The characteristics of pirates in popular culture largely derive from the
Golden Age of Piracy in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, with many examples of pirate fiction being set within this era.
Vikings, who were also pirates, took on a distinct and separate archetype in popular culture, dating from the
Viking revival.
The first major literary work to popularise the subject of pirates was A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious pirates (1724) by
Captain Charles Johnson.[1] In giving an almost mythical status to the more colourful characters, such as the notorious English pirates
Blackbeard and
Calico Jack, the book provided the standard account of the lives of many pirates in the Golden Age, and influenced pirate literature of Scottish novelists
Robert Louis Stevenson and
J. M. Barrie.[2] While Johnson's text recounted the lives of many famous pirates from the era, it is likely that he used considerable
licence in his accounts of pirate conversations.[3]
Stevenson's Treasure Island (1883) is considered the most influential work of pirate fiction, along with its many film and television adaptations, and introduced or popularised many of the characteristics and cliches now common to the genre. Stevenson identified Johnson's General History of the pirates as one of his major influences, and even borrowed one character's name (
Israel Hands) from a list of Blackbeard's crew which appeared in Johnson's book.[4]
In 18th and 19th century Britain, historical-fiction portrayals of pirates on the
dramatic stage included
false flag props representing the various European navies. A common trope was to represent the archetypical scene where a crew of
privateers donned false uniforms along with the false flag as they approached a ship, only raising the
skull and bones flag at the last moment before the attack. Other tricks often portrayed on stage included (in a more initially peaceful encounter of ships) the pirate offering to gamble, or claiming the need to inspect documents or retrieve a runaway prisoner, before placing the victim of the scheme in shackles. These portrayals of pirate characters were fictionalised but based on the mythologised historical memory of both the Golden Age of Piracy and the contemporary pirates at that time.
Barbary corsairs were a frequent type of pirate portrayed in that genre of stage and literature.[5]
Appearance and mannerisms of Caribbean pirates
In films, books, cartoons, and toys, pirates often have a rough-and-ready appearance that evokes their criminal lifestyle, rogue personalities and adventurous, seafaring pursuits. They are usually greedy, mean-spirited, drunk on
rum and focused largely on fighting and robbing enemy pirates and locating hidden
treasure. They often wear shabby 17th or 18th century clothing, with a
bandana or feathered
tricorne. They are almost always armed with a
cutlass and a
flintlock pistol, or similar weaponry. They sometimes have scars and battle wounds, rotten or missing teeth (suggesting the effects of
scurvy), as well as a
hook or
wooden stump where a hand or leg has been amputated and often an
eye patch to conceal a lost eye. Some depictions of pirates also include
monkeys or
parrots as
pets, the former mischievously assisting them in thieving and the latter loudly
copying whatever the pirate captain says. The ship's captain will force captives and mutinous crewmen to
walk the plank over shark-infested waters.
Historical pirates were often sailors or soldiers who had fallen into misfortune or were
captured, forced into a life of crime. In various literature, the pirates may be represented as having fallen, perhaps resembling a "respectable" person in some way.[6] Pirate characters generally quest for
buried treasure, plundered riches in
treasure chests. Pirates' treasure is usually gold or silver, often in the form of
doubloons or
pieces of eight.
Pirate subculture
In the 1990s,
International Talk Like a Pirate Day was invented as a parody holiday celebrated on September 19. This holiday allows people to "let out their inner pirate" and to dress and speak according to the pirate stereotype above. It has been gaining popularity through the Internet since its founders set up a website teaching "pirate
speak."
Many games, movies, and other media are built upon the premise, introduced by
Real Ultimate Power, that pirates buccaneers are sworn enemies of
ninjas. The "
Pirates versus Ninjas"
meme is also expressed in
house parties and merchandise at popular-culture clothing and gift stores.
Pirates also play a central role in the parody religion of Pastafarianism. Established in 2005,[7] Pastafarians (members of The Church of the
Flying Spaghetti Monster) claim to believe that global warming is a result of the severe decrease in pirates since the 18th century, explaining the coldness associated with winter months that follow Halloween as a direct effect of the number of pirates that make their presence known in celebration.
