James Norrington is a serious, duty-driven man, assigned with protecting the lives of the British subjects living in the Caribbean as well as maintaining order and discipline of the British military forces stationed there. He enjoys his job and is extremely good at it.

To most, Commodore Norrington is a stiff, unwavering man who seems to take little pleasure in life and has very few human vices, aside from pride. That is very much the case. He knows what is right, what duty and the law dictate that he does, and he approaches all matters in a logical and direct manner. He might seem cold and unfeeling, but the law does not make allowances for anyone.

In most cases. He has learnt that in all things, circumstances must be taken into account. One moment of wickedness may condemn a good man, but that wickedness may not be as wicked as one thinks. There are always choices to be made, and James cannot say with certainty that he has always made the right choice. But he tries to do his best, in stormy seas, to sail with a fixed course in mind.

Those that have served with him a long time, or work closely with him in Fort Charles, may know a different side of the man. James is responsible for several hundred people: his sailors, his soldiers, his officers, the people of Jamacia and the other islands, the merchants who sail those waters. It rests very heavily on him, and he finds it very difficult not to worry, not to analyse every detail.

Outside of his duties, James Norrington is a very simple man. He keeps a library, mostly of Roman and Greek works, his favourite being Commentarii de Bello Gallico, or Caesar's Conquest of Gaul. He is a gentleman by birth and by rank, and finds himself spending his time most often with his fellow officers or with the Governor of Jamacia.

James joined the Navy at the age of eleven, following in his father's footsteps. Admiral Lawrence Norrington is a harsh man, who would rather his son had drowned than been saved from the sea by a pirate. His father's hard attitude clearly shaped James, drove him to be the best officer he could, climbing the ranks quickly. James has always privately worried that it was his father's influence, rather than his own skill, that saw him promoted, but it is not a thing he has voiced.

James knows he is attracted to both men and women. It's not something he is proud of, and it is not something that he can voice, in his time. But those closest to him, his loyal lieutenants Groves and Gillette almost certainly know, Governor Swann may suspect, but it is an elephant in the room, and something no one is going to bring up. The consequences are dire, put mildly. His hopes to marry Elizabeth Swann were not a mask to cover up his other attractions, but due to true affection on his part. Miss Swann, now Mrs Turner, is an intelligent, quick and beautiful young woman, the like of which any man would be happy to spend his life with. He has acknowledged that her feelings towards him are not the same, and that is the end of the matter.

to be expanded

Driving Force: Dutiful;

Think about it: The Black Pearl. The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up?  By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Sparrow, not only myself.

James believes he has duty to the Crown, to his men, to his superiors, and also to his family name. He acts in a sensible, prudent way, always looking beyond the moment to the future. He proposes to Elizabeth Swann as she is the best match for his station, not only because of his own feelings towards her, and such a match would be advantageous to him, as well as, he hopes, acceptable to Elizabeth. When it becomes clear that she would be very unhappy in such a marriage, and her feelings are more inclined towards another, James accepts this fact and throws himself back into his duty. 

In later films, he obeys orders he personally disagrees with because they come from a superior or a man he has been ordered to obey. James will (almost) always put the benefit of others above himself, and will strive to complete tasks given to him to the best of his ability whether he agrees with them or not. It is only when an order is utterly reprehensible that James will act in a way that is unpredictable, disobeying instruction to do what he feels he must. 

Confident and Brave;

Sir! The rocks! It's a miracle she missed them!

James is frequently and unthinkingly brave throughout his life. When Elizabeth Swann tumbles from the battlements of Fort Charles, he prepares to jump in after her, only swayed by a Lieutenant that he will almost certainly die in the attempt. During the attack on the port by Captain Barbarossa and the crew of the Black Pearl, James saves Governor Swann by pushing him out of the way of cannon fire. In the battle against undead pirates, he shows no fear when fighting them on the deck of the Dauntless.

James shows more than bravery in combat, which is expected in a man of his rank and experience; he also shows confidence in his day-to-day life. He has had a great deal of leadership experience, and as such he can give his orders with confidence, knowing that it is the right thing to be done. He is also confident in the fact his men will obey him: for all of his rigidness, he seems to have their obedience and affection.

However there are instances when he finds it challenging to be confident, such as when expressing his feelings. For instance, when proposing to Elizabeth Swann, he is clearly out of his comfort-zone, yet still manages to expresses his affection for her as well as his nervousness. Throughout the films, it is only ever with Elizabeth that we see this expression of emotion. The rest of his feelings are always kept in check. 

Just; 

 One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness

James is dedicated to a code of honourable behaviour that goes beyond the good manners expected of a gentleman. At first, this appears to be the rule of law, but it becomes clear that it is not strict adherence to the law that drives James. It is something more intuitive, a sense of right and wrong that at times eclipses the law, and is more of a moral division of what he believes to be right. Working with Jack Sparrow to rescue Miss Swann was certainly one of those times. James does it despite his own discomfort and the knowledge that he is actively going against the law, but he sees it as needful and acknowledges there is no other option to return her and defeat the cursed pirates who have kidnapped her.

