All 13 Female Pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean, Ranked by Awesomeness
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is one of the most well-known fictional franchises ever, led by Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow. After Depp’s private life controversies, the actor was botched from any future projects, and a different, female-led new movie was set to spearhead the future of the franchise. That, however, never came to fruition.
Although it was canceled, the executive producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, stated it wasn’t completely off the books for the future. Whether it happens or not, though, some epic female characters already appeared in the five-movie franchise, so without further ado, here are all 13 female pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean, ranked by their sheer awesomeness.
13. Beatrice
Beatrice wasn’t a pirate, per se – but she almost married the most famous pirate of all – Captain Jack Sparrow. When Jack is captured on Hangman’s Bay, a pirate named Pig Kelly forces him to marry his sister Beatrice to settle his debt. Jack refused, even while he was held at gunpoint.
However, during the unceremonious ceremony, he accidentally said I do. Just as Beatrice honed in to kiss him, Hector Barbossa and his crew came to save Jack Sparrow, shooting Pig Kelly in the leg. Beatrice eventually fled on a pirate ship with her brother’s crew, essentially making her a pirate as well. Her later fate is unknown, though.
12. The Empress Twins
The Empress Twins appeared in the movie At World’s End as two pirates on board the Empress, a Chinese pirate ship. They were personal servants of the ship’s captain, the infamous Pirate Lord Sao Feng. The twins dressed Elizabeth Swann in oriental robes.
The crew of the Flying Dutchman presumably captured the twins after Sao Feng had died and likely died there as they were never seen escaping the Dutchman.
11. Anamaria
Anamaria was a pirate and a smuggler who captained a boat called Jolly Mon. Jack Sparrow then borrowed the boat until it sank to the bottom of the harbor at the town of Port Royal. Later, Jack offered to give her a boat called the Interceptor if she would join him and his crew on a quest to Isla de Muerta.
There, she was imprisoned on the Black Pearl, but after Jack Sparrow saved her, she served under him in numerous adventures before eventually leaving the crew. The amazing Zoe Saldana portrayed the character.
10. Esmeralda Maria Consuela Anna de Sevilla
Esmeralda Maria Consuela Anna de Sevilla only appeared in an adventure novel called the Price of Freedom, set in the golden age of piracy within the Pirates of the Caribbean universe. She was a Pirate Lord who commanded the Venganza; Esmeralda was one of the most notorious, skilled pirate captains of her time.
Her skill and adventures led her to catch the attention of the infamous Jack Sparrow, and soon, the two teamed up on several adventures. However, after Jack helps two captured crews to escape, Esmeralda sees him as a traitor and wants to shoot him the next time they see each other.
They eventually reconciled and went their separate ways in the end, with Esmeralda continuing to sail on the Venganza, whereas Jack captained a ship named the Wicked Wench.
9. Carolina
Carolina was a Spanish princess that only appeared in the Pirates of the Caribbean books. She was engaged to a governor but wanted to escape her hectic royal life, so she sought the help of a stable boy named Diego de Leon. They escaped together, but Carolina was soon captured.
Diego and the crew of the Black Pearl saved Carolina (though she would’ve escaped herself), and they turned to Jack Sparrow to help them, eventually becoming crew members of the Black Pearl. That’s how the princess became a pirate. Eventually, Carolina was offered to captain one of the Spanish Royal Navy ships, but she stole the boat and made Diego her first mate.
They named the ship Sparrow after their former captain and continued pirating.
8. Laura Smith
Laura Smith is another character from the Jack Sparrow comics. She was the mother of Arabella Smith and the ship captain of La Fleur de la Mort. Being a notorious pirate and smuggler, Laura owned a tavern before venturing into the pirating world.
At one point, her entire crew started a mutiny against Laura, but Jack Sparrow and her daughter Arabella helped her to fight them off. She then forced Arabella to stay on her ship instead of Jack Sparrows, but the two crew later joined forces on new adventures.
7. Arabella Smith
Arabella Smith, aka Bell, was a character in the Jack Sparrow comic books. She was a feisty female pirate from the 18th century who became the first recruited member of Jack Sparrow’s ragtag crew on board the Barnacle.
The crew was on a quest to find the Sword of Cortes, but Arabella was affected by the song of mermaids. Jack Sparrow saved her and the rest of the crew but at the price of his own freedom.
Eventually, by the time of Calypso’s maelstrom, Arabella was a ship captain and eventually married a pirate with whom she had children.
6. Amenirdis
Amenirdis was technically not a pirate, but she did end up on a pirate ship with Jack Sparrow, leading an expedition to Kerma on board the Wicked Wench. Before that, she was known as Princess Amenirdis, but after her crew was captured and enslaved, she was disguised as Ayisha, an ugly old woman.
She continued serving quietly and trying to save coins to return to her homeland, eventually leading her to meet Jack. Amenirdis is cunning, and savvy, and owns a magical bracelet that allows her to be disguised to not be recognized as a Princess after being enslaved. The character appeared only in a novel called The Price of Freedom.
5. Mistress Ching
Mistress Ching was a Pirate Lord who ruled the Pacific Ocean during the time when Cutler Beckett was on his mission to clear the Caribbean from pirates. Ching supported the election of Elizabeth Swann as Pirate King, helping the pirates beat Becket and Davy Jones in the huge battle commencing within Calypso’s maelstrom, where Jones was eventually killed.
Mistress Ching is one of the rare Pirate Lords to live long enough to retire properly. She ended up living up her old days as a wealthy lady in Canton.
4. Carina Smyth
Carina was not a pirate in any sense but ended up on a pirate ship and on a quest for the Trident of Poseidon. She met Jack Sparrow and Henry Turner, helping them find the Trident – essentially making her a pirate, too. On top of that, she was the daughter of the infamous Hector Barbossa but was left at an orphanage as an infant.
Before her ‘pirating’ quests, Carina was a well-known, brilliant astronomer and horologist. Ultimately, Carina took her father’s last name, becoming Carina Barbossa. The brilliant Kaya Scodelario portrayed the character.
3. Grandmama
Grandmama appeared only in the Legends of the Brethren Court books, but she was as awesome as they come. We learn that she’s Captain Jack Sparrow’s grandmother and Captain Edward Teague’s mother.
Before being that, however, Grandmama was the Pirate Lord of the Atlantic Ocean – the youngest and prettiest one, as she says. She was the matriarch and leader of the Sparrow family clan before her son, Edward Teague, became old enough the take over her duties.
2. Elizabeth Swann (Turner)
Elizabeth Swann was a wealthy daughter of an English Governor, Weatherby Swann. However, she was never satisfied with her calm, somewhat boring domestic life. Elizabeth was always fascinated by pirates, and her choices – and destiny – would eventually kind of make her one.
She’s one of the film’s main characters, portrayed by Keira Knightley, and although she was never actually a pirate, she was hunted down and captured by pirate hunters to save Jack Sparrow’s life. Also, Elizabeth was on board several pirate ships, from the Interceptor, the Black Pearl, and the Hai Peng to the Empress.
1. Angelica
Angelica is probably the most well-known female pirate in the Pirates of the Caribbean universe. Portrayed by Penelope Cruz, Angelica was a dangerous pirate and a master of disguise. She learned pirating and con-artistry from Jack Sparrow, and we eventually learn that she is actually the daughter of the most infamous pirate ever, Blackbeard.
The relationship between Jack and Angelica is both romantic and toxic. They double-crossed each other so many times it’s hard to count. Eventually, she joined her father’s crew on Queen Anne’s Revenge and fought tooth and nail to save his soul after learning about the prophecy of his imminent doom.