Blackbeard's Magic
A brujo's voodoo that commands ships and shrinks vessels to bottles.
Blackbeard's magic is a dark and volatile sorcery practiced by the legendary pirate Blackbeard, who uses voodoo as a brujo. He wields a sword that allows him to control ships at sea, and he keeps a collection of captured, miniaturized ships in bottles, including the Black Pearl. His power is tied to a prophesied death by a one-legged man, which drives his quest for the Fountain of Youth.
- Wielder
- Edward Teach (Blackbeard)
- Primary Element
- Voodoo
- First Appearance
- On Stranger Tides (revealed)
- Status
- Unknown following Blackbeard's death
- Nature
- Dark Sorcery
Lore & Background
Blackbeard's magic is rooted in voodoo, which he practices as a brujo. He possesses a sword that grants him the ability to control ships at sea, as demonstrated when he subdues a mutiny aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge. He also keeps a collection of captured ships in bottles, including the Black Pearl, which he miniaturized after attacking the ship and causing Barbossa to believe it sunk. Blackbeard is driven by a prophecy that he will be killed by a one-legged man, leading him to seek the Fountain of Youth. His magic is not bound by a pact with Davy Jones, but is instead a personal, dark sorcery.
In Their Own Story
Aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard faces a mutiny incited by Jack Sparrow. With a single gesture, Blackbeard uses his sword to control the ship, subduing the mutineers effortlessly. Later, he reveals his collection of bottled ships to Jack, including the Black Pearl, which he captured and shrunk. At the Fountain of Youth, Blackbeard is stabbed by Barbossa with a sword poisoned using 'poisonous toads.' Jack tricks Blackbeard into drinking from a chalice without the mermaid's tear, and Blackbeard dies from the poison, fulfilling the prophecy of his death by a one-legged man (Barbossa).
Reader's Guide
Blackbeard's magic is unique to him as a brujo, and no other character in the source is shown to replicate it. His sword is a key tool for controlling ships, and his ability to miniaturize ships in bottles is a distinct power. After his death, Barbossa claims Blackbeard's ship, crew, and sword, but the source does not state whether Barbossa can use the magic. The magic is not described as 'extinct' or tied to Davy Jones in the source.
Did You Know?
- Blackbeard practices voodoo as a brujo, a term used in the film.
- He uses a sword that allows him to control ships at sea, as seen when he subdues a mutiny.
- Blackbeard keeps a collection of captured, miniaturized ships in bottles, including the Black Pearl.
- He is driven by a prophecy that he will be killed by a one-legged man, which comes true when Barbossa stabs him.
- Blackbeard dies after being tricked by Jack Sparrow into drinking from a chalice without the mermaid's tear, while poisoned by Barbossa's sword.
More in Myths & Artifacts
Elsewhere in the Pirates of the Caribbean universe
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