Source plot synopsis — includes the ending
Around 1750, some 21 years after Captain Jack Sparrow acquired Sao Feng's map to find the Fountain of Youth and the Black Pearl stolen by Hector Barbossa, a castaway found in the ocean was brought to King Ferdinand at Cádiz, holding a ship's logbook of Ponce de León, who died 200 years earlier searching for the Fountain. Meanwhile, Jack rescues his first mate, Joshamee Gibbs, from execution in London, only to get captured. Gibbs takes Jack's map, while Jack himself meets King George II, who wants him to guide an expedition to locate the Fountain before the Spanish Navy, led by The Spaniard. Barbossa joins the expedition, now as a privateer wearing a peg leg having lost it in the fight along with the Pearl, believed to be sunk. Jack escapes, leading Barbossa to later recruit Gibbs, who memorizes Jack's map before burning it to save his life, and they set sail aboard the British Navy ship HMS Providence.
Captain Teague, Jack's father, tells him that the Profane Ritual is required to use the Fountain. Jack also hears of another Jack Sparrow recruiting a crew. The impostor is Angelica, Jack's former lover and daughter of Blackbeard, who practices voodoo magic as a brujo, and Jack is shanghaied aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge. The crew includes Philip, a captured missionary, and zombie officers. Although Jack incites the human crew to mutiny, Blackbeard subdues the mutineers with a sword that allows him to control ships at sea. Blackbeard wants to find the Fountain because of a prophesied death by a one-legged man. Jack also learns from Angelica that the ritual requires water from the Fountain, a mermaid's tear, and two silver chalices located on Ponce de León's ship, the Santiago; both chalices are drunk, and the person who drinks the water with the tear gets all the years of life from the other. Angelica also shows Jack Blackbeard's collection of captured, miniaturized ships in bottles, including the Black Pearl.
The Revenge sails to Whitecap Bay, where Blackbeard's crew captures the mermaid Syrena. Barbossa, Gibbs, and some of the British crew continue on foot after the Providence is attacked by mermaids. Syrena's tail becomes legs after being out of water; seeing that she cannot walk, Philip offers to carry Syrena. After their newfound love is used to extract the mermaid's tear, Syrena is left to die. Blackbeard sends Jack to get the chalices, taking the latter's magic compass. Jack and Barbossa meet on the Santiago, but find the chalices have been taken by the Spanish. Before retrieving the chalices, Barbossa reveals his true agenda: a desire for revenge against Blackbeard, detailing the attack on the Black Pearl, which Barbossa truly believes to be sunk, which led to him cutting off his leg. Jack returns to Blackbeard, giving him the chalices in exchange for Jack's compass, which Jack sends off with Gibbs.
All parties locate the Fountain of Youth, which leads to a battle, in which Barbossa uses a sword he poisoned using "poisonous toads" to stab Blackbeard. Angelica cuts her hand on the poisoned blade. The Spaniard throws the chalices into a deep pool and, believing it is an abomination against God, orders his men to destroy the Fountain. In the chaos, Philip frees Syrena, who gives the chalices to Jack. Filling the chalices with the remaining drops of water from the Fountain, adding Syrena's tear, Jack tricks Blackbeard into drinking the chalice lacking the tear; this earns his and Angelica's enmity. Angelica is healed, whilst Blackbeard dies, while Syrena returns to an injured Philip and, after she forgives him, they kiss and return underwater.
Barbossa claims Blackbeard's ship, crew, and sword for his own, and returns to a life of piracy. Meanwhile, Jack maroons Angelica on a small island, expressing his love and mistrust. Jack reunites with Gibbs, who uses the compass to locate the Revenge and retrieve the Black Pearl in a bottle. As they figure out how to get the Pearl out, Jack tells Gibbs he is determined to continue living the pirate's life.
In the post-credits scene, the voodoo doll of Jack created by Blackbeard washes ashore and is picked up by Angelica, who smiles.
Captain Teague, Jack's father, tells him that the Profane Ritual is required to use the Fountain. Jack also hears of another Jack Sparrow recruiting a crew. The impostor is Angelica, Jack's former lover and daughter of Blackbeard, who practices voodoo magic as a brujo, and Jack is shanghaied aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge. The crew includes Philip, a captured missionary, and zombie officers. Although Jack incites the human crew to mutiny, Blackbeard subdues the mutineers with a sword that allows him to control ships at sea. Blackbeard wants to find the Fountain because of a prophesied death by a one-legged man. Jack also learns from Angelica that the ritual requires water from the Fountain, a mermaid's tear, and two silver chalices located on Ponce de León's ship, the Santiago; both chalices are drunk, and the person who drinks the water with the tear gets all the years of life from the other. Angelica also shows Jack Blackbeard's collection of captured, miniaturized ships in bottles, including the Black Pearl.
The Revenge sails to Whitecap Bay, where Blackbeard's crew captures the mermaid Syrena. Barbossa, Gibbs, and some of the British crew continue on foot after the Providence is attacked by mermaids. Syrena's tail becomes legs after being out of water; seeing that she cannot walk, Philip offers to carry Syrena. After their newfound love is used to extract the mermaid's tear, Syrena is left to die. Blackbeard sends Jack to get the chalices, taking the latter's magic compass. Jack and Barbossa meet on the Santiago, but find the chalices have been taken by the Spanish. Before retrieving the chalices, Barbossa reveals his true agenda: a desire for revenge against Blackbeard, detailing the attack on the Black Pearl, which Barbossa truly believes to be sunk, which led to him cutting off his leg. Jack returns to Blackbeard, giving him the chalices in exchange for Jack's compass, which Jack sends off with Gibbs.
All parties locate the Fountain of Youth, which leads to a battle, in which Barbossa uses a sword he poisoned using "poisonous toads" to stab Blackbeard. Angelica cuts her hand on the poisoned blade. The Spaniard throws the chalices into a deep pool and, believing it is an abomination against God, orders his men to destroy the Fountain. In the chaos, Philip frees Syrena, who gives the chalices to Jack. Filling the chalices with the remaining drops of water from the Fountain, adding Syrena's tear, Jack tricks Blackbeard into drinking the chalice lacking the tear; this earns his and Angelica's enmity. Angelica is healed, whilst Blackbeard dies, while Syrena returns to an injured Philip and, after she forgives him, they kiss and return underwater.
Barbossa claims Blackbeard's ship, crew, and sword for his own, and returns to a life of piracy. Meanwhile, Jack maroons Angelica on a small island, expressing his love and mistrust. Jack reunites with Gibbs, who uses the compass to locate the Revenge and retrieve the Black Pearl in a bottle. As they figure out how to get the Pearl out, Jack tells Gibbs he is determined to continue living the pirate's life.
In the post-credits scene, the voodoo doll of Jack created by Blackbeard washes ashore and is picked up by Angelica, who smiles.
Sources and content license
Source and revision history ↗ · Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Section headings and formatting adjusted. · Content license