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In English-speaking popular culture, the modern
pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
stereotype owes its attributes mostly to the imagined tradition of the 18th-century
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
pirate sailing off the
Spanish Main During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the Spanish Main was the collective term used by English speakers for the parts of the Spanish Empire that were on the mainland of the Americas and had coastlines on the Caribbean Sea or Gulf of ...
and to such celebrated 20th-century depictions as
Captain Hook Captain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter and Wendy, Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate captain of the br ...
and his crew in the theatrical and film versions of
J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...
's ''
Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...
'',
Robert Newton Robert Guy Newton (1 June 1905 – 25 March 1956) was an English actor. Along with Errol Flynn, Newton was one of the more popular actors among the male juvenile audience of the 1940s and early 1950s, especially with British boys. Known for hi ...
's portrayal of
Long John Silver Long John Silver is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1883 novel '' Treasure Island'' by Robert Louis Stevenson. The most colourful and complex character in the book, he continues to appear in popular culture. His missing leg ...
in the 1950 film adaptation of the
Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
novel ''
Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...
'', and various adaptations of the
Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
ern pirate, ''
Sinbad the Sailor Sinbad the Sailor (; or Sindbad) is a fictional mariner and the hero of a Literary cycle, story-cycle. He is described as hailing from Baghdad during the early Abbasid Caliphate (8th and 9th centuries A.D.). In the course of seven voyages thr ...
''. In these and countless other books, films, and legends, pirates are portrayed as "
swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, ...
s" and " plunderers". They are shown on ships, often wearing
eyepatch An eyepatch is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, an adhesive bandage, or a plastic device which is clipped to a pair of glasses. It is often worn ...
es or peg legs, having a parrot perched on their shoulder, speaking in a
West Country accent West Country English is a group of English language varieties and accents used by much of the native population of the West Country, an area found in the southwest of England. The West Country is often defined as encompassing the officia ...
, and saying phrases like "Arr, matey" and "Avast, me hearty". Pirates have retained their image through pirate-themed tourist attractions, film, toys, books and plays.


Origins

The characteristics of pirates in popular culture largely derive from the
Golden Age of Piracy The Golden Age of Piracy was the period between the 1650s and the 1730s, when maritime piracy was a significant factor in the histories of the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Histories of piracy often subdivide the Golden Age of Piracy into th ...
in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, with many examples of pirate fiction being set within this era.
Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9 ...
, who were also pirates, took on a distinct and separate archetype in popular culture, dating from the
Viking revival The Viking revival was a movement reflecting new interest in, and appreciation for Viking medieval history and culture. Interest was reawakened in the late 18th and 19th centuries, often with added heroic overtones typical of that Romanticism, Ro ...
. The first major literary work to popularise the subject of pirates was '' A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious pirates'' (1724) by
Captain Charles Johnson Captain Charles Johnson was the British author of the 1724 book ''A General History of the Pyrates, A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates'', whose identity remains a mystery. No record exists of a captain b ...
. In giving an almost mythical status to the more colourful characters, such as the notorious English pirates
Blackbeard Edward Teach (or Thatch; – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Little is known about his early life, but he ma ...
and
John Rackham John Rackham (hanged 18 November 1720), perhaps known as Calico Jack, was a pirate captain operating in the Bahamas and Jamaica during the early 18th century. Rackham was active in 1720, towards the end of the "Golden Age of Piracy". He is mos ...
, the book provided the standard account of the lives of many pirates in the Golden Age, and influenced pirate literature of Scottish novelists
Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
and
J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...
. While Johnson's text recounted the lives of many famous pirates from the era, it is likely that he used considerable
licence A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...
in his accounts of pirate conversations. Stevenson's ''
Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...
'' (1883) is considered the most influential work of pirate fiction, along with its many film and television adaptations, and introduced or popularised many of the characteristics and cliches now common to the genre. Stevenson identified Johnson's ''General History of the pirates'' as one of his major influences, and even borrowed one character's name (
Israel Hands Israel Hands, also known as Basilica Hands, was an 18th-century pirate best known for being second in command to Edward Teach (c. 1680 – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard. His name serves as the basis for the name of the villainou ...
) from a list of Blackbeard's crew which appeared in Johnson's book. In 18th and 19th century Britain, historical-fiction portrayals of pirates on the dramatic stage included
false flag A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as an expression meaning an intentional misrep ...
props representing the various European navies. A common trope was to represent the archetypical scene where a crew of
privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...
s donned false uniforms along with the false flag as they approached a ship, only raising the skull and bones flag at the last moment before the attack. Other tricks often portrayed on stage included (in a more initially peaceful encounter of ships) the pirate offering to gamble, or claiming the need to inspect documents or retrieve a runaway prisoner, before placing the victim of the scheme in shackles. These portrayals of pirate characters were fictionalised but based on the mythologised historical memory of both the Golden Age of Piracy and the contemporary pirates at that time.
Barbary corsairs The Barbary corsairs, Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen (in Muslim sources) were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the largely independent Barbary states. This area was known in Europe as the Barba ...
were a frequent type of pirate portrayed in that genre of stage and literature.


Appearance and mannerisms of Caribbean pirates

In films, books, cartoons, and toys, pirates often have a rough-and-ready appearance that evokes their criminal lifestyle, rogue personalities and adventurous, seafaring pursuits. They are usually greedy, mean-spirited, drunk on
rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...
and focused largely on fighting and robbing enemy pirates and locating hidden
treasure Treasure (from from Greek ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions legally define what constit ...
. They often wear shabby 17th or 18th century clothing, with a
bandana A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvre-chef'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana or bandanna, is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the Human head, head, face, or neck for protective or decorative purposes. The popularity of ...
or feathered
tricorne The tricorne or tricorn is a style of hat in a triangular shape, which became popular in Europe during the 18th century, falling out of style by the early 1800s. The word "tricorne" was not widely used until the mid-19th century. During the 18th ...
. They are almost always armed with a
cutlass A cutlass is a short, broad sabre or slashing sword with a straight or slightly curved blade sharpened on the cutting edge and a hilt often featuring a solid cupped or basket-shaped guard. It was a common naval weapon during the early Age of ...
and a
flintlock Flintlock is a general term for any firearm that uses a flint-striking lock (firearm), ignition mechanism, the first of which appeared in Western Europe in the early 16th century. The term may also apply to a particular form of the mechanism its ...
pistol, or similar weaponry. They sometimes have scars and battle wounds, rotten or missing teeth (suggesting the effects of
scurvy Scurvy is a deficiency disease (state of malnutrition) resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, fatigue, and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, anemia, decreased red blood cells, gum d ...
), as well as a
hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
where a hand has been amputated or wooden stump where a leg has been amputated and often an
eye patch An eyepatch is a small patch that is worn in front of one eye. It may be a cloth patch attached around the head by an elastic band or by a string, an adhesive bandage, or a plastic device which is clipped to a pair of glasses. It is often worn ...
to conceal a lost eye. Some depictions of pirates also include
monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes. Thus monkeys, in that sense, co ...
s or
parrot Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as psittacines (), are birds with a strong curved beak, upright stance, and clawed feet. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genus (biology), genera, found mostly in ...
s as
pets A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive/ cute appearances, int ...
, the former mischievously assisting them in thieving and the latter loudly
copying Copying is the duplication of information or an wiktionary:artifact, artifact based on an instance of that information or artifact, and not using the process that originally generated it. With Analog device, analog forms of information, copying is ...
whatever the pirate captain says. The ship's captain will force captives and mutinous crewmen to
walk the plank Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...
over shark-infested waters. Historical pirates were often sailors or soldiers who had fallen into misfortune or were captured, forced into a life of crime. In various literature, the pirates may be represented as having fallen, perhaps resembling a "respectable" person in some way.
Pirate characters generally quest for
buried treasure Buried treasure is a literary trope commonly associated with depictions of pirates, alongside Vikings, criminals, and outlaws in the Old West. According to popular conception, these people often buried their stolen fortunes in remote places ...
, plundered riches in treasure chests. Pirates' treasure is usually gold or silver, often in the form of
doubloon The doubloon (from Spanish language, Spanish ''doblón'', or "double", i.e. ''double escudo'') was a two-''Spanish escudo, escudo'' gold coin worth approximately four Spanish dollars or 32 ''Spanish real, reales'', and weighing 6.766 grams (0.218 ...
s or
pieces of eight The Spanish dollar, also known as the piece of eight (, , , or ), is a silver coin of approximately diameter worth eight Spanish reales. It was minted in the Spanish Empire following a monetary reform in 1497 with content fine silver. It wa ...
.


