Nightmare Before Christmas' Jack Skellington was a pirate before he died

The Nightmare Before Christmas it doesn't explain or give hints about Jack Skellington's history, but his appearance in another film may have revealed that he was a pirate. Directed by Henry Selick with a story by Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas was released in 1993 and introduced audiences to Jack Skellington, a skeleton who lives in Halloweentown and serves as Pumpkin King, leading the annual Halloween celebrations. Tired of doing the same things every year, Jack wanders through the woods and comes across the doors of other holidays, and becoming fascinated by Christmas Town, decides to bring Christmas to Halloweentown.

Thanks to his unique design and story, Jack Skellington has become a part of pop culture and one of the most beloved animated characters – it's no surprise, then, that Jack has appeared in other Selick films, the Tim Burton universe, and beyond. worlds. . One cameo in particular has paved the way for a theory that claims part of Jack Skellington's backstory has been revealed and that he was a pirate before he died, which explains his chaotic actions in The Nightmare Before Christmasalthough it also leaves some questions unanswered.

James and the Giant Peach Reveal That Jack Skellington Was a Pirate

Character from The Nightmare Before Christmas appears in Roald Dahl adaptation

After driving The Nightmare Before ChristmasHenry Selick brought another stop-motion adventure with James and the Giant Peach (erroneously attributed to Tim Burton, who served as producer along with Denise Di Novi). James and the Giant Peach is based on Roald Dahl's 1961 novel of the same name and follows James Henry Trotter (Paul Terry), an orphaned boy who lives with his sadistic aunts Spiker (Joanna Lumley) and Sponge (Miriam Margolyes) after his parents are eaten by a rhinoceros in your body. birthday. After obtaining magical “crocodile tongues” that make a peach grow to enormous size, James goes on an adventure with some creatures that live inside the peach pit.

Together, James and the insects encounter some obstacles and enemies, including some pirate skeletons. One of them is Captain Jack, who is none other than Jack Skellington, exactly the same design as The Nightmare Before Christmas except this one wore a pirate costume. Although James and the Giant Peach was released later The Nightmare Before ChristmasJack's appearance as the skeleton pirate captain paved the way for a theory that Jack was a pirate before he died.

Jack Skellington being a pirate when he was alive would explain why he didn't hesitate to order the kidnapping of Santa Claus, take over Christmas and Santa's duties, steal Christmas presents to replace them with scary presents, and more. Furthermore, the fact that Jack Skellington was a pirate before his death would also explain why he didn't know about Santa Claus: the golden age of piracy was between 1650 and 1720, while Santa Claus became a popular Christmas tradition in the 19th century. Of course, in The Nightmare Before Christmasthis is explained by Jack not knowing anything beyond Halloweentown, but it certainly fits into the timeline of Jack being a pirate.

How did Jack Skellington end up in Halloweentown?

Many chapters of Jack's story are mysterious

What the theory about Jack Skellington's past as a pirate doesn't explain is how he ended up in Halloweentown. In James and the Giant PeachCentipede fights the skeleton pirates and survives to tell of his experience, but it is unclear whether the pirates also survive. If the skeleton pirates died in battle (which is confusing, as they are already dead), Captain Jack could have been sent to Halloweentown in The Nightmare Before Christmas after his second death to live a new life, now among other frightening creatures.

It could also be possible that the pirate life led Jack and his pirate crew to Halloweentown, as he could have simply ended up there by mistake, but became enchanted by the uniqueness of Halloweentown, eventually becoming the Pumpkin King. Jack being a pirate before being the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown may also explain why he got tired of leading the Halloween celebrations every year, as he was used to adventures across the seas and lots of action in different places, and ended up in a kind of Halloween. link.

Is there a Jack Skellington multiverse in Tim Burton's universe?

Jack Skellington Can Hold the Burtonverse Together

Jack Skellington's presence in James and the Giant Peach also raised the question of the existence of a Jack Skellington multiverse within the universe of Tim Burton's films. One of Jack's earliest drawings appears in Burton's short film Vincentthe final drawing of Jack's head appears in Beetle juicein the bioexorcist's carousel hat, and Jack as the Pumpkin King appears in the opening scene of Sleepy hollow. In addition to appearing in Selick's film James and the Giant PeachJack Skellington's face appears like the yolk of an egg cracked by the Other Mother in Coraline.

Burton and Selick's universes could have a Jack Skellington multiverse where different Jacks appear in various settings – he's the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, while another version is a pirate and another is trapped in an egg for some reason. Another theory is that Captain Jack is related to The Nightmare Before Christmas' Jack, which explains why they are so similar and why they exist in two different worlds, with two very different roles in them.

This isn't the only nightmare before Christmas theory

Jack Skellington's pirate origins are one of several different fan ideas

Jack Skellington being a pirate is one of the most popular and well-known theories about The Nightmare Before Christmas thanks to the special participation of the skeleton James and the Giant Peach. However, this isn't the only fan theory surrounding the residents of Halloween Town. Given how peculiar, unique and distinct the characters in The Nightmare Before Christmas are, it's not surprising that many creative fans and viewers have filled in the gaps in their backstories with their own theories and canons.

In addition to Jack, a character at the center of many The Nightmare Before Christmas Fan theories are Oogie Boogie, the film's antagonist. One theory suggests that Oogie Boogie and Jack actually rule Halloween Town, with Boogie representing the darker aspects of Halloween celebrations that are not suitable for children. Another theory suggests that, like Boogie Man, Oogie wanted to scare children every night, while Jack restricted activities to Halloween, which is where the rivalry began. There are also those who believe that, because Oogie appears to be the only genuinely evil character in the film, he is a former serial killer (with Lock, Shock, and Barrel being his victims).

Another theory similar to the idea of ​​pirate Jack Skellington calls The Nightmare Before Christmas two Tim Burton films – 2012 Frankenweenie and 2005 The Corpse Bride. That The Nightmare Before Christmas fan theory suggests that Zero, Jack's dog, is Sparky's ghost from Frankenweenie. The theory suggests that Sparky's spirit went to Halloween Town, while the remains of his body went to the underworld in The corpse bride and became the skeletal canine Scraps.

In total, there are dozens of theories about The Nightmare Before Christmas, with the special appearance of the pirate Jack Skellington James and the Giant Peach being just the tip of the iceberg. For example, many have pointed out that if the residents of Halloween Town are all deceased spirits, then their designs have clues about their deaths – such as the fiery leaves inside Sally being a sign that she was burned at the stake as a witch. None of these theories have been confirmed, but they definitely make watching The Nightmare Before Christmas much more pleasant.