Science fiction pirates
The pirate archetype has been adapted to science fiction with more or less futuristic dress and speech.
Air pirates are
science fiction and
fantasy character
archetypes who operate in the
air, rather than sailing the sea. As traditional seafaring pirates target sailing ships, air pirates capture and plunder
aircraft and other targets for cargo, money, and occasionally they steal entire aircraft.
Space pirates are science fiction character archetypes who operate in
outer space, rather than sailing the sea. As traditional seafaring pirates target sailing ships, space pirates capture and plunder
spaceships for cargo, money, and occasionally they steal entire spacecraft.
A group of hapless pirates in
Albert Uderzo's Astérix, in themselves parodies of the characters of Redbeard (see above), often run into Asterix and Obelix and are subsequently beaten up and usually sunk.[11]
One Piece (1997 onwards), set in a fictional world where piracy is at its height, the World Government and its Navy attempt to put it to a stop, and
one young man desires to become the next Pirate King. The most popular
manga to date in Japan.
Black Lagoon (2002 onwards) is a Japanese manga portraying group of modern-day pirates in the southeast Asian sea, largely making money with acts of smuggling, extortion, or acting as mercenaries.
Homestuck (2009-2016), features a number of pirate themed characters such as
Vriska Serket and her ancestor, Marquise Spinneret Mindfang.
Outlaw Star, the primary antagonists of the series are members of the Pirate's Guild, a large network of space pirate clans throughout the universe.
Watchmen features a "comic book within a comic book" called Tales of the Black Freighter. Watchmen is set in an
alternate history where
superheroes are alive and known to be in disgrace, so instead of comics dealing with superheroes, comics dealing with pirates are more popular.
Nate and Hayes, a 1983 film based on the adventures of the notorious
Bully Hayes, a pirate in the
South Pacific in the late 19th century. Also known as Savage Islands.
Sandokan (1883–1913), a series of pirate novels by
Emilio Salgari. Set in Malaysia in the late 1800s.
Captain Blood (1922), a novel by
Rafael Sabatini (followed by two sequels: Captain Blood Returns [aka The Chronicles of Captain Blood] and The Fortunes of Captain Blood, each being a collection of Captain Blood adventures).
Queen of the Black Coast (1934), novelette by
Robert E. Howard features Bêlit a pirate queen who has a romantic relationship with Conan. She is Conan's first serious lover.
The Island (1979) by
Peter Benchley and the 1980 movie adaptation for which he wrote the screenplay, feature a latter-day band of pirates who prey on civilian shipping in the
Caribbean.
Alestorm is a pirate-themed
power/
folk metal band based in
Perth, Scotland. Their fans are also encouraged to dress up like pirates and bring props to concerts.
Ye Banished Privateers, an
Umea-based band, perform shanty- and folk- inspired pirate music, also incorporating theatrical elements into their concerts.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer recorded the song "Pirates", a 13 minute long performance piece from their 1977 tour. It features the Orchestra de L'Opera de Paris. The piece can be found on the album "Works, volume 1"
Running Wild, a German Metal band, adopted a "pirate metal" image in 1987, with its third album.
The
Sex Pistols adapted the saucy song "
Good Ship Venus" as their hit "Friggin' in the Rigging". Fellow
Malcolm McLaren protégée
Adam Ant took the pirate image further. One of the tracks on the album Kings of the Wild Frontier was called "Jolly Roger".
In 1986, the
Beastie Boys paid homage to the pirate lifestyle on their Licensed to Ill album with the song "Rhymin' and Stealin'". The song is filled with piratical and nautical phrasing liberally mixed with 1980s hip-hop references.
Goth musician/comedian
Voltaire illustrates the sometimes humorous rivalry between vampiric and pirate camps of goths in the song "Vampire Club" from the album Boo Hoo (2002).
