History Characters / OnceUponATimeRumplestiltskin

** To mention as Rumplestiltskin himself. The first few seasons have his [[BewareTheSillyOnes sillier side]] more or less downplayed, the sillier side serving not much for covering the darker. Later seasons ongoingly played up this aspect that one could be forgiven for not taking him seriously, well, at first anyway.

** To mention as Rumplestiltskin himself. The first few seasons has his [[BewareTheSillyOnes sillier side]] more or less downplayed, the sillier side serving not much as a distraction. Later seasons ongoingly played up this aspect that one could be forgiven for not taking him seriously, well, at first anyway.

->'''Centric Episodes:''' “The Price of Gold”, “Desperate Souls”, “Skin Deep”, “The Return”, “The Crocodile”, “Manhattan”, “The Miller’s Daughter”, “Lacey”, “Nasty Habits”, “Think Lovely Thoughts”, “The Apprentice”, “Heroes and Villains”, “Darkness on the Edge of Town”, “Devil’s Due”, “Changelings”, “Ill-Boding Patterns”, “Beauty”, “The Guardian”

* FamousLastWords: Has both of these.
** "Ah, but I'm a villain, and villains don't get happy endings."
** "I know that. But I also know you don't do the right thing for a reward. You do it because it's right. Now I've been selfish for too long. I've been living on stolen time. Now I will finally face the unknown."

* AdaptationalBadass: In the original Grimm's Fairytales, Rumplestiltskin was little more than an evil gnome that engages in trading children for favors. ''Once Upon a Time'' makes him an immortal nigh-omnipotent sorcerer, MagnificentBastard and [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] who plays everyone else - with varying degrees of success that, ''usually'', come out on top for him - like a fiddle.

* DealWithTheDevil: His stock in trade. Everything from knowledge to babies to magic potions can be had... for a price. His price also varies from extremely valuable things like jewelry, family heirlooms, magical artifacts and lifetimes of IndenturedServitude to seemingly worthless trifles like a lock of hair, an item of clothing, or even just a [[IKnowYourTrueName name]]. {{Subverted}} in that he is always up front and unambiguous about his price to whomever accepts his deals, and he always delivers exactly what they ask for; Rumple doesn't make deals to [[JackassGenie intentionally harm]] people or [[AnAesop teach them a lesson]], or even to[[{{Troll}} cause mischief]]. There are many times where people have profited from his deals as much as he does. The danger in accepting a deal from Rumplestiltskin as many other characters realize is that while they may not have to give up much at all, he always takes something that will further his plans that may end up causing problems for them later.

* DealWithTheDevil: His stock in trade. Everything from knowledge to babies to magic potions can be had... for a price. His price also varies from extremely valuable things like jewelry, family heirlooms, magical artifacts and lifetimes of IndenturedServitude to seemingly worthless trifles like a lock of hair, an item of clothing, or even just a [[IKnowYourTrueName name]]. {{Subverted}} in that he is always up front and unambiguous about his price to whomever accepts his deals, and he always delivers exactly what they ask for; Rumple doesn't make deals to [[JackassGenie intentionally harm people]] or [[AnAesop teach them a lesson]], or even to [[{{Troll}}cause mischief]]. There are many times where people have profited from his deals as much as he does. The danger in accepting a deal from Rumplestiltskin as many other characters realize is that while they may not have to give up much at all, he always takes something that will further his plans that may end up causing problems for them later.

* DealWithTheDevil: His stock in trade. Everything from knowledge to babies to magic potions can be had... for a price. His price also varies from extremely valuable things like jewelry, family heirlooms, magical artifacts and lifetimes of IndenturedServitude to seemingly worthless trifles like a lock of hair, an item of clothing, or even just a [[IKnowYourTrueName name]]. {{Subverted}} in that he is always up front and unambiguous about his price to whomever accepts his deals, and he always delivers exactly what they ask for. There are many times where people have profited from his deals as much as he does. The danger in accepting a deal from Rumplestiltskin as many other characters realize is that while they may not have to give up much at all, he always wants something that will further his plans that may end up causing problems for them later.

* HotForStudent: During his time teaching Cora, and she returns his feelings. He doesn't, however, fall for her daughter, Zelena, though she falls for him in the third season.

