For other uses, see Spaniard (disambiguation) |
- "You are a fool. You seek in this place what only faith can provide."
"Faith. In faith there is light enough to see, but darkness enough to blind." - ―The Spaniard and Blackbeard
The Spaniard was the mysterious and most trusted agent of King Ferdinand of Spain. Unknown by any name other than "The Spaniard", this enigmatic figure was the one agent that Ferdinand had never known to fail. With dashing good looks, the Spaniard combined hard-won experience with the arrogance of a natural leader. After an old castaway was rushed to the royal palace, holding the logbook of the Santiago, which told of explorer Ponce de Leon's fabled discovery of the long-lost Fountain of Youth, King Ferdinand sent the Spaniard to find the Fountain and destroy it. The Spaniard believed that destiny had placed the task of finding the Fountain of Youth in his hands, and that it would lead him to success. And so he led a loyal crew through a perilous adventure to the Fountain.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Not much is known about the Spaniard's early life, except that he was most likely born in Spain. At some point in his life, he was employed by the Spanish Royal Court. Over the years, he rose through the ranks, eventually becoming King Ferdinand's right-hand man and a personal advisor.[2]
Quest for the Fountain of Youth[]
Discovery of the Santiago's logbook[]
- "The Fountain of Youth. How soon can you sail?"
"With the tide." - ―King Ferdinand and the Spaniard
In 1750, off the coast of Spain, some Spanish fishermen discovered the body of an ancient sailor who sailed with Juan Ponce de León, and with it, the ship's log of the Santiago, Ponce de León's ship. As they showed the body and informed King Ferdinand of their discovery, Ferdinand quickly examined the logbook, which the sailor held. The Spaniard stood right behind Ferdinand as he discovered that the Fountain of Youth was real. In the eyes of the Spanish, the Fountain was the abomination of God's laws. Realizing how great damage such discovery could cause, Ferdinand immediately sent the Spaniard on a dangerous quest for the Fountain of Youth.[3]
Voyage to the Fountain[]
- "Be we on the proper course, Gibbs?"
"Aye, it be proper. There's your proof."
"...The Spaniard." - ―Hector Barbossa and Joshamee Gibbs
The next morning, the Spaniard sailed from Cádiz with three galleons. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the Spaniard's fleet encountered the HMS Providence, a British Royal Navy vessel, whose commander, Captain Hector Barbossa, was also sent to find the Fountain.[3]
Though the Spanish heavily outnumbered and outgunned the British, the Spaniard decided they posed not so big a threat to his mission, and his fleet passed them by without opening fire. Anyway, the British crew prepared for the battle, a battle which never began and cost them precious time before Barbossa realized that the Spaniard's crew weren't going to engage them in combat.[3]
Obtaining the Chalices[]
- "There, that one. That be the leader. Make note of his tent, because that's where..."
- ―Hector Barbossa to Jack Sparrow
Following the directions from Ponce de León's logbook, the Spanish found the island where the Fountain of Youth was located. The Spaniard's men quickly discovered the wreck of Ponce de León's ship, the Santiago, stranded on the edge of the cliff. The Chalices of Cartagena, a key element for the Profane Ritual, were hidden on the ship. The Spanish was able to find the Chalices and quickly retrieved them, leaving the two stones in their chest instead.[3]
With the Chalices in possession, the Spanish made camp at the abandoned Fort San Miguel to examine the Chalices. However, the Chalices were soon stolen from them by Hector Barbossa who allied with Jack Sparrow. Though the Spaniard's men quickly caught the thieves, they managed to escape and temporarily dispatched his men the same night. With the Chalices stolen once again, the Spanish had to find the Fountain of Youth.[3]
Arriving to the Fountain[]
- "Only God can grant eternal life, not this pagan water. Men! Destroy this profane temple!"
- ―The Spaniard
At the Fountain of Youth, a group of pirates led by Blackbeard, battled against the British crew led by Hector Barbossa. From out of the fog, the Spaniard appeared, backed by soldiers carrying tall banners of the Spanish Monarchy. Heavily outnumbering both groups, the Spanish soldiers surrounded them, and the fighting stopped. The British officer Theodore Groves then attempted to proclaim the Fountain in the name of King George II of Great Britain. But the Spaniard simply took a pistol from one of his men and immediately shot Groves dead. After ordering one of his men to make a note about Groves' bravery, the Spaniard forcefully took the Chalices from Angelica.[3]
After proclaiming that only God could give eternal life instead of the Fountain, the Spaniard dropped the Chalices and stomped on them. He then tossed them into a deep pool and ordered his men to destroy the Fountain. His men started to destroy the temple around the Fountain, though two of Blackbeard's zombies, the Quartermaster and Gunner, tried to stop them, killing or wounding several of them in the process.[3]
The Spaniard drew his sword and confronted Blackbeard, calling him a fool for seeking what only faith can provide. Blackbeard debunked that statement, saying that in faith there is enough to see but enough to blind. But Barbossa used the moment of Blackbeard's distraction to fatally wound him with his poisoned sword. The Spaniard turned away from the wounded Blackbeard and watched as the Fountain was destroyed and in ruins.[3] After the Spaniard surveyed his work, by doing the cross, the Spanish departed back to their ships.[4] His further fate is unknown.
