Jack Sparrow

Pirates of the Caribbean Character

File:Jack Sparrow's First Apperance.JPG
Name:	Jack Sparrow
Job:	Pirate Captain, formerly East India Trading Company Privateer
Portrayed by:	Johnny Depp
Ships used:	Barnacle, The Grand Barnacle, The Wicked Wench(The Black Pearl), The Jolly Mon, The Dauntless (briefly to steal The Interceptor), The Interceptor.
Weapons:	Pistol, Hanger, Musket

Jack Sparrow is a fictional pirate captain and is one of the primary characters of the Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogy: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Dead Man's Chest (2006), and the as-yet unreleased third installment, At World's End (2007).

Johnny Depp portrays Sparrow and won great acclaim for his comic performance and, following the sudden popularity of the character after his debut in The Curse of the Black Pearl, he reappeared in the two sequels, as well as a series of prequel books, video games and even in the Disney theme park ride which inspired the films.

Character development and acclaim

Depp claims that Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, who has a cameo role as his father in the third movie, and Pepé Le Pew (from Looney Tunes) were both inspirations for his performance (although Errol Flynn — primarily in Captain Blood [1935] — was also an influence). Depp has also said that he imagined pirates as being "like the rock stars of their time" and that he likes to portray Sparrow as "sexually ambiguous". Screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio compared his character to Bugs Bunny and Groucho Marx on the DVD commentary for Curse of the Black Pearl.

The part earned Depp an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, a rarity for a comic performance. The nomination also was the first for Best Actor in a Leading Role for a Disney film.

Fictional biography

Early life

According to the official Disney website and the game based on the film series, Jack Sparrow, the son of Captain Grant Sparrow, was born in British Colonial India and was once employed by the East India Trading Company. Sparrow helmed the Wicked Wench, an EITC merchant vessel, performing odd jobs for Cutler Beckett. When he refused to transport slaves and instead freed them in Africa, Beckett sanctioned the torching (and sinking) of the Wicked Wench, and literally branded Jack Sparrow a pirate. Sparrow came to embrace his outlaw status, becoming a successful pirate with no desire to return to life under the command of others. Later, he petitioned Davy Jones to raise his ship from the ocean floor, and rechristened her the Black Pearl. Jones granted Sparrow captaincy of the ship for thirteen years, after which Jones would own Sparrow's soul.

Disney Press began a book series for young readers in June 2006, chronicling Sparrow's adventures as a teenager. Written by Rob Kidd, the first four books follow Sparrow and a young, motley crew in many adventures aboard a tiny fishing ship called The Barnacle. The adventures included a search for the legendary Sword of Cortés, and a trip to New Orleans that turned the city into bronze. Along the way, they battled pirates, ancient curses, witchcraft, sirens, and the power of the sea.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Main article: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

About a decade prior to the beginning of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow was searching for the legendary Chest of Cortez containing cursed Aztec gold. When Sparrow shared the bearings to the chest's location, First Mate Hector Barbossa and the crew mutinied and marooned him on an island with only a pistol containing a single shot (allowing the option of suicide over starvation). After three days, Sparrow bartered passage off the island with rum runners. Seeking revenge, Sparrow kept the pistol to kill his former first mate.

Ten years later, Sparrow arrives in Port Royal to steal a ship, but he is arrested for piracy after saving Elizabeth Swann, the governor's daughter, from drowning. That night, the Black Pearl attacked Port Royal, seeking the last Aztec medallion that will break the curse that has rendered them into immortal skeletons. Elizabeth, who possesses the coin, is kidnapped. The next morning, Will Turner, a blacksmith apprentice whom Sparrow fought in an escape attempt, seeks Sparrow's help to rescue Elizabeth, whom he secretly loves. Sparrow agrees only when he realizes Will is the crucial element needed to break the curse and that he can use him to bargain back the Black Pearl. Will frees Sparrow from jail, and the two hijack the HMS Interceptor.

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A cursed Sparrow stumbles back into the Moonlight.

After recruiting a crew in Tortuga with help from his old friend, Gibbs, they head to Isla de Muerta, where Sparrow knows the pirates will go to break the curse. Once there, Sparrow and Will infiltrate the cave where a ritual is underway with Elizabeth, whose blood Barbossa believes will break the curse. Mistrusting Sparrow, Will knocks him unconscious. He rescues Elizabeth, and the two escape to the Interceptor, but the Black Pearl pursues them. After a fierce battle, the Interceptor is sunk, and the crew is captured. After learning Will can break the curse, Barbossa maroons Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann. To Sparrow's horror, Elizabeth burns an abandoned rum stockpile as a signal fire that is spotted by Commodore James Norrington. Sparrow provides the bearings to Isla de Muerta after Elizabeth persuades Norrington (by accepting his previous marriage proposal) to attack the island and rescue Will.