** When he first meets Dr. Frankenstein, however, he introduces himself as Rumple von Stiltskin. Given that almost everyone calls him Rumple it's possible that is his first name and Stiltskin was his last. But given [[TricksterArchetype who he is]], it's rather more likely that he's putting on airs; claiming a "von" in one's name is stating that one is a noble, and Victor von Frankenstein is far more likely to hear out a fellow member of the aristocracy than some strange commoner.

* TeacherStudentRomance: His relationship with Cora had a tendency to include deals sealed with a kiss, {{Squick}} to the agonized cries of some viewers.

[[caption-width-right:350:'''Rumpelstiltskin:''' ''"[[{{Catchphrase}} All magic comes with a price]]!"'']]

Rumpelstiltskin is the manipulative and powerful "Dark One", who helps the Evil Queen / Regina Mills enact the Dark Curse for his own purposes. In Storybrooke, he enjoys a position of power as the wealthy pawnbroker, Mr Gold, and his memories of his former self are restored when he hears Emma Swan's name.

** His own father was, if not abusive, at the very least neglectful. He happily left his son with a couple of spinsters so he could go out and swindle people. Then, he outright abandoned him when Rumpel couldn't have been much older than eight or nine, leaving the poor kid to find his way back to the spinsters on his own. And as an adult his father is ''definitely'' abusive to him, outright stating that he considered Rumpel to be a burden from the moment he was born, not to mention happily throwing him through the room with magic and intending to kill Rumpel's child and wife.

* AdaptationalBadass: In the original Grimm's Fairytales, Rumpelstiltskin was little more than an evil gnome that engages in trading children for favors. ''Once Upon a Time'' makes him an immortal nigh-omnipotent sorcerer, MagnificentBastard and [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] who plays everyone else - with varying degrees of success that, ''usually'', come out on top for him - like a fiddle.

* TheAgeless: As Rumpelstiltskin. Notice that he doesn't age a day between "That Still Small Voice" and the pilot, even though Geppetto has aged from a young boy to an elderly man in the interim. He also tells Mr. Smee only the Dark One has immortality (which is proven to be a lie later on in the series, although he may not ''know'' that it is a lie).

* AmbitionIsEvil: Almost the entire long-term strategy of Rumpelstiltskin[=/=]Gold boils down to first keeping his son safe and then finding him. With all the bad things he's doing based on such a motivation it's no wonder he's a complex character. His most deplorable actions are often aimed at people [[WhosLaughingNow who insulted or injured him when he was weak]].

-->'''Rumpelstiltskin:''' I have all the time in the world. I will do nothing else! I will love nothing else!

* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: Rumpelstiltskin began his life as a kind, meek and fearful man, and turned into the ruthless and hyperconfident puppetmaster we all know.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Rumpelstiltskin's deals sometimes turn out this way for the people willing to pay the price. Sometimes they realise what they asked for isn't what they needed or wanted, or they misinterpret what Rumpel is offering. One thing Rumpel never does is lie about what he offers or his price.

** Rumpelstiltskin seems to be an in-universe version of this; his deals have been a crucial factor in at least half of the fairy tale plots so far and he's occasionally usurped the roles of certain characters altogether, like Cinderella's fairy godmother, the Beast, and the crocodile that took Hook's hand.

* BewareTheSillyOnes: Rumpelstiltskin is an AffablyEvil GigglingVillain who generally behaves as though everything is a big joke...but piss him off and it may just be the last thing you ever do. (And that's if he doesn't decide to put you through a couple rounds of ColdBloodedTorture before killing you.)
** The Sheriff of Nottingham is clearly fooled by Rumpel's act and regards him as someone not to be taken seriously when he tells Rumpel that the price of giving him information is a night with Belle. The horrified expression on Belle's face when the Sheriff says this visibly affects Rumpel. While Rumpel doesn't rip his face off, the way both his expression and body language changed should have made it clear to the Sheriff that he'd just stepped way over the line...if he hadn't of been too drunk to notice. Rumpel does give him a chance to change his mind, the Sheriff keeps pushing for Rumpel to give him Belle, and finally Rumpel proposes a new deal...that the Sheriff does not like but has no choice but to accept.

* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Rumpelstiltskin can't remember turning a butcher into a pig, but apparently [[YouKilledMyFather that guy's son]] does.

'''Rumpelstiltskin:''' Most things are.

* ClothingReflectsPersonality: Before he became the Dark One and again in season one as. Mr. Gold, Rumpelstilskin's clothes seem two sizes too big for him. [[FridgeBrilliance It makes him look more vulnerable than he actually is.]] The only time his clothes actually fit is whenever he has magic.