Pirate subculture

In the 1990s,
International Talk Like a Pirate Day International Talk Like a Pirate Day is a parodic holiday created in 1995 by John Baur and Mark Summers of Albany, Oregon, who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate (that is, in Engl ...
was invented as a parody holiday celebrated on September 19. This holiday allows people to "let out their inner pirate" and to dress and speak according to the pirate stereotype above. It has been gaining popularity through the Internet since its founders set up a website teaching "pirate speak." Many games, movies, and other media are built upon the premise, introduced by Real Ultimate Power, that pirates buccaneers are sworn enemies of
ninja A , or was a spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. The functions of a ninja included siege and infiltration, ambush, reconnaissance, espionage, deception, and later bodyguarding.Kawakami, pp. 21–22 Antecedents may have existed as ear ...
s. The " Pirates versus Ninjas"
meme A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that Mimesis, spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying c ...
is also expressed in house parties and merchandise at popular-culture clothing and gift stores. Pirates also play a central role in the parody religion of Pastafarianism. Established in 2005, Pastafarians (members of The Church of the
Flying Spaghetti Monster The Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM) is the deity of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or Pastafarianism, a parodic new religious movement that promotes a light-hearted view of religion. The parody originated in opposition to the te ...
) claim to believe that global warming is a result of the severe decrease in pirates since the 18th century, explaining the coldness associated with winter months that follow Halloween as a direct effect of the number of pirates that make their presence known in celebration.


Science fiction pirates

The pirate archetype has been adapted to science fiction with more or less futuristic dress and speech. *
Air pirate Air pirates (or sky pirates) are a class of stock character from science fiction and fantasy. The characters are pirates who use aircraft or airborne aircraft carriers as their primary vehicles instead of ships. They target other aircraft for l ...
s are
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
and
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
character
archetype The concept of an archetype ( ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, philosophy and literary analysis. An archetype can be any of the following: # a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main mo ...
s who operate in the
air An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...
, rather than sailing the sea. As traditional seafaring pirates target sailing ships, air pirates capture and plunder
aircraft An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...
and other targets for cargo, money, and occasionally they steal entire aircraft. *
Space pirate Space pirates are a type of stock character from science fiction. A take on the traditional seafaring piracy, pirates of history or the fictional air pirates of the 19th century, space pirates travel through outer space. Where traditional pirate ...
s are science fiction character archetypes who operate in outer space, rather than sailing the sea. As traditional seafaring pirates target sailing ships, space pirates capture and plunder
spaceships Spaceship may refer to: Spaceflight * Space vehicle, the combination of launch vehicle and spacecraft * Spacecraft, a craft, vehicle, vessel or machine designed for spaceflight * Starship, a spacecraft built for interstellar flight Computing ...
for cargo, money, and occasionally they steal entire spacecraft.


Pirates in the arts


Comics and manga

* ''
Terry and the Pirates ''Terry and the Pirates'' is an action-adventure comic strip created by cartoonist Milton Caniff, which originally ran from October 22, 1934, to February 25, 1973. Captain Joseph Patterson, editor for the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndica ...
'' (1934–1973) by
Milton Caniff Milton Arthur Paul Caniff (; February 28, 1907 – April 3, 1988) was an American cartoonist known for the ''Terry and the Pirates'' and ''Steve Canyon'' comic strips. Biography Caniff was born in Hillsboro, Ohio. He was an Eagle Scout and a re ...
is an adventure
comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...
frequently set among 20th-century pirates of
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
, led by the notorious
Dragon Lady Dragon Lady is usually a stereotype of certain East Asian and occasionally South Asian and/or Southeast Asian women as strong, deceitful, domineering, mysterious, and often sexually alluring. Inspired by the characters played by actress Anna Ma ...
. * Abraham Tuizentfloot, a mad man dressed up as a pirate who frequently wants to attack people. He debuted in
Marc Sleen Marcel Honoree Nestor ( ridder) Neels (30 December 1922 – 6 November 2016), known as Marc Sleen, was a Belgian comics artist. He was mostly known for his humorous adventure comic '' The Adventures of Nero and Co.'', but also created gag comic ...
's ''
The Adventures of Nero ''The Adventures of Nero'' or ''Nero'' was a Belgium, Belgian comic strip drawn by Marc Sleen and the name of Nero (comic book character), its main character. The original title ranged from ''De Avonturen van Detective Van Zwam, Detectief Van Z ...
'' in 1957. * ''
Redbeard Redbeard or Red Beard may refer to: People * Frederick Barbarossa (Redbeard), another name for Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor (1122–1190) * Oruç Reis or Redbeard (''Barbarossa'') (1474–1518), Ottoman naval commander * Hayreddin Barbarossa o ...
'' (1959 onwards), a Belgian comics series by
Jean-Michel Charlier Jean-Michel Charlier (; 30 October 1924 – 10 July 1989) was a Belgian comics writer. He was a co-founder of the famed Franco-Belgian comics magazine '' Pilote''. Life Charlier was born in Liège, Belgium, in 1924.De Weyer, Geert (2005) ...
and
Victor Hubinon Victor Hubinon (26 April 1924 – 8 January 1979) was a Belgian comic-book artist, best known for the series '' Buck Danny'' and '' Redbeard''. Biography Victor Hubinon was born in Angleur, Belgium, in 1924.De Weyer, Geert (2005). "Victor Hu ...
starring captain Redbeard. * A group of hapless pirates in
Albert Uderzo Alberto Aleandro Uderzo (; 25 April 1927 – 24 March 2020), better known as Albert Uderzo (), was a French comic book artist and scriptwriter. He is best known as the co-creator and illustrator of the '' Astérix'' series in collaboration wit ...
's ''
Astérix ''Asterix'' ( or , "Asterix the Gaul"; also known as ''Asterix and Obelix'' in some adaptations or ''The Adventures of Asterix'') is a French comic album series about a Gaulish village which, thanks to a magic potion that enhances strength ...
'', in themselves parodies of the characters of ''Redbeard'' (see above), often run into Asterix and Obelix and are subsequently beaten up and usually sunk. * '' Batman: Leatherwing'' (
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
), an
Elseworlds Elseworlds is the publication imprint (trade name), imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that take place outside the DC Universe Canon (fictional), canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realities that ...
comic by
Chuck Dixon Charles Dixon (born April 14, 1954) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s. Early life D ...
featuring
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
as a pirate. * ''
One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as he explores the Grand Line in search of the myt ...
'' (1997 onwards), set in a fictional world where piracy is at its height, the World Government and its Navy attempt to put it to a stop, and one young man desires to become the next Pirate King. The most popular
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
to date in Japan. * ''
Black Lagoon ''Black Lagoon'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rei Hiroe. It has been published in Shogakukan's manga magazine '' Monthly Sunday Gene-X'' since April 2002, with its chapters collected in ...
'' (2002 onwards) is a Japanese manga portraying group of modern-day pirates in the southeast Asian sea, largely making money with acts of smuggling, extortion, or acting as mercenaries. * '' The Red Seas'' (2002 onwards), a mix of pirates and strange phenomena by
Ian Edginton Ian Edginton is a British comic book writer, known for his work on such titles as ''X-Force'', '' Scarlet Traces'', '' H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds'' and ''Leviathan''. Career Ian Edginton is known for his steampunk/alternate history work ...
and
Steve Yeowell Steve Yeowell () is a British comics artist, well known for his work on the long-running science fiction and fantasy weekly comic '' 2000 AD''. Biography Having trained in 3D design (specialising in silversmithing and jewellery), Yeowell beg ...
. * ''
Homestuck ''Homestuck'' is an Internet fiction series created by American author and artist Andrew Hussie. The fourth and best-known of Hussie's four ''MS Paint Adventures'', it originally ran from April 13, 2009, to April 13, 2016. Though normally describ ...
'' (2009-2016), features a number of pirate themed characters such as Vriska Serket and her ancestor, Marquise Spinneret Mindfang. * ''
Outlaw Star is a media franchise#Japan, Japanese media mix primarily consisting of an anime Television show, television series produced by Sunrise (now a division of Bandai Namco Filmworks) and a corresponding Seinen manga, ''seinen'' manga series w ...
'', the primary antagonists of the series are members of the Pirate's Guild, a large network of space pirate clans throughout the universe. * ''
Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 19 ...
'' features a "comic book within a comic book" called '' Tales of the Black Freighter''. ''Watchmen'' is set in an
alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...
where
superheroes A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
are alive and known to be in disgrace, so instead of comics dealing with superheroes, comics dealing with pirates are more popular.


