Pirates

In the ending of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Will Turner kills Davy Jones, freeing him from his cursed captaincy of the Flying Dutchman. However, this act comes with a heavy cost: Will automatically inherits Jones’s role as the new captain of the Dutchman, which means he is destined to spend ten years ferrying souls to the afterlife, just as Jones did. Before setting off, Will leaves Elizabeth and their newborn child behind, embarking on his lonely voyage. The emotional weight is heightened because Will had many chances earlier in the story to use Jones’s method of sneaking onto dry land—by simply standing in a bucket of water—and avoid this forced exile, but the film does not explore or explain this option. This oversight makes the ending feel less like a tragic sacrifice and more like a contrived plot device to give the story a somber finale. Interestingly, Davy Jones’s ability to visit land by standing in water challenges the supposed rules about the Dutchman’s curse, yet the film’s logic around this is inconsistent and confusing. As a result, the ending’s supposed tragedy—Will’s forced separation from his loved ones—loses some of its emotional impact due to these plot inconsistencies. While the sequel later shows Elizabeth and Will reuniting, the original story’s portrayal of their long separation seems unnecessary and more driven by storytelling convenience, rather than logical progression. Ultimately, the ending hinges on perceived sacrifice, but the unresolved plot holes and questionable choices make it feel more like a story moment designed to evoke sadness rather than a fully coherent conclusion.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:44