Character Application: Captain Jack Sparrow
CHARACTER INFO
Character Name: Jack Sparrow
Canon: Pirates Of The Caribbean (movie series)
Point taken from canon: Right after the end of the third movie ("At World's End"), after he sets out into the sea to look for the Fountain of Youth.
Age: N/A, however I think he should be around 30 years old (possibly somewhere between 25 and 40) and looks around it as well. He's fully grown up and even has a beard, however he also looks considerably young and and is in a good shape physically, being fast and agile.
Gender: Male
Preferred Village: N/A; he travels around all the time, rather than settling somewhere. Though he might fancy having lodgings in Mizusato above the other villages, also he'd probably approve of the Himorogi area seeing he's rather good-natured at heart.
Appearance:
Jack is stated to be 5' 10" (1.78 m) tall and is of an average build. His skin is of a tanned tone, though at some points it may seem considerably light and on other occasions it's darker and can even have a black shade (that looks like the one commonly caused by alcohol). He has brown eyes that are highlighted by black kohl of a make-up, what makes his gaze rather noticeable or, capturing. He has a short beard, braided into two parts each of which is decorated by two small beads, short mustache, and a few golden teeth. He also has a number of tattoos, most distinctive of them being a "P" that the East India Trading Company used to mark pirates and an self-identifying tattoo of a sparrow flying across a setting sun on his arms, and his back is extensively tattooed with a 15th century poem "Desiderata", what implies he is in fact a peaceful man at heart.
A very characteristic feature of him is his hair. It's black or really dark brown, rather long and dreadlocked. There are all kinds of beads (Kuchi, African, ...) and trinkets braided into his hair, some of which seem to be amulets or charms, as well as a reindeer shin bone, red ribbon pieces and Jack's "Piece of Eight", courtesy of the Pirate Lords, that is a small ancient Siamese coin. Most of these dangles have been collected during his adventures all around the world. It's also notable that he wears a washed-red bandanna all the times, and the coin usually hangs over it. After the coin is used to release Calypso, it is replaced by a small Kraken tooth in the collection of hair souvenirs.
Jack wears mostly normal clothing of pirates of the canon, though he does seem to put a little into looking more flamboyant and "rockstar-like" than the others. His clothing include long pirate boots, rather simple trousers of averagely rough fabric, a washed-off red sash, a seemingly torn white shirt with a faded-dark-blue waistcoat over it, and a knee-length brown coat. He also wears a belt with a rather big buckle that he likes to attach strange things to as well as his hair, for example a chicken foot and more trinkets. He always carries his "effects" with him, that include a pistol, a cutlass and a square compass (which points what the person wants most rather than North), however Jack's most valued possession appears to be his black tricorn hat that marks him as a Captain. He is quite protective of it; also he insists to always be called "Captain Jack Sparrow".
One of the most unique characterizations of Captain Jack Sparrow is his unusual demeanor, in particular physical mannerisms. He has a specific, somewhat flailing and playful way of walking and gesturing, almost reminiscent of dancing or a drunken stagger, which is often mistaken for him being simply always drunk (what of course is also a possibility) or having hit his head too hard on the low doorways of ships one too many times. His slurred speech (not to mention the specific way of speech that most pirates seem to use) only supports those possibilities, as well as his often somewhat familiar way of communicating with his enemies and allies alike, what sometimes goes as far as to displayed as a habit of touching whoever he's talking to. His wild, flaily hand gestures often make him seem unfocused, ataxic or even slightly theatralic about whatever he's doing, or talking about. He will often appear poorly balanced, confused or almost clumsy, although he has perfectly firm footing when on a ship or in a fight and is very agile - in fact, due to not having exceptional physical measurements, he relies on wits, speed and agility rather than actual strength to win his battles - something that obviously comes as a surprise to his opponents.
While not in a fight, he doesn't appear very dangerous by his mere looks; he often smiles, especially when he's pleased with something or is trying to make a parley, but he also has plenty of serious (and all other kinds of, from scared or disgusted to surprised or seductive, all well visible on his face) moments. He can be quite the charmer if he wants to; not only he tends to turn all fights into word ones, but he also seems pretty adept in getting the ladies' attention - although they usually slap him upon meeting him for a second time. Like many people - especially pirates - of those times, he seems to pay little attention to personal hygiene as pointed out once by a distressed damsel, but it doesn't seem to affect his charm nor health in any way.
Background:
All information can be found here: http://pirates.wikia.com/wiki/Jack_Sparrow . Some of the most important details, summarized:
The son of Captain Teague, Jack was born onboard a ship caught in the middle of a typhoon, off the coast of India. It is unknown what or when happened to his mother, however she is shown in the form of a severed, shrunken head at the second half of the third movie. Teague apparently had been carrying it around for a long while, however seemingly passes it on to Jack as he is seen having it while setting off to find the Fountain of Youth.
His early life is not covered in the original canon, however later series of books have been released, uncovering that he at first had ran away from home in the hopes of leaving the life being a part of a pirate family behind. However, he was already attracted to adventures back then and, having experienced quite a few of them, including those dealing with supernatural things (that's when he started collecting his beads), eventually was more or less back on track.
After his teenage adventures he was at some point employed by the East India Trading Company, as a Captain of the merchant vessel Wicked Wench. Presumably he carried out plenty of jobs, including those given by Beckett, however refused to do so when told to transport slaves, instead setting them free. Beckett was outraged; he ordered the ship burned and branded Jack Sparrow a pirate. Although despising piracy during his early years, Jack soon accepted his outlaw status, growing a liking to it and freedom, and left the East India Trading Company behind. That is when he struck a bargain with Davey Jones, the vengeful sea spirit in command of the notorious Flying Dutchman; in the cost of his soul being given up for slavery in said ship in 13 years, he had the burned ship back up floating the seas and renamed it the Black Pearl.
Unfortunately, rather soon after this and a couple of adventures there was a mutiny, commanded by his own First Mate Barbossa, and Jack was deserted on an uninhabited island with a shotgun with a single round in it. He managed to escape, however didn't retrieve his ship nor get his revenge for about ten years. However, despite of that, he had managed to become an infamous pirate captain and the stuff of legend and many tales that were told of his exploits. Most of these tales however were fabrications concocted by Sparrow to bolster his reputation; but despite of his many deceptions, he did embark on a great number of adventures during his life, and has sailed all of the Seven Seas, as confirmed by a special tattoo.
