Jack Sparrow

Captain Jack Sparrow
Pirates of the Caribbean character
Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
First appearanceThe Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Created byTed Elliott
Terry Rossio
Johnny Depp
Portrayed byJohnny Depp
Anthony De La Torre[a] (young)
Voiced byJohnny Depp (2006)
Jared Butler (2007–present)
James Arnold Taylor (2006)
In-universe information
AliasesSmith/Smithy
Justice Smith
NicknamesJackie/Jacky

Jackie boy/Jacky boy

Jack the Sparrow
SpeciesHuman
GenderMale
TitleCaptain
Pirate Lord of the Caribbean sea
OccupationPirate
Formerly: Captain for the East India Trading Company
AffiliationCrew of the Black Pearl
Formerly: East India Trading Company
Blackbeard's Crew
WeaponCutlass
Flintlock
FamilyEdward Teague (father)
Jack (uncle)
NationalityEnglish
Appearance(s)

Captain Jack Sparrow is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and franchise. An early iteration of Sparrow was created by screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, but the final version of the character was created by actor Johnny Depp, who also portrayed him.[1][2][3]

The characterization of Sparrow is based on a combination of The Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards and Looney Tunes cartoons, specifically the characters Bugs Bunny and Pepé Le Pew. He first appears in the 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He later appears in the sequels Dead Man's Chest (2006), At World's End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011), and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).

In the films, Sparrow is one of the nine pirate lords in the Brethren Court, the Pirate Lords of the Seven Seas. He can be treacherous and survives mostly by using wit and negotiation rather than by force, opting to flee most dangerous situations and to fight only when necessary.

Sparrow is introduced seeking to regain his ship, the Black Pearl, from his mutinous first mate Hector Barbossa. After succeeding, he attempts to escape his blood debt to the legendary Davy Jones while fighting the East India Trading Company. Later, when searching for the Fountain of Youth, he is abducted and taken upon Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge and is forced to lead him to the Fountain while the Black Pearl is trapped in a bottle. In a later adventure, when the ghost spanish Captain Armando Salazar comes after him, he searches for the Trident of Poseidon while also seeking to restore the Pearl to its original form.

The Pirates of the Caribbean series was inspired by the Disney theme park ride of the same name, and when the ride was revamped in 2006, the character of Captain Jack Sparrow was added to it. He headlined the Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and is the subject of spin-off novels, including a children's book series, Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack Sparrow, which chronicles his childhood years.


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  1. ^ "Johnny Depp Explained How He Created Captain Jack Sparrow". GeekTyrant. October 14, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  2. ^ "Johnny Depp created Captain Jack Sparrow by turning up sauna to '1000 degrees' until it affected him mentally". LADbible. November 16, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  3. ^ updated, Dirk Libbey last (February 9, 2016). "How Cartoons Inspired Johnny Depp As He Created Captain Jack Sparrow". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved September 7, 2023.