Captain Hector Barbossa is a main character in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, first appearing as the main antagonist of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. An intelligent, yet ruthless Pirate Lord, Barbossa once served as first mate to Captain Jack Sparrow aboard the Black Pearl, only to usurp Sparrow’s position as captain and seize control of the brig and its crew. Barbossa was typically accompanied by his foul-tempered pet monkey, Jack—a mocking tribute to the disgraced captain.
After leading the mutiny against Jack, Captain Barbossa and his crew fell under cursed treasure and spent ten years lifting the curse, leading to his death by Sparrow. Resurrected by the mystic Tia Dalma, Barbossa summoned the Brethren Court to battle Lord Cutler Beckett and the legendary sailor Davy Jones. Hector later lost his leg and the Black Pearl. Now serving as a privateer and commanding the HMS Providence, Barbossa claims to owe his allegiance to King George II, but after an uneasy alliance with Jack Sparrow, Barbossa reveals it is revenge on Blackbeard rather than valor that pushes the navy captain toward the Fountain. During the quest for the Trident of Poseidon, Hector Barbossa sacrificed himself to save his daughter, Carina Smyth, from Captain Salazar.
Background[]
A ferocious pirate of the Seven Seas, Hector Barbossa was once first mate and deadly enemy and nemesis of Captain Jack Sparrow, having mutinied and stole his ship the Black Pearl, and occasionally entered uneasy alliances with his rival. Hector Barbossa, a vile pirate who returned from the dead, is the ultimate survivor.
Following the mutiny against Jack Sparrow, Barbossa and his crew fell under a curse. Ten years later, when the curse was finally lifted, Hector gets a bullet shot through the heart and was killed by Jack Sparrow. About a year later, Tia Dalma brought Hector Barbossa back from the dead. Now indebted to the mystic, Barbossa had to repay that debt by gathering the nine Pirate Lords and convince them to release the goddess Calypso. Having survived an attack, Barbossa lost his leg and the Black Pearl. Barbossa soon served as a privateer and commanded the HMS Providence under the Union Jack, claiming to owe his allegiance to King George II. But it is revenge than valor that pushed Barbossa toward the Fountain of Youth, a rendezvous with Jack Sparrow, Blackbeard, and destiny.
Much of Hector Barbossa's life prior to piracy has been revealed by his actor, Geoffrey Rush, in interviews: his mother was Irish and his father continually belittled him. He grew in extreme poverty and went to sea at the age of 13. He had once been an honest sailor but corrupted himself upon realizing that he could gain a lot more quickly if he broke the rules, even stooping to murder. At an unknown point in time during the past, he also became the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea.
Personality[]
Confident and persuasive, Hector Barbossa combines experience with almost reckless daring. Barbossa became a pirate because of his wish to raise his social status and his greed for wealth and power, but not because he wanted to live the adventurous life of a pirate in the way Jack Sparrow did. He considered himself a gentleman of the seas and could act polite if he wished; he possessed a certain eloquence which he frequently used to his advantage. Like some pirates, Barbossa considered the Pirate Code to be "more guidelines than actual rules", but nevertheless he respected the right of parley and preferred interpreting the Code in his own favor instead of breaking it openly.
Barbossa's relationship with Jack Sparrow was complicated. He led the mutiny against Jack, resulting in becoming captain of the Black Pearl, but also helped rescue Jack from Davy Jones' Locker. Jack was also one of the few who called Barbossa by his first name "Hector", implying a good friendship prior to Barbossa's mutiny. Even after all they have been through, Barbossa was secretly an admirer of Jack's incredible escapes.
Sometime after his first mutiny on the Black Pearl, Barbossa kept a capuchin monkey, which he named "Jack" after his old captain Jack Sparrow. He seemed to genuinely care about the monkey, who occasionally accompanied his master everywhere and often sat on his shoulder.
Barbossa’s favorite delicacy was caviar, but he also had a notable appreciation for green apples. He offered an apple to Elizabeth during their dinner aboard the Pearl and he commented that after the curse was lifted, he would eat a whole bushel of apples. This seemed to be one of Barbossa's simple pleasures in life - unable to feel or taste due to the curse - for this reason he always kept a number of apples on the table in his cabin on the Pearl. At the moment of his death, Barbossa was holding an apple because he intended to eat it immediately after lifting the curse. However, Barbossa was able to take a bite of an apple when he revealed himself in Tia Dalma's shack.
He was a master seaman, who had excellent navigational abilities, a strategist who could plan ahead. These abilities not only gave him many advantages in his pirate life but also earned much respect both among his subordinates as well as among his enemies; these skills, combined with his exceptional fighting abilities, were in fact the reason why Barbossa managed to survive a life of piracy for several decades and contributed to his reputation and his high-ranked position during this time.