American comedy band
The Aquabats recorded a song entitled "Captain Hampton and the Midget Pirates" on their 1997 album The Fury of The Aquabats!, which told the story of Jim, a young boy who joins a pirate-hunting crew headed by Captain Hampton. Pirates are also mentioned in the band's 2000 song "The Wild Sea" on Myths, Legends and Other Amazing Adventures, Vol. 2.
The Pirate, a musical starring
Judy Garland and
Gene Kelly, has a number of songs about piracy in general, and the dread pirate "Mack the Black" Macoco in particular.
The Dreadnoughts are a Vancouver, Canada pirate-based band, including use of an accordion as well as a fiddle.
Relient K released a single covering the song "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" for the children's show
VeggieTales. It was originally recorded by the cast of VeggieTales, and Relient K's version of the song was later included in the 2003 compilation album called Veggie Rocks!
Nox Arcana recorded a pirate-themed album Phantoms of the High Seas in 2008 that contains a series of hidden puzzles and clues leading to a treasure map.
Cosmo Jarvis released the song "Gay Pirates" on 23 January 2011.
"
Barret's Privateers" is a song written by
Stan Rogers popular in
Nova Scotia, Canada detailing the fictional story of Elcid Barret and his privateers and their voyage on the Antelope to raid American shipping vessels.
Stage
In 1879, the
comic operaThe Pirates of Penzance was an instant hit in New York, and the original London production in 1880 ran for 363 performances.[16] The piece, depicting an incompetent band of "tenderhearted" British pirates, is still performed widely today, and obviously corresponds to historical knowledge about the emergence of piracy in the
Caribbean.
While they do not appear onstage, in
William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Hamlet's ship to England is overtaken by pirates, allowing him to escape. Another example of pirates unwittingly saving someone's life appears in Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre.
In 1904,
J.M. Barrie's play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up was first performed. In the book, Peter's enemy in Neverland is the pirate crew led by
Captain Hook. Details on Barrie's conception of Captain Hook are lacking, but it seems he was inspired by at least one historical
privateer, and possibly by
Robert Louis Stevenson's
Long John Silver as well.[6] In film adaptations released in 1924, 1953, and 2003, Hook's dress, as well as the attire of his crew, corresponds to stereotypical notions of pirate appearance.
The Buccaneers of America by
John Esquemeling is the supposedly real stories of some Caribbean pirates.
The Lady Pirates of Captain Bree also called Captain Bree and her Lady Pirates by Martin A. Follose and
Bill Francoeur, a musical spoof
Störtebeker Festival on
Rügen island in Germany, established in 1959/1993, is one of the best-established open-air theatres in Europe, following the stories and legends of
Klaus Störtebeker and his
Victual Brothers and Likedeelers of the 14th century.
Television
The Buccaneers1956 - A juvenile adventure series produced for Britain's
ITV. It featured
Robert Shaw as Captain Dan Tempest, a reformed pirate in service to the British administration in the Bahamas during the early 18th century.
Captain Pugwash, a series of British children's animated television programmes, comic strips and books, was first shown on the BBC in 1957.
Crossbones is an American television series on the
NBC network which premiered May 30, 2014.
The Flemish children's TV series Piet Piraat by
Studio 100 stars a pirate captain and his crew.
The
Nickelodeon animated TV series The Loud House features a character named CJ, who likes to play pirates. There is even an episode of The Casagrandes revolving around the pirate theme, entitled "Arrr in the Family".
The HBO Max TV series Our Flag Means Death is a romantic comedy created by David Jenkins in 2022.
Video games
Alone in the Dark is a survival horror game in which the antagonist is a pirate turned eldritch cultist named Ezechiel Pregzt. Its sequel Alone in the Dark 2, featured a large number of antagonists who were all pirates led by One Eyed Jack.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door features a ghost pirate named Cortez that guarded the fifth Crystal Star, but befriended
Mario after he helped him on his fight against Lord Crump.
Skies of Arcadia is a video game for the
Sega Dreamcast (later remade as Skies of Arcadia Legends for the Nintendo Gamecube) about a group of air pirates that struggle against an oppressive power threatening to take over and destroy the world.