After getting back the Black Pearl, Sparrow's merry days of being a full-fledged Captain again didn't last too long, as the time to pay his debt to Davey Jones was approaching soon. Giving in to his cowardice, Jack fled the seas and tried to find safety on the land, not very sucessfully though as he and his crew were taken into custody by some local tribe of jungle people. The only escape route is the sea, and that's where Jones' gigantic pet, the Kraken, chases them as well.
Jack once again tried to outwit his opponent, including trying to send a friend for eternal slavery in his place, and in the end the Captain of the Flying Dutchman agreed to relieve him of his debt if he can bring one hundred souls instead of his own in three days. Sparrow accepts the offer, at the same time having a plan B: legend says that the captain of the ghost ship can be killed and taken place of by stabbing his carved out heart which is hidden somewhere in the world.
Unfortunately, after choosing the wrong people to use as pawns and several betrayals, the heart falls into the hands of Beckett and the East India Trading Company, while Jack is forced to face his fear of death and goes down with his ship, meeting the Kraken attack face-to-face while his crew escapes along with some traitors.
Even though presumably dead, Jack remains in a mythical place called Davey Jones' Locker, where he is being tortured by madness. His crew, with the help of the mythic Tia Dalma, sets out for the world's end to find him and bring him back in order to battle Beckett and his growing power after he took control of the Flying Dutchman. Eventually, they succeed, and Jack, though at first doubtful of the rescuers' motives, agrees to go with them. By now his ambition to become immortal and freely sail the seas for eternity becomes especially expressed, though both resurrected Barbossa and later his father argues that it isn't a good idea.
Still making sure to do and scheme everything that's possible to save his skin, he joins the Brethren Court for making the decision what to do with Beckett wanting to swipe piracy off the face of the Earth. After more parley and checking of the Pirate Code, the decision to fight is made. Although the fight seems pretty hopeless at first, things move once the Pirate Lords free the sea goddess Calypso, who creates a vortex between the warring ships. Sparrow takes on Davey Jones, but in the end is forced to sacrifice his own chance at immortality as Will Turner is mortally wounded and the only way to save him is for him to become the new captain of the Flying Dutchman. Once that happens, the tables are reversed; Beckett's ship is sunk, killing him in the process, and the navy flees.
Although everything seems rather successful, Sparrow's crew once again decides they're better off without him and leaves him offboard the Black Pearl at Port Royal - not before he manages to steal some pretty rare charts, though. Seeing his vessel disappear in the distance, Jack finally decides to be genuine with the ladies - what earns him two slaps - and then parts with the loyal Mr. Gibbs on a rather happy note, probably foreseeing new adventures. The last seen of Sparrow in the current three movies is him sailing in a dingy towards the horizon, following the map that is supposed to take him to the Fountain of Youth, and glugging down rum happily.
Personality:
Jack Sparrow is definitely a very tricky person, and he's rarely figured out by anyone, enemies and friends alike. He is rather self-centered, though of course that's not surprising among pirates; he often treats people as pawns, using them to play in his own schemes without even realizing it until it's too late. He prefers sweet-talking and parley to actual combat, even though he is perfectly capable in both, and will commonly soothe his target's vigilance with a huge amount of rather meaningless talking that often gains philosophical overtones before actually trying to strike. In fact, even when not among enemies, he will use an exceeded amount of gibberish to drown whatever he actually wanted to say in it. He is often quite talkative even in situations that seem grim for him, trying to win something out of it until the last moment. It often appears as if he's in a play; he immediately takes in the situation and tries to turn it for his favor whenever possible, displaying surprising creativity in all sorts of difficult moments.
If his schemes go wrong, even as far as getting him at gunpoint, he never seems to show his disappointment in it, quickly adapting to the situation and trying to weasel his way out, selling out whatever is possible or just plainly trying to reassure the enemy that they want a compromise, pretending that whatever he was doing before doesn't interest him or twists it in a way it would be benefitial to join forces for those who got in his way - even if he'll definitely find a way to get rid of them afterwards. He is smart and even in such cases doesn't reveal anything that could ruin his further schemes, though that doesn't always play out well, but even then he won't lose his composition. At the same time, he isn't very courageous, and will often take the chance to flee if he doesn't see a better outcome, or if talking the enemies out of killing him doesn't seem to have much effect. He can also be suspicious or even somewhat stubborn/petty with someone that has offended him in any way.
He appears giddy and somewhat of a fool most of the time, many making the mistake of not taking him seriously most of the time, however he displays a lot of common sense and quick thinking when the situation calls for it, not to mention using anything possible to his advantage including cheating in duels, switching sides many times over or handing over his supposed allies without much hesitation. He knows how to take enemies by surprise, and of course his silly front helps with that as well.
Jack is very attached to the Black Pearl and his status as a Captain - in fact, he always insists to be addressed as "Captain Jack Sparrow" even when he doesn't have a ship nor crew and gets upset or irritated otherwise. He is proud about that and even contributes to the legends about him by himself, spreading some extra rumors or details on the existing ones, even if in reality some of them aren't that very great (for example, a legend says he escaped an uninhabited island by making a raft out of sea turtles and his hair, though in reality he was picked up by a merchant chip after three days laying on a beach drinking rum), but there's a good number of his adventures that are actually real and deserve their fame. He's the horror of pirate persecutors and one of his most often used phrases is, "Gentlemen, you will always remember today as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow," though it sometimes gets humorously cut off by him doing something clumsy like tripping over the cliff's edge.
Sparrow values freedom above everything else in life. That might be one of the reasons of his somewhat unstable mindset; he takes what he can, but he doesn't settle with anything for too long. He was also said to consider marriage to be "a wager to see who falls out of love first", and even though he displays a great liking for the ladies, he never stays around them for long (resulting in, as already stated, continuous slapping upon meeting them again). It also explains why is he always so desperate to preserve his own freedom - he does it using anything in his disposal, from wits and words to people and alliances. Being the Captain of a ship of his own is what ensures real freedom, to sail wherever he wants and when he wants, and that's why he has stated that Black Pearl isn't so important because it's a ship, but because it is really freedom. This mindset of his seems to gain a bit more altruistic vibes as when pursued by Kraken, he eventually says the Pearl is just a ship and already gives the order for everyone to retreat, before he's tricked into staying on the sinking ship - in other words, exchanging freedom for duty; however after returning from the world's end he seems more or less back into his original thoughts.