Barbossa is a skilled swordsman, hinting at a lifetime of experience, and proved capable of holding his own against numerous enemies at once, only exceeded in swordsmanship by Jack. Before challenging the legendary pirate Blackbeard, Barbossa poisoned his sword, saying he wasn't foolish enough to fight Blackbeard without a "venomous advantage". During his duel with Blackbeard, Barbossa also used his crutch as a weapon in battle, wielding it along with his sword against Blackbeard. However, his fighting style was also quite dirty and underhanded.
Physical appearance[]
Barbossa has many scars on his face, the most notable one is under his right eye. Barbossa wears fine clothing befitting a man of his stature and status. He is rarely seen without his big, round, dark hat which is decorated with blue ostrich feathers as a show of vanity. At the point of his becoming a privateer for England, Barbossa abandoned his pirate garb and wore instead a black and gold bicorne along with Naval clothes, including a dark blue jacket with gold trimmings and crimson cuffs. While his clothing changed, Barbossa still wore his hair long and scraggly, along with his signature mustache and beard, unless he wore his powdered wig in the presence of higher-class persons.
Among Hector Barbossa's jewelry, he wears a silver ring that bore the image of a lion's head, which signified Barbossa's status as a leader on his right ring finger.
Prior to becoming a privateer, Barbossa had lost his right shin and foot during Blackbeard's attack on the Black Pearl. After losing his leg, Barbossa sported a peg leg in place of his right shin and foot, which contains a rum supply and a cup. He also used a wooden crutch, which was used both for balance and for combat as shown during his fierce duel with Blackbeard.
Appearances[]
The Curse of the Black Pearl[]
- “Look! The moonlight shows us for what we really are. We are not among the living, and so we cannot die, but neither are we dead. For too long, I've been parched of thirst and unable to quench it. Too long, I've been starving to death and haven't died. I feel nothing. Not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea, nor the warmth of a woman's flesh. You best start believin' in ghost stories Miss Turner; you're in one!”
- ―Hector Barbossa to Elizabeth Swann[src]
While searching out the treasure of Cortés, Barbossa originally sailed as the first mate aboard the Black Pearl under Captain Jack Sparrow. After getting Jack to give the bearings to the treasure, Barbossa mutinied against Jack and marooned him on an island, with only a pistol with a single shot, and left him to die. Barbossa's crew found the treasure at Isla de Muerta, an island that cannot be found except for those who know where it is. Barbossa and his crew found the treasure but ran afoul of a curse placed upon all 882 pieces of gold. The curse has doomed Barbossa and his crew to live forever as the undead, the moonlight eerily transforming them into living skeletons. The curse they carry can be broken only if the plundered treasure is restored in total and a blood debt repaid.
Ten years into Barbossa's quest, his crew still needed their former shipmate Bootstrap Bill Turner's blood and gold piece. In the past, Turner was guilty about the mutiny against Jack and, believing the crew deserved to remain cursed, sent his piece to his child. Barbossa had Bootstrap tied to a cannon and threw him overboard. For years, Barbossa searched for the last coin, until the gold called to the cursed pirates. Lured by the medallion, Barbossa has sailed the Black Pearl to Port Royal and besieged the town that night. While Barbossa waits aboard the Pearl, his crew captures Elizabeth Swann, who invoked the right of parley. She negotiates for the pirates to stop attacking Port Royal in exchange for the medallion and, believing her real name will reveal her importance as a hostage, introduces herself with the surname "Turner". Believing Elizabeth is Bootstrap's daughter (and thus, the means to lifting the pirates' curse), Barbossa agrees to stop the attack, but exploits a loophole in their agreement, keeping "Miss Turner" captive aboard the Black Pearl.
As the Black Pearl sailed en route to Isla de Muerta, Barbossa has dinner with Elizabeth in the captain's cabin. He reveals their pressing need for both her and the medallion, also showing the cursed state of his crew. Arriving to Isla de Muerta, Barbossa performed a ritual where Elizabeth's medallion is anointed with her blood, and dropped the medallion into the chest; but the ritual fails and the curse is still upon Barbossa's crew. Will Turner, aided by a still-living Jack Sparrow (though knocked him out), rescues Elizabeth and escapes with the medallion to the Interceptor, leaving Jack behind in the mercy of Barbossa. Aboard the Black Pearl, Jack barters with Barbossa until the Pearl catches up with the Interceptor, in which Barbossa sent Jack to the brig. A battle commenced between the two ships, which ends with Barbossa's crew sinking the Interceptor and hold the crew as prisoners. Will reveals he is Bootstrap Bill's son and demands that Elizabeth and the crew be freed, or he will shoot himself, foiling Barbossa's plan to lift the curse. Barbossa agrees but applies another loophole, marooning Elizabeth and Jack on the same island Jack had been made "governor" of ten years earlier.
