Pirates of the Caribbean: Will Turner Was Killed by the Sword He'd Made Years Ago

Summary:

• In the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Will Turner forges a special sword for James Norrington.
• For three movies, the sword consistently changes owners until in the finale of the trilogy, Davy Jones kills Will with it.
• Will Turner has a similar journey to his sword’s, switching sides many times before coming full circle and replacing Davy Jones as the ferryman.

Let’s be real here: the last few Pirates of the Caribbean movies were underwhelming at best, carried solely by Johnny Depp ’s charisma as Captain Jack Sparrow. But that doesn’t extend to the original trilogy — the three movies where, apart from Jack, two more central characters made the narration and story more lively and engaging.

Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann were Jack Sparrow’s proteges, enemies, and allies — all in the three original films. But together, this dynamic trio created one of the most memorable big-screen stories… With many somewhat obscure details.

Will Turner’s Sword Had Its Own Journey

Each of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies focuses on one topic or, rather, object. But what many viewers overlook is the unique artifact that, while not magical in its nature, traveled alongside the main characters throughout their entire journey, and after being used against its creator on many occasions, finally took his very life.

In the first Pirates movie, Will Turner, still a blacksmith’s apprentice, forged a special sword for James Norrington. When the commander lost his right to it, the sword found its way to Cutler Beckett. Norrington briefly returned it but, after his death, Davy Jones took it over. After also losing and retrieving it, Davy stabbed his enemy with the sword — and that enemy was Will Turner himself, the sword’s creator.

Turner’s Sword Was Likely a Metaphor

Whether you’ve noticed this particular sword’s journey before or just discovered it for the first time, one thing is clear: this weapon wasn’t plot-relevant in its own right. But this raises the question, why bother dragging this exact blade across three movies and many storylines only to have it kill its own creator after the final battle?

Will Turner’s sword was most likely a metaphor. Crafted by the young blacksmith, it passed through many hands and came full circle — just like the master who’d created it. Will’s journey was similar to that of his blade as it saw him repeatedly switch sides only to serve one grim purpose at the end: replace Davy Jones as the new undead ferryman. Like his sword, Will came full circle at the end of his story.