This article is about the character from Once Upon a Time. For other characters that share the same name, see Emma (disambiguation).
- “No one needs to save me, I'm the Savior! I'm fighting for the people I love. Ultimately, I am a hero. I am hope. I am light. And light cannot destroy darkness, it can only create more light. I will not kill innocents. I will do what all saviors must, I will give hope. No matter what the cost.”
- ―Emma to Gideon[src]
Emma Swan is the main character and protagonist of the first six seasons of Once Upon a Time. She is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and the older sister of Neal Nolan. She is the mother of Henry Mills and Hope and the wife of Captain Hook. She was sent to the real world after the Evil Queen placed a terrible curse upon the Enchanted Forest. She worked at a bail bonds agency while living in Boston until her son, Henry Mills, found her and brought her to Storybrooke to break the curse. Unfortunately, she is absorbed into a vortex of pure evil, which makes her become the new Dark One in the place of Rumplestiltskin, acting as the main antagonist in Season 5A until the episode "Birth" when it is revealed that she was never truly evil. The darkness was then removed from her 6 weeks later.
Background[]
The dark wizard Rumplestiltskin, determined to find his missing son no matter what, foresaw that Emma's birth would be a catalyst for his plans of traveling to the Land Without Magic, where his son was living. After manipulating Queen Regina, who he had blinded with revenge, into enacting the Dark Curse upon the enchanted lands Rumplestiltskin tricked Cinderella into imprisoning him with good magic so he could manipulate Charming and Snow into creating a magic wardrobe that would allow Emma to escape the curse and travel to Land Without Magic.
Personality[]
Emma is a deeply damaged and very conflicted woman. She is a survivor, and used to being a loner, and therefore a sucker for the underdog. Against her better judgment, she will compromise herself to fight for what is right and to help those in need. She is strong and aggressive, but her brokenness and her emotions are not buried far beneath her tough exterior. Her first reaction to most things is anger, but she has spent her life trying to manage her temper. She is both rash and calculated, and is forced to deal with her instincts to protect her child, a child she believes she is not capable of mothering.
In the simplest form, Emma is a list of contrasting qualities; she is hard and soft; she is intense and easy going; she is strong and vulnerable; she is safe and dangerous; she is logical and impulsive, which makes her a very complex character to fill a leading role. Emma used to be mistrustful, due to the fact that Lily, her first and only best friend lied to Emma about her being in a group home, she does not like being lied to, when she found out from her parents, that she was born with the potential for darkness, and they put her darkness in Maleficent's daughter, she was hurt by what her parents had done, but most of all she was angry, when Snow White and Prince Charming refuse to take responsibility for their actions, instead they tried to justify their actions, this enraged her, as Emma became cold towards them, despite her cold demeanor she is a forgiving person.
The Dark One[]
After letting the darkness from the previous Dark One, (Rumplestiltskin) consume her, Emma's personality has become darker. Though she was still good, she became much more isolated and secretive. She struggled with the darkness at first, even ripping out Merida's heart, but her family were able to keep her good. While she only acted dark when in Storybrooke, she still was able to hold her affection back for her son Henry or her boyfriend Killian.
Physical appearance[]
Emma is a beautiful woman who has wavy blonde hair and hazel olive eyes. Her skin is as pale as her mother's white skin but crossed over with her father's skin tone. She is also very beautiful. Her signature clothes are black tank top, red leather jacket, blue jeans and boots, Emma has her mother's facial structures and she inherited her hair from her father and eyes from her mother. As the Dark One, her skin is paler than her natural and she also has white hair. Emma also has worn dark clothes, undergoing hardly any physical change. After the darkness is removed from her, Emma then reverts back to having her original appearance.
Powers and abilities[]
- Magic of True Love and Light Magic: As the result of being both born from a True Love and her role as the Savior, Emma is naturally capable of using magic. This magic was always with her, even though she was living in a world without magic and wasn't aware of it. However, when Mr. Gold brought magic to our world, her magical powers were greatly enhanced and began to manifest themself more animatedly, particularly within the confines of Storybrooke; she has recently been taking magical lessons from her former nemesis Regina to better harness her powers, while proving to be an apt student. Her practice of the magical arts grants various mystical abilities, of which a few are currently known.
- True Love's Kiss: A magical kiss that can break any curse as long it's fueled by True Love. True Love is not limited to romantic relationship but can also extend to other kinds of love, like love of a mother for her son.
- Immunity to Heart Removal: In the universe of Once Upon a Time, witches and wizards are capable to use black magic to penetrate a person's chest and literally remove their hearts, enchanting both the heart and the victim. While in possession of these hearts, the witch is capable of controlling the person, which remains in a state of full health despite the removal of such a vital organ. Emma is however immune to this form of black magic and if a witch attempts to remove her heart, they will be hit by an energy blast. However, the Black Fairy can remove Emma's heart, but she could not crush it.
- Lie Detection: The power to detect if a person is lying. Emma used this power subconsciously on Earth, possibly due to the lack of magic. However, in more recent episodes, she has been unable to detect lies.
- Eclipse Inducement: The power to cause an eclipse. When Peter Pan and her son Henry left to Skull Rock to "save magic", the heroes found themselves blocked by Pan's protective shield that only allows people without shadows to enter. Emma and Regina then joined their magics together to create an eclipse, which would take away their shadows and render the shielding spell useless.
- Telekinesis: She is capable of manipulating objects or people without physically touching. This was first seen when she had to telekinetically blast both David and Killian in order to save them from the Snow Queen.
- Pyrokinesis: She is able to create, control, and manipulate fire, often in the form of lighting a candle or a flame/fire-related spell.
- Healing: When she uses her healing powers, her hand will glow with white and after having approached the wound, it will heal completely, leaving no visible sign. She can even repair damaged clothing.
- Apportation: Emma demonstrated being able to teleport Hook's namesake implement away from him as a prank. She even summoned one of Cinderella/Ashley's spare sneakers without even knowing where it was.
- Locating: A spell to find people. Typically needs an item belonging to them. Used in The Other Shoe.
- Conjuration: Emma is able to summon objects or beings through magic, often materializing in the form of a pure white manifestation. She demonstrated this when she conjured a copy of the door illustration page that the former author was trapped inside, hoping that this would fool Mr. Gold.
- Manipulation: When training with Regina, Emma showed she could maneuver objects and bring them together to create a platform to save her from a fall.
- Teleportation: Emma has demonstrated to be able to move from one place to another in the form of gray smoke. She demonstrated this in the underworld when she teleported herself, Megara, and Regina from the forest to the Blanchard Loft.
- Energy Blasts: Emma has demonstrated the ability to fire blasts of destructive energy from her hands. This energy can severely injure people, kill monsters (although Chernabog was more resilient to her blasts) and burn through objects, such as walls and doors.
Dark One powers[]
- Magic of the Dark One: After letting the darkness from the previous Dark One, Rumplestiltskin, consume her, she became the new Dark One, the name of Emma Swan took his place on the Dark One's Dagger and Emma has earned all of his abilities of pure evil. Her powers seems to increase when she is in possession of a magical tool, like her dagger or the wand of a fairy.
- Darkness Generation and Control: As the new Dark One, Emma can freely create, control and manipulate pure darkness and shadows to her will. She became the pure human embodiment of all evil, chaos and darkness in the world.
- Immortality: Emma has stopped aging when she gained her powers and is immune to diseases and other forms of human death. However, she was shown to be vulnerable to minor damage, such as being cut by a sword, which she could heal with her magic. Apparently she doesn't feel the pain of her wounds, or at least has a great tolerance to it.
- Stamina: The power of the Darkness keeps the Dark One energized and thus they don't need sleep and don't suffer from sleep deprivation, and have some kind of hobby to pass the time.
- Teleportation: Emma can move from one place to another at will, disappearing into what looks like a black smoke formation or white; however, she can also appear without creating the smoke effect.
- Telekinesis: Emma is capable of manipulating objects or people without physically touching them. She mainly uses this power to harm others and when she uses this power, the individual does it with a hand movement that mimics the action she wants to perform.
- Pyrokinesis: Emma is able to create and manipulate fire, often in the form of a fireball, effectively using it as a weapon against her enemies.
- Accelerated Healing: When Emma uses her healing powers, her hand will glow with purple and after having approached the wound, it will heal completely, leaving no visible sign.
