Captain Barbossa

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Captain Barbossa was one of the nine Pirate Lords in At World's End (2007). In On Stranger Tides (2011) he served as a privateer under King George II and the Royal Navy while pursuing revenge against Blackbeard. In Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), he is depicted as a wealthy and powerful pirate leader commanding a large fleet. Since At World's End, he and Jack have let go of their grudge and became allies. Barbossa's name is based on Ottoman admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa. Originally, Rush was second choice for the role behind Robert De Niro, who turned it down as he expected the film to flop like previous pirate films did; he regretted this decision later, and accepted the role of Captain Shakespeare in the movie Stardust. Johnny Depp proposed the character's first name "Hector" on set of the first film, although it is never mentioned in the film, but rather only in the DVD commentary. Writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio originally thought it was fan-made when they saw it on the Internet, and decided to use it nonetheless.

In Their Own Story

Ten years before the events of The Curse of the Black Pearl, Barbossa was first mate aboard the Black Pearl prior to the mutiny against Jack Sparrow, having recruited a crew at Tortuga, notably Pintel and Ragetti. Sparrow told Barbossa and the rest of the crew about the curse, though nobody believed this ghost story. Captain and crew agreed to equal shares of the treasure, but devious first mate Barbossa persuaded Jack that equal shares included knowing the treasure's location. Jack complied, and soon after Barbossa led a mutiny and marooned Jack on an island with nothing but a pistol containing one shot. Barbossa's crew finds the treasure, take every bit of the gold, including Barbossa's monkey Jack, though at that point had no name. Then as they go out partying, carousing, they discover that they were cursed. Barbossa's crew learned how to undo the curse, most likely by going back to read the Aztec writing on the chest, by learning that they needed to put all the gold back. Bootstrap Bill had been feeling guilty because of what they did to Jack and sent one piece of the gold to Will in England, wanting the pirates to never be able to lift the curse. Barbossa got ticked off and strapped Bootstrap Bill to a cannon, and dropped him into the crushing depths of Davy Jones' Locker. However, they find out that all the pirates had to get all the gold back and add their blood to the chest. In The Curse of the Black Pearl, when Elizabeth Swann falls into the sea wearing Will's medallion, it alerts the cursed pirates to its location. Barbossa has Port Royal attacked and Elizabeth captured, who poses as "Elizabeth Turner". Mistaking her for Bootstrap Bill's child, he takes her to the Isla de Muerta to use her blood in a ritual to break the curse, which fails. Will reveals himself as Bootstrap's son and offers Barbossa his blood in exchange for Elizabeth's safety. Barbossa has Elizabeth and Jack marooned on exactly the same uncharted island where he marooned Jack years earlier. Before Barbossa can perform the ritual, Jack Sparrow arrives to the island on board a Royal Navy ship and confronts Barbossa. A fight ensues between Barbossa and Jack. As Will breaks the curse, Barbossa is shot to death by his old captain. In Dead Man's Chest, Captain Barbossa's undead monkey "Jack" appeared aboard the Black Pearl before Jack Sparrow gave the monkey to the voodoo mystic Tia Dalma as payment.

Reader's Guide

The history of Hector Barbossa is inextricably linked to the supernatural rules governing the Caribbean seas. His initial rise to infamy stems from the curse placed upon the Aztec gold, a magical binding that turns any pirate who steals a coin into an undead skeleton until every stolen piece is returned with blood payment. Barbossa's survival through multiple deaths highlights a unique loophole in the world's magic. While he was killed by Jack Sparrow, his soul remained tethered to the physical plane due to his prior involvement with the curse and later his role as a Pirate Lord. This allowed him to be resurrected, proving that the line between life and death is often blurred for those who command the seas. His leadership within the Brethren Court demonstrates the political structure of piracy. As one of the nine Pirate Lords, he holds significant sway over the balance of power against external threats like the East India Trading Company. His actions show that while greed drives many pirates, true mastery comes from understanding and manipulating the ancient codes that bind them all.

Did You Know?

• Johnny Depp proposed the character's first name 'Hector' on set of the first film, although it is never mentioned in the film, but rather only in the DVD commentary.
• Writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio originally thought 'Hector' was fan-made when they saw it on the Internet, and decided to use it nonetheless.
• Barbossa's name is based on Ottoman admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa.
• Originally, Geoffrey Rush was second choice for the role behind Robert De Niro, who turned it down as he expected the film to flop like previous pirate films did.
• In Dead Man's Chest, Barbossa's undead monkey 'Jack' appeared aboard the Black Pearl before Jack Sparrow gave the monkey to the voodoo mystic Tia Dalma as payment.