With haste, Barbossa returned to Isla de Muerta, where Will is to be killed for Barbossa's crew to lift their curse. Right before Barbossa is about to kill Will, Jack Sparrow makes a miraculous and unexpected return, to Barbossa's astonishment but nevertheless continues to kill Will. However, Jack reveals to Barbossa that he has led the HMS Dauntless to the island and that the ship's crew was waiting for Barbossa's crew. Jack then convinces Barbossa to delay breaking the curse and let his crew attack the Dauntless via longboats; after all the British are killed, "Commodore" Barbossa can have the Dauntless while leaving Jack with the Black Pearl. Barbossa agrees and surprises Jack when he orders his undead crew to infiltrate the Dauntless from underwater, telling them "Take a walk."
While the pirates battle the British, Barbossa says he thought Jack was a hard man to predict. But Jack reveals his trickery and frees Will, who fights Barbossa's men, while Jack himself fights Barbossa. In their duel, Barbossa stabs Jack, seemingly killed, but Jack reveals that he holds a piece of cursed gold and is now immortal like the other pirates. The two immortals continued to fight until Barbossa attempts to kill Elizabeth, in which Jack fatally shoots Barbossa with the pistol. After Will drops the last two coins, stained with his and Jack's blood, into the chest, the curse is lifted. Human once more, Barbossa bleeds from the bullet wound lodged in his heart. Barbossa says "I feel...cold" before falling to the ground and died. In a post-credits scene, Barbossa's body still laid at Isla de Muerta when his pet monkey, Jack, steals a gold coin from the stone chest, thus cursing itself once again.
Dead Man's Chest[]
About a year after his death, Barbossa is resurrected during the second film, although he does not appear until the final scene. During the scene at Tia Dalma's shack, when "Jack" the Monkey was freed, the monkey ran to the back room, where only two boots are seen, alluding to Barbossa being resurrected. Jack Sparrow also holds Barbossa's feathered hat briefly. After Jack Sparrow was dragged to the depths by the Kraken, Tia Dalma tells his crew that they'll need a captain who knows the waters of the world's end, revealed to be Barbossa, who enters and says "So tell me. What's become of my ship?" He then bites into an apple as his undead pet monkey sat upon his shoulder.
At World's End[]
By this time, Lord Cutler Beckett has control of the Flying Dutchman, and its malevolent, vengeful captain, Davy Jones. To stand together, the Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court are called upon to convene at Shipwreck Cove, their only hope to defeat Beckett, who has now taken over the seas. In a shaky alliance, the newly-resurrected Barbossa leads a desperate quest to gather the Brethren Court because of an accord he made with Tia Dalma, also known as the sea goddess Calypso imprisoned in human form. In exchange for his resurrection, Barbossa had to summon a meeting so that the Brethren can free Calypso and convinced her to come to their aid. But one of the Pirate Lords is missing Captain Jack Sparrow, who is now trapped in Davy Jones' Locker.
To rescue Jack, Barbossa joins forces with Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and the Black Pearl crew, who must first travel to Singapore and confront Chinese pirate Sao Feng to gain navigational charts that will take them off to world's end. During a meeting with Feng, Barbossa reveals that they are planning to retrieve Jack Sparrow, whom Feng holds a grudge over. After the East India Trading Company attacks his bathhouse, Feng is persuaded to give them the charts and a ship, the Hai Peng, although only after making a deal with Will.
With the charts, Barbossa and the crew sail the Hai Peng to World's End, a massive waterfall, and eventually arrived in Davy Jones' Locker. There they find Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl, though he initially believes Barbossa's crew to be hallucinations. After a brief reunion, Jack had no choice but to join in an increasingly shaky alliance with Barbossa, who had the charts that could lead them out and to convene with the Brethren Court. Once aboard the Black Pearl, Barbossa and Jack continually bickered on who is the captain. While searching for an escape route, Barbossa was among the crew who saw the deceased Weatherby Swann, much to Elizabeth's sadness, and learned that whoever stabs Davy Jones' heart will become immortal. Barbossa later saw Jack Sparrow solve the riddles in the charts ("Sunrise sets, flash of green" and "Up is down") that indicates they must capsize the Black Pearl in order to escape the Locker; at sunset, the ship upturns back into the living world.
After returning to the living world, the crew go on an island and stop to restock supplies. Distrustful of one another, both captains go ashore with a landing party, leaving Will temporarily in command. While ashore, Barbossa and Jack find the dead Kraken washed ashore of an island. While looking for fresh water, the Black Pearl is ambushed by Sao Feng. Will Turner made a deal with the Chinese pirates, which was to have "Captain Turner" have the Pearl to free his father, though Feng later betrayed Will. While Jack Sparrow as escorted to Cutler Beckett's flagship, the Endeavor, Barbossa negotiates a deal with Sao Feng, implying that the Brethren has Calypso on their side. Believing Elizabeth is Calypso, Feng demands she be traded to him for the Pearl, which Barbossa approves of. Elizabeth, furious over Will's deception, agrees to go with Feng to protect the crew. The Black Pearl attacks the Endeavour, allowing Jack to miraculously escape, much to Barbossa's jealousy, before sending Will to the brig. Barbossa and Jack now sailed for Shipwreck Cove.