- Transfiguration/Shapeshifter: Emma is able to spin straw into gold, turn human beings into animals or changing the physical aspect of herself or others. While trying to have a date with Killian on the Jolly Roger, Emma changed into her appearance from their first date.
- Superhuman Strength and Speed: Emma is incredibly fast and strong. She was seen being able to catch several arrows fired at her by Merida almost subconsciously and with ease.
- Arcane Knowledge: Emma has an almost infinite knowledge and understanding of spells, potions, and other topics related to magic, allowing her to do impossible things for common witches.
- Summons: Emma is able to summon objects or beings through the magic, often materializing it in one hand via a purple smoke. (It is not known if she actually creates objects or transporting them from another place, but it is possible that both options are true depending on the circumstances).
- Heart Extraction: Emma can remove the hearts of other living beings without killing them and use them to control the owner or kill them by crushing the heart.
- Extrasensory Perception: Emma seems to be able to sense when someone calls her name or when someone is close to her.
- Resurrection: If Emma dies without having passed the title of Dark One to another being, Emma can be resurrected by the Vault of the Dark One, if another person decides to open it while giving up his/her life as a result.
- Technopathy: Emma's magic also allows her to control and manipulate technology.
Abilities[]
- Detective Skills: Emma has an eye for detail and is very skilled at detective work. She used this skill to work as a successful bail bondsman in Boston. She later used this when she was investigating the case of Kathryn's (supposed) murder. And later uses her skills to try to find out who cast the second curse.
- Expert Markswoman: Emma has proved skilled in the use of firearms.
- Skilled Swordswoman: Emma has proved skilled in the use of the sword, however, despite being the daughter of Prince Charming, Emma was not able to defeat Captain Hook, although she did managed to hold her own against the latter for a short period of time before she was overpowered and disarmed by Hook.
Weaknesses[]
- Laws of Magic: Like any witch or sorceress, Emma is subject to the laws of magic; as a result she is unable to raise the dead, create love and time travel.
- Leave Storybrooke/Land without magic: While the magic naturally inside her does give her some power beyond Storybrooke, it is severely limited to the point as to where it is barely noticeable.
- Squid Ink: Like all magical beings, she can be immobilized by squid ink.
Former Weaknesses[]
- Dark One's Dagger: Anyone who owns her dagger will be able to kill Emma, causing her to lose her status as the Dark One and the chance to rise again. In addition, anyone who owns the dagger also has full control over the actions of Emma who is unable to disobey orders if not for a very short time. However, since Emma forged Excalibur and the dagger back into one blade again, it can no longer control her, although it still bears the names of both the current Dark Ones.
- Storybrooke Town Line: If Emma leaves Storybrooke, she will lose all of her magical abilities, becoming fully mortal. When she gave up her dark powers, she was able to leave Storybrooke, since she was not part of the original Dark Curse.
History[]
Before the First Curse[]
- “Emma, her name is Emma”
- ―Snow White reveals her daughter's name to Rumplestiltskin
Baby Emma is put into the magical wardrobe to break her step-grandmother's curse.
Born to Snow White and Prince Charming, Emma was the product of true love and destined to be the savior that would break the Evil Queen's curse, as prophesied by Rumplestiltskin. To protect her from the Dark Curse, the Blue Fairy had Geppetto fashion a magical tree into a wardrobe which could carry Snow White into A Land Without Magic, our world, and protect her and her unborn child from it. As only two could go, Geppetto forced the Blue Fairy to let Pinocchio go with the princess, fearing he wouldn't survive the curse and be turned back into wood.
The plan was to send Snow into the cupboard after its completion while she was pregnant so that she would be able to protect her daughter. However Snow White began going into labor just before Geppetto had finished the cabinet. After she was born, and the curse began consuming the palace, Snow White and Prince David reluctantly agreed to take Emma to the wardrobe and send her away from the Enchanted Forest, holding onto the hope that she would find them after the curse has been cast.
During the First Curse[]
- “Here's the thing. No matter what the circumstances, for 28 years I only knew one thing, that my parents sent me away.[...] You did it for everyone. Because that's who you are. Leaders, heroes, princes and princesses. And that's great and amazing, and wonderful, but it doesn't change the fact that for my entire life, I've been alone.”
- ―Emma to Mary Margret[src]
As a baby Pinocchio was tasked to protecting Emma as a baby while they were both in the foster care system, however he abandons her later on. In 1990 Minnesota, a young Emma is told by a teenager that she has the power to change her fate.
Emma walks away from Lily.
Realizing she would never be adopted having "missed her chance" as she's too old, she runs away and meets a young girl named Lily who helps her shoplift. The two bond together after she discovers that Lily is an orphan just like her. The two break into a house and spend the night there where they enjoy each others company and Emma sees a star shaped birthmark on her wrist. Lily tells her that it makes her feel special and then draws one onto her wrist too. The girls promise to be friends no matter what until a man enters the house, Lily's father. Lily explains she was an orphan like her too, only she got adopted and feels invisible at her home. Hurt by Lily's lies, Emma rubs off the star on her wrist and walks away from Lily, who cries and repeatedly calls for Emma.
Arriving in a net foster home, she meets a carer called Ingrid. When she catches her trying to escape, Ingrid convinces her to stay and the two eventually become close until one day she tells Emma that she is going to adopt her and that even though Emma doesn't see her as a mother, she can be like her older sister. While the two are waiting for a bus, Emma thinks out loud about having magic like Harry Potter. Knowing she does, Ingrid (who is really the Snow Queen from the Enchanted Forest) tries to endanger her by forcing her in front of a car so that she can unleash her powers, however, Emma gets away from her grip at the last minute. Thinking she is crazy, Emma runs away from her.
After having been adopted by a couple, Emma grabs a sleeping bag from the garage for a camping trip, when she finds her friend Lily hiding, saying that she's in big trouble. Lily then invokes the "friends forever" clause to get Emma's help. Before she can decline or accept, Emma's adopted father appears and invites Lily to stay for dinner, but when Emma's father brings up the subject of how they met, Lily lies by saying that they knew each other through foster care. Emma pulls Lily aside afterwards and tells her she doesn't want to lie to her new family, only to see a news report on television about authorities searching for shoplifters, and Lily is among the suspects identified.
A bitter Emma rejects Lily.
The news has now made Emma furious and now wants Lily to leave immediately, but Lily says that she just can't help it because she always does "bad" things; she then begs Emma for help with just one more thing, which is to retrieve a special necklace. Later that night, Emma follows through with getting the necklace, but Lily pulls a fast one on Emma by stealing money from Emma's parents and runs away. When Emma returned home, Emma's parents surprised her, having called her social worker, and discovering that Lily is a known criminal. The parents are now upset with Emma for not telling them and allowing such a person into their home; the words that would result in a hurt Emma leaving the house forever. Later that night, Lily catches up with a now furious Emma at a bus stop, and claims that no matter what she does, everything goes wrong and adding that her "whole life is darkness", but when Emma is around it gets brighter. Lily then begs Emma to stay in her life, but a bitter Emma leaves, saying she is better off alone.
Years later, Emma attempts to steal a car and breaks in, not knowing it has already been stolen by someone else called Neal. They soon start to con people and and one day decide to have a life of their own in Tallahassee, but they need the money. Neal gets Emma to retrieve some stole watches but she gets caught and sent to prison where she finds out she is pregnant. She gives birth to a boy and puts him up for adoption.
Ten years later, Emma is 28 years old and working as a bail bonds agent. She is working undercover on a date where they start talking about their lives. When she reveals to her date that she knows he skipped town when on bail, he flees, trying to get away in his car, but as he didn't realize it was towed when he got in, he is caught and arrested by Emma.
She goes home later that night, to spend her twenty-eighth birthday all alone. She brings out a cupcake, lights a blue star candle on, and blows it. Suddenly, someone knocks on the door and she finds a young boy on the other side. He tells her that his name is Henry, and he is the son she gave up for adoption ten years ago. He asks her to go home with him but she refuses to but agrees to take him back to his home town, Storybrooke, Maine.
After arriving, Henry explains to Emma that time is frozen in Storybrooke and that the Evil Queen sent the fairy-tale character from the Enchanted Forest to Storybrooke and now they are trapped and can't leave. She does not believe him, but the pair are soon interrupted by Archie Hopper, who is Henry's therapist. He tells Emma that Henry is they mayors child. She thanks him and Henry explains to him that he is really Jiminy Cricket. The pair head to Henry's house, where Emma meets his adoptive mother, they mayor, Regina Mills. Regina invites Emma inside for apple cider and the two talk about Henry's adoption. When she leaves, she meets the towns sheriff, Graham.
