- "And a heart. I learned that if you stab the heart, yours must take its place. And you will sail the seas for eternity. The Dutchman must have a captain. Silly thing to die for."
- ―Weatherby Swann[src]
This heart was removed by Davy Jones from his own chest after he betrayed the sea goddess Calypso, who had forsaken him prior to his betrayal. Jones carved out his heart in order to no longer feel the grief and guilt at what he had done or any emotion of love again. Because of the pain, Davy Jones would lock the heart away in the Dead Man's Chest and buried it on Isla Cruces, hiding it from the world.
Years later, Lord Cutler Beckett, an ambitious mortal who wished to rule the seas, came into possession of the hidden beating heart of Davy Jones, knowing that he could use that heart to gain control of the Flying Dutchman and make Jones do his bidding. In a battle that raged at the center of a massive maelstrom, created by the enraged goddess Calypso, Davy Jones' heart was pierced by Will Turner and he died, finally free for all eternity.
Contents
- 1 History
- 1.1 Cutting and burying the Heart
- 1.2 Finding the Heart
- 1.3 Fight for the Heart
- 2 Behind the scenes
- 3 Appearances
- 4 Notes and references
History[]
Cutting and burying the Heart[]
- "What, exactly, did he put into the chest?"
"Him heart."
"Literally or figuratively?"
"He couldn't literally put his heart in a chest...could he?"
"It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings...And so, him carve out him heart, lock it down in a chest, and hide the chest from the world." - ―William Turner, Tia Dalma, Ragetti and Pintel[src]
After the goddess Calypso had forsaken Davy Jones, Jones turned to the Brethren Court, who convened a great Conclave. With his help, the Brethren was able to imprison Calypso into her human form. But this would not help, because Jones' grief and guilt became so great, he carved out his own heart right out of his chest, and locked it away into the Dead Man's Chest. As a result, a geis was cast upon it along with Jones' ship, the Flying Dutchman—whoever stabs Jones' heart, theirs must take its place, as the Dutchman must always have a captain.
To keep his fate intact, Jones had the chest hidden on Isla Cruces so it could be safe from potential mutineers aboard the Flying Dutchman and away from his haunted sight.[1] He kept the key hidden within his facial tentacles at all times. Whoever gains control of the chest was able to control Jones by extortion. Jones was immortal so long as his heart remained safe.
Finding the Heart[]
- "If you intend to claim these, then you must have something to trade; do you have the compass?"
"Better...the heart of Davy Jones." - ―Cutler Beckett and James Norrington[src]
Many years later, the heart would no longer be safe. For many people, including Jack Sparrow and Cutler Beckett, were willing to search for it to control Davy Jones. During Jack Sparrow's attempt to steal the heart in Isla Cruces, through a fight on the island, the heart was ultimately stolen by James Norrington. Norrington later gave it to Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company, who wanted to use it for darker purposes. Once in possession, Beckett used the heart to control Jones, as well as the Flying Dutchman, in order to rid the world of piracy.
Fight for the Heart[]
- "I slip aboard the Dutchman, find the heart, stab the beating thing, your father's free from his debt, you're free to be with your charming murderess."
- ―Jack Sparrow to William Turner[src]
The heart was soon returned to the chest and stored aboard the HMS Endeavour under the eyes of Beckett. But upon seeing the aftermath of the massacre of pirate ships led by the Flying Dutchman, Beckett had the chest transferred to the Dutchman. It was in the captain's quarters aboard the Dutchman that the chest was placed, with the heart beating inside. Throughout the war, it would be guarded by soldiers under the command of Admiral James Norrington. After Norrington's death, Ian Mercer took control, though he kept the chest where it lay.
During the battle of Calypso's maelstrom, the chest, containing the heart, was recovered by Sparrow. He then helped William Turner, who had been stabbed by Jones, stab the heart to kill Jones. Will Turner then became the captain of the Flying Dutchman, after his father, William "Bootstrap Bill" Turner cut out his son's heart and put it into the Dead Man's Chest. The heart, like Jones, fell into the maelstrom.
Behind the scenes[]
- "Davy Jones can be seen as the main villain of 'Dead Man’s Chest,' but Beckett becomes his boss in AT WORLD'S END, so technically speaking, I'm on the top of the heap of villainy. Davy Jones' heart is my secret weapon, what's known in show business as 'leverage.' Because he who has the heart of Davy Jones controls the seas. So even though Beckett is physically unintimidating to Davy Jones, he has his heart which, although a gloopy, nasty, smelly thing, gives him all the power."
- ―Tom Hollander[src]
- The heart of Davy Jones was several props used during the back-to-back filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and At Worlds End. Original cast silicone heart prop detailed with arteries, valves and barnacles measuring approx. 6 x 4 x 3 in. One such prop was used inside the jar of dirt that Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) carried with him to ward off Jones.[2][3]
- In a deleted scene of Dead Man's Chest, after presenting the heart of Davy Jones to Lord Cutler Beckett, James Norrington attempted to stab the heart with his sword, provided Beckett gives the order. However, Beckett decided it would be imprudent, "Where's the profit in killing Jones when instead we can add another ship to your fleet?"
- "Stay back! I will kill you."
"Are you prepared for what comes after? When I carved that traitorous vessel from my body, I cast upon it a terrible geis. If you stab my heart, yours must take its place. The crew are not bound to me. They are bound to the Dutchman. And the Dutchman must have a captain. Will ye serve?" - ―Weatherby Swann and Davy Jones[src](deleted scene)
- Shortly after the destruction of the pirate fleet, Governor Swann attempted to stab the heart of Davy Jones, but he was stopped by Admiral Norrington. That scene was cut out from the final version of the At World's End movie, but it was included in the film's junior novel and the comic book adaptations.
- In the At World's End video game, after dueling Jones, Will stabs him in the chest only to be reminded that Jones is truly heartless. Instead of stabbing Will in the heart, Jones stabs him in the stomach and is then confronted by Jack holding the heart. As Will is still alive and mobile, instead of helping Will stab the heart, Jack slides it across the deck to Will. As the heart reaches him, Will stabs it with his sword, causing Davy Jones to slump over, dead.
Appearances[]
- Pirates of the Caribbean Online (Mentioned only)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (First appearance)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
