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Character Analysis
Captain Barbossa
Pirates of the Caribbean 3

This analysis is an extension of Barbossa's The Curse of the Black Pearl profile and Dead Man's Chest profile.

Barbossa in Curse of the Black Pearl vs. Barbossa in At World's End
Barbossa steals the show in At World's End

Barbossa in Curse of the Black Pearl vs. Barbossa in At World's End

And yet another Barbossa analysis post :)! But before we continue, a shoutout to all the lovely Barbossa fans out there :D!

I bet some of you have noticed the slight difference between Barbossa's character in Curse of the Black Pearl and At World's End. Barbossa in AWE was more mellow, trustworthy, and 'caring' of his crew and companions. He was a man of his word (well, most of the time anyway), and took into consideration others' thoughts and opinions without trying to shoot their brains out. As some fans have stated, he also took genuine care of Elizabeth in AWE, and had risked his life a number of times to ensure her safety. He truly was a 'good' guy in the third film.

Yes, I haven't forgotten the fact that he did TRY to kill Elizabeth and Will in Curse of the Black Pearl. So the question is, why was his character 'evil' in the first movie? I believe that his character had turned 'evil' due to the curse of Isla de Muerta. Not being able to quench one's needs and desires for 10 years would drive a man insane and utterly desperate. He wanted nothing more but to break free from the damned curse, and so did whatever it took to gather the gold coins, even if it meant destroying those who got in his way.

But in 'At World's End', Hector had finally regained his humanity, and with it, his morality. He had once again become a man, a living human being, free to finally live again. He was not anymore caged by the desperation and insanity brought upon by the curse. And I believe it was that man in AWE that Jack Sparrow had recruited to be his first mate more than 10 years ago. So yes, the Barbossa we saw in AWE was the Barbossa that *was* before the 'curse' took over him and his crew in the first film.

Henceforth, Barbossa truly is a 'good' man...And he has become a better man in AwE. He's learned his lesson from the curse --- that gold and currency aren't everything. His character had grown, and I'm glad that the writers took him into the direction they did. His speech about freedom and hard work was moving. It showed the true essence of Barbossa's character, what he believed in and what he stood for. For a brief moment there, we actually got to take a peek into his soul.

So I'm glad that in the end, Elizabeth genuinely looked at him as a friend :)! Heck, she even asked him to marry her and Will. The events in At World's End gave Elizabeth the chance to know who Barbossa truly was and is.

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Captain Barbossa WINS once again!

Rejoice, fellow Barbossa fans, for our dearly beloved Captain Hector Barbossa completely ROCKED the third film (Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End). Barbossa stole hearts, took names, proved why he's the BEST cap'n in all the seas, and did it all with wit, grace, and utter uber HOTNESSSZ! Need I say more?

Barbossa practically STOLE all the scenes he was in! Damn! Geoffrey Rush is GOOOD (I HEART you, Geoffrey!). He delivered his lines like a true pirate, and pulled-off his "comedic scenes" effectively. Speaking of lines, he also had excellent dialogue that brought out the depth of Barbossa's character. He spoke of sailing the sea without being told what to do, being truly free and challenged by the waters.

Another cool thing about Barbossa in POTC3 is that I never found him too "over the top" unlike some of the actors or characters in the film. Absolutely brilliant!

Just to recap, we first see him aiding Elizabeth in Singapore. He goes with her to negotiate with Sao Feng until the Navy arrives to spoil their little meeting. Escaping Sao Feng and the navy, Barbossa and Elizabeth travel through an icy region until they literally fall over the "edge of the world".

Soon they are reunited with Jack, and Jack, for the first time, addresses Barbossa by his first name 'Hector'. Once aboard the Black Pearl, Barbossa and Jack argue as to who the real captain is (We all know it's Barbossa :P). They then travel back to the 'world of the living'.

The scene that followed was actually pretty funny...Something similar to their version of a Mexican Standoff. Upon realizing that they're finally back, Barbossa suddenly pulls out his guns (YUM!) and points it towards Jack. The others follow suit and they're suddenly pointing guns at each other. Jack starts shooting, only to realize that the guns were now filled with water, rendering them useless.

A lot of things happen from this point on. Will betrays them, Elizabeth gets traded to Sao Feng, Barbossa challenges Calypso and locks her up in the brig, and they meet with the rest of the Pirate Lords in Shipwreck Cove. No wonder the film was three hours (But what a good three hours it was :D!).

Suffice to say, Barbossa's presence during the Pirate Lords' meeting was powerful! He commanded their attention when needed (once even standing atop the table and shooting his pistol), and he obviously knew a LOT about Calypso, the pirate's code, and pirate history in general. See? Told ya' all Barbossa is THE BEST!

Once Elizabeth was voted the new "Pirate King" (or now, Pirate Queen), they set Calypso free. Calypso turns into a 50-ft ginormous woman, then she turns into a thousand crabs, and then creates a whirlpool just to f*ck up the pirates' battle with the navy. Okay...She was OBVIOUSLY pissed. Still, it was really CUTE watching Barbossa try to talk to Calypso LIKE A LOVER to set her free from her mortal cage. Hey, Barbossa, you can talk to me like a LOVER anytime, anywhere ;)! In fact, you can be my lover. Period!

Maaan, Barbossa PWNED during the fight between the Pearl and Dutchmann. He exhibited his EXCELLENT sword-fighting skills and did it all while steering the Black Pearl to safety. Not to mention that he even got to marry Will and Elizabeth all at the same time! What a man...WHAT A MAN!

Anyway, they win the fight against Beckett (thanks to Will as the brand-spankin' NEW captain of the Flying Dutchmann. Barbossa steals the Black Pearl from Jack yet again (YAY! It's finally his!), but eventually discovers that Jack had stolen his map to the fountain of youth.

I found the little scene between Barbossa and Jack the Monkey and the peanut really ADORABLE! Barbossa really does care for his little companion, doesn't he? SO CUTE! Barbossa showing his soft-side through and through, even calling Jack a "Good boy" (or something like that) in a playful tone as if he were talking to a baby.

Hmmm...Given the ending, I wonder if this means we'll have a fourth movie of Jack and Barbossa racing to find the Elixir of Youth ;)!

RUMORS PRIOR TO SHOWING:

Near the end of the third film, Barbossa will steal the Black Pearl from Jack, and will once again have his ship :D! I, for one, would love to see Barbossa captain the Black Pearl again ;)!

Barbossa will die at the end of the movie to save Jack's life. Dammit, i sure do hope this rumor is false. We love Barbossa and we want him ALIVE!!! I, myself, would be crushed to see Barbossa die a second time x.x! (Unless if they revive him again ;))