"Wealth, fame, power." These are the famous words from Netflix's newest live-action adaptation of One Piece, and the spirit of treasure hunters, ship stealers, and drunken thieves of the deep blue: pirates! The smash hit series, developed by Matt Owens and Steven Maeda, reached number one in 84 countries and received overwhelmingly positive praise for its stunning visual effects and true-to-character performances from the passionate cast members.
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Piracy dates back centuries, and since then, film and television studios have continuously romanticized the stories of legendary pirates. In reality, pirates were dirty criminals who lived through terrible conditions. Their lifestyles were far less magical than Hollywood has portrayed them to be, and without adding the glamorous sword fights, mermaids, or secret maps, the freedom of sailing across treacherous oceans becomes quite dull. Nonetheless, most of us wish we could experience a utopian, lawless society, and the world of cinematic pirates gives adventurers a chance to daydream of buried treasures.
10 'Hook' (1991)
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When Captain Hook suddenly kidnaps Peter Banning's two children, the workaholic lawyer returns to Neverland, where he must learn to believe in magic again and his true identity as Peter Pan. Directed by Steven Spielberg, Hook is a classic family fantasy considered one of the best Peter Pan adaptions to date. The film stars several acclaimed actors, including Robin Williams as Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffman as Hook, Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, and Maggie Smith as Granny Wendy.
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Nominated for five Oscars, Williams's remarkable performance brings a deeper, emotional side to Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, and his self-defining journey into Neverland highlights the extraordinary production design Spielberg created without the help of CGI. The story also dives further into Captain Hook's villainous heart alongside his loyal yet conniving pirate crew. The imaginative picture is perfectly cast with vibrant, original costumes that bring an unforgettable playground for loyal fans of J. M. Barrie's 1911 novel to life.
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9 'Porco Rosso' (1992)
One of Hayao Miyazaki's most underrated masterpieces, Porco Rosso, is more than a tale at sea. The animated adventure tells the story of an Italian ex-fighter ace, now turned bounty hunter, who has cursed himself to look like an anthropomorphic pig. With a beautiful girl in his life, a deserted island for a home, and a crimson-red plane, Porco seems to have it all, but underneath the mask, he's just a man yearning for love. The thought-provoking film is set in the gorgeous escape of the Adriatic Sea with a delicate painter's palette that embodies the essence of a faraway dream.
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Miyazaki, the master of silence, is known for his imaginative portrayal of exploring life-questioning themes. Self-identify, love, war, and societal norms are depicted throughout the film as Porco chases down "air pirates" in his Savoia S-21. Paired with Joe Hisaishi's award-winning, brilliant score, Porco Rosso is a breathtaking, nostalgic animation painted with marvelous aerial dogfights, exquisite cityscapes, and empathetic characters that capture the beauty of life.
8 'Treasure Island' (1950)
With over 50 adaptations since 1881, Robert Louis Stevenson’s beloved novel is considered a literary classic like no other. Disney's first full, live-action picture, Treasure Island, brought sparkling color to the pirate sensation. The story follows Jim Hawkins (Bobby Driscoll) and Dr. Livesey (Denis O'Dea) as they embark on a voyage to find Captain Flint's lost treasure with his quartermaster, Long John Silver (Robert Newton).
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Filmed on location in the United Kingdom, the action-adventure film is credited for setting the standard of pirate talk and their treasure-hunting lifestyle to millions of baby boomers. Critics praised the adaption for beautifully executing the soul of the novel, and director Byron Haskin sought to push the energetic cast to personify the vigorous greed of pirates. Though violent at its beginning, the unforgettable tale is a splendor for the whole family, arousing the urge to sit down by the fireplace to share legends.
7 'The Pirates: Band of Misfits' (2012)
Created by the makers of the highly acclaimed Wallace and Gromit, Aardman Animations's The Pirates: Band of Misfits tells the tale of the Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) and his delinquent crew as they race to win the "Pirate of the Year Award" after years of humiliation. The stop-motion animated comedy is based on the novel The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists.
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The laugh-out-loud dialogue is the film's true golden treasure. The script brings various historical figures to the picture, like Queen Victoria, with a hilariously violent twist to her personality. It's crafted with just about every pirate troupe imaginable, exaggerating the simplest elements like the Pirate Captain's hammock hanging over a bed. Peter Lord's witty directing style pegs him as the master of stop-motion comedic timing, and the movie earned the studio another nomination at the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
6 'Black Sails' (2014-2017)
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During the Golden Age of pirates, Captain Flint and his infamous crew hunt for hidden treasures and fight for the survival of New Providence Island. Created by Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine, Black Sails is a semi-historical, action-adventure series meant to act as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's groundbreaking novel. The Starz exclusive show takes a darker approach to portraying the swashbuckling life, weaving in the consequences of betrayal and man's undying greed.
