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William Turner Jr. is a fictional character in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' films. He appears in '' The Curse of the Black Pearl'' (2003), '' Dead Man's Chest'' (2006), '' At World's End'' (2007), and '' Dead Men Tell No Tales'' (2017). He is portrayed by
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 ...
(and as a child by Dylan Smith in the prologue of ''The Curse of the Black Pearl''). William Turner is a blacksmith's apprentice working in Port Royal,
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 ...
. He secretly loves the governor's daughter,
Elizabeth Swann Elizabeth Swann is a fictional character in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. She appears in '' The Curse of the Black Pearl'' (2003), '' Dead Man's Chest'' (2006), '' At World's End'' (2007) and '' Dead Men Tell No Tales'' (2017). S ...
(played by
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 Lucinda Dryzek), although he occupies a lower social class than she does. Will is the son of Bootstrap Bill Turner, and he works to free his father from service to Davy Jones. He marries Elizabeth Swann in ''At World's End'', and they have a son named Henry (played by Dominic Scott Kay, Lewis McGowan, and Brenton Thwaites). Alongside Hector Barbossa, Turner serves as an additional
foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ma ...
to Jack Sparrow's character, taking the role of the
straight man The straight man (or straight woman in the case of female characters), also known as a "comedic foil", is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically ...
with his subdued, good-natured personality.


Fictional biography


Early life

Will is the only child of "Bootstrap" Bill Turner (portrayed by Stellan Skarsgaard). According to Jack Sparrow, Will strongly resembles his father, both in appearance and ability. However, his father was absent during his early childhood in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. Will grew up believing his father to be a merchant seaman. Following his mother's death, Will, then about twelve years old, emigrated to Port Royal.


''The Curse of the Black Pearl''

Weatherby Swann and his daughter Elizabeth sail to Port Royal after Weatherby is appointed governor. Elizabeth spots Will clinging to a floating piece of a shipwreck. She discovers a
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
medallion around his neck, and hides it to prevent anyone from believing that Will is a pirate. Later Elizabeth finds out the medallion is in fact Cursed
Aztec The Aztecs ( ) were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico in the Post-Classic stage, post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central ...
Gold. Over the next eight years, Will and Elizabeth maintain a respectful friendship, although Will conceals his romantic feelings for her. He is now a
blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
's apprentice in Port Royal. Will has developed into a master craftsman of fine
sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...
s, although his often-drunk master usually claims credit for Will's exquisite workmanship. Will is also an exceptional, self-taught swordsman. The DVD commentary states that he is the best among the characters in the film, including Barbossa, Norrington, and Jack Sparrow. When Jack Sparrow attempts to evade arrest, Will engages him in a duel. Sparrow outwits Will in a sword fight; Will claims Jack "cheated" by ignoring the "rules of engagement." Will learns that his father was the pirate "Bootstrap Bill" Turner, who served aboard the ''Black Pearl'' when it was commanded by Captain Jack Sparrow. Despite Sparrow's comments that Bootstrap was "a good man," Will remains deeply conflicted over the fact that his father was a pirate. Will learns that when First Mate Barbossa and the crew mutinied and marooned Sparrow, only Bootstrap defended him. Infuriated by Bootstrap's betrayal, Barbossa and his crew had looted a chest of Aztec gold. This resulted in them becoming undead and unable to feel physical pleasure. It was only after they had thrown Bootstrap overboard that they learned how to break the curse: they needed to return all of the gold pieces, and each pirate who took the gold had to make a blood offering as a form of repayment. Because Bootstrap only had one child, Barbossa decides to track down and kidnap the child in order to lift the curse. It is revealed that the pirate's medallion stolen by Elizabeth is one of the pieces of Aztec gold. Believing her to be the daughter of Bootstrap Bill, Barbossa kidnaps her. After Elizabeth is kidnapped, Will forms an alliance with Sparrow. He helps Sparrow escape from prison. They commandeer a ship and recruit a crew in Tortuga. They sail to Isla de Muerta, where Barbossa has taken Elizabeth. Unbeknownst to Will, Sparrow intends to use him to bargain back the ''Black Pearl''. When Will learns his role in lifting the curse, he barters himself to Barbossa to free Elizabeth and the crew. In the end, Sparrow and Will succeed in lifting the curse; Sparrow kills Barbossa, and the pirate crew is defeated. At Sparrow's execution in Port Royal, Will declares his love for Elizabeth before attempting to rescue Sparrow from the gallows. They are quickly subdued by redcoats, but Will refuses to abandon Sparrow. Elizabeth intervenes and saves Will by declaring her love for him and vouching for Sparrow. Will is pardoned, while Sparrow escapes by falling off the rampart and into the bay where the ''Black Pearl'' awaits.


