History Series / OnceUponATime

->''There was an enchanted forest filled with all the classic characters we know. Or think we know. One day they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen. Our World. This is how it happened...''

''Once Upon a Time'' is a LiveActionTV fantasy series aired on Creator/{{ABC}}.

->''It's like Disney's great big Domestic AU fanfic...some of the time.''
-->'''''-Lindsay Ellis'''''

->''It's like Disney's great big Domestic AU fanfic...some of the time. '''-Lindsay Ellis'''''

->''It's like Disney's great big Domestic AU fanfic...some of the time.'' '''-Lindsay Ellis'''

->''There was an enchanted forest filled with all the classic characters we know. [[HiddenDepths Or think we know]]. One day they found themselves [[TrappedInAnotherWorld trapped in a place]] where [[EarnYourHappyEnding all their happy endings were stolen]]. Our World. This is how it happened...''

'''''Once Upon a Time''''' is a LiveActionTV fantasy series aired on Creator/{{ABC}}.

->''[[ArcWords All magic comes with a price]].''

[[quoteright:349:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_ly25ztW55a1r7omiao1_500_9343.jpg]]

!!''Once Upon a Time'' provides examples of the following tropes:

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[[folder:A-D]]
* OneHundredAndEight: The address of Henry and his mother. Appropriate, as she's one of the {{Big Bad}}s.
** It also seems to be one of the many {{Shout Out}}s to ''Series/{{Lost}}''.
* AbsenteeActor: Robert Carlyle, from three episodes... and Raphael Sbarge from a lot more than three (see also BillingDisplacement).
** Season 2 featured several episodes in which lead actors are absent as the storyline focuses on one specific set of actors for an episode. Ruby/Red is probably the most noteworthy example, to the point where the character was quietly written out towards the end of the season after the actress was cast in another series.
* AbusiveParents:
** Regina:
*** She is at first strongly implied to be emotionally abusive in her lack of concern and involvement with Henry beyond trying to one-up Emma. Another example of her abuse is her trying to gaslight him (the show implies that she thinks that this is what is best for him, but her fear of losing him also played a part), going as far as to threaten his therapist. She even unknowingly resorts to blatant acts of violence ''in front of him'' because she doesn't check whether he is away in order to regain custody of him.
*** In Season 2, however, Regina appears to be going all-out to avert the trope and make amends with Henry--though it's more to regain his affection than any sincere goodness. The season finale [[HeelRealization changes this drastically]], though, and in Season 3, no one, not even Emma, is questioning her motives anymore.
** Jiminy's family in the Enchanted Forest were this to him, always manipulating his desire to stop thieving to keep him at it.
** Cora, Regina's mother. She killed Regina's true love to force her into marrying the King, because she wants ''her'' idea of the best possible life for her daughter, meaning status and power. She is extremely possessive of Regina, planning to go to Storybrooke after the curse is broken because then Regina will have lost everything and will ''need'' her. And she believes all this qualifies as motherly love. {{Justified|Trope}} in that [[spoiler:Cora wasn't truly capable of healthy, proper love as long as her heart was kept outside of her body]].
** Rumplestiltskin himself might be an example. [[spoiler: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 after hitting Bae with a cart. Bae also seems to have become afraid of his father]].
** Rumplestilskin's wife, Milah, was of the [[ParentalNeglect neglectful variety. She would leave her young son home alone for hours at a time]] [[DrowningMySorrows so she could go drinking at the local tavern]]. [[ParentalAbandonment Eventually, she abandoned him altogether]].
** Rumpelstiltskin's father as well. He abandoned Rumple [[spoiler: for (almost) eternal youth and in season 3 taunts and plays with his emotions.]]
* AccidentalMurder: Red accidentally kills her mother when the latter tries to kill Snow.
* AccompliceByInaction: Regina's motivation for wanting revenge against Snow White is that [[spoiler:she didn't keep a secret from her mother, who discovered her engagement with the family's stable boy and killed him]]. In fact, this part of her motivation against Leopold who [[spoiler:helped her mother's plans by accepting her mother's answer to the marriage proposal instead of hers]].
** Though it could be argued that Snow took an action that lead to Daniel's death, telling Cora their secret. It's not as much lack of resistance and inaction in this case, which would make her seem doubly guilty.
* AcheyScars: Granny has a nasty looking one on her arm that aches every month on the full moon [[spoiler:because it's the wound she got when she became a werewolf.]]
* ActionGirl
** Emma [[spoiler:takes up her father's sword in order to battle Dragon!Maleficent, and later uses both swordfighting and general brawling skills in the Enchanted Forest]].
** Snow White's goes from 'hints' to outright awesome scenes of badassery as her story progresses, [[spoiler:especially when she leads a small army in a full-on invasion of King George's castle in her efforts to save Charming. Never mind the time she put an arrow ''through the eye'' of an ogre about to kill Emma, or when she used an aerosol can and cigarette lighter as a makeshift flame-thrower to fight off the wraith]].
** Mulan certainly qualifies, since she's been told to have fought in many battles with Prince Phillip.
** Red[=/=]Ruby, usually in conjunction with her ability to [[spoiler:turn into a wolf]], but not always. For example, her take-down of Quinn in the beginning of "Child of the Moon", which happens when she [[spoiler:isn't a wolf]], and "In the Name of the Brother" when Ruby unexpectedly displays superhuman speed when she runs to stop someone from committing suicide.
** Granny, on a couple of occasions, generally involving a crossbow.
** Belle, when she tracked and fought [[spoiler:the beast that was Cursed!Phillip]].
* ActionMom: Snow White
* ActorAllusion:
** This [[BlackSwan isn't]] the first time Barbara Hershey has played a StageMom with a preference for black clothing whose daughter eventually comes to embrace her dark side.
** Jiminy's admonishment to Henry that "giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything" becomes hilarious once you realize [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic where you've heard his voice before]].
** A Machiavellian {{Chessmaster}} type with a hidden agenda in a constant power struggle with another questionable authority figure? Yeah Creator/RobertCarlyle has [[Series/StargateUniverse never done]] ''[[Series/StargateUniverse that]]'' [[Series/StargateUniverse before]].
*** Or playing a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds that was never really a ''good'' guy, but never planned on [[Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough becoming world-destroying evil]], either
* ActuallyIAmHim: That boy that helps Henry escape from the Lost Boys? [[spoiler: It's Peter Pan, the BigBad of the season]]
* AdaptationalBadass:
** Forest dweller and survivor Snow White certainly qualifies.
** Also, Prince Charming. In the original story, he was, well, a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin charming prince]]. Here, he is a great swordsman and archer.
** LittleRedRidingHood is [[spoiler:a werewolf who learns to use her powers to her own advantage]].
** Rumplestiltskin is more of a badass in the series than usually depicted. Especially since he started out a total coward (and he admits he still is - he hides behind magic...in fact he became the Dark One in order to get rid of his cowardice) and failed to even fight for his wife when she was kidnapped by Killian Jones (Hook). In his own words:
--->'''Rumplestiltskin:''' I am a coward. I have been my entire life. I tried to make up for it by collecting power and the power became so important that I couldn't let go... not even... when that meant losing the most important person in my life.\\
'''Rumplestiltskin:'''... I'm still a coward. Magic has become a crutch that I can't walk without.
** Speaking of Rumplestiltskin, the Miller's Daughter generally doesn't even have a ''name'', let alone the opportunity to do anything more exceptional than conveniently overhear Rumplestiltskin's. Cora, meanwhile, is pure terror both in her not-small amount of magical power, but in her ability to manipulate others. [[spoiler:She's also impressive in comparison to other representations of the Queen of Hearts]].
** Speaking of Hook, he's a far cry from the silly, fearful Disney version that most people know, not to mention more badass than he was in the original book - mostly due to it being him hunting "the Crocodile", as opposed to the other way around.
* AdaptationalVillainy:
** Jack the Giant Killer is reimagined as a selfish treasure hunter who took advantage of a naive and good-hearted giant.
*** Actually, this is an example of an UnbuiltTrope concerning a different folk tale. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_and_the_Beanstalk Jack ''and the beanstalk'']] is a separate myth from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Giant_Killer Jack ''the Giant Killer'']]. Jack from the latter is the hero portrayed in most modern adaptations (though he never ascended a beanstalk) while Jack from the former is considered by some to be a VillainProtagonist who is a petty thief and liar - much like the "hero" proposed in this series. In an interesting twist from the show's formula, audience expectations are slammed by having a character portrayed as s/he was in the ''original'' myth, rather than complete deviation.
** [[spoiler:Peter Pan, who has apparently been sending his shadow into other realms, abducting young boys and bringing them to Neverland and never allowing them to leave, all just to locate one particular boy. He also employed Greg and Tamara who, under his orders, attempt to destroy Storybrooke and then kidnap Henry]].
* AddictiveMagic: The two main villains, Regina and Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold both addicted to their dark magical powers, Rumplestiltskin's [[EvilMakesYouUgly dark magic has made his skin turn a weird greenish gold with gold eyes after becoming the dark one]], though Regina has still maintained her looks, she has a more cruel look to her than before she turned to dark magic. Archie Hopper (Jiminy Cricket) told Regina starting the magic was always easier than stopping.
** In [[AllThereInTheManual one of the Season 2 DVD featurettes]], it is stated outright that Regina is considered to be addicted to magic.
* AdiposeRex: To show the difference between Prince James and Charming, Josh Dallas wears a slight fat suit to show that Prince James is in a little worse shape than Charming/David is.
* {{Adorkable}}:
** Graham, Graham, Graham.
** Archie, Astrid and ''Rumplestiltskin'', of all people, when he's around Belle.
** Regina was also like this when she was younger and before she turned evil.
** Belle also qualifies. [[spoiler:Especially when she becomes Storybrooke's librarian. Cranked up to ten in the "Good Morning Storybrooke" DVD minisode]].
** Mary Margaret. Some of it is retained even when she goes back to being Snow White.
* AdultFear:
** Suspecting your spouse not only of cheating, but of loving the other person.
** Being accused of a murder you didn't commit, and having powerful people willing to do anything to see you go down.
** The biological mother of your adopted child seeking you out and winning his affections from you. Mitigated in the show proper by the adoptive mother Regina being borderline abusive and the biological mother Emma trying to distance herself (although Henry pushes the issue).
** War resulting in the kingdom lowering the minimum age of soldiers. Followed up with the army coming in and taking your child, regardless of gender or parental opinion, the moment they meet age requirements.
** Being trapped somewhere and unable to return home to your child, who doesn't even remember that she ''is'' your child.
** Through a moment of weakness, becoming separated from your child for a long time, possibly forever.
** Sending your child away somewhere unknown, in an effort to protect them from a dangerous threat, knowing it's likely you won't see them again potentially ever.
** Your child in a coma, not knowing what you can do to save him, and walking in [[spoiler:to find out he's been declared dead]].
** Losing not just someone one you love, but the one that gave you the strength to be a better person. And when you get them back, they're completely different.
** Your child being tempted to somewhere their kidnapper never allows them to leave.
* AgentScully: Emma is highly dubious about the idea that she's in a town full of amnesiac fairy-tale characters. [[spoiler:Until she's convinced otherwise.]]
* AerithAndBob: The Enchanted Forest has names like Snow White, Maleficent and Rumplestiltskin alongside Henry, Abigail, and Daniel.
* AerosolFlamethrower: Mary Margaret makes one in "Broken".
* AfterTheEnd: In Season 2, [[spoiler:Emma and Snow are sent back to the Enchanted Forest and find that it still exists and there are still people there]]. Prior to that, [[spoiler:it was believed that the Enchanted Forest had been completely destroyed, so everyone looked on Storybrooke as an After The End situation.]]
* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler:Many people would have been quite happy for Cora to die before "The Miller's Daughter". The way it actually happens, dying in a distraught Regina's arms after deciding that her daughter would have been worth losing all that power... was ten kinds of depressing]].
* ALessonLearnedTooWell: Regina learns the hard way from her mother, Cora, (who expects her to marry up) that love makes her vulnerable, when Cora rips her boyfriend's heart in front of her and orders her to marry the king. She thinks that she made her daughter the perfect future queen, and afterwards, Regina tries not to be vulnerable because of her feelings. So she ends up trying to kill her mother because she doesn't want to have a weak spot when her Revenge starts.
** [[MerlinAndNimue Cora, in turn, had learned from Rumpelstiltskin "don't stop until they are on their knees." Like Regina, she later decided the lesson was supposed to be learning involved killing the person who taught it to her in the first place.]]
* AllDeathsFinal: Double Subverted. Three different magical characters have said that they can't bring back the dead: the Blue Fairy, Rumplestiltskin, and the Genie have all said it's impossible for them. Frankenstein then brings two characters back from the dead... [[CameBackWrong not quite successfully, though.]]
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Subverted with Belle and Rumplestiltskin. [[spoiler:Belle has always brought out the best in Gold and is horrified by his evil side, but the alter-ego Regina gave her, Lacey, enjoys watching him beat up her other suitor with his cane and appears to be this trope personified]].
* AllMythsAreTrue: At least all fairy tales are. Though it's [[PublicDomain a very loose]] definition of fairy tale. ClassicalMythology seems to be fair game too. Historical legends, with the addition of [[spoiler:Mulan]]. And with the unveiling of [[spoiler:Dr. Frankenstein]], it would seem even classical sci-fi and horror aren't off-limits either.
** WordOfGod says all "storybook" characters are considered fair game. There were plans to include Franchise/SherlockHolmes from the very beginning (likely dropped due to the character already receiving extensive contemporary exposure in film and TV), and an early draft of the pilot script reveals that {{Dracula}} has been considered, and [[spoiler:Dr. Frankenstein, and to a lesser degree his monster]], have been featured in the show since the third episode, though not revealed as such until well into Season 2.
** The [[Literature/AliceInWonderland Mad Hatter]] and [[PeterPan Captain Hook]] both appear, with both Wonderland (the setting of a spin-off series launched in 2013) and Neverland being major locations in Season 2. The Mad Hatter is even implied to have visited [[TheWizardOfOz Oz]].
** Jiminy Cricket and Pinocchio were originally characters of an 1883 novel by Carlo Collodi, not a folktale, and were included in the pilot. However, in the series, they are based upon the Disney animated interpretation, which placed the two characters firmly into the realm of fairy tales.
** Arthurian legends and characters such as Lancelot have also been included.
** The inclusion of Pongo, one of ''Literature/TheHundredAndOneDalmatians'', is one of the most recently created characters: the original novel was only published in 1956. Presumably, this is covered under Disney's deal for the rights to it.
* AllTherapistsAreMuggles: Played with. The town's only therapist, Dr. Hopper, isn't a muggle. He's Jiminy Cricket. However, like everyone else in Storybrooke he has amnesia and doesn't know this, so he tries to help Henry but doesn't believe what he says about the curse. At least, not at first.
* AllTrollsAreDifferent
* AlmostKiss:
** Snow and Charming at their wedding in the pilot.
** Between Mary Margaret and David in Episode 5.
** Between Mary Margaret and David again (as well as their Enchanted Forest alter egos) twice in Episode 10. [[spoiler:They finally seal it at the end of the episode]].
** Regina and David nearly lock lips towards the end of Season 1.
** Rumplestiltskin and Belle get one in "The Outsider".
** Snow and Charming have ''another'' one is Season 2 [[spoiler:in the Fire Room, when they realize that they can't touch each other in spirit form.]]
* AmbiguouslyEvil: Hook seemed like a clear-cut BigBad at first, but his actual role is becoming more ambiguous as time goes on. It does not help that he [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder keeps]] [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor switching sides]].
* AmbitionIsEvil: Almost the entire long-term strategy of Rumplestiltskin/Gold boils down to [[spoiler: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]].
** And even Rumplestiltskin has [[EvenEvilHasStandards some marginal standards]]. There is absolutely no one that Cora wouldn't sleep with, cut deals with, manipulate, abuse, or kill to get what ''she'' wants. To provide some context, a young Cora ends up using Rumple as a pawn. When a functionally standalone story with no outside context can make Rumple look like a victim, that's saying something.
* AmnesiacLover:
** [[spoiler: David Nolan is this to Kathryn, his Storybrooke wife]].
** [[spoiler:Snow,]] after taking Rumplestiltskin's potion. She eventually regains her memories.
** [[spoiler:Mary Margaret and David, when they begin their affair, are this ''to each other'' thanks to the curse blocking their memories of life as Snow and Charming]].
** [[spoiler:As Belle had no memories of Rumple' after being locked up in an asylum for 28 years,]] when she walks into his shop, she is one to him, albeit only briefly before her memories were restored.
** [[spoiler:As of "The Outsider", Belle becomes this again, thanks to Hook]].
* AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome: Henry gets one from [[spoiler:Mr. Gold]] in order to survive in and control [[spoiler:the netherworld]].
* AnachronicOrder:
** The scenes in Storybrooke are in order, but the flashbacks to the Enchanted Forest are not in any particular order--they serve to fill in the background of whichever Storybrooke resident is in the limelight that episode. Complicated further beginning in Season 2 when we start to also see scenes set in the ''present-day'' Enchanted Forest, and in the past of Storybrooke.
* AnachronismStew: Storybrooke was supposedly frozen in time for more than 20 years, yet recent innovations such as the Internet and cell phones are present well before the curse is lifted.
