Hector Barbossa

Pirates of the Caribbean character
name = Captain Hector Barbossa
born = Puerto Limon, Costa Rica


caption = Geoffrey Rush as Hector Barbossa in
gender = Male
type = Antagonist, Major Supporting Role '
Protagonist, Major Supporting Role '
occupation = Pirate Captain
Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea
Formerly:
first mate
nationality = Portuguese/Spanish
ships used = "The Black Pearl
Hai Peng"
weapons = Rapier
Pistol
Hand grenades
bounty = 10000 Guineas
appearance = '
' (ending only)
""
ships attacked = "HMS Interceptor
HMS Endeavour
"Flying Dutchman" "
portrayed by = Geoffrey Rush

Hector Barbossa is a fictional character in the popular Disney film trilogy "Pirates of the Caribbean". Barbossa was first introduced in the series as the primary antagonist in the trilogy's first installment, "". Having met his demise in the climax of the first film, his character is resurrected at the end , becoming one of the allies of the . In the third film, it is revealed that Barbossa is also one of the nine pirate lords as pirate lord of the Caspian Sea territory.

Barbossa is portrayed by Australian actor Geoffrey Rush in all the films.

Development

Barbossa's first name, "Hector", was revealed in a director's commentary on the "Curse of the Black Pearl" DVD, but was not revealed by any of the characters until the last film of the series. It was revealed that costar Johnny Depp played a decisive part in providing the name. [cite news | author = Scott Holleran | title = Interview: Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio on 'At World's End' | publisher = Box Office Mojo | date =2003-05-31 | url = http://www.boxofficemojo.com/features/?id=2323&pagenum=all&p=.htm | accessdate=2007-06-06] His last name is both a pun on the surname of Iberian origin "Barbosa" and is based on Barbarossa, the Ottoman privateer who is also known as Oruç Reis and Redbeard; the word is a combination of the Italian words "barba" (beard) and "ossa" (bones) which is very consistent with his skeletal look shown in the first movie.

Fictional Biography

"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"

In "", Barbossa is captain of the pirate ship the "Black Pearl", although he was originally the ship's first mate under Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp). Barbossa persuaded Jack to reveal the bearings to Isla de Muerta where the Chest of Cortez, containing 882 pieces of Aztec gold, was hidden. After Sparrow divulged the location, Barbossa and the crew mutineed and marooned Sparrow on a tiny island, with only a single-shot pistol with which to commit suicide. Jack escaped after three days, swearing to use the pistol's single shot to kill Barbossa, and spent the next 10 years seeking revenge.

Barbossa and the crew found the Aztec treasure and ran afoul of a curse placed upon the gold by the Aztec gods, which rendered them undead. To lift the curse, the crew must return all 882 coins to the chest and offer their blood. They also need the blood of their former shipmate, William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, the lone holdout against the mutiny. Believing the crew deserved to remain cursed for betraying Jack, he sent one coin to his son, Will (Orlando Bloom). In retaliation, he was tied to a cannon and thrown overboard. For years, Barbossa searched for the last coin, that had since come into the possession of Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), daughter of Governor Weatherby Swann (Jonathan Pryce). Barbossa sets sail for Port Royal after detecting a "signal" when the coin touches the sea. Unknown to him, Jack Sparrow is also in Port Royal.

Believing Elizabeth is Bootstrap's daughter (and thus, the means to breaking their curse), Barbossa makes off with her and the medallion. He reveals their cursed state en route to Isla de Muerta. Upon arrival, Barbossa performs a ritual offering Elizabeth's blood, mistakenly believing her to be Bill Turner's child; the ritual fails. Will and Sparrow rescue Elizabeth, and they escape with the medallion. An unconscious Jack Sparrow is left behind and taken prisoner aboard the "Pearl". Barbossa pursues the "Interceptor". Catching them, Barbossa learns Will's true identity. He maroons Jack and Elizabeth and imprisons Will and the crew. Before he can finish performing the ritual using Will's blood, Sparrow makes another unexpected return and strikes a bargain with Barbossa with the intent of betraying him.

While the pirates battle the Royal Navy, Jack duels Barbossa, having secretly swiped a cursed coin while bargaining with him. Now both are undead, unable to defeat one another. When it looks like Jack and Will are ready to turn the tables, Barbossa pulls a gun, threatening to shoot Elizabeth. Jack then shoots Barbossa with the pistol he received when he was marooned. At this point Will returns the final coin to the Chest and breaks the curse; thus, Barbossa is fatally wounded. As blood gushes from the now-mortal Barbossa's wound, he says "I feel... cold." It is the first physical sensation he has experienced since the curse was put upon him. After he falls dead, an eerily content expression is on his face.