After she bonds with Henry, Regina fears that she may want him back and so repeatedly warns Emma to stay away from them, telling him that she is his mother, not Emma. However, Emma decides to stay in Storybrooke anyway, ignoring Regina's warnings.
Emma kisses Graham shortly before he dies.
She develops a friendship with Henry's school teacher Mary Margaret (who is really her mother Snow White) and the two move in together. She also is appointed deputy by Sheriff Graham. She develops an attraction for Graham until she sees him leaving Regina's house in the middle of the night. He kisses her and starts to get visions of his past in the Enchanted Forest. Realizing something isn't right, he questions everything and everyone, getting more and more aware of the curse. He asks Emma for help, but the pair run into Regina. She tells Graham to come back with him but he refuses her. Regina then accuses Emma of stealing everyone away from her. Emma replies to Regina that Henry and Graham were miserable and she didn't steal anyone away from her. They came to her because they were miserable with Regina. The two start to physically fight until Graham separates them and Emma walks away with him back to the police station. He apologizes to Emma and tells her that he regrets getting involved with Regina. As he helps clear her cuts from her fight with Regina, the two kiss and Graham remembers his past life as the Queen's Huntsman. He thanks Emma, but before he can explain, he dies, having his heart crushed by Regina, who had it in her possession. Emma cries over Graham's dead body.
Emma later competes against Sydney Glass for mayor and wins. Emma is later forced to arrest Mary Margaret after she has been framed for the murder of Kathryn, as she is the prime suspect, having had an affair with her husband, David Nolan. Evidence stacks up and Emma has Ruby find a box which is sent for analysis. It is revealed that it is Mary Margaret's box and it contains Kathryn's heart. However, it is revealed that the DNA tests were faked and Emma is allowed to release Mary Margaret.
Emma hides from Maleficent.
Fearing Henry would never be truly hers if Emma is still in the picture and knowing that if she kills her, the curse would automatically be broken, Regina tries to put Emma in a sleeping curse by feeding her an apple turnover, made with the same poisoned apple that she fed Snow White. Henry tries to stop her from eating it by telling her its cursed but, but she doesn't believe him; He eats it and falls under the sleeping curse. Emma finally opens her mind about magic and touches Henry's storybook where she gets visions about her parents, Snow White and Prince Charming and she finally believes in magic. Finally realizing the truth, she grabs Regina and starts to hurt her. The two realism that Henry is the priority and so Regina and Emma form an uneasy alliance to go find Gold who can tell them how they need to wake Henry. He tells them of a True Love Potion which can help them wake him up, however there is a catch. The potion is underneath the Storybrooke clock tower inside the belly of Maleficent, who was trapped in her dragon form when the curse hit. Emma battles the dragon with her fathers sword and eventually defeats the beast and finally obtains the golden egg which contains the True Love potion. Emma and Regina finally arrive to the hospital to give Henry the potion, but, its too late and he is pronounced dead by Dr. Whale. Emma goes to Henry and tells him that she loves and gives him a kiss on the forehead. Henry is brought back to life and the curse has finally broken after 28 years.
After the First Curse[]
- “She saved all of us!”
- ―Snow White to Henry
Emma meets her parents.
After Emma has broken the curse she is reunited with her parents, who have reunited with Red Riding Hood, Granny and the seven dwarfs. She is overwhelmed, having discovered her parents are Snow White and Prince Charming and they're the same age as her. When Snow and Charming try to talk to Emma, she expresses her insecurities about her past and that she dreamt about meeting her parents and who they could be. During this discussion, Archie informs the group that a mob of people are after Regina, who they want to kill for casting the curse. Emma and her parents stop the mob and lock Regina up. However, a wraith is brought to Storybrooke by Rumplestitskin/Mr. Gold for Regina, and Emma and her parents try to send it through one of Jefferson's hats, back to wherever it came from. Although successful, Emma is pulled through and Mary Margret/Snow follows her daughter, not wanting to be seperated from her again. David/Charming tries to go through the portal as well, but it closes before he can, leaving him behind with Henry.
Emma and Mary Margret in the Enchanted Forest.
Once Emma and Snow arrive in the Enchanted Forest, they are found by Princess Aurora and Mulan, who throw them in a pit. believing they are the ones responsible for Prince Philip's death by the wraith. In the pit, Emma meets Cora Mills, Regina's mother, much to Snow's horror. Snow informs Emma that Cora is far worse than Regina ever was, and is incredibly dangerous. Emma and Snow are saved when Lancelot, an old friend of Snow's, brings them to safety. Lancelot allows them to travel to the Royal Castle to use the magical wardrobe as a portal to return home. When they arrive at the castle, they find out Cora followed them, disguised as Lancelot and killed him. Emma destroys the wardrobe after learning Cora wants to use it to see Regina. After Cora leaves, Emma apologises to Mary Margret for destroying their way home and they share a moment, when Emma gets emotional upon her mother putting her first. Emma leaves the castle and Snow breaks down over never being able to raise her daughter.
Emma and Hook climb the beanstalk.
Later on, Emma and Snow are ambushed by Aurora and Mulan and run from giants, which Emma accidentally awakens when she uses her gun to save her mother. Aurora and Mulan decide to help Emma and Snow find a way to return home after learning what Cora did. On their journey, the women come across a load of deceased people and learn that Cora, the queen of hearts, did this. Emma then finds someone buried beneath the bodies and learns he managed to survive the massacure. This man tells them that he is blacksmith, but Emma doesn't believe him as she knows when someone is lying. Emma and the others tie him to the tree, where he reveals his name is Killian Jones, also known as Captain Hook, and that he is working with Cora to travel to Storybrooke to kill Rumplestiltskin for revenge. Emma, Snow, Aurora and Mulan decide to help Hook help them locate a compass that will help them get home, but it is on top of a beanstalk. Emma volenteers to join Hook and get the compass that will help her and Snow get home. While climbing, the two get to know one another more and work together to defeat the giant and get the compass, but not before Hook takes this as a chance to flirt with Emma, much to her annoyance. Emma is successful in getting the compass, but abandons Hook up at the top and returns with the compass. When Aurora awakens from a sleep, she reveals that she was in a firery room as a side effect to the sleeping curse she was under, and saw a little boy in there with her, who spoke to her. Aurora has this nightmare again and reveals that his name is Henry, making Mary Margret and Emma realise they are able to use this method as a way to communicate with Henry and let him know they are okay, telling Aurora and Mulan that Henry has also been under a sleeping curse because he ate a turnover that cursed him when Emma didn't believe in the curse.
Emma and Mary Margret are reunited with Henry.
Aurora goes back under the sleeping curse, but the effects of it worsen for her physically so Mary Margret decides to go under it again for one hour with the help of poppy powder. Emma stays by her mother's side as she goes under, asking her to say hi to Henry for her. Although successful, it is not Henry that Snow sees but Charming, who has gone under a curse to see Snow. When Snow awakens, she is distraught over not being able to awaken Charming with true loves kiss in time and and is desperate to go back under the curse, but Emma assures her mother that she will free David when they get back home. Snow and Emma join Mulan and Aurora on the continuation of their quest, only for Aurora to be taken by Cora and Hook steals her heart. Using Aurora's heart, Cora is able to learn that Emma and the others are planning on going to Rumplestiltskin's cell, which could help them return home, although Emma, Mulan and Snow are unaware what happened to Aurora, until they arrive at the cell, where they learn her heart was stolen and commanded to trap them inside Rumple's cell. While inside, they learn Cora and Hook stole Aurora's heart and Emma tries to reason with him, but Hook ignores her and plans on travelling with Cora to Storybrooke as originally planned. Snow reveals to Emma that Rumple already knew Emma was going to be the savior, long before she was even born, and realises he wrote her name in squid ink, which opens the cell. They escape and Mulan ties Aurora up as she feels she can't be trusted without her heart. While Aurora stays there, Mulan, Snow and Emma follow Hook and Cora to Lake Nostos, where they find Hook and Cora. Emma fights Hook and is able to retrieve the compass, before she and Mary Margret jump through the portal and arrive home to Storybrooke. Emma reunites with Henry and Mary Margret awakens David from the sleeping curse.