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Toby Stephens plays Captain Flint, and his gripping performance is strongly more cinematic than your average TV pirate. Throughout the four seasons, viewers are also introduced to real-life historical figures, including Blackbeard, Charles Vane, Jack Rackham, and Anne Bonny. The production value and art direction are a visual splendor, crafting a picturesque, dark world. Unlike critics, fans praised Black Sails for its accurate depiction of the daily lives of pirates and the choice to shoot on location in the exotic landscape of Cape Town, South Africa.
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5 'The Goonies' (1985)
"X" marks the spot in The Goonies, a Steven Spielberg story, when a group of neighborhood misfits in Goon Docks, Oregon, face the foreclosure of their homes only to suddenly stumble upon an ancient map that takes them on a journey to find the lost fortune of One-Eyed Willy, a legendary pirate. Directed by Richard Donner, the family adventure became an instant cult classic at its initial release and has since been regarded by the United States National Film Registry as historically and culturally significant.
With an iconic kid ensemble, Sean Astin, Josh Borlin, Martha Plimpton, and the Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan, the treasure-hunting picture brilliantly portrays the wonderment of childhood imagination. Willy's pirate ship was specifically constructed for the film; Donner decided not to show the ship to the kids until they shot the actual scene. The production team also took extra measures to make the environment and props as realistic as possible, going as far as using real spotted blood on the map. Today, Astoria, Oregon, named June 7th “Goonies Day” in honor of the movie's legacy.
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4 'Once Upon a Time' (2011-2018)
Once Upon a Time is a one-of-a-kind whimsical experience. In a small town called Storybrooke, an adopted young boy discovers that the residents are cursed fairytale characters, and their savoir (Jennifer Morrison), who can break the spell, is his biological mother, the daughter of Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (Josh Dallas). From the creators of Lost and Tron: Legacy, the fantasy show ran on ABC for seven seasons and gained millions of followers for its creative twist on beloved storybook characters.
RELATED: The 10 Best ‘Once Upon a Time’ Characters, Ranked by Likability
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The series was highly praised for expanding the worlds of classic storybook figures like the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla), Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle), and even Captain Hook (Colin O-Donoghue). Each episode flips back and forth from the characters' backstories to their present-day dilemma in the "real world." With exceptional acting and infectious cast chemistry, Once Upon a Time harbors the spirit of Monkey D. Luffy's optimism and tells a remarkable tale of family, true love, and what it means to believe in hope.
3 'Our Flag Means Death' (2022-)
Max's trending original series, Our Flag Means Death, takes a comical, romantic twist to the pirate age. Loosely based on the life of the Gentleman Pirate, Steve Bonnet (Rhys Darby) abandons his privileged life and family to gather a crew, become a pirate captain, and set sail on the high seas. Created by David Jenkins, the dysfunctional crew aboard the Revenge must learn the ways of piracy with little to no experience as they are thrown for a loop when they cross paths with the famed pirate Blackbeard, Edward Teach.
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The semi-historically accurate series first gained attention for its unique approach of telling a queer love story between Bonnet and Blackbeard (Taika Waititi). The hilarious cast goes all out with their theatrics, one-liners, and ridiculous misadventures similar to the goofy Straw Hat Pirates. The slow-burning romance makes the storyline all the more irresistible, presenting an older, queer relationship: the upcoming season has fans squirming for the return of the dynamic duo.
2 'Treasure Planet' (2002)
Just when traditional hand-drawn animation was dying out, Disney decided to take a chance to blend their 2D artistry with the latest CG animation technology, creating Treasure Planet. In this sci-fi retelling, the story follows a young Jim Hawkins, itching for an adventure, when a dying pirate gifts him an ancient map allegedly leading to Captain Flint's lost treasure on Treasure Planet.
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Written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the underrated cult film re-imagines the pursuit of the treasure-seeking spirit through explosive visuals, floating pirate ships, and surreal cyborg characters. The script strongly highlights the importance of meaningful relationships, especially between Jim and Sliver. Despite its box office failure, the movie gained considerable recognition over time and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars.
1 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Series' (2003-2017)
Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is more iconic than any other pirate story in the world. The film series is made up of The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Dead Man's Chest (2006), At World's End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011), and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) with an ensemble of renowned actors including Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, and Geoffrey Rush for a swashbuckling, explosive odyssey where a pirate's life might not be such a bad idea if one seeks limitless freedom at sea.
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The fantasy franchise was initially inspired by a theme park and was never predicted to become one of Hollywood's most profitable successes. The films focus on the exploits of the savvy pirate Jack Sparrow as he navigates his good-for-nothing crew aboard the Black Pearl. Depp's light-footed portrayal of the drunken captain was frowned upon by Disney during filming. Despite the studio's worries, the charm and humor of Depp as Sparrow captured the hearts of millions, crowning him one of the most legendary pirates in cinematic history.
KEEP READING: Netflix's 'One Piece' Main Characters, Ranked by Likability