When approaching people, no matter how undangerously looking while doing so, he quite immediately knows quite a bit of what can be expected of one or another person - of course, it's possible to mislead him as well. He usually acts giddy and happy around strangers and enemies (especially when "at" their "mercy"?), serious around opponents, seductive around women, and actually reliable around his own crewmen. He doesn't seem to fully trust anyone other than himself and in return he isn't trusted by many either, though Mr. Gibbs does seem to be one of his more trustworthy allies. Even though Jack might be somewhat careful when approaching people - of course, careful is a loose term when it comes to him - he appreciates both loneliness and company, and commonly will try to be "nice" even if it visibly is pushing it. He also has a pretty good sense of humor, although often smiling in weirdest situations - including when debating his life - and he might also say complete nonsense with a straight face, either if meant as a joke or as a deceivement. And of course, he's always ready to trick people into something that would be useful for him.
Although Jack Sparrow might seem as a simple tricky, dirty and nothing-holy-for pirate, he also has a different side that shows rarely but does. Other than the already mentioned burst of altruism, he has also displayed good nature and quite strict morale on certain things; for example when he refused to transport slaves, also when he's about to be hanged and the man with a wig reads his (long!) criminal record, it doesn't have a single mention of murder or rape, what means Jack sees his piracy as something honorable and won't step over certain boundaries. His good nature also shines through the fact that he prefers parley to battle whenever possible, signaling he would rather not spill blood unless it's unavoidable. In fact, such peaceful ideas is another reason why some pirates don't approve of him, and also the cause of the famous mutiny in his ship.
A common moto of his is "Take what you can, give nothing back" - that also describes his style and life quite well. He loves life and freedom, and he tries to take the most of it, at the same time making sure there is nothing he would regret afterwards. He doesn't bear too much unnecessary sentiments, however as mentioned above he isn't always egocentric above everything else. At the same time, such point of view can be rather expensive; Jack has a great load of debts, including owing ships and being indebted - quite a lot - to the other Pirate Lords, some of which seem rather hateful due to that as they apparently never get anything back despite of Jack's "intentions to return it". The phrase also fits piracy quite well - he's not restricted by additional morale other than what he himself chooses to follow, in other words, directs his own path while making sure to have a good time along the way.
Abilities/Strengths:
Parley. First of all, Jack is a great talker and debater, and also seems to know quite a lot of the Pirate Codex. Even though, by default, not many of other pirates (nor anyone) take him seriously, his skill with words commonly gets around that and makes them interested in whatever he's offering. Very rarely he gets told off while doing so, and that's usually people who have been tricked by him many times before. He manages to reach a compromise that - at least from the looks of it - satisfies both sides, and can often argue his way out of trouble, one way or another.
Quick thinking. He also adapts to new situations very quickly - both when in need to make a parley, or when in the middle of a fight. He constantly considers what's happening right on that moment and will use it to his advantage if possible. He's quite sharp, also very creative and resourceful, and in such situations will notice whatever can be used immediately.
Guns and opportunities. Jack is physically quite fast and agile (though ungraceful while at it), despite of his normally uneven, somewhat drunken bearing. He's good with dodging, at the same time he can be a bit clumsy while at it. He is also quite an excellent shooter; he's got very good aim even on a moving ship and can be quick with his shots. Even though not as good with it, he's also capable of swordfighting, and has a lot of experience in that and in other fields. He also doesn't hesitate to cheat in whatever fight he's involving himself into, and that often brings him the victory even though the opponent has an upper hand.
Willpower. He is also capable of making hard decisions when there's no other choice; he's rather strong mentally and doesn't let a misfortune get to him. He's not easily shocked, and even when he is, he doesn't let it steal too much time from him.
Weaknesses:
Lack of physical strength. Jack isn't really physically strong; that's why he has to rely on wits and speed, and that means he could get overweighted and thrown around by a bigger and/or heavier opponent if he doesn't manage to dodge. He can also be pretty clumsy, such as falling downstairs, and not always in best times. Even though he cheats and uses superior experience, he is stated to be the worst swordsman out of the male main four characters of the series (others being Will, Barbossa and Norrington), and can be beat by someone who's actually decent at it.
Distractedness. He can sometimes be petty about things that aren't very important, for example miss an excellent chance of escaping due to spending the time insisting to be called "Captain" or worrying about rum; he often seems unreliable and his tactics differ from other pirates', often being more peaceful and honorable, what in return makes his crew doubt him as a leader and in the end just dump him somewhere and leave.
Self-assurance and softness. His good nature and morale can also get the better of him, as he tends to think of his enemies as of too honourable at times. He sometimes can also overestimate his own ability of word-wits and bluffing, simply not considering the opponents might ignore his offer (this can clearly be seen at the end of the third movie; Jack threatens to stab Davey Jone's heart if he doesn't give up immediately, but the latter doesn't care anymore and kills Will, leaving Jack quite shocked and for the moment confused what to do next; it's clear he didn't foresee such possibility despite of his sharpness).
Lack of loyalty. On top of all that, he can also be somewhat treacherous; even though he has displayed he is capable of doing the right thing, his primary objective is still usually to save his own skin rather to help anyone else, be it self-centredness or actual fear. Due to that and his tricky nature, he doesn't have followers that would really be genuine and loyal, and that might leave him alone in situations he would rather not be.
Defining Quote(s):
"Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid." - Jack Sparrow
"Savvy?" - Jack Sparrow
"Why is the rum gone?" - Jack Sparrow
"The entire ocean. The entire wo'ld. Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs but what a ship is... what the Black Pearl really is... is freedom." - Jack Sparrow
"Now...bring me that horizon." - Jack Sparrow
Other:
Jack seems to have a rather bad luck where rum and his ship are concerned, as one, another or even both are often and constantly "gone", making him to go on a quest to find it. Hence "Why is the rum always gone?".
Action Writing Sample:
[Jack Sparrow is laying in the middle of the field, dressed in his usual a bit messy clothing, his coat spread under him and his hat a couple of inches from his head. He slowly opens his eyes and stares at the sky for a bit, blinking, then lifts himself up into sitting position, looking around with a bit of confusion, not seeming to realize where he is at first.]