Films

* ''
The Black Pirate ''The Black Pirate'' is a 1926 American silent action adventure film shot entirely in two-color Technicolor about an adventurer and a "company" of pirates. Directed by Albert Parker, it stars Douglas Fairbanks, Donald Crisp, Sam De Grasse, ...
'', a 1926 film starring
Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor and filmmaker best known for being the first actor to play the masked Vigilante Zorro and other swashbuckler film, swashbu ...
. * ''
Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...
'', a 1934 adaptation of Stevenson's book, starring
Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' (1 ...
. * '' Captain Blood'', a 1935 film starring
Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...
. * '' The Buccaneer'', a 1938 film starring
Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, page 95. As ...
. * ''
Jamaica Inn The Jamaica Inn is a traditional inn on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, England, which was built as a coaching inn in 1750, and has a historical association with smuggling. Located just off the A30, near the middle of the moor close to the hamlet of ...
'', a 1939 film starring
Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (; 1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British and American actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play wi ...
,
Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was an Irish-born naturalized American actress who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural redhead who was known for playing passionate b ...
, and
Robert Newton Robert Guy Newton (1 June 1905 – 25 March 1956) was an English actor. Along with Errol Flynn, Newton was one of the more popular actors among the male juvenile audience of the 1940s and early 1950s, especially with British boys. Known for hi ...
. * '' The Sea Hawk'', a 1940 film starring Errol Flynn. * ''
Reap the Wild Wind ''Reap the Wild Wind'' is a 1942 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard, with a supporting cast featuring Raymond Massey, Robert Preston (actor), Robert Pres ...
'', a 1942 film starring
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
. * '' The Black Swan'', a 1942 film starring
Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...
, Maureen O'Hara, and
Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known as Anthony Quinn, was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental virility" in over 100 ...
. * '' Frenchman's Creek'', a 1944 film starring
Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an Anglo-South African actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume drama ...
and
Joan Fontaine Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was an English-American actress best known for her roles in Hollywood films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Fontaine appeared in ...
. * '' The Pirate'', a 1948 musical starring
Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...
and
Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...
. * ''
Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...
'', a 1950 adaptation of Stevenson's book, starring Robert Newton. * ''
Against All Flags ''Against All Flags'' is a 1952 American pirate film directed by George Sherman, with uncredited assist from Douglas Sirk. It features Errol Flynn as Lt. Brian Hawke, Maureen O'Hara as Prudence "Spitfire" Stevens, and Anthony Quinn as Roche Brazi ...
'', a 1952 film starring Errol Flynn and Maureen O'Hara. * ''
Long John Silver Long John Silver is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1883 novel '' Treasure Island'' by Robert Louis Stevenson. The most colourful and complex character in the book, he continues to appear in popular culture. His missing leg ...
'', a 1954 sequel to ''
Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...
'', starring Robert Newton. * '' The Buccaneer'', a 1958 film starring
Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner (), was a Russian-born actor. He was known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical ''The King and I'' (19 ...
,
Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...
and
Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...
. * ''
The Son of Captain Blood ''The Son of Captain Blood'' is a 1962 Italian/Spanish/American international co-production film. It is the first starring role in a film for Sean Flynn, the son of Errol Flynn, who played the title character in the 1935 film '' Captain Blood''. T ...
'', a 1962 sequel to '' Captain Blood'', starring Sean Flynn. * ''
Blackbeard's Ghost ''Blackbeard's Ghost'' is a 1968 American fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, and Suzanne Pleshette. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and Bill Walsh. It is based upon the 1965 ...
'', a 1968 film starring
Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, director and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. Ustinov received #Awa ...
. * ''
Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...
'', a 1972 adaptation of Stevenson's book, starring
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...
. * ''
Swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, ...
'', a 1976 film starring Robert Shaw,
James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, Jones is known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage and screen. Jones is one of the few perfor ...
,
Peter Boyle Peter Lawrence Boyle (October 18, 1935 – December 12, 2006) was an American actor. He is known for his character actor roles in film and television and received several awards including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. ...
,
Genevieve Bujold Genevieve (; ; also called ''Genovefa'' and ''Genofeva''; 419/422 AD – 502/512 AD) was a consecrated virgin, and is one of the two patron saints of Paris in the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church. Her feast day is on 3 January. Reco ...
,
Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor. He is a three-time Emmy Award, Emmy, two-time Golden Globe Award, Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nomine ...
and
Anjelica Huston Anjelica Huston ( ; born July 8, 1951) is an American actress, director and model. She is best known for playing Morticia Addams in the ''The Addams Family'' and '' The Addams Family Values'', as well as often portraying eccentric and distincti ...
about pirates in
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
fighting against the island's corrupt Governor. * ''
Pirates of the 20th Century ''Pirates of the 20th Century'' (, translit. ''Piraty XX veka'') is a 1980 Soviet action/adventure film about modern piracy. The film was directed by Boris Durov, the story was written by Boris Durov and Stanislav Govorukhin. The film was ...
'', a 1979
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
adventure film The adventure film is a broad genre of film. Some early genre studies found it no different than the Western film or argued that adventure could encompass all Hollywood genres. Commonality was found among historians Brian Taves and Ian Cameron in ...
about modern piracy. * '' The Island,'' a 1980 film based on
Peter Benchley Peter Bradford Benchley (May 8, 1940 – February 11, 2006) was an American author. He is best known for his bestselling novel '' Jaws'' and co-wrote its movie adaptation with Carl Gottlieb. Several more of his works were also adapted for both ...
's
novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
. * ''
The Pirate Movie ''The Pirate Movie'' is a 1982 Australian musical romantic comedy film directed by Ken Annakin, and starring Christopher Atkins and Kristy McNichol. Loosely based on Gilbert and Sullivan's 1879 comic opera ''The Pirates of Penzance'', the or ...
,'' a 1982
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n film loosely based on ''The Pirates of Penzance'', stars
Christopher Atkins Christopher Atkins Bomann (born February 21, 1961) is an American actor and businessman. He starred in the 1980 film '' The Blue Lagoon'' and played Peter Richards on ''Dallas'' (1983–1984). Early life Christopher Atkins Bomann was born and ...
and
Kristy McNichol Christina Ann McNichol (born September 11, 1962) is an American former actress. Beginning her career as a child actress, she rose to fame in 1976 with her portrayal of teenaged daughter Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the TV drama ''Family'' for which ...
. * ''
Nate and Hayes ''Savage Islands'' (also known as ''Nate and Hayes'' in the United States) is a 1983 swashbuckling adventure film set in the South Pacific in the late 19th century. Directed by Ferdinand Fairfax and filmed on location in Fiji and New Zealand, ...
'', a 1983 film based on the adventures of the notorious
Bully Hayes William Henry "Bully" Hayes (1827 or 1829 – 31 March 1877) was a notorious American ship's captain who engaged in blackbirding in the 1860s and 1870s.James A. Michener & A. Grove Day, ''Bully Hayes, South Sea Buccaneer'', in ''Rascals in Parad ...
, a pirate in the
South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
in the late 19th century. Also known as ''Savage Islands''. * ''
Yellowbeard ''Yellowbeard'' is a 1983 comedy film directed by Mel Damski and written by Graham Chapman, Peter Cook, Bernard McKenna (writer), Bernard McKenna, and David Sherlock, with an ensemble cast featuring Chapman, Cook, Peter Boyle, Cheech & Chong, M ...
'', a 1983 film starring
Graham Chapman Graham Chapman (8 January 1941 – 4 October 1989) was a British actor, comedian and writer. He was one of the six members of the Surreal humour, surrealist comedy group Monty Python. He portrayed authority figures such as The Colonel (Monty Py ...