At the island, Sparrow saunters into the cave and interrupts Will's sacrifice. He informs the stunned Barbossa that Norrington is waiting outside to ambush them and proposes they form an alliance. When Barbossa agrees and sends the crew to fight the navy, Sparrow attacks him. Sparrow more than matches the legendary swordsman blow for blow. Barbossa impales Sparrow with his sword, believing he is mortally wounded; but, when he stumbles backwards into the moonlight, Sparrow is revealed to be an immortal skeleton—having snuck a coin from the chest to curse himself. Sparrow and Turner lift the curse just after Sparrow fatally shoots Barbossa with the shot he has carried for ten years. No longer immortal, Barbossa falls to the ground dead and the remaining now-mortal pirates surrender. Sparrow is arrested and returned to Port Royal for hanging, but with help from Will and Elizabeth, the execution is interrupted, and he escapes by accidentally falling off the rampart and into the bay where the Black Pearl is waiting. Sparrow is captain once again. Will and Elizabeth declare their love for another, and Norrington graciously concedes Elizabeth's hand to Will.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Main article: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Thirteen years ago, Captain Sparrow obtained the Black Pearl from Captain Davy Jones by bargaining his soul in exchange for 100 years service aboard the infamous ghost ship, The Flying Dutchman. Now the debt is due. One night, Sparrow's former shipmate, "Bootstrap Bill" Turner appears and marks him with the Black Spot, a sign the Kraken is hunting him. In the process of trying to sail away as fast as possible, Jack the monkey steals Jack's hat and throws it overboard. Meanwhile, Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company arrests Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann for aiding in Sparrow's escape. With Elizabeth in jail, Beckett offers clemency if Will agrees to search for Sparrow and his compass. He has Letters of Marque with which he wants to recruit Sparrow as a privateer. Otherwise, Will, Elizabeth and former Commodore James Norrington will be executed. Will finds Sparrow and the crew held captive on Pelegosto (by cannibals who believe Sparrow is a god trapped in a human body, which must be cooked to free him) and they escape, barely making it to the Black Pearl.

Rowing upriver, they visit Tia Dalma, a voodoo priestess with whom Sparrow hints he was once close. Sparrow shows her a drawing of a key; where to find it, he does not know, and his magical compass has failed him. Tia Dalma says it will not work because Sparrow does not know what he truly wants or he is, "loath to claim it as his own." She tells them the legend of Davy Jones and the Dead Man's Chest. When Jones lost his true love, his pain was so deep that he carved out his heart, locked it away in a chest, and buried it. The key is kept with him at all times. Back at sea, the Pearl encounters Davy Jones, who has come to claim his debt. Sparrow deviously attempts to exchange Will for himself, but Davy Jones says one soul is not equal to another and demands 100 souls in exchange for Jack's. Jones keeps Turner as a "good faith" payment, and removing Sparrow's black spot, gives him three days to fulfill the bargain.

In Tortuga, Sparrow and Gibbs recruit unsuspecting sailors. A fallen James Norrington also applies and then attempts to shoot Sparrow, whom he blames for his ruin. Elizabeth, who escaped jail, arrives and rescues Norrington from the ensuing brawl. Confronting Sparrow at the pier, Elizabeth demands to know what has happened to Will. Sparrow regrets to report he was press-ganged into Davy Jones' crew, although Norrington doubts Sparrow's claim that he was uninvolved. Sparrow reveals the compass's secret, telling Elizabeth that if she finds the Dead Man's Chest, she can save Will. The compass works at last. After setting sail for Isla Cruces, Elizabeth discloses it was Cutler Beckett who sent Will and shows Sparrow and Gibbs the Letters of Marque. Norrington overhears the conversation and sets his own plan in motion. The captain then expresses an amorous interest in Elizabeth, who coyly rebuffs his attempts to woo her. When he tries to kiss her, the Black Spot suddenly reappears on his palm, and he hastily retreats. The Kraken is on the hunt again.