Where's me ship?
[He rubs his eyes a bit and gets up, eyes widened a little, a slightly taken aback expression forming on his face. He seems to think he is dreaming. Why else would he be on a field with flowers and butterflies and forest in the distance and absolutely no body of water nearby.]
Come to think of it... Where's the pier? And the sea?
[He squints his eyes a bit, seeing nothing but fields around, and definitely no sea in any direction. He looks a bit disappointed.]
And the wide, blue horizon...not that I have anything against the narrow, green horizon, since it must be better than no horizon at all. At least all the grasshoppers would definitely agree with that.
[He finally notices a small device next to him and picks it up, looking at it curiously. He taps his finger against the screen, unaware he's being recorded, and puts it back down.]
Most peculiar.
[He picks up his hat instead and starts walking over the grass somewhat carefully, lifting his arms a little in a manner that makes it look like he's dancing or just drunk, still looking around. The place seems strangely peaceful and warm, and is making him feel in a similar way for some reason. After just a couple of steps he finally frowns a little and tilts his head.]
What is the meaning of this? Am I in the Locker again? Most unpleasant, that would be. But it definitely changed...the new owner has quite a bit more of a.. touch where decorating is concerned, if you ask me. Even if a little too...flowery.
[He makes a slightly displeased face, probably trying to connect what the current captain of the Flying Dutchman could have in common with flowers and butterflies other than presenting it to his wife. He doesn't really pay any attention to the device a couple of meters away from him, as he has no idea what it could be.]
I had no idea. Hm... but it could be this is somewhere else, too, could it not?
[He looks around again, hoping to spot anyone in this foreign land, and tries grinning a little just in case, trying to look perfectly happy and casual.]
Does anyone know where I am?
Third Person Writing Sample:
It was a nice, sunny day and Captain Jack Sparrow had been left without a ship, again. He didn't even realize how it happened, really; they ported for a few days to restore their supplies and he went out to the town, hoping to find some entertainment while at it. And he did. In fact, more than he would have liked. Well, to be perfectly honest, the entertainment back in town was blissfully perfect, as even the women who would hit him any time they saw him - of course, he hadn't deserved that - would become a lot friendlier once he would have a ship and be a full-fledged Captain again. That part was pretty nice. What was too much, was the fact that once he returned to where his ship should have been, it was gone.
Instead, it was just out of reach, floating away magnificently in all of its glory, becoming smaller and smaller as it got closer and closer to the horizon.
It was probably some of his crew's idea of a joke for entertainment, most likely, but Jack didn't find the sight very amusing. Quite the opposite, actually. He flailed a little and looked after the beautiful shape of his vessel longingly for a moment. "Those bloody pirates," he muttered, sounding very offended, and turned around rather determingly. Why did this always happen? He was the best, most legendary Captain in these seas, and he couldn't get why some people just wanted to hunt gold above all things. Of course, he liked it as well, but not that much, and when Gibbs finally told him why the crew was being unhappy, he couldn't help but be a little surprised. They just wanted to acquire something.. shiny during their quests. How simple, how indignant. He would get the ship back, he definitely would. No matter how long it would take. But first, he had to find some sort of a ship for that, because he definitely couldn't do anything while stuck on land. And the Royal Pier was, more or less, perfect for finding this sort of things, so that was where he headed.
And, of course, as soon as he got there, he was spotted and a couple of very helpful gentlemen offered to show him out with the help of the usual lines, "This pier is off limits".
He did his best to look genuinely surprised. "But gentlemen, you should hurry out of here immediately, then. Something being off limits is a very," he outstretched his hands to emphasize the point, "very serious thing." His eyes narrowed for a moment in a fake suspicion and his tone became quite official, "May I ask, just what are you doing here?"
The guards just blinked, that was their intended question and now this funny man was trying to make them explain themselves, that just wouldn't do. "We are filling our duty for the Royal Navy," one answered proudly after a few moments of confusion, and clenched his gun just a little tighter. Ah, no good, Jack realized, he might be starting to suspect something. "I'll have to ask you to move away immediately, sir."
Jack smiled widely, making a motion that looked a bit like some kind of a curtsy, "Most certainly," he said but instead started circling the guards from the opposite side than the exit from the pier was. He nonchalantly motioned at a nearby ship, "What a beauty," he hummed as if he was in fact complimenting the two men with muskets, one of them already looked a bit annoyed and pointed his gun at the, according to his opinion, annoying civilian.
"Please leave this pier right now."
Jack stared at it for a moment, then pushed it away with the same happy expression, "Of course. Say, you said you serve the Royal Navy?" he asked for confirmation.
The guard scoffed a little, the man with dreadlocks really started to look suspicious despite of looking like he was making them to buy something. "Yes, but--"
"Then you absolutely hate.. pirates, right?"
"Of course."
"Well. Don't look now, but there's one right over there."
The guards turned to look at the pointed direction in unison, seeing absolutely nothing where they expected to see nothing else than, of course, a pirate. At the same time a silent splosh could be heard behind them and once they turned back, the man was gone.
Along with a dingy that was tied to the pier just moments ago.
"Curses!"
Jack laughed silently as he gained distance from the guards, carefully directing the dingy under the pier as not to get seen too early. He would have loved to give his usual parting speech, but it probably wasn't a good idea to confront men with muskets in a tiny vessel like this that barely provided any protection. Oh well, there would be plenty of other chances. Right now he either had to try and gain of his ship - he couldn't really think of any potential traitors on the deck, so it had to be a joke, it had to, but who knows - or simply pick any of the navy right here and get aboard using this-- well, he'd need more people for that, so he might as well try and find some.
He could still see the Pearl in the distance, and it wasn't getting away as fast as before. Maybe he should try to reach it first, and see what the heck was going on there, and maybe shoot the damn monkey because it clearly was the most evil thing on that ship, obviously to blame for this scenario, as well. His gaze slowly wandered to the dingy's floor, his eyes lighting up as he saw what looked like a rum bottle and reached out for it, looking as if everything in the world he needed was with him right now.
The bottle was empty. Cursed be his luck.
"The rum is always gone," Jack grumbled disappointedly and, with a swift, graceful motion of his wrist, tossed the empty bottle into the waves.
