Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is an infamous pirate, and the first Pirates of the Caribbean reads off a list of committed crimes to prove it. Depp had been a respected actor for quite some time by his 2003 debut as Sparrow, earning praise for films like Ed Wood, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Donnie Brasco. It was becoming a pirate for Disney that truly made Depp a bankable A-list star though, with Captain Jack pretty easily standing as the actor’s most widely beloved character.
The success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise elevated Depp to blockbuster leading man, although to his credit, his choice of roles still remained pretty eclectic. In more recent years, Depp has been surrounded by personal controversy thanks to his messy divorce from Amber Heard, but most of his fanbase still seems to have remained loyal. If anything, one could argue Depp’s career has been dinged a bit recently more do to his questionable choice of films than anything.
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Disney now plans to reboot Pirates of the Caribbean without Jack Sparrow, so it would appear Depp’s time with the franchise has ended. Still, he leaves fans with lots of great Captain Jack memories, including that time he was (almost) publicly executed for numerous crimes.
Pirates of the Caribbean 1: Every Crime Jack Sparrow Committed
- Piracy
- Smuggling
- Falsification of Letters of Marque and Reprisal
- Impersonating an Officer of the British Royal Navy
- Impersonating an Officer of the Spanish Royal Navy
- Impersonating a Cleric of the Church of England
- Sailing Under False Colors
- Arson
- Kidnapping
- Looting
- Poaching
- Brigandage
- Pilfering
- Depravity
- Depredation
- General Lawlessness
At one point in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Captain Jack Sparrow is about be hanged by the authorities, thanks to the numerous crimes he’s been charged with committing. Judging by his zest for piracy and lack of denials, it would seem he did actually do them all. Amusingly, his reaction to the charge of “impersonating a cleric of the Church of England” suggests he’d either forgotten he did that or that it’s a memory he particularly enjoys. Sadly, Disney never saw fit to make a Captain Jack prequel in which fans got to see him commit this full list of crimes firsthand.
Oddly enough though, Captain Jack’s long rap sheet says way more about his character than those about to hang him might believe. Not among his list of crimes is rape, murder, or any kind of offense against a child, which suggests that there are moral lines Jack won’t cross, despite being a wanted criminal. While crimes like arson and kidnapping certainly aren’t great things to do, it’s doubtful Jack burned down a building with anyone inside it, or inflicted harm upon the person he kidnapped, probably just holding them for ransom. The wanton taking of lives is not an aspect of piracy Jack embraces, and that points to his true nature as a troublemaker with a heart of gold.