''Dead Man's Chest''

Will returns with the other main characters from '' Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl''. For aiding Jack Sparrow's escape, Will and Elizabeth are arrested just prior to their wedding ceremony by Lord Cutler Beckett, a man made wealthy and powerful by profits from the East India Trading Company. Beckett threatens Will and Elizabeth with execution for aiding Sparrow's escape, but offers clemency if Will can find Sparrow's compass for Beckett's use. This magical compass will allow Beckett to find the heart of Davy Jones. Beckett also possesses a
Letter of Marque A letter of marque and reprisal () was a Sovereign state, government license in the Age of Sail that authorized a private person, known as a privateer or French corsairs, corsair, to attack and capture vessels of a foreign state at war with t ...
with which he intends to recruit Jack as a
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 ...
. To save Elizabeth, Will hunts for Jack Sparrow and the ''Black Pearl''. He finds the crew captive on Pelegosto, a cannibal-inhabited island. They escape, and are unexpectedly reunited with Pintel and Ragetti. Jack agrees to give Will his compass if he helps him find a key, though he has no idea what it unlocks. Jack seeks out Tia Dalma, a voodoo priestess who takes a particular interest in Will, proclaiming he has a "touch of destiny." Dalma says the key is to the Dead Man's Chest containing the heart of Davy Jones. Sparrow had once struck a bargain with Davy Jones to raise the ''Black Pearl'' from the ocean bottom and to make Jack captain for 13 years. Sparrow would then serve aboard the ''Dutchman'' for a century. When Jones attempts to collect on this deal, Jack reneges on the bargain. The crew searches for Jones, and Will soon finds himself stranded on a wrecked vessel that Jack claimed was Jones' ghost ship, the ''Flying Dutchman''. When the real ''Flying Dutchman'' suddenly arrives, Jack attempts to barter Will to Davy Jones to repay his blood debt, but Jones refuses, saying one soul is unequal to another. Instead, he keeps Will as a "good faith" payment and demands an additional 99 souls. Otherwise, Jack must surrender or face the Kraken. Will, now an indentured sailor aboard Jones' ghost ship, meets his father "Bootstrap" Bill Turner. When Will challenges Davy Jones to Liar's Dice, betting his soul against the key to the ''Dead Man's Chest'', Bootstrap joins in and purposely loses to save his son from eternal enslavement. With Bootstrap's help, Will steals the key from Jones and escapes in a longboat, vowing to one day free his father. A passing ship rescues Will, but Jones summons the Kraken to destroy it. Will survives and stows back aboard the ''Dutchman,'' now headed for Isla Cruces where the Dead Man's Chest containing Jones' heart is buried. On Isla Cruces, Will is reunited with Elizabeth, who has escaped jail and joined Jack Sparrow's crew. Also present are Sparrow and former Commodore James Norrington, who has also joined the crew. They locate the chest. Will, Jack, and Norrington each claim the heart for their own purposes. Norrington ultimately steals the heart and the Letters of Marque, escaping just as Davy Jones' crew attacks. The ''Black Pearl'' flees, outrunning the ''Flying Dutchman'', but Davy Jones again summons the Kraken. Will leads the crew in temporarily fending it off, gaining enough time to abandon ship. When Elizabeth realizes that Sparrow is the Kraken's sole prey, she distracts him with a passionate kiss while handcuffing him to the mast. Unbeknownst to her, Will witnesses this and believes Elizabeth now loves Sparrow. From the longboat, the crew watches the Kraken drag the ''Pearl'' and Sparrow to Davy Jones' Locker. Will, Elizabeth, and the crew seek refuge with Tia Dalma. Gibbs proposes a toast to their fallen captain, to which Will glumly raises his mug. Seeing Elizabeth's tears and believing she loves Sparrow, he tries comforting her. Will and the crew agree to attempt to rescue Sparrow from the Locker.


