- “This is barbaric! This is no way for grown men to settle—oh, fine! Let's just haul out our swords and start banging away at each other, that will solve everything! I've had it! I've had it with wobbly-legged, rum-soaked pirates!”
- ―Elizabeth Swann
Elizabeth Turner (née Swann) is the tritagonist[1] of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean films.
She is the tritagonist of the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films and a cameo character in Dead Men Tell No Tales
Background
Elizabeth Swann was born in the 1700s to Weatherby Swann and his wife. When Elizabeth was young, her mother passed away at sea. Elizabeth and her father left for Port Royal for a different life. When travelling across the ocean, Elizabeth spotted a boy in the sea. The boy was Will Turner, who had been a survivor of a deadly attack made by Hector Barbossa and his crew of the Black Pearl
Elizabeth was tasked by her father to look after Will during the rest of the voyage. She took away what she believed to be a pirate medallion that she found around Will's neck in fear he would be hanged as a pirate. Elizabeth began wearing it around her neck for safekeeping and noticed a black ship sailing from the wreckage of Will's ship.
As she and Will grew up, they fell in love with each other but found it hard to admit their feelings for one another.
Growing up into a fine woman, James Norrington saught to marry Elizabeth, despite her feelings for another man.
Appearance
Elizabeth is a young, beautiful woman who has wavy, long dark blonde hair and brown eyes. As a woman of high society, she wore silk dresses and her hair done nicely. The first time Elizabeth did wear male clothing was in The Curse of the Black Pearl when she was dressed in clothing.
Personality
- “Elizabeth Swann. There is more to you than meets the eye, isn't there? And the eye does not go wanting.”
- ―Sao Feng to Elizabeth
Elizabeth is fearless, determined, brave, heroic, adventurous, intelligent, and independent. Though posing as a woman of high standards as the daughter of the Governor of Port Royal, she, in reality, found Port Royal society boring and sought adventure. The lives of pirates had always fascinated her, even when she was a child, which excessively worried her father. She proved to be very charismatic to the Pirates and even encouraged them to fight the EITC armada, showing a talent in leadership. Elizabeth became a competitive fighter as much as Jack Sparrow and Will Turner.
A quick-witted and clever individual, Elizabeth, even in the face of danger when captive on the Black Pearl, threatened to drop it in the sea. Elizabeth is also resourceful, known for a fact that she read a lot of books on Piracy and had knowledge on the Code of Brethren. She was blinded by the reality of piracy, having experienced it for the first time when Jack Sparrow threatened her life. At first terrified of the pirates that kidnapped her, especially cowering in fear in the captain's cabins, Elizabeth showed that she was no longer scared of them when she glared at Jack the monkey in his skeleton form and threw him into the water.
During the battle of Calypso's maelstrom, Elizabeth showed her heroism and leadership when she gave her speech about fighting against the men who were stealing their lives from them and inspired the whole pirate armada to raise the flags. Incredibly fearless in the battle, Elizabeth defeated many EITC soldiers while also fighting members of Davy Jones' crew and even went up against the terrifying Davy Jones himself. However, she finally showed true horror when she saw Jones stab Will in the heart.
She cared very much for her friends and family, especially towards her father, Governor Swann, and her lover, Will. Though she said that she wasn't sorry for leaving Jack chained to the mass so her friends and Will could escape, Elizabeth felt extremely guilty for leaving him their to die and went on the rescue mission to save Jack from Davy Jones' Locker
With all her heart, Elizabeth was very much in love with Will Turner when she noticed him floating in the ocean as children. As they grew older, they fell in love with another, but Elizabeth knew her father would never let her marry a blacksmith due to their very different social classes. After James Norrington let her go, Elizabeth and Will were finally allowed to be together at last. Thus, the two could be more opened about their relationship. When they had the chance to get married, Elizabeth would take it. The first time they tried to marry, their wedding was interrupted by Cutler Beckett. However, they finally were able to marry each other during the final battle in At World's End.
She attracted the attentions of James Norrington, Cutler Beckett, Hector Barbossa and Sao Feng, but rejected the ideas of being with them. Even Jack Sparrow was a little attracted to her, saying that he and her were a lot alike when searching for the Dead Man's Chest. However, Will Turner always was and always will be the love of her life.
