This is a list of characters appearing in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series.

Main characters

Jack Sparrow 

Jack Sparrow begins the Curse of the Black Pearl as a pirate captain without a ship. He is played by Johnny Depp.

Sparrow had been captain of the Black Pearl before his first mate, Hector Barbossa led a mutiny and took over. Sparrow was left alone on a small island with nothing but a gun, one bullet, and a bottle of rum. The crew thought he would either die of thirst or shoot himself. When they returned expecting to find him dead, Sparrow was gone. No one knew how he did it and many amazing stories grew around their former captain. In reality, the island was used by smugglers to hide their illegal rum. When the smugglers returned, Sparrow left the island on their ship.

Sparrow assembles a crew to help him reclaim the Black Pearl. After the curse is lifted from the crew of the Black Pearl, he kills Barbossa with the same gun he was left with on the island. He becomes captain of the Black Pearl again.

Elizabeth Swann 

Elizabeth Swann is the daughter of Weatherby Swann, Governor of Port Royal. She is played by Keira Knightley.

Elizabeth loves Will Turner but accepts James Norrington's marriage proposal to save Turner. The marriage is called off after Will is rescued. She marries Will Turner and they have a son, Henry. After Elizabeth gives birth, William is forced to go to sea for ten years. He is reunited with his family in At World's End, but only for one day due to a curse.

This curse is broken when Poseidon's Trident is destroyed at the end of Dead Men Tell No Tales allowing Will to reunite with Elizabeth and their son Henry.

Hector Barbossa 

Captain Hector Barbossa is an evil and murderous pirate and arch-rival of Jack Sparrow. He is played by Geoffrey Rush.

Barbossa was Jack Sparrow's first mate but led a mutiny and became captain of the Black Pearl. He leaves Sparrow on a deserted island to die but Sparrow managed to escape. Barbossa and the crew are cursed to not die but also not to feel any pleasure after they steal a chest of Aztec gold. Just as the curse is lifted, Jack Sparrow shoots Barbossa (using the bullet from the gun left with him when he was marooned). This shot kills Barbossa. However, he is brought back to life by Tia Dalma to rescue Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker.

Barbossa was brought back to free Tia Dalma, not to rescue Jack Sparrow. Tia Dalma was actually in the process of reviving Barbossa when Jack showed up and traded the cursed monkey for a jar of dirt to ward off Davy Jones. Jack had not finished in Davy Jones's Locker yet when she started to revive Barbossa. This could also be Tia Dalma's reason for helping the others rescue Jack without charging them.

In the fourth film, he acts as a privateer to get his revenge on Blackbeard for stealing the Black Pearl.

In the fifth film, he became a rich pirate and helps Jack to find the Trident. During the adventure, he reunites with his illegitimate daughter Carina and ends up redeeming himself by sacrificing himself to save her and the others from Salazar which leads to his death.

Will Turner 

William "Will" Turner is a blacksmith and self-taught swordsman who lives in Port Royal. He is played by Orlando Bloom.

Will was found holding on to a piece of wood at sea as a boy and rescued by a ship traveling to Port Royal. He falls in love with Elizabeth Swann, the governor's daughter, and wants to marry her. However, because she is rich and he is poor, it does not seem possible. When Elizabeth is taken by Barbossa, Will teams up with Jack Sparrow to rescue her. Sparrow tells Will that Will's father, Bootstrap Turner was one of his crew on the Black Pearl. Bootstrap Turner was the only one on the crew who did not want to mutiny against Sparrow.

Will finally marries Elizabeth in At World's End. They have a son, Henry. However, Will is made captain of the Flying Dutchman, and is only allowed to return to port every ten years.

James Norrington 

James Norrington is a British Royal Navy Officer. He is played by Jack Davenport.

James Norrington is a commodore in the Royal Navy. He is in love with Elizabeth Swann and she accepts his proposal to rescue Will.