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves features a level in which the Cooper Gang steals a pirate ship, and upgrades it to defeat rival pirate crews
Sonic Rush Adventure takes place in a pirate-themed world. This includes a robot pirate named Captain Whisker.
In the Soul series,
Cervantes, a long-standing character in the franchise, is a pirate. In Soul Calibur III specifically, there is a 'Pirate' class option for custom characters.
In Suikoden IV there are a great deal of pirates to encounter and recruit.
In Tales of Berseria the protagonist reluctantly teams up with a group of pirates. The first mate, Eizen, becomes part of the main cast while the rest of the crew makes frequent appearances throughout the game. The player has the choice of sending the crew on expeditions to retrieve items and explore uncharted waters.
Uncharted Waters is a series of
role-playing video games by
Koei set in the
Age of Exploration where the player takes the role of a naval fleet captain. All the games feature pirates as regular threats and it is possible to play with pirate characters in some of the iterations.
The independent action-adventure game Wandersong features a chapter called "Voyage of the Lady Arabica," where the bard protagonist and his witch friend Miriam set out on a voyage with what appears to be a pirate crew. Despite their appearance, however, they don't engage in usual pirate activities, instead growing and selling coffee beans.
Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates is a massively multiplayer online game in which the player takes the role of a pirate, having adventures on the high seas and pillaging money from roaming enemy ships.
Captain Crook was a character in
McDonald's restaurants' McDonaldland advertising, 1971–1985. He appeared as a "mascot"-type costumed character, performed by
Robert Towers and voiced by
Larry Storch.
Jean LaFoote was an animated pirate character appearing in advertising for
Cap'n Crunch cereal in the mid-1970s. He was created by
Jay Ward Productions and voiced by Jay Ward regular
Bill Scott.
Because pirate ships connote fearsomeness, loyalty and teamwork, many professional and amateur sports teams use the nickname Pirates, as well as other nicknames or logos associated with cultural depictions of pirates, such as an eyepatch.
The characteristics of pirates in popular culture largely derive from the
Golden Age of Piracy in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, with many examples of pirate fiction being set within this era.
Vikings, who were also pirates, took on a distinct and separate archetype in popular culture, dating from the
Viking revival.
The first major literary work to popularise the subject of pirates was A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious pirates (1724) by
Captain Charles Johnson.[1] In giving an almost mythical status to the more colourful characters, such as the notorious English pirates
Blackbeard and
Calico Jack, the book provided the standard account of the lives of many pirates in the Golden Age, and influenced pirate literature of Scottish novelists
Robert Louis Stevenson and
J. M. Barrie.[2] While Johnson's text recounted the lives of many famous pirates from the era, it is likely that he used considerable
licence in his accounts of pirate conversations.[3]
Stevenson's Treasure Island (1883) is considered the most influential work of pirate fiction, along with its many film and television adaptations, and introduced or popularised many of the characteristics and cliches now common to the genre. Stevenson identified Johnson's General History of the pirates as one of his major influences, and even borrowed one character's name (
Israel Hands) from a list of Blackbeard's crew which appeared in Johnson's book.[4]
In 18th and 19th century Britain, historical-fiction portrayals of pirates on the
dramatic stage included
false flag props representing the various European navies. A common trope was to represent the archetypical scene where a crew of
privateers donned false uniforms along with the false flag as they approached a ship, only raising the
skull and bones flag at the last moment before the attack. Other tricks often portrayed on stage included (in a more initially peaceful encounter of ships) the pirate offering to gamble, or claiming the need to inspect documents or retrieve a runaway prisoner, before placing the victim of the scheme in shackles. These portrayals of pirate characters were fictionalised but based on the mythologised historical memory of both the Golden Age of Piracy and the contemporary pirates at that time.