On Isla Cruces, Sparrow, Elizabeth and Norrington find the chest. Will arrives with the key (having escaped from the Flying Dutchman). Each man claims the heart. Turner hopes to free his father from Davy Jones' servitude, Sparrow wants to escape his blood debt, and Norrington schemes to reclaim his career. Sparrow extricates himself from their three-way sword fight and takes the heart. However, Norrington steals it and the Letters of Marque and escapes while Jones' crew retrieves the empty chest. Back at sea, the Dutchman chases the Pearl, but the Pearl outruns her. Jones summons the Kraken. In a moment of cowardice, Sparrow deserts the Pearl as the crew valiantly fights the monster. However, Sparrow's underlying loyalty and honor compel him to go back and save his shipmates. Knowing the Kraken will return, he gives the order to abandon ship.

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"Hello Beastie"

Realizing the Kraken is only after Sparrow, Elizabeth distracts him with a passionate kiss and cuffs him to the mast. She claims she isn't sorry for her actions, to which Sparrow merely retorts "Pirate." She tells the others that Sparrow chose to stay behind, unaware that Will witnessed the kiss. Sparrow frees himself as the vicious beast rises above deck. The Kraken emits a loud roar, along with a good deal of mucus and Jack's hat. Jack nonchalantly shakes the phlegm off the hat and puts it back on. With a "Hello, beastie.", Jack lunges at the monster and is consumed.

Davy Jones declares their debt settled but is enraged when he discovers the Dead Man's Chest is empty, dropping to his knees and bellowing to the skies "Damn you, Jack Sparrow!!"

Meanwhile, Norrington delivers the heart and the Letters of Marque to Lord Beckett, hoping to reclaim his career. Beckett now controls the world's oceans.

The saddened crew make their way to Tia Dalma's. As she consoles them, she asks if they would be willing to sail to End of the World to bring back Sparrow and the his precious "Pearl", to which all agree. She says they will need a captain who knows those waters. Just then, the resurrected Captain Barbossa descends the stairs.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Main article: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

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Jack Sparrow as seen in the trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End.

In the film's theatrical traler, released in March 2007, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Barbossa, Tia Dalma, Pintel, Ragetti, and a large crew set out to rescue Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker. Sparrow wonders why he should join them; after all, he says, "four of you tried to kill me in the past—one of you succeeded." In an effort to save piracy as a way of life, "pirate Lords from the four corners of the Earth" gather for an epic battle against the East India Trading Company. Sparrow is shown escaping from Beckett by holding a rope attached by pulleys to a cannon that he fires off, and fighting Davy Jones in heavy rain. The trailer also includes a brief flash of Sparrow as a barnacle-encrusted member of Jones' crew. The film is set for release on May 25, 2007. Template:Endspoiler

The character

Appearance

Full view of Sparrow's costume

Jack Sparrow has dark brown eyes and long, dark brown to black hair, which he wears mostly in braids and dreadlocks. He wears his facial hair in a goatee-type style; the beard is fashioned into two long braids. Jack Sparrow wears dark eyeliner around his eyes which, according to Johnny Depp, serves the same purpose as the black marker sported by modern day American football players (to direct bright sunshine away from the eyes). He wears several strands of beads in his hair, a single piece of eight draped over his bandanna, a silver chain-link charm, and a reindeer shin bone needle. On the right side of Sparrow's jaw is an open wound, reminiscent of a scrape. For some unusual reason, as pointed out by Johnny Depp in the DVD commentary for the first film, this wound never heals; Depp also implies that this may be syphilis (tertiary syphilis can also cause an ataxic gait similar to Sparrow's).

Sparrow's appearance has been altered slightly from film-to-film; (due to the fact that there was no more of the costumes left from the first film, pointed out on the second's bonus features) there are subtle color difference in his clothing, while other changes are more noticeable. His bandanna is dark red in the first film, although in the second and third installments it has a much more faded appearance, giving it a pink hue.

Over his puffy white shirt, Sparrow wears a long waistcoat. This waistcoat is blue on the front and dark gray on the back, the back being shorter than the front. In the sequels, the waistcoat has been altered slightly adding a pinstripe pattern to the back.

He also wears dark brown (dark gray in the first film) drop front breeches, which are tucked into his brown suede leather boots.

Sparrow has a leather baldric with a silver filigree buckle slung over his shoulder, which holds the scabbard for his black sabre. The color and buckle were changed from first film to the sequel.

