Captain Barbossa - former First Mate of the Black Pearl until he mutinied against Jack Sparrow and left him deserted on an island. With his "stolen" crew and ship he sailed deep into the dreaded Isla de Muerta where he found an ancient hoard of treasure. And like any good pirate he, well, stole everything and spent the hoard on a number of different things but only to find out too late that the gold that he stole had an ancient curse laid upon it..

Barbossa: This is Aztec gold. One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortés was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold…a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity.
Elizabeth : I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa .
Barbossa: Aye, that’s exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale. Buried on an island that cannot be found except for those who know where it is. Find it, we did. There be the chest, inside be the gold, we took them all. Spent them and traded them. We frittered them away…on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave them away, the more we came to realize – the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner . Compelled by greed we were, and now we are consumed by it. [ Elizabeth takes a butter knife and hides it] There is one way we can end our curse. All the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold must be restored and the blood repaid. Thanks to ye we have the final piece.
Elizabeth : And the blood to be repaid?
Barbossa: That’s why there’s no sense to be killing ye…yet. [offers her an apple] Apple? Arr. [she stabs him with the knife; he takes it out] I’m curious, after killing me what was it you planning on doing next? [she runs out and sees the pirates, all decaying skeletons] Look! The moonlight shows us for what we really are. We are not among the living and so we cannot die but neither are we dead. For too long I’ve been parched with thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I’ve been starving to death and haven’t died. I feel nothing, not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea, nor the warmth of a woman’s flesh. [walks out into the moonlight and reveals a skeleton] You best start believing in ghost stories Miss Turner ; you’re in one! [drinks and it pours over his ribs, laughs and the crew laughs with him] What are ye looking at? Back to work!

So Barbossa and his crew of cursed men set about recovering the lost treasure, but only to find that one piece was missing, that Bootstrap had sent the gold to his only child. When Elizabeth falls into the water the crew of the Black Pearl sense it and come after it and the "blood debt" that they need. Little does Barbossa realise is that Jack Sparrow is in fact alive and is coming after Barbossa with a debt of his own.

Other members of Barbossa's crew:

• Dark and Dangerous Bo’sun
• 'Poppet' Pintel
• Eyeball Ragetti
• Dreadlocked Koehler
• Twigg
• Say Goodbye Grapple

Barbossa is played by the exceedingly talented Geoffrey Rush (proud to be an Aussie at this point) who plays the role to perfection.

Some memorable Barbossa quotes:

Barbossa: First, your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement so I must do nothing. And secondly, you must be a pirate for the pirate’s code to apply and you’re not. And thirdly, the code is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules. Welcome aboard the Black Pearl , Miss Turner .

Barbossa: You know the first thing I’m goin’ to do after the curse is lifted…eat a whole bushel of apples. [takes up the knife] Begun by blood, by blood undone.

Barbossa: Any coward here dare challenge me, let him speak! Hmm?

Barbossa: So you expect to leave me standing on some beach with nothing but a name and your word it’s the one I need and watch you sail away on my ship?
Jack : No. I expect to leave you standing on some beach with absolutely no name at all, watching me sail away on my ship and then I’ll shout the name back to you. Savvy?
Barbossa: But that still leaves us with the problem of me standing on some beach with naught but a name and your word it’s the one I need.

Barbossa: Name your terms, Mr. Turner .
Will : Elizabeth goes free.
Barbossa: Yes, we know that one. Anything else?

Elizabeth : It goes with your black heart. [throws him the dress]
Barbossa: [presses it to his face] Ooh, it’s still warm.

Barbossa: Ten years you carry that pistol and now you waste your shot.
Will : He didn’t waste it. [drops both medallions into the chest]
Barbossa: [drops his sword and looks at the blood spreading from his wound] I feel…cold. [falls dead, an apple rolling from his hand; the curse now lifted]

Click on any of the thumbnails to enlarge them.

A Bargain	Barbossa