James' strict belief in this code of behaviour is imposed on others. As Commodore, his interpretation of law and order is the be-all and end-all for the men who serve under him, and he expects high standards from his marines and his sailors both: he expects them to met society's moral standards as well as his own orders. For instance, after Elizabeth Swann is rescued from the sea from Jack Sparrow, two of James' marines are found holding her corset and this is a cause of embarrassment and unease, but only once James has arrived. He also despairs of his Lieutenants' apparent appreciation for Jack Sparrow when he escapes them, believing that there is nothing admirable in a pirate. 

 Dedicated;  

I intend to see to it that any man who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves. A short drop and a sudden stop.

 Despite a privileged background, James has decided to dedicate himself to the Navy. His father was an admiral before him, but rather than being kind and supportive, Laurence Norrington belittled his son at every turn. Determined to be his own man, James threw himself into being the best Naval officer he could be: he earned his promotions at a young age through hard work, and was commended repeatedly by senior officers for his dedication to the Navy. 

He has also sworn to rid the pirates in the Caribbean. Not an easy task, considering the large number of pirates, privateers, buccaneers and criminals who have taken to life on the high-seas. But James has succeeded where many others have failed, often commanding a ship himself to ensure that pirates are brought to justice. 

James' dedication goes beyond his duty. He is very much dedicated to Governor Swann, a good friend, and Elizabeth Swann, to whom he proposes. In later films, despite the fact she marries Will Turner, James continues to show his devotion to her, protecting and defending her when he can, urging her to take what he believes is the best course of action.  

Fatal Flaw: Heroics; 

No... Wait... Stop! The pirates are undead! They'll all be killed! This is Jack Sparrow's doing! 

James' dedication is such that he will, should there be the need for it, put himself in danger for the benefit of others. He is a sailor and is expected to lay down his life for the British Crown if necessary, but he also puts his life on the line in order to try to save those he cares about, going above and beyond that duty and occasionally acting rashly. He prepares to jump over a cliff after Elizabeth. His fights the undead pirates alongside his crew, despite the fact the pirates can not be killed, knowing they must distract them long enough to keep Will Turner and Jack Sparrow from being discovered. He dies, in later films, ensuring Elizabeth and her crew of pirates can escape. 

Stubborn; 

I'd rather see her at the bottom of the ocean than in the hands of a pirate.

When James Norrington has sent his mind on something, it is rare that he does not achieve it. He is doggedly determined, and it takes a real force of will or logic to change his plans. That same stubbornness has led him to great things, it carries him on and beyond the point, most other men would call a halt, but this is not necessarily a boon. 

James' stubborn streak also materialises with other weaknesses in times of stress. The line between determined and stubborn is a thin one, and in James can materialise with rash behaviour, such as threatening to sink a valuable ship once taken by pirates. A ship such as the Interceptor would have cost millions of pounds in today's money, as well as taken several years to build. The wilful destruction of one of the best ships in the Caribbean would not be taken likely, but in the hands of Pirates would bring untold suffering to the public. So while his desire to sink the ship seems rash, there is good reasoning behind it. 

Demeaning; 

 Mr. Turner, you are not a military man. You are not a sailor. You are a blacksmith. And this is not the moment for rash actions.

James is from a time of a very marked social class. Partly out of nurture and partly in nature, there is no small amount of arrogance in the way he conducts himself when he believes he is dealing with inferiors. He expects those around him to follow his orders, whether or not they are in military service, and to follow those orders to his exacting standards, and he expects them followed quickly. 

While this is in part down to his rank, he also acts in the way towards men of his own class, Governor Swann for example, James is quick to give the orders and assume he knows best. Such as telling the Governor to barricade himself in the fort to keep him safe during the attack on Port Royal. The governor should have had some rudimentary sword skills, however, as an older (and somewhat bumbling) man, James is trying to act in Governor Swann's best interest, despite the shortness of his tone.   

 Sarcastic;  

Well, well. Jack Sparrow isn't it?
Captain Jack Sparrow if you please, sir.
I don't see your ship, captain.


James is an intelligent and quick man. He is not quick to smile nor laugh, but he has a very keen wit. This is often turned on those he perceives as below him, such as Jack Sparrow and Will Turner. Regularly used when he has the upper hand, he uses sarcasm to highlight how bad the situation is for the other party, a rare flash of pride. He also uses sarcasm when the tables are turned, such as when Will Turner and Sparrow escape on the Interceptor and one of James' Lieutenants states that Sparrow is the best pirate he's ever seen: James' sarcastic "so it would seem" is borne out of his own frustration for underestimating the man's plan to escape.   

Pirate AU: James Norrington is a feared pirate captain, operating in the West Indies. He was once an officer of the Royal Navy, but rebelled against them and stole Fort Charles' flagship, HMS Dauntless as his own. There's a price on his head, but the ocean is his and he has a whole horizon to explore.

Modern Navy AU: James Norrington, with a smart phone! Still a Commodore in the Royal Navy, but stationed at Portsmouth or Greenwich in the UK. He may be on manoeuvres in the Caribbean, or on joint exercises in the Americas.

Gayest Spy in MI5 AU: A cross between James Norrington and Jack Davenport's character in Kingsmen. James is an older man working at MI5. Not always behind a desk, but often enough out in the field. Don't be surprised if he calls you "my dear boy". It's an Eton thing.