Henry, Emma and Gold in New York.
A while later, someone crashes into the Storybrooke sign and is taken to hospital where Belle also ends up after being shot by Hook, which sends her over the town line, causing her to lose her memories. Emma goes to the line and sees that Hook has been hit by the car that drove through, and takes him to hospital after Gold hits him repetatively. As sheriff, Emma visits this visitor and learns his name is Greg Mendell after accessing his phone. She learns he was on his phone and did not see Hook, but does not arrest him for what he did as she can tell how sorry this man is and that it was an accident. However, unknown to Emma, Greg reveals he saw something despite him saying he didn't. A few days later, Emma and Henry go with Mr. Gold to locate his long lost son Baelfire, but what she discovers when she arrives to New York is that Baelfire is non other than Neal, Henry's father. While in New York, Gold is struck with Dreamshade by Hook, and is dying so they have to take the Jolly Roger back to Storybrooke, where Gold can cure himself. Upon their return, Emma helps Gold and learns that Cora and Regina want his dagger to control him. Emma puts up a protection spell over Gold's shop to protect him from Cora and Regina, even though they can still enter by magic. While this is happening, Mary Margret uses a special candle that allows her to kill Cora by poisoning her heart, which saves Mr. Gold's life, but Cora dies in her daughter's arms. Emma realises that despite Mary Margret's extreme guilt, David is treating her with breakfast in bed, calling him out for it and that her mother needs to overcome this. Emma later finds August Booth in his wooden form and learns that he is dying despite the curse having been broken. Emma is informed that August is turning back to wood because he hasn't stayed truthful and he later dies as he tries to tell her and the citizens of who the "her" is in Greg's contacts, although he is revived but as a child once more.
When Neal's fiance'. Tamara comes to town, Emma quickly becomes suspicious of her after telling Neal he needs to be honest with the woman he is going to marry. Emma quickly assumes that Tamara is the "her" that Greg knows, although Mary Margret calls her out for being jealous that Neal has moved on, which Emma denies, but is still suspicious of Tamara. Emma breaks into Tamra's room and tries to warn Neal about her, but he does not believe her. However, Tamara later reveals that she has been behind this and that Emma was right when she and Neal find Tamara at the docks, and torturing Regina, who is saved just in time by David and Mary Margret. The citizens soon learn from Regina that Greg and Tamara stole a self-destruct device that can blow up the town and kill everyone in the town. Emma helps Regina contain the magic within the device, which saves the town, but they learn that Greg and Tamara kidnapped Henry. They see Greg and Tamara take him through a portal, but are unable to stop them, just as Hook returns with a magic bean to follow them. Learning Henry has been taken to Neverland, the heroes follow on Hook's ship, along with Mr. Gold.
Emma arrives in Neverland.
It is soon revealed that Henry was kidnapped because Peter Pan is after the heart of the truest believer, which Henry is. On their way, the ship enters a storm and Emma tries to get everyone to get along, but they don't which worsens the storm and causes her to fall into the ocean. David rescues Emma and the storm passes. When everyone arrives on Neverland, Emma becomes the leader and she meets Pan himself, who taunts Emma for being a "lost girl". He agrees to help her find Henry by giving her a map, which is blank, which he explains will only work once Emma accepts who she really is. Emma returns to the group and explains what Pan told her, but it does not work, despite Emma admitting several things, including that she is a savior. Emma vents to Mary Margret that she doesn't feel like a savior if she can't get to Henry, but does sadly admit she is an orphan. This reveals the map, but the group learns Pan is moving his camp, where he is keeping Henry, to mess with everyone. Hook deduces that they could use help from Tinker Bell and while they find her, she can't help them because she doesn't have her wings or fairy dust. Mary Margret promises Tink to come with them back to Storybrooke when they find Henry, and she agrees to help them sneak into Pan's hideout.
Emma, Neal and Hook in the Echo Cave.
Emma and the group find Baelfire's old cave where he spent a lot of time in Neverland and figure out he made star maps, which Hook taught him many years before. David later reveals that his life was saved by Hook, and Emma kisses him as a thank you, but while this makes Hook realise he has feelings for Emma, she tells him it was "just a one time thing" and meant nothing but a thank you for saving her father. The group learns from Pan that Neal is alive and on this island, but is trapped in he Echo Caves, where the only way to be freed is for someone to tell their darkest secret. David reveals he was hit with Dreamshade and while he is cured, he can't ever leave Neverland, which damages his relationship with Mary Margret, while Hook reveals to Emma that he is in love with her and the kiss made him realise that. Emma rescues Neal after admitting her secret that she wished he was dead so it would be easier for her to get over him. The two are reunited, but Neal and Hook fight over Emma since they both have feelings for her, which makes her uncomfortable and right now, all she cares about is Henry.
Emma, Hook and Neal are all reunited with her family and they continue their search for Henry. Mr. Gold realises Pan took Henry to Skull Rock, but only Gold can get through because he doesn't have a shadow. Gold then allows the others to come through, where they realise Pan is tricking Henry into believing he can save magic by giving his heart to him. Emma and Regina try to inform Henry that Pan is using him to regain his youth and it was never about saving magic. However, Henry gives Pan his heart and dies. With Pan gone, Emma, Regina and Mary Margret follow Pan until they are trapped and attached to a tree, where Pan taunts them. Pan reveals he is the father to Rumplestiltskin and traded him for youth, while Regina is able to help Emma and Mary Margret be free from the tree as she does not have any regrets as this tree captures people who have regrets.
Emma, Regina and Mary Margret return to the others aboard Hook's ship, where they return Henry's heart to him, reviving him. Along with all the Lost Boys, Wendy Darling and Tinker Bell, the heroes leave Neverland with Henry, while completely unaware that Pan switched his body with Henry.
When the heroes return home, Emma becomes concerned about Henry as she is acting different than normal and asks Regina to keep an eye on him when Henry decides to stay with Regina and not Emma, to which Regina believes Emma is jealous that Henry wants her when he is frightened. Emma speaks to David about how Henry has been acting and deduces that her father is pushing her towards Neal because he doesn't want her near Hook. Later on, Emma and the family realise that Pan killed Mother Superior despite being trapped in Pandora's Box, which Gold hid. Wondering how Pan is doing this, Emma decides it's time to end him for good, unaware that he witched bodies with Henry. The group decides to make Pan cross the town line, which will make him powerless, but when Gold opens the box, "Pan" calls Emma mom which greatly confuses her. Emma realises that what Henry is saying is true and Pan switched their bodies, although Henry is able to return to his own body with Gold's help. When Gold fails to restrain his father, Pan freezes everyone and has the original dark curse that Regina kept in the vault. However, Gold sacrifices his life by killing Pan and himself in the process, ending Pan's terror, but the curse is still coming.
Regina realises she is able to stop the curse but has to say goodbye to Henry by sending him and Emma across the town line with new, happy, but cursed memories. Emma refuses and wants her and Henry to go to the Enchanted Forest with everyone else, but Regina tells her that is not an option, because Henry was not born in the Enchanted Forest, while Emma was. Emma says goodbye to her parents, Neal and Hook, before crossing the town line in her yellow bug, as the curse hits and sends everyone back to the Enchanted Forest.
Before the Second Curse[]
- “Of course I was considering it. Then as usual, he wasn't who he said he was, and I got my heartbroken.”
- ―Emma to Hook about Walsh[src]
with cursed memories, Emma dates Walsh
Emma and Henry leave Storybrooke and obtain false memories, where they live in New York. According to their false Memories the two had moved there from Boston a little over a year ago after their Boston home caught fire. Emma met and began dating a man named Walsh, and over time fell in love with him
During the Second Curse[]
One year later, Emma and Henry are in their New York apartment when Killian Jones arrives at her door, informing her that her family needs her help. However, because of the spell, Emma has no idea who this man is and rebuffs him when he tries to restore her memories with true loves kiss.
That night she meets Walsh at the place where they had their first date. Emma is surprised when he proposes. Walsh claims to love Emma and Henry, and wants them to be a family. Still deeply troubled from her abandonment issues, she tells him she needs more time. Returning home to Henry, he tells her that he's grown to think of Walsh as a part of their family. He also lets Emma know that he hasn't seen her this happy since Walsh came into their lives. Emma seriously considers Walsh's proposal, but has another run-in with Hook where he restores her memories.