After the main credits, Barbossa's pet monkey can be seen stealing another coin.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"

Barbossa is resurrected during this film, although he does not appear until the final scene. Having met his demise in the previous installment, Barbossa is resurrected by Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris), in order to save Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker after Sparrow meets his demise against the monster the Kraken, ending Dead Man's Chest as a cliff-hanger.

During the scene at Tia Dalma's hut, someone's lower half can be partially seen lying on a bed in a back room. Jack the Monkey perches on a boot-clad leg, alluding to an Easter egg of Barbossa being resurrected. Jack Sparrow being seen holding Barbossa's feathered hat is a subtle clue that the captain will return.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"

Barbossa joins forces with Elizabeth, Will and the "Black Pearl" crew to rescue Jack from Davy Jones' Locker.

To reach World's End, the gateway to the Locker, Barbossa needs the navigational charts belonging to Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat), the Pirate Lord of Singapore. During a meeting with Feng, Barbossa and Elizabeth admit that they are planning to retrieve Jack Sparrow, Feng's enemy. Feng is furious over an earlier attempt by Will to steal the charts, but after the East India Trading Company attacks his bathhouse, he is persuaded to loan them the charts and a ship, although only after making a secret deal with Will.

Barbossa and the crew sail to World's End, eventually arriving in Davy Jones' Locker. There they find Sparrow and the "Black Pearl". Sparrow initially believes they are hallucinations, and he is unhappy over being rescued by those who have either attempted or succeeded in killing him. Sparrow finally agrees to go with them, although he and Barbossa continually dispute who is captain. While searching for an escape route, Sparrow and Barbossa form a tenuous alliance when Jack is told that Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) now possesses the heart of Davy Jones and is purging piracy. But when Jack learns that whoever stabs Davy Jones' heart will become immortal, he plots his own course.

Returning to the living world, the crew sight land and stop to restock supplies. Distrusting one another, both captains go ashore with a landing party, leaving Will temporarily in command, still unaware he has a deal with Sao Feng. While ashore, they find the dead Kraken, killed by Davy Jones under Lord Beckett's order. Barbossa tells Sparrow that as two of the nine pirate lords, they must attend the Brethren Court convening at Shipwreck Cove, although Jack refuses, intent on seeking immortality. A surprisingly eloquent Barbossa urges Sparrow to look beyond his own self interests and consider the greater good, telling him piracy is being exterminated and there is little nobility or purpose in being the only pirate left in the Caribbean; he will be doomed to the same fate as the Kraken—the last of its kind.

Sao Feng arrives in his warship, the "Empress", claiming the Pearl and betraying Will. Hector Barbossa negotiates a new deal with Feng and implies that Calypso, goddess of the sea, is aboard the ship, trapped in human form. Believing Elizabeth is Calypso, Feng demands she be traded to him for the "Pearl". Elizabeth, furious over Will's deception, agrees to go with Feng to protect the crew. Will is thrown into the brig by Sparrow as Barbossa and Sparrow head to Shipwreck Cove after escaping Lord Beckett, who arrived at the island.

At the Brethren Court, Barbossa proposes releasing Calypso from her human form to help them fight Beckett. He argues that the first court imprisoned the goddess only because it served their own needs, but in doing so, they provided an opportunity for forces like Beckett to threaten them. He further states that mastering the ocean did not come from bargaining with supernatural beings, but by man's strength alone. Although this argument was met with some serious acknowledgement, the other lords are opposed, fearing the sea goddess' power and retaliation. Elizabeth Swann, who has succeeded Sao Feng as the "Empress"' captain and the Pirate Lord of Singapore, arrives at the court. A fight breaks out as the lords argue over going to war and releasing Calypso. According to the Pirata Codex, only a Pirate King can declare war, and the lords move to elect one. Sparrow breaks a stalemate by casting his vote for Elizabeth, who orders them to fight Beckett.

As the pirates prepare for battle, the horizon fills with Lord Beckett's massive armada. Barbossa, who tricked the other pirate lords into yielding their "Pieces of Eight" rank insignias, frees Calypso (Tia Dalma) in a ritual. He pleads for her intervention, but Calypso refuses to aid those who kept her imprisoned; her fury creates a giant maelstrom.

Barbossa takes the "Black Pearl" into battle against the "Flying Dutchman". After Beckett's defeat, Barbossa again commandeers the "Pearl", stranding Jack and Gibbs in Tortuga. The crew protest leaving Jack Sparrow behind (again), saying they want Barbossa to share the bearings to the Fountain of Youth, mirroring the original mutiny that made Barbossa the "Pearl's" captain. Barbossa agrees and unrolls the chart, only to discover that Jack has cut out its middle.