Barbary corsairs were a frequent type of pirate portrayed in that genre of stage and literature.[5]
Appearance and mannerisms of Caribbean pirates
In films, books, cartoons, and toys, pirates often have a rough-and-ready appearance that evokes their criminal lifestyle, rogue personalities and adventurous, seafaring pursuits. They are usually greedy, mean-spirited, drunk on
rum and focused largely on fighting and robbing enemy pirates and locating hidden
treasure. They often wear shabby 17th or 18th century clothing, with a
bandana or feathered
tricorne. They are almost always armed with a
cutlass and a
flintlock pistol, or similar weaponry. They sometimes have scars and battle wounds, rotten or missing teeth (suggesting the effects of
scurvy), as well as a
hook or
wooden stump where a hand or leg has been amputated and often an
eye patch to conceal a lost eye. Some depictions of pirates also include
monkeys or
parrots as
pets, the former mischievously assisting them in thieving and the latter loudly
copying whatever the pirate captain says. The ship's captain will force captives and mutinous crewmen to
walk the plank over shark-infested waters.
Historical pirates were often sailors or soldiers who had fallen into misfortune or were
captured, forced into a life of crime. In various literature, the pirates may be represented as having fallen, perhaps resembling a "respectable" person in some way.[6] Pirate characters generally quest for
buried treasure, plundered riches in
treasure chests. Pirates' treasure is usually gold or silver, often in the form of
doubloons or
pieces of eight.
Pirate subculture
In the 1990s,
International Talk Like a Pirate Day was invented as a parody holiday celebrated on September 19. This holiday allows people to "let out their inner pirate" and to dress and speak according to the pirate stereotype above. It has been gaining popularity through the Internet since its founders set up a website teaching "pirate
speak."
Many games, movies, and other media are built upon the premise, introduced by
Real Ultimate Power, that pirates buccaneers are sworn enemies of
ninjas. The "
Pirates versus Ninjas"
meme is also expressed in
house parties and merchandise at popular-culture clothing and gift stores.
Pirates also play a central role in the parody religion of Pastafarianism. Established in 2005,[7] Pastafarians (members of The Church of the
Flying Spaghetti Monster) claim to believe that global warming is a result of the severe decrease in pirates since the 18th century, explaining the coldness associated with winter months that follow Halloween as a direct effect of the number of pirates that make their presence known in celebration.
Science fiction pirates
The pirate archetype has been adapted to science fiction with more or less futuristic dress and speech.
Air pirates are
science fiction and
fantasy character
archetypes who operate in the
air, rather than sailing the sea. As traditional seafaring pirates target sailing ships, air pirates capture and plunder
aircraft and other targets for cargo, money, and occasionally they steal entire aircraft.
Space pirates are science fiction character archetypes who operate in
outer space, rather than sailing the sea. As traditional seafaring pirates target sailing ships, space pirates capture and plunder
spaceships for cargo, money, and occasionally they steal entire spacecraft.
A group of hapless pirates in
Albert Uderzo's Astérix, in themselves parodies of the characters of Redbeard (see above), often run into Asterix and Obelix and are subsequently beaten up and usually sunk.[11]
One Piece (1997 onwards), set in a fictional world where piracy is at its height, the World Government and its Navy attempt to put it to a stop, and
one young man desires to become the next Pirate King. The most popular
manga to date in Japan.
Black Lagoon (2002 onwards) is a Japanese manga portraying group of modern-day pirates in the southeast Asian sea, largely making money with acts of smuggling, extortion, or acting as mercenaries.
Homestuck (2009-2016), features a number of pirate themed characters such as
Vriska Serket and her ancestor, Marquise Spinneret Mindfang.
Outlaw Star, the primary antagonists of the series are members of the Pirate's Guild, a large network of space pirate clans throughout the universe.
Watchmen features a "comic book within a comic book" called Tales of the Black Freighter. Watchmen is set in an
alternate history where
superheroes are alive and known to be in disgrace, so instead of comics dealing with superheroes, comics dealing with pirates are more popular.
Nate and Hayes, a 1983 film based on the adventures of the notorious
Bully Hayes, a pirate in the
South Pacific in the late 19th century. Also known as Savage Islands.
