Captain Salazar

Lore & Background

Salazar was once the greatest pirate hunter who ever roamed the seas as Captain of the Silent Mary for the Spanish Navy. He became an old nemesis of Jack Sparrow after the young pirate tricked him into entering the Devil's Triangle, causing his death and inadvertently cursing his ship and crew as the undead. The curse trapped Salazar and his ghostly crew in the Triangle until Jack traded his compass for a drink, an act that destroyed the Devil's Triangle and freed Salazar to seek revenge. Salazar's crew cannot go on land, a limitation discovered when Jack, Henry, and Carina fled to an island. Salazar pursues the Dying Gull and later battles the Black Pearl until it runs aground on the Trident's island. During the final confrontation, Salazar captures Henry and possesses him to walk on the ocean floor and seize the Trident. After the Trident is destroyed, breaking all curses upon the sea, Salazar's crew is restored to life, but Salazar himself is killed when Barbossa sacrifices himself to save the others.

In Their Own Story

The Silent Mary glided through the Devil's Triangle, its ghostly crew slaughtering the sailors aboard a British Navy ship. Captain Armando Salazar left Henry Turner as the sole survivor so he could deliver a message of revenge to Jack Sparrow. When Jack's compass trade destroyed the Triangle, Salazar and his crew were freed to hunt. Salazar attacked three pirate ships of Barbossa's fleet, and Barbossa later made a deal with Salazar to help find Jack. Salazar pursued the Dying Gull, forcing Jack, Henry, and Carina to flee to an island where they discovered his crew could not go on land. The Silent Mary destroyed a British Navy warship and battled the Pearl until it ran aground on the Trident's island. Salazar captured Henry and possessed him to walk on the ocean floor and seize the Trident. Once Henry was given his body back, Jack distracted Salazar, allowing Henry to destroy the Trident. The destruction broke all curses, restoring Salazar's crew to life, but Salazar pursued the group as they escaped. Barbossa sacrificed himself to kill Salazar, allowing the others to escape.

Reader's Guide

Captain Armando Salazar is the main antagonist of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, portrayed by Javier Bardem. He was once the greatest pirate hunter for the Spanish Navy, commanding the Silent Mary, until a young Jack Sparrow tricked him into the Devil's Triangle, causing his death and cursing him and his crew as undead ghosts. Salazar escaped the Triangle when Jack traded his compass, and he then pursued Jack, Henry, and Carina to find the Trident of Poseidon. Salazar's ghostly crew cannot go on land. He captured Henry and possessed him to seize the Trident, but Henry destroyed it, breaking all curses. Salazar's crew was restored to life, but Salazar was killed when Barbossa sacrificed himself. Bardem described Salazar as having "a rage based on dented pride" from his fall from high-ranking commander to being trapped in hell by Jack. It took three hours a day to apply Bardem's makeup, which he referred to as having "cold chicken breasts" glued to his face.

Did You Know?

• Javier Bardem described Salazar as having 'a rage based on dented pride' from his spectacular fall from high-ranking commander to being betrayed and trapped in hell by Jack.
• It took three hours a day to apply the makeup for Salazar, which Bardem referred to as having 'cold chicken breasts' glued to his face.
• Salazar's ghostly crew cannot go on land, a limitation discovered when Jack, Henry, and Carina fled to an island.
• Salazar was once the greatest pirate hunter who ever roamed the seas as Captain of the Silent Mary for the Spanish Navy.
• Salazar's curse was broken when the Trident was destroyed, restoring his crew to life, but Salazar was killed by Barbossa's sacrifice.