Pirates of the Caribbean 6 has begun production, but there is no word on whether Johnny Depp will return as Captain Jack Sparrow despite a Change.org petition racking up over 700,000 signatures. However, and many excitedly speculate about the cast, characters, and what the story will be about. Rumors have it that Redd or "The Redhead" from the Disneyworld ride might end up being a character in the film.
If Jack does return, it could provide a much-needed element to his story, as he is certainly untraditional as a hero. In fact, his role may not have previously been on that side of the spectrum at all. A closer look at the actual consequences of his actions may destroy the idea of him being a protagonist and cast a much darker view of the character, that of the villain.
He Has No Character Arc
Jack may be who fans see as the best Pirates of the Caribbean character, but from the first movie, where Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner are left wondering whose side he is on, to the last movie where he threatens the life of Henry to manipulate Carina, he is still demonstrating the actions of a thoughtless backstabber.
Heroes teach the audience something, usually what it is to sacrifice for others, to find their true selves, to fight for what's most important, inspiring the fans to do the same as they learn something about life. Sparrow seems to have already traveled a journey, but he learned nothing positive. There is another character type that often has taken a similar path as the hero but with a reversed outcome of treachery rather than heroism, and that type is the villain.
His Good Deeds Are Motivated By Greed
His lack of anything to teach viewers is largely due to his greed. Minutes after rescuing Elizabeth Swann, he puts a gun to her head to save his own skin. This may be why Swann is quoted as saying that she doesn't need rescuing later on. If he's running into battle, it's because he wants his ship or some sort of treasure. If he's saving someone, it ends up being so that he can have a bargaining chip later. People are assets to him, even if that use is carnal desire, freedom, or The Black Pearl, which represents freedom to him.
Heroes can use trickery, too, and this alone wouldn't make him the heavy. It's the fact that he will turn on his own "allies" if it suits him at the moment that makes him the antagonist to them.
His Relationships Are Toxic
He's stolen boats from crew members, lied about intentions to return them. He's sold out Will, put a gun to the head of Elizabeth, etc. His lying and stealing from friends and family and cheating on his love interests, eventually lead to them finding out, which often gets him a slap in the face. And when they're useful to him again, he'll deceive or show a good gesture, just to continue the cycle.
There are plenty of heroes that have pushed people away, but they must learn to love and to be loved. Batman is stoic but has to learn the value of relationships, of how to love, even himself. Jack does love himself, but he is no hero. Pretending to befriend the heroes while stabbing them in the back makes him a bane to them. It would explain why it appears that some of what he does seems to go against the personality of Captain Jack Sparrow.
He Corrupts Everyone Around Him
His allies, even his enemies who have sworn to fight against pirates, eventually become pirates themselves, not just in title but in action. Even straight and narrow Norrington becomes a right scallywag. They begin to lie, cheat, steal, threaten, and even leave others to die, just like Jack. Some of the more memorable Will Turner quotes have him embracing his pirate blood. Elizabeth and Will even leave Jack to The Kraken. His lack of trustworthiness is highly contagious in these films.
Heroes return home with a boon that benefits society, whether it be a treasure or service to others. Villains make the world a worse place to be.
He Is Chaos
Chaos vs. Order is a common literary theme, and Chaos isn't the good guy. Jack is an archetype of ancient myth, The Trickster. His actions often end up traumatizing the real hero of the story, Will Turner. He is responsible for cursing his crew and Will.
Much like Loki, Jack might as well be the god of disorder for pirates. The whimsical or triumphant music playing when Jack destroys lives might have fans seeing him as a comedic scamp, clowning around and brightening lives with his free-wheeling attitude, but Batman may not share their viewpoint. Sinister villain music would certainly be befitting for the chaotic captain.
He Causes Will To Meet A Fate Worse Than Death
Under the pretense of saving his life so that he can keep Will together with his love, Elizabeth, he ends up prolonging their time apart by cursing him. This is what the worst villains would do, tease hope and just a few moments of happiness before crushing it and taking it away completely. Even aiding in the destruction of all sea curses brings back vengeance for Will and Elizabeth.
At best, Jack is a terrible friend, but it is quite possible that he's torturing the lovers intentionally. After all, he, himself, is not capable of love, and he very well may be jealous of this.
He Represents All Of The Seven Deadly Sins
His greed and envy described above are not his only vices. He is also certainly prideful when it comes to people knowing him as the great pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, lustful and gluttonous with his eye for women and rum, slothful at times, and even wrathful when it comes to his revenge for Barbossa's mutiny. When his magic compass points to the thing he most desires, it's most often someone else's ship, someone else's immortality, someone else's power, etc.
While a heroic person overcomes things like greed and envy, the villainous are consumed by it. They never learn from it, and they'll step on anyone who gets in their way, just as Jack does.
He Is The Reason The Crew Of The Black Pearl Was Cursed
Since everyone around him is more corrupt for having known him, even pirates seem to get greedier in his presence. Jack said he didn't believe in the curse of the Aztec gold, but sharing the location with his first mate when he was taking them all there anyway, only led to the mutiny which led them all to be cursed in the first place.
Jack could have known this all along. He wasn't a stranger to magic. Even his compass was magical at the time. It is possible he intentionally cursed the crew of The Black Pearl, and when one good man, Bootstrap Bill Turner, left his coin to his son, dooming the crew for eternity, Jack saw more lives he could ruin.
He Is The Devil
Davy Jones may sometimes be called The Devil of the Sea, but every bad thing that happens to Jack's friends and crew is directly a result of his own actions, and the agony seems ongoing. Even Jack had ideas of taking over Davy's title.
He is the living embodiment of all of The Seven Deadly Sins. The horrible suffering his allies go through might be a testament to the foolish, accident-prone side of the Trickster, or it may be something more terrifying. He might seek out these tragic outcomes with purpose. Maybe he wants to cause their curses and their suffering, solely for his amusement.
"Me, I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest."
Jack may be a beloved character, but his actions more than make him the major antagonist of the series. Maybe he's waiting on a certain redheaded woman to teach him how to love and change his character for the better.