Pirate Profiles: Cotton

Avast! You be searching for profiles of salty pirates?  Then look no further!  Today we're going to be looking at a pirate of few words and many hijinks, Cotton the Pirate!  So get your talking parrot ready because we're about to set sail today on Pirate Profiles!

The Personality

Cotton is one of the strangest pirate crew members to sail the seven seas.  He's clearly more then a little wonky in the head as well in his ability to speak.  His lack of speaking ability makes it a touch difficult to get a grasp on his character, but he clearly loves pirating and seamanship, otherwise why would he have signed up to join Jack Sparrow (sorry, CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow) on his voyages?

Outside of the major motion pictures Cotton has a bit role in the official Pirates of the Caribbean short, Wedlocked, which reveals a tad more on his personality.  Specifically that he has a bit of a blabbermouth.

Skills?

Cotton is defined less by what he can do and more by what he can't.  Yes he can rock some sails and a crows nest right up there with the best of them, and he's clearly a proficient fighter as he was able to survive many dangerous events in the "Pirates" movies.  I also hear tell that he has a bit of a parrot-training talent, but have seen little evidence of this.

Faillings? 

Cotton can't talk, and he doesn't really seem to be able to communicate well in any other way.  He trained his parrot to speak for him (don't rightly know how,) but apparently not very well sense the only one who seems to understand him is Gibbs.  He's a good pirate, just not a great communicator.

The Film Roles

 

In POTC1?

 

Cotton was one of the lucky few to join Jack's venture to retrieve The Black Pearl.  Through a bit of luck he survived the ordeal.

In POTC2?

 

Cotton's parrot was instrumental in signalling Will Turner that Jack and his crew were on the Pelegosto island in Dead Man's Chest, and had an important role in helping Will, Gibbs and the rest escape that island in round hamsterball cages.  He was one of the few crew members to survive the Krakens attack on the pearl.

In POTC3?

 

Cotton helped return Jack from Davy Jones locker in the third installment in the franchise.  He helped sack Singapore, trick Sao Feng and even got to pilot The Black Pearl for a little bit during the climactic battle.  He really seems like a handy guy to have around!

 

In POTC4?

 

Unfortunately Cotton does not appear in this movie.

Best Scene?

   

Pirates of the Caribbean 5? (Conjecture)

Much like Pintel, another "Pearl" crew member who has been profiled by this sight, Cotton's fate may have been sealed when Blackbeard took the Black Pearl from Barbossa in between POTC3 and POTC4.  If Jack the Monkey survived inside the bottle Blackbeard used to secure the "Pearl," then it's entirely possible that Cotton returns.  It would really be sad if it was revealed that he died off screen, he may not have been a major player in the plot of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but he's done enough that he at least deserves an onscreen death.  Here's hoping he returns for the upcoming film!