His leather tricorne hat is medium brown. The back side of the hat is rolled up like a scroll. Sparrow also has a dark blue-grey frock coat.

Four rings adorn Sparrow's hands. One is a skull ring with a green emerald on his right index finger. Another is a black onyx flower ring on his left ring finger. In Dead Man's Chest, he steals an oval amethyst ring from Tia Dalma's shack and places it on his left index finger, moving the silver oriental dragon ring to his left thumb. This ring appears to be the same one Captain Barbossa wore in Curse of the Black Pearl. He also has two leather glove bands on his right middle and ring fingers which attach his leather glove. In Dead Man's Chest Jack also wears a piece of lace around his left wrist, a token from a woman he met.

Sparrow wears a red-striped sash and 2 belts around his waist. In the first film, only his compass is attached to his belt. In the second film, a second belt and more trinkets were added, such as a small animal skin, a chicken foot, an animal vertebrae, and a small red sculpture of a mermaid which serves as a fertility symbol. In the third film, a large tuft of gray hair has been added that is actually a shrunken voodoo head from the cannibal island.

Sparrow sports a distinctive tattoo of a sparrow flying in front of a setting sun over the ocean on his right forearm. This is apparently a well-known identification mark of the infamous pirate as Commodore Norrington immediately recognized it. The letter "P" (for pirate) was also branded on his right wrist by the East India Trading Company. While handling a red-hot P branding iron, Cutler Beckett tells Will Turner that he and Sparrow each left their "mark" upon the other. Beckett branded Sparrow with the letter "P", but he refrains from saying just how Sparrow marked him.

Interestingly, in a deleted scenes from the first film, Sparrow reveals a long jagged scar on his left forearm when Elizabeth questions his legend. However, in the second film (most noticeably as Sparrow hangs off the Pearl's rigging, bidding farewell to the Pelegostons), this scar is clearly missing. Having only existed in a deleted scene, this scar is non-canon. Also present during the deleted scene were two bullet-hole scars over his heart; it is unknown where/when he got these or how he survived.

Weapons and skill

Average in height and build, Sparrow relies more on intelligence, agility, and quick wit to protect himself, rather than physical strength. Sparrow holds his own in duels by using a combination of acrobatic swordplay, trickery, and using any available object as a weapon. His trickery included pulling his flintlock on Turner to abruptly end their duel and exiting the three-way battle with Norrington and Turner by somersaulting himself off a roof. Sparrow is frequently disarmed, though the circumstances are seldom explained, and he prefers escape or negotiation to combat.

Jack often exhibits an unusual prancing gait when running and tends to flail his arms about. Johnny Depp claims he based Sparrow's gait on a basilisk lizard running over water. Hence, Jack's run is often referred to as 'the lizard run'.

According to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Visual Guide, Sparrow learned swordplay from an Italian fencing master in exchange for captured Chinese silk. He later trained himself to shoot by aiming at empty wine bottles tossed from the Black Pearl's deck rail, and is presented as a skilled marksman.

Demeanor

Sparrow's trademark physical characteristic is a slightly drunken swagger, accompanied by slurred speech and awkwardly flailing hand gestures that make him appear unfocused.

Rum

Sparrow is particularly fond of rum. After Barbossa maroons Sparrow and Elizabeth on the deserted island, Elizabeth burns the cache of smugglers' rum to create a smoke signal. Sparrow is so outraged that he asks Elizabeth, "Why is the rum gone?" Following her explanation, he asks the question again, briefly pulls out his pistol while her back is turned, then thinks better of it and storms off. However, when Commodore Norrington spots the smoky cloud and rescues them, Sparrow grouses to himself, "There'll be no living with her after this." While aboard the Dauntless, Elizabeth accepts a previous marriage proposal made by Commodore Norrington. Upon hearing this, Sparrow exclaims "Wedding?! I love weddings! Drinks all around!"

When Elizabeth boards the Pearl in Dead Man's Chest, Sparrow turns and whispers to Gibbs, "Hide the rum," as if fearing she will try to get rid of it. In another nod to his fondness for the drink, upon finding his bottle of rum empty, Sparrow groans, "Why is the rum always gone?" Standing up, he staggers a bit and mutters, "Oh, that's why."

When Sparrow is visited by "Bootstrap Bill" Turner at the beginning of Dead Man's Chest, he wonders aloud if it is merely a dream; when Turner replies that it is not, Sparrow resignedly sighs, "I thought not. If it were, there'd be rum." In response, Turner offers a bottle that Sparrow has to pry from his barnacle-encrusted hand.