Character Name: Jack Sparrow
Canon: Pirates Of The Caribbean (movie series)
Point taken from canon: Right after the end of the third movie ("At World's End"), after he sets out into the sea to look for the Fountain of Youth.
Age: N/A, however I think he should be around 30 years old (possibly somewhere between 25 and 40) and looks around it as well. He's fully grown up and even has a beard, however he also looks considerably young and and is in a good shape physically, being fast and agile.
Gender: Male
Preferred Village: N/A; he travels around all the time, rather than settling somewhere. Though he might fancy having lodgings in Mizusato above the other villages, also he'd probably approve of the Himorogi area seeing he's rather good-natured at heart.
Appearance:
Jack is stated to be 5' 10" (1.78 m) tall and is of an average build. His skin is of a tanned tone, though at some points it may seem considerably light and on other occasions it's darker and can even have a black shade (that looks like the one commonly caused by alcohol). He has brown eyes that are highlighted by black kohl of a make-up, what makes his gaze rather noticeable or, capturing. He has a short beard, braided into two parts each of which is decorated by two small beads, short mustache, and a few golden teeth. He also has a number of tattoos, most distinctive of them being a "P" that the East India Trading Company used to mark pirates and an self-identifying tattoo of a sparrow flying across a setting sun on his arms, and his back is extensively tattooed with a 15th century poem "Desiderata", what implies he is in fact a peaceful man at heart.
A very characteristic feature of him is his hair. It's black or really dark brown, rather long and dreadlocked. There are all kinds of beads (Kuchi, African, ...) and trinkets braided into his hair, some of which seem to be amulets or charms, as well as a reindeer shin bone, red ribbon pieces and Jack's "Piece of Eight", courtesy of the Pirate Lords, that is a small ancient Siamese coin. Most of these dangles have been collected during his adventures all around the world. It's also notable that he wears a washed-red bandanna all the times, and the coin usually hangs over it. After the coin is used to release Calypso, it is replaced by a small Kraken tooth in the collection of hair souvenirs.
Jack wears mostly normal clothing of pirates of the canon, though he does seem to put a little into looking more flamboyant and "rockstar-like" than the others. His clothing include long pirate boots, rather simple trousers of averagely rough fabric, a washed-off red sash, a seemingly torn white shirt with a faded-dark-blue waistcoat over it, and a knee-length brown coat. He also wears a belt with a rather big buckle that he likes to attach strange things to as well as his hair, for example a chicken foot and more trinkets. He always carries his "effects" with him, that include a pistol, a cutlass and a square compass (which points what the person wants most rather than North), however Jack's most valued possession appears to be his black tricorn hat that marks him as a Captain. He is quite protective of it; also he insists to always be called "Captain Jack Sparrow".
One of the most unique characterizations of Captain Jack Sparrow is his unusual demeanor, in particular physical mannerisms. He has a specific, somewhat flailing and playful way of walking and gesturing, almost reminiscent of dancing or a drunken stagger, which is often mistaken for him being simply always drunk (what of course is also a possibility) or having hit his head too hard on the low doorways of ships one too many times. His slurred speech (not to mention the specific way of speech that most pirates seem to use) only supports those possibilities, as well as his often somewhat familiar way of communicating with his enemies and allies alike, what sometimes goes as far as to displayed as a habit of touching whoever he's talking to. His wild, flaily hand gestures often make him seem unfocused, ataxic or even slightly theatralic about whatever he's doing, or talking about. He will often appear poorly balanced, confused or almost clumsy, although he has perfectly firm footing when on a ship or in a fight and is very agile - in fact, due to not having exceptional physical measurements, he relies on wits, speed and agility rather than actual strength to win his battles - something that obviously comes as a surprise to his opponents.
While not in a fight, he doesn't appear very dangerous by his mere looks; he often smiles, especially when he's pleased with something or is trying to make a parley, but he also has plenty of serious (and all other kinds of, from scared or disgusted to surprised or seductive, all well visible on his face) moments. He can be quite the charmer if he wants to; not only he tends to turn all fights into word ones, but he also seems pretty adept in getting the ladies' attention - although they usually slap him upon meeting him for a second time. Like many people - especially pirates - of those times, he seems to pay little attention to personal hygiene as pointed out once by a distressed damsel, but it doesn't seem to affect his charm nor health in any way.
Background:
All information can be found here: http://pirates.wikia.com/wiki/Jack_Sparrow . Some of the most important details, summarized:
The son of Captain Teague, Jack was born onboard a ship caught in the middle of a typhoon, off the coast of India. It is unknown what or when happened to his mother, however she is shown in the form of a severed, shrunken head at the second half of the third movie. Teague apparently had been carrying it around for a long while, however seemingly passes it on to Jack as he is seen having it while setting off to find the Fountain of Youth.
His early life is not covered in the original canon, however later series of books have been released, uncovering that he at first had ran away from home in the hopes of leaving the life being a part of a pirate family behind. However, he was already attracted to adventures back then and, having experienced quite a few of them, including those dealing with supernatural things (that's when he started collecting his beads), eventually was more or less back on track.
After his teenage adventures he was at some point employed by the East India Trading Company, as a Captain of the merchant vessel Wicked Wench. Presumably he carried out plenty of jobs, including those given by Beckett, however refused to do so when told to transport slaves, instead setting them free. Beckett was outraged; he ordered the ship burned and branded Jack Sparrow a pirate. Although despising piracy during his early years, Jack soon accepted his outlaw status, growing a liking to it and freedom, and left the East India Trading Company behind. That is when he struck a bargain with Davey Jones, the vengeful sea spirit in command of the notorious Flying Dutchman; in the cost of his soul being given up for slavery in said ship in 13 years, he had the burned ship back up floating the seas and renamed it the Black Pearl.
Unfortunately, rather soon after this and a couple of adventures there was a mutiny, commanded by his own First Mate Barbossa, and Jack was deserted on an uninhabited island with a shotgun with a single round in it. He managed to escape, however didn't retrieve his ship nor get his revenge for about ten years. However, despite of that, he had managed to become an infamous pirate captain and the stuff of legend and many tales that were told of his exploits. Most of these tales however were fabrications concocted by Sparrow to bolster his reputation; but despite of his many deceptions, he did embark on a great number of adventures during his life, and has sailed all of the Seven Seas, as confirmed by a special tattoo.
