Girl Power in Pirate101!

A lot has been said on the Message Boards about Female Pirates . . . or more specifically the lack of female pirate companions in Pirate101.  It’s not a topic that we’ve shied away from at KingsIsle, and we agree!  We’d like there to be more female pirates in Pirate101 (It is important to note that Developer Blind Mew has some interesting ideas in the works about this very topic). Within that Message Board post a lot of great information was shared, like the names of several famous pirates that are currently hinted to within the game.

Sure, when someone thinks of Pirates they usually jump to Blackbeard… but there were several famous female Pirates in history that were just as eager for treasure as the boys!  Let’s take a look at a few of Pirate101’s female Pirate characters, and the historical references they come from.

Bonnie Anne (Pirate101) / Anne Bonny (Real Pirate)

The real Anne Bonny was born in Ireland in 1698 and pirated in the Caribbean. She also went by the aliases Ann Bonn and Ann Fulton, even though the name she was born with was Ann Cormac!  Anne Bonny was married to Pirate James Bonny, but eventually snuck away with John “Calico Jack” Rackham and joined his Pirate crew instead.  Sneaky!  In Calico Jack’s crew, Anne met a fellow Pirate named Mark Read.  Turns out, Mark was actually a female Pirate in disguise and her name was Mary!  Mary and Anne became very close friends out on the high seas.

Merry Read and Reedy Mary (Pirate101) / Mary Read (Real Pirate)

An English Caribbean Pirate born in 1690, Mary Read went by the alias of Mark Read because she disguised herself as a man to get hired on Pirate crews.  Not only did she pirate, but she also joined the British army and fought in the War of the Spanish Succession!  After some years as a normal housewife, Mary returned to Piracy after the death of her husband and met Anne Bonny in Calico Jack’s crew.  In 1721 poor Mary died in prison… which goes to show that real life pirating is probably not the best idea.

Grace O’Malley (Pirate101) / Grace O’Malley (Real Pirate)

Grace O’Malley, born around 1530, was not only a Pirate but also a queen!  Queen of Umaill, a territory in Northern Ireland, Grace was known as “The Sea Queen of Connaught.”  Many Irish folk stories, songs and poems were written about her Pirating and trading days.

Rachel Wall (Pirate101) / Rachel Wall (Real Pirate)

Born Rachel Schmidt in the British Pennsylvania Colony in North America, Rachel grew up on a farm but didn’t like being a farm girl!  Always drawn to the sea, Rachel fell in love with a fisherman and got married.  While living in Boston, Rachel’s husband met some sailors and convinced Rachel to join their crew at sea.  Once out voyaging, her husband suggested that they become Pirates!  Rachel’s part in the crew was to scream for help when a boat passed by.  When the friendly boat came over to help poor Rachel, the Pirate crew jumped out and stole their riches!  Tricky, trick Rachel Wall.

These famous female Pirates are just as tough as the boys, so it’s no wonder they got a little character nod in Pirate101!  Who’s your favorite famous Pirate?

One Eyed-Jack
Community Manager