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But the days of sequels using numerals in their titles are mostly in the past. So, if you’re scrolling through the movies and not sure what chronological order they go in, we’ve got your back on this cinematic adventure out into the Seven Seas.
Scroll down to find our guide on how to watch the movies in order. Spoilers ahead!
Credit: Stephen Vaughan/Walt Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
How to Watch All of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Movies in Order
Savvy? With Johnny Deppmaking headlines as he revives his career after winning his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard, and talks of a potential sixth film in the Pirates franchise, fans are wondering whether the Edward Scissorhands star will reprise his role as the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow.
But the days of sequels using numerals in their titles are mostly in the past. So, if you’re scrolling through the movies and not sure what chronological order they go in, we’ve got your back on this cinematic adventure out into the Seven Seas.
Scroll down to find our guide on how to watch the movies in order. Spoilers ahead!
Credit: Stephen Vaughan/Walt Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
How to Watch All of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Movies in Order
Savvy? With Johnny Deppmaking headlines as he revives his career after winning his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard, and talks of a potential sixth film in the Pirates franchise, fans are wondering whether the Edward Scissorhands star will reprise his role as the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow.
But the days of sequels using numerals in their titles are mostly in the past. So, if you’re scrolling through the movies and not sure what chronological order they go in, we’ve got your back on this cinematic adventure out into the Seven Seas.
Scroll down to find our guide on how to watch the movies in order. Spoilers ahead!
Credit: Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' (2003)
This 2003 movie — directed by Gore Verbinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer — started it all. The first film was inspired by Walt Disney’s theme park attraction of the same name. The film takes place in 1720, when Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), her governor father and his crew discover a shipwreck while sailing to Jamaica.
They find a young boy named Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) with a golden pirate medallion around his neck and Elizabeth takes it. Fast-forward eight years and the plot of the first Pirates of the Caribbean film really kicks into gear. Elizabeth faints during a wedding proposal, accidentally dropping the medallion into the sea, causing it to pulse.
Coming to her rescue is Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp). Jack runs into Will, now grown and working as a blacksmith. After Jack is identified as a pirate, he’s tossed into prison.
The port is soon attacked by pirates, led by Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) on a ship known as the Black Pearl. They are seeking the medallion, which is one of 882 pieces his crew stole earlier. But the Aztec gods had cursed the treasure.
Now, Barbossa and his men are immortal beings who are revealed to be undead skeletons in the moonlight. And they need to break the curse. They’ve returned all the pieces, except one: the medallion. But they need one more thing to lift the curse: the blood of Will’s father, William “Bootstrap Bill” Turner. But the villains believe he’s Elizabeth’s father after she gives them a false name to protect her identity.
Will helps Jack escape prison so he can rescue Elizabeth because he’s in love with her. It turns out Jack was the former captain of the Black Pearl until Barbossa took over through mutiny. After adventures and swordfights, the curse is lifted. Barbossa is killed, and his now-mortal crew is arrested. Will and Elizabeth declare their love for each other.
And Jack? He escapes and reclaims the Black Pearl, off toward more adventure.
Credit: Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest' (2006)
This 2006 film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise centers on Jack Sparrow needing to comply with a secret deal he made.
Bootstrap Bill Turner (Stellan Skarsgard) is now a ghostly crewman on the Flying Dutchman, led by Davy Jones (Bill Nighy). Davy is an immortal sea creature who looks like a cross between a man and an octopus.
It turns out Jack’s secret deal was with Davy: The hideous captain had raised the Black Pearl from the bottom of the ocean. In exchange, Jack must now join his crew.
And if he refuses, he’s dragged down into Davy Jones’ Locker (a sort of purgatory for people who die at sea) by the massive Kraken (a massive creature that looks like a vicious squid).
Jack learns the evil captain’s weakness: his heart, which is locked in the Dead Man’s Chest. Will meets his enslaved father aboard the Dutchman and learns that Davy has the key to the chest ... but not the chest itself.
Soon, three parties are all after the chest for their own reasons — the East India Trading Company, the swashbuckling pirates and the terrifying crew of the Flying Dutchman.
Jack wants it to get out of servitude, Will wants it to free his father, and Commodore James Norrington (Jack Davenport), who had allowed Jack to escape during an earlier pursuit. This cost him everything; he believes getting the chest will help restore his career.
At one point, the Kraken chases them all. But Elizabeth realizes the giant creature is only in pursuit of Jack. To save herself and the others, she distracts him with a kiss. Then chains him to the ship! Everyone else escapes while Jack is dragged down by the Kraken.
