Why did Jack Sparrow owe a debt to Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean? Explained
Pirates of the Caribbean is probably the most popular pirate-themed film franchise globally. The film series introduced the quirky fan-favorite character, Captain Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp), along with others like William Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley).
The second film in the series, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, introduced the fearsome Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), who was the captain of the legendary ship, the Flying Dutchman. He was shown to be a monstrous pirate with tentacles akin to the Kraken monster, which he controlled.
Davy Jones was tasked with delivering people lost at sea to the afterlife by the sea goddess Calypso. However, a betrayal turned him bitter, and he offered lost souls the chance to serve him on his ship instead of dying. The events of Dead Man's Chest revealed that Davy Jones had helped Jack Sparrow raise his ship from beneath the sea in exchange for 100 years of servitude. However, Jack Sparrow evaded Davy Jones and thus owed him a blood debt.
Why was Jack Sparrow's soul worth 100 souls in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest?
Jack Sparrow used to be the captain of the Black Pearl. The ship was originally named the Wicked Wench and was commandeered by Jack before he turned into a pirate.
When the ship sank, Davy Jones raised it from the bottom of the ocean in exchange for 100 years of Jack Sparrow's servitude on the Flying Dutchman. Sparrow could captain the Black Pearl for 13 years before joining Davy Jones on his ship.
In the events of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Jack tricked Will into going aboard the ship in search of the key to unlock a chest. However, Jack also went onboard and bargained with Davy Jones for his freedom, while Will was held as a good-faith payment and hostage. As per the deal, if Jack could find 100 souls within three days, they could be exchanged and brought into a "lifetime of servitude" to Jones, used to pay off Jack's blood debt.
Jack Sparrow's soul is worth a hundred souls, referring to the 100 years of servitude he owed to Davy Jones. However, Davy Jones was cruel and could have also demanded 100 souls in exchange for Jack's, just to torture him. It was a herculean task to gather 100 souls within 3 days, and Jones only hoped for Jack Sparrow's failure.
Why did Jack Sparrow want Davy Jones' heart?
Davy Jones had carved out his heart and locked it away in a chest in an unknown place. He did so after being scorned by his lover. Not having a heart meant that he would feel no pain or guilt anymore, making Davy Jones undead in the process.
Having control of Davy Jones' heart meant that one could control Davy Jones. Whoever could make Davy Jones do their bidding could control the Flying Dutchman and also have the power of the sea monster Kraken (controlled by Jones).
However, Jack Sparrow wanted Davy Jones' heart in Pirates of the Caribbean so that he could free himself from being enslaved on the Flying Dutchman.
Why did Davy Jones betray Calypso?
As Pirates of the Caribbean lore suggests, Davy Jones was Calypso's lover. Calypso was the all-powerful sea goddess who fell in love with the sailor Davy Jones and gave him the sacred task of collecting souls who died at sea and helping them pass over to the afterlife.
Davy Jones agreed to set foot on land once every ten years, and Calypso promised that she would be there to meet him when he did. However, she was as fickle as the high seas and was nowhere to be found when Davy Jones arrived.
Thus, Davy Jones convened the Pirate Brethren and plotted with them to take away the rule of the seas from Calypso. He tricked the goddess and bound her to the body of a mortal woman. This was how Davy Jones betrayed Calypso and eventually turned into the fearsome pirate he was known to be in Pirates of the Caribbean.
Currently, producer Jerry Bruckheimer has hinted at a possible sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film, although there are no official confirmations about it yet.