* CompositeCharacter: In addition to being Rumpelstiltskin, he's also the Beast from ''Beauty and the Beast'' and the "crocodile" that took Captain Hook's hand, from ''Peter Pan''. He also played the role of Cinderella's fairy godmother, but only after killing her ''actual'' fairy godmother. Season 7 adds [[WesternAnimation/{{Up}} Carl Fredrickson]].
* ConsistentClothingStyle: Mr. Gold always wears suits as a rich businessman. As Rumpelstiltskin, he wears mostly leather.

* CosmicPlaything: Seeing how just ''miserable'' Rumpelstiltskin's life is, before and after becoming the Dark One, all because of a Seer and later learning that his ''grandson'' is supposed to be his downfall? Poor Rumple is just this; the Enchanted Forest keeps picking on him.

* CreateYourOwnVillain: Rumpelstiltskin had a hand in the creation of ''every single villain we've seen''. And also apparently all the heroes as well. So far the only people we've seen who he hasn't manipulated into their current positions are those who are from our world. Even then, he did create the curse that brought Storybrooke into existence, as well as revive magic, which heralded in Greg and Tamara's crusade on Storybrooke's magical creatures.
* CursedWithAwesome: Rumpelstiltskin is cursed to be the most powerful sorcerer in the land and to have sparkly grey skin--which he may or may not be able to conceal with magic. That this ''is'' a curse is established in the Season 1 episode "Skin Deep", wherein Belle almost ends it with True Love's Kiss. In a slight departure, while the show clearly wants us to see him as cursed, Rumpelstiltskin himself never complains about his powers, and is quite sensibly freaked out at the prospect of losing them and being at the mercy of the Evil Queen, not to mention losing any chance of finding his son. In Season 4, he tries to circumvent this by getting hold of the Sorcerer's Hat, an artifact that absorbs magical powers. He wants to use it to collect enough power to break the dagger's connection, so he can have power and be totally free.
* DaddyIssues: His father was called a coward, and abandoned Rumpel at an early age. Even as an immortal adult, his dad's legacy still haunts him. Rumpel's determination ''not'' to be his dad led to the mess his life is in now. Turns out when he was a child, he and his dad went to Neverland together. But his dad was an adult and could no longer access Neverland's magic. In order to do so he gave Rumpel up and turned back into the boy who would call himself Peter Pan.

** According to the soldier enlisting kids in the Ogre Wars, Rumpel was the only survivor of his unit because he ran away at a key point in the battle. His supposed cowardice appears to be backed up by the fact that he's completely harmless... until his son is going to be [[CannonFodder drafted into the war]], at which point he [[BurnBabyBurn sets fire to a Duke's castle]], [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu stabs the Dark One in the heart to take his powers]] and [[BloodbathVillainOrigin slaughters the detachment of soldiers sent to collect his son]].

* DeadpanSnarker: As Mr. Gold. Sometimes as Rumpelstiltskin, too:

'''Rumpelstiltskin:''' Through the charred remains of their homes, yes, I'm sure that will be perfectly clear.
* DealWithTheDevil: His stock in trade. Everything from knowledge to babies to magic potions can be had... for a price. His price also varies from extremely valuable things like jewelry, family heirlooms, magical artifacts and lifetimes of IndenturedServitude to seemingly worthless trifles like a lock of hair, an item of clothing, or even just a [[IKnowYourTrueName name]]. {{Subverted}} in that he is always up front and unambiguous about his price to whomever accepts his deals, and he always delivers exactly what they ask for. There are many times where people have profited from his deals as much as he does. The danger in accepting a deal from Rumpelstiltskin as many other characters realize is that while they may not have to give up much at all, he always wants something that will further his plans that may end up causing problems for them later.
* DeathSeeker: After thinking that his son has been killed, Rumpelstiltskin thinks of the quest to rescue Henry as this, [[http://www.wetpaint.com/once-upon-a-time/articles/2013-07-30-season-3-robert-carlyle-suicide-mission-exclusive according to Robert Carlyle]].

* DidYouThinkICantFeel: At one point Rumpelstiltskin is talking about the power of True Love (of which he happens to be holding a bottle). Prince Charming, rather dismissively, asks what ''he'' could possibly know about true love. Rumpel is not amused: "Well, not so much as you, perhaps, but not so little as you might think."

