Mr. Smee functions as Captain Hook's boatswain, overseeing ship maintenance and deck crew activities, though his precise title fluctuates inconsistently between adaptations, sometimes mistakenly called first mate or cook.

He is generally depicted as a short, portly man with a bald head, white shoulder-length hair, thick black eyebrows, close-set eyes, and a large round nose. His typical attire consists of a red stocking cap featuring a pom-pom, half-moon spectacles, a blue and white striped shirt, blue shorts, and sandals; occasional details include a "Mother" tattoo on his chest.

Personality-wise, Smee displays an unusual geniality for a pirate, characterized as "Irish" and "a man who stabbed without offence," blending a capacity for violence with surprising kindness. Despite engaging in piracy, kidnapping, and villainy, his gentle nature frequently undermines his effectiveness, resulting in bumbling behavior that offers comic relief. He exhibits absolute loyalty to Captain Hook, performing personal services like shaving, massage, and emotional support while enduring the captain's volatile temper.

A central paradox involves his interactions with children. Though assigned to guard captives like the Lost Boys or the Darlings, they show him affection, trying on his glasses and laughing at his jokes, while he darns their clothes and proves unable to harm them. Hook observes this dynamic with frustration, recognizing Smee possesses an innate "good form" that he himself lacks. Smee misinterprets the situation, believing the children fear him. His offer to save Wendy Darling if she becomes his mother, which she refuses, highlights his longing for maternal connection.

Smee occasionally pursues independent goals, such as advocating for the crew's wish to abandon Hook's obsessive hunt for Peter Pan and resume plundering. He also demonstrates pragmatic self-preservation, attempting to flee battles in a rowboat. His competence surfaces in operational duties like navigation and logistics, contrasting with his comic ineptitude in direct confrontations.

Across adaptations, his character evolves while retaining core traits. Disney's animated films and series like *Jake and the Never Land Pirates* emphasize bumbling humor and occasional alliances with protagonists. Live-action portrayals, such as Bob Hoskins' in *Hook* and *Neverland*, introduce darker undertones, implying a troubling reputation with Neverland's women while maintaining the close, almost spousal dynamic with Hook. *Once Upon a Time* reframes him as William Smee, a competent black-market trader later transformed into a rat. Other iterations include a London shopkeeper in *Peter Pan in Scarlet* and a namesake droid in *Star Wars: Skeleton Crew*.