Dread Pirate Roberts is a pirate captain in The Princess Bride.
The Princess Bride[]
20 years before the current events of the story, Roberts became a pirate captain, using the pseudonym Dread Pirate Roberts. He established a pirate crew, sailing on the ship Revenge.
For 5 years, Roberts terrorized the seas, amassing enough wealth that he wanted to retire. He passed control of the ship to his first mate Clooney, who led a disastrous first attack. Roberts realized that the name was what created the fear inside people's minds, so he decided to pass the title of Dread Pirate Roberts to Clooney, while Roberts himself would serve as first mate. The original crew was let go, and another crew was hired, believing that Clooney was the actual Dread Pirate Roberts.
Roberts eventually retired with his wealth in Patagonia.