After getting back the Black Pearl, Sparrow's merry days of being a full-fledged Captain again didn't last too long, as the time to pay his debt to Davey Jones was approaching soon. Giving in to his cowardice, Jack fled the seas and tried to find safety on the land, not very sucessfully though as he and his crew were taken into custody by some local tribe of jungle people. The only escape route is the sea, and that's where Jones' gigantic pet, the Kraken, chases them as well.
Jack once again tried to outwit his opponent, including trying to send a friend for eternal slavery in his place, and in the end the Captain of the Flying Dutchman agreed to relieve him of his debt if he can bring one hundred souls instead of his own in three days. Sparrow accepts the offer, at the same time having a plan B: legend says that the captain of the ghost ship can be killed and taken place of by stabbing his carved out heart which is hidden somewhere in the world.
Unfortunately, after choosing the wrong people to use as pawns and several betrayals, the heart falls into the hands of Beckett and the East India Trading Company, while Jack is forced to face his fear of death and goes down with his ship, meeting the Kraken attack face-to-face while his crew escapes along with some traitors.
Even though presumably dead, Jack remains in a mythical place called Davey Jones' Locker, where he is being tortured by madness. His crew, with the help of the mythic Tia Dalma, sets out for the world's end to find him and bring him back in order to battle Beckett and his growing power after he took control of the Flying Dutchman. Eventually, they succeed, and Jack, though at first doubtful of the rescuers' motives, agrees to go with them. By now his ambition to become immortal and freely sail the seas for eternity becomes especially expressed, though both resurrected Barbossa and later his father argues that it isn't a good idea.
Still making sure to do and scheme everything that's possible to save his skin, he joins the Brethren Court for making the decision what to do with Beckett wanting to swipe piracy off the face of the Earth. After more parley and checking of the Pirate Code, the decision to fight is made. Although the fight seems pretty hopeless at first, things move once the Pirate Lords free the sea goddess Calypso, who creates a vortex between the warring ships. Sparrow takes on Davey Jones, but in the end is forced to sacrifice his own chance at immortality as Will Turner is mortally wounded and the only way to save him is for him to become the new captain of the Flying Dutchman. Once that happens, the tables are reversed; Beckett's ship is sunk, killing him in the process, and the navy flees.
Although everything seems rather successful, Sparrow's crew once again decides they're better off without him and leaves him offboard the Black Pearl at Port Royal - not before he manages to steal some pretty rare charts, though. Seeing his vessel disappear in the distance, Jack finally decides to be genuine with the ladies - what earns him two slaps - and then parts with the loyal Mr. Gibbs on a rather happy note, probably foreseeing new adventures. The last seen of Sparrow in the current three movies is him sailing in a dingy towards the horizon, following the map that is supposed to take him to the Fountain of Youth, and glugging down rum happily.
Personality:
Jack Sparrow is definitely a very tricky person, and he's rarely figured out by anyone, enemies and friends alike. He is rather self-centered, though of course that's not surprising among pirates; he often treats people as pawns, using them to play in his own schemes without even realizing it until it's too late. He prefers sweet-talking and parley to actual combat, even though he is perfectly capable in both, and will commonly soothe his target's vigilance with a huge amount of rather meaningless talking that often gains philosophical overtones before actually trying to strike. In fact, even when not among enemies, he will use an exceeded amount of gibberish to drown whatever he actually wanted to say in it. He is often quite talkative even in situations that seem grim for him, trying to win something out of it until the last moment. It often appears as if he's in a play; he immediately takes in the situation and tries to turn it for his favor whenever possible, displaying surprising creativity in all sorts of difficult moments.
If his schemes go wrong, even as far as getting him at gunpoint, he never seems to show his disappointment in it, quickly adapting to the situation and trying to weasel his way out, selling out whatever is possible or just plainly trying to reassure the enemy that they want a compromise, pretending that whatever he was doing before doesn't interest him or twists it in a way it would be benefitial to join forces for those who got in his way - even if he'll definitely find a way to get rid of them afterwards. He is smart and even in such cases doesn't reveal anything that could ruin his further schemes, though that doesn't always play out well, but even then he won't lose his composition. At the same time, he isn't very courageous, and will often take the chance to flee if he doesn't see a better outcome, or if talking the enemies out of killing him doesn't seem to have much effect. He can also be suspicious or even somewhat stubborn/petty with someone that has offended him in any way.
He appears giddy and somewhat of a fool most of the time, many making the mistake of not taking him seriously most of the time, however he displays a lot of common sense and quick thinking when the situation calls for it, not to mention using anything possible to his advantage including cheating in duels, switching sides many times over or handing over his supposed allies without much hesitation. He knows how to take enemies by surprise, and of course his silly front helps with that as well.
Jack is very attached to the Black Pearl and his status as a Captain - in fact, he always insists to be addressed as "Captain Jack Sparrow" even when he doesn't have a ship nor crew and gets upset or irritated otherwise. He is proud about that and even contributes to the legends about him by himself, spreading some extra rumors or details on the existing ones, even if in reality some of them aren't that very great (for example, a legend says he escaped an uninhabited island by making a raft out of sea turtles and his hair, though in reality he was picked up by a merchant chip after three days laying on a beach drinking rum), but there's a good number of his adventures that are actually real and deserve their fame. He's the horror of pirate persecutors and one of his most often used phrases is, "Gentlemen, you will always remember today as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow," though it sometimes gets humorously cut off by him doing something clumsy like tripping over the cliff's edge.
Sparrow values freedom above everything else in life. That might be one of the reasons of his somewhat unstable mindset; he takes what he can, but he doesn't settle with anything for too long. He was also said to consider marriage to be "a wager to see who falls out of love first", and even though he displays a great liking for the ladies, he never stays around them for long (resulting in, as already stated, continuous slapping upon meeting them again). It also explains why is he always so desperate to preserve his own freedom - he does it using anything in his disposal, from wits and words to people and alliances. Being the Captain of a ship of his own is what ensures real freedom, to sail wherever he wants and when he wants, and that's why he has stated that Black Pearl isn't so important because it's a ship, but because it is really freedom. This mindset of his seems to gain a bit more altruistic vibes as when pursued by Kraken, he eventually says the Pearl is just a ship and already gives the order for everyone to retreat, before he's tricked into staying on the sinking ship - in other words, exchanging freedom for duty; however after returning from the world's end he seems more or less back into his original thoughts.