Sandokan (1883–1913), a series of pirate novels by
Emilio Salgari. Set in Malaysia in the late 1800s.
Captain Blood (1922), a novel by
Rafael Sabatini (followed by two sequels: Captain Blood Returns [aka The Chronicles of Captain Blood] and The Fortunes of Captain Blood, each being a collection of Captain Blood adventures).
Queen of the Black Coast (1934), novelette by
Robert E. Howard features Bêlit a pirate queen who has a romantic relationship with Conan. She is Conan's first serious lover.
The Island (1979) by
Peter Benchley and the 1980 movie adaptation for which he wrote the screenplay, feature a latter-day band of pirates who prey on civilian shipping in the
Caribbean.
Alestorm is a pirate-themed
power/
folk metal band based in
Perth, Scotland. Their fans are also encouraged to dress up like pirates and bring props to concerts.
Ye Banished Privateers, an
Umea-based band, perform shanty- and folk- inspired pirate music, also incorporating theatrical elements into their concerts.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer recorded the song "Pirates", a 13 minute long performance piece from their 1977 tour. It features the Orchestra de L'Opera de Paris. The piece can be found on the album "Works, volume 1"
Running Wild, a German Metal band, adopted a "pirate metal" image in 1987, with its third album.
The
Sex Pistols adapted the saucy song "
Good Ship Venus" as their hit "Friggin' in the Rigging". Fellow
Malcolm McLaren protégée
Adam Ant took the pirate image further. One of the tracks on the album Kings of the Wild Frontier was called "Jolly Roger".
In 1986, the
Beastie Boys paid homage to the pirate lifestyle on their Licensed to Ill album with the song "Rhymin' and Stealin'". The song is filled with piratical and nautical phrasing liberally mixed with 1980s hip-hop references.
Goth musician/comedian
Voltaire illustrates the sometimes humorous rivalry between vampiric and pirate camps of goths in the song "Vampire Club" from the album Boo Hoo (2002).
American comedy band
The Aquabats recorded a song entitled "Captain Hampton and the Midget Pirates" on their 1997 album The Fury of The Aquabats!, which told the story of Jim, a young boy who joins a pirate-hunting crew headed by Captain Hampton. Pirates are also mentioned in the band's 2000 song "The Wild Sea" on Myths, Legends and Other Amazing Adventures, Vol. 2.
The Pirate, a musical starring
Judy Garland and
Gene Kelly, has a number of songs about piracy in general, and the dread pirate "Mack the Black" Macoco in particular.
The Dreadnoughts are a Vancouver, Canada pirate-based band, including use of an accordion as well as a fiddle.
Relient K released a single covering the song "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" for the children's show
VeggieTales. It was originally recorded by the cast of VeggieTales, and Relient K's version of the song was later included in the 2003 compilation album called Veggie Rocks!
Nox Arcana recorded a pirate-themed album Phantoms of the High Seas in 2008 that contains a series of hidden puzzles and clues leading to a treasure map.
Cosmo Jarvis released the song "Gay Pirates" on 23 January 2011.
"
Barret's Privateers" is a song written by
Stan Rogers popular in
Nova Scotia, Canada detailing the fictional story of Elcid Barret and his privateers and their voyage on the Antelope to raid American shipping vessels.
Stage
In 1879, the
comic operaThe Pirates of Penzance was an instant hit in New York, and the original London production in 1880 ran for 363 performances.[16] The piece, depicting an incompetent band of "tenderhearted" British pirates, is still performed widely today, and obviously corresponds to historical knowledge about the emergence of piracy in the
Caribbean.
While they do not appear onstage, in
William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Hamlet's ship to England is overtaken by pirates, allowing him to escape. Another example of pirates unwittingly saving someone's life appears in Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre.
In 1904,
J.M. Barrie's play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up was first performed. In the book, Peter's enemy in Neverland is the pirate crew led by
Captain Hook. Details on Barrie's conception of Captain Hook are lacking, but it seems he was inspired by at least one historical
privateer, and possibly by
Robert Louis Stevenson's
Long John Silver as well.[6] In film adaptations released in 1924, 1953, and 2003, Hook's dress, as well as the attire of his crew, corresponds to stereotypical notions of pirate appearance.
