Davy Jones (Pirates of the Caribbean)

For other uses, see Davy Jones' Locker.

Davy Jones is a fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogy and book series. Jones was introduced as the primary antagonist in the second film of the series Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), and was also featured as an anti-hero in its sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Jones is the captain of the feared ghost ship featured in nautical lore, the Flying Dutchman, and roams the seas searching for souls to serve upon his vessel for a century before they are sent to the after-life. Davy Jones is the governor of wisconsin

Davy Jones is portrayed by British actor Bill Nighy in both films.

Character development

The legend of Davy Jones' Locker is hundreds of years old, and originally not connected to the Flying Dutchman. References to Davy Jones may be found in many old works, such as Robert Louis Stevenson´s 1883 classic Treasure Island. Other sources are:

• The sea lore of the Flying Dutchman and its captain. As a reference to this legend, Jones can go on land only once every decade.
• Davy Jones' act of removing and concealing his heart draws on a well-established theme in which the villain is rendered immortal by sacrificing its humanity. Examples of this range from ancient mythology to modern concepts of the Undead and Demons.
• The Bible. Davy Jones' speech before waking the Kraken for the first time in the film ("Let no joyful voice be heard! Let no man look up to the sky with hope! And let this day be cursed by we who ready to wake...THE KRAKEN!") is a paraphrased version of chapter 3, verses 7 and 8 of the Book of Job.
• The Secret of Monkey Island. Similarly to the ghost pirate LeChuck in the classic computer game The Secret of Monkey Island, Davy Jones is a villainous, undead pirate captain whose immortality is a curse resulting from his broken heart. Interestingly, LeChuck's wriggling beard is similar to the tentacles on Jones' face.
• Jones's relationship to the sea goddess Calypso, as well as his (abandoned) charge of ferrying the souls of those who die at sea link him to Greek and Roman mythology, specifically Charon, the boatman of Hades. It seems that his abandonment of this role doomed him and his crew to be subsumed by and transformed into various forms of sea life. His death lifts the curse from the crew, as the new captain of the Dutchman resolves to return to this original role.
• The pipe organ may be a reference to the fictional Captain Nemo, the main character of Jules Verne´s famous novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, who had a pipe organ aboard his submarine Nautilus.
• Davy Jones playing his pipe organ is reminiscient of 'haunted villain' characters, who often play the organ as an outlet of their anguish.
• David Jones was also one of the first mythical pirates and many legends have been told about him.

Design and appearance

Davy Jones's physique was designed to be a mixture of various aquatic flora and fauna features. Jones' most striking feature is his cephalopod-like head, primarily a "beard" composed of octopus-like tentacles. A prominent sac bulges from under his barnacle-encrusted tricorne. In addition to his "bearded" face, he breathes through a siphon located on the left side of his face. Jones has a crustacean-style claw for his left arm, a long tentacle in place of the index finger on his right hand, and the right leg of a crab (resembling a pegleg). He also speaks with a clearly distinguishable Scottish accent.[1]

Jones uses the octopus-like arms of his "beard" to manipulate objects, such as a key (he shows this during a game of Liar's Dice), his hat, (when his ship submerges) and the keys of his vast pipe organ. Because his claw consists of only two parts (neither of which can move laterally), he can only strike one key with that hand. However, his "beard" plays more than twenty keys at once.

In At World's End, Jones briefly appears in his original, uncorrupted human form during his final personal encounter with Tia Dalma. His human form reflects that of his mutated form, with a thick beard consisting of several braided rows that mimic the various tentacles. It was revealed in this same scene that Jones' mutation was a curse he brought on himself by breaking his oath to ferry lost souls to World's End.

Personality

Davy Jones is known to be ruthless, even to his own crew, believing that every human should suffer in the after-life with much pain. Despite Jones' ruthless nature, he has appeared to be deeply influenced by situations involving love and passion, because of a ruined relationship he had with Calypso, the sea goddess, in the past. As revealed in At World's End, he fell madly in love with the goddess Calypso. She apparently convinced him to become captain of the Flying Dutchman, with the curse of only being able to visit Calypso once every ten years. After his first ten years of servitude aboard the Flying Dutchman, he reached land only to discover that she had apparently abandoned him. In his anguish, Jones cut his own heart out and locked it in a chest. His passionate nature is rarely shown to others, such as when he plays his theme on the pipe organ whilst shedding a single tear over Calypso and ultimately meeting her aboard the Black Pearl in a poignant moment between the two estranged lovers, both events seen in At World's End. Another instance where his soft side is shown is when Captain Jack Sparrow tells him that Will Turner is about to be married. Jones' expression changes considerably after being told this. Other clues reflecting his privately romantic side include the matching locket-music box which Jones and Calypso both own, and the numerous love letters and poems stashed along with his heart when it was found in Dead Man's Chest.