as Yellowbeard the pirate. * ''
The Goonies ''The Goonies'' is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed and co-produced by Richard Donner from a screenplay by Chris Columbus based on a story by Steven Spielberg and starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin (in his film debut), Jeff Cohen ...
'', a 1985 film starring
Sean Astin Sean Patrick Astin (; born February 25, 1971) is an American actor. His acting roles include Mikey Walsh in '' The Goonies'' (1985), Billy Tepper in '' Toy Soldiers'' (1991), Dave Morgan in '' Encino Man'' (1992), Daniel Ruettiger in '' Rudy'' ...
,
Josh Brolin Josh James Brolin (; born February 12, 1968) is an American actor. A son of actor James Brolin, he gained fame in his youth for his role in the adventure film ''The Goonies'' (1985). After years of decline, Brolin had a resurgence with his starr ...
and
Corey Feldman Corey Scott Feldman (born July 16, 1971) is an American actor and musician. As a youth, he became well known for his roles in popular 1980s films such as '' Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter'' (1984), '' Gremlins'' (1984), '' The Goonies'' (198 ...
. * ''
Pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
'', a 1986
Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...
comic/adventure film starring
Walter Matthau Walter John Matthau ( Matthow; ; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, known for his "hangdog face" and for playing world-weary characters. He starred in 10 films alongside his real-life friend Jack Lemmon, including '' The Od ...
. * ''
The Princess Bride The Princess Bride may refer to: * ''The Princess Bride'' (novel), 1973 fantasy romance novel by writer William Goldman ** ''The Princess Bride'' (film), 1987 American film adaptation directed by Rob Reiner Robert Reiner (born March 6, 1947) ...
'', a 1987 film adaptation of the
William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist before turning to screenwriting. Among other accolades, Goldman won two Aca ...
novel that has "The Dread Pirate Roberts" as one of its central characters. * ''
Hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
'', a 1991 film starring
Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...
. * ''
Cutthroat Island ''Cutthroat Island'' is a 1995 adventure swashbuckler film directed by Renny Harlin and written by Robert King and Marc Norman from a story by Michael Frost Beckner, James Gorman, Bruce A. Evans, and Raynold Gideon. It stars Geena Davis, M ...
'', a 1995
Renny Harlin Renny Harlin (born Renny Lauri Mauritz Harjola; 15 March 1959) is a Finnish film director, Film producer, producer, and screenwriter who has worked in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood, Europe, and Cinema of China, China. His best-known film ...
film that was a notable flop, starring
Geena Davis Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an American actor. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Davis made her acting debut in the satirical romantic comedy ''Toots ...
* ''
Muppet Treasure Island ''Muppet Treasure Island'' is a 1996 American Musical film, musical Swashbuckler film, swashbuckler comedy film directed by Brian Henson and the fifth theatrical film featuring the Muppets. Adapted from the 1883 novel ''Treasure Island'' by Ro ...
'', a 1996 film starring
The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an surreal humor, absurdist, slapstick, burlesque, and self-referential humor, self-referential style of Musical theatre, musical Variety show, variety-sketch comedy. Cre ...
and
Tim Curry Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the musical film '' The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London, 1974 L ...
. * ''
Six Days Seven Nights ''Six Days, Seven Nights'' is a 1998 American action-adventure comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, produced by Reitman and Roger Birnbaum, and starring Harrison Ford and Anne Heche. The screenplay was written by Michael Browning. It was fil ...
'', a 1998 film, features piracy in the South China Sea. * ''
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island ''Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island'' is a 1998 American direct-to-video animated mystery comedy horror film based on the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise. In the film, Shaggy, Scooby, Fred, Velma and Daphne reunite after a year-long hiatus from Mystery ...
'', a 1998 film, Scooby and the gang investigate a bayou island haunted by the spirits of Morgan Moonscar and his crew. * ''
Treasure Planet ''Treasure Planet'' is a 2002 American animated science fiction film, science fiction adventure film directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and written by Musker, Clements and Rob Edwards (screenwriter), Rob Edwards. Produced by Walt Disney ...
'', a 2002 film, Disney-animated science fiction adaptation of Stevenson's book. * ''Pirates of the Caribbean'', a series of films based on
Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...
's
Pirates of the Caribbean ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' is a Disney media franchise encompassing numerous theme park rides, a series of films, and spin-off novels, as well as a number of related video games and other media publications. The franchise originated with Wa ...
attraction. ** '' Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'' (2003), the first film starring
Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp, multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for ...
,
Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. Known for often playing eccentric roles on both stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Geoffrey Rush, numerous accolades, including an Academy Aw ...
,
Orlando Bloom Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Copeland Bloom (born 13 January 1977) is an English actor. He made his breakthrough as the character Legolas in The Lord of the Rings (film series), ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series (2001–03). He reprised his r ...
,
Keira Knightley Keira Christina Knightley ( ; born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films and Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters, particularly Historical drama, period dramas, she has received List of awards and no ...
, and
Kevin McNally Kevin Robert McNally (born 27 April 1956) is an English actor and writer. He began his acting career in the BBC TV adaptation of ''I, Claudius'' (1976), but is best known for portraying Joshamee Gibbs in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' fran ...
. ** '' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'' (2006), the second film starring Depp, Bloom, Knightley, McNally and
Bill Nighy William Francis Nighy (; born 12 December 1949) is an English actor. Known for his work in numerous stage, television and film productions, he has received several awards including a British Academy Film Award and a Golden Globe Award, and ...
. ** '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' (2007), the third film starring Depp, Rush, Bloom, Knightley, McNally and Nighy. ** '' Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'' (2011), the fourth film starring Depp, Rush, McNally
Penélope Cruz Penélope Cruz Sánchez (born 28 April 1974) is a Spanish actress. Prolific in Spanish and English-language films, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, a David di Donatello and three Goya Awards. Cru ...
and
Ian McShane Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor. His television performances include the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, and M ...
. ** '' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales'' (2017), the fifth film starring Depp, Rush, McNally and
Javier Bardem Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem (born 1 March 1969) is a Spanish actor. In a career spanning over three decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, tw ...
. * ''
Pirates of Treasure Island ''Pirates of Treasure Island'' is a 2006 American comedy-drama film produced by The Asylum, loosely adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel ''Treasure Island''. The film was criticized as an imitation of the ''Pirates of the Caribbean' ...
'', a 2006 film adaptation of the novel ''
Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...
'' produced by
The Asylum The Asylum is an American independent film production and distribution company based in Burbank, California, known for producing low-budget, direct-to-video films, in particular mockbusters, which capitalize on the popularity of major studio f ...
. * ''
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! ''The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!'' (released overseas as ''The Pirates! Band of Misfits'') is a 2012 animated swashbuckler comedy film directed by Peter Lord, co-directed by Jeff Newitt, and written by Gideon Defoe, based on ...
'', a 2012
Aardman Animations Aardman Animations Limited, known simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, England, United Kingdom. It is known for films and television series made using stop motion and clay animation techniques, particularly those fe ...
film loosely adapted from a comedy book by
Gideon Defoe Gideon Defoe (born 26 December 1975) is an English novelist of ''The Pirates!'', a historical fiction fantasy comedy book series about a group of pirates on their adventures. He also wrote the screenplay for '' The Pirates! Band of Misfits'' whic ...
.