Emma starts to believe Hook
Knowing now that she cannot accept Walsh's proposal, she goes to gently let him down. Walsh pleads with her to reconsider but she cannot. To her horror, however, Walsh mentions that he was starting to like her, in a sinister tone, then morphs into a Flying Monkey and attacks her. After taking care of "Walsh", she and Hook return to Storybrooke with Henry, with her telling her son that they are here on a case.
Upon arriving back, Emma arrives at the Blanchard Loft, where she reunites with her parents, revealing they are expecting another baby, and learns they remember her, but not of what happened after Emma crossed the town line and the curse took them all back to Storybroooke. They mention that they have no memories of the past year and have no idea who cursed them. In Granny's, Regina finds them and learns that Emma has regained her memories but Henry has no idea who Regina is. Emma gathers everyone in town for a meeting at the town's city hall and they all want to know who cursed them. However, they all start to blame Regina, but Emma knows she has nothing to do this this because of her superpower, and they try to replicate the potion Hook gave Emma to restore Henry's memories, but have no success.
Emma and Hook share a moment in the woods.
Together, Emma and Regina try to work out who is behind this curse, while Mary Margret and David babysit Henry, but Emma and Regina are unsuccessful and return to the Blanchard Loft. Upon learning that someone disappeared in a cloud of green smoke and there are now flying monkeys in town, Regina deduces that the person was the Wicked Witch of the West. After learning who cured the town, Emma and Hook search a farmhouse and find a cellar. Upon calling her dad, Emma, Hook and David enter the cellar and find a cage that has a spinning wheel and David notices that there is a gold string attached to it. Remembering only one person who has the ability to turn straw into gold, Emma deduces that Rumplestiltskin must be alive.
Emma, David and Mary Margret speak with Belle and inform her that Rumplestitskin has to be alive upon what they have seen, and asks her if she might know why. Belle tells them that she will search for answers to Rumple's possible resurrection and the family goes into the woods to continue their search for the wicked witch. Emma and Hook soon learn that Neal has arrived in Storybrooke and find him in hospital after he falls through the door of Gold's shop, where Belle finds him.
Neal dies in Emma's arms.
Emma and David try to explain to Neal that they believe his father is alive despite seeing him die. Emma notices a mark on Neal's hand and asks Belle to examine what the mark could be. Emma and Neal later go back to the woods after David returns to the Blanchard loft, where he and Mary Margret are meeting with the midwife. In the woods, Neal and Emma discuss the previous year and joke about their failed relationships. Emma then gets a phone call from Belle, who informs her that the mark on Neal's means he must have used a key to open the Vault of the Dark One to resurrect Rumplestiltskin, but it does mean a one-for-one trade and if Neal used that key, he should be dead. Neal suddenly screams in pain and collapses, much to Emma's horror. Neal asks Emma to separate him and his father, even if it means his death, which Emma does, but Neal dies in her arms. Emma and Rumple mourn their loss and Rumple reveals to Emma that Zelena is the wicked witch, who is also posing as Mary Margret and David's midwife. Emma and David return home to check if her mom is safe and inform Mary Margret that Zelena is the Wicked Witch, and that Neal is dead. Emma later tells Henry of his father's death, telling him that he was a hero and would have been a great father.
The next day, the townspeople bury Neal and Emma vows revenge on Zelena for killing him. Regina later reveals to the group that Zelena is her sister and goes to visit her farmhouse to confront the witch, and later watches the fight between Regina and her sister. Some days later, Emma gets Hook to look after Henry so she can learn magic from Regina and thanks Hook for helping out, before having a meal with her family, while unaware that Hook is watching her. A day or so later, Emma joins Mary Margret, David, Hook and Regina for a seance' after Regina plans to summon her late mother, Cora, in order to learn what she did to Zelena and why Zelena hates her sister. However, the plan fails as Cora doesn't want to speak to Regina, but they are able to somehow open the portal and allow Cora's ghost to enter the house, even though the portal was only meant to be used for talking. Emma, David and Hook re-enter the room upon learning that Cora's ghost possessed Mary Margret and informed her that she was forced to give Zelena up, but Snow White's mother, Princess Eva. With this revelation, Belle soon figures out that Zelena is planning on time travelling to the past to kill Snow's mother, to make sure Eva never forced Cora to give up Zelena, which would mean neither Snow, Emma or Henry would ever be born.
Finding a way to stop Zelena, Emma tells Henry she has to work on a case, but he starts to act suspicious that she is lying to him, causing him to confront her about her lies, to which Emma tells him off. Later at the docks, Emma, Mary Margret, David and Regina find Henry with Killian and they are being attacked by more flying monkeys. Emma tries to save her son and break the curse, but Zelena grabs Henry, just as Emma is about to break the curse and restore Henry's memories. However, Zelena is stopped and teleports away, while Emma asks Henry to hold the storybook. Upon touching the book, Henry's memories return and Regina breaks the curse.
After the Second Curse[]
Emma and Henry meet the baby.
After Regina kisses Henry and breaks the second curse, everyone's memories are restored and Emma leans that it was her parents that cast the curse to bring her home, not Zelena. With Henry's memories restored, Emma takes him to Neal's grave so he can say goodbye to his dad, but Mary Margret goes into labor. In the hospital, Emma casts a protection spell and takes Hook with her by orders of her father. When they arrive at Zelena's farmhouse, she throws Killian into a pool and starts to drown him, making Emma choose whether to kiss Hook and save him, by giving up her magic, or letting him die. Emma sacrifices her magic and saves Hook's life, but at the cost of her magic. Gold seemingly kills Zelena while Emma and Hook return to the hospital, where she meets her new baby brother. Hook asks Emma if her magic is back, but she says no, to which she tells him it is okay as she won't need it in New York.
After hearing Mary Margret and David tell her brother about how they met, Emma leaves as she doesn't want to talk about the fact that she plans on taking Henry back to New York. Hook tries to talk to Emma about this and she tells him that she doesn't feel like she belongs with princesses and princes and that she needs to take Henry somewhere safe. However, before they can finish the conversation, Emma and Hook notice that Zelena's time portal has opened after she died. The two are suddenly sucked in as he follows her into the portal as she can't hold on anymore.
Hook and Emma in the past.
When Hook and Emma fall out of the portal, they realise they are in the Enchanted Forest, but have no idea as to what point in time they have arrived in. Emma brings out Henry's book and realises she and Hook have arrived at the point where her parents haven't even met yet. Emma deduces that they need a wizard to help them get back to the future and decides to ask Rumplestiltskin for help, but they hear the Evil Queen approaching and watch as she torments the villagers. Emma then notices Snow White in the tree and that this is the moment her parents met, but she scares Snow off, causing the bandit to run, which ruins her parents meeting. Emma and Hook travel to Rumplestitskin's castle, where they are able to convince him that they are from the future and ask him to help them open a portal to get home.
Emma and Hook at King Mitas' party
Emma informs the Dark One that her parents are Snow White and Snow White and how they met. With the Dark One's help, Emma and Hook are tasked in retrieving the ring that Snow White was meant to steal, and putting the story back on track, while Rumple works on the portal. The Dark One then sends them to King Midas' castle where he is holding a party. Emma and Hook become closer from the dance they share, but their moment is ruined as the queen arrives and arrests Emma, who goes by the name "Leia". Emma is sent to the dungeon and meets a woman who has been sent there too, but is due to be executed the next day. "Leia" frees them and finds Hook, who has come to save Emma. With the help from Red Riding Hood and her father, Emma is able to leave the dungeon and bring the woman with her, which Hook calls Emma out for as she is not meant to be alive. Emma and Hook learn that Snow White is looking for a passage out of town so Hook decides to use his past self as an advantage by getting Emma to distract this other version of himself. Emma flirts with past-Hook, but he takes her back to his ship, which makes the present-Hook jealous and makes it harder for him as he is trying to get Snow White to steal the ring.
- “When Henry brought me to Storybrooke he told me I was the savior. I didn't see what he was really doing: He was not bringing me back to break a curse. He was bringing me home.”