Jones possesses a locket that plays a distinguishable melody, and he is known to play the same melody on the pipe organ that is located in his quarters. This melody is also his character’s theme, and can be heard throughout the film's score. Because Jones and Calypso own matching locket musicboxes, Tia Dalma's theme is similar to that of Davy Jones, albeit in a different arrangement.

It is said that if someone owes Davy Jones its soul, he has the ability to take it by any means. In the second and third films, it is noted that Captain Sparrow owes a debt to Jones: he had raised the legendary Black Pearl ship from the ocean depths and made Sparrow captain for thirteen years, in exchange for Sparrow's servitude on the Flying Dutchman. Now Sparrow must find another way to pay the debt or else forfeit his soul for a century. "Bootstrap Bill" Turner is also indentured to Davy Jones, Jones having saved Bootstrap from the bottom of the ocean, where he lingered as a result of the mutiny aboard the Black Pearl.

Powers and abilities

Jones possesses a large arsenal of magical abilities at his disposal. Though normally relying on the strength of his crew, ship, and the Kraken, Jones has proven quite powerful on his own. During the battle between the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman in the third film, he was able to best Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner, and Bootstrap Bill Turner in combat, before meeting his demise. While fighting Jack and Will, he showed impressive prowess as a swordsman, and was able to destroy Jack's sword with his large crab claw. Jones is capable of limited teleportation on board the Flying Dutchman and can pass through solid objects, such as parts of his ship. Some of his crew can also do this, such as Bootstrap Bill. Mr. Turner uses this ability when giving Jack the black spot. By removing his heart, Jones became immortal, capable of surviving fatal wounds. However, he is not indestructible, as demonstrated when Jack was able to cut off some of his facial tentacles during their battle. Jones can also track any soul that is owed to him via the black spot, which any member of his crew can give but only he can take back.

Jones's ship, the Flying Dutchman, is extremely powerful, possessing armament seeming to be in the 30-40 gun range (a relatively small number compared to the 70-105 on Lord Cutler Beckett's flagship Endeavour). However, because Beckett already had the Endeavor and yet could not nearly achieve the level of supremacy he attained with the Flying Dutchman (as evidenced by both Beckett's desire to get the heart of Davy Jones as well as Mercer's comment about the Flying Dutchman being the greatest power behind Beckett's fleet) it can be assumed that somewhow the Flying Dutchman is stronger than the Endeavor, possibly by using stronger firepower (stronger cannons) rather than more firepower (greater number of cannons). Therefore, the Dutchman's lack of more firepower is more than made up for in it's strength in unsurpassed weaponry. Armament also includes two gatling-style cannons at the bow, the triple cannons. The ship is capable of travelling underwater in a manner akin to that of a submarine, allowing him to hide underwater and take a ship by surprise. His crew are, due to their curse, strong fighters, and until they have served their debt are nearly impossible to kill. They also possess attributes of the creatures their mutations echo, such as one with an eel's head that he can extend to attack.

Jones's greatest asset is the Kraken, a massive cephalopod who can destroy ships upon command by Jones when it is summoned by turning the capstan head aboard the Flying Dutchman. It can be wounded, but since its main body is always below the water, it has never been mortally wounded by a defending ship.

Davy Jones has only two real weaknesses: his inability to come on land, and his heart. He originally kept the removed heart locked in a reinforced iron box buried on Isla Cruces with the key kept inside his tentacle beard. Anyone who possess his heart can "control" him via blackmail. Because of his ban from land, Davy sends his crew to accomplish whatever task he needs done on land. It is never clearly explained what will happen if Jones sets foot on land.

Fictional biography

Early life

File:Human Davy Jones.jpg

Davy Jones in human form.

Davy Jones (birth name: David Jones), born in Scotland, the mythological "Devil of the Seas", buried the Dead Man's Chest on Isla Cruces. Within the chest was his heart, which he had carved from his chest when he was unable to bear the pain of losing his one true love, Calypso, prior to teaching the Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court on how to lock her into human form out of scorned love. The Chest is ornately carved solid reinforced iron, and has a powerful lock that can only be opened by a unique double-stemmed key that Jones keeps with him at all times. He buried the Chest along with his numerous love letters to Calypso inside a larger wooden chest. Jones had since inflicted cruelty and pain onto others, even his crew.

