History Main / FriendlyPirate

** Burger Beard the BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOutOfWater''. Despite his antagonistic role and shady methods, ultimately is an AffablyEvil pirate who merely wants to run a fast-food chain using the stolen Krabby Patty formula. He is still completely harmless to any civilians he encounters, as well as being a BenevolentBoss who is kind to his seagull crew. He is a GracefulLoser who takes his defeat in stride.

* Surprisingly, Edward Teach AKA {{UsefulNotes/Blackbeard}} had a surprisingly low bodycount despite his fearsome reputation. There are no records of Teach murdering or harming captives, [[https://www.peterleeson.com/Pirational_Choice.pdf and some historians even believe he may have not killed anyone until his final battle]]. It's theorized [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity he may have allowed accounts of his alleged infamy spread]] because it would make it easier to provoke captured ship crews into surrender.

* Surprisingly, Edward Teach AKA {{UsefulNotes/Blackbeard}} had a surprisingly low bodycount despite his fearsome reputation. There are no records of Edward Teach murdering or harming captives, [[https://www.peterleeson.com/Pirational_Choice.pdf and some historians even believe he may have not killed anyone until his final battle]]. It's theorized [[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity he may have allowed accounts of his alleged infamy spread]] because it would make it easier to provoke captured ship crews into surrender.

*** Though the main point is that only ''some'' of the pirate crews don't wish to cause any trouble and explore the seas. The majority of the pirate crews in the manga, even those belonging to the Seven Warlords, are as evil as they come and terrorize the seas just because they can, ostensibly to reach the mythical One Piece, Gold Roger's treasure which no one was sure even really existed. In fact, the Emperors' protection only arose due to the slavery and all-around chaos committed by these pirates. Shanks, similarly, is the TokenGoodTeammate of the Emperors, while his peers are contenders of the {{Big Bad}}s of the series. Most of the Marines' actions tend to veer towards ''perfectly understandable'', though hadn't they been indiscriminately trying to destroy ''all'' pirates except excluding the good ones, they wouldn't end up [[SelfFulfillingProphecy turning the good ones against the Marines]] instead of gaining immensely steadfast allies.

** Dev's alter Dan is a boisterous pirate wannabe who just wants to have fun away from Dev's "boring" job as a postman.

->"True friendship and adventure\\

That's what the job's about!"

-->''"True friendship and adventure\\
Are what we can't live without\\
And when you're a professional pirate,\\
That's what the job's about!"''

->'''Zoro:''' Pirates are scum! Who would want to be one?\\
'''Luffy:''' Does it matter? You're known as an evil pirate hunter.
-->-- ''Manga/OnePiece''

{{Pirate}}s are traditionally savage outlaws who reside in the seas. Expect them to RapePillageAndBurn, and consider yourself lucky to survive encountering one. However, due to the popularity of the StockCharacter, a different interpretation has emerged in fiction: a pirate who is nice. Meet the Friendly Pirate, a pirate who has no intention of harming others they encounter. They TalkLikeAPirate and adopt many of the traditional pirate mannerisms, such as being DressedToPlunder (EyePatchOfPower optional), having a CoolShip, and seeking out treasure. However, any behavior that makes a pirate traditionally dangerous is virtually absent.

** ''ComicBook/BatmanLeatherwing'': Applies to an {{Elseworld}}s take on Batman who is a pirate named Captain Leatherwing. He plunders ships of rival countries on behalf of English royalty, doing so in the hopes of eventually buying back lands stolen from his murdered parents. Despite his piracy, he is a LovableRogue who does not harm innocents and even saves them on occasion.

* Referenced in ''Film/MuppetTreasureIsland'', where Long John Silver and his crew try to present themselves as the friendly kind of pirates in their VillainRecruitmentSong "Professional Pirate". While Silver does end up showing some noble qualities, the movie had already established piracy as pretty nasty in its opening number "Shiver My Timbers" and Silver's crew lives up to that.

* All of the Blue Rogues in ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' qualify, but especially protagonist Vyse. They're so warm, inviting, and generous, the only way you'd really know they're pirates is because they attack a Valuan Empire vessel in the prologue.

* ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'': Russell is a [[Main/SemiAquaticSpeciesSailor pirate sea otter]] who is good friends with most of the cast and is mainly seen doing water-related activities with the other characters.

* In ''Literature/{{Cytonic}}'', Spensa meets several groups of pirates in the Nowhere. Despite their aggressive recruitment tactics, they go to great lengths to make sure everyone is as safe as possible during their "raids" and almost all of the theft between the two groups is arranged behind the scenes for show.
* ''Literature/TressOfTheEmeraldSea'': {{Justified|Trope}} and encouraged by law, because non-lethal piracy is prosecuted as a simple theft, whereas "[[LeaveNoSurvivors deadrunning]]" is a death sentence from both the government and [[EvenEvilHasStandards other pirates]]. Aside from [[TheHeavy the captain]], the crew of the ''Crow's Song'' are ordinary, mostly pleasant people whom Tress quickly befriends.

[[caption-width-right:350:"[[CatchPhrase Ahoy there, me hearties]]! I'm [[TheyCallHimSword Captain Feathersword]], the Friendly Pirate!"]]

Related to but distinct from ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything, as Friendly Pirates can still be fairly active in their piracy, but tend to stick to the less dangerous activities.