* AndIMustScream:
** Jiminy was given a potion from Rumplestiltskin that turned [[spoiler:Geppetto's parents into dolls, seemingly forever]].
** Gaston is turned into a rose by Rumplestiltskin and is then clipped by Belle.
** This is how sleeping curses work in this universe: the victim appears to be dead, but they are trapped in an endless sleep filled with "nightmares formed from their own regrets." [[spoiler:This becomes a major plot point in Season 2]].
* AndShowItToYou: Regina (and her past life) has a real thing for people's hearts.
** This, like so much else, runs in the family. [[spoiler:Regina's mother, Cora, did this to her fiancé, which is the main thing that caused her to turn out the way she did]].
** And it seems like they probably learned this trick from [[spoiler:Rumplestiltskin, who used it on his wife when she told him she didn't love him]].
* AndStarring: RobertCarlyle.
* AnimalAssassin: Regina in the fairy tale world had a pair of Agrhaban vipers sent to her room to kill herself with (à la Cleopatra) until her lover, the Genie suggests that there's another way. He uses the vipers to murder the king. It later turns out she [[ManipulativeBitch planned the whole thing]].
* AnimalMotifs: In the pilot, we see a swan on Henry's night light and on the room key Emma receives from Granny. Particularly poignant given Snow White's affinity with birds and her Storybrooke-version's speech about the loyalty of birds.
* AntiMagic: Rumplestilskin is imprisoned in a cell that prevents him from using his powers.
** Later on, we meet an organization of Witch Hunters who "scientifically" nullify magic by injecting people with metals and nanomachines.
* AntiVillain: Given the show's optimistic take on a MoralityKitchenSink (and willingness to {{woobie}}fy any character), three of the show's four major villains (Cora being the exception) are leaning this way.
** Although Regina crossed the MoralEventHorizon during the first season, her backstory has been used to deconstruct the Villain trope, turning her into a TragicVillain and a Type II AntiVillain.
** By the mid-Season 2 break, and ''especially'' by "The Cricket Game", [[spoiler:Regina very well may have graduated to Type IV. She at least appears to be [[CharacterDevelopment genuinely trying to become a better person]], and in this episode it is mostly the fact that basically nobody trusts her that puts her at all into opposition with Emma and the others. Several times, most recently at the end of Season 2, she fully crosses the line into anti-hero territory, and is actually described as being a "hero" on one of the Season 2 DVD featurettes.]]
** Rumple has been similarly deconstructed, not only into a TragicVillain, but also into the clearest example of a Type II, a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds.
** Hook almost runs the gamut of the SlidingScaleOfAntiVillains.
*** Type I: At least on the surface. Hook's very well mannered and claims [[EvenEvilHasStandards he has standards]], but he's very unpredictable in applying them. Hook does not hesitate to KickTheDog [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope on his way toward his goals]], but he will [[PetTheDog attempt to set things right]] in the name of fair play when having kicked is no longer necessary. He seems to be becoming a NobleTopEnforcer in exchange for help reaching his own goal.
*** Type II: He's a would-be SympatheticMurderer.
*** Type III: The WellIntentionedExtremist. Not only would many people in this narrative line up and pay to watch Hook skin his "crocodile", they would probably help - even without knowing his motivations. They'd disapprove of who Hook's teamed up with and what he has done to get to that point in the narrative, though.
* AnyoneCanDie: You wouldn't suspect it at first due to the six lead characters still being okay after three seasons, and some characters having PlotArmor due to them appearing after their flashback in the real world, but when you think about it, the body count for the show so far is staggering even for named characters. Deaths include, [[spoiler: The Huntsman, Cora, Milah, Peter, King Leopold, Queen Eva, Ruth, Stealthy, Prince Henry, Daniel, Cinderella's fairy godmother, Gus, Greg Mendell, Tamara, Felix, Peter Pan and Rumplestiltskin.]]
* ArbitrarySkepticism:
** The Evil Queen and Snow White who live in a fairy land don't believe in the goddess Ursula. [[spoiler:She's real.]]
** In "Dark Hollow," Hook is skeptical that Pan's shadow [[spoiler: can be captured inside a coconut shell]]. Neal [[LampshadeHanging questions]] why, out of everything on OUAT, he draws the line at a [[spoiler: magic coconut]].
* ArcWords:
** "All magic comes with a price", or some variation thereof.
** Also, "I will always find you."
** And everyone trying to give everyone else their 'Best Chance.'
** "True love is the most powerful magic of all."
* ArmorIsUseless
* ArmorPiercingSlap: Kathryn slaps Mary Margaret after she finds out about the latter's affair with David.
* ArmorPiercingQuestion:
-->'''Snow White:''' Are you sure this is about protecting Henry ... and not yourself?
* ArrangedMarriage:
** The Prince was on his way to honor one for political reasons when he met Snow White. Naturally, he doesn't go through with it. It's also discovered in the episode "Whatever Happened to Frederick" that this was an unwanted arranged marriage for the prince's would-be bride Abigail as well.
** Belle's engagement to Gaston was this.
** Regina's mother set things up between Regina and Snow White's father.
* ArrowCam: Used in the third episode when Prince Charming fires a bow.
* ArrowCatch:
** Regina does this after she gets her magic back and Red's grandmother fires a crossbow at her. She then sets it on fire, and throws a fireball around the room. Needless to say, this cows the crowd into submission.
** [[spoiler: Peter Pan and the Lost Boys attempt to force Henry to shoot an apple from one of the Lost Boys' head with a crossbow; the arrow has a deadly poison on the edge. At the last minute Henry turns to shoot Peter Pan instead, but Pan pulls one of these before it hits him.]]
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: According to ABC's website, Rumplestiltskin is "cruel, vicious, manipulative and calls everyone [[TermsOfEndangerment 'dearie.']]"
* ArtifactOfDoom: The Pandora Box that can trap peaople inside and put them in a FateWorseThanDeath.
* ArtisticLicenseBiology: The apples from Regina's tree are Red Delicious apples, not honeycrisps as she claims.
* ArtisticLicenseChemistry: Gold is very soft. A golden sword would be useless and easily bent. RuleOfCool applies.
* ArtisticLicenseGeography: Coal mines in Maine. {{Justified|Trope}} since the only coal mines are in Storybrooke, a town created by a magic curse. {{Lampshaded}} by Emma.
* ArtisticLicenseLaw: When Emma and Sidney confront Regina for secretly misappropriating city funds, she reveals she had been preparing to build a playground. This is portrayed as a victory for Regina and Emma does not look into it further. However, misusing city funds for ''any'' secret purpose should have been considered suspicious.
* ArtisticLicensePhysics: [[spoiler:August's]] death is pretty jarring considering [[spoiler:he was wooden at the time]] and the fatal attack was delivered via [[spoiler:suped-up taser. Wood isn't a conductor for electricity]], which one would think would be considered given the build-up of ''this particular weapon'' throughout the episode. Dips into ArtisticLicenseBiology when one considers that [[spoiler:his core is one solid block of wood just like his limbs, so even a shock powerful enough to penetrate his wooden exterior couldn't have ''stopped'' his heart because there wouldn't be one beating to start with]].
** WordOfGod states that it was no ordinary weapon, which might justify it.
** People are seen drawing water from wells during wintertime, which would actually require lowering someone in with a hatchet, first, to break the ice that inevitably forms down there. Often gathering up snow and melting it indoors is a more sensible option, anyway.
* ArtShift: The style of the illustrations in Henry's book from late Season 1 is very different from their style in early Season 1. Possibly because of August's tampering with the pages when the book was lost mid-season.
* TheAtoner:
** Rumplestiltskin sets everything in motion to [[spoiler:find his son, who he pushed away in a moment of weakness]].
** August ([[spoiler:Pinocchio]]) seeks to atone for abandoning [[spoiler:Emma when she was a baby]].
* AudibleSharpness: The Prince's sword and the Huntsman's dagger.
* AwesomeMcCoolname: Captain Hook, aka Killian Jones.
* AxeCrazy: NatureHero Snow tries to lure a bluebird close so she can smash it, shortly after taking a potion that removes her memories of Prince Charming. She then tries to kill the queen, taking a soldier's armor in the process. Plus all the things she's done to the dwarves.
* BackAlleyDoctor: Harmlessly so in Doc. Lampshaded in "Dreamy". Done again with Regina and Archie.
-->'''Dreamy:''' Maybe I should have Doc look at me.\\
'''Bossy:''' You're gonna trust a doctor who got his medical degree from a pickaxe?
* BackForTheFinale: In the first season, the Huntsman and Maleficent appear in the Enchanted Forest and [[spoiler:Belle]] appears in Storybrooke.
* BackupTwin[=/=]ThereIsAnother: The Prince Charming we currently know turns out to be this for his twin brother who had been adopted by the king.
* BadassAndBaby: Charming is forced to fight his way through an army of mooks all while he's holding and protecting his new born daughter, Emma.
* BadassFamily:
** The original Prince James was a badass. His twin brother Charming went from shepherd to dragonslayer in days. Snow was an ActionGirl as seen in the third episode. Emma shows off her badassitude in her first five minutes. Her son Henry, at the age of ''ten'', goes on a quest to find his mom and bring her back to break the curse. [[spoiler:Henry's father and ''his'' father, Rumplestiltskin, are no slouches themselves]].
** Regina and ''her'' mother, who are related to the Charmings as Regina was Snow's stepmother.
** Season 2 introduces [[spoiler:no one new but with the reveal that Rumple's son, Baelfire, is Henry's father, this suddenly means that a good chunk of the main cast is all related to one another]].
** LittleRedRidingHood [[spoiler:comes from a long line of werewolves]]. Her granny, [[spoiler:while no longer able to transform,]] is still a crack shot with a crossbow.
* BadassLongcoat: Several characters including, but not limited to, Rumpelstiltskin, Jefferson and Victor.
* BadDreams: A side effect of the sleeping curse. Once the curse is broken, the afflicted is plagued by horrible nightmares for months. It's bad enough that Aurora [[TheInsomniac gives up sleeping]] until Snow promises to help her through it.
** And the same dream is afflicting [[spoiler:Henry]].
* BarehandedBladeBlock: Rumplestilskin, of all characters. Against Prince Charming. And he [[PureAwesomeness does the two-fingered version]]. And given what we know about his power, he did so because he thought so too.
* BatmanGambit:
** Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold seems to be running one on everyone. He seems to be behind the actions of both the good and bad characters.
*** When Emma was running against Sidney for the position of town sheriff, Gold pulls one in order to get Emma to win. [[spoiler:Doubly so: He set Town Hall on fire with her and Regina inside, making her look like a hero for rescuing Mayor Mills. But he also made sure to leave evidence that would lead Emma back to him, knowing she'd feel guilty and expose him to the entire town. They're more impressed with Emma's standing up to Gold than scared of Regina, so she gets the post]].
*** Everything Gold does is part of one big gambit. No, really. [[spoiler:His plan is to have Regina enact The Curse, but with secret loophole that will guarantee it is eventually broken no matter what (Emma), so he can go out into the world to find his son. Making this happen takes hundreds of years and various sub-gambits]].
*** As mentioned in the previous gambit, [[spoiler:his plan for Regina is to mould her into the type of person who can enact The Curse, then push her to the brink until she does. This involves conspiring with Jefferson and Frankenstein to make her think returning her True Love from the dead was impossible so she remains unhappy and vengeful, and thwarting all her previous attempts to destroy Snow White and Prince Charming's happiness till The Curse is the only option left]].
*** His True Love potion: [[spoiler:Prepared over extensive time in the Enchanted Forest and hidden in Dragon!Maleficent. Comes into play in Season 1 Finale when he calls on Emma to retrieve it, and uses it to bring magic to Storybrooke]].
** The Evil Queen also pulls off several gambits.
*** Manipulating the Genie
*** As Regina, arranging to steal Mr. Gold's most prized possession, [[spoiler:Belle's chipped cup]]. Her confidence that he will do anything to get it back leads to discovering [[spoiler:Mr. Gold remembers he's Rumplestiltskin]].
*** A multi-gambit with Mr. Gold to [[spoiler:convict Mary Margaret of murder]]. Too bad for her, [[OutGambitted Mr. Gold has his own agenda]].
** It seems to run in the family. Cora ran one on Regina in "The Stable Boy": [[spoiler:she spooked Snow's horse with magic, knowing Regina would help the girl, which leads to the King showing up at their doorstep and proposing to Regina so she can be Snow's replacement mother]].
*** This becomes even more impressive when you learn [[spoiler:the reason Snow needs a replacement mother to begin with? Cora arranged that.]]
*** Cora does it again in "The Cricket Game" by [[spoiler:posing as her daughter and staging Archie's death so that whatever new found trust that Regina has built with the Charmings will be destroyed and Regina will give up on redemption and seek her mother out for help for revenge. It works, and she even gloats about to Hook]].
** Heck, even Captain Hook gets one in "The Outsider". [[spoiler:He attacks Belle knowing that Mr. Gold will come to her rescue. This leaves Gold's shop open so that he can have Smee sneak in and take Baelfire's shawl, the talisman that Gold needs to leave the town]].
** Snow herself uses one in [[spoiler:"The Miller's Daughter". She secretly curses Cora's heart which needs to be re-inserted into Cora to kill her. When she's caught by Regina, she appeals to Regina's desire for her mother's love and gives it to Regina, counting on the (very likely) possibility that Regina would put the heart back into Cora]].
* BattleCouple: Charming is a badass with a broadsword. Snow White used to rob carriages and led a raid on a castle.
* BattleOfWits: Regina and Rumple seem to be having one constantly.
* BeastAndBeauty: Rumpelstiltskin, in his nonhuman form, becomes romantically involved with the beautiful Belle [[spoiler:and, temporarily, a young Cora.]]
* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: Rumplestiltskin, who began his life as a kind, meek and fearful man, and turned into the ruthless and hyperconfident puppetmaster we all know. And later, we see kind Regina got started on her own evil path trying to protect herself from her magical mother Cora, who bears a striking resemblance to an older Regina. [[spoiler:(By midway through Season 2, Cora is way worse, although this is mostly due to CharacterDevelopment on Regina's part rather than due to any change in Cora)]].
** Snow White may be heading this way after [[spoiler:casting a death spell on Cora's heart and ''tricking'' Regina into putting it back, killing Cora]].
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: All magic has the tendency to backfire, as per the arc words "Magic has its price."
** Emma confesses that when she lit the candle on the lonely birthday cupcake she bought herself, she wished not to be alone on her birthday. Henry showed up at her door. {{Subverted|Trope}} in that while she did not initially want to be found by Henry, she quickly grows attached to him.
** All of Rumplestilskin's deals are implied to be this:
*** Ella took Rumplestiltskin's deal because he killed her Fairy Godmother, expecting he would want his share of the riches from her new life as princess. But what he really wanted was her first born.
*** To ease her broken heart over hearing that Prince Charming's ArrangedMarriage to Abigail will happen in two day's time, Snow White gets a cure from Rumplestiltskin that will make her forget that she ever loved him. She nearly uses it, but Grumpy and the rest of the dwarves persuade her not to use it yet. [[spoiler:But just when Prince Charming leaves his wedding to find her, Snow has already taken the potion]].
** Snow White's father tries to circumvent the inevitable backfiring of wishes granted by the Genie by setting the latter free, then using his second wish to give his third wish to the Genie, who says he will never use it. Because of this, the Genie meets the Queen, falls in love with her and is convinced to kill the king in order to "save" her. [[spoiler:Turns out she never loved him in the first place]]. Then the Genie uses his last wish to remain at the Evil Queen's side forever. For this, he is trapped inside the mirror. In general, the genie mentions that he has granted 1001 wishes and 1001 times seen it end badly.
** Even the Blue Fairy is not immune: her "help" separates two families: Snow and Charming from Emma, [[spoiler:Rumplestilskin and Bae]].
* TheBechdelTest: Passes with flying colors. Five of the twelve characters who have ever been billed as cast regulars are women (and arguably the three most important characters, Snow, Emma and Regina), and while they do talk about men on occasion, they just as often talk about other things. Interesting, a sort of inverse version applies to the men (and passing as well) - various male characters occasionally discuss relationships and their own and this isn't seen/presented as un-masculine or otherwise un-manly.
* BedmateReveal: [[spoiler:Regina and the Sheriff,]] although this is shown after she leaves his apartment. Then revealed in-universe to Emma when she catches him sneaking out of [[spoiler:Regina's house]].
* BeingEvilSucks: According to WordOfGod, this trope is the inspiration for the show. The Evil Queen's reason for choosing to get revenge on Snow White by casting a curse on the ''entire, multiple worlds'' is to create a place where she can "win for once."
* BeingGoodSucks: This crops up during The Queen Is Dead, due to the high costs that doing Good were for Mary Margaret.
* BigBadEnsemble: Mayor Regina (the Evil Queen) and Mr. Gold (Rumplestiltskin) in Season 1.
** [[spoiler: In Season 2, we get Cora and Hook in a BigBadDuumvirate, with Hook later cast aside and left to his own devices in favor of Regina [[DemotedToDragon becoming Cora's Dragon]]. When Cora is dealt with, Greg and Tamara emerge as a new BigBadDuumvirate, with Hook allying himself with them too. And all the while, Rumplestiltskin continues to be up to no good]]....