* DisappearedDad: Neal is rather bitter about being abandoned by his father (even if Rumpel did spend all the intervening time attempting to find him). Apparently, his own father abandoned him, as well.
* TheDon: As Rumpelstiltskin, he would make offers people "couldn't refuse" and asked for payment that left them with what could be ''very'' generously described as "buyer's remorse", and would kill and/or torture anyone that tried to steal from him or try to go back on their deals. As Mr. Gold the allusion as a [[Film/TheGodfather Godfather]]-esq figure in Storybrooke was more apparent; his expensive suit, [[LoanShark giving out loans that he expected to be repaid with no concern for others]], his under-the-table deals and being fully willing to get his hands dirty when the need arises. Add in his ThickerThanWater mentality when it came to Baelfire/Neal, Gideon, Belle and (sometimes) Henry’s presence in his life and he has the makings of a [[Characters/TheGodfather Don Vito Corleone]] {{Expy}}.

--> '''Rumpelstiltskin:''' Roast swan. That's amusing! You'll get that later.
* TheDreaded: Mr. Gold makes everyone uneasy around Storybrooke, and Rumpelstiltskin is also rather intimidating once he gets his powers.
* DrivenToVillainy: Rumpelstiltskin's origins. To save his son, he took on [[TheCorruption dark powers]], [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide getting corrupted]] [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity in the process]].
* DrunkOnTheDarkSide: Rumpelstiltskin ends up progressively worse as days pass in the wake of the end of the Ogre Wars.

* DyingMomentOfAwesome: The prophecy that Henry would be his undoing turns out to mean he's the catalyst for Rumpel accepting that he's a villain, and he has to pay the price for that, by pulling a TakingYouWithMe with Peter Pan.

* EasilyForgiven: Only in the sense that as long as you aren't actively working against him, he really doesn't care what you do even if you've screwed him over in the past (though he'll still remember the score). In the season 2 finale, he outright asks Hook if he's done trying to kill him. Hook replies to the affirmative. Gold remarks that that means he won't have to kill Hook first. However defied with his son, who has ''not'' forgotten that Rumpel chose magic over him, and all the years he spent alone because of it. Although Bae still loves his dad, he is still justifiably angry at what happened.

* EvilIsHammy: As Rumpelstiltskin.
* EvilLaugh: As Rumpelstiltskin, more like evil giggle.

* ExpansionPackPast: Nearly every single new fictional character is introduced with a backstory which involved Rumpelstiltskin dealing with or using them for some purpose or other. The Dark One had his fingers in practically every single pie in the Enchanted Forest and beyond.
* ExtremeDoormat: Rumpelstiltskin in his first incarnation as a simple, kind, handicapped family father on the edge of poverty with gods and the world walking all over him. He gets better – that is, if upgrading himself to [[EvilSorcerer a cruel sorcerer]], [[KickTheDog wife murderer]] and [[TheChessmaster expert puppeteer]] counts as "better".

* FinalBoss: Rumpelstiltskin ends up being the final villain to be faced in the series, but with a catch – [[spoiler: it's the Wish Realm's version of him, who never developed the redeeming qualities that Rumple did through further exposure to Belle and the presence of his sons (see his own section in the Magical Lands page for more details). The main reality's Rumple ultimately has to make a HeroicSacrifice to destroy him after Wish!Rumple claims the Darkness in its entirety and becomes the only Dark One]].

* FromNobodyToNightmare: "Desperate Souls" from Season 1 reveals Rumpelstiltskin's origins as a poor sheep farmer.

* GenerationXerox: "Think Lovely Thoughts" reveals that Rumpelstiltskin's father also traded away his son for magic powers, not to mention was just as manipulative and possessed similar mannerisms.

* HellishPupils: As Rumpelstiltskin.

* HiddenAgendaVillain: Rumpelstiltskin's overarching goal is to get his son back and he manipulates everyone and everything to work towards that goal, specifically to find a magic bean that can open a portal between worlds. Only a precious few characters discover this.

* ICannotSelfTerminate: As Rumpelstiltskin, he is the next avatar of the Dark One and thus is bound by the same problem. However, when Belle tries to break his curse with TrueLovesKiss, he rejects her, believing it to be a trick.