Literature

* ''
Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' ( ) is an English adventure novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. Written with a combination of Epistolary novel, epistolary, Confessional writing, confessional, and Didacticism, didactic forms, the ...
'' (1719) and '' The Life, Adventures and Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton'' (1720) by
Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; 1660 – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, merchant and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translati ...
were among the first novels to depict piracy, among other maritime adventures. * '' A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates'' (1724) by
Captain Charles Johnson Captain Charles Johnson was the British author of the 1724 book ''A General History of the Pyrates, A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates'', whose identity remains a mystery. No record exists of a captain b ...
(possibly a pseudonym for Defoe) introduced many features which later became common in pirate literature, such as pirates with missing legs or eyes, the myth of pirates burying treasure, and the name of the pirates flag
Jolly Roger Jolly Roger was the England, ensign flown by a piracy, pirate ship preceding or during an attack, during the early 18th century (the latter part of the Golden Age of Piracy). The vast majority of such flags flew the motif of a human skull, or ...
. * ''
The Corsair ''The Corsair'' (1814) is a long tale in verse written by Lord Byron (see 1814 in poetry) and published by John Murray in London. It was extremely popular, selling ten thousand copies on its first day of sale, and was influential throughout t ...
'' (1814), a poem by
Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...
concerns a pirate captain. It directly inspired
Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...
' overture ''Le Corsair'' (1844). * ''
Moby Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...
'' by
Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works ar ...
(1851). * '' The Pirate'' (1821), a novel by
Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...
. * "
The Gold-Bug "The Gold-Bug" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe published in 1843. The plot follows William Legrand, who becomes fixated on an unusual gold-colored bug he has discovered. His servant Jupiter fears that Legrand is going insan ...
" (1843), a short story by
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
featured a search for
buried treasure Buried treasure is a literary trope commonly associated with depictions of pirates, alongside Vikings, criminals, and outlaws in the Old West. According to popular conception, these people often buried their stolen fortunes in remote places ...
hidden by Captain
William Kidd William Kidd (c. 1645 – 23 May 1701), also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd, was a Scottish-American privateer. Conflicting accounts exist regarding his early life, but he was likely born in Dundee and later settled in N ...
and found by following an elaborate
code In communications and information processing, code is a system of rules to convert information—such as a letter, word, sound, image, or gesture—into another form, sometimes shortened or secret, for communication through a communicati ...
on a scrap of parchment. * ''
Fanny Campbell, the Female Pirate Captain ''Fanny Campbell, the Female Pirate Captain: A Tale of the Revolution'' is an 1844 American novel by Maturin Murray Ballou, about a woman who goes to sea to rescue her fiancé and becomes commander of a pirate ship. The popularity of its he ...
'' (1844), a novel about a woman who goes to sea dressed as a man to rescue her fiancé and becomes a pirate captain * ''
Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...
'' (
1883 Events January * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * January 16 – ...
), a novel by
Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
. * ''
The Black Corsair ''The Black Corsair'' is an 1898 adventure novel written by Italian novelist Emilio Salgari. Set in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy, the novel narrates the exploits of Emilio Roccanera, Lord of Ventimiglia and his attempts ...
'' (1898), first in a series of pirate novels by
Emilio Salgari Emilio Salgari (, but often erroneously ; 21 August 1862 – 25 April 1911) was an Italian writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction. In Italy, his extensive body of work was more widely read than that of Dante ...
. * ''
Sandokan Sandokan is a fictional late 19th-century pirate created by Italian people, Italian author Emilio Salgari. His adventures first appeared in publication in 1883. Sandokan is the hero of 11 adventure novels. Within the series, Sandokan is known ...
'' (1883–1913), a series of pirate novels by
Emilio Salgari Emilio Salgari (, but often erroneously ; 21 August 1862 – 25 April 1911) was an Italian writer of action adventure swashbucklers and a pioneer of science fiction. In Italy, his extensive body of work was more widely read than that of Dante ...
. Set in Malaysia in the late 1800s. * '' Captain Blood'' (1922), a novel by
Rafael Sabatini Rafael Sabatini (29 April 1875 – 13 February 1950) was an Italian people, Italian-born British writer of novels, writer of romance novel, romance and adventure novel, adventure novels. He is best known for his worldwide bestsellers: ''The Sea ...
(followed by two sequels: ''Captain Blood Returns'' ka ''The Chronicles of Captain Blood''and ''The Fortunes of Captain Blood'', each being a collection of Captain Blood adventures). * '' The Dealings of Captain Sharkey'' (1925), a novel by
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...
, famous for his stories of
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
. * ''
Queen of the Black Coast "Queen of the Black Coast" is one of the original short story, short stories about Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in ''Weird Tales'' magazine c. May 1934. Set during th ...
'' (1934), novelette by
Robert E. Howard Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 – June 11, 1936) was an American writer who wrote pulp magazine, pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. He created the character Conan the Barbarian and is regarded as the father of the sword and sor ...
features Bêlit a pirate queen who has a romantic relationship with Conan. She is Conan's first serious lover. * ''
Atlas Shrugged ''Atlas Shrugged'' is a 1957 novel by Ayn Rand. It is her longest novel, the fourth and final one published during her lifetime, and the one she considered her ''magnum opus'' in the realm of fiction writing. She described the theme of ''Atlas ...
'' (1957) by
Ayn Rand Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; , 1905March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (), was a Russian-born American writer and philosopher. She is known for her fiction and for developing a philosophical system which s ...
contains a fictional pirate Ragnar Danneskjöld whose activities are motivated by a
capitalist Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...
ideology. * ''
The Princess Bride The Princess Bride may refer to: * ''The Princess Bride'' (novel), 1973 fantasy romance novel by writer William Goldman ** ''The Princess Bride'' (film), 1987 American film adaptation directed by Rob Reiner Robert Reiner (born March 6, 1947) ...
'' (
1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
), a novel by
William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist before turning to screenwriting. Among other accolades, Goldman won two Aca ...
has "The Dread Pirate Roberts" as one of its central characters. * '' The Island'' (1979) by
Peter Benchley Peter Bradford Benchley (May 8, 1940 – February 11, 2006) was an American author. He is best known for his bestselling novel '' Jaws'' and co-wrote its movie adaptation with Carl Gottlieb. Several more of his works were also adapted for both ...
and the 1980 movie adaptation for which he wrote the screenplay, feature a latter-day band of pirates who prey on civilian shipping in the
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
. * ''
On Stranger Tides ''On Stranger Tides'' is a 1987 historical fantasy supernatural novel by American writer Tim Powers. It was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and placed second in the annual Locus poll for best fantasy novel. Set in the e ...
'' (1987), a historical fantasy novel by
Tim Powers Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy author. His first major novel was ''The Drawing of the Dark'' (1979), but the novel that earned him wide praise was ''The Anubis Gates'' ...
. It was loosely adapted into the fourth ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film. * '' Bloody Jack'' (2002), a historical novel by L.A. Meyer. * '' The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists'' (
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
) by
Gideon Defoe Gideon Defoe (born 26 December 1975) is an English novelist of ''The Pirates!'', a historical fiction fantasy comedy book series about a group of pirates on their adventures. He also wrote the screenplay for '' The Pirates! Band of Misfits'' whic ...
, a surreal adventure with stereotypical pirates and
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
. Defoe has written subsequent books involving the same pirate crew and their anachronistic, absurd adventures. * '' The Piratica Series'' (
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
,
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, and
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
), a series of pirate novels by
Tanith Lee Tanith Lee (19 September 1947 – 24 May 2015) was a British science fiction and fantasy writer. She wrote more than 90 novels and 300 short stories, and was the winner of multiple World Fantasy Society Derleth Awards, the World Fantasy Lifetime ...
. * ''Sea Witch'' (2006), a novel for adults by
Helen Hollick Helen Hollick (born 1953) is a British author of historical fiction. She is the author of the Arthurian trilogy '' Pendragon's Banner'', and the novels ''Harold the King'' and ''A Hollow Crown''. Life and career Born in Walthamstow, Hollick worke ...
published by DA Diamonds. * ''The Adventures of Hector Lynch'' (2007–2009), a pirate series by
Tim Severin Timothy Severin (25 September 1940 – 18 December 2020) was a British explorer, historian, and writer. Severin was noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Founder's Medal ...
* '' The Government Manual for New Pirates'' (2007), a spoof of survival guides by Matthew David Brozik and Jacob Sager Weinstein. * '' Isle of Swords'' (2007), a novel by Wayne Thomas Batson. * ''
Pirate Latitudes ''Pirate Latitudes'' is an action adventure novel by Michael Crichton, the sixteenth novel to be published under his own name and first to be published after his death, concerning 17th-century piracy in the Caribbean. HarperCollins published t ...
'' (2009), a novel by
Michael Crichton John Michael Crichton (; October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American author, screenwriter and filmmaker. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. His literary works heavil ...
. * '' The Pyrates Way Magazine'' (2006–Present), a quarterly online magazine by Kimball Publications, LLC. *
Maddox (writer) George Ouzounian (born ), known as Maddox, is an American blogger, YouTuber, and author. He gained fame on the internet in the early 2000s for his opinion-oriented website, '' The Best Page in the Universe'', which he still maintains. His firs ...
often portrays himself as a pirate on his website
The Best Page in the Universe George Ouzounian (born ), known as Maddox, is an American blogger, YouTuber, and author. He gained fame on the internet in the early 2000s for his opinion-oriented website, '' The Best Page in the Universe'', which he still maintains. His firs ...
. * Ana e os piratas do novo mundo (2012), a novel by Lucas Peixoto Dantas