- ―Emma to Hook[src]
While they are successful, Regina sentences Snow to death and seemingly kills her with fire, which Emma and Hook watch in horror. However, Emma realises she is still alive and should have faded from existance if her mother is dead. This makes them realise that Snow must still be alive and she is turned back to human from being a bug, by the Blue Fairy. Overjoyed that her mother is alive, Emma embraces Snow but she understandably has no idea who Emma is, breaking her daughter's heart. Emma and Hook then watch as Snow and Charming get along and realise they succeeded in getting the story back on track. Emma and Hook return to Rumplestiltskin and Emma accepts Storybrooke as her home and regains her magic that will open the portal. Rumplestiltskin stops Emma and he asks her if he finds his son, and while she says yes, she informs him that he loses him too, before telling Rumple he needs to drink the potion and forget everything she just told him. With that, Emma and Hook return to the present.
Emma with Elsa.
After Emma and Hook return to the future, she begins a relationship with him. However, unaware to her, she also brings a previously deceased Maid Marian to the future, shattering her growing friendship with Regina, whom Emma hopes will accept her as a friend despite their differences. The two later regain their friendship to defeat the Snow Queen with Elsa, who helps Emma to finally embrace her powers fully and control them. When Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff leave Emma learns that Mr. Gold is back to his evil ways. Emma also learns that Gold has Hook's heart and she gets it back and puts it back in him. Emma later learns that Regina wants to find the writer of the book.
After Cruella De Vil kidnaps Henry, Emma, Regina, and Captain Hook had to go to rescue him. Isaac later tells Mary Margaret and David that Emma will give in to darkness as it was foretold. When Cruella has a gun to Henry's head, Emma angrily uses her abilities to push Cruella off the cliff they are on to her death. Mary Margaret and David arrive too late to see what Emma has done.
Maleficent asks Emma to help her find Lily.
Emma is later asked by Maleficent to locate her daughter. Emma asks what her daughter's name and she reveals it to be Lily. Emma rushes out of the room and looks through some old documents and finds out that Maleficent's daughter is her childhood friend Lily. Emma and Regina decide to leave together after they realize that Lily is in New York and Regina has to go there anyway to save Robin from Zelena. The pair head into an old apartment where Lily used to live, but another tenant reveals that she died a few years ago. Emma and Regina later drive until the car's tire is punctured, Regina tells Emma to go have some coffee while she deals with the tire. There she gets coffee served by a woman named Starla, but realizes it's Lily when she recognizes the star shaped birthmark on her wrist. Lily however shrugs Emma off and tells her that she's moved with a husband and daughter, however Emma knows that she is lying and her and Regina break into Lily's house where its revealed that she knows about magic and Storybrooke. Suddenly, Lily breaks into Emma's car with the intention of getting revenge on Emma's parents who wronged her but the pair catch up in another car Emma breaks into. Emma is about to shoot Lily but Regina talks her out of it and the two than have a heart to heart, but are interrupted by Regina who tells Emma that they need to go to Robin's house as her leverage over Gold has been taken. The three travel to Robin's House where Emma sees that Zelena under the disguise of Marian. Zelena reveals her true form and Robin says he still can't leave Zelena as she is pregnant.
Emma brings Lily along with Robin and Zelena back to Storybrooke, where she was reunites her with Maleficent. After Maleficent, Mary Margaret and David later encounter Lily in her dragon form, Maleficent approaches her, but Mary Margaret runs after her. David states to Mary Margaret that Lily is out of control as she knocks Mary Margaret out, almost killing her; Emma immediately comes to her mother's aid and uses her powers to heal her. Emma apologizes to her parents for how she mistreated them and tells them that forgives them for what they did.
After the Apprentice is freed, Emma tries to find the page that the Author was originally trapped in to trap him in again. However, before she and Regina can find it, everyone in Storybrooke (besides Henry) is transported to an alternate universe that the Author has written. Emma is the only trapped in this world who retains her memories. However, she is trapped in a tower by her mother who doesn't remember her and is now the Evil Queen, Snow White. She is guarded by Lily.
Henry, along with Hook, helps Emma escape and they manage to defeat a Dragon Lily on the Jolly Roger. However, when they are brought to land, they are met by the Evil Queen and her Huntsman (Prince Charming). Since Snow does not acknowledge Emma as her daughter, she plans to kill both Emma and Henry. Hook is unable to wield a sword, but tries to defend them anyway. He battles Charming, but is no match for the prince and is fatally stabbed in front of Emma.
Emma return to Regina's cave with Henry. She asks to speak with Regina alone as she believes that the curse can be undone with a true love's kiss from Regina and Robin. Emma tells her that if she tells Robin the truth about how she feels, everything will be fixed and they can both get their happy endings with the men they love, acknowledging that she never got the chance to tell Hook how she really felt before it was too late. The trio arrive at the chapel to stop the wedding, but before they can do so, Rumple suddenly appears to stop them. Emma and Henry try to distract Rumple as Regina tries to work up the nerve to interrupt the ceremony. Emma engages him in a sword fight, until he is able to knock her out temporarily.
Emma is consumed by the darkness and becomes the new Dark One.
Henry however, becomes the next author and is able to use Regina's blood to return everyone to Storybrooke. Emma runs to Hook and is relieved to find him alive, though she is still unable to admit her love for him. That night, the people of Storybrooke are all celebrating at Granny's diner and Lily tells Emma that she wants to find the identity of her father and plans on staying in Storybrooke during her search. After Belle reveals Gold is dying, Emma travels with her family and the Apprentice who uses his power to pull the darkness out of Gold and transfers it into the Sorcerer's Hat. He then puts a pure white heart back into Gold. However, the hat is unable to contain the darkness and it is unleashed into the Apprentice. Emma then uses her light magic to pull the darkness back out of the apprentice and the dark magic disappears out of the shop. As the apprentice lays dying, he tells Emma and Hook that the darkness must be tethering to a human soul that can be controlled with the Dark One's Dagger and that the only person who can prevent the darkness from destroying all the realms is a sorcerer named Merlin, who lives in a place far away. The two then meet up with Mary Margaret, David, Regina, and Robin as they scour the streets of Storybrooke for the darkness, which then appears to attack Regina. Possessing the dagger, Emma volunteers to tether herself to the darkness to prevent it from destroying everyone and everything, telling her loved ones that she trusts that they'll find a way to separate the darkness from her once again. She finally tells Hook that she loves him as he implores to her against sacrificing herself, but she ultimately does so anyway. The darkness violently surrounds Emma and when it dissipates, only the dagger is left behind. As the shot zooms onto it, it now reads the name of the new Dark One, "Emma Swan".
Before the Third Curse[]
Emma and Hook in Camelot.
Emma searches for Merlin in Camelot and is helped by the Essence of The Dark One that appears as a manifestation of Rumplestiltskin. This Manifestation wants to teach her to be the Dark One, while Emma attempts to resist becoming evil at the same time. She comes across a Scottish Princess named Merida while searching for a Will O' the Wisps, claiming that she needs it to save her brothers, while Emma needs it to find her way to Camelot. The two, after some sourness, agree to help one another, in their pursuits. Shortly after her family and friends from Storybrooke arrive, having hitched a ride on Zelena's twister headed for Oz, which they redirected towards Emma to help free her from the Dagger. While alone with her, she entrust her Dagger to Regina.
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round arrive and welcome them to Camelot. Arthur announces that their arrival was foretold by Merlin and the entourage escort the residence of Storybrooke and Merida to his castle and Merlin. Thinking things are looking up for Emma regaining her light, Arthur shows that Merlin has been encased in a tree, and only the Savior can release him. Regina claims to be the Savior in Emma's stead, so that her darkness can be hidden from Arthur, Guinevere and the people of Camelot.
During her time in Camelot, Emma, despite her initial resistance, begins to give in more and more to the darkness, while always finding a way to justify her actions. She begins uses her powers including chocking Merida over the Wisp, thinking it's the only way to find Camelot, saving a mortally wounded Robin, though at Regina's request, and ripping the heart and controlling Violet a young girl that had shown interest in Henry, to acquire a tear of regret from her son and immediately returning her heart afterwards. After Hook is injured, she uses some of her dark magic to heal him. Later, after freeing him Merlin encourages her to destroy the Darkness one and for all. When she does so by fusing the dagger and the sword, her healing magic is undone, causing Hook to start bleeding again. Realizing that the wound could kill him, she tethers his life to Excalibur, causing him to become another Dark One.
