How do you watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in order? Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for us, and we're here to plan out your journey through the epic, swashbuckling franchise.
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (AKA: the blockbuster adventure movies that took the world by storm) about Captain Jack Sparrow have captured the imagination since the original in 2003, and these Disney movies have become a phenomenon for the House of Mouse. Set during the Golden Age of Piracy, from 1630 to 1730, the fantasy movies take us out on the high seas for Jack's eccentric, over-the-top hijinks that continually tend to put his friends in danger.
Sailing the seven seas has uncovered quite a few ancient myths thus far, and understanding how to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in order can be tricky in all the maelstrom. Have no fear, though, because we have a map with all the requisite 'X's marked for you.
How to watch all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in chronological order:
- Tales of the Code: Wedlocked (2011)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
Tales of the Code: Wedlocked (2011)
Where to watch: DVD
You might not even know this Pirates of the Caribbean short exists, because it was confined to home media boxsets for the first four movies. Nowadays it can't be found on streaming, so you may have to go into the depths of eBay and the like to find an original boxset for this one.
Two women, played by Vanessa Branch and Lauren Maher, believed themselves to be Jack Sparrow's one-and-only, except they've both been traded to an auctioneer.
It's a daft preamble to The Curse of the Black Pearl that explains why Jack's boat is sinking, and why the women hate him if such questions were burning in your mind. Somewhat impressive for being put together in a couple of days before sets were taken down.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, Apple TV Plus
The first proper installment is The Curse of the Black Pearl, a classic pirate's tale in blockbuster form. Will Turner, a blacksmith, needs to save Elizabeth Swann, his partner, from the crew of the Black Pearl, a cursed ship.
He begrudgingly enlists the help of Jack Sparrow, who knows the captain of the Black Pearl. Hilarity ensues! Later sequels become unruly and convoluted, but director Gore Verbinski captures the energy of the theme park ride with the original Pirates of the Caribbean.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, Apple TV Plus
Soon after The Curse of the Black Pearl, Will and Elizabeth's wedding is interrupted by someone who's mad at Jack Sparrow, of course. Lord Cutler Beckett strikes a deal with Will for Elizabeth's freedom: find the heart of Davy Jones and the Dead Man's Chest.
Needless to say, neither is as easy as following a map to an X. Meanwhile, Jack is actually stuck working for the Disney villain Davy, and needs the chest to get out of his servitude. Notable for the tentacled effects work on Davy Jones.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, Apple TV Plus
Piracy is on the way out, so the remaining crew of the Black Pearl save Jack from Davy Jones's Locker, while Will sets out to get his father off the Flying Dutchman. They all rally together to stop Cutler from putting an end to the pirate trade.
The war against Cutler's regime has its costs, and by the end, Will is condemned to guide souls lost at sea. He leaves Elizabeth with a locker containing his heart, and a post-credits scene has him returning ten years later to meet her and his grown son. Jack, on the other hand, is off to find the Fountain of Youth. A bit of a mess, this one.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, Apple TV Plus
Ian McShane as Blackbeard? An inspired addition to the Pirates of the Caribbean cast. Penelope Cruz stars as Angelica opposite Depp's Jack Sparrow for this misadventure, picking up after At World's End with the search for the Fountain of Youth.
Angelica is Blackbeard's daughter, hinting at the films moving into a new era. Their journey is made difficult by Barbossa, another captain Jack's managed to piss off (again) to a supreme degree. The only sequel without Will or Elizabeth.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
Where to watch: Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, Apple TV Plus
The baton is passed to Will's son Henry, who sets out for Poseidon's Trident to free his father from the Flying Dutchman. He'd like Jack Sparrow to help, but the legendary adventurer is a tricky one to track down (for once).
Javier Bardem shows up as an undead captain intent on killing every pirate he can find. A lot of zombie movie callbacks and curses back in the late 1600s to early 1700s, eh? Silly fun, as has been the general MO. (For the record, this has also been called Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge for some releases, so don't be confused if you've seen that name thrown around.)
How to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in release order:
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
- Tales of the Code: Wedlocked (2011)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
Watching the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in release order is almost identical to following in chronological order. You've got The Curse of the Black Pearl first, then Dead Man's Chest and At World's End.
On Stranger Tides, from 2011, follows, and then we have the one blip. Takes of the Code: Wedlocked came out the same year as On Stranger Tides, with Blu-ray and DVD sets that combined the first four Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It still hasn't made its way to Disney Plus and YouTube, leaving you to search out one of these bundles if you'd like to see it.
After that, you just have Dead Men Tell No Tales. For now, that's all the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but a sixth is on the horizon. Captain Jack Sparrow may ride again, and if he does, keep all your treasured possessions close.
For more misadventures, check out our guides to the Lord of the Rings movies in order and the Harry Potter movies in order. Or, if you are curious about Orlando Bloom's outing as Legolas, here is our guide to the best Lord of the Rings characters. You can also check out our list of the best action movies, and find out why Keira Knightley thought Pirates of the Caribbean would flop.
Alternatively, look ahead to new movies on the horizon, with our guide to the Barbie release date. Or, if pirates are your thing, check out everything we know about the One Piece live-action release date. We also have some more top picks with our list of the best movies of all time.