The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is full of humor, and it’s no surprise that Jack Sparrow is at the heart of the comedy. Johnny Depp’s genius portrayal of the character has resulted in him becoming the most iconic pirate of all time and he has provided fans with non-stop laughs across the five movies.
Even though it’s safe to say that witty Jack is responsible for a large part of the humor, there are a few other characters that manage to get in on the action too.
Gibbs (At World's End)
"To What? Nine Pieces Of Whatever We Happened To Have In Our Pockets At That Time? Oh Yes, That Sounds Very Piratey."
Gibbs is a character fans can always rely on when a light-hearted moment is needed. When the pirates are looking at the nine pieces of eight, Pintel is confused as to why they are named pieces of eight because they are clearly just pieces of junk.
Gibbs explains that the nine pirate lords were poor at the time, so they had to use whatever was in their pockets. However, as he so cleverly and sarcastically points out, that wouldn’t be a very fitting name to associate with a group of pirates.
Jack Sparrow (On Stranger Tides)
"Captain, I Wish To Report A Mutiny."
When Jack leads a mutiny against Blackbeard, it’s no surprise that he is unsuccessful. And in classic Jack form, as soon as he is caught and finds himself in trouble, he does whatever he can to get out of it, even if that means blaming everyone else.
The Queen Anne’s Revenge has Jack strung up upside down in front of Blackbeard and this makes the delivery of this quote that much better. Jack is well known for improvising and in this moment, he does what he does best and will find any way to get himself free.
Henry Turner (Dead Men Tell No Tales)
"I Saw Her Ankles."
Henry Turner is very innocent when it comes to women and it’s clearly shown in the final installment of the franchise. When he excitedly tells Jack that he saw Carina’s ankles, Jack is less than pleased and says how he could’ve seen a lot more if he hadn't prevented her from undressing.
This scene demonstrates a parallel to Will’s character in the first movie, as he was always shy and innocent around Elizabeth. It also gives audiences a little chuckle at the thought of Henry actually being excited about ankles.
Jack Sparrow (Curse Of The Black Pearl)
"She’s Safe Just Like I Promised. She’s All Set To Marry Norrington Just Like She Promised, And You Get To Die For Her Just Like You Promised. So We’re All Men Of Our Word Really, Except For Elizabeth Who Is In Fact A Woman."
Everyone knows that Jack has a way with words, so when Will asks where Elizabeth is, it’s no surprise that his response isn’t a simple one. He explains how Elizabeth is safe but then carries on talking, probably just for the sake of it knowing Jack.
It’s pretty evident that Elizabeth being a woman goes without saying, however, Jack being Jack feels the need to make it clear just in case someone didn’t realize. The timing of this line is also perfect as it stalls and ultimately prevents Will from being killed.
Will Turner (At World's End)
"I Hadn't Finished That."
After Will questions what betrayal led Davy Jones to cut out his heart, Jones knocks Will’s cup of tea out of his hand, warning him not to test him. Watching his tea smash all over the floor, Will doesn’t react but calmly replies, “I hadn’t finished that.”
Comedy isn’t something fans normally get from Will. Although this is probably because he’s usually too busy trying to save everyone else to have the time to be funny, however, this sarcastic line that comes from him shows Will does have a humorous side.
Jack Sparrow (Dead Men Tell No Tales)
"More Like Horizontally Reclined."
When Carina is trying to explain to the crew that she is a horologist, it all gets lost in translation and prompts Jack to come out with this line. The crew are taken aback when they hear the word horologist as by their reactions, it’s clear they think it holds a different meaning.
Scrum explains how (he believes) that his mum was a horologist too, so when Carina understands this as her being academically inclined, Jack responds with “More like horizontally reclined” and everyone knows what he’s trying to imply.
Ragetti (Dead Man's Chest)
"It's The Bible You Get Credit For Trying."
When Pintel and Ragetti are first introduced in Dead Man’s Chest, they’ve just escaped after being imprisoned from the first film. To find redemption, Ragetti is studying the Bible even though he doesn’t know how to read. But like he cleverly points out, it doesn’t matter, because you get credit for trying.
In the first film, the duo is part of the villainous crew that answers to Barbossa, however, they later (unintentionally) turn to the good side. However, no matter what team they play for, the dynamic between the two is hilarious.
Jack Sparrow (At World's End)
"Leave You People Alone For Just A Minute And Look What happens, Everything’s Gone To Pot."
When Jack is killed and banished to Davy Jones’ locker, the crew comes and rescues him in order to defeat Cutler Beckett. Although the locker is a place of punishment intended to send people insane, it’s nice to see Jack doesn’t lose his wit.
When the crew explains that Beckett has taken over the seas, Jack is not surprised considering he hasn’t been there. Even though Jack is clearly the one that needs saving, he still makes sure that the rest of the characters know that they need him, in classic Jack fashion.
Barbossa (At World's End)
"I'm A Little Busy At The Moment."
In the midst of a maelstrom and multiple swordfights, Will sees this as a fitting opportunity to ask Elizabeth to marry him. When Elizabeth then asks Barbossa if he can perform the marriage, he screams back that he is a little busy because he’s fighting several members of Davy Jones's crew.
It does seem slightly unrealistic to perform a wedding ceremony in their situation, so it’s understandable why this is Barbossa’s first reaction. Despite this, the delivery of the line is the perfect comedic reaction in an intense battle scene.
Jack Sparrow (Dead Man’s Chest)
"I Got A Jar Of Dirt, I Got A Jar Of Dirt, And Guess What’s Inside It."
Jack is in his prime when he thinks he’s got one up on someone, and that’s exactly what happens in this scene when he believes he has the heart of Davy Jones in his possession.
The only person who knows about the heart supposedly being in the jar is Jack, so the confusion on the faces of everyone else on board makes the whole scene that much better. It also helps that the line is delivered in hilarious fashion, so it’s no surprise that it has gone down as one of Jack Sparrow's most iconic quotes.