During the Third Curse[]
Six weeks later, the rest of her friends returned to Storybrooke, but with a horrifying and shocking twist, their memories were wiped out once again and wearing Arthurian attires. As it turned out Emma made an appearance as the Dark One, with her new attire. Henry asks what happened to her, and she told them that they all went to Camelot to remove the darkness from her and they failed (except Henry). Emma with her powers turned Sneezy into stone, proclaiming that there's no savior in the town. Emma surprisingly gave the Dark One dagger to Regina with the intention that if she goes too dark Regina would be the only one that would willingly "put her down". Shortly after this, Hook attempts true love's kiss with Emma in the hopes that the Dark One's curse would break, but ultimately failed, as Emma has fully embraced the darkness. Unbeknownst to the others, Emma currently has possession of the Excalibur in a locked room inside of her new house. She intends to make Excalibur and the Dark One's dagger whole again, as with it she will be able to snuff out the light forever and become invulnerable. However, she must recruit a hero to do so, as she cannot remove the sword; the hero she chooses is her predecessor Rumplestiltskin, who she tells finally has a chance to become a hero.
After everyone finds out in "Birth" that Emma had transformed Hook into a second Dark One; she planned to siphon the darkness out of both of them and put it Zelena, who she forced into an accelerated labor to avoid killing Robin's child, and slay her. She regains her memories of what Hook plans, by resurrecting all the Dark Ones as part of his revenge. At first, Emma plans to absorb all the darkness inside her and kill herself. Things do not go according to plan when Hook steals it from her. Killian orders her to kill him, taking in all the darkness and Emma reluctantly kills him with Excalibur while the darkness is removed from her, reverting to her old self.
After the Third Curse[]
- “Hook, I will find you. I will always find you.”
- ―Emma's promise
While mourning Hook, Emma starts to hear whispers calling to her. She follows the whispers to Mr. Gold's shop, realizing that it is the dagger calling to her. Gold tells her she is imagining things, but after some further pressing from Emma, Gold reveals he has the dagger and is the Dark One again, but this time, he now has the combined power of every Dark One that ever existed, including Emma's dark magic. After blackmailing Mr. Gold, she and her friends and family board the boat that will descend into the Underworld, planning to split her heart in half and share it with Hook, like her parents did during the Second Curse.
Emma's vision of Neal.
While on her way to the Underworld she has a vision of Neal. The two appear in her Yellow Bug within the Amusement Park that they would constantly break into. When she questions if she's dreaming, he tells her that she isn't and that he is reaching out to her. She finds herself overjoyed when she realizes that it really is Neal with her at this moment in time. He asks her how Henry is doing, and she mentions that he is doing very good, but still misses his father. She tells him that their son is growing up so quickly, to which Neal shares a brief moment of pride with her in their son. Neal goes on and warns her against going to the Underworld. Neal elaborates by telling her that while he knows she is doing so out of love for Hook, that it is also a dangerous endeavor, and it will be a very difficult place to leave. Emma promises Neal she would have done the same for him had she known it was possible, but Neal assuages her guilt by letting her know that she will not find him in the Underworld. Emma asks Neal if Killian is, and he somberly tells her that his soul is residing there. Emma asks Neal to help her, mentioning her plan to save Hook. He mentions that the Underworld is a place where the souls of the dead go when they have unfinished business. He also mentions this is why she won't find Neal there. Emma ask Neal where he is then, and he ensures her he's in a good place, a better place, a place where he's happy. He tries one last time to convince her Emma to turn back from her quest before it's too late. She tells him she can't turn back, and accepting her choice, he proclaims to Emma before he goes that he loves her, and that he always will, gently kissing her on the forehead before leaving. Emma pleads with Neal to stay with her, but she awakens in Mary Margaret and David's arms back on the boat calling out his name. At that moment, her old flame's father alerts them all of their arrival to their destination, the Underworld.
Emma and her family in the Underworld.
She and the others later discover that the Underworld is, as Neal had told them, for those with unfinished business, and they decide to help others move on, while they search for Hook. With the help of Milah; Neal's mother, Hook's late lover, and Henry's paternal grandmother, Emma manages to retrieve Hook from Hades' captivity. However, she is unable to split her heart, as Hades has decided that she, Regina, and Snow are to remain behind for freeing the souls of Prince Henry, Hercules, and Megara. It is discovered that the only way they would have a chance to return to the living with Hook is by overthrowing Hades. In order to defeat Hades, Emma and Hook receive help from Hook's brother Liam; however, it is soon discovered that Liam betrayed them after being blackmailed by Hades. Fortunately, Henry agrees to help undo Liam's work by using his powers as the Author.
Emma finally learns that she cannot save Hook, and unwillingly leaves the Underworld through a portal made from the fallen clock tower with the others at his insistence to stop a now freed Hades. When they return to Storybrooke, she, Regina and Robin all attempt to un cloud Zelena's refusal at the truth due to her feelings for Hades, and rescue Robin's daughter. In the process, Robin is killed and Zelena destroys Hades.
After Hades' defeat, Emma tearfully looks on Hook's grave before he's resurrected.
Before Robin's funeral, Emma stands at Hook's grave and cries, trying to cope with the fact that he is truly gone now. Suddenly, a wave of magic flies through the air, causing her to stumble. She hears her name called from behind her and turns around and is shocked to see Hook. She happily embraces Hook, who tells her Zeus sent him back as a reward for his prominent role in Hades' undoing. After informing him that Robin was killed, Emma decides to break the news about Hook's return to Regina as delicately as possible. However, when an earthquake occurs, Hook rushes to see if Emma is okay. It turns out the earthquake was caused by Mr. Gold tethering magic to the Olympian Crystal fragment. Emma works with Regina to find it, only to later have Gold explain that Henry used his Author power to steal the crystal to destroy magic (again). Both follow Henry to New York, where it turns out Gold got the crystal back. At the same time, Hook, David, Snow and Zelena are accidentally sucked into another realm, which they could become trapped in without any magic in the Real World. Henry succeeds in destroying magic, only to be later convinced by the Dragon to get enough belief to recharge the crystal. It works and everyone is brought home. Once back in Storybrooke, Emma shares a passionate kiss with Hook.
In Storybrooke, refugees arrive from the Land of Untold Stories. Emma experiences tremors and visions; an arrested Hyde helps her receive an oracle's vision of a hooded figure killing her. Dealing with Hyde, the hostile stories of the refugees, and Regina's evil half, Emma confesses to her family of her visions. They all decide to have faith they can change this after reuniting Jasmine with a former Savior, Aladdin. Eventually, the Evil Queen places Emma's parents in dual sleeping curse. Emma and Regina try to imprison her in the Mirror World, but end up trapped in the realm themselves. Fortunately, Henry and Hook free them before they're killed by the Dragon.
After helping Belle entrusts her and Gold's baby to the Blue Fairy, Emma discovers the sword that will kill her in Gold's shop and realizes it can kill the Evil Queen without hurting Regina. The Queen steals the lamp, holding Jasmine hostage, and wishes Emma to an alternate reality where she was never the Savior; Regina follows her. In the "wish realm", Emma lives as a meek princess before Regina manages to restore her memory. Regina frees Rumplestiltskin in exchange for a magic bean, but the portal to Storybrooke closes while Regina is distracted by the appearance of Robin Hood.
Before the Fourth Curse[]
Emma and the Black Fairy.
After they miss their way out of the Wish realm, Emma and Regina find another option for escape when they come across August, who agrees to help create a new portal. Emma discovers that August was the teenager she met back in Minnesota and inspires him to complete the portal. Emma, Regina, and Robin return to Storybrooke, where she's confronted by Gideon, Gold and Belle's son with intentions to kill Emma so that he can acquire her savior powers and kill his evil grandmother, the Black Fairy. Emma and Gideon do battle, but Emma manages to survive, choosing her own fate. Gideon retreats, proclaiming this far from over. In past, Snow makes a wish that grants the entire Enchanted Forest to use the gift of Song to defeat Regina, which also spreads to Oz as well. When Regina also becomes affected by the wish she finds a way to end it before the first curse takes place, but the Blue Fairy, who granted Snow the wish, tells Snow and David that the wish will be part of Emma's destiny. In Emma's past, her chance to make use of her talent is held back by being told she'll be alone. This would come back to taunt Emma in the present day, as the Black Fairy returns to use that weakness to take Emma's heart before she unleashes a new curse on her wedding, with unlikely help from her son by freezing her family.
When Henry discovers the page in the book that reveals Emma's heart will make her stronger, not only does it embolden Emma, it prevented Fiona from crushing it, but Fiona still tells her the battle is still on. On wedding day, Emma and Hook finally marry just in time for the dark clouds to release a new curse that will set up the final battle.
