"I'm not with you neither am I against you." "Can he do that?" "He's religious, I believe it's required."
„
~ Philip Swift, Salaman and Jack Sparrow
Philip Swift is a faithful young man as well as a sentimental missionary. He serves as one of the deuteragonists (alongside his lover Syrena) of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
He was portrayed by Sam Claflin who also portrayed Finnick Odair in Hunger Games trilogy.
A little unknown about Philip's early life. At some point in his life, Philip worked as a missionary in the Caribbean. He was later captured by Blackbeard's crewmen during a raid on a isolated island, in which all the others on his ship were slaughtered. According to the Pirate Code, Philip need to die for rejecting to become a servant of Blackbeard, though when the pirate attempted to assassinate the missionary, his beloved daughter Angelica stopped him, because she was afraid for Blackbeard's soul if he committed such an act. And so Philip was whipped onto the mainmast of the Queen Anne's Revenge. Although the missionary suffered his pain, he still successfully clinged onto his most important effect—his holy Bible. Philip would still be imprisoned during Blackbeard's search for the Fountain of Youth.
Quest for the Fountain of Youth[]
Aboard the Queen's Anne Revenge[]
By the time Jack Sparrow was made aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, Philip was tied to the Revenges mast, holding tight onto his Holy Bible. During the rebellion on the Queen Anne's Revenge, Jack and Salaman had gone to rescue Philip. When Salaman told that Philip will be either remained loyal to them or challenge them, he denied to join either sides of the fight. After the mutiny was ruined by Blackbeard, which was done by hanging all of the mutineers with the rigging, Blackbeard attempted to murder Jack for leading the mutiny and to make sure everybody wouldn't ignore him.
But before Blackbeard could do so, Philip bursts in, labelling him a coward, saying that nobody shall ignore him, regardless of many men he'd kill. Enraged by Philip's courage to offend him, Blackbeard attempted to shoot Philip, only to be stopped once again by Angelica, as she worried about her father's soul. Seemingly touched by his own daughter's wish, thinking that every soul could be saved, Blackbeard demanded Philip if what Angelica said was true. Philip told him it was, but believed Blackbeard as a longshot, saying that he'd pray for the souls aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge. Blackbeard put away his pistol, touched by Angelica's faith. When Blackbeard gave the order to the Cook to row away on a longboat, he prepared to fire the Greek fire cannons on him to punish them. Philip tried to change Blackbeard's mind on this matter and spare the Cook's life, but was too late as the Cook was burned alive.
As the longboat was burning on open ocean, Blackbeard told to Philip that he felt closest to our Maker when he witnessed suffering, pain and anguish, saying it's when the true design of the world is proven. Philip disagreed, saying he sees it when in times of hardship and tragedy, kindness and compassion are shown to those necessarily. Blackbeard then suggested Philip prayed the Cook to remain unharmed. Philip one more time tries to change Blackbeard's mind, but to no avail again as Blackbeard had the cannons fired again.
Whitecap Bay[]
The Queen Anne's Revenge soon made sail to the Whitecap Bay, to capture a mermaid for the Profane Ritual. Blackbeard had Philip, Scrum, Ezekiel, the Cabin Boy, Derrick, Purser and Gunner, were aboard together in a longboat. Scrum and the other crewmen were obliged by Gunner to sing in order to give the attention to the mermaids. When Tamara and other mermaids came, Scrum began to get close to her to kiss, though Philip and the other crewmen warned him to not. As Tamara showed her true form to Scrum, the mermaids then started to attack.
During the mermaid attack, the crewmen's longboat was destructed as well as Derrick and Purser were killed. Philip ably swim back to the island along with some of the remaining crew members. As he got up, the bay's lighthouse was blown up. While the debris fell, a mermaid saved Philip by pulling him out of the way. When he got up, he found the mermaid and pierced her in the tail fin as he believed he was being attacked, an act he later forgave so. When he perceived her scared, bleeding and trembling, Philip pulled the sword out, but before she might flee, Blackbeard and his crewmen captured her with a net as she hissed. Philip remorsefully took credit for the mermaid's capture.
Search for the jungle[]
Philip will later travel with the crew to the island to be looking for the Fountain of Youth. While venturing through dense jungle and swamps, Philip would follow some of the crewmen carrying the glass coffin containing the captured mermaid with the filled water inside. Philip later conversed with Jack Sparrow about converting as the pirate asked if he could be welcomed to Heaven. The missionary then took a remark that the mermaid was dying due to lack of oxygen. He told the Quartermaster to open the coffin, but he denied. Philip then takes the Quartermaster's sword and breaks the lock on the tank, proving what he said to be true as the mermaid now gasped for air. As the Quartermaster pulled back his sword, Philip quickly shoved his Bible in its place.
Later, after watching Blackbeard nearly killing Angelica and Jack jumping off a chasm, the crew resumed on through the jungles. As they made way, the crew dropped the tank and the mermaid burst out of it and, because of no water, she was transforming into her human form. Philip gave her his shirt to cover her nudity. Blackbeard ordered the mermaid to walk. However, the mermaid was unable to walk, and so Blackbeard threatened her by saying to walk or die. To save her from being killed by the Quartermaster, Philip offered to carry her through the journey.