Music

* Musicians have long been drawn towards pirate culture, due to its disestablishmentarianism and motley dress. An early 1960s British pop group called itself
Johnny Kidd and the Pirates Johnny Kidd & the Pirates (known simply as The Pirates after their reunion) were an English rock band led by singer/songwriter Johnny Kidd. Their musical journey spanned the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, during which they achieved considerabl ...
, and wore eye patches while they performed.
Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 1946 – 7 September 1978) was an English musician who was the drummer for the rock band the Who. Regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music, he was noted for his unique style of playing and ...
, drummer of
The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
, was a fan of
Robert Newton Robert Guy Newton (1 June 1905 – 25 March 1956) was an English actor. Along with Errol Flynn, Newton was one of the more popular actors among the male juvenile audience of the 1940s and early 1950s, especially with British boys. Known for hi ...
. Bands like
Flogging Molly Flogging Molly is an Irish-American seven-piece Celtic punk band formed in Los Angeles in 1997, led by Irish vocalist Dave King, formerly of the hard rock band Fastway. They are signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records. Histor ...
,
The Briggs The Briggs are a punk rock band based out of Los Angeles, California. The band formed in 1999 under the name "I Decline" by brothers Joey and Jason LaRocca and bassist Matthew Stolarz (a.k.a. Duck). In 2001, with the addition of drummer Chris A ...
,
Dropkick Murphys Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The current lineup consists of co-lead vocalist and bassist Ken Casey, drummer Matt Kelly, co-lead vocalist Al Barr (on hiatus from the band since 202 ...
,
The Coral The Coral are an English rock band, formed in 1996 in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside. The band emerged during the early 2000s. Their 2002 debut album ''The Coral (album), The Coral'', from which came the single "Dreaming of You (T ...
,
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (informally referred to as The Bosstones and often stylized as The Mighty Mighty BossToneS) were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky ...
,
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra , commonly abbreviated by fans as Skapara or TSPO, is a Japanese ska and jazz band formed in 1988 by the percussionist Asa-Chang, and initially composed of over 10 veterans of Tokyo's underground scene. At the time, the band's sound was unlike t ...
, Bullets And Octane,
Mad Caddies The Mad Caddies (or the Caddies) is an American ska punk band from Solvang, California. The band formed in 1995 and has released seven full-length albums, one live album, and two EPs. The Mad Caddies sound has influences from broad ranging g ...
,
The Vandals The Vandals are an American punk rock band, established in 1980 in Orange County, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums, three live albums, three live DVDs and have toured the world extensively, including performances on ...
,
Armored Saint Armored Saint is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1982. Since 1990, the band has consisted of John Bush on lead vocals, Joey Vera on bass, Jeff Duncan on guitar and the Sandoval brothers (Gonzo and Phil) on ...
,
Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapis ...
, and
Stephen Malkmus Stephen Joseph Malkmus ( ; born May 30, 1966) is an American musician best known as the primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Pavement. He currently performs with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Pavement, The ...
have pirate-themed songs as well. *Lagerstein is an Australian pirate themed band based in Queensland Australia *
Alestorm Alestorm are a Scottish heavy metal band formed in Perth in 2004. Their music is characterised by a pirate theme, and as a result, they have been dubbed a "pirate metal" band by many critics and their fanbase. The group currently consists of ...
is a pirate-themed
power Power may refer to: Common meanings * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power, a type of energy * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events Math ...
/
folk metal Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles (for example ...
band based in
Perth, Scotland Perth (; ) is a centrally located Cities of Scotland, Scottish city, on the banks of the River Tay. It is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and is the historic county town of Perthshire. It had a population of about ...
. Their fans are also encouraged to dress up like pirates and bring props to concerts. *
Ye Banished Privateers Ye Banished Privateers are a folk rock band from Umeå, Sweden. Their songs are inspired by traditional Irish and Scandinavian folk music and their lyrics are mostly based on sea and piracy history from the 17th and 18th century. During their sho ...
, an Umea-based band, perform shanty- and folk- inspired pirate music, also incorporating theatrical elements into their concerts. * Swashbuckle is an American
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
band who dress up and sing about pirates. *
Emerson, Lake & Palmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock Supergroup (music), supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards) of The Nice, Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitars, producer) ...
recorded the song "Pirates", a 13 minute long performance piece from their 1977 tour. It features the Orchestra de L'Opera de Paris. The piece can be found on the album ''
Works Volume 1 ''Works Volume 1'' is the fifth studio album by English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released as a double album on 25 March 1977 on Atlantic Records. Following their world tour supporting '' Brain Salad Surgery'' (1973), the ...
''. * Running Wild, a German metal band, adopted a "pirate metal" image in 1987, with their third album. * The
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...
adapted the saucy song "
Good Ship Venus "Good Ship Venus", also known as "Friggin' in the Riggin", is a bawdy drinking song devised to shock with ever increasingly lewd and debauched sexual descriptions of the eponymous ship's loose-moralled crew. The tune usually used (especially for ...
" as their hit "Friggin' in the Rigging". Fellow
Malcolm McLaren Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren (22 January 1946 – 8 April 2010) was an English fashion designer and music manager. He was a promoter and a manager for punk rock and new wave bands such as New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, Adam and the Ants, and ...
protégée,
Adam Ant Stuart Leslie Goddard (born 3 November 1954), known professionally as Adam Ant, is an English singer, musician, and actor. He gained popularity as the lead singer of new wave group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring 10 UK ...
, took the pirate image further. One of the tracks on the album ''
Kings of the Wild Frontier ''Kings of the Wild Frontier'' is the second album by English new wave band Adam and the Ants. It was released on 17 September 1980 by CBS Records in the UK and Epic Records internationally. The album was the UK number 1 selling album in 19 ...
'' was called "Jolly Roger". *
Gorillaz Gorillaz are an English virtual band created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett in London, England in 1998. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (gui ...
recorded a song called " Pirate Jet" which appears as the 16th track on their third studio album ''
Plastic Beach ''Plastic Beach'' is the third studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz, released on 3 March 2010 by Parlophone internationally and by Virgin Records in the United States. ''Plastic Beach'' evolved from an unfinished project entitled ' ...
''. * In 1986, the
Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
paid homage to the pirate lifestyle on their ''
Licensed to Ill ''Licensed to Ill'' is the debut studio album by the American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on November 15, 1986, by Def Jam and Columbia Records. The album became the first rap LP to top the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, and was the second ra ...
'' album with the song "Rhymin' and Stealin'". The song is filled with piratical and nautical phrasing liberally mixed with 1980s hip-hop references. *
Mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, ...
is an Australian pirate themed
folk-punk Folk punk (known in its early days as rogue folk) is a fusion of folk music and punk rock. It was popularized in the early 1980s by the Pogues in England, and by Violent Femmes in the United States. Folk punk achieved some mainstream success in t ...
band with releases on Fistolo Records. * Goth musician/comedian
Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...
illustrates the sometimes humorous rivalry between vampiric and pirate camps of goths in the song "Vampire Club" from the album ''
Boo Hoo Boo hoo may refer to the sound of someone crying. Boo hoo may also refer to: * '' Boo Hoo'', a 2002 album by musician Voltaire * "Boo-Hoo", a 1937 hit song recorded by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians * Boo Hoo the Bear, the mascot of Queen's ...
'' (2002). * American comedy band
The Aquabats The Aquabats are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1994. Throughout many fluctuations in the group's line-up, singer Christian Jacobs, the MC Bat Commander and bassist Chad Larson, Crash McLarson have ...
recorded a song entitled "Captain Hampton and the Midget Pirates" on their 1997 album ''
The Fury of The Aquabats! ''The Fury of the Aquabats!'' is the second studio album by American rock music, rock band the Aquabats, released on October 28, 1997, by Goldenvoice Records and Time Bomb Recordings. Overview Much like their The Return of The Aquabats, debut al ...
'', which told the story of Jim, a young boy who joins a pirate-hunting crew headed by Captain Hampton. Pirates are also mentioned in the band's 2000 song "The Wild Sea" on ''
Myths, Legends and Other Amazing Adventures, Vol. 2 ''Myths, Legends and Other Amazing Adventures, Vol. 2'' is a compilation album by American band The Aquabats, released on November 7, 2000 by Fearless Records. The album is a collection of studio outtakes, b-sides and miscellaneous unreleased tra ...
''. * '' The Pirate'', a musical starring
Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...
and
Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...
, has a number of songs about piracy in general, and the dread pirate "Mack the Black" Macoco in particular. *
The Dreadnoughts The Dreadnoughts are a Canadian 6-piece folk punk band from Vancouver. The band combines a wide range of European folk music with modern street punk. The band has seven full-length albums and three EPs on various labels, and has played around ...
are a Vancouver, Canada pirate-based band, including use of an accordion as well as a fiddle. *
Relient K Relient K () is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Matt Hoopes, and Brian Pittman during their third year in high school and time at Malone University in Canton. The band is named after guitarist ...
released a single covering the song "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" for the children's show ''
VeggieTales ''VeggieTales'' is an American Christian media, Christian Computer animated, CGI-animated series and multimedia franchise created by Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki under Big Idea Entertainment. The series stars Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumb ...
''. It was originally recorded by the cast of VeggieTales, and Relient K's version of the song was later included in the 2003 compilation album called ''Veggie Rocks!'' * In
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
2008, the
Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
n band
Pirates of the Sea Pirates of the Sea is a musical project that in May 2008 represented Latvia in Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade, Serbia with their song " Wolves of the Sea". It consists of three members: Italian singer Roberto Meloni who is living in Latvia ...
entered with the song " Wolves of the Sea". *
Nox Arcana Nox Arcana is the American neoclassical dark wave, dark ambient musical project of Joseph Vargo. It was founded in 2003 as a duo with William Piotrowski, who left in 2008 to pursue a career in film score composing but still acts as its studio en ...
recorded a pirate-themed album '' Phantoms of the High Seas'' in 2008, that contains a series of hidden puzzles and clues leading to a treasure map. *
Cosmo Jarvis Harrison Cosmo Krikoryan-Jarvis (born ), known as Cosmo Jarvis, is an English actor and former singer-songwriter. He has starred in the films '' Lady Macbeth'' (2016), '' Calm with Horses'' (2019), ''Persuasion'' (2022), and ''Warfare'' (2025). ...
released the song "Gay Pirates" on 23 January 2011. *
The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band is a seven-piece blues rhythm and blues band based in Oxford, England. The band play original material influenced by 1920s and 1930s jazz and 1940s jump blues. The band has been cited for its "extraordinary ...
released the song "Pirates!" in their album ''Year of the Rabbit'' on 3 February 2011. * " Barret's Privateers" is a song written by
Stan Rogers Stanley Allison Rogers (November 29, 1949 – June 2, 1983) was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter who sang traditional-sounding songs frequently inspired by Canadian history and the working people's daily lives, especially from the fishin ...
popular in
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
, Canada detailing the fictional story of Elcid Barret and his privateers and their voyage on the Antelope to raid American shipping vessels.


