Pirates of the Caribbean is possibly one of the most celebrated movie franchises out there. With fantastic world-building and extraordinary storytelling, these films—essentially the first three of the saga—are undoubtedly some of Disney's best and most popular original works. Besides the action, characters are also a big part of these films. With Pirates 6 in the works, the treasured franchise may introduce new faces for worldwide fans to fall in love with—talented actress Margot Robbie is rumored to bring a pirate to life.
From Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) to Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), the adventurous saga delivers a wide range of different characters. While some are more sympathetic than others, it is almost impossible not to enjoy seeing them all in action on-screen. However, from Sao Feng (Chow Yun-fat) to James Norrington (Jack Davenport), it is equally true that some of POTC's fictional personalities deserved a bit more screen time.
This article contains spoilers for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise movies.
7) Sao Feng
Yun-fat's Sao Feng was one of the new characters introduced in the third Pirates of the Caribbean installment. Known as the Pirate Lord of Singapore and scourge of the South China Sea (a title later attributed to Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Swann), Feng was a legendary Chinese Pirate.
While the fierce character did have some screen time during At World's End, he ultimately died after the Flying Dutchman attacks. While Feng may not be everyone's cup of tea, the pirate was a very solid character with great potential.
6) Angelica
The charming Angelica was wonderfully brought to life by Penelope Cruz in the fifth POTC film. Angelica is the daughter of the infamous pirate Blackbeard, played by Ian McShane in the same movie. The charismatic character is everything you'd expect her to be. She knows how to use a sword, is extremely fierce, and a proper master of disguises.
Although the Spanish pirate acquired some of these skills with Jack Sparrow himself (he used to be her love interest, after all), there is hardly any doubt that the character successfully perfected her skills on her own. The only negative thing about Angelica is the amount of time she spends on-screen; to this day, fans worldwide wonder if she managed to escape since Jack left her on Sola Fide Beach.
5) Bootstrap Bill Turner
Will Turner's (Orlando Bloom) father is an interesting character. Bill Turner, portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård, was a Davy Jones' Flying Dutchman crew member. Initially, viewers don't know much about the character; only that he is a good pirate and a good man. To everyone's surprise, he later appears in the following films, Dead Man's Chest and At World's End.
To be fair, the character did share some screen time in both of those movies; however, it would be beyond incredible to see him stick around for some time and go on sea adventures with his prodigal son, especially considering that Will is now the Captain of the Flying Dutchman.
4) Anamaria
Zoe Saldana's smuggler pirate Anamaria is never the one to shy away from a challenge. Her tough and determined nature is showcased during the few scenes she stars in. The character's first and last appearance is in The Curse of the Black Pearl—after her boat, The Jolly Mon, which Jack had borrowed, sinks to the bottom of the harbor during the film's first minutes, Jack gifts her the Interceptor.
While little is known about the courageous and headstrong Anamaria, she genuinely seems like the type of character everyone would thoroughly enjoy seeing on-screen more.
3) Joshamee Gibbs
There is no supportive character quite like Kevin McNally's iconic Gibbs. Sure, the pirate has had his share of moments in the saga; but will anyone ever have enough of Jack Sparrow's right-wing? The correct answer is no. Undoubtedly one of the best characters in the saga and possibly one of the most underrated, Gibbs is always there when you need him, ready to sail on yet another adventure.
Jack's most trusted comrade is, without a doubt, deserving of more screen time. It is impossible not to like him and want him to always be around. It would also be great to get an insight into what his life used to be like in the Royal Navy.
2) Tia Dalma
Naomie Harris' Tia Dalma is an underrated character in every word. Although extraordinarily powerful and resourceful, fans only get a glimpse of her during the two movies she stars in. A mysterious witch doctor and fortune-teller who speaks in riddles, there is more to Tia Dalma than what meets the eye.
Harris' character, also known as sea goddess Calypso, is pure wasted Pirates of the Caribbean potential—apart from her being an amazing character on her own, she would equally be a great addition to the main storylines of the franchise.
1) Commodore James Norrington
With arguably the best character arc in the series, James Norrington (Jack Davenport) had enormous character development throughout the films, charming viewers with his peak British personality. Davenport's Norrington was flawed and slightly snobbish—but he also turned out to be possibly one of the most selfless characters in the franchise.
Always noble and honorable, the character's first appearance was in The Curse of the Black Pearl, ultimately dying a heartbreakingly premature death in At World's End.