''At World's End''

Will is next seen in
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
with Elizabeth, Barbossa, Tia Dalma, and the ''Black Pearl'' crew. They attempt bargain with Sao Feng, the Pirate Lord of the South China Sea, for the navigational charts leading to World's End and Davy Jones' Locker, so that they can rescue Jack Sparrow. Will had already attempted to steal the charts, but was captured. Ostensibly, the group's mission is to rescue Jack Sparrow from the Locker, but, like the others, Will has a secret motive: to retrieve the ''Black Pearl'' and free his father from Davy Jones. When Mercer and the East India Trading Company soldiers attack Sao Feng's bathhouse, Feng strikes a secret bargain with Will: Jack Sparrow in exchange for the ''Black Pearl''. Will and the others journey to World's End on Feng's ship, sailing over an enormous waterfall into the Locker. There, they find Jack aboard the ''Pearl''. Jack sets sail with them, although he and Barbossa dispute who is captain. Will learns that Elizabeth sacrificed Jack to the Kraken. And though he now understands why Elizabeth has been distant and despondent, she believes that her unrelenting guilt over causing Sparrow's doom is her burden alone to bear. Will tells her their relationship will not endure if they lack trust in one another and make their choices alone. Sao Feng betrays Will in lieu of another bargain with Lord Beckett, though Beckett double-crosses Feng. Feng then offers Barbossa the ''Black Pearl'' in exchange for Elizabeth, who he mistakenly believes is the sea goddess, Calypso. Elizabeth is stunned that Will betrayed Jack Sparrow to achieve his goal. Ignoring Will, she agrees to Feng's terms in exchange for the crew's safety. Jack tosses Will in the brig, but he soon escapes. Still plotting to obtain the ''Pearl'', Will leaves a trail of bodies for Lord Beckett to follow to Shipwreck Cove, the Brethren Court stronghold. Jack catches him, but surprisingly hands Will his magical compass before pushing him overboard. Clinging to a floating barrel, Will drifts towards Beckett's ship, ''Endeavour''. Will is exchanged for Jack during parley with Beckett and Davy Jones. Elizabeth tells Will she now understands the burden he bears, but having been aboard the ''Dutchman'', she believes Bootstrap can no longer be saved, although Will disagrees. When Barbossa releases Calypso from her human form, Will tells her that Davy Jones betrayed her to the First Brethren Court. This causes her to turn her fury against both the pirates and Jones, forming a giant maelstrom. During the maelstrom battle, Will proposes to Elizabeth, convincing her this may be their only opportunity to wed. Barbossa performs an impromptu wedding as the battle continues. Will defends Elizabeth from Davy Jones. He stabs Jones, but Jones is unharmed. Jones mortally wounds Will. Jack, who now possesses Jones' heart guides Will's hand to stab the heart and kill Jones. Bootstrap carves out his son's heart and places it in the Dead Man's Chest. Will becomes the ''Flying Dutchman''s immortal captain. Now under Will's command, the ''Flying Dutchman'' resurfaces, and the crew has reverted to human form. Will commands the ''Dutchman'' against the ''Endeavour'' and the combined firepower of the ''Black Pearl'' and the ''Flying Dutchman'' destroy the ''Endeavour'', killing Cutler Beckett. The remaining armada retreats without a fight. Will is now a
psychopomp Psychopomps (from the Greek word , , literally meaning the 'guide of souls') are creatures, spirits, angels, demons, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife. Their role is ...
, bound to ferrying souls of those who died at sea to the next world. Will is allowed one day ashore before beginning his ten-year duty aboard the ''Dutchman''. Bootstrap Bill decides to remain on the crew with his son. Elizabeth, a mortal, is unable to accompany them. Will spends his one day with Elizabeth on an island where they consummate their marriage. Before returning to the ''Dutchman'' at sunset, he entrusts the Dead Man's Chest containing his beating heart to her care. The ''Flying Dutchman'' disappears from the horizon amid the Green Flash. Will returns ten years later, where he meets Elizabeth and their son, Henry.


''Dead Men Tell No Tales''

Orlando Bloom reprises his role as Will Turner in the fifth film, seen with barnacles forming upon his face, implying he's failing at the responsibilities as Captain of the ''Flying Dutchman''. At the start of the film, Henry Turner deliberately attempts to drown himself to lure in the ''Dutchman'', believing that he has found a way to cure his father of his curse, but Will rejects this idea, certain that there is no way to free him from his duty, asking Henry to forget him. Nine years later, Jack Sparrow recruits Henry, his small crew, a girl named Carina Smyth (who is secretly the daughter of Barbossa) and Barbossa to help him find the Trident of Poseidon, the destruction of the Trident breaking all curses imposed by the sea, including the curse that binds Will to the ''Dutchman''. At the film's conclusion, Will is reunited with Elizabeth. In the post-credits sequence, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are asleep when their bedroom is entered by the shadow of an apparently resurrected Davy Jones. Will then awakens and, assuming that he was simply dreaming, goes back to sleep, not seeing a puddle of water and barnacles on the floor. Although the post-credits scene of ''Dead Men Tell No Tales'' featured Will Turner having a dream of Davy Jones seemingly resurrected from the dead, directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg confirmed the scene was meant to "pay respect to a legendary villain in the franchise" as well as be a tease or hint that it could be the "beginning of the end" or "just a dream or nightmare".


