The Dead Man's Chest is a mysterious chest that holds the heart of Davy Jones, captain of the ghostly Flying Dutchman. It played a prominent role in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and its sequel, At World's End. Among other appearances, the chest appears in Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island.
Thirteen years after his bargain with Davy Jones, Captain Jack Sparrow searches for the key to the fabled Dead Man's Chest to use as leverage to satisfy his debt to Jones. Meanwhile, Lord Cutler Beckett sets his sights on retrieving the Chest, knowing that whoever controls the heart of Davy Jones has the power to control the Seven Seas. However, it was also learned that if whoever stabs Jones' heart, their heart must take their place. After the heart of Davy Jones was stabbed by Will Turner, Turner became the new captain of the Flying Dutchman, having his heart carved out and placed within the chest, which Will gave the chest to Elizabeth Swann for safe-keeping.
Appearances[]
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest[]
Thirteen years after his bargain with Davy Jones, Captain Jack Sparrow was given the Black Spot by Bootstrap Bill Turner, thereby marking him for the Kraken to hunt unless Jack repays his debt. To elude Jones' wrath, Sparrow sought out the Dead Man's Chest, which contains the the still-beating heart of Davy Jones, in order to save himself from a life of servitude to Jones. With Will Turner press-ganged into Davy Jones' crew aboard the Flying Dutchman, Jack managed to convince Elizabeth Swann to use his compass to find the chest of Davy Jones in order to save Will. To convince Elizabeth, Jack said that whoever has the chest has the leverage to command Jones to do whatever he or she wants.
Jack opening the Dead Man's Chest.
Charting a course to Isla Cruces, Jack and Elizabeth were able to find the Dead Man's Chest, while Will Turner stole the key from Davy Jones from aboard the Flying Dutchman. However, a three-way sword fight broke out between Jack, Will, and Norrington to pursue their own goals: Will wanted to kill Jones, so his father Bootstrap is freed; Jack, however, wanted it to force Jones to call off the Kraken; James Norrington, now a rum-pot deckhand, wanted to present the chest to Lord Cutler Beckett, who also sought the chest. Fighting off both Turner and Norrington in the duel for the key, Jack Sparrow eventually opened the chest and stole the heart. The pirates Pintel and Ragetti made off with the chest during the battle, though Sparrow stored the heart in a jar of dirt. While Davy Jones' crew battled Jack's crew for the chest, Norrington found the heart along with Jack's Letters of Marque and took both items for himself before absconding with the chest to draw Jones' crew away from Elizabeth. However, deep in the jungle, Norrington gave up the chest to the barnacled crew and fled.
The crew of the Flying Dutchman returned the Dead Man's Chest and gave it to their captain Davy Jones. Upon witnessing the Black Pearl dragged to the depths, Jones opened the chest only to find that his heart was missing. Meanwhile, Norrington presented the heart to Lord Beckett in an attempt to regain his life as a British officer. According to legend, whoever possesses the Dead Man's Chest gains control of Davy Jones, and Beckett intended to use this awesome power to destroy every last Pirate of the Caribbean once and for all.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End[]
According to legend, whoever controls the heart of Davy Jones, controls the sea. Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Company had gained control of the terrifying ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman, and its malevolent, vengeful Captain, Davy Jones. The Dutchman now roams the seven seas, unstoppable, destroying pirate ships without mercy, under the command of Admiral Norrington. Upon seeing the aftermath of the massacre of pirate ships led by the Flying Dutchman, Beckett had the Dead Man's Chest transferred aboard the Dutchman in order to ensure that the ship did as directed by the Company. The chest would be kept in the captain's quarters, where it was guarded by EITC soldiers.
Elizabeth Swann's father, Governor Weatherby Swann, learned of the secrets of the Dead Man's Chest. While Jack's crew were trying to escape Davy Jones' Locker, they met with Governor Swann, who revealed that if you stab the heart, yours must take its place and that you will sail the seas for eternity. Swann was killed by Beckett for having learned this information. Later, Bootstrap Bill Turner conveyed the same message to Elizabeth when she was imprisoned aboard the Dutchman, as a way to avoid having his son Will Turner to complete his mission to save him, saying he who slays Davy Jones must take his place as captain, forever. Both warnings were given with the line "The Dutchman must have a captain".
Davy Jones holding the chest.
After Bootstrap Bill killed Admiral Norrington, Jones and his crew tried to retrieve the chest, but Mercer summarily retained control aboard the Dutchman. The chest would then be guarded by Mullroy and Murtogg, who were armed with two large cannons that they aimed at the chest. During the titanic battle between the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman, Mercer was killed by Jones, who then took the key as he made his way to the chest, though by this point Jack Sparrow had already stolen the chest out from Mullroy and Murtogg. On the rigging of the Flying Dutchman, Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones dueled for the chest. Jones claimed the chest until Jack shot it from his hand, landing it on deck. Will Turner took the chest as he boarded the Dutchman, but lost it when Bootstrap Bill attacked him. By the end of the battle, Jack opened the chest and was about to stab the heart, thereby achieving immortality.
Unfortunately, at the moment of Sparrow's triumph, Jones fatally stabbed Will, forcing Jack to choose between gaining immortality or saving Will. Jack then gave up immortality and helped Will stab Jones' heart. After Jones' death, Bootstrap Bill and other Dutchman crewmen gathered around to cut out Will's heart. As the new captain of the Flying Dutchman, Will Turner must carry out the duty to ferry souls to the next world. Before leaving, Will gave the chest (and his heart) to the newly-wed Elizabeth Turner for safe keeping.
Video games[]
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game[]
The Dead Man's Chest appears in the game.
Kingdom Hearts III[]
The chest plays a special role in the game, in that it has a certain connection to the "black box" being sought after by Luxord of Organization XIII.
Disney Parks[]
Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island[]
Deep within "Dead Man's Grotto", the Dead Man's Chest can be found. Upon touching the chest, lighting will change, and Davy Jones' disembodied voice will utter words of warning, and guests will be able to feel the heartbeat of Jones' heart from within the chest. Skeletons litter the pits of the cave, implying danger to those who continue to press onward.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure[]
In this Treasure Cove attraction, the Dead Man's Chest can be found within the queue on a shelf in Jack Sparrow's quarters.
Song Lyrics[]
Fifteen men on the Dead Man's Chest!
Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the Devil has done the rest!
Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!
But one of her crew alive
What put to the sea with twenty five
Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!
Trivia[]
- The Dead Man's Chest takes its name from a pirate shanty from Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel Treasure Island where it was used to mirror the titular Flint's gold, being a treasure which pirates killed one another to keep secret.
Gallery[]
External links[]
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