As they made it to another resting place, Philip began to talk to the mermaid about how beautiful she is, although he saw her kind as lethal as he thought she attacked him. But the mermaid refused that claim as she saw Philip as different from other men, saying that he is protective. It was that moment when Philip realized that she saved him at Whitecap Bay. Blackbeard ordered to take the mermaid and cover her head, labelling her a "creature", Philip yelled angrily that the mermaid is nameless. Blackbeard waited for Philip to tell it. Though he did not know her real name, Philip said that her name was "Syrena".
Jungle Pools[]
“
"That vile creature as you call her is worth a hundred of you."
"You care for her...you fancy her. Do not deny what is clear to my eyes. Question is...does she fancy you? By God, she does. We are in luck! Bring forth a tear...or witness the death of this poor soul."
„
~ Philip Swift and Blackbeard
Philip travelled with the crew arrived to the Jungle Pools, where mermaids had been tied and left to die. Syrena was put into one of the pools while Blackbeard attempted to urge her to cry. However, Syrena would not yield. Before Blackbeard could choose whether or not to torture her, Philip walked in to try and stop Blackbeard. Philip told Blackbeard that his soul couldn't be saved and that Syrena was worth more than a hundred of him. Upon learning that she and Philip fantacize each other, Blackbeard exploited their love by threatening to kill Philip. As Syrena watched helplessly, either unable or refusing to slip a tear, Blackbeard ordered the Quartermaster to kill Philip, while Angelica pleads to not. But in fact he only sedated him with a voodoo dart. Syrena seemed to be left to die while Philip's body was dumped nearby.
Philip regained consciousness, unaware how or why, and immediately ran to free Syrena. Though she was outraged at first in seeing that he was alive, Philip's act of freeing her and having told her that she is kind and compassionate, incited Syrena to cry a tear of joy. Blackbeard and his crew immediately came to get the tear from Syrena. After getting Syrena's tear in a vial, Blackbeard gave the order to Syrena to be ensured and left at the pools to die. Knowing that he would oppose, Blackbeard had his men to tie Philip's hands and he was forced to go with them to find the Fountain of Youth.
“
"Syrena, on my word, I had no part in this! Let her go. You don't need her now."
"Let her go? No. Secure her bonds. We leave her with her own."
„
~ Philip Swift and Blackbeard
Philip gripped the wound and, evading the battle, ran away to the Jungle Pools to free Syrena from dying like the other mermaids by enduring at the pools. Philip believed Syrena dead, but told to God that if she was taken, she must return. Syrena regained consciousness and quickly disappeared under water leaving Philip injured and alone.
Forgiveness[]
“
"You are hurt."
"In body only. My mind is at peace. Because of you."
"Me?"
"Yes. I was lost. The wind, the tides...they were to renew a man's faith. For me, only you."
„
~ Philip Swift and Syrena
Alone and fatally wounded, Philip drags himself to the closest pool to get some water to drink in an attempt to heal his wounds. As he splashes the water, Syrena came back and appeared in toward him. Reunited and free from Blackbeard and his crew, the two allege their love once more. Syrena then told Philip that she may save him from dying. Philip then begged Syrena for apology for all the trouble he did to her, as she would never have been captured had it not been for him. Syrena kissed Philip, confirming the legend that a mermaid's kiss prevents drowning by giving him the ability to breathe underwater, and pulls him into the pool. Philip was taken by Syrena as they swim through the pools to freedom.
“
"I seek but one thing."
"What is that?"
"Forgiveness. If not for me, you'd have never been captured."
"Ask."
"Forgive me."
„
~ Philip and Syrena
Personality[]
A man for or against belief, Philip Swift was on a mission fully differed the pirates, scallywags, kings and sailors he dealt with. It was a mission of salvation, and even when he was taken prisoner and mercilessly tortured, Philip's spirit remained unbroken. Philip was a deep religious man and a believer in God. This was noted by his appearance, revealing humble missionary lifestyle, like the plain clothes he wore and his simple cross necklace, which lied close to his heart. It can also be remarked by Philip's strong will even after being whipped to the mast of the Queen Anne's Revenge, in which he still successfully clinged onto his Bible. A captive, having no choice but to join the Revenges crew against his will, Philip Swift was a lonely voice of reason in a world of madness.
Idealistic, valiant and audacious, the young stalwart and soulful Philip challenged even the infamous Blackbeard while attempting to rescue the terrible pirate's soul. The missionary Philip, who found himself involved in the quest for the Fountain of Youth, would have been slayed long ago, however, Angelica believed he held the key to redeem Blackbeard. Valiantly honest, Philip was the only man aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge who dares treat Blackbeard a coward. He believed the pirate was scared to walk the path of righteousness. Although Philip believed that every soul could be redeemed, he knew and acknowledged that redeeming Blackbeard's own soul was a long shot. As time goes on however, Philip grew to believe that Blackbeard was purely evil and didn't think he was capable of redeeming himself.
A sympathetic man, Philip was very careful towards others, most notably to the enigmatic mermaid he named "Syrena". He was the only member of Blackbeard's crew to show any concern for the mermaid and attempted to defend her many times. By the end of the search for the Fountain of Youth, Philip fell in love and took care for Syrena, and she returned the feelings. But something stirred inside of his heart as well as his soul when he met the mermaid—feelings which proved that the path to true deliverance may lie beyond the Good Book he carried with him.
Heroes