When the Black Pearl reached the coast of Shipwreck Island, Barbossa was conversing with Tia Dalma regarding their bargain. The mystic demonstrated her abilities by briefly turning Barbossa's right hand rotten, cautioning him of his fate should he fail her. Barbossa, in turn, reminded her that she was the one who needed him; she resurrected Barbossa so he could help retrieve Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker and summon a meeting of the Brethren Court since only the nine Pirate Lords had the power to release Calypso from her bones. Barbossa then ordered Pintel and Ragetti to lock Tia Dalma in the brig, ensuring she is unable to escape before the Brethren meeting, while Barbossa himself remained on deck, glancing at his right hand.
Once the Brethren Court met, Barbossa had Ragetti collect all pieces of eight he could get from the Pirate Lords, except for the pieces owned by Elizabeth Swann (who became Lord because of Sao Feng's death) and Jack Sparrow. With Beckett and the Flying Dutchman on their way, Elizabeth said they should fight, but the Pirate Lords thought they can stay hidden as the island was a fortress. Barbossa proposed to release Calypso, but the other lords remain opposed, however, fearing the sea goddess' power and retaliation. The Lords continue to argue over going into hiding and releasing Calypso until Jack agreed with Elizabeth in saying that they must fight. But Barbossa said that only the Pirate King can declare war, and called upon Captain Teague, Keeper of the Code, to confirm this. To Barbossa's annoyance, Jack calls for a vote, the first eight Lords vote for themselves, and Jack breaks the stalemate by voting for Elizabeth. As the pirates prepare for battle, Beckett's armada arrived in which the two sides parleyed. To Barbossa's dismay, Elizabeth agreed to give Jack Sparrow to Davy Jones if Will Turner leaves with her.
Before leaving, Barbossa takes Jack's piece of eight, which he uses along with the other pieces to free Calypso within an incantation. Barbossa pleads for Calypso's help, but her fury creates a giant maelstrom. With Barbossa at the helm, the Black Pearl battle against the Flying Dutchman. Amidst the combat, Will and Elizabeth are married with Barbossa as captain, presiding it. By the end of the battle, a mortally-wounded Will stabs Davy Jones' heart, before Barbossa steers the Pearl out from the maelstrom. Jack and Elizabeth escape the Dutchman before climbing aboard the Pearl. Despite Barbossa's objections, Jack orders the crew to prepare for attack while Beckett has the Endeavour move to attack the Pearl. But the Dutchman resurfaces with Will at the helm, as the new captain of the now-human crew of the Flying Dutchman. Both the Pearl and the Dutchman sail to the Endeavour and fired a full broadside, which ended with Beckett's death.
Because Will Turner is bound aboard the Dutchman, Elizabeth bid Jack, Barbossa, and the crew farewell before Will and Elizabeth have one day together. While docked in Tortuga, Barbossa stole the Black Pearl once again and left a dinghy in its place. While feeding Jack the Monkey, Barbossa was asked to show the "item" he told his crew about in the navigational charts. Barbossa agreed to it and said their next voyage was towards the Fountain of Youth. However, when Barbossa opened the charts, he and the crew only discovered that the middle of the map has been removed. Seeing the hole, Barbossa said "Sparrow" in anger.
On Stranger Tides[]
Several years later, Hector Barbossa became a privateer in King George II's court. Prior to this, Barbossa lost the Black Pearl after an attack by Blackbeard. While meeting the King, Jack Sparrow was offered to guide an expedition to the Fountain of Youth before the Spanish locate it; heading the expedition is Jack's old nemesis, Captain Hector Barbossa, who now wears a peg leg and uses a crutch. When Barbossa had entered the room, he suggests to King George that Jack should be manacled to avoid escape, but the King refused. Upon being asked by Jack of the fate of the Black Pearl, Barbossa revealed that he lost the Pearl, and his leg, saying "I defended her mightily enough, but she be sunk nonetheless." Before Barbossa and King George could continue their business, Jack escaped the palace and the King's guard.
That night, Joshamee Gibbs, who was arrested prior to Jack Sparrow's meeting with King George, found himself being dragged by two guards towards Barbossa, who came to question Gibbs about Jack's whereabouts. Realizing Jack was headed to the Fountain of Youth, Barbossa threatened to hang Gibbs unless if he'd offer anything for the search for the Fountain. Gibbs then pulled out the map Jack had shown him. Barbossa commanded Gibbs to hand the map over, but Gibbs grabbed a lantern and smashed it on the map. As the map was in flames, Gibbs reveals that he memorized every route and destination on the map. As the map smolders, Barbossa could only say, "Welcome back to His Majesty's Navy, Master Gibbs!"