His original role as Captain of the Flying Dutchman was to ferry those that died at sea to the after-life. But once he betrayed his original duty, Davy Jones assumed his present form: A perversion to match his corrupted methods. Jones himself gained immortality; the only way to kill him is to gain possession of his heart and at least stab it, becoming the next Captain of the Flying Dutchman as a result, for the Flying Dutchman must always have a captain. The one who stabs it must also carve their own heart out and place it in the chest. Anyone who came to possess his heart controlled Jones and because of his great powers – the seas.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of The Black Pearl

In the book series about the earlier adventures of Jack, Davy Jones shows interest in the Sword of Cortés, which Jack is seeking. He is a minor character, but finally appears in the cliffhanger ending to book 7 when Jack and his crew encounter the Flying Dutchman. He also apparently rules over many siren and mermaid kingdoms in the ocean. Jones doesn't appear in the first film, but is mentioned when Will Turner threatens Hector Barbossa that he'll kill himself and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker, unless he frees Elizabeth. It is also mentioned that Bootstrap Bill was last seen being thrown into Davy Jones' Locker.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

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

Jones is introduced in this film. Jack's time had run out to command the Black Pearl, so Jones sends Bootstrap Bill Turner to settle his debt of serving Jones.

Davy Jones collects dying sailors and offers them an opportunity to serve aboard his ship for one hundred years in order to delay their final judgment. If someone willingly sells their soul to Jones in exchange for something, they also owe him one hundred years of servitude unless, as in the case of Jack Sparrow, they can attempt to buy off the debt by some other means. Jack bartered his soul to Jones to raise the Black Pearl from the depths of the ocean and be made captain for thirteen years.

Jack tricks Will into facing Jones in his stead. While on the Flying Dutchman, Will challenges Jones at a game of liar's dice, the purpose of which was to find out where Jones hides the key to the chest containing his heart..

Jones and some of the Flying Dutchman crew after Will challenges him to Liar's Dice.

The stakes for which they gambled were Will's soul for an eternity of service, against the key to the Dead Man's Chest. Will's father joins in the game, matching the wager, and purposely loses to save his son.

Will is free to go to port, while Bootstrap is trapped on the ship forever. While Jones is asleep at his organ, Will sneaks in and steals the key. He then escapes the ship with help from his father. Jones sends the Kraken after the ship that had picked up Will and forces Bootstrap to watch. The crew is killed, but Will escapes and makes it to Isla Cruces, where the chest is buried. Jones arrives there as well, but he cannot set foot on land for a decade, and sends his crew after the chest. They retrieve it, and now Jones only has to collect Jack's debt. He summons the Kraken to attack the Black Pearl and claim Jack. Jones grimly watches as the Kraken destroys the ship and apparently devours its captain. Turning his attention to the chest now back in his possession, he demands the crew open it. An anguished Davy Jones curses Jack Sparrow when the chest reveals itself to be empty. Jones believes Sparrow has the heart, but it is actually Lord Beckett who now possesses it, given to him by Norrington in an effort to bargain back his career.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

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

File:Potc3 davyjones.jpg

Davy Jones during the time of his servitude to Cutler Beckett.

Lord Beckett uses his advantage of possessing Jones's heart, and forces him to use the Flying Dutchman to assist him in his quest to conquer the seas. To ensure Jones would obey, he not only had him kill the Kraken in case he attempted to use it against him, but placed Jones's heart onboard the Flying Dutchman, surrounded by cannon to coax Jones. If the heart is destroyed, Jones will die.

Having Jones and the Flying Dutchman at his disposal, Lord Beckett orders Jones to seek out and attack the Singapore pirate lord, Sao Feng; Jones subsequently kills Sao and captures Elizabeth Swann, who had been named captain by Sao upon his death. When Admiral Norrington dies while freeing Elizabeth, he claims Norrington's sword after the fallen admiral tries to stab him with it. Upon Norrington's death, Jones attempts mutiny and has his men engage with the East India Trading Company (EITC) marines on the Flying Dutchman. However, Mercer is able to organize a defense on the chest which includes several Marines aiming guns at it, and Mulroy and Murtogg on either side of the chest with cannon aimed at it.