** [[spoiler: In Season 3, Peter Pan emerges as the real BigBad.]]
* TheBigBadWolf: Snow and Red track it down in Episode 15. The two come to the conclusion that [[spoiler:Red's boyfriend Peter]] is the wolf. This is later proven false as it is revealed that [[spoiler:Red is the wolf]].
* TheBigDamnKiss: [[spoiler:David and Mary Margaret in Episode 10]].
** [[spoiler:Hook and Emma]] in Episode 5 of Season 3.
* BiggerBad: Rumplestiltskin in Season 1. He may be part of an [[BigBadEnsemble ensemble]] with Regina, but it's clear that he's behind much, ''much'' more in the plot than she is.
** [[spoiler:Cora]] is this for Regina's character in Season 1, while [[spoiler: straight-up replacing her as the BigBad in Season 2]].
** [[spoiler:Peter Pan to Greg and Tamara in Season 2, as Gold spells out in the last scene of the season finale. Season 3 also reveals him as the Bigger Bad of the entire series up to that point.]]
* BiggerOnTheInside: The town of Storybrooke, as hinted by Regina in an early episode. It should be, if it holds the denizens of a whole other ''world''. Hinted at in "Hat Trick" since Jefferson's telescopes can see suspiciously far such as into Emma's office despite being at the edge of the woods.
* BigScrewedUpFamily: Turned up to an ante in "Manhattan". While we could deduce from the first episode that Regina was Henry's adoptive mother and his step-great grandmother, [[spoiler:there's the added fact that Baelfire is his father, which adds him and Rumplestiltskin to the happy family tree with the Charmings and Regina. With the revelation earlier in Season 2 that Rumpelstilskin used to date Cora]]...
** By extension, Milah is Henry's grandmother. Assuming she actually married the man who would become Hook, that'd make Hook Henry's step-grandfather also, through Baelfire. This would also mean that ''every'' person who left on Hook's ship at the end of Season 2 has a familial stake in Henry.
*** Hook had developed feeling for Emma revealed in "Ariel", so he technically was romantically interested in both Baelfire's mother and love interest.
** If that that isn't more screwed up, as revealed in "Think Lovely Thoughts" [[spoiler:, Peter Pan is actually Rumpelstiltskin's de-aged father and in extension Baelfire's grandfather, and Henry's great-grandfather.]]
* BillingDisplacement:
** Although Raphael Sbarge as Archie/Jiminy is credited among the regular cast in Season 1, he actually appears in less than half of the first Season's 22 episodes (10 in all, sometimes briefly and in one episode only as a VoiceActor). He's demoted in Season 2.
** In Season 2, there are several episodes in which lead cast members are credited, yet either do not appear or, if they do turn up, only do so for a few moments. This is most notable with Meghan Ory, who plays Red/Ruby, whose character was promoted to main cast for the second series, but [[spoiler: after completing a major backstory arc mid-season]] is reduced to cameo appearances in occasional episodes thereafter and ultimately disappears from the series, without fanfare, several episodes prior to the season finale. Despite this, Ory remains credited among the main cast to the end of the season; in real life, the writers wrote Red/Ruby out of the series in part, according to interviews with Ory, due to them deciding to focus on other characters and in part due to Ory being cast in another series.
* BlackComedy:
** While Rumplestiltskin was telling Belle what she would have to do for him, he also told her she would have to skin the children he hunted. That one was apparently a quip.
** Grumpy telling Red Riding hood she has a little "someone" on her chin.
* BlackMagic: [[CapitalLettersAreMagic The Dark Curse]] is said to be the darkest kind there is.
* BlackVikings: Lancelot.
** OlderThanTheyThink: While Lancelot isn't typically one of them, Moorish/Saracen Knights began showing up in stories about King Arthur's Court. Sir Morien is explicitly black.
* BlatantLies: The Queen telling Rumplestiltskin that Belle killed herself.
* BlessedWithSuck:
** Jefferson can remember the other world. But not only is he more than slightly mad, his real daughter is with some other father and doesn't even know him.
** Perhaps she deserves it, but this definitely seems to apply to Regina since towards the end of Season 1 and noticeably during the early weeks of Season 2. Young (pre-evil) Regina also had a dollop of this.
* BloodlessCarnage:
** Blood isn't absent from the show but given the hack and slash way Prince Charming fights (Especially against those without armor) there should be a lot more blood and maiming present in his fights than there is.
** In Episode 21 of Season 1, Grumpy pulls a perfectly clean pickaxe out of a guards back [[spoiler:during Snow's raid on the castle to rescue Charming]].
** Averted with the death of Prince James, the wolf slaughters, the discovery of [[spoiler:Gus']] body, Daniel's blood-stained hands after his rampage, the death of the Siren, possibly along others.
* BloodMagic: The Dark Curse needing a heart of a loved one to work.
** The candle [[spoiler:Cora gives to Snow White]] that siphons away one life to save another.
** The magic that enchants Rumpelstiltskin's old cane in "The Heart of The Truest Believer" is ''called'' Blood Magic, but it doesn't refer to the spilling of blood. Instead, it refers to magic that only works for members of a specific bloodline, in this case, Rumpelstiltskin's. [[spoiler: When Baelfire wields it, it reveals a secret cupboard in Rumpelstiltskin's castle.]]
* BookEnds:
** The Dark Curse [[spoiler:begins and ends with Regina losing someone named Henry]].
** [[spoiler:The clock tower is stuck on 8:15 when Emma arrives in town, and stops at 8:15 again in the very last shot of the season finale after magic has returned to Storybrooke]].
** The first season begins and ends with [[spoiler:a curse-breaking TrueLovesKiss]].
** The second season begins and ends with [[spoiler: people being kidnapped into other worlds]]. It also [[spoiler: ends in a compressed version of the way the series began, albeit with some changes and additions. Bae (and Henry ) gets sucked into another world. An evil figure becomes determined to find them again. A couple is split but one is determined to re-find the other. Etc]].
** The first half of the third season begins and ends with [[spoiler: a flashback to Emma giving birth to Henry.]]
* BoredomMontage: Done in "Welcome to Storybrooke", where, in a flashback to 1983 when the curse began, Regina walks the same way every day, always passing Ruby wearing a skimpy red outfit and being chastised by her grandma, Dr. Hopper walking his dog and wishing her a good morning, and Mary Margaret accidentally running into her. Eventually, it gets to the point where she says "Save it" to Hopper, and actually tells Mary Margaret she herself should be sorry for not watching where she was going.
* BreadEggsMilkSquick: Rumple describing Belle's duties around the castle. She'll have to serve him his meals, keep the place clean, bring him straw when he's spinning at his wheel and [[IWasJustJoking skin the children he hunts into pelts]].
* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim:
** King George threatens Snow to do this to Charming or he'll kill him.
** Grumpy does this to Nova after being convinced by the Blue Fairy that they should not be together.
* BornAsAnAdult: the dwarves
* BreakTheCutie:
** Ruby/Red, who starts out as the show's/town's eye candy and apparent "town bimbo" until her dark backstory is revealed and we learn she's [[spoiler:a werewolf]], at which point the show's depiction of the character turns in a new direction. Season 2 provided further BTC potential in "Child of the Moon", [[spoiler:though she ultimately prevails, both in the present and the past]].
** Belle who, after being initially scorned by Rumple, is next seen drowning her sorrows in a pub and [[spoiler:institutionalized in Storybrooke]]. In Season 2, [[spoiler:the trope is taken a bit literally when she is shot by Hook and loses her fairy tale memories ''at the same time'']].
** Mary Margaret, in the middle of Season 1, when she is shunned by the entire town and subsequently [[spoiler:arrested for murder]].
** And again late in Season 2, when she [[spoiler:lets Rumplestiltskin talk her into murdering Cora]].
** Tinker Bell in Neverland.
** Young Regina. In fact the trope - mixed with BreakTheeHaughty - pretty much sum up the Evil Queen's entire raison d'etre.
* BreakTheHaughty: Regina suffers this, again and again. But it finally seems to be sinking in, when she realizes [[spoiler:her actions have doomed Henry. For once, she doesn't attempt to pass blame and teams up with Emma in an effort to make it right. Her tearful plea for Henry to realize she loves him before fleeing is heartwrenching. Season 2 has continued this theme, to the point of Regina actually undergoing ''therapy''--and eventually having her kill her own mother by restoring her cursed heart]].
*** And her reaction in Season 3 when she discovers [[spoiler: her loving son was in fact Peter Pan in disguise, otherwise why else would he want to stay with her]] verges on the heartbreaking.
** Cora was always bitter, haughty, and had a nasty streak a mile wide. But a childish prank by some royals humiliates her, and this becomes her entire reason to '''exist''' - to make everyone ''else'' (especially anyone of royal blood) get down on their knees before ''her''.
* BrickJoke: In "Red-Handed", Henry suggests several jobs to Ruby, all involving carrying a basket, as a way of hinting her past life as Red Riding Hood. Flash-forward to the next season, [[spoiler:after she remembers her identity as Red]], and what does she use to carry food to the miners in "The Crocodile?" A basket.
** In "Child of the Moon," Granny admits her lasagna is frozen, when she cleans out the freezer [[spoiler: to lock up Ruby]]. Cut to "Lacey" where Gold tells David he didn't come to Granny's for the "overpraised lasagna."
** When word got out that Mary Margaret and David were seeing each other while he was still married to Kathryn (who was missing at the time), the whole town turned against her and someone even spray-painted "tramp" in red on the side of her car. Later in the episode, Regina is looking for something in her office and we casually see a used can of red spray-paint in her desk drawer.
* BridalCarry: Rumplestiltskin unwittingly saves Belle in this fashion when she falls off of a ladder.
* BrightCastle: The site of Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding in the first episode, and occasionally seen in flashbacks since then.
** In the third episode of Season 2, they show the interior of the castle after the curse to find everything wrecked. Snow has a slight imagine spot of the ruined room still being intact to show what she had envisioned their life to have been like if the curse had not happened.
* BrokenBird: Rumplestilstkin/Mr. Gold and The Evil Queen/Regina Mills [[spoiler:(and Cora)]] would not be constantly taking things from and wielding power over others had they not both been betrayed, abused, and traumatized in the past, as the flashbacks reveal.
** Belle, though unlike the others, she gets better.
* BroughtDownToNormal: What the Dark Curse did to anyone who had magic or wasn't human or both. The Evil Queen lost her ability to make magic, Rumplestiltskin went back to being human (his old limp and all), the fairies are all powerless nuns and the Magic Mirror is no longer stuck in a mirror. [[spoiler:Also, Red Riding Hood is no longer a werewolf, nor is Granny. Conversely, the Mad Hatter remembers the Enchanted Forest because that would make him more miserable]].
** Slowly graduating up from normal is [[spoiler:Pinocchio, as he has been slowly turning back into a puppet since Emma decided to stay in Storybrooke. The curse works differently on him, though]].
** In some cases, being brought down to normal means being changed into human form. [[spoiler:Billy was previously a mouse]], and Archie was Jiminy Cricket.
** The giant, Anton, originally seen in post-curse Enchanted Forest, was turned small by [[spoiler: Cora, who brought him to Storybrooke to force him to grow magic beans for her]].
* BullyingADragon: Captain Hook to Rumplestiltskin.
* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Rumplestiltskin can't remember turning a butcher into a pig, but apparently [[YouKilledMyFather that guy's son]] does.
* CallBack: In "The Queen Is Dead", Mary Margaret's [[DramaticDeadpan deadpan]] declaration that she's going to [[spoiler:kill Cora]] mirrors her earlier statement in "Heart of Evil" that she would [[spoiler:kill the Evil Queen]].
* CallForward: In "Red-Handed", during a flash back to the Enchanted Forest we see Snow White trying to come up with different aliases for herself while she’s an outlaw. She spits out Frosty, Margaret and Mary, in that order.
* CallingTheOldManOut:
** Henry to Regina [[spoiler:after disposing of the wraith with Jefferson's hat traps Emma and Snow in the Enchanted Forest. He says she has to figure out how to bring them back or she really is the Evil Queen, and he'll never see her again. He leaves with Charming]].
** Belle to her father after he tries to have her memories wiped.
** [[spoiler:Neal/Baelfire to Rumplestilskin for breaking their deal and and abandoning him. He calls Rumpelstilskin out 'again' for never bothering to come see him once he came to Storybrooke. This is made all the more tragic when Neal is shot and falls into a portal, critically injured.]]
** [[spoiler:During Peter Pan's NotSoDifferent speech to Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpel points out that he spent centuries trying to find Neal while Peter sat back and enjoyed his youth in Neverland, not buying his "be a family again" line.]]
* CannotSpitItOut: A number of times characters try to make confessions to others but are unable to finish.
** David's unsuccessful attempt to confess to Kathryn that he and Mary Margaret were having an affair.
** Emma tries to take back her lie to Henry about how his father died, but can't bring herself to do it.
* CanonWelding: All of the [[FairyTale fairy tales]] are melded together into a single universe that share aspects of each others' stories:
** The poison apple given to [[SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarves Snow White]] was made using the same curse [[Literature/SleepingBeauty Maleficent used on Sleeping Beauty]].
** The mother of the [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Evil Queen]] from SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarves is [[spoiler: [[AliceInWonderland the Queen of Hearts]]]] and is the miller's daughter from the Literature/{{Rumpelstiltskin}} story, too - albeit with a twist.
** [[ClassicalMythology King Midas]] doesn't turn his daughter into gold. Instead, he tries to marry her off to PrinceCharming. He does however accidentally turn his daughter's True Love into gold.
** The Genie becoming the Queen's MagicMirror.
** Instead of giving up her freedom to save her father, [[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]] does it to save her town from the Ogre Wars. And Rumplestiltskin takes the place of the Beast.
** Rumplestilstskin also turns out to be the "crocodile" that took Captain Hook's hand.
** [[Literature/AliceInWonderland Wonderland]] is accessible from the Enchanted Forest by way of a magic hat. [[spoiler: Cora]] is revealed to be the Queen of Hearts.
** Lancelot, of [[KingArthur Arthurian legend]], makes his debut in Season 2, bringing with him mentions of a lake he grew up next to, and a goblet that would give the drinker eternal life.
** The end of season 2 also reveals that Neverland is connected to the other worlds, although Captain Hook's appearance had already implied it.
** There are also hints that Oz is connected to these worlds - the Mad Hatter implies that he has been, and WordOfGod points out that there is a picture of flying monkeys visible in Henry's book in the pilot.
** [[BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]] is friends with LittleRedRidingHood, who's friends with Literature/{{Cinderella}} and [[SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarves Snow White]].
** Snow White has had a one-night stand with Doctor {{Frankenstein}}.
* CantYouReadTheSign: No one seems to be able to grasp the concept of Gold's shop being closed.
-->'''[[DeadpanSnarker Gold]]:''' [[LampshadeHanging It seems when I bought that "Closed" sign, I was just throwin' my money away.]]
* CapitalLettersAreMagic: The subtitles for hulu.com has many of the words like Truth (and oddly, some seemingly arbitrary words like Office, which later turn out to be meaningful) capitalized--and Mr. Gold's surname ''uncapitalized''. Though, maybe it's just hulu.
* CassandraTruth: No one believes the precocious little kid who insists that everyone is a fairy tale character, except the people who already ''know'' it's real.
* CatapultNightmare: Belle has one in "The Crocodile". Graham has a significant one when spending the night with Regina.
** Rumelstilskin has one in "Lacey".
* {{Catchphrase}}:
** Rumplestiltskin's "Magic always comes at a price."
** Prince Charming's "I will always find you."
** Emma's "Seriously?"
** "Dead is Dead" and its correlate:
** "Magic can do much, but no' that."
** "I'm sorry" attains the proportions of a catchphrase.
** Captain Hook and "good form". Which is also the title of his flashback episode in Season 3. This is carried over from the original book, where Hook is satirically revealed to be an Old Etonian.
* CatFight: In "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter", Regina and Emma finally stop being passive aggressive and go at it in an all out fist fight, forcing the Sheriff to break it up.
** Another one happens in "Second Star to the Right." This time, it's between Emma and [[spoiler:Tamara]].
* CaughtInTheRain: In Episode 10, Mary Margaret and David get caught in the rain, take shelter in a cabin and AlmostKiss. [[spoiler:They kiss for real at the end of the episode]].
* CentralTheme: Almost every character in the show experiences the loss of a parent. It's very likely that Emma and [[spoiler: Henry]] are the only main characters whose parents are both living, and they still "lost" their parents in the sense of growing up without knowing them. In [[spoiler: Henry]]'s case, [[spoiler: his father Baelfire was missing until "Manhattan," and is (falsely) thought dead by the main cast as of the end of Season 2]].
* CharacterFocus: Most episodes focus on one specific character.
* ChekhovsArmoury: Everything from the Dark One's dagger and a crypt full of still-beating hearts to the DrinkOrder of Clan Charming gets used in a plot-relevant fashion. That [[BuffySpeak "wolf-thingy"]] on Ruby's car? Relevant. That cup Belle chips? So much more than just a ShoutOut to a [[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast classic Disney movie]].
* ChekhovsBoomerang: The dagger of the Dark One. (Or, possibly, just a Chekhov's gun twice...since it's reintroduced in the episode where it becomes important again.)
* ChekhovsGun:
** Archie's umbrella in Episode 5.
** The poisoned apple shows up several times.
** Rumplestilskin's potion of true love.
** [[spoiler:Cora's]] candle.
* ChekhovsGunman: Frederick is mentioned in passing in "The Shepherd". He is later revealed to be Abigail's true love seven episodes later. Similarly, his Storybrooke counterpart bumps into Kathryn several scenes before the audience discovers who he is.
