The Best 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Movies, Ranked
More than 300 movie fans have come together to cast their votes for the best Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Since 2003, Disney's swashbuckling action-adventure franchise has taken viewers on a wild ride across the high seas with Captain Jack Sparrow and his motley crew at its helm.
Whether you're a fan of Johnny Depp's outlandish performance as Jack or just an admirer of stunning visual effects and larger-than-life set pieces, these films offer something for everyone. The first installment in this beloved series, The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), established what would become familiar tropes throughout—a treasure map leading to hidden riches, zombie pirates, and sword fights galore—yet still managed to surprise audiences with its unique blend of comedy and suspense. Subsequent installments saw both captivating new characters and thrilling callbacks to old ones: from Geoffrey Rush's brilliant turn as Barbossa in Dead Man's Chest (2006) to Javier Bardem’s terrifyingly powerful villain Salazar in Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).
So if you're looking for some pirate adventure on your next movie night, look no further than this list. Vote up your favorite Pirates of the Caribbean movies below and see how they stack up against each other.
- Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) arrives at Port Royal in the Caribbean without a ship or crew. His timing is inopportune, however, because later that evening the town is besieged by a pirate ship. The pirates kidnap the governor's daughter, Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), who's in possession of a valuable coin that is linked to a curse that has transformed the pirates into the undead. A gallant blacksmith (Orlando Bloom) in love with Elizabeth allies with Sparrow in pursuit of the pirates.
- Actors: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport
- Released: 2003
- Directed by: Gore Verbinski
- When ghostly pirate Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) comes to collect a blood debt, Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) must find a way to avoid his fate lest his soul be damned for all time. Nevertheless, the wily ghost manages to interrupt the wedding plans of Jack's friends Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley).
- Actors: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Geoffrey Rush
- Released: 2006
- Directed by: Gore Verbinski
- 3254 VOTESWill Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) join forces with Capt. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) to free Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) from Davy Jones' locker. Meanwhile, the crew of the Flying Dutchman ghost ship wreaks havoc on the Seven Seas. The friends must navigate dangerous waters to confront Chinese pirate Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat) and, ultimately, they must choose sides in a battle wherein the pirate life hangs in the balance.
- Actors: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Chow Yun-Fat
- Released: 2007
- Directed by: Gore Verbinski
- Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Capt. Jack Sparrow feels the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost sailors led by his old nemesis, the evil Capt. Salazar, escape from the Devil's Triangle. Jack's only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it, he must forge an uneasy alliance with a brilliant and beautiful astronomer and a headstrong young man in the British navy.
- Actors: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario
- Released: 2017
- Directed by: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg
- The checkered past of Capt. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) catches up to him when he encounters Angelica (Penélope Cruz), a beautiful pirate that Jack once loved then left. Angelica forces him to accompany her to the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the notorious Blackbeard (Ian McShane). Accompanied by a zombie crew, the trio sets sail to find the legendary Fountain of Youth. However, Jack's rival, Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), also seeks the fountain, as does a ship from Spain.
- Actors: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey
- Released: 2011
- Directed by: Rob Marshall