Charles Vane

Edward: "Maybe Hornigold was right. Maybe the world does need men of ambition to stop the likes of you from mucking it all up."

Vane: "Or maybe you just don't have the stones to live with no regrets."

—Edward Kenway and Charles Vane, 1719.

Charles Vane (c. 1680 – 1721) was an English pirate captain who sailed the Caribbean on his brigantine, the Ranger. He made a name for himself by targeting English, Spanish, and French industry ships from 1716 until 1719, and was notorious for his harsh treatment of merchant seafarers and soldiers alike. He additionally served as one of the leaders of the Pirate Republic in Nassau, until its collapse in 1718.

Biography

Early life

Like his compatriots Benjamin Hornigold, Edward Thatch, and Edward Kenway, Vane worked as a privateer under the British crown. In 1714, he was one of many seamen seeking employment in Port Royal, Kingston, and was hired by Captain Henry Jennings.

For the next several months, Vane operated under the command of Jennings, who was most notable for attacking Spanish ships salvaging cargo from the Spanish Treasure Fleet shipwreck site. However, with the Peace of Utrecht ending the War of the Spanish Succession and making the life of a privateer unsustainable, Vane turned to piracy and sailed for Nassau in late 1715.

In September of that year, Vane launched a preemptive attack on El Arca del Maestro, a Spanish galleon captained by the French buccaneer Julien du Casse. However, the Ranger was no match for the galleon and was forced to retreat.

Joining the Pirate Republic

"So this is the new Libertalia, eh? Stinks the same as every other squat I've robbed this past year."

―Vane upon his arrival in Nassau, 1717.

Rackham and Vane arriving in Nassau

Once he set out on his own, Vane recruited his old friend "Calico" Jack Rackham as his quartermaster. Arriving in Nassau in January 1717, the two were greeted by Edward Kenway and informed him of a large prize in a nearby fort. In May of the same year, sobered and enraged by the rum shortage in Nassau, Vane recklessly attacked the ships of the area and was only saved when the English pirate Christopher Condent tasked the French pirate Alonzo Batilla with stopping Vane from dooming both himself and the Pirate Republic by attracting too much attention on Nassau.

In March 1718, Vane gathered a force and organized a raid on Harbour Island, intending to loot the island before the Royal Navy arrived. He also marooned the island's Deputy Governor, Richard Thompson on a deserted islet, since Thompson refused to tell the pirate where his gold was located. Meanwhile, Alonzo Batilla was looking for Thompson, in the hope to find out more on the whereabouts of La Buse.

Vane was then confronted by Alonzo, who demanded he surrendered Thompson. Vane refused and sent his flotilla to attack Alonzo, who in turn sank his fleet. Vane then tried to escape by dropping a trail of mines but to no avail, since Alonzo caught up to him and after a short battle, he was defeated. At last, Vane surrendered, telling Alonzo the location of Thompson.

In July 1718, Vane was present when Woodes Rogers arrived in Nassau to offer its residents King George I's pardon, absolving them of their crimes if they chose to give up piracy. Unlike Benjamin Hornigold, Vane was not keen on accepting the pardon, and worked with Kenway to orchestrate an escape from the barricaded Nassau. Together, they planned to build a fireship to clear the blockade.

Vane and Edward preparing the fireship

While Kenway stole the gunpowder, Vane managed to secure the pine pitch. However, they overheard that Commodore Peter Chamberlaine intended to disregard Rogers' orders and destroy all pirate ships in Nassau. In order to ensure the success of their plan, Vane suggested that Kenway deal with Chamberlaine. One of their accomplices protested, believing they were mad to even think of killing the commodore, but Vane promptly knocked him out.

After Chamberlaine was assassinated, Vane and Edward created their fireship by loading the stolen gunpowder aboard Rackham's ship, the Royal Phoenix. Before they left, Vane violently berated Rackham for smoking a pipe near the gunpowder. The fireship proved to be successful, destroying the British ships blockading one of Nassau's harbors and allowing the Jackdaw and the Ranger to escape. As they did so, Vane shouted oaths and insults back at the foundering British.

