Every Treasure Island Character In Black Sails

Summary Black Sails blends fiction and history by weaving real and fictional pirates, connecting with Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.

Characters like Long John Silver, Captain Flint, and Billy Bones serve as key figures in both Black Sails and Treasure Island's storylines.

The series showcases a diverse cast of characters, ranging from lovable rogues to feared pirate captains, with prominent roles in both stories.

Black Sails primarily serves as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, meaning several characters from the book appear in the show. Despite some characters being fictional, Black Sails includes several real pirates throughout the story. From characters like Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny to Charles Vane and Blackbeard, real historical pirates are interwoven with the fictional seafarers from Stevenson's original novel.

This allows Black Sails' cast of characters to be incredibly varied, with some taken directly from fictional stories, others based in real-world history, and some having stories with a mix of both fact and make-believe. Across Black Sails' expansive timeline, the connections to Treasure Island are aplenty, with the characters that appear in both providing the most overt links between the two stories. With that in mind, here is every character from Black Sails who appeared in Robert Louis Stevenson's original Treasure Island novel.

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8 Long John Silver

Played By Luke Arnold In Black Sails

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The most prominent character who exists across the stories of both Black Sails and Treasure Island is Long John Silver. In the latter story, Long John Silver served as the primary antagonist. Silver is introduced to Treasure Island's protagonist, Jim Hawkins, as the chef of a ship named the Hispaniola. Eventually, it is revealed that Silver is planning a mutiny with other members of the crew who once belonged to Captain Flint's ship, the Walrus. Silver and his men plan to find the lost treasure of Captain Flint, leading to clashes with Jim Hawkins throughout the story of Treasure Island.

Silver is arguably the protagonist of Black Sails alongside Flint, with the show chronicling his transition from a lovable rogue to the feared pirate captain...

In Black Sails, Silver is introduced as a charming, cunning sailor who bluffs his way into Captain Flint's crew. Played by Luke Arnold, Silver is arguably the protagonist of Black Sails alongside Flint, with the show chronicling his transition from a lovable rogue to the feared pirate captain he is portrayed as in Treasure Island. Given the length of his role in both stories, Silver is undoubtedly the most prominent character that appears in both Black Sails and Treasure Island.

7 Captain Flint

Played By Toby Stephens In Black Sails

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Alongside Arnold's John Silver, the other central character of Black Sails is Toby Stephens' Captain Flint. Much of Black Sails' story centers around the complex journey of Captain Flint, who desires to find the treasure of the Urca de Lima in order to free Nassau from British control as well as allow him to reunite with Thomas Hamilton. While Flint's motivations for finding the treasure in Black Sails were created by the show's creators, the gold of the Urca de Lima is the same treasure that is buried on the titular island of Robert Louis Stevenson's book, sought after by Silver.

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Interestingly, Flint does not physically appear in Treasure Island, though he remains a central part of the book's plot. Flint is said to have died years before Treasure Island begins, yet the legacy of his character makes him a central character of the story, regardless of his lack of physical appearance. Flint's ghost haunts Treasure Island's proceedings, with Silver and the other men of Flint's old crew revering and fearing their old captain and the central MacGuffin of the plot being tied so intrinsically to Flint's character.

Actor Toby Stevens reunited with Black Sails' creator Jonathan E. Steinberg for Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

6 Billy Bones

Played By Tom Hopper In Black Sails

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The plot of Treasure Island is kickstarted into life by Billy Bones. At the beginning of the novel, Bones takes refuge at the Admiral Benbow Inn, owned by Jim Hawkins' mother. Bones warns Jim to look out for the one-legged pirate, in reference to Silver, before receiving a marker for death. Bones suffers a stroke before Jim finds the map to Treasure Island in his belongings. This begins the events of the book, with Jim setting off to find Treasure Island before coming into conflict with Silver and the other crew members who used to know Bones from Flint's crew.

Tom Hopper portrays Billy Bones in Black Sails, initially as a member of Flint's crew aboard the Walrus. Bones eventually becomes the ship's Quartermaster but becomes disillusioned with Captain Flint's dedication to finding the Urca de Lima treasure. As such, much of Black Sails establishes Bones' distrust of Flint, his alliance with Silver, and his subsequent betrayal of both when he joins the British against them. Black Sails ends with Billy marooned on an island, setting up his introduction and swift death at the beginning of Treasure Island with the added context of his distrust of Flint and Silver.

5 Israel Hands

Played By David Wilmot In Black Sails

While Silver, Flint, and Bones are three of Black Sails' bigger characters, Israel Hands has a smaller role in the show. Initially, Hands is introduced as the second-in-command to Edward Teach/Blackbeard. However, a rift begins to grow between the two when Blackbeard favors Charles Vane as his protégé, leading to Hands being an outcast from Nassau. Hands becomes a bigger character in Black Sails season 4 when he joins Silver and Flint in their final pursuit of the Urca de Lima gold, becoming somewhat of an enforcer for the former pirate.