** Neal was first introduced in the first episode of Season 2. We don't find out who he is until Episode 6. [[spoiler:He is Henry's father who left Emma at the request of August. Let's not forget he's also Rumplestiltskin's son Baelfire and the whole reason Rumple orchestrated the Dark Curse]].
* ChekhovsSkill:
** Prince Charming's skill in shepherding animals comes in handy when he lures the dragon into a trap.
** Ruby's skills at finding things through instinct makes sense when we learn [[spoiler:she's TheBigBadWolf]].
** Peter Pan is fast enough to catch arrows fired at him before they impale him. [[spoiler: Neal takes advantage of this by coating the shaft with an immobilizing ink instead of the tip.]]
* TheChessMaster: Rumplestilskin. He has his hand in every plot that's going on in the show.
-->'''Regina:''' I assume this was all ''your'' doing.\\
'''Rumplestilskin:''' Most things are.
* ChessMotifs: Regina often refers to other characters as "pawns" or "playing pieces".
* ChewingTheScenery: The Evil Queen absolutely devours the scenery. Regina the mayor on the other hand is far more reserved.
** Likewise, Robert Carlyle's tooth marks are all over any scene involving the Dark One version of Rumplestiltskin.
* TheChooserOfTheOne: Henry is the one to deliver Emma's CallToAdventure.
* TheChosenOne: Emma is destined to save those in Storybrooke according to Henry's stories.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Due to the "closed campus" nature of the Storybrooke setting, the series is prone to this trope whenever a recurring character suddenly disappears without having been killed off or sent to another world (due usually to an actor being cast in another series or only contracted for guest appearances), and situations later emerge where the absence of that character is very noticeable.
** A very borderline case, but one nonetheless. The character of Sidney Glass (aka the Magic Mirror) is established as a major supporting character throughout Season 1, established as being a confidante of Regina in both worlds (and also in love with her). However, in real life actor Giancarlo Esposito became committed to a series on another network, ''Revolution'', for the 2012-13 season. As a result, Sidney is last seen [[spoiler:incarcerated in Regina's private asylum, prior to the curse being broken]], and is conspicuous by his absence in post-curse Storybrooke. The flashbacks have also, thus far, avoided featuring the Mirror, too. It might be argued that this is closer to PutOnABus, but time will tell if the character ever returns.
** Kathryn Nolan is absent in Season 2 as her actress is now in the Copper series.
** The character of Ruby/Red disappears from the series suddenly, several episodes prior to the Season 2 finale. Due to the creators deciding to drop the character and the actress (whose role had been reduced substantially since [[spoiler: completing a major character backstory arc midway through the season]]) being cast in another series. The absence of Ruby is particularly noticeable in the closing episodes of Season 2 when Emma and the others are frantically searching for the kidnapped Regina, yet for some reason do not employ Ruby's previously and well-established ability to track people.
* ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve: Not actually used all that much with magic in general, but [[spoiler: In Neverland, the land runs on this, with pixie dust to fly and magical weather being side effects of a person's beliefs.]]
* CoincidenceMagnet:
** Every major event in Emma's life has been in some way related to the Enchanted Forest or Storybrooke, even if it didn't seem that way at the time.
** The only people to come to Storybrooke from outside in the show's present-day period have all had ties with its past or some other ulterior motive for being there.
* ColorMotif:
** Emma is first introduced wearing red and continues to often wear a scarlet leather jacket throughout the series.
** Ruby always has red in her outfits, whether it's red highlights, red clothing or driving a red car, which is fitting since she is Red Riding Hood.
** Mary Margaret often wears white as her counterpart is Snow White.
** Belle usually wears some shade of blue or yellow.
* ComedicSociopathy:
** Rumplestiltskin turns Gaston into a rose. He gives it to Belle... who trims the stem before putting it in a vase.
** Regina and Hook end up on screen at the same time. Naturally, this conversation occurs.
--->'''Regina:''' You remember Claude.\\
'''Hook:''' Can't say that I do.\\
'''Regina:''' You ''killed him'' in the cell block.\\
'''Hook:''' Ah, yes. I didn't recognize him without my hook in his neck.
* ComplainingAboutRescuesTheyDontLike: Regina, after Emma pulls her out of the fire.
* CompositeCharacter:
** Cinderella has elements of the Miller's Daughter from ''Literature/{{Rumpelstiltskin}}''.
** Prince Charming of "Literature/{{Snow White|and the Seven Dwarfs}}" also has elements of ''Literature/ThePrinceAndThePauper''.
** The Magic Mirror is also the Genie from ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}''.
** Rumplestiltskin turns out to also be the Beast from ''Literature/BeautyAndTheBeast'' and the Crocodile from ''Literature/PeterPan''.
** LittleRedRidingHood is also [[spoiler:the wolf]], and her friendship with Snow is suggestive of "Literature/SnowWhiteAndRoseRed".
** In addition to being himself, Hook's charm, attitude, WildCard status, rum, and being handcuffed and left behind by the heroine is pretty obviously intended to recall [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean another fictional pirate]].
*** Not to mention how he tells his love interest "As You Wish", like yet another [[Film/ThePrincessBride famous pirate]]
** Cora is both the Miller's Daughter from ''Literature/{{Rumpelstiltskin}}'' and [[spoiler:the Queen of Hearts]].
** Turns out, Peter Pan is also [[Literature/ThePiedPiperOfHamelin The Pied Piper.]]
* CompoundTitle: The last two episodes of the second season, "Second Star to the Right" and "And Straight On 'Til Morning" respectively. Fittingly, they deal with [[PeterPan Neverland]].
* ConflictBall: When Emma is about to climb the beanstalk, she tells Mulan to cut the beanstalk down if she's not back in ten hours. No clear reason is given for this arbitrary time limit; it serves only to set up a fight between Mulan and Snow about whether to follow through on Emma's instructions. [[spoiler:Emma was already on her way down and within easy shouting distance when the fight occurs]].
* ConspicuousCGI: The two-headed Agrabah Viper in Episode 11. The Giant's castle in "Tallahassee" deserves special recognition.
** [[spoiler: The ''actual'' Ursula, not Regina's impersonation of her. Or rather, the statue of Ursula as seen at the castle ball.]]
* ContinuityNod: Plenty.
* ContrivedCoincidence:
** Of ''all'' the kids Regina could've adopted, she picks the son of the woman with the power to break the Dark Curse she cast, not to mention the grandson of her worst enemy. [[spoiler:''Both'' of them. Emma even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the coincidence that is her meeting Henry's father, who is one of the two other people from her world ''not'' to have ended up amnesiac in Storybrooke]].
** The car accident victim that's doing an epic AgentMulder impersonation and documenting the broken masquerade? [[spoiler:He was almost kidnapped by Regina and did lose his dad to the town curse]].
** Come on, what are the chances that [[spoiler:Emma, Snow, and the wraith would be transported to the exact location of Aurora and Phillip RIGHT AFTER they reunited with each other]]?
** All that said, Rumple doesn't believe in coincidence. Whether or not he's right is debatable, considering he's personally manipulated the last few centuries of FTW history. And of course [[spoiler:post-Curse breaking, his foresight into the future ends so he's as clueless as everyone else]].
** Early on, Tamara ends up in a lot of right places at the right time for her plans (only some of these are later explained).
* ConvenientComa:
** Prince Charming/Prince James/Shepherd aka John Doe/David Nolan.
** [[spoiler:Henry]] went in one after eating Regina's apple turnovers.
* CoordinatedClothes: Regina and Rumplestiltskin both wore black and blue for an episode after they started [[spoiler:a sort of Heel Face Turn and tried to redeem themselves for their loved ones]]. They are still as antagonistic as ever, and end up disagreeing on the best way to carry this plan.
* CostumePorn: Mostly in the Enchanted Forest but some of Ruby and Belle's outfits in Storybrooke.
* CouchGag: A different creature, character or item appears in each episode's title card.
** As for the Season 1 finale... [[spoiler:the ominous cloud that features is a reference to both how the finale shows how the end of the Enchanted Forest joins in with the start of Storybrooke... and how Rumple just brought magic to Storybrooke or so it would seem]].
* CrapSaccharineWorld: Storybrooke. When Emma first enters, it seems like a nice normal town and everyone appears content. But nobody can actually leave and people are forced to stay suspended in time and must play the roles that were assigned them, never truly moving forward in their lives. What keeps this from being an outright CrapsackWorld is that the entire town is oblivious.
** In Season 2, [[spoiler:post-Curse]], the town has slowly been transitioning between Crap Saccharine and full Crapsack as [[spoiler:residents grow tired of being trapped, and also (as of mid-way through Season 2) begin exhibiting paranoia about the outside world discovering their true nature]].
** Suggested in the made-for-DVD minisode ''Good Morning, Storybrooke'', a non-canonical example of how a breakfast TV news show broadcast in Storybrooke might work.
* CreateYourOwnVillain: Rumplestiltskin 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.
** It turns out that the {{Muggle}} tourist [[spoiler: was a little boy camping with his dad when Storybrooke appeared over their campsite. Regina got it in her head that she wanted the little boy for herself. The boy got away, his dad did not. Thirty years later, he's back, and ''really pissed off'' about the whole thing, enough to destroy not just Regina, but the whole town ''and'' Henry]].
* CreepyDoll: Unfortunately, this is how Geppetto's parents are [[AndIMustScream currently spending their time]].
** The season 3 episode "Lost Girl" has one of these in store for [[spoiler: Rumplestiltskin]], as a doll from his childhood given to him in the previous episode continues to [[spoiler: appear despite his attempts to get rid of it]].
* CruelMercy: Regina's sparing Snow after removing her heart.
** The same scene has GetItOverWith just before.
* CryForTheDevil:
** Regina may be real piece of work, but you can definitely see why she's become this way, and there is some real potential to feel [[SympathyForTheDevil sympathy there]]. Then she usually [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk ruins it]]. Made even worse as it tends to be a cycle of Regina trying to be good but is either abused/punished for it, has a misunderstanding, or something evil she did in the past comes back at the worst possible time.
** Snow feels sorry for her after finding out the truth about her lover, as they used to be friends... but then [[spoiler:Regina makes her eat a poisoned apple]].
** Rumplestiltskin also counts, after the viewer learns that originally he was only trying to [[spoiler:protect his son]].
** And even [[spoiler:Cora]] briefly comes in for this, in "The Miller's Daughter", when it is revealed [[spoiler:she only is how she is because she removed her own heart--and with it back inside she truly ''could'' love Regina]].
* CursedWithAwesome: Ruby muses on this with the awesome being [[spoiler:the loss of the Fairy Tale memories. Many people, including her, had things they wish they could forget, like her eating her boyfriend and Whale's failure to save his brother. Add to that, the Curse not only made them forget such things but now has given them a chance to live new lives with fresh starts]].
* CurseEscapeClause: The entire town of Storybrooke is cursed with LaserGuidedAmnesia, but Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter was smuggled out and is slated to break that curse BecauseDestinySaysSo.
** In-universe, True Love's Kiss acts as a universal cure for all manner of curses.
* CutesyNameTown: Storybrooke, Maine.
* CycleOfRevenge: [[spoiler:So, Cora is slighted by Snow's future mom and kills her. Then after Cora kills her daughter's lover and forced her into a marriage with the widowed king, Regina decides to take revenge on Snow White for telling Cora (because she's unable to stand up to Mommy). The revenge leads to the curse. The curse leads to Cora returning and once again playing Regina like a cheap flute. Together, they kill Snow White's childhood nanny, try to kill Rumplestiltskin, and Snow realizes Cora was behind her mother's death. Part out of desperation, part out of revenge, Snow kills Cora. Now, Regina's blood feud leads her to almost kill Snow White again. Henry intervenes, but when Snow shows up to surrender her life to end the feud, Regina rips out her heart, then spares her life by putting it back, declaring Snow's StartOfDarkness is all the leverage she will need to finalize the revenge]].
* DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou: The Evil Queen cast a curse on Fairy Tale Land, forcing Snow White and Prince Charming to put their baby daughter Emma into a portal that carried her to the real world in order to save her from the curse. Emma herself has very mixed feelings on the matter. The original plan was for them to go with her, but circumstances and another character's motivations led to neither of them making it.
** [[spoiler: Peter Pan]] claims this to his son [[spoiler: Rumpelstiltskin]], but he's lying through his teeth.
* DamselInDistress[=/=]DistressedDude: It's pretty even handed so far despite [[FairyTales the source material]].
* DangerTakesABackSeat: Played with. Emma tells Henry to go home so she can track down Ashley before it's too late. Henry obediently goes. But he pops up a few minutes later in the back seat of Emma's Volkswagen and sensibly points out she'd waste too much time taking him home and let Ashley's head start get longer.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: {{Invoked}} by name during the sheriff election. Regina dug up Emma's past, including juvie records that were supposed to be sealed and smeared them across the front page.
* DarkerAndEdgier:
** The second season when compared to the first.
** Lacey is this to [[spoiler: Belle]].
** Also, [[spoiler: Neverland and Peter Pan]] is this compared to the version from the original novel and the Disney film.
* DarkestHour: Season 1, Episode 21. [[spoiler:August is dying, Emma won't believe no matter what]].
** [[GenreSavvy Henry]] mentions this trope specifically, only for it to be subverted:
--->'''Henry:''' In the book, things always look worst right before there's good news!\\
'''The dwarves:''' ''(run up shouting)'' Terrible news! Terrible news!
* TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget:
** {{Subverted|Trope}} with Rumplestiltskin when he jokes to Belle that he forgot his past (it turns out he remembers it well).
** Inverted with Snow White. After she takes the memory loss potion, she almost turns evil.
** In the "real" world, it's also inverted. [[spoiler:The two wicked characters, Regina and Rumplestiltskin are the only ones who recall ''exactly'' who they were]].
** [[spoiler:Save for Jefferson--although he has gotten more than a tad sadistic over the years]].
* ADayInTheLimelight: Generally, each episode will revolve around one or two characters and the viewers would be able to see what happened to them in their past before living in Storybrooke.
* DeadAllAlong[=/=]DeadPersonImpersonation: [[spoiler:Lancelot, in "Lady of the Lake". It is actually Cora in disguise, after she killed the real Lancelot]].
* DeadGuyJunior: Henry was named after the Evil Queen's father. He even gets to see his namesake's coffin when he goes poking around in Regina's shed. There's a nice little pause so you don't miss it.
* DeadpanSnarker:
** Emma, with a heavy dose of StepfordSnarker.
** Snow White in her Fairy Tale past [[LikeFatherLikeSon had her moments]].
** Charming also had his moments in the Enchanted Forest.
** Mr. Gold is the main supplier of this trope. Some of his gems:
--->"You're a smart woman, Your Majesty. Figure it out."\\
\\
"...please" is snarking in that he [[spoiler:remembers when Regina assumed he wouldn't]].\\
\\
'''Regina:''' Are you really going up against me?\\
'''Mr. Gold:''' Not directly.\\
\\
'''Emma:''' Gold? You in here?\\
'''Mr. Gold:''' Well, it is my shop.\\
\\
"Not if I catch him first."\\
\\
'''Mr. Gold:''' You have your mother's chin.\\
'''Emma:''' We know you killed him.\\
'''Mr. Gold:''' And your father's tact.\\
\\
'''Charming:''' If anything happens to them...\\
'''Mr. Gold:''' Then you'll what? Cross the town line? And David Nolan will hunt me down in his animal rescue van?\\
\\
'''Regina:''' This all your doing, isn't it?\\
'''Mr. Gold:''' Most things are.
* DealWithTheDevil: Making a deal with Rumplestiltskin will usually be such a deal.
* DeathEqualsRedemption: August finding he is turning back to wood leads him to seek out Emma and try to get her to break the curse.
* DeathInTheLimelight:
** In "The Queen Is Dead", [[spoiler:Mary Margaret reconnects with Johanna, the now-elderly former castle servant who sent her her old tiara for her birthday. Towards the end of the episode, Cora threatens to kill Johanna unless Mary Margaret gives her Rumplestiltskin's dagger - then [[KickTheDog she flings Johanna through the clock face and sends her to her death anyway]]]].
** The only episode to center around [[spoiler:Graham]] ends with his death.
** Same goes for [[spoiler:Cora]].
** Also, [[spoiler:August]], sort of. [[spoiler:(He didn't ''die'' so much as get reset back to childhood, but either way it was the end of the character August, save for in flashbacks.)]]
* DeceasedParentsAreTheBest: Subverted, with the exception of one example and one example only: Jiminy's parents. Then, double subverted when his efforts to kill them results in Gepetto losing ''his'' parents.
** This is even subverted with '''Cora''', the unanimously considered most evil person in the show. Even ''she'' is immune to this trope; Regina still loves her mum.
* DecompositeCharacter: PeterPan is [[spoiler: an inhuman monster]]. The young boy who was found in Kensington Gardens and befriended the Darlings was Bae. And the one who took Hook's hand was Rumpelstiltskin. [[spoiler: It's basically a family trait]]
* DeconReconSwitch: The fairy tale portion of the show often gives classic fairy tale characters [[{{Deconstruction}} very dark origins and somewhat more realistic treatments, to explain]] the rather simplistic or extreme behavior found in our storybook version of the fables. However, many of these characters also undergo significant CharacterDevelopment [[{{Reconstruction}} to become something that matches the uplifting spirit of their stories]], if not the letter. The first episode of the series establishes the ForegoneConclusion that many fairy tale characters have reached their happy endings and are otherwise content with their lives, despite their gritty retellings.