** In the pilot, a guard warns Snow and Charming that Rumpelstiltskin has power over everyone he knows the name and face of. [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness This is never mentioned again,]] apart from Emma's name being the trigger to wake him up from the Dark Curse. Perhaps in this case, it's justified/handwaved if you assume that the guard's statement is meant to be taken at metaphorical value rather than literally - if Rumpelstiltskin knows who you are, it means he knows how you relate to everyone else and thus can tailor his deals appropriately. It could also just be an example of his reputation taking on a life of its own.

** Rumpelstiltskin[=/=]Gold never does anything that doesn't serve his own ends somehow. Even trying to reconnect with Bae after they are reunited and trying to restore Belle's lost memories are all so that Gold can fill the empty void in his soul. He doesn't even help those he loves for the sake of helping them, but purely so that they will love him back. Not once does it occur to him that selflessness is the one thing that could save him and give him his happy ending.

* KavorkaMan: Despite his rather grotesque appearance, Rumpelstiltskin seems to be able to seduce practically any woman, including Cora (who sees power as an attractive trait), Regina (same as Cora, though to a lesser extent), Zelena (he was the first person that ever gave her a chance, in spite of how slim that chance was) and Belle (who saw the man beneath the monster after spending so much time with him). Understandable, considering his charisma, being the "Beast" in the "TrueBeautyIsOnTheInside" ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'' story, and being played by [[Creator/RobertCarlyle Robert]] ''[[Creator/RobertCarlyle frickin']]'' [[Creator/RobertCarlyle Carlyle]].
--> '''Rumpelstiltskin:''' (''Talking to Zelena'') It's okay. [[LampshadeHanging I have that effect on women]]. You love me.

* LaughingMad: As Rumpelstiltskin. Taken UpToEleven in the second half of season 3, after the Wicked Witch revives him from his HeroicSacrifice.

* LonersAreFreaks: And as Rumpelstiltskin, he's freakier than most.

* LukeIAmYourFather: "Manhattan" reveals that Rumpelstiltskin is Henry's paternal grandfather.

* NeverHurtAnInnocent: He's an odd version of this in that while he has killed a number of innocent people for poorly justified reasons, he's just never killed anyone whom he actually believes is innocent. From his perspective his victims were a man who is basically the devil, evil child-kidnapping soldiers, a man who nearly killed his son with a horse and cart and then yelled at Bae for being in the way, spies trying to steal his dagger and control him, the man who ran off with his wife and then later kidnapped his girlfriend, the emotionally abusive ex-wife who abandoned their child and a bunch of people who wanted to kill him. His scary outburst at Belle was brought on by the fact that he honestly thought she was trying to turn him human so she could 'be the hero and kill the beast'. He even defends his pursuit of Robin Hood (who in all fairness did break into his house, rob him and try to kill him) by saying that anyone who'd steal magic is obviously evil. After finding out Robin just wanted to save his pregnant wife, Rumpel not only gives up trying to kill him but lets him keep the wand.

* OhCrap: Tends to have composed versions of this when certain parts of his plan don't go quite the way they're supposed to, but he has a spectacular escalating series of these in "Manhattan". In the past, a Seer tells him his actions on the battlefield will leave his son fatherless. At this, he is shaken, but doesn't believe all of her words. He's then scared out of his wits when he finds out the Seer's prophecy that they would ride cows into battle came true, in a figurative sense. In the present, he has the silent, genuinely stunned version when he connects the dots of why Emma knows Baelfire already - Henry is Baelfire's son, making Rumpel Henry's paternal grandfather. If that wasn't enough, he then realizes that Henry is the boy in the Seer's last prophecy that would bring about his "undoing".

** When he first meets Dr. Frankenstein, however, he introduces himself as Rumpel von Stiltskin. Given that almost everyone calls him Rumpel it's possible that is his first name and Stiltskin was his last. But given [[TricksterArchetype who he is]], it's rather more likely that he's putting on airs; claiming a "von" in one's name is stating that one is a noble, and Victor von Frankenstein is far more likely to hear out a fellow member of the aristocracy than some strange commoner.

* ParentsAsPeople: Before and after becoming the Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin shows himself to be a loving, if very flawed father.

