The Jackdaw does not sail alone. Across the campaign of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, five named officers fill out Edward Kenway’s crew, and three of them grant powerful naval abilities that change how you fight at sea. Some join automatically through the main story, while others require their own officer quests to complete before they will sign on.
Quick answer: Adéwale joins during Sequence 02, and Anne Bonny replaces him at the end of Sequence 11. Lucy Baldwin and Padre both become available after Sequence 04: This Old Cove through their officer quests, and Deadman unlocks in the endgame A World Without Gold chain, but only after you have already recruited both Lucy and Padre.
Every officer, their role, and reward
Officers fall into four roles. The Quartermaster is an advisory position that gives sailing hints but no combat boost, and two characters hold it across the story. The Shipwright, Master-at-arms, and Weaponmaster each unlock ship abilities plus a piece of gear.
| Officer | Role | How they join | Main reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adéwale | Quartermaster | Sequence 02: The Treasure Fleet | Sailing advice (no combat ability) |
| Lucy Baldwin | Shipwright | A Proper Shipwright quest chain | Perfect Brace, Baldwin’s Golden Pistols |
| Padre | Master-at-arms | A Second Chance quest chain | Ram Dash, Small Goblet |
| Anne Bonny | Quartermaster | Sequence 11: Everything Is Permitted | Sailing advice (no combat ability) |
| Deadman | Weaponmaster | A World Without Gold chain (endgame) | Extra Salvo, Deadman’s Cohort Mortar |
Adéwale, the first Quartermaster
Adéwale is the earliest officer to join you and requires no side quest. You meet him during Sequence 02: The Treasure Fleet, where you free prisoners held aboard several ships and their cargo holds. He formally joins once that mission wraps.
His role is purely advisory, so he adds no combat ability to the Jackdaw. His most important contribution comes at the end of Sequence 04: This Old Cove, when he points you toward other people worth employing. That conversation is what opens up the officer quests for Lucy and Padre.
Lucy Baldwin, the Shipwright
Right after Sequence 04: This Old Cove, you receive the officer quest A Proper Shipwright, which begins the chain that recruits Lucy and unlocks her defensive ability. Work through the following missions in order.
| Mission | What to do |
|---|---|
| A Proper Shipwright | Free Lucy from her cell on the prison ship at Salt Key Bank, then sink the British fleet chasing you. |
| The One With the Gun | Speak with Lucy at your Great Inagua hideout so she joins. Sail to the marked location, sinking ships until you reach Black Island, investigate the manor to find the will, then meet Lucy near the barn for a cutscene. |
| Plantain | Have a conversation with Lucy in Great Inagua. |
| Big Wig | In Havana, kill the barrister and his henchmen, then dig up the buried treasure chest. |
Lucy officially joins the crew during The One With the Gun, which is also when her Perfect Brace ability becomes available. Perfect Brace sharply cuts the damage the Jackdaw takes if you brace at the moment an enemy attack is about to land, and it can cancel out heavy hits such as full broadsides and mortar blasts. Later, Plantain rewards you with Baldwin’s Golden Pistols, a rare firearm with 26 range and 1.00 draw speed.
Padre, the Master-at-arms
Padre is a former pirate who has stepped away from raiding to build a community and look after his flock. His recruitment quest, A Second Chance, also unlocks after Sequence 04: This Old Cove and runs alongside Lucy’s chain.
| Mission | What to do |
|---|---|
| A Second Chance | Travel to the marked spot in Punta del Caracol, southeast of Great Inagua, then help Padre organize a meal for the villagers. |
| Loyalty, Discipline, and Courage | Wipe out Du Casse’s troops in Cumberland Bay, then return to Punta del Caracol after it has been ransacked. Padre joins here. |
| If Thy Right Hand Offend Thee | Deal with the remnants of Du Casse’s forces holed up at Cape Bonavista, where the campaign began. |
| The Other Cheek | In Havana, check the marked individuals and objects near the docks to locate Bishop Ravenscroft, then finish him and his men. |
Padre joins at the end of Loyalty, Discipline, and Courage, which grants the Ram Dash ability. Ram Dash sends the Jackdaw surging forward to deal heavy damage on impact, enough to sink smaller ships in one hit, and you can turn hard afterward to follow up with a broadside. Damaging enemies with your ship’s weapons recharges it. Defeating Bishop Ravenscroft in The Other Cheek hands over the Small Goblet, a rare trinket that increases healing from food, drink, and remedies.
Anne Bonny, the second Quartermaster
Anne Bonny, the historical female pirate, takes over as Quartermaster at the end of Sequence 11: Everything Is Permitted. She replaces Adéwale, who leaves on good terms. Like her predecessor, she offers sailing hints but does not add any combat ability to the ship.
Deadman, the Weaponmaster
Tobias “Deadman” Smith is the final officer and takes the longest to recruit. You must finish Sequence 11: Everything Is Permitted, then progress the endgame A World Without Gold chain. Crucially, the mission that recruits him will not become available unless you have already brought both Lucy and Padre onto the crew.
| Mission | What to do |
|---|---|
| What the Devil / It’s a Start | Work through the A World Without Gold chain until What the Devil, where you meet Deadman. It’s a Start requires Lucy and Padre to already be recruited, and this is where Deadman joins. |
| No Box Dark Enough | Complete I Just Want to Talk to make this quest available, then sail to Petite Caverne and eliminate the officer. |
| All Love Must End | Visit Deadman’s home on Crooked Island while it is under British attack. |
| Very Little, But Something | Test the new weapons Deadman has developed. |
As the Weaponmaster, Deadman grants two abilities. Extra Salvo becomes available the moment he joins in It’s a Start, letting your broadside cannons fire an additional time after a short delay, so keeping a target lined up rewards you with a second barrage. Completing Very Little, But Something unlocks Deadman’s Cohort Mortar, an alternate mortar mode that fires a steady stream of bombs into a tighter area with adjustable aim, ideal for pounding distant ships.
You will know an officer has joined when their role fills in and, for the combat officers, their ability appears on the Jackdaw’s ability wheel during naval fights. If Deadman’s recruitment mission does not appear, the usual reason is that Lucy or Padre is still missing from the crew, so clear both of their quest chains first and the endgame path will open up.