Crimes

In The Curse of the Black Pearl, Sparrow was given a death sentence for numerous crimes, including piracy, smuggling, forgery, sailing under false colours, arson, kidnapping, looting, poaching, brigandage, pilfering, depravity, depredation and impersonating officers of the British and Spanish Royal Navies. He also was convicted of impersonating a cleric of the Church of England, to which Sparrow reacted with amusement when the charge was read aloud. Notably, violent crimes such as murder and rape are not among the charges, indicating Sparrow retains some sense of justice and morality (however skewed).

Traits

Sparrow is a decent, if self-serving, man who adheres to the "Pirates' Code." He believes pirates can still be "good men," which was his evaluation of "Bootstrap" Bill Turner. Unusually altruistic for a pirate, Sparrow will risk himself to save others, most notably Will and Elizabeth. In the first film, it's implied that Sparrow's benevolence is one of the reasons his crew mutinied him.

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Sparrow flees the Kraken while the Black Pearl crew battles on (he returns moments later to save his crewmates)

As often as Sparrow saves Elizabeth and Will, however, he also tricks them to serve his own purposes and even offers up Will to Davy Jones in exchange for himself. In a weak moment of cowardice, he deserts his ship and crew to save himself from the Kraken. However, after checking his compass, he chooses to return and saves his shipmates. What or who the magical compass was pointing towards is not established.

Sparrow is also known for using his supposedly legendary status to create fantastic tales of his former escapades. When Gibbs is relating to Will the story of Sparrow escaping a deserted island by catching a couple of sea turtles and roping them together to make a raft, Will asks what he used for rope. When Gibbs cannot answer, Sparrow chimes in, "Human hair... from my back." Later, when Sparrow, Elizabeth, and Norrington are surprised by Will at Isla Cruces, Sparrow asked how he got there. Will sarcastically says he roped together a couple of sea turtles into a raft, to which Sparrow replies, "Not so easy, is it?"

In the video game "The Legend of Jack Sparrow", his tall tales include the valiant rescue of Port Royal from the Black Pearl (Will Turner points out that Sparrow was locked up that entire time), a crew of cursed pirates surrendering to him on reputation alone (he actually was captured and barely escaped alive), and the depiction of various characters as fawning servants (Turner and Elizabeth Swann both dispute how Sparrow quotes them in his tales).

In the writer's DVD commentary for Dead Man's Chest, screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio state that, in a deleted scene, it is claimed that Sparrow single-handedly fought two hundred soldiers to a standstill at Port Royal, then grabbed two parrots and jumped off a cliff to make his escape.

Sparrow considers himself a ladies' man, explaining that he has a "tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature." However, he is seemingly unable to commit to a long-term relationship, although Elizabeth appears to be the first woman he is unable to forget. Interestingly, in the novelization of the second film, Sparrow tells Elizabeth that marriage is "like a wager to see who will fall out of love first." As a youth, he unsuccessfully flirted with deadly mermaids and with Arabella, a crewmate on the 'Barnacle'. A mature Sparrow is more adept at sweeping ladies off their feet, although his conquests seem to have a sour memory of him; former flames Giselle and Scarlett slap him or anyone looking for him. However, Tia Dalma, with whom Sparrow apparently has a history, is rather pleased to see him when he visits her, although his anxiety over their impending reunion indicates they may have parted on less than good terms.

Sparrow apparently suffers from extremely bad breath. Commodore Norrington took a step back when Sparrow got a little too close, and Governor Swann nearly gagged when face-to-face with him. When Sparrow attempts to romantically approach Elizabeth during Dead Man's Chest, she notes their various differences, including "personal hygiene." However, she seems unaffected by Sparrow's breath during later close encounters with him.

Catchphrases

Sparrow's most commonly used words and phrases include "savvy?" ("Understand?"), and "bugger" when something does not go according to plan. He makes repeated references to using someone or something as "leverage" and to waiting for "the opportune moment". "That's interesting," is used frequently as well, often as a gross understatement.

Sparrow uses seemingly educated terms that are in fact nonsensical to the context. At the conclusion of The Curse of the Black Pearl, he utters the line, "I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh? Spiritually, ecumenically... grammatically". In Dead Man's Chest he tells Will, "Because the finding of this finds you incapacitorially finding and/or locating in your discovering the detecting of a way to save your dolly belle, ol' what's-her-face. Savvy?" . Others are generally confused when he utters these remarks, and that may be Jack's intention, as much of his success is dependent on misdirection and catching adversaries off-guard.