After Jack Sparrow escapes hanging on the gallows, Norrington gives him a day's head start to let him escape. This causes him to lose his commission and position in the Royal Navy. He goes to Tortuga, a private port where many pirates and criminals live. However, he redeems himself by stealing the heart of Davy Jones and giving it to Lord Beckett. However, he regrets this decision as Beckett begins executing all pirates.

James Norrington was killed by Bootstrap Bill Turner on board the Flying Dutchman after helping Elizabeth and her crew escapes the ship's brig.

Lord Cutler Beckett 

Lord Cutler Beckett is a ruthless lord of the East India Trading Company and he was an officer at the royal navy. He is played Tom Hollander.

After gaining the heart of Davy Jones from James Norrington, Beckett uses it to control Davy Jones by taking over the ship and ordering a mass execution of all pirates, women, and children.

He has killed aboard the ship the Endeavor. He loses his control of Davy Jones after Will Turner stabs the heart of Davy Jones and becomes the captain of the Flying Dutchman. The Endeavor is destroyed by the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman, killing almost all on board, including Beckett.

Tia Dalma 

Tia Dalma is the human form of the goddess Calypso. She is played by Naomie Harris.

Little is known about Tia Dalma. She once had a relationship with Jack Sparrow when they were "inseparable". It was in this time when she gave Sparrow his compass. She was also Davy Jones' lover at one point. She was the one who turned him into a monster after he cut his heart out for her.

She is revealed to be the nymph Calypso, bound to human form by the Brethren Court.

Davy Jones 

Davy Jones is captain of the Flying Dutchman and the sworn enemy of Jack Sparrow. He is played by Bill Nighy through the movie and he's the overall main antagonist of the series.

Davy Jones turned into a monster after he cut his heart out for Calypso. He is the captain of the Flying Dutchman, a ship crewed by those offered a second chance at life for a hundred years. Their job is to ferry souls to the afterlife. However, Davy Jones uses the crew for his own purposes. This has caused him and the crew to transform into monsters resembling sea life.

Davy Jones was killed by Will Turner aboard the Flying Dutchman.Will was stabbed by Davy Jones and then Bootstrap charged at Davey Jones and attacked him. But when  Davey Jones got a grip on him he took out his sword and was going to stab Bootstrap just as Jack sparrow took the heart out of the chest and helped Will stab it with a  broken sword. 

However, he was accidentally resurrected when they broke the Trident of Poseidon allowing Jones to return and to search for revenge.

Davy Jones did not cut his heart out for Calypso. He cut his heart out after she betrayed him by not showing up the day Davy Jones was allowed to make port. He was so hurt that he cut out his own heart so he would never have feelings ever again. This is also the reason Davy Jones taught the Brethren Court how to bind Calypso in a human form.

Sao Feng 

Sao Feng is a Pirate Lord of the Brethren Court. He was played by Chow Yun-Fat.

Sao Feng is the pirate lord of the South China Sea. He is known for betraying anyone, even his friends, to get on the winning side. He says this is "just good business". He often uses a dao as his weapon of choice.

Elizabeth and Barbossa visit Sao Feng to request a ship and a crew. Feng is suspicious and informs them that earlier that day someone broke into his uncle's temple and attempted to steal the navigational charts to World's End. He reveals the thief to be Will Turner. Barbossa and Elizabeth deny knowing Will, but when Feng threatens to kill him, Elizabeth reacts, confirming they are allies. Barbossa explains that the Brethren Court has been summoned to meet at Shipwreck Cove and Feng, being one of the nine Pirate Lords, is honor-bound to attend. Feng demands to know why they want to sail to the Locker. When Will admits they want to rescue Jack, Feng becomes angry and declares that he would only bring Sparrow back to life to kill him in person. Barbossa reminds Feng that Jack is one of the nine Pirate Lords and is still in possession of a "piece of eight," a pirate lord's symbol, and didn't have a successor to give it to before his "death".

Other characters

Joshamee Gibbs 

Joshamee Gibbs, known as Mr. Gibbs, is a pirate. He is played by Kevin McNally.