Mutiny and marooning

"It were your bloody imagination that landed us here, Kenway! I'll be damned if I let that mind make one more decision for me!"

―Vane threatening Edward, 1719.

When Edward Thatch announced his retirement from piracy, Vane sailed to North Carolina in a bid to dissuade him, and convince Thatch to help take back Nassau. However, his efforts were in vain and he departed, empty-handed and cursing Thatch.

Edward and Vane mourning Thatch's demise

After Thatch's death at the hands of the British, Vane decided to help Kenway find the Observatory. The pair tailed the Royal African Pearl, a slave ship belonging to the Royal African Company, in the hopes of finding information on the Sage Bartholomew Roberts. Vane recklessly fired on the Pearl, apparently heedless of the danger such an action posed to the slaves below deck. However, the slave ship outgunned the Ranger by a significant margin and returned fire, crippling Vane's ship and leaving it dead in the water.

Vane and his crew were rescued by Kenway, who brought his Jackdaw alongside the Ranger, and joined them in the subsequent battle and capture of the Royal African Pearl. They learned from the Pearl's captain that Roberts crewed a ship called the Princess and could be found in Kingston, with Vane subsequently shooting out the captain's left hip.

Seconds later, Rackham and the surviving crew mutinied against Vane and Kenway, commandeering the Jackdaw and marooning both of them on Isla Providencia. During their time on the island, Vane's behavior became increasingly erratic; he took to hiding in the jungle, emerging only to steal food and resources that Kenway had gathered.

Vane stealing food from Edward

Growing frustrated with Vane's actions, Kenway pursued the man, and Vane fiercely retaliated with an arsenal of recovered weaponry. Despite this, Edward managed to neutralize Vane – but spared him – abandoning the man on the island while he escaped by commandeering a passing fisherman's schooner.

Imprisonment and death

"Hello, Vane. I caught wind you'd been discovered and brought here. Didn't hear what happened after though. Best of luck to you mate. I wish we'd parted as friends."

―Edward's final interaction with Vane, 1721.

Some time after Edward's escape, a British merchant ship stopped at the island to collect water. Taking his chances, Vane approached the vessel and tried to talk his way on board like Edward had. However, the ship's captain was a former pirate who recognized Vane, and decided to leave him marooned. Fortunately for Charles, another British vessel showed up a few weeks later. This time, Vane was not recognized and he was able to secure passage off of the island.

Unfortunately for Vane, this stroke of good fortune turned out to be a curse disguised as a blessing. He soon discovered that this new vessel was working with the previous one he encountered and, worse still, the captain of the first ship was aboard. Vane tried to keep a low profile, but a few days later, he was spotted by the original captain who demanded to see him. After confirming that it was indeed Charles Vane standing in their midst, the former pirate informed everybody aboard as to their passenger's true identity. Vane was immediately arrested, handed over to Port Royal's authorities, and imprisoned, where he would remain for the next two years.

Edward encountering Vane in prison

Edward Kenway was later captured due to Bartholomew Roberts' treachery in Jamaica and was likewise imprisoned at Port Royal. One night, whilst hanging in a gibbet, Kenway heard his guards talking about some of his former acquaintances, including Charles Vane. The soldiers mentioned that Vane had already been tried and convicted of piracy, but could not understand why he had not been executed like Jack Rackham or Stede Bonnet.

Not long afterwards, the Assassin Mentor Ah Tabai liberated Edward, asking for assistance in rescuing Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who were also imprisoned within the fort. After sneaking past the garrison, sabotaging several alarm bells, and paying respect to Rackham's remains, Edward infiltrated the prison. Upon entering the building, Edward immediately heard somebody singing a familiar sea shanty. After eliminating the guards, Edward realized that the sound was coming from one of the cells by the stairs. Approaching cautiously, Edward found Vane sitting on the floor, deliriously singing "Down Among the Dead Men".

