war against Lord Cutler Beckett, Governor of the East India Trading Company.

Villanueva celebrating Cutler Beckett's defeat.

Beckett struck the first blow, and he sent a force of Black Coats to attack the Pirate Lords. Villanueva and Mistress Ching became trapped in the Market Area, but were able to the defeat the Company troops with the assisstance of Jack Sparrow. Villanueva then set sail and joined the ships from the Spanish Treasure Fleet and assembled off the coast of Shipwreck Island. The fleet of the Brethren Court came face to face with the enormous armada of the East India Trading Company. A huge maelstrom formed in between the two fleets and he and his crew witnessed the battle of Calypso's maelstrom. They later celebrated the victory over the Company after the deaths of Davy Jones and Lord Beckett. At some point, Villanueva's partnering with the Spanish government allowed him a fine retirement of nobility among the European aristocracy. His further fate is unknown.

Personality and traits

Villanueva's Jolly Roger.

"That man is a villain and a scoundrel. He has no honor―not even the honor among pirates."

―Diego de Leon

A very reserved and taciturn Spaniard, Captain Eduardo Villanueva was a gruff and proud individual, notorious for instigating bar fights. Villanueva of Spain was a privateer who crossed swords with the Barbary Corsairs and purloined trade from European ships from the Canary Islands. He circumnavigated the World, traveling the Seven Seas to places as far as the Philippines. Captain Villanueva was also a member of the Brethren Court as Pirate Lord of the Adriatic Sea, albeit unofficially retired by the Fourth Brethren Court. His partnering with the Spanish government allowed him a fine retirement of nobility among the European aristocracy.

Villanueva's travels and pirating endeavours pitted him against fellow Pirate Lords, Ammand the Corsair and Capitaine Chevalle of France, all of whom he battled in his powerful flagship, the Centurion. Ammand and the Barbary Corsairs often raided the coasts of the Mediterranean and whenever they ventured into the Adriatic, they would come into conflict with Villanueva's personal privateer fleet, the Spanish Treasure Fleet. Villanueva also developed a heated rivalry with Chevalle, and he came to dislike the Frenchman immensely, having crossed paths and swords, sharing an animosity as heated as the one between their countries, Spain and France. Despite this, Villanueva notably held Gentleman Jocard in high regard, respecting anyone brave enough to confront the slave-turned-pirate. Villanueva was also close friends with Mistress Ching, who he sometimes escorted due to her poor eyesight, and guided her through crowded areas like in Tortuga. However, Villanueva was disdainful of some of the other Pirate Lords, having not considered Jack Sparrow a true Pirate Lord, having once declared "I am a Pirate Lord, and you are nothing!" While some of the Pirate Lords mistrusted the sea goddess Calypso and doubted she would ever forgive the Brethren, notably Chevalle having observed that years of captivity would not have improved her mood, Villanueva would be among the Lords who wanted to free the goddess in the hope that she will destroy Lord Cutler Beckett and his Armada. Along with Chevalle, Villanueva was responsible for the brawl that engulfed the fourth Brethren Court meeting.

Although he served as the Pirate Lord, Villanueva seemed to be more loyal to his country of origin than to his fellow pirate colleagues. On one occasion he made a deal with a Spanish Navy admiral to betray the Brethren Court and destroy all the pirates in the Caribbean, an act which was supposed to lead into the expulsion of the English and the French from the area which would restore the Spanish domination over the New World. Nevertheless, he answered the call of the Fourth Brethren Court and participated in the battle of Calypso's maelstrom.

Equipment and skills

Eduardo Villanueva was a short stout man, wearing a leather coat embossed with floral design. He had greying hair, with several streaks of black in his mustache and beard. He had a black hat with a bright white feather, a necklace, and a brown leather coat with golden embroidery, worn over a faded white shirt. He also wore a large leather strap across his chest and had a belt that held his pistol and sword, as well as dark brown pants and shoes. Villanueva kept many precious rings. He cherished his shiny trinkets and his leather jacket with floral motifs.

Like many Spaniards, Villanuva possessed a cup-hilted rapier. Despite his short stature and hefty bulk, the Spanish pirate was a very accomplished swordsman, nearly as skilled as Jack Sparrow. However, Villanueva was often outshone by his fellow Pirate Lord and friend Mistress Ching. Villanueva did have great strength and often used punches and kicks during duels.

His piece of eight is the neck of a broken bottle with a cork still inside, tied to a string. It was said that the bottle had helped Villanueva win a legendary and life-threatening bar fight.

Like almost all Pirate Lords, Villanueva had a distinctive pirate flag. His flag was black with a skeleton with devil horns, holding an hourglass in one hand and a spear in the other, pointing to a red heart. That flag was previously used most notably by the infamous pirate Blackbeard.

Behind the scenes

• Eduardo Villanueva was portrayed by Sergio Calderón in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Calderón also voiced the character in the video game adaptation.
• The spelling of the character's name varied across the franchise. In the "Calypso's Fury" draft of the At World's End screenplay, "Vallenueva" was written three times, while "Villanueva" was written eight times, though the latter was used in the character's introduction. "Vallenueva" was notably used in the At World's End version of the official website, the character's promotional wanted poster, the subtitles for the film's DVD/Blu-ray and Disney+ release as well as and the "Inside the Brethren Court" special feature. "Captain Vallenueva" is seen in the film's ending credits, while "(Captain) Villanueva" was used in the film's junior novelization and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Complete Visual Guide. The character's full name "Eduardo Villanueva" was first used in the At World's End video game, but only his last name is seen in the character list. Depending on the appearance, the character was either given his full name with "Eduardo" like in Legends of the Brethren Court: Day of the Shadow, or is simply named "Villanueva" like in the 2010 version of the official website or the 2011 novel The Price of Freedom.
• Villanueva's name translates literally into "New Town" in Spanish.
• The flag hoisted by Villanueva's crew is the same flag that's commonly attributed to the real-world pirates Edward "Blackbeard" Teach and Edward Low.
• It is possible that Eduardo Villanueva is named after the historical Spanish Royal Navy Admiral Don Miguel Augustin de Villanueva, who was killed in battle with the British Royal Navy in 1711, while leading the Spanish Treasure Fleet from Portobelo to Spain.

Appearances

• The Price of Freedom
• Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Wild Waters
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Day of the Shadow
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (First identified as Vallenueva)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (junior novelization) (First appearance) (First identified as Villanueva)
  • 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) (First identified as Eduardo Villanueva)
• The Return of Jack Sparrow (In flashback(s))
• 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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