Beckett later summoned Jones to his ship where Jones confronted Will Turner again and revealed his history of lost love for the goddess, Calypso. Jones revealed that he could never forgive her for betraying him, revealing his part in her sealing. He also learned of Jack's survival at the hands of the Kraken. He would later confront Calypso in her human shape of Tia Dalma, locked in the brig of the Black Pearl, in which the two former lovers engaged in a poignant conversation wherein several crucial subplots between the two were revealed, such as the reason why Calypso did not meet him after Jones' first ten years of service on the Flying Dutchman, and the subsequent mutation of Davy Jones. Tia Dalma touches him on the chest, and Jones is briefly seen in his original human form (also portrayed by Bill Nighy), which bears striking similarities to his grotesque appearance - a long and full beard with multiple braids parallel to his facial tentacles. Jones, despite his attempts to hate her, seemed unable to truly do so and instead told her that his heart will always be with her. Tia Dalma said that after her release, she will fully give her love to him and will help him fight the Brethren Court.

Calypso, however, chose to become neutral after she learned from Will Turner that it was Davy Jones that told the Court how to imprison her. She evened the odds for both sides by creating a gigantic hurricane and maelstrom right before the climactic battle between the Brethren Court and their respective fleet of ships versus the East India Trading Company and its massive armada. Jones led the Flying Dutchman against the Black Pearl, as both ships entered the maelstrom. The two ships exchanged heavy cannon fire. One blast struck the helm of the Flying Dutchman, taking out most of the East India Trading Company troops on board. Jones took advantage of the opportunity and killed Mercer by smothering him with his tentacles, then took back the key to the chest. As Jones triumphantly marched down onto the deck, he ran into Jack, who was attempting to make off with the chest.

File:Jones and jack.JPG

Jack prepares to shoot the distracted Jones from behind.

The two engaged in a furious duel on the Flying Dutchman's mast. Jack was able to slice off the tentacle gripping the key to the chest, which fell below onto the deck. Another cannon blast struck the Flying Dutchman, causing Jack to fall off of the mast. Jones was able to grab the chest before it fell, but to his displeasure found Sparrow still clutching onto it. With a surge of strength Jones hurled Jack over the mast; however, Jack was able to grab hold of a dangling rope. He swung around, pistol ready. Jones was reunited with the chest for a brief moment, but dropped it when Jack made a well-placed shot at his arm. The two raced down to the deck, each determined to get to the chest first. Jack won the race and Jones chased him across the deck, trying to take the chest back. Eventually, Jones succeeds in knocking Jack out, but is interrupted when Elizabeth steps in and duels Jones for a brief moment until he knocks her out. Just as he is about to deliver the killing blow, Will thrusts his sword through Jones' chest.

Jones, unharmed, spun around and knocked Will down on his back. Will and Elizabeth looked at each other with nervous glances, whereupon Jones recognized that the two were in love and taunted them, threatening to "sever the bond". He pointed his sword at Will's neck and asked him if he feared death, to which Jack responded "Do you?" Jones turned around to see Jack clutching the heart in one hand and his broken blade in the other, ready to stab it. At first, Jack was hesitant to do so. Jones, knowing that Jack would hesitate due to his indecisive nature, plunged his sword into Will's chest. Enraged over his son's apparent death, Bootstrap snapped out of his mental incapacitation and mercilessly attacked Jones. However, Jones managed to subdue Bootstrap Bill and was about to kill him, when he was suddenly stopped by a burst of pure agony. Behind him, he saw that Jack had used Will's hand to stab the heart (it is believed Jack forced Will to stab it to save his life). Mortally wounded, Jones stumbled against the side of the ship, muttered his one true love's name on his last breath, and fell over the railing into the maelstrom below, implying that he may or may not be truly reunited with Calypso.

Filming

From reel to reality: Davy Jones is brought to life.

The entire crew of the Flying Dutchman, except "Bootstrap Bill," is completely CGI, including Davy Jones. Their performances were recorded using motion capture during actual filming on the set, rather than in a motion-capture studio during postproduction. Briefly during the third film, Jones appears in human form for a single scene, played by Nighy in costume.

Because of the computer-generated character's photorealism, many reviewers mistakenly identified Nighy as wearing prosthetic makeup. ILM's Webby-nominated The Show website features an interactive look into the making of the Oscar winning Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest visual effects.

The result won them an Academy Award for Visual Effects in 2006.

Merchandise

• Davy Jones was part of Series One of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest action figure set produced by NECA. Although the initial run of figures had a sticker on the box that proclaimed that the figure came with the Dead Man's Chest and Jones' heart, both props (as well as the key) were released with the Bootstrap Bill figure in Series Two.[2]

• Jones also made an appearance as a smaller figure with some of his crew members: Angler, Wheelback and Penrod.

• Davy Jones was issued as a plush toy as part of Sega's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" plush assortment.

• Jones was part of a 3 figure pack as a 3.75 inch figure with Barbossa and a limited edition gold Jack Sparrow for the At World's End film.

External links

• Davy Jones at the Pirates of the Caribbean wiki