Babatunde
| |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Title | Slave (former)
Mercenary |
| Gender | Male |
| Status | Deceased |
| Ships | Andromache (as a captive) |
| Relationships | Eleanor Guthrie (boss; deceased)
Eme (friend) |
| Appearances | First Appearance : VI.
Last Appearance : XVII. |
| Portrayed by | Patrick Lavisa |
Babatunde was a liberated slave who was under the employ of Eleanor Guthrie, acting as her bodyguard.
Biography[]
Background[]
Babatunde grew up in West Africa with Eme, who was close with his sister. At some point, Babatunde and Eme were captured by slavers, and ended up on the Andromache with 36 other enslaved Africans.
Season One[]
Babatunde is held prisoner of the hold of the Andromache, shackled near Eme and Mr. Scott. After the first stage of the battle with the Walrus, Captain Dyfed Bryson leads his twenty remaining men to a reinforced bunker belowdecks. Babatunde passes a piece of cloth to Eme, asking her to ask Scott to stick it out of a hole in the cabin, hoping to get the attention of the pirates. She attempts to give it to Scott, saying that Babatunde wants him to put it in the hole above his head. He believes that if they help the pirates, they will bring the slaves back to their home, Nassau. Scott refuses, prompting Babatunde to respond in his native language. Eme begins to translate but Scott interrupts her and says he understands Babatunde. Scott tells Eme Babatunde said that in Nassau, slaves can be free, get jobs and earn a wage. Scott says that Babatunde and others who are strong like him may be able to, but the rest of them are cargo, in Nassau and everywhere else. Eme and Scott argue, and Scott insists that the pirates cannot be allowed to return to Nassau with Bryson's cannons, as they are very dangerous to someone he loves- Eleanor Guthrie. Eme argues that Scott will never see this person again, and he should not decide for all of them.
Joshua and Flint notice the piece of cloth coming from the hold. Flint and Gates look over the ship's manifest and notices that of the slaves in the hold, nine are priced at over 100 pounds, that's nine strong men who are very likely willing to help the pirates. The pirates drop a tool to break the chains down to the hold. Eme picks it up but the sound of her chains alert Bryson's crew. A man goes to investigate and Scot blames Eme. As the sailor prepares to punish her, Scott leaps on to his back and strangles him with his chains. Scott ushers the slaves over and breaks their chains Meanwhile, the pirates begin stomping and hacking at the deck with axes in rhythm to mask the sound of the breaking chains. Bryson is mystified, but soon realizes that he hears clanking coming from the hold. He orders his quartermaster Hayes to secure the hold with two men, but as soon as they enter, the slaves attack them. Led by Babatunde, the slaves engage Bryson's crew and Scott opens the door, allowing the pirate vanguard, led by Joshua and Joji, to pour into the hold. The pirates and slaves are forced to flee after an explosion causes them to be spotted by the nearby HMS Scarborough.[1]
The pirates take the slaves back to Nassau, where they are temporarily kept in the Guthrie Warehouse while Eleanor Guthrie and the pirates negotiate a deal. Mr. Scott brings the slaves a basket of fruit while they wait to learn of their fate. Despite the fact that the pirates are unwilling to manumit an entire hold full of slaves, and Eleanor lacks the funds to purchase all of the slaves' freedom, Eleanor is able to negotiate a deal with Dufresne, the new quartermaster of the Walrus. In exchange for future credits and subsidies, the able bodied men are taken onto the crew of the Black Hind to replace the deserters. Eleanor is able to scrape up enough money to purchase the freedom of the remaining six women, whom she then employs in the Tavern.[2]
Season Two[]
Eme recruits Babatunde to be Eleanor's new bodyguard after O'Malley is killed by Ned Low. Eleanor asks him if he understands what the job entails and what happened to the last man to hold that job and he replies yes. Eleanor asks him what happened and he replies in his native language. Eme translates that he said that the captain put a sword in O'Malley's mouth. Eleanor tells him that that captain is still a threat to her, and asks if he isn't worried about stepping into the situation. He tells her he isn't worried. Eme vouches for him, saying that she knew his sister before they were put on the ship. She tells Eleanor that she was ordered to find someone she would trust with her life, and Babatunde is that person. When Eleanor meets with Mr. Scott secretly at night about Flint and Benjamin Hornigold planning to oust Vane from the fort, Babatunde accompanies her and guards her while she talks with Scott. They then hear a scream, Eleanor rushes to the scene and Babatunde follows close behind. They find Ned Low's head on a wooden post, beneath which is tacked a note that reads "I angered Charles Vane." She then goes to the fort to see Vane, spending the night with him. However, the next morning, they wake up to find Flint's ship anchored near the fort, spreading word that if Vane does not vacate they will destroy the fort[3].
As Eleanor and Babatunde leave, Jenks tries to stop them, hoping to keep Eleanor hostage to dissuade Flint, but Vane refuses. Eleanor travels to the Spanish Man O' War accompanied by Babatunde via longboat to try and convince Flint not to attack the fort. They enter the great cabin and Eleanor gives Flint Vane's reply to his ultimatum. Flint orders everyone out of the room, and Babatunde complies along with Benjamin Hornigold, John Silver and Dufresne.[4]
Babatunde accompanies Eleanor while she speaks with Frasier and captains Naft and Lawrence. While they walk through town, she tells Frasier that they are not supporting Vane's position in the fort against Flint, but merely relaying it[5].
After Eleanor is told that her father has been found dead at the fort, Babatunde accompanies her there. Eleanor is told that Richard's formerly crucified body was found with a letter pinned to it addressed to her and written by Vane, promising to fight her and any efforts to return British rule to Nassau[6].
Babatunde continues to guard Eleanor at the subsequent funeral for Richard. After the ceremony concludes, Eleanor approaches Underhill, the owner of the largest plantation on the island, to discuss a business partnership. Eleanor, Underhill and their guards travel to the Barlow Estate to continue their meeting, with Babatunde and the rest of the guards standing outside. However, Benjamin Hornigold, Dufresne and their men arrive to arrest Eleanor, killing Babatunde and subduing Underhill's guards. They then kidnap Eleanor and take her to Harbour Island, handing her over to the Royal Navy in exchange for pardons[7].
Quotes[]
By Babatunde[]
"The captain put a sword through his mouth."
- Babatunde to Eleanor in XI.
About Babatunde[]
"I know him, ma'am. I knew his sister before they put us on the ship. You asked me to bring one I would trust with my life. This is him."
Trivia[]
- Patrick Lavisa is credited as Alpha Slave for his appearance in VI. He is uncredited for his appearance in VII.
- Patrick Lavisa portrayed a character in another Starz show, Outlander. His character, Atlas, is the twin brother of Hercules, who is portrayed by fellow Black Sails alumnus, Apolinhalo Antonio (Zaki).
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
| I. | II. | III. | IV. |
| V. | VI.* | VII.** | VIII. |
*Credited as Alpha Slave, **Uncredited
| IX. | X. | XI. | XII. | XIII. |
| XIV. | XV. | XVI. | XVII. | XVIII. |