When approaching people, no matter how undangerously looking while doing so, he quite immediately knows quite a bit of what can be expected of one or another person - of course, it's possible to mislead him as well. He usually acts giddy and happy around strangers and enemies (especially when "at" their "mercy"?), serious around opponents, seductive around women, and actually reliable around his own crewmen. He doesn't seem to fully trust anyone other than himself and in return he isn't trusted by many either, though Mr. Gibbs does seem to be one of his more trustworthy allies. Even though Jack might be somewhat careful when approaching people - of course, careful is a loose term when it comes to him - he appreciates both loneliness and company, and commonly will try to be "nice" even if it visibly is pushing it. He also has a pretty good sense of humor, although often smiling in weirdest situations - including when debating his life - and he might also say complete nonsense with a straight face, either if meant as a joke or as a deceivement. And of course, he's always ready to trick people into something that would be useful for him.
Although Jack Sparrow might seem as a simple tricky, dirty and nothing-holy-for pirate, he also has a different side that shows rarely but does. Other than the already mentioned burst of altruism, he has also displayed good nature and quite strict morale on certain things; for example when he refused to transport slaves, also when he's about to be hanged and the man with a wig reads his (long!) criminal record, it doesn't have a single mention of murder or rape, what means Jack sees his piracy as something honorable and won't step over certain boundaries. His good nature also shines through the fact that he prefers parley to battle whenever possible, signaling he would rather not spill blood unless it's unavoidable. In fact, such peaceful ideas is another reason why some pirates don't approve of him, and also the cause of the famous mutiny in his ship.
A common moto of his is "Take what you can, give nothing back" - that also describes his style and life quite well. He loves life and freedom, and he tries to take the most of it, at the same time making sure there is nothing he would regret afterwards. He doesn't bear too much unnecessary sentiments, however as mentioned above he isn't always egocentric above everything else. At the same time, such point of view can be rather expensive; Jack has a great load of debts, including owing ships and being indebted - quite a lot - to the other Pirate Lords, some of which seem rather hateful due to that as they apparently never get anything back despite of Jack's "intentions to return it". The phrase also fits piracy quite well - he's not restricted by additional morale other than what he himself chooses to follow, in other words, directs his own path while making sure to have a good time along the way.
Abilities/Strengths:
Parley. First of all, Jack is a great talker and debater, and also seems to know quite a lot of the Pirate Codex. Even though, by default, not many of other pirates (nor anyone) take him seriously, his skill with words commonly gets around that and makes them interested in whatever he's offering. Very rarely he gets told off while doing so, and that's usually people who have been tricked by him many times before. He manages to reach a compromise that - at least from the looks of it - satisfies both sides, and can often argue his way out of trouble, one way or another.
Quick thinking. He also adapts to new situations very quickly - both when in need to make a parley, or when in the middle of a fight. He constantly considers what's happening right on that moment and will use it to his advantage if possible. He's quite sharp, also very creative and resourceful, and in such situations will notice whatever can be used immediately.
Guns and opportunities. Jack is physically quite fast and agile (though ungraceful while at it), despite of his normally uneven, somewhat drunken bearing. He's good with dodging, at the same time he can be a bit clumsy while at it. He is also quite an excellent shooter; he's got very good aim even on a moving ship and can be quick with his shots. Even though not as good with it, he's also capable of swordfighting, and has a lot of experience in that and in other fields. He also doesn't hesitate to cheat in whatever fight he's involving himself into, and that often brings him the victory even though the opponent has an upper hand.
Willpower. He is also capable of making hard decisions when there's no other choice; he's rather strong mentally and doesn't let a misfortune get to him. He's not easily shocked, and even when he is, he doesn't let it steal too much time from him.
Weaknesses:
Lack of physical strength. Jack isn't really physically strong; that's why he has to rely on wits and speed, and that means he could get overweighted and thrown around by a bigger and/or heavier opponent if he doesn't manage to dodge. He can also be pretty clumsy, such as falling downstairs, and not always in best times. Even though he cheats and uses superior experience, he is stated to be the worst swordsman out of the male main four characters of the series (others being Will, Barbossa and Norrington), and can be beat by someone who's actually decent at it.
Distractedness. He can sometimes be petty about things that aren't very important, for example miss an excellent chance of escaping due to spending the time insisting to be called "Captain" or worrying about rum; he often seems unreliable and his tactics differ from other pirates', often being more peaceful and honorable, what in return makes his crew doubt him as a leader and in the end just dump him somewhere and leave.
Self-assurance and softness. His good nature and morale can also get the better of him, as he tends to think of his enemies as of too honourable at times. He sometimes can also overestimate his own ability of word-wits and bluffing, simply not considering the opponents might ignore his offer (this can clearly be seen at the end of the third movie; Jack threatens to stab Davey Jone's heart if he doesn't give up immediately, but the latter doesn't care anymore and kills Will, leaving Jack quite shocked and for the moment confused what to do next; it's clear he didn't foresee such possibility despite of his sharpness).
Lack of loyalty. On top of all that, he can also be somewhat treacherous; even though he has displayed he is capable of doing the right thing, his primary objective is still usually to save his own skin rather to help anyone else, be it self-centredness or actual fear. Due to that and his tricky nature, he doesn't have followers that would really be genuine and loyal, and that might leave him alone in situations he would rather not be.
Defining Quote(s):
"Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid." - Jack Sparrow
"Savvy?" - Jack Sparrow
"Why is the rum gone?" - Jack Sparrow
"The entire ocean. The entire wo'ld. Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs but what a ship is... what the Black Pearl really is... is freedom." - Jack Sparrow
"Now...bring me that horizon." - Jack Sparrow
Other:
Jack seems to have a rather bad luck where rum and his ship are concerned, as one, another or even both are often and constantly "gone", making him to go on a quest to find it. Hence "Why is the rum always gone?".
Action Writing Sample:
[Jack Sparrow is laying in the middle of the field, dressed in his usual a bit messy clothing, his coat spread under him and his hat a couple of inches from his head. He slowly opens his eyes and stares at the sky for a bit, blinking, then lifts himself up into sitting position, looking around with a bit of confusion, not seeming to realize where he is at first.]