Stage

In 1879, the
comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...
''
The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...
'' was an instant hit in New York, and the original London production in 1880 ran for 363 performances. The piece, depicting an incompetent band of "tenderhearted" British pirates, is still performed widely today, and corresponds to historical knowledge about the emergence of piracy in the Piracy in the Caribbean, Caribbean. While they do not appear onstage, in William Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet'', Hamlet's ship to England is overtaken by pirates, allowing him to escape. Another example of pirates unwittingly saving someone's life appears in Shakespeare's ''Pericles, Prince of Tyre''. In 1904, J.M. Barrie's play ''Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' was first performed. In the book, Peter's enemy in Neverland is the pirate crew led by
Captain Hook Captain James Hook is the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter and Wendy, Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate captain of the br ...
. Details on Barrie's conception of Captain Hook are lacking, but it seems he was inspired by at least one historical
privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...
, and possibly by
Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
's
Long John Silver Long John Silver is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1883 novel '' Treasure Island'' by Robert Louis Stevenson. The most colourful and complex character in the book, he continues to appear in popular culture. His missing leg ...
as well. In film adaptations released in 1924, 1953, and 2003, Hook's dress, as well as the attire of his crew, corresponds to stereotypical notions of pirate appearance. * ''Il pirata'' (The Pirate) is an opera by Vincenzo Bellini, 1827 * ''
The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...
'', a comic operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan contains a Pirate King and a crew of orphan pirates. * ''Captain Sabertooth'' is a play first performed in the zoo\amusement park at Norway by Terje Formoe. * ''The Buccaneers of America'' by John Esquemeling is the supposedly real stories of some Caribbean pirates. * ''The Lady Pirates of Captain Bree'' also called ''Captain Bree and her Lady Pirates'' by Martin A. Follose and Bill Francoeur, a musical spoof * ''Störtebeker Festival'' on Rügen island in Germany, established in 1959/1993, is one of the best-established open-air theatres in Europe, following the stories and legends of Klaus Störtebeker and his Victual Brothers and Likedeelers of the 14th century.


Television

* ''The Buccaneers ''1956 - A juvenile adventure series produced for Britain's ITV (TV network), ITV. It featured Robert Shaw as Captain Dan Tempest, a reformed pirate in service to the British administration in the Bahamas during the early 18th century. * ''Captain Pugwash'', a series of British children's animated television programmes, comic strips and books, was first shown on the BBC in 1957. * Doctor (Doctor Who), The Doctor and his friends encountered space pirates in numerous episodes of BBC's ''Doctor Who'' (such as ''The Space Pirates''), though they also met historical pirates in ''The Smugglers'' (1966) and ''The Curse of the Black Spot'' (2011). Both stories involved the bounty of Henry Every, Captain Henry Avery (Hugh Bonneville), who the Doctor eventually befriended. * In a 1969 episode of Hanna-Barbera's ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', Mystery Inc. faced the ghost of Redbeard (voiced by John Stephenson (actor), John Stephenson). * The singing and dancing pirates Nasty Max, Mighty Matt, Massmedia and Sleazeappeal from the animated series ''Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea''. * Disney's ''TaleSpin'' (1990) featured the air pirate Don Karnage who always tried to steal goods and sometimes treasures from Baloo. * ''The Pirates of Dark Water'' is a Hanna-Barbera animated series of the 1990s. * ''Mad Jack the Pirate'', produced by Bill Kopp, showed on Fox Kids in the 1990s. * ''The Wiggles'' introduced the friendly pirate Captain Feathersword (played by Paul Paddick) in the 1993 video Wiggle Time! * ''Pirates (TV series), Pirates'' was a 1994 children's sitcom about a family of pirates living in a council house. * The animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' theme song is sung by Painty the Pirate, voiced by Pat Pinney. Certain episodes are also introduced by Patchy the Pirate, portrayed by Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants (character), SpongeBob SquarePants. Also in some of the ''SpongeBob'' episodes there is a character called The Flying Dutchman who is a pirate ghost. * ''
One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as he explores the Grand Line in search of the myt ...
'' (1999 onwards), the animated adaptation of the Japanese comic of the same name (see above). * ''Pirate Islands'', a 2003 Australian children's television show, and sequel ''Pirate Islands: The Lost Treasure of Fiji''. * ''
Black Lagoon ''Black Lagoon'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rei Hiroe. It has been published in Shogakukan's manga magazine '' Monthly Sunday Gene-X'' since April 2002, with its chapters collected in ...
'' is a 2006 anime about pirates in the South China Sea. It is a somewhat realistic look at the underlying themes of modern-day piracy. * The seventh season of ''Survivor (U.S. TV series), Survivor'', ''Survivor: Pearl Islands, Pearl Islands'', and Pirate Master had a piracy theme. * In the show ''Deadliest Warrior'', there was an episode titled "Pirate vs. Knight". * The Disney Junior animated series ''Jake and the Never Land Pirates'' debuted in 2011. * ''Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger'' (2011) is the 35th anniversary season of the ''Super Sentai'' series that has a pirate theme & its American counterpart Power Rangers Megaforce, Power Rangers Super Megaforce which is part of the 20th anniversary season of the ''Power Rangers'' which uses costumes, props, & footage from Gokaiger. * Marika Kato is the protagonist and space pirate captain of the Bentenmaru in the anime ''Bodacious Space Pirates'' (2012). * ''Black Sails (TV series), Black Sails'' is a television drama series created by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine for Starz Inc., which premiered in January 2014. * ''Crossbones (TV series), Crossbones'' is an American television series on the NBC network which premiered May 30, 2014. * The Flemish children's TV series ''Piet Piraat'' by Studio 100 stars a pirate captain and his crew. * The Nickelodeon animated TV series ''The Loud House'' features a character named CJ, who likes to play pirates. There is even an episode of ''The Casagrandes'' revolving around the pirate theme, entitled "Arrr in the Family". * The HBO Max TV series ''Our Flag Means Death'' is a romantic comedy created by David Jenkins in 2022.