During the Fourth Curse[]
Emma under the curse.
When the Black Fairy's curse is cast, Emma is cursed to believe that she is in a mental hospital and does not believe in fairytales. She is in the hospital and is visited by Henry who is not cursed. Fiona is also Henry's adoptive mother under this curse, who is trying to make Emma believe Henry is crazy for his belief. Emma tries to get Henry to stop talking about fairytales as she is able to possibly leave the hospital soon, but what he is saying is not helping. To try and prove her wrong, Henry searches in Fiona's office and reveals he is awake, but she magically sends him down the stairs, knocking him out and blaming it on him falling. Emma visits Henry in hospital, who wakes up and reveals Fiona's curse, but Emma does not believe him.
While Henry is recovering, Fiona tricks Emma into burning the storybook, which shows Captain Hook's face, which Emma examines. However, this does not allow Emma to regain her memories as Henry tries to convince her that she married Captain Hook, her true love, the day before. Emma decides to go back to Boston without Henry and gets her old job back, until she finds a handmade storybook, making Emma decide to return to Storybrooke. Upon returning, Emma is still unsure about believing in fairytales but eventually regains her memories as the curse is finally broken.
After the Fourth Curse[]
With the curse now broken and having regained her memories, Emma reunites with Henry properly and returns to main street where she reunites with her parents and husband, before battling Gideon in the final battle, but Emma allows herself to be stabbed by him, which kills her. The family runs over to her still body and Henry gives his birth mother a kiss on the forehead. As an act of true love, Emma is revived and the heroes find that the final battle has now been won, while Belle and Rumplestiltskin learn their son has reverted back to an infant. With the final battle now won, the town is finally at peace for years and Emma goes on her honeymoon with Killian.
Emma and Killian's married life.
One year later, Emma and Hook attend Gideon's first birthday party and then spend time on The Jolly Roger, where Henry spends time with his father as Emma proudly watches on, but is worried that her son is growing up too fast and is concerned she might not get another chance at being a mother, revealing Emma and Killian are struggling to conceive. Hook helps Emma and convinces her that they will be able to be parents again one day. He then gives her a bottle for a message if she ever wants to contact Henry while he travels, knowing he will soon be leaving home as he is about to gradate high school.
Over the years, Henry leaves and travels the realms where he meets Cinderella with whom he has fallen in love in a realm where time moves faster while it is only a matter of a couple of years for everyone in Storybrooke. Hook and Regina are suddenly contacted by Henry when he is in trouble with Rapunzel Tremaine and Emma stays in Storybrooke. When Henry asks about Emma, Killian tells his son that she is fighting dragons although Regina calls Hook out for lying to his son about Emma, to which Killian tells her it's what Emma wanted. After Hook is replaced by his wish realm counterpart, that version of him tries to take Hook's life as he failed to find his own variant of Emma to fall in love with.
Emma tells Henry she's pregnant.
Henry asks his "dad" about Emma and wish-Hook becomes nervous to answer his questions until Emma suddenly arrives at the Magical Forest, where she is surprised to see Henry all grown up. They embrace and Emma reveals she and Killian are expecting a child, which Henry congratulates her on. Learning this, Wish-Hook starts to regret his decision and leaves to find Storybrooke Killian and amend his mistakes. Not knowing her husband has been replaced, Emma becomes concerned upon his desire to mend a mistake he made. Emma later finds Killian and a man identical to her husband, who tells her he is the wish realm version of him and needs help. Emma agrees, but is unsure if her magic will work in this realm but will try. Emma gently speaks to her husband's doubleganger and asks him to believe in her and be the man she fell in love with, seeing them as the same person. This helps and Wish-Hook is healed, who tearfully thanks Emma for her help.
Emma and the Two Killians return to the portal area of the Magical Forest and reunite with Regina and Henry. Emma tries to convince Henry to come back to Storybrooke but understands he wants to find his own story after spending years writing for others. Regina decides to stay with Henry and Emma convinces her son to team up with Wish-Hook, believing they would be a good team and for Emma to feel comfortable knowing some form of his father is looking after Henry. Henry agrees and Emma leaves the magical forest with her Killian through a portal, leaving wish-Hook, Regina and Henry behind.
Since time is different in Storybrooke to the magical forest, Emma soon gives birth while Henry spends 8 years marrying Ella and welcoming a daughter, Emma and Killian's granddaughter, Lucy into the world, before the fifth curse is cast by Drizella.
During the Fifth Curse[]
When a new curse is cast in the magical forest, the residents are sent to the land without magic; Seattle while Emma and Hook are back in Storybroooke. Since Henry is one of the people who is under the curse, he has no memories of his life, including that Emma is his birth mom or that Regina (who is also cursed) is his adoptive mother. Henry has written a storybook and Lucy (who is not cursed and remembers Henry is her father) is trying to convince him of his background. Henry becomes friendly with Rogers (Wish-Hook's cursed counterpart), who is reading his book and finds a page with Emma inside. Rogers visits Henry and asks who the woman in the book is, but Henry has no idea because he believes he made Emma up.
After the Sixth Curse[]
Emma and Hook with their daughter, Hope.
After the fifth curse is broken by Henry regaining his memories and Wish Rumple is defeated by Weaver sacrificing his life, Regina casts one final curse which is a happy one, which brings all the realms of stories together, by bringing them all to Storybrooke. The people of the new United Realms decide to elect Regina as their queen and ruler so throw her a surprise coronation Regina asks about Emma, but Snow White tells her that their baby was fussy. Snow is about to crown Regina as Emma, Killian and baby Hope suddenly enter the castle. Emma apologises for being late and hands her newborn to Henry while Emma and Hook greet their family. Snow then calls her daughter out and Emma apologises again for interrupting. Snow continues the coronation and Regina is officially crowned queen. Emma congratulates Regina, referring to her as "madam mayor" before Hook corrects her, naming Regina as "her majesty". Emma again congratulates Regina on getting her happy ending, but she tells her friend it is now a happy beginning. Regina then gives a heartfelt speech about love, loss, dreams and most importantly; hope, as Emma and Killian embrace and cradle their infant daughter.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Emma is the first Dark One whose appearance isn't drastically changed. While her hair turns white, and her skin grows a bit paler, she does not turn a goldish-green color like her predecessors Nimue, Zoso, and Rumplestiltskin, who all seemed to change right away if not very soon after becoming the Dark One. Killian Jones' appearance seems to follow hers when he becomes a Dark One, with only his hair becoming a bit more unkempt, and his eyeliner becoming a bit thicker.
- Emma came up with "Swan" as her last name after August (who was really Pinocchio) saw her burning pages, and before she could burn "The Ugly Duckling", August told her of how the ugly duckling finally became a beautiful swan.
- Also, her last name is Emma's Symbolic journey from having a very tough time and finally becoming a swan.
- Her last name "Swan" and her alias "Dark Swan" also refers to the Black Swan, who is Odile from the Swan Lake ballet.[1]
- Katee Sackhoff auditioned to play Emma at least five times.[citation needed]
- Emma had her children nearly two decades apart; Henry at 18 and Hope around 37. Henry left at 18 for the faster timeline of the Magical Forest, having no siblings then.
- Emma's birthday is October 22, revealed in an early episode. Josh Dallas who plays Emma's father, David Nolan, also confirmed Emma's date of birth.[2]
- Despite being the protagonist of Once Upon a Time, Emma's name is second in the credits.
- Emma was originally going to be named Anna.[3]
Relationships[]
See also[]
- Red Jessica (the love interest of Captain Hook in Jake and the Never Land Pirates)
References[]
- ↑ Entertainment Weekly: 'Once Upon a Time' bosses answer Yes/No/Can't Say (or a little more) to your Twitter Q's
- ↑ "Josh Dallas' tweet". X (October 22, 2024). “"Happy Birthday Emma Swan"”
- ↑ "ONCE UPON A TIME "Pilot" by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz" (May 20, 2019). “Through the front door walks a woman who is, let's not kid ourselves here, a PRESENCE. This is ANNA SWAN. Late 20s. Beautiful, with great strength behind classic features”
External links[]
Emma Swan on Once Upon a Time Wiki- Emma Swan on Villains Wiki
- Emma Swan on Heroes Wiki
- Emma Swan on Wikipedia