* DeconstructionCrossover: For fairy tales in general and the Disney versions in particular.
* DelayedSeasons: As usual with series filmed in British Columbia, the filming and actual airing of the episode are months apart. It would bother no one until somebody namedrops a particular event, like Valentine's Day, in what looks a lot like mid-autumn.
* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The world that [[spoiler:Frankenstein]] comes from.
** SplashOfColor: As a visitor to that world, it doesn't apply to Rumplestiltskin (or to his gold); he seems to have decided to wear a bright red cloak just for the occasion.
** Storybrooke itself. According to the other wiki, "...all flowers and other objects with bright colors are temporarily concealed or removed [from the town used to film the exterior shots] to preserve Storybrooke's somberly enchanted nature."
* DepartmentOfChildDisservices: Emma has ''very'' bitter feelings about her time in the foster care system, even telling Mary Margaret that all foster parents are just after "a meal ticket" and don't care about the kids. It's also implied to be a horrible fate for Nicholas and Ava (Hansel and Gretel), even worse than leaving them to fend for themselves.
** August [[spoiler:(Literature/{{Pinocchio}})]] and Emma were also subject to an OrphanageOfFear. [[spoiler:When given a choice to run away, August chooses his freedom and abandons Emma to her fate in the hell hole of "the system."]]
* DestructiveRomance: Discussed in Episode 13 between Mary Margaret and David after David told Kathryn that he was leaving her, but didn't tell her that he was involved with Mary in order to spare her feelings. Instead, Regina spills this to Kathryn, leading her to confront Mary in public and revealing the affair to the whole town.
* {{Determinator}}: And how. A whole family of them. From Henry all the way up the line to Charming's mother, this family simply will not quit, ever. If they think it needs to be done they WILL get it done, often regardless of personal cost. And as we find out, this also applies to his father's side all the way up.
* DidYouThinkICantFeel:
** The usually very closed off Emma shows she very much can feel when she finally opens up to Graham.
** At one point Rumplestiltskin is talking about the power of [[OneTrueLove True Love]] (of which he happens to be holding a bottle). Prince Charming, rather dismissively, asks what ''he'' could possibly know about true love. Rumple is not amused: "Well, not so much as you, perhaps, but not so little as you might think."
* DiedInYourArmsTonight:
** [[spoiler:Cora to Regina, thanks to the cursed candle and the fact that Rumple was inches from death when Cora got her heart back]].
** [[spoiler:Milah to Killian after Rumple rips her heart out]].
** [[spoiler:Pinocchio to Geppeto.]]
** [[spoiler:Graham to Emma after Regina crushes his heart.]]
* DisappearedDad:
** Prince Charming to Emma, due to the plan to save her from the curse.
** Prince Thomas might count with him being kidnapped by forces unknown while Ella is still pregnant. Averted with his Storybrooke counterpart when he decided to do the right thing in the end and come back to Ashley despite his father's wishes.
** Henry's biological dad, whom he was told was a fireman who died during a rescue. In reality he's Neal Cassidy, a thief who was forced to leave Emma behind before even knowing that she was pregnant with his kid. [[spoiler: It also turns out that he's Baelfire, Rumple's son, and was forced to stay away by August so that Emma can fulfill her destiny of breaking the curse on Storybrooke. After that was done and Neal found out that he had a son, he did move into Storybrooke so that he can be with Henry. Shortly after, he was shot and was transported through a portal, thus disappeared for a second time]].
** Hansel and Gretel's father. The same goes for their Storybrooke counterparts, Nicholas and Ava. However, [[spoiler:they end up reunited with him in Storybrooke]].
** Grace's father never returns from his trip because [[spoiler:he is trapped in Wonderland and becomes the Mad Hatter]].
* [[DisneyOwnsThisTrope Disney Owns ABC]]: The reason many of the fairy tale characters share the names of classic Disney characters. (The series is in fact made by ABC Studios.) And the fact they are allowed to use characters created or as reimagined by Disney. For example, it was the Disney movie that named Snow White's 7 Dwarfs, while Belle and Mulan are based on the Disney film versions of the characters.
** In Season 1, at various times Henry (and, strangely, Regina) are seen buying comic books at the corner store. Of course, they're all MarvelComics - another Disney property.
** The Season 2 episode "In the Name of the Brother" has a very funny meta example of this trope; a character's cell phone plays the ''StarWars'' theme as its ringtone [[OverlyLongGag over and over again]] (that franchise was recently purchased by Disney).
** The original ''{{Tron}}'' has also been referenced by way of Henry owning a handheld version of ''Space Paranoids''.
*** And later, a ''{{Tron}}'' lunchbox.
* DisproportionateRetribution:
** [[spoiler:Cora kills Regina's true love Daniel ''right in front of her'' and forces her to marry the king. So, naturally, Regina blames...Snow, who's the one who told Cora about the two of them]].
** Also, while [[BerserkButton you can understand Rumplestiltskin getting angry]] [[PapaWolf over Baelfire getting hurt]], [[spoiler:turning the man responsible into a snail and ''stepping on him'' is a bit excessive. Even his son thinks so]].
** Rumplestiltskin [[spoiler:ripping Milah's heart out]] may or may not be an example of this, depending on how selfish you think she was for [[spoiler:leaving her family to pursue her own desires. But disproportionate or not, it was certainly a DUMB thing to do, since if had just let her live and take the magic bean, he'd have reunited with Baelfire without screwing the world over with a curse]].
** The actions of a spoiled princess cause Cora to become the BiggerBad of the series... even manipulating Rumple in the processes at a time when he was a little more sane and a lot more vulnerable than we've normally seen him.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything:
** After Snow White's personality is radically altered by [[spoiler:the anti-LovePotion that Rumplestiltskin sold her]], Jiminy Cricket and the Seven Dwarves stage an intervention.
** Also, the fact that Sidney - the ex-editor of the ''Storybrooke Daily Mirror'' - is involved with wiretapping [[BritishNewspapers will not go unnoticed by UK fans]].
** [[spoiler:Regina's]] attempts to stop using magic are akin to a recovering addict.
** Watch the scene where [[spoiler:Rumplestiltskin teaches Cora to use her emotions to turn the straw into gold then think about it]]
** When Regina is looking for her lost book of spells, Mr. Gold says: "Do you really need the smell of the written word to get the magic flowing again, dearie? Maybe if you relaxed, it would just happen."
* DontExplainTheJoke: The sheriff tries a joke about how Emma broke the town sign.
* DontSplitUsUp: Ava (Gretel) begs this of Emma for her and her brother. [[spoiler:They don't and are reunited with their father]].
* DonutMessWithACop: Invoked in "The Shepherd", when Sheriff Graham offers Emma (who has just become his deputy) a box of donuts to persuade her to work a late shift. As he presents them, he quips that some cliches are true.
* DoomedByCanon:
** Stealthy, the eighth dwarf.
** Queen Eva, Snow White's mother.
** King Leopold, Snow White's father.
* DoubleStandard: After David and Mary Margaret's affair is revealed, the town mainly shuns Mary Margaret while David only gets anger from Kathryn and Mary Margaret. Partly justified since David has much less interaction with the rest of the town while Mary Margaret had been known as a saint up until that point.
* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Subtly inching toward being played straight in-universe; it remains to be seen if anyone will express anger over or even acknowledge what Regina did to Graham (up until [[spoiler:[[TheReveal the curse breaking in the finale]]]], the in-universe glossing over of the situation has been justified by the fact that a 10-year old is the only person (semi)-aware of it.)
* DramaticDeadpan: Snow in "Heart of Darkness".
-->'''Grumpy:''' Where are you going?\\
'''Snow:''' To kill the Queen.
* DrowningMySorrows: Milah does this after her marriage falls apart, and Belle goes drinking after being rejected by Rumple.
* [[DudeShesLikeInAComa Dude, She/He's Like, in a Coma]]!: Justified for those under a Sleeping Curse. They can only be woken up by the kiss of one who loves them truly. A motherly love works just as well as romantic.
** But when Belle [[spoiler:loses her memory]] and Gold tries to reverse it by kissing her [[spoiler:[[RealityEnsues she rather unsurprisingly starts screaming due to being kissed by a creepy guy she doesn't even recognize]]]].
* DyingAsYourself: Several examples during "And Straight On 'Til Morning". [[spoiler: The town is on the verge of destruction, and Mother Superior manages to devise a cure for Belle and Sneezy's amnesia, so that they can at least die as thereselves with their loved ones]]. A different version is shown when [[spoiler: Regina resolves to slow the trigger and buy the townsfolk enough time to escape, knowing that she'll die, but at least she'll be saving everyone]].
-->[[spoiler: '''Regina''': Everybody sees me as the Evil Queen. Including me. Let me die as Regina]].
* DyingDeclarationOfLove: When Mr. Gold [[spoiler:is poisoned by Hook's poisoned hook, he calls the amnesiac Belle and, without going into the the history of the Enchanted forest, tells her that she may not remember who she is but he knows her to be a wonderful, beautiful, wise, and heroic woman. To him she will always be that. And at the time, he honestly thought he was going to die, either by poison or Cora stabbing him with his dagger]].
* DysfunctionJunction: Emma, Henry, and the entire ''[[TangledFamilyTree family]]'' (Regina included) need a ''lot'' of therapy.
* DystopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Regina's apparent goal is for everyone else to suffer. She used the Dark Curse to take everyone to a world where "No one gets their happy ending."
** Cora may be worse. She stated in her origin that she essentially wanted everyone to bow to her to the point it destroyed them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:E-F]]
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: "The Price of Gold". In retrospect Rumplestiltskin wanting Cinderella's baby doesn't make a lot of sense. Later episodes put strong emphasis on the fact he was a father who knew the pain of having your child ripped away from you and practically ''everything'' he did was part of a very long, complex gambit to get his son back.
** Unless you consider that he never intended to take Cinderella's baby, and just needed Emma to think he did so she'd owe him a favor for letting Ashley keep her. Or [[spoiler:he wanted to be captured and used her deal as a means of getting caught and be in that prison cell, apparently unable to harm anyone]].
** Or that, besides his precognition, it was a SecretTestOfCharacter that Cinderella failed, ''badly''. Recall how the exchange went:
--->'''Rumpelstiltskin:''' And you would trade your other child for...comfort?\\
'''Cinderella:''' I can always have more children.
* EasyAmnesia: The entire town.
* EccentricTownsfolk: {{Averted|Trope}}. The residents of Storybrooke, if taken out of context, are not all that notable despite being fairy tale characters.
* EmergencyImpersonation: Seemingly the case for [[BackupTwin James]].
* EnemyMine:
** At the end of Season 1, [[spoiler:Emma and Regina, in order to save Henry]].
** In Season 2, and lampshaded, [[spoiler:Regina tells Gold he will help her because of the one person they both don't want in their new world: Cora]].
** Pretty much everyone against [[spoiler:Greg and Tamara in the Season 2 climax. They are planning on destroying Storybrooke, and when that fails, they abduct Henry and take him to Neverland, resulting in Regina, Rumplestiltskin and Hook allying with Emma, Charming and Snow to save Henry. This new-found alliance continues on in Season 3, [[TeethClenchedTeamwork albeit somewhat-grudgingly]], as they work on rescuing Henry from Peter Pan.]]
* EnthrallingSiren: One appears in "What Happened to Frederick" and attempts to seduce Prince Charming under the [[ShapeshiftingSeducer guise]] of Snow White.
* ErmineCapeEffect: Justified in that it's a Fairy Tale world, but it's still odd that Snow's father, a king, is just wandering down the beach in fancy silks, fur, and ''a crown'' when he stops to pick up some rubbish (a magic lamp, but still).
* EquivalentExchange: According to Rumplestiltskin, all magic comes at a price.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Emma Swan's inner demons are on full display as we see her do something incredibly tough for her job, only to come back to her apartment, [[BrokenBird blowing out the candle on a cupcake alone]].
* EstablishingSeriesMoment: Although the series had some major publicity behind it spoiling the premise, the tone of the flashbacks is established the moment the evil queen storms in, and it's Snow White who pulls a sword on her. A set up to the "unconventional retelling" tone the flashbacks will have.
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** The witch, Maleficent, considers the Dark Curse to be too evil and traded the Evil Queen for it specifically so no one could use it.
** Hook, despicable as some of his actions may be, ''does'' adhere to some sort of personal code. Despite taking Aurora's heart, he's uncomfortable with the idea of her being permanently without it. So after he accomplishes what he wants with the item, he ensures that it gets returned to Aurora as it's "good form."
** In "The Queen is Dead", Regina is visibly horrified when Cora reveals that [[spoiler:she was responsible for the death of Snow White's mother just to manipulate Regina's life so that she becomes Queen]].
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Many in the Enchanted Forest. The Evil Queen, The MagicMirror, The Huntsman, The Woodcutter, etc.
* EveryoneIsRelated: As of "Manhattan", Henry is not only the grandson of Snow White and Prince Charming, and Regina's adopted son, he's also [[spoiler:Rumplestiltskin's grandson]].
** And now it turns out that [[spoiler: Peter Pan is actually Rumplestiltskin's ''father''.]]
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: [[SmugSnake Regina]] and [[MagnificentBastard Mr. Gold]]. Regina plays it straight, while Gold forms a BatmanGambit with his inversion:
** Mr. Gold wants Emma elected Sheriff. So, [[spoiler:he sets fire to Regina's office while Emma's there to rescue her, thus making her a hero. When she exposes his plot to prove a point to Henry about good over evil, it plays into his hands again and ensures her election. The citizens fear Regina, but they're terrified of Mr. Gold]].
** Regina, on the other hand, has to change the game. [[spoiler:Her {{plan}} was successful only after she used Mr. Glass as a poisonous influence to push Emma to play by Regina's rules. Anytime Emma makes the right choice, she has an advantage against Regina]].
* EvilDetectingDog: Pongo starts barking at Regina when she waltzes into Dr. Hopper's office. [[spoiler:That's because it's Cora in disguise as her own daughter]]. In a subversion, he doesn't even bark at Mr. Gold when brought to his shop [[spoiler:or even the real Regina]]. Perhaps because at that point, Gold [[spoiler:and Regina]] aren't truly evil any more.
* EvilFeelsGood: Or at least immaturity feels good. By encouraging them to be very naughty and playful seems to be how [[spoiler:Peter Pan converts his boys into his warriors.]]
* EvilOverlordList: Rumplestiltskin cons Regina into [[WhyDontYaJustShootHim line 4]].
* EvilVersusEvil: Happens alot between Regina/Evil Queen and Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin.
** Regina and Cora (her mother) are very antagonistic, [[spoiler:although they do later rekindle their relationship to become a BigBadDuumvirate in Season 2.]]
** Rumpelstiltskin and Captain Hook are mortal enemies.
** [[spoiler: Greg and Tamara vs Regina. This trope is even said word-for-word in a promotional trailer]].
** Regina and Maleficent, and Regina and the Blind Witch from the Hansel and Gretel tale. In both cases, Regina wins.
** [[spoiler:Regina, Rumpelstiltskin AND Hook joining forces with the heroes to battle Peter Pan, the evilest of all.]]
* EvilerThanThou: Think Regina and Rumpelstiltskin are bad? [[spoiler: Regina's mother and Rumple's father are '''worse.''']]
* ExactEavesdropping: Mayor Regina arranges a conversation with Emma to make peace, then leads the latter to talk about how crazy Henry is, knowing that Henry will be showing up to overhear the conversation.
** Mary Margaret just so happens to find Johanna near the spot where Cora and Regina are searching for Rumplestiltskin's dagger and discussing their plans to use said dagger to control him.
* ExactWords:
** Regina wanted Gold to make "something tragic" to happen to Kathryn. Unfortunately for Regina, abduction, not just murder is "something tragic."
** Mr. Gold is fond of this one; he uses it again when assuring Belle that ''he'' won't kill Regina. [[spoiler:The wraith he's summoned will...or will devour her soul, a FateWorseThanDeath]].
** [[spoiler:And then once again when casting the protection spell on Charming and Snow. Regina won't be able to harm them in "this" land, but she can certainly take them to another one]].
** This was used against Rumplestiltskin by [[spoiler:Cora. He had fallen for her and agreed to amend their deal to have him take ''their'' first born child instead of Cora's first born in general. Later, she didn't run off with him and stayed with Henry, to have his children. They would not be Rumple's to take as it wasn't Rumple who fathered them]].
* ExcessiveEvilEyeshadow: The Evil Queen, in the Enchanted Forest; more understated on Regina. And nonexistent on Regina prior to her turning to evil.
* ExternalRetcon[=/=]FracturedFairyTale: The stories often did not play out as traditionally told.
** Lampshaded in "True North":
--->'''Mary Margaret:''' Snow White has a kid?\\
'''Emma:''' Apparently that book you gave him, not exactly the stories in the most traditional sense.
* ExtremeDoormat: Rumplestiltskin 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]], [[spoiler:[[KickTheDog wife murderer]] and [[TheChessmaster expert puppeteer]]]] counts as "better".