Video games

* ''Alone in the Dark (1992 video game), Alone in the Dark'' is a survival horror game in which the antagonist is a pirate turned eldritch cultist named Ezechiel Pregzt. Its sequel ''Alone in the Dark 2'', featured a large number of antagonists who were all pirates led by One Eyed Jack. * ''Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'' is centered around the
Golden Age of Piracy The Golden Age of Piracy was the period between the 1650s and the 1730s, when maritime piracy was a significant factor in the histories of the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Histories of piracy often subdivide the Golden Age of Piracy into th ...
. * ''Brawlhalla'' features Blackbeard, Thatch as a playable character * Captain Syrup is the main antagonist of ''Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Wario Land'' and ''Wario Land II''. She shows up again in ''Wario Land: Shake It!''. * ''Claw (video game), Claw'' is a platform game by Monolith Productions that is a cartoon parody of pirate films. * ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' features pirate-themed enemies and locations, including the recurring villain King K. Rool now named Kaptain K. Rool and dressed as a pirate captain. * ''Doodle Pirate'' is an Android Game developed by Impudia Games, featuring a comedic side of treasure hunting. * ''Final Fantasy XII'' has many characters, including Balthier are sky pirates. Also, Faris in Final Fantasy V and Leila in Final Fantasy II are pirates. * Pirates feature as a character class in several ''Fire Emblem'' games. * The Five Nights at Freddy's franchise features an animatronic named Foxy The Pirate. * ''Heroes of the Storm'' features pirate-themed battleground Blackheart's Bay, and Blackheart, the ghost pirate lord, as an announcer. * The action role-playing game ''Kingdom Hearts II'' features a section that adapts the plot of '' Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl''. It features heroes Sora, Donald, and Goofy teaming up with movie protagonist Jack Sparrow to fight against the movie's villain, Barbossa, as well as a later scenario where the heroes revisit Jack. ''Kingdom Hearts III'' revisits this world, as the three heroes team up with Jack once again to battle Davy Jones in an adaptation of '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End''. * ''The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker'' features pirates such as Princess Zelda#Tetra, Tetra and her crew. * ''Lego Racers'' first boss is Captain Redbeard. When he is beaten, you can build cars using "pirated-themed" lego pieces. * ''Loot'', a card game made by Gamewright. * ''The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan'' features 3 modern piracy, modern day pirates as the main antagonists. * ''Maple Story'' has added a Pirate job class. * ''Medal of Honor: Warfighter'', a first-person shooter made by Danger Close Games * ''Megaman Battle Network 6'' has a WWW member named Captain Blackbeard, an operator of Diveman.EXE who dressed as a sailor. * ''Metroid'' is a videogame in which the main antagonists are space pirates. * The pirate-themed ''Monkey Island series, Monkey Island'' series of video games is inspired by
Tim Powers Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy author. His first major novel was ''The Drawing of the Dark'' (1979), but the novel that earned him wide praise was ''The Anubis Gates'' ...
' book ''
On Stranger Tides ''On Stranger Tides'' is a 1987 historical fantasy supernatural novel by American writer Tim Powers. It was nominated for the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and placed second in the annual Locus poll for best fantasy novel. Set in the e ...
'' and Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean (theme park ride), Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It is set in the 18th century Caribbean and stars the ''hero'' pirate Guybrush Threepwood and the ''evil'' pirate LeChuck. * ''Pirates of the Burning Sea'' is a swashbuckling MMORPG set in the early 18th century Caribbean. * ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' features a ghost pirate named Cortez that guarded the fifth Crystal Star, but befriended Mario after he helped him on his fight against Lord Crump. * ''Pirates of the Caribbean Online'' was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on The Walt Disney Company, Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean (film series), Pirates of the Caribbean films. * ''Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat'' by Westwood studios is a mix of third-person adventure and sea battles. * ''Pirates, Vikings and Knights II'' is a multiplayer video game in which players can play as a team of highly stereotypical pirates. * ''Plundered Hearts'' is a Interactive fiction, text adventure set in the 17th century in which the player character is a young woman who gets kidnapped by pirates. * ''Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction'' and ''Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty'' contain pirates as enemies throughout the levels. * ''Rogue Galaxy'' is a role-playing video game in which the main character, Jaster Rogue joins a crew of space pirates to help defeat an oppressive empire. * Ruby Heart is a female pirate created by Capcom for the game Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, ''Marvel vs Capcom 2''. She also makes cameos in that game's Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, sequel as well as ''Street Fighter V''. * ''Sea of Thieves'' is an open world video game with a pirate-themed setting. * ''Sid Meier's Pirates!'' is a well-known video game featuring pirates. * ''Skies of Arcadia'' is a video game for the Sega Dreamcast (later remade as Skies of Arcadia Legends for the Nintendo Gamecube) about a group of air pirates that struggle against an oppressive power threatening to take over and destroy the world. * ''Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves'' features a level in which the Cooper Gang steals a pirate ship, and upgrades it to defeat rival pirate crews * ''Sonic Rush Adventure'' takes place in a pirate-themed world. This includes a robot pirate named Captain Whisker. * In the ''Soul (series), Soul'' series, Cervantes de Leon, Cervantes, a long-standing character in the franchise, is a pirate. In ''Soul Calibur III'' specifically, there is a 'Pirate' class option for custom characters. * ''Star Wars Empire At War'' contains a non-playable faction called the Black Sun Pirates, a large gang of mercenaries. * In ''Suikoden IV'' there are a great deal of pirates to encounter and recruit. * In ''Tales of Berseria'' the protagonist reluctantly teams up with a group of pirates. The first mate, Eizen, becomes part of the main cast while the rest of the crew makes frequent appearances throughout the game. The player has the choice of sending the crew on expeditions to retrieve items and explore uncharted waters. * ''Tropico 2: Pirate Cove'' is a 2003 city-building game in which player runs a pirate island as the Pirate King. * ''Uncharted Waters'' is a series of role-playing video games by Koei set in the Age of Exploration where the player takes the role of a naval fleet captain. All the games feature pirates as regular threats and it is possible to play with pirate characters in some of the iterations. * The independent action-adventure game ''Wandersong'' features a chapter called "Voyage of the Lady Arabica," where the bard protagonist and his witch friend Miriam set out on a voyage with what appears to be a pirate crew. Despite their appearance, however, they don't engage in usual pirate activities, instead growing and selling coffee beans. * ''World of Warcraft'' features pirates as Non-player character, NPCs and quest givers. In addition, Pirate's Day is celebrated in-game on September 19 each year in honour of
International Talk Like a Pirate Day International Talk Like a Pirate Day is a parodic holiday created in 1995 by John Baur and Mark Summers of Albany, Oregon, who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate (that is, in Engl ...
. * ''Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates'' is a massively multiplayer online game in which the player takes the role of a pirate, having adventures on the high seas and pillaging money from roaming enemy ships. * ''Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure'' is an adventure game, adventure video puzzle game for the Nintendo Wii. * The first hub in ''Pac-Man World'' contains four pirate-themed levels named Buccaneer Beach, Corsair's Cove, Crazy Cannonade, and HMS Windbag. * ''Uncharted 4: A Thief's End'' is an adventure game centered around trying to find Henry Every's treasure


Advertising

* ''Captain Crook'' was a character in McDonald's restaurants' ''McDonaldland'' advertising, 1971–1985. He appeared as a "mascot"-type costumed character, performed by Robert Towers and voiced by Larry Storch. * ''Jean LaFoote'' was an animated pirate character appearing in advertising for Cap'n Crunch cereal in the mid-1970s. He was created by Jay Ward Productions and voiced by Jay Ward regular Bill Scott (voice actor), Bill Scott. * ''Captain Morgan'' – the namesake of the British brand of
rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...
is Sir Henry Morgan (c. 1635 – 1688), known as both a Captain Morgan in popular culture, privateer and a pirate.


Pirates in sports

Because pirate ships connote fearsomeness, loyalty and teamwork, many professional and amateur sports teams use the nickname ''Pirates'', as well as other nicknames or logos associated with cultural depictions of pirates, such as an eyepatch. Teams: * Professional ** American football *** Las Vegas Raiders – National Football League *** Tampa Bay Buccaneers – National Football League ** Association football *** Bristol Rovers FC – Football League One, England *** Orlando Pirates – Premier Soccer League, South Africa *** Tampa Bay Mutiny – Major League Soccer ** Baseball *** Amsterdam Pirates – Honkbal Hoofdklasse (Dutch Baseball League) *** Pittsburgh Pirates – Major League Baseball *** Piratas de Campeche – Liga Mexicana de Béisbol (Mexican League) *** Piratas de Isla de la Juventud – Cuban National Series ** Basketball *** Piratas de La Guaira – Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto, Venezuela *** Piratas de Quebradillas – Baloncesto Superior Nacional, Puerto Rico *** Wörthersee Piraten – Österreichische Basketball Bundesliga, Austria ** Ice hockey *** Portland Pirates – American Hockey League ** Rugby league *** Canberra Raiders – National Rugby League,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
* Collegiate ** Barry University, Barry University Buccaneers – Sunshine State Conference ** East Carolina Pirates – American Athletic Conference ** East Tennessee State University, East Tennessee State Buccaneers – Southern Conference ** Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Mass Maritime Buccaneers – Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference ** Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders – Conference USA ** Mount Union College, Mount Union Purple Raiders – Ohio Athletic Conference ** Seton Hall Pirates – Big East Conference (1979–2013), Big East Conference ** Southwestern University, Southwestern Pirates – NCAA Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference ** University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, UMass Dartmouth Corsairs – Little East Conference ** University of New Orleans, New Orleans Privateers – Southland Conference * Minor ** Hockey *** Nepean Raiders – Central Junior Hockey League *** Prince Albert Raiders – Western Hockey League *** Richmond Renegades – ECHL *** Rochester Raiders – Great Lakes Indoor Football League *** Tottenville High School, Tottenville Pirates ** Rugby Union *** Cornish Pirates Pro wrestler Paul Burchill from ''WWE Friday Night SmackDown'' dressed like a pirate and claimed that
Blackbeard Edward Teach (or Thatch; – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Little is known about his early life, but he ma ...
is his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. Previously, Carl Ouellet wrestled as Jean-Pierre Lafitte (supposedly a descendant of pirate Jean Lafitte). * Kung Fu * The music group
Ye Banished Privateers Ye Banished Privateers are a folk rock band from Umeå, Sweden. Their songs are inspired by traditional Irish and Scandinavian folk music and their lyrics are mostly based on sea and piracy history from the 17th and 18th century. During their sho ...
recently introduced the sports genre "pirate kung fu" for fans and musicians alike.


See also

* List of space pirates * Lego Pirates


References


External links


Arrrr! Pirates invading pop culture
NBC News, May 18, 2007 * Mark G. Hanna
A Lot of What Is Known about Pirates Is Not True, and a Lot of What Is True Is Not Known.
HUMANITIES, Winter 2017, Volume 38, Number 1 * Richard R. E. Kania
Pirates and Piracy in American Popular Culture
, Romanian Journal of English Studies, Volume 11, Issue 1 * Ben Brotemarkle
Florida Frontiers “Pirates in Florida, Real and Imagined”
Florida Historical Society, 2015 * Louis Kemner
Magic: The Gathering - A Whole FLEET of New Pirates Just Arrived
Comic Book Resources, November 8, 2020 {{DEFAULTSORT:Pirates In Popular Culture Pirates in popular culture, Crime in popular culture Maritime folklore Historical fiction Cultural depictions of pirates