Days later, aboard the HMS Providence, Barbossa had Gibbs brought to provide a heading. Gibbs then pointed at three Spanish galleons sailing towards them. Barbossa, Groves, and Gillette immediately ordered the crew to battle stations; however, the galleons simply passed by without fire. Barbossa deduced that the Fountain of Youth was the prize and they weren't worth the time to sink. Knowing that they fell behind in the race to the Fountain, Barbossa ordered the crew to make more sail. Later, Barbossa ate slices of apple from a fine silver plate before Lieutenant Commander Groves approached to report rumors of their destination. Barbossa revealed that they were sailing to Whitecap Bay, home of mermaids. Though the crew murmured in fear, Barbossa managed to inspire confidence by asking them if they were King's men, and so Barbossa ordered the Providence to set full sail for Whitecap Bay.
Shortly after arriving at Whitecap Bay, Barbossa's landing party witnessed mermaids attacking the other crew members aboard the Providence. Though Barbossa ordered to continue the search for the Fountain on foot, believing the crew aboard the ship to be already doomed. Groves refused to abandon his men but reconsidered after Barbossa pulled a pistol on him. As the Providence sunk beneath the waves, the rest of the crew followed Gibbs on their next heading. Making their way through the jungle, Barbossa started collecting frogs, claiming it's "an old man having a hobby"; though he really needed the frogs to poison his sword with. Looking at his jar of frogs, Barbossa said, "Fortune continues to favor us."
When Jack Sparrow climbs aboard Ponce de León's ship, the Santiago, he finds Barbossa waiting inside and discovers that the Spanish are in possession of the Chalices. The two old rivals and ex-captains of the Black Pearl join forces as they infiltrated the Spanish camp until they were captured and tied to palm trees. It was in their captivity that Barbossa revealed his true agenda: he only wants revenge on Blackbeard for attacking the Black Pearl, which forced Barbossa to sacrifice his own leg to escape. Jack promised that Barbossa would have the chance to defeat Blackbeard, before improvising a dazzling escape.
After Jack led Blackbeard's crew to the Fountain of Youth, Blackbeard is confronted by Barbossa and his crew. Stating the crimes Blackbeard committed, Barbossa pulled out his sword. A battle ensues between the crews as Barbossa and Blackbeard fight, which Barbossa loses his crutch by the end. Before Blackbeard could strike him down, Barbossa said "Take a gander, Edward Teach" before the Spanish arrived. Their leader, the Spaniard ordered his men to destroy the Fountain, believing its power is an abomination against God. While Blackbeard briefly confronting the Spaniard, Barbossa stabs Blackbeard with his poison-laced sword, which Angelica accidentally cuts herself with while removing it from Blackbeard. While Jack tried finding the Chalices, which the Spaniard threw away, Barbossa picked up Blackbeard's sword and it along with the pirate's ship and crew as payment for his leg. As Barbossa left, all members of Blackbeard's human crew followed, while leaving Blackbeard himself to die at the Fountain.
When he came aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, Barbossa had changed into his full pirate regalia. As Barbossa took the ship's helm, the Cabin Boy approached him with the old wide-brimmed black hat, which Barbossa had lost before and now found. Barbossa flips the hat as he places it on top of his head before pulling out his new sword, causing the Queen Anne's Revenge to sail forward in full speed. As the Revenge sailed, Barbossa sheathed his sword and yelled orders to his new crew. Barbossa then reached into his coat and pulled out his Letters of Marque, saying that the Crown served him well, and ripped them up as he told the crew "Make way for Tortuga!" before throwing away the papers. The papers flew through the air as the Queen Anne's Revenge sailed through the waters.
Dead Men Tell No Tales[]
- “Carina Smyth: Who am I to you?
Hector Barbossa: Treasure.” - ―Hector Barbossa saves his daughter[src]
Barbossa returns as captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge and leader of a large fleet in the year after Blackbeard's death.
After discovering his fleet was being attacked, he sought out a witch named Shansa who he once saved from execution. She helped him discover Salazar was really after Jack Sparrow, she gave him Sparrows' compass and warned not to meet Salazar but he ignored her warnings and set out to find the undead.
Barbossa found Salazar's ship and asked to speak but the pirate hunter was about to kill him until Barbossa reveals he is aware Salazar was really after Jack Sparrow. The notorious Captain Armando Salazar went on Barbossa's ship and killed several of Barbossa's crew before forcing him and his survivors on his ship so as to help him kill Sparrow. Barbossa soon learns of a powerful weapon called the Trident of Poseidon, that Salazar intends to use to eliminate all pirates of the ocean.
To that end, Barbossa is forced to team up with Jack again to find the Trident and brought back the Black Pearl free and back to his true dimensions but bound Jack and take the command of the ship, eventually learning of his true parentage to Carina, an astronomer and horologist who was falsely accused for witchcraft. Jack learned after recognizing Carina's last name and recalling a woman who had the same name that had been involved with Barbossa but Barbossa threatens him into silence.
In the end, the trident is destroyed and Barbossa has the crew of the Pearl use the anchor to save Jack's group. His relation to Carina is revealed to her and he tells her she is "treasure" to him after she asks what she is to him. Barbossa noticed Salazar moving to kill his daughter and after securing her safety, he is given a sword by Jack and sacrifices himself to kill Salazar and his remaining men to save Carina and the others. He shares one last look with his daughter before he is washed away in the consuming sea.
