Pirates of the Caribbean: How (Spoiler) Returns at the End of ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’

WARNING! This Article Contains SPOILERS!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is doing big business over the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend, and fans are walking away generally pleased with how the latest outing with Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow offers a mix of familiar adventure and new twists, which help push the series mythology forward into a new chapter.

One of the biggest setups for the next Pirates films comes from Dead Men Tell No Tales‘ ending and post-credit scene, in which an iconic villain from the franchise’s past makes a surprising return. However, some very savvy Pirates fans have raised certain questions about Dead Men‘s tale, and one of the bigger ones is just how that old villain makes his return, given the events of the Pirates 5 story.

We have an explanation to share, and so with further ado: Here’s How (Spoiler) Returns at the End of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales!

Back to Davy Jones Locker

In the post-credits scene for Dead Men Tell Tales, we see Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and his wife Elizabeth Turner (Keira Knightley), reunited and asleep in their home, with Will now free of his cursed service on The Flying Dutchman, the ship that ferries dead men lost at sea. 

As Will and Elizabeth sleep, they get a visit from a mysterious figure. Will wakes, feeling a haunting, familiar, presence standing over him, but seeing on one. However, as the camera pans down to the floor by the bed (Basic Instinct-style), we see a puddle of water and sea life droppings, proving that Jones was there. 

Given the connection between Jones and Will (more on that next), it’s not surprising that the former is immediately seeking vengeance on the latter. The question some fans have, is: how is Jones back and still terrorizing the sea? 

No Curse On A Mythical Force

The real point of confusion in fans’ minds seems to come from how one understands the character of Davy Jones – and then, how that character relates to the game-changing events of Dead Men Tell No Tales. 

The climax of Pirates 5 finds Jack Sparrow, Will’s son Henry Turner, Barbossa estranged daughter Carina and the ghostly Captain Salazar all fighting for control of Poseidon’s Trident, in a deep basin of the ocean. Salazar ultimately uses the Trident to eradicate every curse upon the sea – resurrecting himself from a ghostly existence. When Jack and Co. defeat Salazar, Henry finds that his wish has also been fulfilled: with all curses gone, Will Turner is free from his service as captain of The Flying Dutchman. 

So how does Will’s liberation bring back Davy Jones? 

Well: In Pirates of the Caribbean mythology, Davy Jones isn’t a cursed man like Will Turner was. Jones’ origins aren’t explained in full, but we do know he’s more of a mythic figure who simply exists (in the sea monster form we see him in), with The Flying Dutchman and its duty of ferrying the dead being part of the natural order of the world.

Therefore, Will taking Davy Jones’ place aboard the Dutchman was in fact a curse – a curse broken by Poseidon’s Trident, leaving the Flying Dutchman without a captain (or many of its cursed crewman, presumably). Since the Dutchman is part of a natural order of life and death, there needs to be a captain, and with no cursed men left to do the job, that duty reverts back to its natural placeholder: the mythic figure known as Davy Jones.

So, if you were expecting Poseidon’s Trident to set Jones free or revert him to some human form – think again. What Henry, Will, Jack and Co. don’t yet realize is that in giving he sea a mystical reboot, they’ve once again unleashed one of it’s greatest threats.

More Pirates of the Caribbean News

SYNOPSIS: In ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’ Captain Jack Sparrow finds the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, the terrifying Captain Salazar, escape from the Devil’s Triangle, determined to kill every pirate at sea…including him. Captain Jack’s only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that bestows upon its possessor total control over the seas.

Pirates 5 Official Review

Pirates 5 End Credits Scene Explained

Pirates Franchise Won’t Continue Without Johnny Depp

Every Returning Character in Pirates 5

Paul McCartney’s Cameo Revealed

How Jack Sparrow Got His Name