- "¡Vámonos!"
- ―The Spaniard to his men after the destruction of the Fountain of Youth
Personality and traits[]
Unknown by any name other than "The Spaniard", this enigmatic figure was the one agent that King Ferdinand had never known to fail. With dashing good looks, the Spaniard combined hard-won experience with the arrogance of a natural leader.[5] The Spaniard was a mysterious man whose skin had been darkened by a lifetime spent sailing the seas. He was very devoted to his beliefs as a Catholic, as shown when he declared that only God alone could grant eternal life, and had shown a high regard for faith. As the most trusted agent of King Ferdinand, the Spaniard had loyalty to his King, which was proven when he accepted to undertake a very dangerous and life-threatening voyage to the Fountain of Youth without question.[3] In fact, The Spaniard retained experience on his eyes.[6]
Though he would stop at nothing to finish his task, the Spaniard still retained some sense of gallantry and decency. He gave no mercy to his enemies, aside from Angelica, politely calling her "Señorita" when asking her for the Chalices (though he gave the order to his men to take the Chalices by force when Angelica didn't give them to him), and the crew of the HMS Providence, as he didn't think destroying the British ship was worth the time to sink during the voyage to the Fountain, causing the Providence crew to lose time. Likewise, after destroying the Fountain of Youth, rather than battling the remaining pirates, the Spaniard and his surviving crew left the place. However, the Spaniard did not hesitate to shoot Theodore Groves for attempting to claim the Fountain in the name of the British King George II. Despite this, he admired Groves' bravery and asked one of his men to make a note of the British officer's noble effort.[3]
The most trusted agent of King Ferdinand, the Spaniard has also shown true bravery while in service to King Ferdinand. Although Blackbeard was known to be a pirate all pirates fear, the Spaniard drew his sword at Blackbeard and even called the latter a fool for believing that the Fountain of Youth could grant eternal life, stating that only faith can do that.[3]
Equipment and skills[]
- "This land is hereby forever claimed in the glorious name of His Majesty, King George—"
[Groves is shot and killed by the Spaniard]
"...Someone make a note of that man's bravery." - ―Theodore Groves and the Spaniard
The Spaniard dressed himself in a fancy clothes usual for the Spanish noblemen of his time. When on the mission, he was rarely seen without his big, round, dark hat which was decorated with gold ostrich feathers. He always carried a rapier, with a traditionally elegant fleur-patterned cup hilt, which he was very skillful in battle with.[5] He was also an experienced shooter, which he proved when he killed Groves with a single shot. Over the years, his skills became legendary.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
- The Spaniard was portrayed by Óscar Jaenada in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The character's real name is never actually mentioned in either the film or Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide; in both sources, he is only referred with the nickname of "The Spaniard".
- Óscar Jaenada's casting was partly because his work in the 2010 film The Losers and due Penélope Cruz' recommendation.[7]
- According to Jaenada, he imagined the character of The Spaniard as "a character with a sense of humor and politically incorrect, who speaks more with the look".[7]
- In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's screenplay drafts for On Stranger Tides, The Spaniard had more lines of dialogue. He either laughs or says "Savages" in response to Hector Barbossa stabbing Blackbeard with his poisoned sword, and "Thy will be done" after the Fountain of Youth is destroyed.[8][9]
- Terry Rossio's original script for Dead Men Tell No Tales featured Marquis Ramon, the right-hand man and the lover of Queen Inez of Spain.[10] Since several main and supporting characters from On Stranger Tides also appeared in Rossio's script, and both Ramon and the Spaniard are right hand men to the monarch of Spain, it's possible Marquis Ramon and The Spaniard were meant to be the same character.
- In the non-canonical LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game, the Spaniard wears a featherless tricorn hat, while in the movie he wears a round hat with a yellow feather. In the game, his special skill is throwing grenades, although he never uses them in the movie. Also, in the game, he found the Fountain of Youth by using the map which King Ferdinand took from Ponce de León's log, because the logbook was stolen by Angelica, and he battles against Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa at Fort San Miguel and uses a pig to destroy the Fountain.
- On July 5, 2023 The Spaniard was added to the video game Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War as one of the tacticians.[11]
Appearances[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (junior novelization) (First appearance)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War
- LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Non-canonical appearance)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (mobile game)
Sources[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (junior novelization)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Estimation based on Óscar Jaenada's age during the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and the fact that OST takes place in 1750.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides junior novelization, pg. 60
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides junior novelization, pg. 105
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide, pg.12-13: "The Spanish"
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides script
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Óscar Jaenada, a punto de ser un ‘pirata del Caribe’ at elPeriódico (Web archive)
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Collated Script a-o 2ND BUFF; October 18, 2010)
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2nd CHERRY REVISION; November 1, 2010)
- ↑ Pirates of the Caribbean DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES Screenplay by Terry Rossio
- ↑ [DevelopersNotes Introducing The Spaniard, and Updated Statue Functionality]