This article is about the Once Upon a Time character. For the Sofia the First character, see Prince James. For other characters with the name, see James.
Prince James is a character who appears on ABC's Once Upon a Time as an antagonist, and the deceased twin brother of Prince Charming. He is portrayed by starring cast member Josh Dallas, and does not have a Storybrooke counterpart. He is the biological son of Ruth, though was given up to King George and his wife, who couldn't have children. James was raised by the King and grew up as a prince and died when fighting.
Following his death, James' spirit resides in the Underworld due to unfinished business, where he finally meets his brother David, whom James hates. James and David have a fight near the docks, which leads to James spending eternity in the River of Souls as he could not move on from the resentment he had of his brother.
History[]
Before the First Curse[]
Prince James is born to Ruth and her husband Robert, along with his twin David. He is traded to Rumplestiltskin to save the family farm. Rumplestiltskin gives the infant to King George, who needs a heir due to his wife being barren and unable to conceive a child. King George names him James and raises the child as his own.
However, James doesn't like the prince life or George's plans to make him a killer and runs away. George, believing he was abducted, promises a reward for the one who can find him. Robert, deciding to take him back to his true family, learned from Rumple that his son is on Pleasure Island. Pinocchio gives him a hand to in finding his son and James learns the truth about his origins. While Pinocchio distracts the Coachman and his minion, Robert and James flee, only to run into King George. After Robert defiantly refuses the reward or to hand over his son, George has his men murder him while covering it up as an accident. With that, James remains as prince, with his morality tainted by George's corrupt influence.
Prince James grows up to be spoiled and irresponsible. He pursues a romantic relationship with Jacqueline, but King George wants James to focus on helping the kingdom, as it is in economical disarray. James and Jack go after the giant, Anton, and they give him a magical mushroom that shrinks him to human size. Jack and James take him to a tavern where Anton enjoys music. Jack tells Anton about the kingdom debts, and Anton decides he wants to help the kingdom with gold by giving them treasure. However, they betray Anton, and climb up the beanstalk to fight a battle to slaughter all the giants and steal their beans. Jack stabs Arlo with her poisoned sword, and he does the same to her. Dying of her the stab wound, Jack calls to James for help, but he refuses to save her and hastily leaves to climb down the beanstalk after gathering a bag of treasures. Anton is the only survivor of the massacre.
Much later on, Prince James spars with Behemoth in a sword fight. After winning the match, the prince meets with King George and King Midas. The three come to an arrangement wherein if the prince can defeat a dragon that has been ravaging Midas' kingdom, Midas will supply George's kingdom with gold using his golden hand, which turns any object into gold upon contact.
After Midas has departed, Behemoth unexpectedly rises and stabs the prince through the torso, killing him. This event necessitates the grieving King George into making an additional deal with Rumplestiltskin. He trades the whereabouts of the Fairy Godmother to the wizard in exchange for the dead prince's twin brother to masquerade in his place.
After his death, his spirit is sent to the Underworld due to having unfinished business. He learns how his brother took his place, growing resentful and hateful towards his brother, although its unclear how James learns of his brother taking his place.
During the Alternate Reality[]
When the author creates an alternate reality with the Heroes and Villains book, Snow White and Regina swap places as the evil queen and the princess as a bandit on the run. James' death is a result of Regina telling the secret that Snow White is in love with James and he is killed, which means Snow wants Regina dead. This is parallel to the main timeline where Regina was originally in love with a boy named Daniel Colter and a young Snow told Cora about Daniel, not keeping Regina's secret, which resulted in Cora killing Daniel and Regina then spent years desperate to kill Snow as revenge.
After the Third Curse[]
- “So, Show White's in town, guess that means my brother is too. When you see o'l Dave, tell him there's a new sheriff in town.”
- ―James to Mary Margret[src]
James becomes Sheriff of the Underworld and begins a sexual relationship with Cruella after her death.
Years after his death, James is stuck in the Underworld and enters Granny's Diner where he finds his sister-in-law Mary Margaret and easily fools her into thinking he is David and just switched clothes. Mistaking him for his brother David, she asks why he changed his clothes and he kisses her. He reveals his identity and realises that if Snow's in the Underworld, so is David. He tells Mary Margaret to tell his brother that there is a new sheriff in town, and leaves right as his twin comes in to catch a glimpse of him.
Weeks later, David says that he and James need well deserved, overdue chat and Snow comments that she will come true as she believes James needs a "punch in his pretty mouth" for kissing her. David becomes disgusted and annoyed that James kissed Snow and wants to find his brother. while David and Snow are looking for ways to defeat Hades, David poses as James in his sheriff office to try to trick Cruella, who reveals she knows David isn't actually James, after kissing him passionately. David becomes annoyed at Cruella that she already knew the difference between the brothers. Cruella tells David that he will one day meet James while he is in the underworld and reveals that James despises David because their mother gave James up instead of him. David tells Cruella that it is not his fault that James feels this way, but his twin still blames him regardless.
- “You've had your fun playing prince. Now lets see what happens when I play shepherd.”
- ―James after knocking out David.[src]
Weeks later, after Snow leaves the underworld, David stays with Emma and their family to continue their way to find a way to defeat Hades. While shopping for groceries, James stops David in the middle of the road and they finally meet in person for the first time. David tries to get through to James and make peace about them being seperated as babies, but James threatens David instead, who tells his brother it is not his fault that James got himself killed. James then knocks out David and locks him in the Underbrooke sheriff station to try and pose as him.
James and David fighting.
James disguise easily fools Emma and once they meet up with Robin and his baby daughter, he slaps a cuff to limit her magic. It was all part of a plan by him and Cruella to use the newborn as leverage against Hades (as he's in love with the infant's mother) in order to return to life since the Author, James' great-nephew, refuses to do so. Before James can sentence his niece to eternity in the River of Lost Souls at the harbor, David comes to the rescue with Captain Hook. While Cruella retreats, the twins have a fist fight with David having the upper hand. He tries to reason with his embittered sibling that he can help him move on and find peace, but James exclaims that the former's death is his unfinished business. Refusing to escape with Cruella, he tries to stab his brother with a knife hidden in his sock. However, David redirects James' movement, sending him off the edge of the pier. The vengeful prince plummets into the river and dissolves into it, much to his brother's dismay, who mourns him. Emma tells her father that James clearly could not ever move on from feeling hateful towards David. Although he understands, David expresses his sadness, saying that James was still his brother, despite everything that happened between them.
James is later mentioned when David confronts the Evil Queen. David is worried that he's becoming like James due to the fact that he tried to kill the evil part of Regina, but Killian assures him that people make mistakes and just because David made one, it does not make him as evil as his brother was.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- James is one of the several siblings of characters shown within the show and the first brother of a starring character. The second is Liam Jones, the brother of Captain Hook.
- While the young Prince James is on Pleasure Island, he is seen wearing a similar outfit to The Prince's from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
- This could be a reference to the fact that his brother David is based on the prince from the film.
- Like David, James has five letters in his name.
- With both their names, James and David, makes the name "David James", the name of a Canadian singer.
- James is one of the few characters to not have a Storybrooke counterpart.
- The name "James" is of English origin derived from the name "Jacob" that means "supplanter".