Following the deaths of Salazar and his men, Jack, Carina, and the other pirates mourn Barbossa's death; Carina even decides to take her father's surname in honor of his sacrifice.
Video games[]
Kingdom Hearts series[]
Barbossa appears in the world of Port Royal (or the Caribbean in the series' third installment). In Kingdom Hearts II, Pete visited the world at the time the Black Pearl came to plunder and loot Port Royal, extending his hand in aid to Barbossa. The pirates kidnapped Elizabeth Swann, thinking she was the daughter of Bootstrap and gaining the Aztec medallion she possessed. Barbossa reveals their cursed state to Elizabeth, as well as the blood payment, with a child of Bootstraps being a substitute. Upon arrival at Isla de Muerta, Barbossa performs a ritual offering a small amount of Elizabeth's blood to break the curse. However, nothing happens. In his anger, he fails to notice Will Turner taking away Elizabeth. Jack Sparrow is left behind in the cave, and he is taken prisoner aboard the Pearl as it catches up with the Interceptor. After a lengthy battle for the medallion, Sora and the ship's passengers are taken captive. Will Turner comes to the rescue, threatening to commit suicide if his friends are not released. His noble act fails as Pete knocks him out cold and the rest is tied up in the Interceptors cabin, with explosives scattered around the deck.
Back at Isla de Muerta, Barbossa performs the ceremony with Will, but as he is about to spill his blood, Sora, Jack and the others crash the party.
While Sora and gang dealt with the crew, Jack duels Barbossa until Jack is stabbed. However, Barbossa is stunned to find that Jack was under the curse as well; secretly taking an Aztec coin from the chest. Barbossa calls for Pete's help, which is granted in the form of the Illuminator Heartless, who absorbs the moonlight, making Barbossa immune to the Keyblade. Sora and Jack destroy the Illuminator and defeat Barbossa while he lurks in the moonlight. Jack cuts his palm while Barbossa is recovering from his defeat, throwing the bloodied medallion to Will who bleeds on his own medallion. Jack then shoots Barbossa with the same pistol Barbossa marooned him with ten years before. Barbossa laughs until Will drops the two bloodied final coins into the chest, lifting the curse. With that, Barbossa is overcome with the pain of death, saying he feels cold as he collapses.
Barbossa returns in Kingdom Hearts III, with events in the game following At World's End, with Barbossa now allied with Will and Elizabeth as they travel into Davy Jones' Locker to retrieve Jack and the Black Pearl, then returning to the Caribbean to deal with both Davy Jones and Cutler Beckett, supported by Sora, Donald, and Goofy. After Sora is forced to take his own ship provided by Tia Dalma, the Leviathan, back to Port Royal for repairs, he returns to learn that the Brethren Court's attempt to ask for Calypso's help, revealed to have been Tia Dalma in human form, appeared to have been in vain. After Elizabeth, as Pirate King, gives a rousing speech to the crew of the Black Pearl to hoist the colours to show the Brethren Court's armada that they are not afraid of the larger Royal Navy armada fighting under the flag of the East India Trading Company, the Pearl moves to engage the Flying Dutchman as Calypso summons her maelstrom for the ships to do battle in, with Barbossa manning the helm of the Pearl.
After Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jack, and Elizabeth return to the Pearl after leaving a fatally wounded Will on the Dutchman as she goes under in the maelstrom, despite Barbossa's concerns, Jack prepares to see if Beckett will uphold his end of their agreement, only for Beckett to have his flagship, HMS Endeavour, prepare to attack the vulnerable Pearl. However, the Dutchman resurfaces with Will now at the helm as its new captain following Davy Jones' death, as it was Will who stabbed Jones' heart in the Dead Man's Chest with Jack's help, thus making him the new captain, and together with the Pearl, prepares to hit the Endeavour with a double full broadside. Beckett is frozen in disbelief and shock at having been outmaneuvered, and on Jack's order, Barbossa relays the command to open fire, and the Pearl and Dutchman unleash their fury on the Endeavour. Beckett's Royal Marines are forced to abandon ship when they realize Beckett is unable to give orders, and Beckett is left on his flagship as the powder magazines explode, destroying the ship and killing Beckett. With the loss of the Endeavour and Beckett, the Royal Navy/EITC armada is left with little choice but to withdraw in defeat. Barbossa then sees Elizabeth off as she departs to spend her one day with Will before he begins his ten years of duty to ferry souls to the afterlife as the new captain of the Flying Dutchman. He later stands with Gibbs, Donald, Goofy, and the crew as Jack assures Sora that Will and Elizabeth's one day together before he leaves is enough to get accustomed to your friends and your family.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow[]
While facing the gallows, Jack Sparrow recounts his most thrilling adventures, albeit exaggerated and not completely honest, including a complete retelling of The Curse of the Black Pearl. Barbossa's role in the game is similar to the film, save for a few differences; for instance, Barbossa "humbly surrendered" to Jack instead of immediately taking Jack as a prisoner.
