Captain Jack Sparrow

Captain Jack Sparrow is a fictitious character created by screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, portrayed by Johnny Depp. He is introduced in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). He appears in the sequels Dead Man's Chest (2006) and At World's End (2007), and will appear in a future film, On Stranger Tides (2011). Jack Sparrow was conceived by Elliott and Rossio initially as a supporting character, but Jack serves as a main protagonist in the films. He was brought to life by the actor Johnny Depp, who based his characterization on the Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.

The series Pirates of the Caribbean was inspired by a Disney theme park ride, and in 2006, when the ride was revamped, the character of Jack Sparrow was introduced to it. Jack Sparrow is also the subject of a children's book series, Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow, which chronicles his teenage years and the character has also appeared in numerous video games.

In the context of the films, Sparrow is one of the Brethren Court, the Pirate Lords of the Seven Seas. He can be treacherous, but survives mostly by using wit and negotiation rather than weapons or force, preferring to flee most dangerous situations and fight only when necessary. Sparrow is introduced seeking to regain his ship, the Black Pearl, from his mutinous first mate, Hector Barbossa, and attempts to escape his blood debt to the legendary Davy Jones while battling the East India Trading Co.

Jack Sparrow first appears in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), where he arrives in Port Royal looking to commandeer a ship. Despite rescuing Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), the daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann (Jonathan Pryce) from drowning, he is jailed for piracy. That night, a ghost ship called the Black Pearl attacks Port Royal, capturing Elizabeth in the process. Its Captain, Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), is trying desperately to break an ancient Aztec curse that he and the crew are under. Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), a blacksmith who loves Elizabeth, frees Sparrow to aid him in rescuing her. They steal the HMS Interceptor and acquire a crew in Tortuga before heading to Isla de Muerta, where Elizabeth is being held captive. They are quickly captured, and Barbossa maroons Sparrow and Elizabeth on a deserted island.