The Buccaneers of America by
John Esquemeling is the supposedly real stories of some Caribbean pirates.
The Lady Pirates of Captain Bree also called Captain Bree and her Lady Pirates by Martin A. Follose and
Bill Francoeur, a musical spoof
Störtebeker Festival on
Rügen island in Germany, established in 1959/1993, is one of the best-established open-air theatres in Europe, following the stories and legends of
Klaus Störtebeker and his
Victual Brothers and Likedeelers of the 14th century.
Television
The Buccaneers1956 - A juvenile adventure series produced for Britain's
ITV. It featured
Robert Shaw as Captain Dan Tempest, a reformed pirate in service to the British administration in the Bahamas during the early 18th century.
Captain Pugwash, a series of British children's animated television programmes, comic strips and books, was first shown on the BBC in 1957.
Crossbones is an American television series on the
NBC network which premiered May 30, 2014.
The Flemish children's TV series Piet Piraat by
Studio 100 stars a pirate captain and his crew.
The
Nickelodeon animated TV series The Loud House features a character named CJ, who likes to play pirates. There is even an episode of The Casagrandes revolving around the pirate theme, entitled "Arrr in the Family".
The HBO Max TV series Our Flag Means Death is a romantic comedy created by David Jenkins in 2022.
Video games
Alone in the Dark is a survival horror game in which the antagonist is a pirate turned eldritch cultist named Ezechiel Pregzt. Its sequel Alone in the Dark 2, featured a large number of antagonists who were all pirates led by One Eyed Jack.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door features a ghost pirate named Cortez that guarded the fifth Crystal Star, but befriended
Mario after he helped him on his fight against Lord Crump.
Skies of Arcadia is a video game for the
Sega Dreamcast (later remade as Skies of Arcadia Legends for the Nintendo Gamecube) about a group of air pirates that struggle against an oppressive power threatening to take over and destroy the world.
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves features a level in which the Cooper Gang steals a pirate ship, and upgrades it to defeat rival pirate crews
Sonic Rush Adventure takes place in a pirate-themed world. This includes a robot pirate named Captain Whisker.
In the Soul series,
Cervantes, a long-standing character in the franchise, is a pirate. In Soul Calibur III specifically, there is a 'Pirate' class option for custom characters.
In Suikoden IV there are a great deal of pirates to encounter and recruit.
In Tales of Berseria the protagonist reluctantly teams up with a group of pirates. The first mate, Eizen, becomes part of the main cast while the rest of the crew makes frequent appearances throughout the game. The player has the choice of sending the crew on expeditions to retrieve items and explore uncharted waters.
Uncharted Waters is a series of
role-playing video games by
Koei set in the
Age of Exploration where the player takes the role of a naval fleet captain. All the games feature pirates as regular threats and it is possible to play with pirate characters in some of the iterations.
The independent action-adventure game Wandersong features a chapter called "Voyage of the Lady Arabica," where the bard protagonist and his witch friend Miriam set out on a voyage with what appears to be a pirate crew. Despite their appearance, however, they don't engage in usual pirate activities, instead growing and selling coffee beans.
Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates is a massively multiplayer online game in which the player takes the role of a pirate, having adventures on the high seas and pillaging money from roaming enemy ships.
Captain Crook was a character in
McDonald's restaurants' McDonaldland advertising, 1971–1985. He appeared as a "mascot"-type costumed character, performed by
Robert Towers and voiced by
Larry Storch.
Jean LaFoote was an animated pirate character appearing in advertising for
Cap'n Crunch cereal in the mid-1970s. He was created by
Jay Ward Productions and voiced by Jay Ward regular
Bill Scott.
Because pirate ships connote fearsomeness, loyalty and teamwork, many professional and amateur sports teams use the nickname Pirates, as well as other nicknames or logos associated with cultural depictions of pirates, such as an eyepatch.