Background

In the "Becoming Barbossa" featurette on the "Lost Disc", Rush shared his personal take on Barbossa's history; his family was poor, and he ran away from home when he was 13. He went to the sea, seeing how well the captains and officers lived, decided to become a captain himself. At first, he wanted to be an honest seaman, but soon recognized that piracy was easier and more lucrative.

In "At World's End", Hector Barbossa is revealed to be one of the nine Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court. He is the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea, although as that body of water is endorheic, he pirated elsewhere, eventually settling in the Caribbean and joining Jack Sparrow's crew.

Hector Barbossa is fond of apples, which appear throughout the first film. He offers one to the captive Elizabeth and later tells her that once the curse is lifted, he wants to eat a whole bushel full. There are also apples in his cabin, and when he dies, one rolls from his hand, that he apparently brought to eat when the curse was lifted. His cameo appearance in "Dead Man's Chest" shows him biting into his favorite fruit. In "At World's End", he is only shown eating one apple when aboard the "Black Pearl".

According to the audio commentary from the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" DVD featuring the scriptwriters, Hector Barbossa is skilled with a sword, considered one of the finest swordsmen in the Caribbean. According to the commentary, Barbossa's skills are equal to James Norrington (Jack Davenport) and excelled only by Will Turner. His prowess with a blade is evident in his duel with Jack Sparrow, and in the maelstrom battle against the East India Trading Company. In the first film, the "Black Pearl" crew were hesitant to attack Hector Barbossa, even all at once. The only person known to have survived a one-on-one duel is Jack Sparrow, in the treasure caves of Isla de Muerta. However, this could also be explained by Jack temporarily being changed into an undead being. Geoffrey Rush comments that Hector Barbossa supposedly used a sword from a very young age, possibly as early as 13.

He uses the same flag as the notorious pirate John "Calico Jack" Rackham.

In "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Visual Guide", Hector Barbossa is described as being attentive to his appearance, as his elaborate clothing shows. He wears a large ring bearing a lion's head symbol and has blue ostrich plumes in his hat. His coat buttons are made from recast Incan silver. Also, his pistol once belonged to a Spanish pirate, won in a duel. [http://www.pirates-shipwrecks-treasure-diving.com/dead-mans-chest.html] His position as Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea is revealed in the updated "Complete Visual Guide".

Other appearances

* Hector Barbossa is one of only four Disney villains ever nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain, the others being Davy Jones, Scar from "The Lion King", and Jadis the White Witch in "".
* Hector Barbossa (along with another "Black Pearl" crewman) is pictured on the cover of WAS IST WAS band 71 Piraten. [http://shop.pop.de/images/product_images/popup_images/3-78860-411-5.png]
* Hector Barbossa appears as a villain in the Pirates of the Caribbean setting of "Kingdom Hearts II". In that game, he recreates his role in the first movie with the exception of his crew's alliance with Pete. During a confrontation with Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jack and the others, Hector Barbossa agrees to leave with Will Turner, but allows the Heartless to stay on board with the explosives placed on the Interceptor. In the final confrontation with Jack Sparrow and Sora's group, Hector Barbossa makes use of a Gecko-type Heartless named Illuminator, which Pete summons for him, that can hide Hector Barbossa in darkness, as well as his own sword skills and grenades. After being defeated by Sora, Jack and the others, Jack drops his sword and shoots Barbossa with the pistol the renegade captain left him upon his exile. Hector Barbossa laughs it off at first, but Will calls his attention and drops the last two Aztec coins back into the chest, both smeared with his and Jack's blood. Hector Barbossa, his curse broken, feels the pain of his gunshot wound, which struck him directly in the heart. His last words are, "I feel... cold." (the same lines from the film) He then falls backwards, dead. Due to the filming of the two sequels back-to-back, which resulted in the cast being unavailable, Hector Barbossa was voiced by Brian George in the English version. In the Japanese version, he is voiced by Haruhiko Jō.
*Barbossa was made into several action figures by NECA. He appeared in the first wave of "Curse of the Black Pearl" figures in his human form; that same figure would be re-released as part of the fourth wave of "Dead Man's Chest" toys. Barbossa's cursed form was released as a box set, which also featured Jack Sparrow as a zombie, and the chest of cursed Aztec gold. Lastly, he was also released in the "At World's End" figure line. However, he did not come with Jack the Monkey, who was released in a figure set along with Marty. [http://www.mysimon.com/9015-11029_8-40620035.html]
*Barbossa was made as a plush toy for the M&M "Dead Man's Chest" promotion. He was the blue M&M.

References

External links

* [http://pirates.wikia.com/wiki/Hector_Barbossa Hector Barbossa] at the [http://pirates.wikia.com "Pirates of the Caribbean" wiki]
* [http://www.piratesofthecaribbean.com/]
* [http://www.disney.com/] see related websites