** In Season 1, episode 8, Rumpel gives Emma a pair of walkie-talkies with Henry on his mind. It's one of the few actions where he gains nothing from this, and this early on too.
** In Season 2, when Regina calls him about Henry receiving burns from his dreams, Rumpel makes a house call, explains the situation calmly and even provides a means of controlling the situation. The Price: As it was for Henry, he charged nothing.
** When the Sheriff of Nottingham has something Rumpel needs and states that his price is a night with Belle, Rumpel (who is fresh off skinning someone alive repeatedly mind you) is... not amused with those terms and politely allows the Sheriff to adjust his offer.

* PhysicalGod: As The Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin has access to incredible levels of magical power, immortality from any weapon save for True Love's Kiss destroying his curse and turning him normal or his cursed dagger outright killing him, and bouts of super strength (though that could be magic as well). In the Enchanted Forest people ran in fear of the Dark One for good reason.
* PowerfulAndHelpless: When he initially loses Baelfire through a dimensional portal, getting back to him is ironically beyond Rumpel's vast powers which he had become addicted to. He does discover another way to reach the other realm, but it requires centuries of planning, manipulation and dirty deals. This is how he evolves into TheChessmaster of the series, and his greatest power becomes his mastery of the XanatosGambit.
* PreMortemOneLiner: To Zelena: "I promised my son I would avenge his death. Rumpelstiltskin never breaks a deal."

* PragmaticVillainy: Rarely does he act on his emotions and approaches situations in a calm, calculated manner hidden beneath his smile and, for Rumpel, laugh. Only when his BerserkButton is pressed does he sometimes step away from this.

-->'''Rumpelstiltskin:''' "I WILL FIND HIM!"

* ReadTheFinePrint: As Rumpelstiltskin he does not advocate those who make deals with him to look further than the simple wording of his promise. As Mr. Gold, he is amazed at how few people actually read the Town charter, which points out some holes in Regina's power.

** As Rumpel pushes away Belle lest TrueLovesKiss turns him back to normal. He later regrets the decision.

* ReformedButRejected: He pleads this to his son telling him that he's changed from his old ways, but his son isn't entirely convinced until he sees proof that Rumpel removed his shadow like he claimed. Ultimately subverted as he'll always crave the powers of the Dark One even as a normal human.

--> '''Regina:''' Rumpel was a bully. He didn't suffer fools and he certainly didn't coddle his students. And if he tried to teach you how to swim and you couldn't learn... you drowned.

* SnakeTalk: As Rumpelstiltskin. You have to listen for it but it's there. Not as Mr. Gold. He also didn't have it initially as the Dark One but as we see him slowly slip into his singsong snake voice the less he has Baelfire around as a MoralityPet.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The show consistently spells Rumpelstiltskin's name as "Rumplestiltskin".

* StoryBreakerPower: Why Rumpel is permanently stuck in the HeelFaceRevolvingDoor. If he did permanently turn good, he could defeat every foe that showed up and there'd be no real conflict anymore. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] since Emma spent some time as a Dark One and succumbed to the lure of its power a little bit; there's something about evil magic that still steers even the purest-hearted person in the direction of manipulation and deceit.

* SupernaturalGoldEyes: As Rumpelstiltskin.

* TheSvengali: Rumpelstiltskin appears to have been this to Regina in the past since he was the one who taught her magic and manipulated her into using it to kill in "The Doctor".

* TragicKeepsake: The chipped cup Belle broke. As Rumpel he moved aside a golden goblet to put it on a pedestal and as Mr. Gold he was willing to beat a man and give up on a secret of his just to get it back. His knife also qualifies as it always reminds him of his son and his inability to let go of his new-found power.

* TraumaCongaLine: Season 3 puts him through a particularly vicious one at the hands of Zelena. She tricks his son into bringing him back from the dead, eventually killing Neal - but not before Rumpel absorbs his son for a year in an effort to keep him alive, driving the Dark One insane once again. Once Neal dies - in front of Rumpel, no less - Zelena asserts control with his dagger to make him her puppet and force him to break all of his morals, including threatening to harm Belle and ''a child'', all the while gloating that it was his fault for not picking her to enact the curse (which would have required her to kill him, driving it further that all of this was pointless). Oh, and he's kept in a cage in her storm cellar the entire time, not even allowed to attend his own son's funeral or wake. By the end, it's no wonder that he wants her dead.

* TheTrickster: As Rumpelstiltskin; a classic example.
* TrrrillingRrrs: Sometimes as Rumpelstiltskin.