Games/video games

Will Turner appears in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' world, Port Royal/The Caribbean, of ''
Kingdom Hearts II ''Kingdom Hearts II'' is a 2005 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in collaboration with Disney Interactive Studios, Buena Vista Games for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The game is a sequel to ''Kingdom Hear ...
'' and ''
Kingdom Hearts III is a 2019 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and Nintendo Switch. It is the third main installment in the '' Kingdom Hearts'' series and the twelfth game overall, and ser ...
''. In the Japanese version of ''Kingdom Hearts II'' as well as in the movies he's voiced by Daisuke Hirakawa, who was also the Japanese voice for Legolas, another famous character portrayed by Bloom. Crispin Freeman provided the voice of Will for the U.S. version of the game since Orlando Bloom was unavailable due to the filming of ''Dead Man's Chest'' and ''At World's End''. Freeman was also the voice of Will in the video game '' Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow'' and in the video game adaptation of '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End''. Will Turner appears in the video game '' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'' and in '' Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game'' as a playable character in both games and was again voiced by Crispin Freeman. He also appears in the game '' Pirates of the Caribbean Online'' game as the character who gives the player their first sword. In the earlier versions of the game, Will urges the player to run and locate Tia Dalma after soldiers can be heard banging on his door. Will stays behind to confront them, drawing his sword. In the newer version, undead skeletons appear inside instead. Will Turner appears as a playable character in the video game ''
Disney Magic Kingdoms ''Disney Magic Kingdoms'' is a 2016 city-building game developed and published by Gameloft for iOS, Android, and Windows. It is themed off the Disney Parks. The game was officially launched on March 17, 2016. Gameplay and story The game ta ...
''.


Character development and portrayal

Described as the "traditional
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 ...
type" of character compared to
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 ...
's
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
-inspired portrayal of Jack Sparrow, Will Turner was originally written as a prison guard who freed Sparrow to rescue
Elizabeth Swann Elizabeth Swann is a fictional character in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. She appears in '' The Curse of the Black Pearl'' (2003), '' Dead Man's Chest'' (2006), '' At World's End'' (2007) and '' Dead Men Tell No Tales'' (2017). S ...
in early drafts of ''The Curse of the Black Pearl''. Actor
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 ...
, who took the role of Turner after playing Legolas in
Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand filmmaker. He is best known as the director, writer, and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy (2012–2014), both of which ar ...
's ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, stated that he read the script after
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 ...
, whom he was working with on ''
Ned Kelly Edward Kelly (December 185411 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader, bank robber and convicted police-murderer. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing armour of the Kelly gang, a suit of bulletproof ...
'', suggested it to him.
Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent Maguire (born 27 June 1975) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for starring as Peter Parker (2002 film series character), Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man in film#Sam Raimi's trilogy, ''Spider-Man'' tr ...
,
Jude Law David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an English actor. He began his career in theatre before landing small roles in various British television productions and feature films. Law gained international recognition for his role in An ...
, Ewan McGregor, Ben Peyton,
Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. List of awards and nominations received by C ...
and
Heath Ledger Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, he moved to the United States in 1998 to further develop his film care ...
were also considered for the role, with
Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is a British actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), beginning with ''Thor (film), Thor'' in 2011 and incl ...
also auditioning for the role. By the end of filming the ''Pirates'' trilogy in 2006 and the release of ''At World's End'' in 2007, both Bloom and
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 ...
repeatedly stated that they were done with ''Pirates'' series, noting that there was closure for Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann in ''At World's End'', and was quoted in saying they wanted to move on from the franchise, and so did not return for the fourth film '' On Stranger Tides''. However, Bloom made statements about returning to the ''Pirates'' franchise as early as October 2011. In 2012, Moviehole.Net reported that a "separate Disney contact" gave this one-line response: "Will Turner's story might not be finished..." While there were discussions for him to reprise his role as Will Turner by 2014, his involvement in fifth film '' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales'' was announced in Disney D23. Bloom alluded to his character's new "gnarly" appearance after taking over Davy Jones' post in ''At World's End'', stating that it would be "fun to do something where I’m rumbling round the bottom of the ocean, because I won’t look anything like me." Although it was announced as a supporting role, Bloom ultimately appeared as a cameo in ''Dead Men Tell No Tales'', which was released in May 2017.


Notes


References


External links


Will Turner
at th
''Pirates of the Caribbean'' wiki
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Will Pirates of the Caribbean characters Fictional English people Fictional sea pirate captains Fictional swordfighters in films Fictional smiths Film characters introduced in 2003 Male characters in film Psychopomps