Ben Gunn (Treasure Island)

Ben Gunn
Occupation(s)	Fictional castaway, pirate
Known for	Character in the novel Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Benjamin "Ben" Gunn is a fictional figure featured in the 1883 novel Treasure Island, authored by Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson.

Treasure Island

Ben Gunn, once a member of Captain Flint's crew, has been stranded on Treasure Island for three years after unsuccessfully searching for the treasure without the aid of a map. During his solitude, he develops a peculiar fondness for cheese. His initial encounter is with Jim Hawkins, whom he assists with the hope of returning to civilization.

Jim manages to flee the island using Ben's coracle, leaving Ben behind. Later, Ben diverts Long John Silver and his group during their treasure hunt, but Silver recognizes his voice, which renews the pirates’ confidence. They discover that Flint’s treasure cache has already been plundered and left empty.

Frustrated, the pirates turn hostile toward Silver and Jim, but Ben Gunn and his allies launch an attack that results in two pirates being killed and the rest fleeing. Silver then surrenders to Dr. Livesey, promising to resume lawful conduct. They proceed to Ben Gunn’s cave, where he has concealed the treasure for several months. The spoils are shared among Squire Trelawney and loyal companions, including Jim and Ben Gunn—who receives £1,000 out of a total £700,000—before returning to England, leaving the remaining pirates stranded.

Once back in England, Ben quickly exhausts his portion and secures a lifelong position as an estate gamekeeper.

Porto Bello Gold

In the 1924 authorized prequel Porto Bello Gold, penned by Arthur D. Howden Smith under the supervision of Stevenson's executor, Ben Gunn serves as crew to Captain Andrew "Rip-Rap" Murray, a Jacobite privateer. Murray underestimates Ben’s cunning, viewing him as simple-minded and thus trustworthy.

Murray arranges to seize a Spanish treasure vessel with assistance from Captain Flint’s pirates, promising Flint’s men nearly half of the spoils. After disputes escalate into a battle on Treasure Island, Flint’s crew emerges victorious. Discontent with serving Murray, Ben offers his allegiance to Flint instead, assuming duties akin to those of Flint's cabin boy Darby McGraw’s servant.

Following Flint's demise in Savannah, amid internal pirate struggles over the treasure map, Ben Gunn and McGraw escape to Charleston alongside protagonists carrying some gold. Seeking freedom from servitude, Ben becomes a sailor aboard a Barbados packet boat.

The Adventures of Ben Gunn

Ben Gunn takes center stage in The Adventures of Ben Gunn, a prequel to Treasure Island by R. F. Delderfield. The story chronicles his journey from being a parson’s son to becoming a pirate, narrated through Jim’s viewpoint in Gunn’s own voice.

Inspiration

Stevenson spent numerous summers in the spa town of Bridge of Allan, where "Stevenson's cave" is believed to have inspired the setting for Ben Gunn’s island refuge.

Other media

In the 1996 Disney adaptation Muppet Treasure Island, Ben Gunn is reimagined as Benjamina Gunn (Miss Piggy), who was once engaged to Captain Smollett and later becomes queen of the island before aiding against Silver’s pirate gang.

In Disney's animated film Treasure Planet, Ben Gunn appears as B.E.N. (Bio-Electronic Navigator), a quirky robot voiced by Martin Short. After losing his memory due to a stolen component, B.E.N. helps Jim and his crew locate Flint’s treasure map. When his memory returns, he reveals that disturbing Flint’s treasure could trigger the planet’s destruction. Ultimately, B.E.N. joins Jim’s family at the restored Benbow Inn.

London's yearly performances at the Mermaid Theatre, originally directed by and starring Bernard Miles as Long John Silver, often featured comedian Spike Milligan portraying Ben Gunn.

The 2003 album by Ben Gunn Society focuses on Ben Gunn’s narrative, primarily drawing from Chapter XV ("Man of the Island") and related passages.

Ben Gunn served as inspiration for Herman Toothrot, a marooned hermit character in the Monkey Island video game series.

In the Starz television series Black Sails, actor Chris Fisher plays Ben Gunn as the sole surviving member of a slave trading ship's crew, imprisoned on an island inhabited by escaped slaves encountered by Captain Flint and his men.

Film Adaptations

Performers who have played Ben Gunn and their respective adaptations

Performer	Production
Template:Sortname	Treasure Island (1934 film)
Template:Sortname	Treasure Island (1950 film)
Template:Sortname	Treasure Island (1972 live-action film)
Template:Sortname	Treasure Island (1978 TV series)
Template:Sortname	Treasure Island (1982 film)
Template:Sortname	Treasure Island (1985 film)
Template:Sortname	Return to Treasure Island (TV series)
Template:Sortname	Treasure Island (1988 film)
Template:Sortname	Treasure Island (1990 film)
Template:Sortname	The Legends of Treasure Island (1993–1995)
Template:Sortname (as Miss Piggy)	Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
Template:Sortname	Treasure Island (1999 film)
Template:Sortname (portraying B.E.N.)	Treasure Planet
Scott, Leigh	Pirates of Treasure Island
Template:Sortname	Treasure Island (2012 miniseries)
Fisher, Chris	Black Sails (TV series)