* FacelessGoons:
** Most of the Queen's forces wear black full face masks. Interestingly enough as we learn more about the Queen and she comes much more sympathetic, her goons start to reveal more of their faces.
** Averted with King George's soldiers. Their headgear consists of nothing more than a chain-linked coif with the face wide-open.
** The Queen of Hearts’s soldiers in Wonderland have no faces. Also counts as a VisualPun since they're not face cards.
* FairyTales: Naturally, given the theme of the show.
* FakeMemories: The Dark Curse not only gave everyone in Storybrooke IdentityAmnesia, but a "real world" background that never truly happened though they think it did. Averted with Regina and Mr. Gold, since the former enacted the curse and the latter created it. [[spoiler:Also averted with August, since he escaped the curse by going through the wardrobe with Emma]]. Unfortunately played straight with Jefferson, who also does not suffer from amnesia; he remembers both a life in Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest, and it drives him nearly mad.
-->'''Dr. Hopper:''' I would never betray the doctor-patient confidentiality.\\
'''Regina:''' Doctor? Doctor... Need I remind you you got your Ph.D. from a ''curse''?
* FamilyEyeResemblance:
** Emma, her son Henry, and her mother Snow White all have hazel eyes.
** Red Riding Hood, [[spoiler:her mother]], and grandmother all have {{green eyes}}.
* FanserviceWithASmile[=/=]MsFanservice[=/=]ShesGotLegs: Ruby (Red Riding Hood) in her waitress "uniform".
* FantasticRacism: Deconstructed. From the Fairy Tale characters' point of view, everyone stays in their role's pigeonhole, good people/creatures are always good, the bad are always bad, the two sides are always in conflict and good always wins. In filling in many of the backstories, particularly the Villains', the series is showing the implications this world view would have.
* FateWorseThanDeath:
** How Regina describes a sleeping curse, and by extension the poison apple.
** What [[spoiler:the fates of the victims of a wraith are described as]].
* FelonyMisdemeanor:
** Regina tearing down Henry's wooden fortress is regarded as a [[ThisIsUnforgivable breath-takingly evil act]] by just about everyone. While it was certainly [[EvilIsPetty unnecessary and mean-spirited]], the reaction seems... excessive. This is ignoring the fact that she has done by far worse before this, the wooden fortress was structurally unsound due to damage by a storm, and she does build a new play structure for the children (though admittedly, that was part of a plan to screw over Emma). Henry is just about the only kid who isn't happy with the new play structure.
** Rumple killing the unicorn. Again, while certainly bad, the reaction seems excessive. Viewers got more bent out of shape over the unicorn than over Gaston, or the poor mute maid. Have unicorns even been confirmed to be sentient in this universe? In fairness, what happened to the maid and Gaston were played for laughs, albeit in a black comedy sort of way. The unicorn, on the other hand, was played for drama.
* FireForgedFriends: Snow White and Red Riding Hood.
* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: Emma is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.
* FlashStep:
** Regina does this to Archie in "The Cricket Game". [[spoiler:Then she kills him - except she's Cora, magically disguised in order to frame her daughter, and the corpse left behind isn't Archie, because the real thing is being held prisoner in Hook's brig]].
** Ruby does this in "In the Name of the Brother", just before [[spoiler:Dr. Whale attempts to jump off the bridge]].
* FlatWhat: David's mother on hearing that Prince "James" will be forced to marry Midas's daughter.
* {{Flynning}}: Strangely averted. Despite [[BloodlessCarnage the lack of blood]] in the sword fights, there's not a whole lot of clanking of swords just for the hell of it. The Prince fights in a hack and slash manner you'd expect from someone trained in broadsword.
* FondMemoriesThatCouldHaveBeen: The end of "Lady of the Lake".
* ForceField: Storybrooke has one. "Bad things happen" to anyone who tries to leave the town (except Henry and Emma). Henry believes it's just Emma and handwaves how he can leave the town saying that since he's only 10 he would have no other choice but to eventually return.
** When magic does return, Sneezy is picked as the first one to cross the line to find out what happens. [[spoiler:He loses all memory of being Sneezy and reverts to his Storybrooke persona]].
* ForegoneConclusion: [[spoiler:In "Tallahassee", we see Jack's skeleton in the Giants' home. When Jack finally shows up in a flashback in "Tiny", it's easy to guess where she's headed]].
** Really, most of the flashback sequences. Since most of the characters eventually end up in Storybrooke, they're obviously not going to die, no matter how dire the circumstances. Any character who does ''not'' end up in Storybrooke (like Phillip, King Henry, Daniel, etc) is exempt from this rule.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** The real Prince James: "Next time make sure I'm dead." Oops.
** A quick one but in "Snow Falls" Graham says that the woods are "his world." Emma appears confused by this, but the audience sees why in "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter".
** In Episode 4, Mr. Gold mentions to Emma that no one wants to see Ashley's baby born in jail. Episode 9 reveals that this is what happened to Henry.
** The unicorn mobile from Episodes 1 and 6, the dolls [[spoiler:that turn out to be Geppetto's parents]] from Episode 5, and the windmill from Episode 6 can first be seen in Mr. Gold's shop in Episode 4 before they're all properly used in the plot.
** Only within the one episode, but Prince Charming waking Snow White from her cursed sleep is related twice during the finale, once in flashback and once by [[Literature/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Mary Margaret]] reading to [[spoiler:the unconscious Henry ... then Emma breaks both the same curse on him and the one on Storybrooke with True (Maternal) Love's Kiss]].
** [[spoiler:Neal/Baelfire]] knows Hook, and how to sail his ship and [[spoiler:should be a couple hundred years old. It turns out that yes, he was in Neverland and had been a part of Hook's crew for a period of time]].
** In early season two, [[spoiler:Belle's father tries to have her pushed across the town line, so as to erase her memory of Rumplestiltskin.]] It doesn't work, but later in the season [[spoiler:Hook shoots her, causing her to cross the line.]]
* FreudianExcuse: Rumplestiltskin's taking babies makes sense when you learn about Baelfire.
** Regina spent her entire youth being forcefully molded by Cora to be just as evil and cruel as her, all while claiming she did it out of love. It was a miracle it took Cora killing her fiance in front of her to start Regina down her path of darkness. But even then she tried to stay good, only for Rumple to show up as her mentor and further drive her towards evil. Oh and her one good parent sat by and watched it all happen.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: A variation. While Snow and Lancelot are at the table discussing the events of the curse and other important matters, Emma is sampling the food and deciding that she likes the drinks offered.
** The season 3 winter finale episode "Going Home" demonstrates the hazards of filming in a real-life urban centre. [[spoiler: While everyone is going nuts about the curse returning, and as Pan holds a large group of townspeople spellbound in the middle of the street, in the background pedestrians and traffic can be seen going about their business, just as normal. You can even see the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle at one point.]] This is not the first time this has occurred in the series, which is shot in a suburb of Vancouver, but it is particularly glaring - and funny - in the context of this episode.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:G-H]]
* GameChanger: Storybrooke is a town in Maine where all the denizens of a fairy-tale world were sent by the powerful curse of Snow White's enemy, the Evil Queen Regina and live in an amnesiac state unaware of their true identities. Here, they do not age. The narrative revolves around Snow's daughter, [[TheHero Emma]], the very reluctant designated curse breaker. [[spoiler:She succeeds in breaking the curse in the first-season finale]].
* GardenOfEvil: The Queen of Hearts' hedge maze.
* GenerationalSaga: Snow White loses her daughter, her husband, and her whole world as the evil queen sends them "someplace horrible", the real world. Emma, Snow White's long-lost daughter, is street smart and resents her biological parents for her abandonment. It takes her own long-lost son Henry to bring her back to the family that she never knew and the idea of the enchanted world they came from. And as more of the past is revealed, we find that this saga went all the way to the great-grandparents generation.
* GenderFlip[=/=]TomboyishName: The hero of Literature/JackAndTheBeanstalk is named Jacqueline.
** She's also subjected to an InUniverse Gender Flip as Hook is under the impression that she was a man.
* GenghisGambit: When Cora and Hook come along, Rumplestilskin and Regina unite with the rest of the town to save the day.
* GenreBlind:
** Cinderella. It appears that she doesn't know the outcome of Rumplestiltskin's story. But she becomes GenreSavvy when the princes reveal the trap for Rumplestiltskin, as she just ''knows'' it's going to backfire.
** Regina/The Evil Queen. She clearly doesn't understand what kind of story she's in. She's the ManipulativeBastard equivalent of UnskilledButStrong; she mostly just plows through her obstacles with a combination of magic and hate.
** Emma and her gun. To the point of it almost becoming a RunningGag.
* GildedCage: Storybrooke.
* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen:
** And ''how'', although she seems to have lost most (or all) of her ruling power before Snow White's wedding in the pilot.
** "Hat Trick" shows that [[Literature/AliceInWonderland The Queen of Hearts]] is up to her old tricks.
* GoldSilverCopperStandard: Is in use in the Enchanted Forest, as seen in "Hat Trick". The different coins don’t even have names; they’re called 'silvers' and 'coppers'.
* GonnaNeedMoreX: Inverted when Charming is tasked to hide a a giant egg containing bottled true love within "the belly of a beast".
-->'''Charming:''' Where is the beast that reigns over this castle?\\
'''Maleficent:''' That would be me.\\
'''Charming:''' I'm gonna need a smaller egg.
** Not long afterward, she [[ScaledUp turns into a dragon]], so the size is perfectly fine.
* GoodAdulteryBadAdultery: Mary Margaret and David, who in Storybrooke is married to Kathryn. However, they were originally married in the Enchanted Forest as Snow White and Prince Charming.
** Regina and the Genie are arguably a {{subversion}} of "Good" Adultery. Regina seems to start her affair with the Genie due to her unhappiness over her arranged marriage with King Leopold, which her mother pressured her into. [[spoiler:But it turns out she was manipulating the Genie into ''killing'' the King]].
* GoodScarsEvilScars:
** Charming has a very visible and significant scar on the right side of his chin.
** Jefferson has a very noticeable one on his neck he covers with scarves.
* GrandTheftMe: [[spoiler:Peter Pan pulls one on Henry.]]
* GreatBigBookOfEverything: Henry's book of fairy tales apparently contains the entire history of the Enchanted Forest, even though it clearly isn't big enough (especially with all the full-page illustrations).
** In Season 2, it is revealed that [[spoiler:Dr. Victor Frankenstein's story is not in the book, implying that there are many other characters in Storybrooke from tales that are unknown to Henry]].
* GroundhogDayLoop: In "Welcome to Storybrooke", it's shown that the town was like this. Due to no time passing, every day was the same. Regina (the only one aware of it) is initially happy to have won, but the tedium of it quickly begins to grate on her.
** At times inverted, however, as although the town was frozen in time for more than 20 years, recent innovations such as the Internet and cell phones are available in the town. It is also suggested that TV broadcasts from outside Storybrooke are received as well.
* GuileHero: Henry shows some inclination toward following his adopted mother's manipulative tendencies.
* HalfTruth: When Granny tells Red that her red cloak keeps the Big Bad Wolf away/protects Red from the Big Bad Wolf, it is this. [[spoiler:It ''does'' keep the wolf away... because it's enchanted to prevent Red from turning into the Big Bad Wolf]].
* HappilyAdopted:
** This seemed to be the case with Charming's twin.
** The Huntsman, despite the fact that his adoptive family [[RaisedByWolves was a little different]].
** Initially subverted with Regina and Henry. While a cursory glance in early episodes would show her as a stern, but loving mom who provides material and medical care for a trouble-making, mentally disturbed little boy, the facade is flaking off like cheap paint and keeps getting worse. However, by the second season, [[spoiler: it is made clear that Regina and Henry's love for each other is genuine to the point where Regina forces herself to execute a HeelFaceTurn in order to prove she's a good mother, leading to her making a huge sacrifice in "Going Home".]]
* HappilyMarried:
** Snow and Charming in the backstory, before the whole curse thing.
** Ella and Prince Thomas, until Thomas disappears (seemingly abducted by unknown forces) anyway. Their Storybrooke counterparts end up getting engaged in Episode 12.
** [[spoiler:This isn't only true in the backstory now. When the curse is broken in the Season 1 finale, everyone remembers their true identities and all the couples are able to reunite]].
* HappinessInSlavery: The Dwarves seem to be this as they churn out fairy dust. [[spoiler:Aside from someone like Dreamy/Grumpy]].
* HealingSpring: While not the explicit purpose, Lake Nostros can act this way [[spoiler:and does towards Frederick]].
** Called back in Season 2. [[spoiler:However, the lake dried after the death of the siren, and there was only one sip left, which Charming's mother gave to Snow to restore her child-bearing capabilities]].
* HeartIsAnAwesomePower: True Love is mentioned many times as being the most powerful magic in the Fairytale World. [[spoiler:It is also the way the Dark Curse gets lifted, helping all the characters recover their memories]].
** The trope name is taken literally a number of times as an extracted heart is needed for a particularly powerful spell or curse to work.
* HeartTrauma: The Evil Queen, as Henry puts it, has a thing about cutting out hearts. She does it fatally to her own father then non-fatally to The Huntsman/Graham. [[spoiler:Later, as Regina, she uses the heart to murder him]].
** [[spoiler:It seems like she has a FreudianExcuse for this particular fixation, since her mother used it on her boyfriend while she was still decent]].
** Invoked on many occasions in the series, and not just by Regina.
* HeelFaceMole: [[spoiler:Sidney in Episode 11]].
* HeelFaceTurn: During the course of the series, [[spoiler:both Regina and Mr. Gold have performed acts of kindness and even heroism. However they tend to FaceHeelTurn back the way they came soon after]].
** Making it more of a HeelFaceRevolvingDoor.
** However, in "Going Home," [[spoiler: they both make what appears to be a permanent turn towards heroism.]]
* HeroesPreferSwords: {{Defied|Trope}}.
-->'''Emma:''' To hell with this! (Drops the sword and pulls out her sidearm)
** [[spoiler:Which is ineffective. She eventually uses the sword to kill Maleficent]].
** She tries the gun multiple times in the [[spoiler:Enchanted Forest in Season 2 to no effect. The first time attracted ogres to their location with the loud noise, and the second did nothing to said ogres. The third time, Cora magically knocked the gun from her hands]].
* HeroicBSOD: Snow's [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone reaction]] to [[OutOfCharacterIsSeriousBusiness tricking Regina into killing Cora]] leaves her bed-ridden for days, completely unfazed when Regina comes seeking revenge, and finally going to Regina's doorstep asking for death, being left genuinely distraught when Regina spares her.
** In "Going Home", [[spoiler: Regina, who by this point in the series can no longer be considered a villain, having undergone a complete HeelFaceTurn, experiences a brief one when she realizes what she must sacrifice to save the town.]]
* HeroicSuicide:
** Snow White with the apple [[spoiler:when Regina promised that she would trade Charming's life for Snow's]]. And [[spoiler:Henry]] prevents Emma from eating a poisoned pastry by gobbling it and succumbing to the effects.
** [[spoiler:Prince Phillip allows his soul to be taken by the wraith when he is marked, even though Mulan suggested that she could mark herself and take his place]].
** Aurora is ready to sacrifice herself for others, since she doesn't believe she can be happy, but thinks they can and should. Snow White and Mulan don't let her go through it, but still.
** Likewise, season 2 finale see's [[spoiler:Regina of all people]] setting herself up for one. Timely intervention by Emma saves her, but it's made clear she was more than willing to go through with it. Henry even lampshades the point.
* HeroicWillpower: Emma has this as a definite characteristic, just like Henry, and Snow White seems to have this too. [[spoiler:Their only FatalFlaw, which pushes them to sometimes have a relatively questionable behavior (stooping to [[BloodKnight Regina's level]] in their conflict, [[ChillyReception being]] [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech harsh]] towards Emma and Regina when he disapproves them, and [[PayEvilUntoEvil trying to kill Regina]]), whereas Charming relies more on HonorBeforeReason]].
** Strangely, [[spoiler:[[NotSoDifferent Regina]] resisted the urge of becoming evil after her mother abused her for years trying to turn her into a GoldDigger and an EvilMatriarch, when she thought Snow White had willingly handed her mother information about her lover for apparently selfish purposes, accidentally causing his death, and then after Rumplestiltskin got her hooked to dark magic. However, unlike Snow White and Emma, once she hits an apparent DespairEventHorizon, she collapses and stops trying, while Snow White and Emma [[{{Determinator}} always]] [[PluckyGirl keep]] [[TheFettered trying]]]].
* [[TheHerosBirthday The Heroine's Birthday]]: This is almost the first thing we learn about Emma on her Internet date. And her birthday wish turns out to be a catalyst to the events that bring her to Storybrooke.
** Snow's is shown in Season 2. Considering her mother died on her birthday, she's never been in the mood to celebrate it.
* HiddenAgendaVillain: Rumplestilskin'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.
* HiddenBackupPrince: [[spoiler:James' twin brother, raised as a shepherd]].
* HiddenDepths:
** Abigail, Prince Charming's fiancee in the Enchanted Forest, is introduced as a vapid, spoiled brat, but [[spoiler:she has her own secret army and is more than willing to help Charming find Snow White since she doesn't want to marry him either]].