Israel Hands Black Sails Appearances Episode Title Season 4, Episode 1 XXIX Season 4, Episode 2 XXX Season 4, Episode 3 XXXI Season 4, Episode 4 XXXII Season 4, Episode 5 XXXIII Season 4, Episode 6 XXXIV Season 4, Episode 7 XXXV Season 4, Episode 8 XXXVI Season 4, Episode 9 XXXVII Season 4, Episode 10 XXXVIII

This sets up his role in Treasure Island. In the book, Hands is one of the characters aboard the Hispaniola who works alongside Silver to find the titular island. In this story, he is presented as much more of an antagonist due to it being told through the eyes of Jim Hawkins. Midway through the book, Jim and Israel clash when the latter betrays the former by trying to kill him. Jim eventually gains the upper hand, killing Hands and ending the pirate's lengthy journey that began in Black Sails.

4 Tom Morgan

Played By Anton Dekker In Black Sails

In Treasure Island, one of the more minor characters is Tom Morgan. Morgan is a pirate spotted at one point by Jim Hawkins throughout the story and also has somewhat of a tragic fate by the book's ending. After the pirates leave Treasure Island, three pirates are marooned. One of these pirates is Tom Morgan, whose minor role in Treasure Island is reflected by his minimal appearance in Black Sails.

Tom Morgan only appears in the final season of Black Sails as one of the pirate captains gathered by Flint and Silver. Morgan becomes loyal to Silver, eventually aiding him and Flint against the British in the final story arc of the show. Morgan, despite his smaller role in the overall story, plays a big part in Flint's ending. When Flint is transported to Savannah, Georgia to work on the plantation housing his lover Thomas Hamilton, Morgan is one of the pirates responsible for delivering him there.

3 Ben Gunn

Played By Chris Fisher In Black Sails

Like Silver, Ben Gunn is a Black Sails character who has a bigger role in Treasure Island. In the latter, Ben Gunn is found by Jim Hawkins, marooned on the titular island. Ben reveals that he has been on the island for three years as he has been searching for Flint's treasure without the map. Eventually, Ben aids Jim and the other pirates in finding the treasure, takes a share of the jewels, and returns to civilization.

Ben takes part in the final battle against Woodes Rogers, surviving the events of the battle and setting up his role in Treasure Island.

In Black Sails, Ben Gunn has a role in the final two seasons of the show. Ben is found on an island where he is worked as a slave, the same fate that befalls Silver and Flint during Black Sails season 3. Ben aids Silver and Flint in escaping the island and becomes loyal to Silver after he is named the Pirate King. Ben takes part in the final battle against Woodes Rogers, surviving the events of the battle and setting up his role in Treasure Island.

2 Madi

Played By Zethu Dlomo In Black Sails

Madi, Silver's wife, is similar to Captain Flint in that she is only referenced in Treasure Island. The character does not directly appear in the novel, but a mention of Silver's wife links to the character of Madi from Black Sails. In Treasure Island, it is mentioned that Silver married a woman of color, though her name is not divulged. This gave the creators of Black Sails some freedom to explore, leading to the character of Madi.

Madi is first introduced in Black Sails season 3 as the daughter of the Maroon Queen. Flint, Silver, and the other pirates as imprisoned as slaves by the Maroon Queen, yet Madi and Silver begin to form a strong bond. Eventually, Madi is presumed dead when she is captured by Woodes Rogers. At the end of Black Sails, Madi returns to Maroon Island and reunites with Silver. Despite not being seen in Treasure Island, the mention of Madi as Silver's wife seems to imply they stayed married beyond the events of Black Sails.

Related How Black Sails Connects to Treasure Island Black Sails lays the groundwork and fills in several gaps in character story leading up to the Robert Louis Stevenson classic novel, Treasure Island.

1 Edward Teach/Blackbeard

Played By Ray Stevenson In Black Sails

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The final character who links Black Sails and Treasure Island is Edward Teach/Blackbeard. Blackbeard has a vital role throughout Black Sails, primarily as the mentor of Charles Vane. Blackbeard, along with the likes of Vane, Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, Flint, and Silver, is one of the pirates dedicated to defending Nassau against the rule of the British. This sees him come to blows with Woodes Rogers in the final two seasons of Black Sails. Eventually, Blackbeard is captured by Woodes Rogers and keelhauled, before being shot in the head after the pirate stubbornly refused to die.

Woodes Rogers' plan to humiliate Blackbeard in death turns into a defining moment in the battle between the pirates and the British.

Like Madi and Flint, Blackbeard is not seen but referenced in Treasure Island. Due to Blackbeard's death in Black Sails, he could not physically play a role in the sequel, though his legacy lives on. In Treasure Island, it is mentioned that Blackbeard was like a child to Captain Flint, positioning the latter as an incredibly powerful pirate. With this Blackbeard mention, the last pirate linking Black Sails to Treasure Island is found.