This article is about the enemy. For the NPC that spawns after defeating the invasion, see Pirate.
The Pirate Captain is a Hardmode enemy which appears during a Pirate Invasion. It attacks using an assault rifle-like gun that shoots at a speed comparable to the Minishark, then stops to fire its underbarrel mounted cannon. The cannonball has a short range and detonates upon impact with blocks, much like those fired from the Flying Dutchman. The Pirate Captain is immune to knockback.
When a Pirate Captain is killed, a Pirate's Curse is spawned, and will slowly drift towards the player through walls much like Wraiths.
Only one Pirate Captain can exist at a time, but multiple can spawn over the course of an invasion.
It does not attack if there are solid blocks in the line of sight.
Tips
Like the Flying Dutchman, the Pirate Captain has a significantly higher chance to drop the rare items than other enemies, so focusing on it will help obtain said items.
Players may want to focus on taking out other pirates first, as Pirate Captains will spawn again after killing the first one, and make the same amount of progress after being killed.
Trivia
The Bestiary entry for the Pirate Captain: "A pirate captain's love for riches is only rivaled by his obsession with heavy gunpowder and large, rampart-shattering cannons!"