** The Evil Queen and Rumplestiltskin both have some ''serious'' issues underneath their [[EvilIsHammy hammy villainy]].
** Meet Mary Margaret. IncorruptiblePurePureness. ProperLady. JoanJett fan.
* HiredToHuntYourself: King Leopold asking the Genie to identify Regina's lover.
* HollywoodNewEngland: In Vancouver.
* HopeSpot: In "Good Form" [[spoiler:Emma and others are desperate to give Henry some sign, some hope that he can be rescued. Without which he would likely fall into darkness and become a Lost Boy. They do get a message to him by the end of it.]]
* HostageForMacGuffin:
** In "Into the Deep" Cora kidnaps Aurora and threatens to kill her unless Emma, Snow and Mulan give her the magic compass.
** In "The Queen is Dead" [[spoiler:Cora and Regina do the same thing with Snow White's old maid for the Dark One's dagger]].
* HotWitch: So far, every witch in the series except Miss Ginger has been attractive. Physically, anyway.
* HourglassPlot: Revealed to be the backstory of Regina and Jefferson. Apparently, he is an innocent friend of Regina whom she lets grow mad in Wonderland and keeps a bit farther from Grace, his daughter, than he would choose to be. She looks remorseful about the trapping in Wonderland, but does it to save her father. Cue to his Fandom screaming and insulting her. Flashback years earlier. Regina is an innocent girl whom Jefferson hurts for personal gain, before his daughter is even born, making her desperate and causing her to agree to listen to Rumplestiltskin. Also, despite knowing that he could save her beloved, he and [[spoiler:Doctor Frankenstein]] choose to let her believe that there is no way. His tragic backstory has just been turned into something resembling LaserGuidedKarma.
* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: Anton's backstory. He wanted to explore, and make friends. Instead Prince James and Jack take advantage of his generosity to rob him and reduce him to human size.
* HypocriticalHumor:
** Regina complaining about the Queen of Hearts’ lack of subtlety.
** Regina chews out Rumplestiltskin for going against the intent of their deal. This from the woman who cursed a world because [[spoiler:of a little girl's innocent mistake]].
--->'''Mr. Gold:''' Intent is meaningless.\\
'''Regina:''' Intent is everything!\\
''([[LampshadeHanging Mr. Gold laughs]])''
** Eventually subverted, in that, as the dialogue of 1x18 implies, and what the actress says, Regina does think that it was Snow White's intent to [[spoiler:make her become her stepmother]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:I-L]]
* IconicItem / IconicOutfit: Emma's red coat.
** Captain Hook's, well, hook.
* TheIdealist:
** Prince Charming, compared to Snow White. He is the one who invents their IWillFindYou motto and thinks that Emma will come back.
** [[spoiler:Daniel, compared to Regina. He believed that they should just talk to her mother, and that they would overcome their hardships and marry easily in the end]].
* IdentityAmnesia: ''Everyone'' with the exception of Emma, Henry, Regina, [[spoiler:Gold, Jefferson, Neal/Baelfire, and August. Graham was cured from this after kissing Emma...''just'' before he died]].
** [[spoiler:At the end of Season 1 the curse is broken]] and the IdentityAmnesia is removed, only to be replaced by a new version: anyone who [[spoiler:attempts to leave Storybrooke, or is forced across the town line]] loses all memory of who they were before the curse. Most notably, this occurs to [[spoiler:Belle]] in Season 2, [[spoiler:leaving her with no memories at all since unlike most Storybrooke residents she ''didn't have a Storybrooke counterpart'' during the curse]].
** The trope is somewhat turned on its ear by several Storybrooke residents, most notably Red/Ruby, stating they wish they still had identity amnesia as they didn't care to regain memories of things they did before the curse.
* IdiosyncraticWipes: Some scenes in Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest focus on one specific element, closes in the focus, and when the shot pulls back, the location has changed from one to the other.
* IdiotBall: Meted much more often in the second season.
** It's practically a RequiredSecondaryPower for Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin. That is, aside from all the actual magic, his power over people lies in the "Deals" he makes with them. But what ''really'' makes that power work is his ability to smack them with the IdiotBall at the key moment of the negotiation.
** The otherwise cunning Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin is given an idiot ball any time there's trouble concerning Belle.
*** When [[ArchEnemy Regina]] of all people tells him about Belle's death, he seems to immediately forget all magical or non-magical means of checking this himself. [[spoiler:Regina keeps Belle locked up for 28 years]].
*** When Belle [[spoiler:stumbled over the town line and lost her memory (thereby making Gold a stranger to her)]] his reactions include turning extremely violent in plain sight of her, kissing her when she's unconscious in hospital, trying to pressure her into [[spoiler:remembering [[CassandraTruth while babbling on about charms, magic and castles]]]] and generally reverting to his cold-hearted jerk persona - hell of a way to endear himself to her.
*** Or anything concerning his son. In Ep. 2.12, Cora ''literally'' gives him a ball as enticement to accept the Deal she's offering.
** In the second episode of the second season, "We Are Both":
*** Emma and Snow neglect to mention anything about Storybrooke, the curse, and/or their identities to [[spoiler:the Enchanted Forest's survivors. That would've made the trip home so much easier, and Cora might not have been alerted to their presence]].
*** And then they try to make a bolt for it while tied up and surrounded by alert, armed villagers.
** In the third episode of the second season, "Lady of the Lake":
*** Emma shoots her gun in order to break up an argument. Shortly after learning that [[spoiler:ogres hunt via sound]].
*** Emma [[spoiler:telling Cora about Henry]].
*** Snow drinks "water" given to her by King George, a man who clearly has it out for her.
** In the sixth episode of the second season, "Tallahassee":
*** Emma [[spoiler:double-crosses and abandons]] Hook out of fear of being betrayed again by a lover, despite him not lying about his absence of loyalty to Cora, and her being MUCH more trusting of and intimate with Graham. Hook doesn't take this well, later [[spoiler:ripping out Aurora's heart for Cora and providing her with a means to get to Storybrooke]].
** In "Child of the Moon" (S2E7) while Ruby/Red is concerned enough about changing into a wolf and hurting people that she locks herself up, no one thinks to have people on watch, they just go off on their business with even Granny not on guard duty. Not even a security camera if they were that concerned that the guard wouldn't be safe.
** The eighth episode of the second season, "Into the Deep":
*** Aurora [[spoiler:gets captured by Cora, whom we've already seen impersonate Lancelot]], and yet when she turns up again they don't suspect any trap. Granted it's not the same kind of trick as before, but...
* IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace: "The home of the blind witch. That doesn't sound good."
* IfICantHaveYou: [[spoiler:Regina murders Graham once he rejects her for Emma]].
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight:
** Snow White's allies after she takes Rumple's potion and the resulting memory loss turns her to the dark side. Subverted in that [[spoiler:they fail, and only falling in love again brings her back instead of recalling old memories]].
** Prince Charming coaxes [[spoiler:Ruby in her wolf form]] out of her fear.
* IgnoredEpiphany: UpToEleven. [[spoiler:Regina has an IgnoredEpiphany about always having many [[IgnoredEpiphany Ignored Epiphanies]]]].
* IKnowYourTrueName:
** Rumplestiltskin is very particular about knowing people's names. It is stated in the pilot that if he knows your name, he will have power over you.
** By knowing the Dark One's true name, it can be summoned [[spoiler:and killed, should you have its dagger]].
* ImpairmentShot: We see the view of the dark henchman and the wardrobe tilt and go out of focus as Prince Charming closes his eyes after being mortally wounded in the Pilot.
* ImpersonatingTheEvilTwin: Charming fills in for his brother, James, although he isn't aware of his twin's evil until later.
* ImplicitPrison: Storybrooke, which prevents its residents from leaving, except for Henry in the pilot apparently, and once the curse is broken anyone attempting to leave loses their original memories.
** A Season 3 episode reveals that Regina also left the town at one point [[spoiler: in order to adopt Henry, and again in order to return him when she had second thoughts about adopting.]]
* ImprobableAimingSkills:
** Charming's ridiculously good aim taking out the Queen's henchman with a bow and arrow in "Snow Falls".
** Graham hits the bullseye three times in a row while playing darts in Storybrooke. He claims that he never misses.
* ImprobablyCoolCar: Storybrooke's streets are filled with well-preserved classics. Emma's VW Beetle fits right in. Whatever led her as a {{Boston}}-based process server/bounty hunter to choose a slow, screaming yellow vintage car is another matter...
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Several times, mostly from Emma.
* INeverSaidItWasPoison:
** After a fashion, how Snow deduces that [[spoiler:Lancelot is Cora in disguise. Emma only told one person Henry's name]].
** Again in "The Evil Queen": This is how Snow figures out that the peasant woman she's been helping is actually a disguised Regina. When Snow is saying how there was never any good in Regina, Regina brings up the time she saved Snow when her horse went out of control. Snow told the peasant that story, but she never mentioned that the Evil Queen was the one who'd saved her.
* InfantImmortality: Come on. Did you really think they were going to kill off [[spoiler: Henry]] in the first season finale?
* InfinityPlusOneSword: Excalibur shows up in the third season, when Charming finds it for Snow so that she can drive out Regina. It's one of the few powerful non-Dark artifacts, and Rumplestiltskin even notes that it is immune to his powers (though whether it extends that immunity to the wielder is unclear). [[spoiler:The sword Snow was using wasn't Excalibur, though. It was a fake Charming made as a MagicFeather so that she could rule]].
* InnBetweenTheWorlds: There is a room reachable through the Mad Hatter's hat connecting the Enchanted Forest with Wonderland, the Land of Oz, Neverland and the Land Without Color along with other various worlds or universes, though only ones with some magic.
* InSeriesNickname: Snow's nickname of "Charming" for "James".
* InterruptedIntimacy: Henry and Emma walk in on Snow and Charming in bed at the start of "The Cricket Game".
-->'''Henry:''' What are you guys doing in bed? It's the middle of the afternoon!
* InterspeciesRomance: Between Grumpy the dwarf and Nova the fairy.
* InTheBlood: Strong magical powers can be passed from parent to child, whether by birth or other circumstance. [[spoiler:This is revealed because Neal/Baelfire has stronger than normal magical capabilities with his father becoming the Dark One . . . about ten years after he was born.]]
* InvincibleVillain:
** Cora comes off as one initially, thanks to her having very powerful magic, when most of the heroes are relatively mundane ([[spoiler:her first major defeat comes when the main characters accidentally find out that love is a very powerful magic]]).
** Rumpelstiltskin is a literal one as long as you don't have his dagger.
** [[spoiler:Tamara]], however, is definitely this in her first few appearances. While she isn't directly opposing the heroes at the time, her plans succeed in the most contrived ways. Despite being new to Storybrooke, she ends up always being in the right place at the right time, including intentionally going to a hidden place that most of the town didn't even know about at the time. This comes to a head when she attempts to kill [[spoiler:August. He survives just long enough to [[HisNameIs fail to give any useful information]]. Only, then the characters realize that they [[SubvertedTrope might be able to bring him back]]... and they succeed! Only... [[DiabolusExMachina without any of his memory]] [[DoubleSubverted as August]].]] What helps this stand out is the fact that, so far, she doesn't seem to have a fantasy counterpart.
* IronicEcho: Many of the Storybrooke characters echo lines from their fantasy counterparts.
** Rumplestilskin (in his Mr. Gold form) refers to his favourite phrase "Magic always has a price" when lamenting that magic has become his crutch, since he has become dependent on using it to compensate for being such a coward.
** Giving a baby their best chance.
** "You have no idea what I'm capable of."
** "I will always find you", said by Prince Charming to Snow White, in the Pilot and "Snow Falls" (two very different contexts); also Mary Margaret in the pilot: "If you love them and they love you, they will always find you."
** Prince Charming to Baby Emma: "Find us"--later, grown up Emma: "Finding people is what I do."
** In Episode 4, Mr. Gold calls Emma "charming"--aka [[PrinceCharming her father's]] [[InSeriesNickname nickname]]. He called David the same thing in Episode 6.
** "Didn't see that coming, did you?" both said by Charming to two very different animals.
** Everything that happens to Rumplestiltskin in Episode 8, including The Dark One telling him "Magic always comes at a price."
** Two phrases in Episode 16, both uttered twice. "I'm just invested in your future." Said by Rumple/Gold to Mary Margaret/Snow both times, and "Evil isn't born, it's made." (By ''two'' different villains.)
** A visual version of this for a spoken line. You know how Regina messed with the Queen of Hearts earlier? Well, look at where Emma is aiming in Regina's dream. [[spoiler:"Off with her head."]]
** One episode named for a real-world city, "Tallahassee". deals with [[spoiler:Emma's relationship with Henry's biological father]]. So does the next episode named for a real-world city, "Manhattan".
** Belle/[[spoiler:Lacey]] telling Gold that he "wasn't the man she thought he was." The first instance is in the Enchanted Forest, when Rumple [[spoiler:spared Robin Hood's life]]. The second time was in Storybrooke, when [[spoiler:Lacey finds Gold in the middle of beating the former Sheriff of Nottingham half to death with his cane]].
** "Does that surprise you?" is Hook's reaction both times Emma thanks him for doing something good/heroic.
* IronicNickname: The giant is called [[EmbarrassingNickname Tiny]], though it's only a nickname as he is the smallest of the giants. His real name is Anton.
* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:Victor Frankenstein]], of all people, leading an angry mob in the Season 2 premiere.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy:
** [[spoiler:Kathryn, eventually, towards David and Mary Margaret]]. Regina ''does not'' agree.
** Also, [[spoiler:Neal, Henry's father,]] to Emma, who wanted her to live a crime free life.
** David hopes that if he dies, Snow will be able to move on [[spoiler: because he had been injured by a poisoned arrow.]]
* IWillFindYou: Becoming a family motto for Snow White and Charming.
* JerkassGenie: Partial subversion in that it's the magic, not the genie, as the ArcWords "Magic comes at a price." The genie is even perfectly willing to warn against it. He's still personally a jerkass, in either world.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Regina and Mr. Gold both display aspects of this:
** With Regina, every now and then she shows a side of her that's more [[NotEvilJustMisunderstood sympathetic]], such as when her son falls down the well or when she's saved from the fire. And then she ruins it either the same episode, or an episode later by doing something completely harsh. For example, it seems like she finally warmed up to Emma being there, when she confessed that Mr. Gold set her up, and after saving her from the fire. But it turns out that she just wants her there in order to go after people she doesn't like, telling her to "do her job" (and arrest innocent people).
** Mr. Gold has some positive qualities and genuinely loves Belle and his son (yet is shown to break promises and/or behave cruelly toward them because of his obsession with power), and in addition to his gambits with positive outcomes, likes to make deals to screw people over and has killed for poorly justified reasons.
* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Most probably a RedHerring, but the {{Fandom}} fears Snow White will do it or has done it in ''The Miller's Daughter''. [[spoiler:Her behavior is the sort of thing which would have been listed under PragmaticHero for some people on the show, but it's supposed to be Snow White, an archetype of IdealHero]].
* KickTheDog: Regina's speech to Emma at the end of the pilot is absurdly cruel.
** And the way Snow goes about [[spoiler:killing Cora, though to Snow's credit, she regretted her actions almost immediately afterwards]].
*** Considering what provoked her to do it, it was much more like TheDogBitesBack.
* KickTheSonOfABitch:
** Rumplestiltskin's first evil act was to [[BloodbathVillainOrigin slaughter]] the [[ArmiesAreEvil soldiers]] who humiliated him in front of his son and were going to conscript said son into the army.
** In "Skin Deep", Mr. Gold behaves as a rather unsympathetic LoanShark toward Moe French and later on savagely beats him for stealing something of value to him. This is somewhat understandable [[spoiler:because in the Enchanted Forest, French is Belle's father and supposedly put her in an insane asylum where she was mistreated until she committed suicide in despair. This turns out to have been BlatantLies, but Rumplestiltskin has no way of ''knowing'' that]].
** More often than not, most of the drama in the show consists of Regina, Rumplestiltskin, Hook and Cora antagonising each other.
* KilledMidSentence: Cinderella's fairy godmother.
* KnightInShiningArmor: Prince Charming rushing to Snow White in the opening of the pilot.
* LadyInRed:
** In Emma Swan's first scene she wears a sexy magenta dress to a blind date that turns out to be her trap to catch an escaped bailjumper.
** Red Riding Hood's counterpart Ruby.
* LargeHam: The enchanted forest versions of the Evil Queen and Rumplestiltskin.
* LaserGuidedKarma:
** Rumplestiltskin's cowardice costs him his wife, his son, Belle, and more.
** The Genie's murder of the man who freed him leads to his reimprisonment.
** Perhaps to be expected in a series that also features Pinocchio, lies tend to rebound back on those who tell them.
*** David's dishonesty with Kathryn and Mary Margaret almost costs him Mary Margaret for good.
*** The events of "Tallahassee" and the first scene in "Broken" suggest Emma may have set herself up for some of this later on [[spoiler:by telling Henry that his father died a hero]]. (And the events of "Manhattan" [[spoiler:prove this to be correct]].)
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: In "Skin Deep".
-->'''Evil Queen:''' Oh no, I wouldn't ask a woman to kiss the man who held her captive. What kind of message is that?
* LegacyCharacter: The [[spoiler:Big Bad Wolf]], of all characters.
* {{Leitmotif}}: The Evil Queen, Snow White, Charming (who has an [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome especially awesome one]]), and the OfficialCouple Snow/Charming all have their own music themes.
