Nathaniel Buttons, better known as simply Buttons, is a character in Our Flag Means Death played by Ewen Bremner.
Physical Appearance[]
Buttons is balding and has hair only on the sides and the back of his head, this he wears long. He also wears a beard and mustache. He has a set of dentures - which he calls "fangs" - that he wears for combat.[1]
Personality[]
Buttons is a very eccentric man. His best friend is Karl the Seagull, who can often be seen standing on Buttons' head. Buttons believes in ghosts[2] and hexes. He seems to have a thing for cannibalism, as he is always the first person to propose or attempt such an act.[3][4] During full moon, he likes to bask in the moonglow naked.
History[]
Buttons is Stede Bonnet's first mate aboard the Revenge. Nothing is known about his life before joining Stede's crew, but judging from his accent he's from Scotland or at least of Scottish descent.
When Stede abandons Blackbeard, Buttons gets stranded by Edward on a desert island along with most of the crew of the Revenge. He tries to eat (or at least bite) the Swede in his hunger and it's only Stede's sudden appearance that stops him.
Relationships[]
Stede Bonnet[]
Stede seems to trust Buttons right from the start, choosing him to be the first mate. Buttons repays Stede by warning him about the crew's talk of mutiny,
Karl[]
Karl the seagull is Buttons' best friend. Karl is often seen standing on Buttons' head and the two share a ritual involving basing in the moonlight during a full moon. When Karl dies, Buttons is deeply shaken.
Calico Jack[]
After Karl's death at Jack's hands, Jack becomes Buttons' greatest enemy. Buttons hexes him and later teams up with Karl's widow Olivia to avenge his death.
Appearances[]
| Episodes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Trivia[]
- He seems to be able to see approaching ships from a large distance without using a spyglass.[5]
- He genuinely seems to be able to understand seagulls.[6]
References[]
- ↑ Pilot at 12:50
- ↑ A Damned Man at 12:05
- ↑ A Damned Man at 2:32
- ↑ A Gentleman Pirate at 2:46
- ↑ Discomfort in a Married State at 9:32
- ↑ We Gull Way Back at 27:12