Syrena

Syrena is a character from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Was a mysterious mermaid that resided in Whitecap Bay. This beautiful, alluring, and enigmatic mermaid swims against the tide of her more lethally-minded sisters of the sea.

Mystery surrounds this mermaid, even down to her true name, for "Syrena" was what she's called by missionary Philip Swift during her captivity by Blackbeard. Fate had brought Philip and Syrena together, but their connection goes much deeper. After her fellow mermaids led an attack on Blackbeard's crew, Syrena and Philip began to recognize a quality in each other, drawing them together and allowing them to become allies. Each discover more of their true beings, but risk their lives when they listen to the sounds of their hearts.

She is portrayed by Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey.

Personality
Syrena possessed a unique personality for a mermaid. Instead of being vicious and manipulative like the rest of her kind, she was reserved and compassionate. Other than being hostile when the pirates captured her at Whitecap Bay, Syrena displayed no traits of vicious behavior and does not attempt to kill any human, or even show the slightest desire to. It is unknown if she ever displayed behaviour like her sister mermaids in the past and it changed because of what she sensed in Philip, or if she was different all along from the other mermaids and never was vicious. She has all the skills of a mermaid, but uses them to save Phillip's life when a lighthouse exploded and debris nearly fell on him, instead of drowning him. She fell in love with Phillip, who saved her life, making her the only known mermaid ever to fall in love with a human.

History
Not much is known about Syrena's early life in Whitecap Bay. Syrena wasn't a typical mermaid; while the other mermaids are quite dangerous, she was rather timid. During the search for the Fountain of Youth, the crew of the Queen Anne's Revenge arrived at Whitecap Bay to capture a mermaid on Blackbeard's orders, as they needed a mermaid's tear to add to the water from the Fountain of Youth. Syrena was captured after the mermaid attack on Blackbeard's crew, shortly after saving the missionaryPhilip Swift from being crushed by falling debris. Blackbeard and his crew began searching for the Fountain of Youth through a jungle-infested island. As mermaids' tears would not keep for long, she had to be brought along so that a tear could be harvested fresh; she was carried around in a large water tank carried by four members of Blackbeard's crew. Part way through the journey the tank was broken, and Syrena fell to the ground, loosing her aquatic form and assuming a human shape. Not used to walking on two feet, she was a stumbling, vulnerable figure. Philip Swift gave her his shirt and carried her the rest of the way through the jungle after being a little bit resistant "I do not ask for help".

During the journey, Syrena fell deeply in love with Philip, who she thought was different than the other crewmen, being a protector. It was Philip who gave the mermaid her name of "Syrena", in order to make the pirates see her as a person and not a creature. As a man of God, he was the only crewmember who treated her with any dignity or respect.

Shortly after arriving into the Jungle Pools, Blackbeard tried to force Syrena to cry by showing the remains of other mermaids, telling her of how they were left to die a slow, painful death. However, Syrena would not yield, prompting Blackbeard and his crew to figure out a way to torture Syrena for the tear. Philip spoke out against Blackbeard, showing his care for Syrena. Realizing that the two fancied each other, Blackbeard threatened to have Philip killed unless Syrena brought forth a tear. As Scrum held a vial to Syrena's eye, Syrena simply stared with only sadness. As a result, Blackbeard tossed a knife to the Quartermaster, who seemingly slit Philip's throat. As Philip's body was dumped in a nearby ravine, Syrena was left at the pools.

Syrena lay tied to the stakes, half immersed in the water, until a miracle happened: Philip returned to Syrena and untied her, setting her free. Amazed in wonder at Philip rescuing her, Syrene let loose a tear of joy. Philip told her she was different from the others, just as Syrena had said about him earlier. Blackbeard's crew suddenly appeared and managed to get a tear from Syrena. Finally having the tear he needed, Blackbeard ordered Syrena to be rebound back in the Jungle Pools, leaving her to die.

After escaping from the Fountain of Youth, Philip went to save her and she was able to escape. She managed to find the two Chalices of Cartagena in the waters of the Fountain and gave them to Jack Sparrow. She told him to not let her tear go to waste. She then went to find the injured Philip and he asked for her forgiveness. Bringing him underwater, Syrena kissed Philip to heal him and give him the ability to breathe underwater. They swam off together through the pools to freedom. Her further fate is unknown.

Trivia

 * Syrena is inspired by Ariel, another mermaid, from The Little Mermaid. Also, Syrena and Ariel shared a couple of similarities, such as falling in love with a human and having their tails turned into legs to walk on land.