Disney Infinity[]
Barbossa is a playable character in the video game series. He is playable in the Pirates of the Caribbean playset and in the Toy Box and is classified as a sidekick. He comes with a sword and a flintlock pistol as his primary weapons.
Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life[]
An undead Barbossa appears in the Captains of the Damned mission of this video-game. Within the Whispering Bayou, he can be heard talking with Calypso on the topic of the Black Pearl shortly after she resurrected him. Later on Isla Tesoro, he leads the Wicked Wench's attack on the island. Plays must traverse Isla Tesoro which is filled with members of his ghostly crew.
Disney Heroes: Battle Mode[]
Hector Barbossa is a playable character. Barbossa is Back-line Damage role hero. Barbossa enters each battle with his cannon which he uses to perform all his attacks. Barbossa's main ability is to study all enemies using his spyglass, this also increases his attack speed by 400%. Barbossa also consumes an apple to heal himself and gain energy. While using his cannon, he shoots several types of cannonballs, he can shot normal one, chained cannonballs, and heated cannonballs, each of the cannonball applies different effect; slow and damage over time.
Barbossa has friendship campaigns with Tia Dalma and Stitch. He also has friendship campaigns with Jack Sparrow, Captain Hook, and Ariel.
Disney Parks[]
Pirates of the Caribbean[]
In a battle between the Wicked Wench and a Castillo del Morro fortress of Isla Tesoro. Captain Barbossa leads the pirate assault, giving orders to his crew as cannonballs screech towards the fort in the ongoing battle. In addition to searching for the island's treasure, he also seems to be searching for Captain Jack Sparrow.
Barbossa was added in the ride replacing the original Pirate Captain on the Wench since 2006 as part of having the classic ride include characters from the movie franchise. He replaced the original captain of the Wench, a character modelled after Blackbeard and who was the inspiration behind Barbossa's character in the first film.
Disneyland[]
In Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean, a mural of Barbossa can be seen in the queue alongside a mural of Jack Sparrow and several historic-pirates. In the attraction itself, Barbossa is dressed in his wardrobe from Curse of the Black Pearl.
Walt Disney World[]
Since 2011, Barbossa has been dressed in his privateer uniform from On Stranger Tides in the Magic Kingdom version of the ride.
Disney Villains After Hours[]
During these limited nighttime festivities, a live performed Barbossa is incorporated into the Pirates of The Caribbean attraction, yelling at guests from a bridge overhead guests in Puerto Dorado.
Disneyland Paris[]
When the Disneyland Paris version of the attraction was updated, Barbossa was placed in the skeleton grottos at the end of the ride instead of replacing the original, pirate captain of the Wicked Wench. Standing aboard the shipwreck with the skeleton helmsman, Barbossa holds a lantern and a sword, with flashes of lightning revealing his cursed skeleton state as he lets out an evil laugh.
A Pirate's Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas[]
In A Pirate's Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas, guests use a pirate map and magic talisman to help them complete five different pirate raids throughout Adventureland. The goal is to help locate different Treasures of the Seven Seas and fight off pirate enemies like the Royal Navy and Captain Barbossa, among others. He is oddly referred to in a letter as Captain J. Barbossa in this attraction while he tries to find the Treasure of the Pacific from a tribe of headhunters.
Fantasmic![]
The characters of Pirates of the Caribbean (mainly Curse of the Black Pearl) were integrated to Disneyland's Fantasmic! in 2017. In this attraction, the Sailing Ship Columbia is outfitted as the Black Pearl (previously having been the Jolly Roger) and it passes by Tom Sawyer Island with Jack fighting Barbossa, his crew and trying to save Elizabeth. Leading into this scene, a projection on the waters show Barbossa turning undead as he did in the first film.
Treasure Cove[]
In the Treasure Cove of Shanghai Disneyland, the Blue Bayou inspired restaurant of Barbossa's Bounty is named for and themed around Captain Barbossa. His likeness and possessions can be found throughout the restaurant.
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party[]
Barbossa appears as a live-performed character in these Halloween festivities, being seen alongside Jack Sparrow for meet 'n' greets. In the Boo to You parade he appears on a float themed around Isla de Muerta as his crew sings a medley of Villains-a-Go-Go, Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me) and A Pirate's Life (Is a Wonderful Life) from Peter Pan.
Printed media[]
The Price of Freedom[]
By his early forties, Barbossa is a pirate captain in the Caribbean. His schooner, the Cobra is attacked and destroyed by the rogue pirates. Barbossa almost drowned but was saved by two of his crew members, Pintel and Ragetti. Months later, Barbossa goes to Shipwreck Cove to inform the Pirate Lords of his disaster. During that meeting, he met Jack Sparrow for the first time. With Jack Sparrow's help, Barbossa discovers that the leader of the rogues is Borya Palachnik, the Russian Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea. After he was captured and sentenced to hang, Borya gave his Piece of Eight to Barbossa, thus making him the next Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea, though Barbossa didn't know the meaning of it at that time.
