Key Takeaways
- Turner becomes the captain of the Flying Dutchman, condemned to ferry souls for eternity.
- His ascension to captaincy is a result of his role in stabbing Davy Jones.
- Despite the curse, Turner’s family finds a way to be together with the help of his son.
Will Turner experiences many trials and tribulations throughout the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and by the end of it, he’s only able to touch land once every 10 years. This is a difficult scenario for the character to find himself in, but there is a distinct reason for it.
With so much going on throughout every Pirates of the Caribbean movie, viewers can sometimes miss the details of Turner’s situation. However, it is a significant moment in Turner’s life that impacts the character forever, which is why Disney should have explained the ramifications in more detail.
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Why He Must Stay At Sea For 10 Years At A Time
The reason why Turner has to stay at sea for 10 years at a time is because by the end of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, he takes over Davy Jones’ job as the captain of the Flying Dutchman. It’s a role that provides a blessing and a curse because while it’s somewhat immortal, it also effectively ties him to the ship and the responsibility of his role.
Being the captain of the Flying Dutchman means that Turner has to collect and ferry souls who die at sea to the afterlife. This leads to so much mystery and fear about the ship in the eyes of other pirates and sailors within the franchise, and while Turner likely didn’t lead with the
same iron fist that Jones had, it’s still a tenuous responsibility that has importance but doesn’t end.
How Will Turner Became Cursed In The First Place
During the final battle of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Turner focuses on finally marrying Elizabeth Swann, which he has wanted to do since the franchise’s start. This leads to an epic scene where Captain Barbossa marries them onboard the Black Pearl while they all fight and get covered in rain. However, the situation then ends tragically because he gets stabbed by Jones, which viewers initially expect to kill him.
That doesn’t end up happening as Turner thinks on his feet and manages to pierce Jones’ heart, thus replacing him as the captain of the Flying Dutchman. That occurs because Jones had initially carved his own heart out when he was the captain, locking it in the Dead Man’s Chest after he was heartbroken by his one true love, Calypso. This changes his life as he begins unleashing the Kraken and causing chaos across the seas, leading to the position being seen as a curse rather than a unique opportunity to help those who pass on at sea.
However, those decisions mean that Jones and his crew eventually begin to become part of the ship itself, which is something that Will’s father ends up being a victim of. He takes the Flying Dutchman back to its glory days, though, and honors the responsibility of transporting souls to the next stage of life, which means there is less of an impact on the crew and also explains why he doesn’t end up looking like Jones and the rest of his crew do in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
How It Impacts His Relationship With Elizabeth Swann
Turner’s relationship with Swann is a significant part of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and the fact that they finally end up together gives them the happy ending that audiences were pining for. However, the fact Turner was then restricted to 10 years at sea made the situation difficult for them. That’s not truly explored because Turner’s change to being the captain of the Flying Dutchman takes place so late into the third movie that there’s not enough time to focus on the impact it has on their relationship.
However, in a post-credits scene for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, it becomes clear that they have remained together and have a child. Swann and their son can be seen heading towards the ocean as the sun begins to set, which leads to the Flying Dutchman appearing with Turner himself onboard. The scene is set 10 years after the end of the film. Therefore, it’s an obvious nod to the fact that it’s his first time on land since then and proves they’ve managed to work something out.
Turner eventually gets freed from the curse by his son Henry when he breaks the Trident of Poseidon two decades later as more of the world is explored. That takes place in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and Will is able to escape his life at sea and finally be reunited with his family on dry land for a consistent period. It gives the Turner story the ultimate happy ending that was always expected, but it just takes a lot longer for them to reach it than audiences initially hoped for.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is the third film in the blockbuster series directed by Gore Verbinski. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is trapped in Davy Jones’ Locker, prompting Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) to rescue him. As they battle the East India Trading Company, led by Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander), they must unite the pirate lords to fight against an impending extinction of piracy.