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow", is also used by him as a simple explanation of his cunning craftiness. When Barbossa asks how he escaped from the island he stranded him on, Sparrow responds, "When you marooned me on that God-forsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate: I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

As an endnote, Sparrow frequently says, "This is the day you will always remember as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow". Twice in the first two films, the line is cut off to comedic effect; the only time he manages to complete the line, he is knocked out and arrested shortly after. He also attempts to use this line in the second movie when escaping Pelogosto natives. However, is cut off by a wave crashing against the ship.

Sparrow often uses "eunuch" as an insult. During his first duel with Will Turner, he asks him if he is one, given his penchant for practicing long hours with swords rather than courting ladies. In an effort to hide Will's identity, Sparrow tells Barbossa—and later Davy Jones—that Will has a "lovely singing voice" and is a soprano (making oblique reference to Castrati). While addressing the Pelogosto natives about the hog-tied Will, he refers to him by saying, "Eunuchy, snip-snip."

Wardrobe and equipment

"My effects"

Sparrow carries a number of items on his person at all times, which he collectively calls "my effects". They include his pistol, sword, coat and tricorne hat, and an unusual compass. Oddly, he does not seem to feel the term "my effects," includes the hat, which he always specifies separately (see below).

His sword is a hanger (a 17th and 18th century style of sabre) rather than a cutlass, the weapon preferred by most cinematic pirates. The sabre's longer blade allows him to keep his enemies a few inches further away than a cutlass.

In The Curse of the Black Pearl, Sparrow carries a single barreled pistol given to him by Barbossa when he maroons him, apparently so he can commit suicide. The weapon was made by and bears the name of a gunsmith named "Perry." He only uses the pistol at the film's end, having saved his only shot to kill Captain Barbossa. During his escape from the Turkish prison in Dead Man's Chest, he carries a double-barreled pistol. He later returns to his original, single barreled variant, using it to prove to Tia Dalma that the monkey is undead after being shot.

After his compass, Sparrow's most prized possession is his hat. He is rarely seen without it, and he always mentions it when discussing his effects. When Sparrow orders the ship to head for land to escape the Kraken, his hat is tossed overboard by Jack the monkey. A panicked Sparrow commands it be left behind, which so surprises the crew they are literally struck motionless. The hat, which is unwittingly picked up by nearby Turkish fishermen, is eaten by the Kraken when it attacks the wrong ship. Sparrow spends the entire film searching for a suitable replacement and even walks through a pub fight trying on the brawlers' tricornes. He eventually regains his own hat when it is regurgitated by the Kraken as it is about to devour him. Covered in mucus, he merely shakes it off and puts it back on before drawing his sabre and attacking the monster.

Compass

Captain Jack Sparrow's compass was obtained in a barter with Tia Dalma (as established in Dead Man's Chest). Rather than point north, its needle points to whatever the person holding it wants most. That can be treasure or other valuable items, but also a person or a geographical location. It works for anyone using it, but only if they know what they truly want. It will even work while lying untouched on the ground, if the possessor is nearby. When it fails to work properly for Sparrow, Tia explains that it is because he does not know what he truly wants, "or do you know but are loath to claim it as your own".

When Sparrow is arrested after saving Elizabeth Swann from drowning (in The Curse of the Black Pearl), Commodore Norrington searches through his possessions. Most of what he finds appears to be junk, including the compass that does not point north. In fact, the four geographical directions are not even specified on it.

Later, a hint of the compass' true nature is revealed. When Will notices Sparrow using the odd instrument to navigate through a storm, he asks Gibbs how they're supposed to find Isla de Muerta with a compass that doesn't work. Gibbs replies, "The compass doesn't point north. But we're not trying to find north, are we?" The compass points them to the island, where Jack's beloved Black Pearl is anchored.

When Elizabeth discovers Lord Cutler Beckett wants Sparrow's compass, she mistakenly believes he is searching for the treasure on Isla de Muerta and warns him about the cursed Aztec gold. However, Beckett says that the compass does not only point to Isla de Muerta and that there is "more than one chest of value in these waters."

During the Kraken's attack, Sparrow deserts the Black Pearl and his shipmates in a longboat. He pauses a moment to look at his compass. Although it is not shown where the needle points, he returns to the ship and saves his crew.