Mr. Gibbs is the right-hand man to Jack Sparrow. He helps Jack Sparrow assemble a crew to go after the Black Pearl. He is very superstitious. Not much is known about his past, aside from the fact he had served in the Royal Navy at one point.

Weatherby Swann 

Weatherby Swann is the governor of Port Royal and is the father of Elizabeth Swann. He was played by Jonathan Pryce.

Governor Swann wanted Elizabeth to marry James Norrington. However, he did not mind when she chose Will Turner instead, because he wanted her to be happy.

He was assassinated by an employee of the East India Trading Company under Beckett's orders.

Pintel and Ragetti 

Pintel and Ragetti are pirates. Pintel is played by Lee Arenburg, and Ragetti is played by Mackenzie Crook.

Pintel and Ragetti were part of the crew on the Black Pearl. They took part in the mutiny led by Barbossa, and each became immortal after taking part in the cursed chest of Aztec gold. Ragetti has a wooden eye, which is in fact Barbossa's Piece of Eight. They often are comic relief in the movies.

Bootstrap Bill Turner 

Bill Turner, often called Bootstrap, is a pirate played by Stellan Skarsgård.

Bootstrap is Will Turner's father. He was part of the crew of the Black Pearl with Jack Sparrow as captain, but he did not take part in the mutiny. After stealing the Aztec gold (meaning he was cursed, and immortal) Bootstrap felt bad for the part he played in the mutiny against Jack. He stuck up for Jack, so Barbossa strapped him to a cannon and sent him to the depths, unable to breathe yet unable to die (as said by Bootstrap himself in Dead Man's Chest). Davy Jones offered him a way out of his eternal torture, and Bootstrap Bill accepted. Thus he becomes part of the crew on the Flying Dutchman with Davy Jones. He also chose to be on the ship with his son William Turner after agreeing to leave every ten years to give his wife and his son a visit.

The Kraken 

The Kraken is a fictional sea monster. It is based on the mythical beast in mythology (extremely redundant). It is a sea monster that does the bidding of Davy Jones. When summoned by him, it arises from the ocean. Often Davy Jones tells it to destroy ships that he believes threaten or annoy him. The Kraken kills Jack Sparrow and destroys the Black Pearl but Jack lived. The Kraken is Killed in fact by Davy Jones. He has a lizardy kind of skin.

Captain Teague 

Captain Teague is a pirate and is Keeper of the Code for the Brethren Court. He is played by Keith Richards.

Teague is Jack Sparrow's father. He is the former Pirate Lord of Madagascar, but he resigned to become Keeper of the Code.

Minor characters

Anamaria 

Anamaria is a female pirate. She is played by Zoë Saldaña.

Not much is known about her, other than her ship was stolen by Jack Sparrow at one point. She becomes part of Jack Sparrow's crew in helping him find the Black Pearl.

Lieutenant Gillette 

Lieutenant Gillette is a British Royal Navy officer. He is played by Damian O'Hare.

Gillette is James Norrington's Flag-Lieutenant. He survives the battle on the HMS Dauntless.

Lieutenant Groves 

Lieutenant Groves is a British Royal Navy Officer. He is played by Greg Ellis.

Groves is a British Royal Navy Officer. He served under the command of James Norrington. He also serves as Beckett's second-in-command aboard the Endeavour when it is destroyed by the Flying Dutchman and the Black Pearl. When Beckett gives no commands to the crew, he orders them to abandon the ship.

Mercer 

Mercer is an employee of the East India Trading Company. He is played by David Schofield.

Mercer is Beckett's assistant. Beckett often uses Mercer to carry out his "dirty" work, such as assassination and spying.

Giselle and Scarlett 

Giselle and Scarlett are prostitutes from Tortuga. Giselle is played by Vanessa Branch. Scarlett is played by Lauren Maher.

Both women often flirt with Jack Sparrow. They both also often slap him for lying to them.

Other websites 

 Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki – Pirates.wikia.com
 Pirates of the Caribbean Online wiki – PotC-Wiki.com
 Official Disney website for Pirates of the Caribbean