Lord Cutler Beckett

Lord Cutler Beckett is the secondary antagonist of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and the main antagonist of its sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Beckett works for the East India Trading Company, and had a past with both Jack Sparrow and Weatherby Swann.

He was portrayed by actor Tom Hollander.

Dead Man's Chest
Beckett plays very little part in Dead Man's Chest. During the events of the film, the leader of the East India Trading Company disrupts the wedding of William Turner and Elizabeth Swann, placing them both under arrest for their assistance in the escape of Jack Sparrow.

Beckett soon strikes a deal with Will Turner; Will and Elizabeth will be pardoned and Jack will be made a privateer under the English crown, in exchange for Jack's compass, which will lead him to the heart of Davy Jones. His overall goal is to capture the heart and use it as leverage against Davy, forcing him into servitude with the EITC and help rid the world of piracy. Will agrees, and sets off to locate Jack. Beckett also makes similar deals with Elizabeth and her father.

At the end of the movie, it is James Norrington who returns with, not the compass, but the heart itself, allowing him to restore his honor by becoming a high-ranking member of the EITC.

At World's End
Beckett has a bigger role in At World's End as the main antagonist. During the events of the film, Beckett uses his newly gained power to start the end of piracy. He begins by executing anyone with a pirate history, ordering his fleets to hunt down pirate vessels, and orders Davy Jones to devastate the pirate population with his dreaded ship and crew.

As Beckett attempts to end piracy and locate Shipwreck Cove, the pirates' main base, he starts to grow impatient and turns to making bargains with Jack and Will, in hopes they will help him find and eliminate the remains of the Pirate Lords, thus destroying piracy itself.

By the end of the movie, the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman have one last clash to decide the fate of piracy. When the Dutchman is destroyed, Beckett ignores his bargain made with Elizabeth to let them go if the Dutchman fails, and orders his fleet to attack.

Thinking that the Black Pearl is both out gunned and out manned, he confidently orders his flagship, the HMS Endeavor, to sink the Pearl with a broadside. Suddenly, the Dutchman emerges with its new captain, Will Turner, who ordered his new vessel to broadside the Endeavor along with the Pearl, thus sinking it and ending the reign of the tyrannical leader of the EITC for good. Upon realizing what actually lay in wait for him, he is rendered catatonic, being rendered completely speechless, and only saying his last words in a very shocked tone, and is unable to even save himself due to his shocked state, nor can he even react to his being consumed by the explosion. His last words were his famous line, "It's just good business" before he and his ship are blown away and what remains of him collapse on his flag in the sea.