Edward greeted his former comrade, saying that he had heard about his capture, but Vane, who appeared to have gone completely mad, only glanced up briefly, barely registering Kenway's presence. Despite their falling out, Edward pitied seeing Vane in this state. However, he quickly realized that there was nothing he could do; Vane's mind was clearly broken beyond repair and saving him would have been detrimental to rescuing Anne and Mary. Still needing to find the women, Edward sorrowfully wished Vane luck, before abandoning to his fate. Knowing what lay in store for the former pirate, Edward lamented upon how he wished they could have exchanged a proper farewell. As Edward ran off, the completely oblivious Vane went back to his singing.

A few days later, on 29 March 1721, Charles Vane was publicly hanged for piracy. His body was left on display in a gibbet outside Port Royal's harbor as a warning to other pirates.

Legacy

Edward reminiscing Vane and other pirates

In October 1722, Edward, having defeated the Templars, decided to return home to England. As he prepared to depart from the Caribbean, he thought about his fallen friends, the men and women he had known during his days as a pirate. While Anne Bonny sang nearby, these people appeared before Edward in a vision, gathered around a table and enjoying a drink together; Vane was one of the people envisioned by Edward at that moment.

In 2023, when Edward's descendant Noa Kim came into contact with a crescent-shaped Piece of Eden in the SS Ourang Medan's shipwreck, the artifact's powers, combined with the Bleeding Effect, caused Noa to experience hallucinations of Edward's memories. One of these visions depicted Vane alongside Edward's other friends, including Benjamin Hornigold, Mary Read, and Edward Thatch.

Personality and traits

"Charles Vane. He's as reckless as they come."

―Edward Thatch, 1715.

Charles Vane was a rude, foul-mouthed, sadistic, hateful, and self-centered pirate. Unlike his peers, he was not very interested in the principle of liberty beyond the wanton freedom to indulge in hedonism. His language was frequently vulgar and profane, and he delighted in insulting others. He trusted virtually no one, not even his friends.

Vane shooting a Royal African Company captain

His mental health gradually degraded during his time being stranded on Isla Providencia; when his speech and actions became more frantic, driven by paranoia, only exacerbated upon his imprisonment. He also developed a habit of singing sea shanties to himself on the island, especially "Down Among the Dead Men." When Edward found him in a Jamaican prison two years later, Charles merely mumbled the lyrics of the shanty and could not acknowledge Edward's presence.

Behind the scenes

Charles Vane is a historical character first introduced in the 2013 video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, where he was voiced by the English actor Ralph Ineson. Historically, Vane died before Mary Read. He was executed in March 1721, whilst Mary died in prison one month later in April 1721 under unknown circumstances. In-game, however, the order of their deaths is reversed.

"Down Among the Dead Men", a sea shanty that Vane sings on Isla Providencia, is popularly attributed to the English poet John Dyer. This is an anachronism, as Dyer only began writing poetry – much of which was later adapted into song – in 1721, well after Vane's marooning on the island.

Vane is one of the few characters in the series to share their final words in the Memory Corridor and then ultimately survive their wounds.

Gallery

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  Concept art of Charles Vane
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  Assassin's Creed: Memories art of Vane
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  Memories art of Vane in battle
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  Vane as he appears in Assassin's Creed: Pirates
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  Vane telling his fellow pirates about the King's pardon
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  Vane and Rackham arguing with Benjamin Hornigold
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  Vane knocking out an accomplice
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  Vane reminiscing about his father
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  Vane leveling a gun at Edward
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  Edward standing over the beaten Vane
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  Noa Kim seeing an apparition of Vane alongside Edward's other friends

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Black Flag
• Assassin's Creed: Initiates (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Assassin's Creed: Pirates
• Assassin's Creed: Memories
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple (cameo)