Addressing this scene on the audio commentary for the DVD, the writers hinted that, whilst the scene was deliberately ambiguous as to the direction the compass pointed, that it may indeed have been pointing towards land, and thus Jack's choice was motivated not by what he wanted, but by what he knew was the right thing to do, as hinted early by a conversation he has with Elizabeth.

Merchandise

The toy company NECA has made several Jack Sparrow action figures from both Pirates of the Caribbean movies. At least one figure will be made based on the third movie, according to information released at Toy Fair 2007.[1]

Though these figures have been well received for their near perfect likeness of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack, there is some controversy among collectors over certain parts of the figure being reused for different versions, particularly the wide-legged stance sported by all Jack Sparrow figures.

Three plush toys have been made of the character. One plush came in Summer 2006's McDonald's Happy Meal Pirates of the Caribbean Promotion. This featured Jack with his jacket and a plush sword. Another plush Jack featured the pirate sans-jacket with his vest. It featured a plastic version of his beads. A third Jack plush was a Red M&M version of the character. He came with a plush telescope.

Popular culture

Television

Jack Sparrow appears as Terri Clark's fantasy lover in the video for her country music song, "Girls Lie Too". He is not portrayed by Depp.

The character has been impersonated and parodied on television numerous times; on How I Met Your Mother, Marshall (Jason Segal) dresses up as Sparrow for special occasions.

Mind of Mencia features the skit "Curse of the Butt Pirates" in which Carlos Mencia portrays the homosexual character Captain John Swallow.

For the Halloween 2006 special of The New Paul O'Grady Show, Paul O'Grady was dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow, although he claimed that he felt more like Russell Brand.

The character was depicted in an episode of Celebrity Deathmatch in a match between Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom.

Chad Michael Murray imitates Jack Sparrow in a One Tree Hill episode.

Films

In Epic Movie, Sparrow is parodied for the first time in a separate film: Darrell Hammond portrays the flamboyant and traitorous Jack Swallows, who harbors a grudge against the White Bitch. Eventually, he rides a rolling wheel that flattens all of the protagonists, by accident. He also flattens the White Bitch just as the others were thinking of sparing her.

Video games

Sparrow appears in Kingdom Hearts II as a member of the party in the Port Royal world. James Arnold Taylor voices Jack Sparrow in the English release of the video game because Johnny Depp (as well as the rest of the cast) was unavailable during the production of Dead Man's Chest; incindentally, Taylor previously filled in for Depp as Willy Wonka in the video game adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Hiroaki Hirata, who voiced Jack Sparrow in the Japanese dub of Pirates, plays the character in the Japanese release. In this incarnation, he fights alongside Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy against Barbossa, the Heartless and Luxord.

Depp does voice Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow for the PC and PS2 platforms. The game follows exaggerated events of Sparrow's past, from his point of view, including his escape from the island on which he was marooned and how he sacked Nassau Port without firing a shot.

Sparrow's name makes an appearance in the game Fable and Fable: The Lost Chapters on a tombstone in the Lychfield Graveyard. The grave reads "Cpt. J. Sparrow: A wind at your back forever, sir". Depp utters a similar line as George Jung in Blow.

Other appearances

In Spring 2006, Disney retooled the Pirates of the Caribbean rides in all their theme parks to include more references to the film. Jack's first appearance is in the rouge gallery paintings of famous pirates in the queue area. He then makes three appearances in the attraction while hunting for the town's treasure. The final scenes in the Disneyland and Walt Disney World versions show Jack victorious in his efforts, sitting on a throne surrounded by treasure, happily singing the "Yo-Ho" song and proclaiming "There's treasure enough for all!"

The character of the Pirate King in the 2006 Opera Australia production of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance is played by Anthony Warlow as a dead ringer impersonation of Sparrow.

In issue #24 of the DC Comics series 52, Sparrow makes a cameo appearance as part of a group of time-displaced pirates and robots.

In a special ABC presentation of "Lost - The Final Episode" released at the 2007 Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, Kate talks to Sawyer about being rescued. When Sawyer asks her if she is picking him or Jack, Kate replies she picked Jack, because he has a bigger boat. The scene cuts to Captain Jack Sparrow in the crow's nest of the Jolly Mon (his introductory scene from the first film). Later, a captured Ben indicates to Sayid that the Oceanic Flight 815 survivors were rescued by pirates.