Abilities
- Swordsmanship: Elizabeth, at first did not know how to use a sword, as she used a paddle as a weapon. In between the first and second films, Elizabeth trained with a sword under Will and learned to become a better swordswoman.
Pirates of the Caribbean
The Curse of the Black Pearl
Dead Man's Chest
At World's End
On Stranger Tides
Dead Men Tell No Tales
Finally after twenty years of separation, Elizabeth was reunited with Will after he was freed from his curse and their son, Henry.
In a post-credits scene, she and Will are spending their first night together as husband and wiffe. Will has a nightmare when Davy Jones comes up on land to strike the couple. However he wakes up to find there is no one there. Elizabeth and Will continue to sleep; unaware of the sea water and barnacle underneath their bed.
Relationships
Will Turner
Elizabeth's husband, true love and childhood friend. They first met when Will was found in the water and spotted by Miss Swann. They became friends from the moment they met. Later, Will grew to love Elizabeth and she the same, but couldn't tell him for she was the Governor's daughter. She even used his last name when she was held captive by Captain Barbossa and his cursed crew. Will stopped at nothing to free her even knocking out Jack leaving him behind and able to save her from the captain.
Later, they profess their love for each other. In the second film, Elizabeth leaves Sparrow for dead to the Kraken and then Turner believes Swann loves Jack instead, causing a strain in their relationship. He even betrayed them twice in At World's End, causing Elizabeth to dis like him even more. However they reconcile by the time of the Battle of Calypso's Maelstrom and marry in the midst of battles.
After Will was killed by Jack Sparrow's archenemy, Davy Jones, Elizabeth cried fearing he would be dead for good until Will was revealed to be alive after Jack saved Will from dying. They later have a son named Henry. After twenty years of separation, Will and Elizabeth were finally reunited, happily hugging each other and spent their first night in bed together in Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Jack Sparrow
Prior to meeting Captain Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth was fascinated by his many escapes, one of them including an escape where Jack didn't waste a single shot. Jack saved her from drowning, but later used her as a hostage. Jack later saved her again by shooting Barbossa before he could shoot Elizabeth. Elizabeth believed Jack to be a good man, even defending him from James Norrington with Will. Even a year later, when Beckett addressed him as "Jack Sparrow," Elizabeth and Will immediately added "Captain," a similar trait that Jack always displayed when people forget to add it when addressing him.
During Dead Man's Chest, Elizabeth was slightly attracted to Jack, but she later left him to die at the tentacles of the Kraken by shackling him to the mast of the Pearl and said she showed no remorse for her actions. However, Elizabeth felt extremely guilty. When they did see each other again a couple of months later, Elizabeth was glad to see Jack alright, but then later hesitated, remembering what she did to him all those months ago, until convincing him they were really there. Jack also learned she did not tell Will what she had done either. Despite their mutual differences at this moment, Jack was sympathetic to Elizabeth when they saw her father in the Locker, and implied he was deceased.
Jack later elected Elizabeth as King of the Brethren Court, something that both shocked and amazed her. Eventually, she learned Jack had intentions of stabbing the heart for himself, which was one of the reasons why she traded him for Will. She made it clear on the Black Pearl when she said they needed to give Jack a chance. She later helped them fight off Davy Jones, albeit only for a short time. Both Elizabeth and Jack are utterly shocked and visibly upset by Davy Jones stabbing Will. To spare Elizabeth of her misery and to save Will at the same time, He has Will stab the heart of Jones, thus saving Will's life.He was later forced to drag her away from Will's body so she wouldn't have to witness what they were going to do. Elizabeth and Jack finally said their farewells. Elizabeth was going to kiss him as a goodbye, but instead, he said once was enough. Elizabeth accepted it.
Cutler Beckett
After learning Beckett killed her father, Elizabeth swore revenge on her father's demise, even if it meant going to war with Beckett and wanted him dead as well. His demise was her victory. It was noted that he was attracted to Elizabeth, but she highly disliked him.
Gallery
Trivia
- Keira Knightley was only seventeen when portraying Elizabeth, while Elizabeth in the story line was twenty years old.
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- ↑ Heroes wiki: Elizabeth Swan. “Elizabeth Turner (née Swann) is the tritagonist of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.”