Israel Hands is Blackbeard's closest ally and second-in-command. He appears as one of the main bosses during the alpha and is one of the first major antagonists players encounter in the game.
Appearance
Hands is tall and lean, with dark hair streaked with gray and a sharp, weathered face. He wears a British Royal Navy lieutenant's coat, a relic of whatever life he led before joining Teach. He walks with a limp in his left leg, an old injury that has never fully healed.
Personality
Fiercely loyal to Edward Teach. That loyalty has a specific origin: Teach saved Hands' life during a battle against the French, and Hands has served him without question since. Despite his devotion to Blackbeard, Hands harbors his own ambition. He dreams of captaining his own ship someday, though whether that dream puts him at odds with his captain remains to be seen.
Combat role
As a boss encounter, Hands is a dangerous opponent. His Royal Navy background suggests disciplined, tactical fighting compared to the wild aggression of common pirate enemies. Players face him during the game's first act as they build toward their eventual confrontation with Blackbeard himself.
Historical basis
The real Israel Hands was a historical pirate who served as first mate aboard Blackbeard's flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge. He was shot in the knee by Blackbeard himself during a drunken incident, which left him crippled. Hands later turned King's Evidence (testified against other pirates) in exchange for a pardon. The game keeps the limp and the Navy connection but reimagines the relationship as one of genuine loyalty rather than coerced service.
Literary legacy
Robert Louis Stevenson borrowed the name Israel Hands for a character in Treasure Island (1883). Stevenson's Hands is a villainous pirate aboard the Hispaniola. The Windrose version draws more from the historical figure than the fictional one, though the literary connection adds another layer to the character.