Joshamee Gibbs served as a warrant officer with the Royal Navy, but spent much of his adult life as a pirate, often under the command of Captain Jack Sparrow.
Biography
Early life
Gibbs was an old pirate friend of Jack Sparrow, but at one point joined the Royal Navy.[1] He was stationed aboard the HMS Dauntless during its voyage from England to the Caribbean, carrying Weatherby Swann and his daughter, Elizabeth, to Port Royal. Along the way, they encountered a wrecked vessel, and Gibbs voiced the opinion that it was the result of a pirate attack. Elizabeth became acquainted enough with Gibbs to recognise him on sight many years later.
Gibbs remained with the Navy for a time, though at some point over the next eight years, he deserted his post to turn pirate once more. James Norrington would later equate his life story with Gibbs' own, though Norrington was disgraced and resigned his commission after failing to catch a group of pirates—Gibbs himself among them. Jack forgave Gibbs for his stint in the Navy,[1] and by this point, Gibbs knew Jack well enough to be able to relate much of the man's life story. He also became aware of the curse that afflicted those who removed Aztec gold from Isla de Muerta, and was aware of Sparrow's attempts to retake command of the Black Pearl following a mutiny orchestrated by Hector Barbossa.
Isla de Muerta
When Jack and Joshamee next met, Gibbs was down on his luck, sleeping in a pigsty in Tortuga. Jack recruited him, and Gibbs helped round up a crew after learning of Jack's plan to recapture the Black Pearl. The crew, with Gibbs as First Mate, manned the commandeered navy vessel HMS Interceptor, and set out for Isla de Muerta.
There, Jack fell behind in his attempt to aid William Turner in rescuing Elizabeth Swann, and Gibbs was forced to keep to the Code and depart the island. However, Barbossa caught up with and destroyed the Interceptor, holding Gibbs and the crew captive aboard the Pearl. While docked at Isla de Muerta during Barbossa's second attempt to lift his curse, Elizabeth freed the crew, who took control of the Pearl and immediately departed, Jack having previously promised them a ship of their own.
Gibbs and Sparrow
Despite Gibbs' apparent treachery, he had not given up on his former Captain. Jack survived the battle at Isla de Muerta, but was sentenced to hang at Port Royal. Will Turner staged a rescue at the gallows, and the Black Pearl revealed itself as Jack leapt from the battlements of Fort Charles, happy to rejoin his crew. The Pearl set sail, apparently with Gibbs serving as Jack's first mate.
The pirate crew had numerous exploits over the next year, though their most dangerous came when Davy Jones unleashed the Kraken to settle a debt owed by Jack. Jack ordered Gibbs and the crew to set out for land to avoid the beast, and ended up on Pelegosto Island, where they were captured by the natives. Gibbs and his companions were held in bone cages while Jack was set to be roasted and eaten by the cannibals. With Will Turner's help, Gibbs and the crew manages to escape, and Jack rendezvoused with them at the Pearl.
The Dead Man's Chest
Gibbs later joined the quest to find the Dead Man's Chest, and fought in the fierce battle against the Kraken after Jack fled Isla Cruces after failing to obtain the chest. Gibbs gave the order to abandon ship when the Pearl took damage, though Jack was tricked into remaining onboard by Elizabeth. Gibbs lamented the loss of both ship and captain, though set out for Pelegosto nevertheless.
There, he raised a toast to his fallen captain, and was the first to answer Tia Dalma when she asked if any of the crew would be willing to bring Jack back from death. Gibbs and the crew met the resurrected Hector Barbossa, and made an uneasy alliance with him to sail to World's End, and from there into Davy Jones' Locker to rescue Jack.
Personality and traits
- "No, no, no, no, no, it's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, sir."
- ―Joshamee Gibbs
Joshamee Gibbs was a superstitious man, fearful of pirates during his time with the Royal Navy, then later of more supernatural entities. He was particularly superstitious of the Black Spot, and performed a short ritual at the time when he saw it. He was also highly knowledgeable of pirate lore, and kept to the Pirate code of the Brethren. He also believed that having a woman aboard a ship was bad luck, though this warning often went unheeded.
Behind the scenes
- Joshamee Gibbs was portrayed by Kevin McNally in the film series and voiced by Steven Jay Blum in video game adaptations.
- The character's surname may have been taken from that of Charles Gibbs, a 19-century American pirate.
Appearances
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (First appearance)
- Revenge of the Pirates!
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Sources
Notes & references
Template:Dauntless crew
Template:Hector Barbossa's crew