* TheUnfettered: PlayedStraight with Rumpelstiltskin when he tries finding his son. He clearly WouldHitAGirl in "Manhattan".
* VerbalTic: "Dearie" as Rumpelstiltskin. It's worth noting that as both of his cursed personas, he doesn't use it [[spoiler:until he is revealed to have his memories back.]]It's shown he inherited it from his mother, despite the fact he was very young when she abandoned him.

* VitriolicBestBuds: With Charming. To date, Rumpel has gone to Charming for dating advice twice. On one occasion, Rumpel was willing to go as far as to willing leave himself in Charming's debt, which has never happened before. On all occasions, however, Rumpel goes back to being his usual self as soon as Charming's done helping him.
* WealthsInAName: His Storybrooke alias, "Mr. Gold," is a nod to his real identity as Rumpelstiltskin, but also serves as this considering he's a wealthy pawnbroker.
* WhosLaughingNow: All the people who have wronged Rumpelstiltskin end up regretting it. Or dead.

** In "Lacey", upon discovering that the reason Robin Hood stole a wand from him was to heal Marian, who was deathly ill and pregnant, Rumpelstiltskin intentionally misses with the arrow he was aiming at them. Made more telling that the bow used was enchanted to ensure the arrow ''always'' find the archer's intended target.

* XanatosGambit: He's good enough at them to rival the TropeNamer [[{{WesternAnimation/Gargoyles}} himself]]. It's usually a safe bet to assume that Rumpel has multiple ongoing schemes at any given time, typically set up in such a way that he has some stake in every side of a current conflict, insuring that regardless of which side comes out on top, the outcome will either immediately benefit him and/or advance at least one of his long term goals in some way.

** His "deary" VerbalTic might also come from his mother, who has a tendency to drop a few "deary"s in from time to time.

* XanatosGambit: He's good enough at them to rival the TropeNamer [[WesternAnimation/Gargoyles himself]]. It's usually a safe bet to assume that Rumpel has multiple ongoing schemes at any given time, typically set up in such a way that he has some stake in every side of a current conflict, insuring that regardless of which side comes out on top, the outcome will either immediately benefit him and/or advance at least one of his long term goals in some way.

%% * {{Adorkable}}
%% Adorkable is not adorable. Is he a cute dork/geek?

** Like Regina, he's emotionally (''not'' physically) abusive to his son. He kills people in front of his child. He has massive overreactions to any injury done to Bae, best shown when he turns a man into a slug and stomps on him for hitting Bae with a cart. Bae also seems to have become afraid of his father. Lastly, he ends up unwilling to listen to Bae and uphold the deal made with him to go to a new world, choosing to drop Bae into the portal rather than let go of his power; a decision he immediately regrets and never stops regretting.

* VerbalTic: "Dearie" as Rumpelstiltskin. It's worth noting that as both of his cursed personas, he doesn't use it [[spoiler:until he is revealed to have his memories back.]]It's shown he inherited it from his mother,[[Spoiler: the Black fairy]], despite the fact he was very young when she abandoned him.

* VerbalTic: "Dearie" as Rumpelstiltskin. It's worth noting that as both of his cursed personas, he doesn't use it [[spoiler:until he is revealed to have his memories back.]]It's shown he inherited it from his mother[[Spoiler Alert: the Black fairy]], despite the fact he was very young when she abandoned him.

* VerbalTic: "Dearie" as Rumpelstiltskin. It's worth noting that as both of his cursed personas, he doesn't use it [[spoiler:until he is revealed to have his memories back.]]

* ApologeticAttacker: While he's under Zelena's control, he repeatedly apologizes while threatening Robin Hood's son.

** To mention as Rumplestiltskin himself. The first few seasons has his BewareTheSillyOnes aspect more or less downplayed, the sillier side serving not much as a distraction. Later seasons ongoingly played up this aspect that one could be forgiven for not taking him seriously, well, at first anyway.

* KavorkaMan: Despite his rather grotesque appearance, Rumpelstiltskin seems to be able to seduce practically any woman, including Cora (who sees power as an attractive trait), Regina (same as Cora, though to a lesser extent), Zelena (he was the first person that ever gave her a chance, in spite of how slim that chance was) and Belle (who saw the man beneath the monster after spending so much time with him). Understandable, considering his charisma, being the "Beast" in the "TrueBeautyIsOnTheInside" ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'' story, and being played by [[Creator/RobertCarlyle Robert]] ''[[Creator/RobertCarlyle frickin']]'' [[Creator/RobertCarlyle Carlyle]].