Why do pirets where eye patches?

Pirates are often depicted wearing eye patches due to the romanticized image created by literature and films. The idea is that a pirate might have lost an eye in battle, leading to the use of an eye patch. However, another theory suggests that pirates wore them to help their eyes adjust to different lighting conditions, allowing them to switch quickly from the bright sun above deck to the darkness below. Ultimately, the eye patch has become an iconic symbol of the swashbuckling pirate persona.