Where's me ship?
[He rubs his eyes a bit and gets up, eyes widened a little, a slightly taken aback expression forming on his face. He seems to think he is dreaming. Why else would he be on a field with flowers and butterflies and forest in the distance and absolutely no body of water nearby.]
Come to think of it... Where's the pier? And the sea?
[He squints his eyes a bit, seeing nothing but fields around, and definitely no sea in any direction. He looks a bit disappointed.]
And the wide, blue horizon...not that I have anything against the narrow, green horizon, since it must be better than no horizon at all. At least all the grasshoppers would definitely agree with that.
[He finally notices a small device next to him and picks it up, looking at it curiously. He taps his finger against the screen, unaware he's being recorded, and puts it back down.]
Most peculiar.
[He picks up his hat instead and starts walking over the grass somewhat carefully, lifting his arms a little in a manner that makes it look like he's dancing or just drunk, still looking around. The place seems strangely peaceful and warm, and is making him feel in a similar way for some reason. After just a couple of steps he finally frowns a little and tilts his head.]
What is the meaning of this? Am I in the Locker again? Most unpleasant, that would be. But it definitely changed...the new owner has quite a bit more of a.. touch where decorating is concerned, if you ask me. Even if a little too...flowery.
[He makes a slightly displeased face, probably trying to connect what the current captain of the Flying Dutchman could have in common with flowers and butterflies other than presenting it to his wife. He doesn't really pay any attention to the device a couple of meters away from him, as he has no idea what it could be.]
I had no idea. Hm... but it could be this is somewhere else, too, could it not?
[He looks around again, hoping to spot anyone in this foreign land, and tries grinning a little just in case, trying to look perfectly happy and casual.]
Does anyone know where I am?
Third Person Writing Sample:
It was a nice, sunny day and Captain Jack Sparrow had been left without a ship, again. He didn't even realize how it happened, really; they ported for a few days to restore their supplies and he went out to the town, hoping to find some entertainment while at it. And he did. In fact, more than he would have liked. Well, to be perfectly honest, the entertainment back in town was blissfully perfect, as even the women who would hit him any time they saw him - of course, he hadn't deserved that - would become a lot friendlier once he would have a ship and be a full-fledged Captain again. That part was pretty nice. What was too much, was the fact that once he returned to where his ship should have been, it was gone.
Instead, it was just out of reach, floating away magnificently in all of its glory, becoming smaller and smaller as it got closer and closer to the horizon.
It was probably some of his crew's idea of a joke for entertainment, most likely, but Jack didn't find the sight very amusing. Quite the opposite, actually. He flailed a little and looked after the beautiful shape of his vessel longingly for a moment. "Those bloody pirates," he muttered, sounding very offended, and turned around rather determingly. Why did this always happen? He was the best, most legendary Captain in these seas, and he couldn't get why some people just wanted to hunt gold above all things. Of course, he liked it as well, but not that much, and when Gibbs finally told him why the crew was being unhappy, he couldn't help but be a little surprised. They just wanted to acquire something.. shiny during their quests. How simple, how indignant. He would get the ship back, he definitely would. No matter how long it would take. But first, he had to find some sort of a ship for that, because he definitely couldn't do anything while stuck on land. And the Royal Pier was, more or less, perfect for finding this sort of things, so that was where he headed.
And, of course, as soon as he got there, he was spotted and a couple of very helpful gentlemen offered to show him out with the help of the usual lines, "This pier is off limits".
He did his best to look genuinely surprised. "But gentlemen, you should hurry out of here immediately, then. Something being off limits is a very," he outstretched his hands to emphasize the point, "very serious thing." His eyes narrowed for a moment in a fake suspicion and his tone became quite official, "May I ask, just what are you doing here?"
The guards just blinked, that was their intended question and now this funny man was trying to make them explain themselves, that just wouldn't do. "We are filling our duty for the Royal Navy," one answered proudly after a few moments of confusion, and clenched his gun just a little tighter. Ah, no good, Jack realized, he might be starting to suspect something. "I'll have to ask you to move away immediately, sir."
Jack smiled widely, making a motion that looked a bit like some kind of a curtsy, "Most certainly," he said but instead started circling the guards from the opposite side than the exit from the pier was. He nonchalantly motioned at a nearby ship, "What a beauty," he hummed as if he was in fact complimenting the two men with muskets, one of them already looked a bit annoyed and pointed his gun at the, according to his opinion, annoying civilian.
"Please leave this pier right now."
Jack stared at it for a moment, then pushed it away with the same happy expression, "Of course. Say, you said you serve the Royal Navy?" he asked for confirmation.
The guard scoffed a little, the man with dreadlocks really started to look suspicious despite of looking like he was making them to buy something. "Yes, but--"
"Then you absolutely hate.. pirates, right?"
"Of course."
"Well. Don't look now, but there's one right over there."
The guards turned to look at the pointed direction in unison, seeing absolutely nothing where they expected to see nothing else than, of course, a pirate. At the same time a silent splosh could be heard behind them and once they turned back, the man was gone.
Along with a dingy that was tied to the pier just moments ago.
"Curses!"
Jack laughed silently as he gained distance from the guards, carefully directing the dingy under the pier as not to get seen too early. He would have loved to give his usual parting speech, but it probably wasn't a good idea to confront men with muskets in a tiny vessel like this that barely provided any protection. Oh well, there would be plenty of other chances. Right now he either had to try and gain of his ship - he couldn't really think of any potential traitors on the deck, so it had to be a joke, it had to, but who knows - or simply pick any of the navy right here and get aboard using this-- well, he'd need more people for that, so he might as well try and find some.
He could still see the Pearl in the distance, and it wasn't getting away as fast as before. Maybe he should try to reach it first, and see what the heck was going on there, and maybe shoot the damn monkey because it clearly was the most evil thing on that ship, obviously to blame for this scenario, as well. His gaze slowly wandered to the dingy's floor, his eyes lighting up as he saw what looked like a rum bottle and reached out for it, looking as if everything in the world he needed was with him right now.
The bottle was empty. Cursed be his luck.
"The rum is always gone," Jack grumbled disappointedly and, with a swift, graceful motion of his wrist, tossed the empty bottle into the waves.