"We are an unimaginative lot when it comes to naming things." The title of this article is conjectural. Although this article is based on canonical information, the actual name of this subject is pure conjecture.

These three hats were worn separately by Hector Barbossa during his pirate career. The first two were big, round, dark hats, with the second hat having ostrich feathers, while the third one was an elegant bicorne.

History[]

The First Hat[]

Hector Barbossa's first hat was a hat which he wore during his time as captain of the Cobra. It was a huge, black hat, battered and ragged from long use. After the loss of the Cobra at the hands of the rogue pirates, Barbossa continued to wear this hat. He hadn't got another one for the next five years.^[1]

The Second Hat[]

Shortly after Barbossa joined the crew of the Black Pearl under Captain Jack Sparrow, he obtained a new hat, similar to the previous one. The new hat was decorated with blue ostrich feathers as a show of vanity. Barbossa wore this hat during Jack's search for the Shadow Gold,^[2] and during his mutiny against Jack. He continued to wear that hat during the ten years under the curse of the treasure of Cortés.^[3] When Barbossa was killed, his hat, along with his body, ended up in Tia Dalma's shack. Jack Sparrow examined this hat while he and his crew visited the shack.^[4] The hat was seen on top of Barbossa's head when he revealed himself to be alive, and during the voyage to Davy Jones' Locker and throughout the War Against Piracy.^[5]

Lost and Return[]

At some point after the war, the Black Pearl was attacked by the infamous pirate Blackbeard, during which time Barbossa would have lost many things: the Pearl, his right leg, even his favorite old black hat.^[6] After the attack, Barbossa accepted a Royal Pardon and became a privateer, during which time Barbossa began to wear more elegant clothes, including a black and gold bicorne hat, which he would wear throughout the quest for the Fountain of Youth.^[7]

After defeating Blackbeard, Barbossa returned to piracy as he climbed aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, where he abandoned his privateer garb and returned to his pirate regalia. However, Barbossa was hatless until the Cabin Boy found his old hat below deck. Reunited with his favorite hat, Barbossa immediately put it on as he had the Queen Anne's Revenge set sail for Tortuga and in his further adventures.^[7]

The Third Hat[]

Following his return to piracy, with Blackbeard's ship and sword in his possession, Barbossa was literally unstoppable. He assembled a pirate fleet of ten ships, with the Queen Anne's Revenge serving as his flagship. Pillaging the wealthy trade ships and filling the holds of the Queen Anne's Revenge with treasures beyond most men's wildest dreams, Barbossa easily became the terror of the Seven Seas. As leader of the fleet, Barbossa dressed himself in the finest clothing the stolen money could buy, replacing his old pirate outfit with a new one. He also obtained a new hat, a black bicorne similar to the hat he wore during his time as a privateer in King George II's court. However, his new headgear was much more richly decorated with gold than the old one, in a way reflecting his new status.^[8]

Behind the scenes[]

• Actor Geoffrey Rush stated his opinion on how hats were important when it comes to creating a character.^[9] On set, Rush was reluctant to part with Barbossa's wide, feathered hat "because that, to me, is the brain of the character. All his vanity and pomposity, all his danger and cunning and ego is contained in that hat".^[10]
• In some of Mark "Crash" McCreery's artworks for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Barbossa's hat was a tricorne.^[11]
• In the early concept art of Jeremy Love, in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Barbossa was meant to wear his pirate hat from the first four films.^[12]

Appearances[]

• Pirates of the Caribbean (ride)
• The Price of Freedom (First and last chronological appearance of the first hat)
• Legends of the Brethren Court: The Caribbean (Chronological first appearance of the second hat)
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Rising in the East
• Legends of the Brethren Court: The Turning Tide
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Wild Waters
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Day of the Shadow
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Six Sea Shanties
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (First appearance of the second hat)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (video game)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow
• Pirates of the Caribbean Online
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
• The Challenge!
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
• The Brightest Star in the North: The Adventures of Carina Smyth (Last chronological appearance of the second hat) (First appearance of the third hat)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Novelization
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales: Movie Graphic Novel

Non-canon appearances[]

• Pirates of the Caribbean (ride) (post-2006 revamp)
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
• Kingdom Hearts II
• Disney Infinity
• Kingdom Hearts III
• Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life

Sources[]

• The Price of Freedom
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Legends of the Brethren Court
• Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual Guide

Notes and references[]