Legends of the Brethren Court[]
When taking on an army of Shadows, Hector Barbossa was the first mate aboard the Black Pearl, captained by Jack Sparrow. Barbossa sailed with Jack and the always-brooding Billy Turner, as the Pearl was sent by soothsayer Tia Dalma to collect all pieces of powerful Shadow Gold, and prevent the Shadow Lord from destroying the Brethren Court. Sparrow and Barbossa traveled around the world, chased by the East India Trading Company and the Shadow Lord's army, but in the end, they were able to defeat the Shadow Lord and escape from the Company. After the quest, Jack spoke with Barbossa about finding a new crew in Tortuga. With a scheming expression on his face and eyes glittering with sinister plans, Barbossa offered to take care of finding a crew.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Barbossa has quoted the original Pirates of the Caribbean ride on multiple occasions in the film series. It is likely that he has quoted the ride more than any other character in the films.
- In Curse of the Black Pearl, Barbossa quotes the original captain of the Wicked Wench by saying, "Strike your colors, you bloomin' cockroaches!" during the Pearl's battle with the Interceptor.
- In World's End, he first quotes the ride when they are about to go over the waterfall he says, "You may not survive to pass this way again and these be the last friendly words you hear", which is adapted from one of the ghosts of the Ghostly Grotto saying, "Perhaps ye knows too much... ye've seen the cursed treasure, you know where it be hidden. Now proceed at your own risk. These be the last 'friendly' words ye'll hear. Ye may not survive to pass this way again...".
- Later, Barbossa quotes the Talking Skull in the Maelstrom, "It be too late to alter course now mateys!".
- In Stranger Tides, he partly quotes the original pirate-captain of the Wicked Wench by telling to the crew of the Queen Anne's Revenge, "Raise yer colors ya bloomin' cockroaches!" which is adapted by the captain of the Wench saying, "Strike your colours you bloomin' cockroaches!".
- When Barbossa drinks red-wine and it drips down his ribcage it is in reference to a skeleton from the original ride who performed the same action.
- The surname, "Barbossa" is derived from 16th century Adriatic corsair Khizr "Heyreddin Barbarossa" (c. 1466/1478-1546) and his brothers who also participating in piracy. Barbarossa was however Khizr's nickname, instead being a surname as is the case of Barbossa; Barbarossa being Italian for, "Red beard" due to a misconception that Khizr was ginger stemming from his deceased corsair brother Oruç Reis' nickname of Baba Oruç (Ottoman Turkish: Father Oruç) that Italians had misheard as the Italian, "Barbarossa".
- Director Gore Verbinski jokingly said that Rush was his third choice for the role of Barbossa, after the (already deceased) Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers.
- The name "Hector Barbossa" was first revealed in The Curse of the Black Pearl DVD commentary with Johnny Depp, who, as writers, Ted Elliott, and Terry Rossio maintained, came up with the name himself while joking with Geoffrey Rush about Barbossa's name. It was spoken onscreen in At World's End, as Jack Sparrow's first line to Barbossa.
- Barbossa's name in the original script for The Curse of the Black Pearl was, "Blackheart". This name was likely inspired by the moniker of Blackbeard as the captain of the Wicked Wench from the original attraction who Barbossa was modelled after. Elizabeth still refers to Hector as having a, "Black heart" in Curse of the Black Pearl.
- In On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide, it was said that Hector Barbossa became an admiral during the quest for the Fountain of Youth. However, it was confirmed that Barbossa was given the rank of "captain" rather than "admiral" in On Stranger Tides itself.
- Barbossa has many elements which parallel the literary-villain of Long John Silver from Treasure Island. Barbossa's accent is derived from the stereotypical pirate voice popularized by Robert Newton's performance of Silver in Disney's 1950 adaptation of Treasure Island. Barbossa having named his pet after his deposed captain also parallels Silver having named his parrot, "Cap'n Flint" after his late Captain Flint. Barbossa's appearance in On Stranger Tides was inspired by Long John Silver. Blackbeard's fear of Barbossa as, "The one legged man" is also in reference to the book where Long John is ominously referred to by that moniker to Jim by Billy Bones.
- In the video-game Kinect: Disneyland Adventures, Blackbeard appears as the captain of the Wicked Wench but his appearance was very clearly modelled after Barbossa, sharing his wardrobe and rough likeness. Considering how Davy Jones and Jack Sparrow were both featured in concept-art for this game but not featured in the final-product, it is likely that Barbossa was originally intended to be in the game but was removed due to copyright purposes.
External links[]
- Hector Barbossa on Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki
- Captain Barbossa on Pirates of the Caribbean Online Wiki
- Hector Barbossa on Kingdom Hearts Wiki
This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki. The list of authors can be seen in the page revision history (view authors). As with Disney Wiki, the text of PotC Wiki is available under the CC-by-SA Free Documentation License. |
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