Jones now considers the debt settled. And having gotten his hands on the chest, he opens it to find — nothing! Norrington has stolen the heart and used it to get his career back on track.
The Black Pearl’s crew reassemble at the home of voodoo practitioner Tia Dalma (Naomie Harris) and decide to rescue Jack. Tia introduces the captain who will guide them. To everyone’s astonishment, it is revealed to be a resurrected Barbossa!
Credit: Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' (2007)
This 2007 film is the third entry in the Pirates film series. This film picks up from where things left off at the end of Dead Man’s Chest. Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, Tia, Barbossa and the crew of the Black Pearl rescue Jack.
And we learn more about the backstory of Davy Jones: He was once a heroic human. But he fell in love with the goddess Calypso. She charged him with ferrying souls who died at sea to the afterlife. And he would use the Flying Dutchman to do it.
In exchange for this service, he could come ashore one day every decade and spend it with Calypso. But she did not appear when the time came. Full of heartache and rage, he turned toward darkness and evil.
He even took out his own heart and locked it in the chest. He also showed the First Brethren Court how to bind Calypso into her human form forever.
But since he abandoned his promise to Calypso, he was transformed into a monster. Now, whoever stabs his disembodied heart will take over as captain of the Flying Dutchman.
We later learn Calypso is … Tia! Eventually, forces collide, and Jack and Davy engage in a ferocious duel over control of Davy’s heart. During the battle, the evil captain mortally wounds Will. Jack then helps Will stab the heart, and Davy dies.
Will, now immortal, must take Davy’s place as captain of the Flying Dutchman, bound to the duty of transporting souls.
Heartbroken, he says goodbye to his wife, Elizabeth (who is now pregnant with their child). And in a post-credits scene set a decade later, she and her son watch Will return to land…
Credit: Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' (2011)
This 2011 film is the fourth entry in the franchise and abandons the story from the original trilogy.
In this tale, Jack learns someone is using his name to recruit a crew and ship. It turns out to be one of his former flames, Angelica (Penélope Cruz). Jack is abducted and awakens aboard the ship to learn Angelica’s father, Blackbeard (Ian McShane), has been cursed. The only way he can be saved is to find Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth.
Jack knows where it is, ultimately being forced to help the mission. It turns out that Barbossa, hired by King George (Richard Griffiths), is on a mission to find the fountain as well. And the Spanish are after it too! But the Spaniards believe it is a terrible thing that is against God and wish to see it destroyed.
The key to using the fountain for everlasting life involves finding two chalices that belonged to Ponce de Leon and a tear of a mermaid. Things come to a head when the Spanish destroy the fountain. But Jack is able to collect everything needed.
Blackbeard tries to betray his own daughter, but he’s killed when he’s tricked into drinking from the chalice without a tear. Barbossa returns to the life of a pirate. Jack then maroons Angelica, knowing he cannot fully trust her, before setting off.
The fourth Pirates film was a box office hit after its release date, and fans were left waiting for a sequel.
Credit: Film Frame/Walt Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock
'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales' (2017)
This 2017 film is the fifth and most recent entry in the franchise. This is a revenge story centering on Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem). He’s a ghost who has escaped from the Devil’s Triangle. Now, he’s plotting revenge against Jack, who had led him and his crew there to their deaths (and cursed existences).
Meanwhile, Jack meets a boy who seeks the Trident of Poseidon. Whoever possesses it is granted control over all the seas. It turns out that the boy is Henry Turner, son of Will Turner.
The trident can be used to free Will from his curse! A young astronomer by the name of Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario) has been sentenced to death for alleged witchcraft. She escapes and meets Jack.
Upon learning of Henry’s hunt for the trident, she offers to help by using her father’s diary. (Although she doesn’t know her father’s identity.) While all this is going on, Barbossa learns his fleet is being destroyed by Salazar, who is killing pirates. And when the evil captain has Barbossa at his mercy, Barbossa talks his way out of it, offering to help find Jack.
At the climax of the film, the trident is revealed, and Henry destroys it! This breaks all curses across the sea. One of those curses included Salazar being a ghost; he’s now alive again! But he still wants revenge on Jack.
In the midst of everything, Carina discovers Barbossa is her father. But the reunion is short-lived. Barbossa sacrifices himself to kill Salazar, allowing everyone to escape.
The broken trident has also freed Will from his own curse. And at the end of the film, he reunites with Elizabeth and Henry. Jack flees to the sea on another adventure.
In a post-credits scene, Will and Elizabeth are asleep in bed when Davy Jones appears. He’s getting ready to attack when Will suddenly wakes up. He believes it’s a nightmare and goes back to sleep. But he doesn’t notice the wet barnacles on the floor.