* LighterAndSofter:
** This, along with {{Reconstruction}}, may explain the show's success. After years of sexed up comedy shows, reality TV, DarkerAndEdgier dramas with BlackAndGrayMorality conflicts, and grislier police/medical/lawyer procedural shows, a straight up battle between good and evil with an intriguing mystery at the core feels so refreshing to audiences in comparison.
** The second season goes DarkerAndEdgier, and...well, the above reasoning also explains why it's had a noticable drop in the ratings compared to the first season.
** The story of Hansel and Gretel is softened by making it an accident that the children were separated from their father rather than him abandoning them.
* LikeFatherLikeSon: many instances of this. It is the source of a few FunnyMoments to see how alike some characters are to their parents or grandparents.
* LimitedWardrobe: Somewhat in the Enchanted Forest, at least for some of the more iconic characters. For instance, Belle shows up in a bar in "Dreamy" wearing the same finery she had when in her father's and the Beast's castles.
** The outfit Queen Eva is buried in is the same one she wears planning a ball and then on her deathbed.
** Captain Hook has been wearing the same leather pants and coat since he was introduced, basically.
* LivingEmotionalCrutch:[[spoiler:Daniel, young Regina's lover]] to Regina. After, [[spoiler:he dies, she is ready to be married off and looks like she is dead inside. If Regina didn't discover that Snow was partly responsible for Daniel's death, Regina possibly would have stayed dead inside]].
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: With what appears to be access to the whole of Disney's character catalog, the shows number of [[http://seriable.com/once-upon-a-time-complete-character-guide/ characters is ever expanding]].
* LocalHangout: Granny's diner (which seems also to serve drinks like a pub).
* LongestPregnancyEver: Ella's 28-year and 9-month pregnancy. Justified in the fact that time having stopped in Storybrooke is a major plot point. Ella was pregnant when the curse hit, so logically, she would have been stuck like that until Emma arrived. (And when Emma does arrive, she's finally able to give birth.)
* LongLostRelative: Henry and Emma. Emma and her parents, Prince Charming and Snow White. Charming and his twin.
* TheLostLenore[=/=]TheMourningAfter: This is how Snow White's father feels about his first wife.
** Daniel is very much this for Regina, his death being the main cause for her hatred against Snow, which is why she cast the curse.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Oddly enough, less than you'd think. Several of the main couples (Rumplestiltskin/Belle, Snow White/Prince Charming) did NOT have this in their romance, and for those who did (The genie/Regina), there ended up being negative consequences from it.
** You could argue that, at least, Prince Charming ''did'' fall in love with Snow White at first sight...
** In "Ariel", Hook claims he never thought he'd be capable of letting go of his first love, [[spoiler:until he met Emma]]. Although his revenge continued to guide his actions after that and for a while he still flirted with every woman in sight.
* LoveHurts:
** Dozens of times between Charming/David and Snow/Mary Margaret. Those two in both worlds run into emotional/Fmoraal roadblock after roadblock on the way to getting together. They're pretty battered and bruised at this point.
** Emma suffers from this when she discovers [[spoiler:Graham has been sleeping with Regina]].
** Rumplestiltskin:
*** He ends up with this after he learns what happened to Belle after he made her leave his castle (under the incorrect impression that she was working for the Evil Queen).
*** And then there's [[spoiler:what Milah did to him...and what he did to Milah afterward]].
*** And then there's [[spoiler:what Cora did to him after he helps her]]
** Having to forsake his love for the fairy Nova turned Dreamy the Dwarf into the Grumpy Dwarf we know today.
** [[spoiler:Regina and Daniel]]. That ended well.
* LoveMakesYouEvil:
** Sidney/the Magic Mirror became evil because of his love for the Evil Queen.
** Regina’s trying to [[spoiler:frame Mary Margaret]] by implicating this.
** Regina herself turned evil after [[spoiler:the death of her true love]], something for which she blames Snow.
** Rumplestiltskin, for a slightly broader definition of "love" that includes parental love.
** Both played straight and subverted with Captain Hook. The loss of his love Milah turned him evil, while [[spoiler: falling in love with Emma makes him a better man.]]
* LoveMartyr: Belle to Rumplestiltskin[=/=]Mr. Gold. After an initial rejection from him [[spoiler:and her in a cell in an asylum for bloody 28 years]]!, the start of the second season sees them in a relationship of sorts. They both avowedly love each other, but Gold is still fully capable of being a manipulative jerk, and sweet mother of Shakespeare, does Belle pay the price for it, be it through Gold himself or one of his many enemies recognizing Belle as the week spot in his armor.
* LovePotion: The only potion Rumplestiltskin has been unable to make. [[spoiler:Until he combines a strand of hair from Snow White and Prince Charming]].
* LoveRedeems: Played with in the case of [[spoiler:Rumplestiltskin]]. It's implied love ''could'' have saved him, but he rejected it. [[spoiler:Because giving up his powers would have required him to give up on ever seeing Baelfire again; see LoveMakesYouEvil above]]. Since the girl in question hasn't given up yet, this may or may not turn into a full-blown LoveRedeems.
** Regina's attempts to redeem herself in Season 2 are motivated by the desire to prove herself to Henry and win him back.
** Captain Hook's attempt at redemption in Season 3 is motivated by [[spoiler:his feelings for Emma]].
* LoveTriangle:
** A sort of lopsided one appears in Episode 7 between Emma, Graham and Regina. [[spoiler:It ends with Graham's death by Regina's hand]].
** Then there's Snow White and Prince Charming loving each other despite the latter's ArrangedMarriage to Abigail, as well as their Storybrooke counterparts: Mary Margaret, David and his ''wife'' Kathryn. [[spoiler:The former love triangle is resolved with Charming leaving his wedding for Snow, and the latter love triangle is resolved once Kathryn pulls an IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy and everyone gets their memories back]].
** [[spoiler:Prince Phillip and Aurora are each other's true love. Mulan, Phillip's longtime comrade and friend, might be in love with him too. His untimely death at the hands of the wraith leaves this matter unresolved. Things have gotten a little more interesting with the reveal that Mulan is in love with Aurora as well, but has decided not to tell her because Aurora is pregnant with Phillip's baby.]]
** Season 3 creates one between Emma, Neal, and Hook. Hook has feelings for her and Emma and Neal still deeply love each other, but have gone through too much pain to even think about attempting resume their relationship, with Emma even at one point proclaiming that she wished Neal was dead in order not to deal with it. So Emma preemptively shuts down the triangle by saying that the only important one in her life is Henry.
* LowCultureHighTech: Subtly invoked beginning in the second season after [[spoiler:the curse is lifted]]. While we've become used to the Enchanted Forest residents using modern-day tech in their Storybrooke personas, it occasionally is brought into relief, such as [[spoiler:a Season 2 episode in which Belle - who did ''not'' have a Storybrooke counterpart, and thus after the curse was broken was the same medieval Belle of the Enchanted Forest - is shown not only using a cell phone, but at one point arms herself with a very modern-looking handgun]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:M-P]]
* MadnessMantra: From the Mad Hatter [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin naturally]]. His last flashback scene involves him [[spoiler:saying "Get it to work!" over and over again as he's making hats. The camera pans out as it reveals the thousands of hats he's made in the hopeless effort to try to get back home to his daughter, thus revealing how he got his name and how he ended up being a permanent character in Wonderland]].
* MagicAIsMagicA: Notable for a series which uses magic [[AppliedPhlebotinum to keep the plot going]]. So far, magic has clearly defined limits (can't raise the dead, for example), clearly explained sources (emotion, with true love being the most powerful form), and it ''always'' [[ArcWords comes with a price]].
** TrueLovesKiss also appears subject to this, though the rules are not explicitly stated. Those that are apparent from it's uses in the show are: 1) It only works on curses and other magical problems.[[note]]Snow's attempt to utilize it on a physically injured Charming does nothing.[[/note]] 2) It only works when the love is mutual. [[note]] Rumple tries it on an [[spoiler: amnesiac Belle]] with no success.[[/note]] 3) It only works when the two people are physically together. [[note]] As demonstrated when Snow and Charming attempt it during a shared dream state. Intangible bodies can't kiss.[[/note]] 4. It doesn't have to be romantic in nature. [[note]] Emma uses it to wake Henry and lift the curse on the town.[[/note]] 5. It must make physical contact with another person. [[note]] Princess Abigail tried to break Frederick's curse with the kiss, but couldn't due to his helmet getting in the way.[[/note]]
* MagicCompass:
** In "True North", Gretel and Hansel[=/=]Ava and Nicholas have a special compass. In the Land Without Magic, it doesn't seem to work, but it begins to move when [[spoiler:their father is near them]].
** In the finale of the first season Rumplestiltskin enchants Prince Charming's ring so that it will lead him directly to Snow White.
** In another episode Captain Hook leads Emma up the beanstalk to steal a compass from the giant that will let them find a way between worlds back to Storybrooke.
* TheMagicGoesAway: One of the key points of the Dark Curse is that it transported to entire Enchanted Forest into a world without magic (ours). This has the side-effect of reversing any magical transformations that residents underwent in their world. Archie is no longer a cricket, and Mr. Gold no longer sports the green and scaly skin of the Dark One. [[spoiler:August (Pinocchio) was able to avoid this by transporting in the wardrobe with Emma, but when she decides to stay in Storybrooke 28 years later, he begins to revert to his wooden form]].
** TheMagicComesBack: [[spoiler:In the Season 1 finale, Rumplestiltskin uses his bottled PowerOfLove to bring all the magic of the Enchanted Forest into Storybrooke]].
* MagicIsEvil: So far every human who has taken up magic long-term has become both corrupted and addicted to their power. The fairies have wielded magic without obvious corruption, but they only use magic in the service of others and always employ an artifact like a wand or fairy dust. [[spoiler: Emma]] has so far also avoided corruption from her native magical abilities, but these abilities were only recently awakened and sparingly used (she usually forgets she even has them). In addition, she was taught to wield her abilities by [[spoiler: channeling her desire to protect people]] in sharp contrast to the technique of [[spoiler: channeling rage and a desire for vengeance]] used by Rumpelstiltskin, Cora, and Regina. Only time will tell whether this more fairy-like approach will help her avoid the fate of other human magic-users.
* MagicVersusScience: Rumplestiltskin and [[spoiler:Dr. Frankenstein]] argue about which is more powerful [[spoiler:Rumplestiltskin forces Frankenstein to say magic is greater, but while magic works faster and is more flexible, Frankenstein brought back the dead--something which is impossible for magic]].
** [[spoiler:Greg and Tamara's organization]] uses some form of science to [[AntiMagic disable magic]]. Or so they think. [[spoiler:It's now obvious that they were using magic all along]].
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction:
** Granted that the series isn't allowed to be too graphic, [[spoiler:but Hook reacts to Rumplestiltskin ''cutting his freaking hand off'' with far less screaming and flailing around than he by all rights should have done]].
** Whale [[spoiler:walks around with his arm ''ripped off'' with nothing worse than a few winces]].
* MaleGaze: Dr. Whale gets busted checking out Ruby during his date with Mary Margaret.
* MamaBear: Five words: "BACK. AWAY. FROM MY. DAUGHTER!"
** Snow is a total Mama Bear. When Mulan went to chop down the beanstalk (having promised Emma she'd do this) Snow ''attacked'' her for it.
** Regina could be an evil example. She burst into city hall and owned everyone in order to get Henry back.
** Emma. At the end of Season 1, [[spoiler:when Henry was in a coma after eating the apple turnover, Emma had enough and outright attacked Regina, since she was the one who made the turnover in the first place. In Season 2, Emma burned the portal leading back home so Cora couldn't get to Henry]].
** Ashley/Cinderella could be one, too. She broke into Mr. Gold's office and then knocked him out while trying to get documents which will ensure she keeps her baby.
** Widow Lucas is a Grandma Bear. [[spoiler:When King George framed Ruby for murder and then tried to shoot her,]] Granny shoots the gun out of his hand and threatens to put the next one between his eyes.
* ManlyTears:
** King George at the death of his son.
** Lots of these from the Huntsman.
** Mr. Gold, that mean old bastard, breaks down terribly [[spoiler:when he's apologizing to the man he thinks is his grown son: "I'm so sorry, Bae."]] His eyes well up with tears when [[spoiler:he first sees Belle, who he had thought was dead, in the finale]] and when he finally holds her, he's weeping.
** Rumplestiltskin keeps his composure at first when [[spoiler:the evil queen tells him Belle has killed herself after returning to her father]], but when the queen leaves him alone he realizes the scale of his loss and starts to openly sob.
** Charming/David. All the time, but especially when he thinks he's losing Snow/Mary Margaret
* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Rumplestiltskin in his real-world form, Mr. Gold.
* MassiveMultiplayerCrossover: With so many characters and so many fairy tales, folk tales, and mythological characters present, it's giving VideoGame/KingsQuest and VideoGame/KingdomHearts a run for their money.
** As co-creator Edward Kitsis explains:
--->"It’s like when you were young and had StarWars figures and you mixed them with GIJoe. Cobra and Darth Vader might not have known each other, but they do in my backyard. We’ve taken the principle of being 12-year-old boys and we’ve brought it to primetime."
* MayDecemberRomance: Belle and Rumplestiltskin. It's a MayDecemberRomance in their Storybrooke forms too, since Robert Carlyle is 20 years older than Emilie Ravin.
** Also a MayflyDecemberRomance, at least so far, since currently Belle is still a normal human woman with a presumably average life span, while Rumplestiltskin, due to his Dark Magic, is unaging and immortal.
** Both Neal/Emma and Hook/Emma are this, since both guys are over 300 years old (though they don't look it).
* MeaningfulEcho:
** "I don't want to be you." Said by Henry to Regina, where its then revealed she said the same thing to her mother. It's implied this caused her to realize she had become her mother, which motivates her into letting Henry go.
** "Not like this." Said to Regina both times. The first time was [[spoiler:28 years before the beginning of the series, by Owen after Regina tried to forcibly keep him and his father in Storybrooke]]. The second time was by Henry, when [[spoiler:he found out Regina intended to curse him to make him love her]].
* MeaningfulName: Obviously "Storybrooke" and "Toll Bridge" are major examples, but the tropes still shows up in a surprisingly large number of subtle ways.
** Mary Margaret Blanchard is the cursed identity of Snow White. Fitting, since "Blanchard" is derived from the Latin root word for "White."
** Ruby. Red. Ruby. Red. Do the math.
** Dr. Archibald "Hopper" - referring to a man who used to be be a cricket.
** Mr. "Gold" - referring to a man whose most recognizable talent was alchemy with straw by spinning wheel.
** Cora - from the French ''cœur'', "heart". Her talent is pulling people's hearts out; she had her own heart removed for safekeeping.
** Perhaps the most subtle example of all (at least, until it's unnecessarily lampshaded by Cora) is "Regina" - the Latin-derived word for "Queen."
* MeetCute: Snow White and the Prince meet when she robs him, he knocks her off a horse and right when he realizes that the thief is a woman, she brains him with a rock giving him [[GoodScarsEvilScars a scar]] he has to this day. She also nicknamed him PrinceCharming and it ''stuck''.
** Emma met Henry's father by stealing his stolen car with him sleeping in the back. She was so fuddled, she ran a stop sign and got pulled over (remember, in a twice-stolen car), and got out of the ticket when he pretended she was his girlfriend and he was teaching her to drive stick.
* MementoMacGuffin: Rumple's reaction to the news that Belle is dead is to smash all of his teacups. He stops himself before smashing the last one; the one she chipped. He stares at it for a moment before putting it on a pedestal as a reminder of the loss.
* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Almost ''all'' of the characters who die in the show are male: [[spoiler:Henry (Regina's father), the ''real'' Prince James, Graham, Stealthy, King Leopold, Peter, Daniel, Lancelot]]...
** [[spoiler:Maleficent dies in the season finale, but the trope is still valid. She, Charming's mother and Cinderella's Fairy Godmother are thus far the only notable female deaths]].
** Season 2 has almost a male death an ''episode'' ([[spoiler:Prince Phillip, Lancelot, Quinn, Gus-Gus]]) but also a female villain death in [[spoiler:Red's mother]]. Another female villain death is [[spoiler:[[TomboyishName Ja]][[AssholeVictim ck]]]], and subsequently [[spoiler:Cora]].
* MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll: Rumplestiltskin continues to pull the strings from inside his magical prison.
* MissingMom:
** Snow White to Emma when Snow goes into labor early and is forced to send Emma away on her own in order to save her from the curse.
** In "reality": Emma is the one who ''was'' missing and now is found. The Mayor is the one who is present in all the ways but love.
* MomentKiller: Kathryn has a remarkable talent for this, constantly disrupting romantic moments between Mary Margaret and David.
* MonsterSobStory: All the recurring ones.
* MoralityKitchenSink: If the show isn't becoming WhiteAndGreyMorality, it's probably this.
* MoralityPet: Belle to Rumplestiltskin[=/=]Mr. Gold, with the [[BerserkButton classic effects]] anytime someone hurts Belle. Belle has stopped Gold from violence more than once and seems to have triggered some self knowledge in him. Sadly, Gold's reaction to Belle [[spoiler:stumbling over the town line, with the resulting memory loss stopping her from viewing Gold as a GoodAllAlong friend/love interest]] make this tip towards MoralityChain. At least until the season finale.
* MsFanservice: Several attractive females, but Ruby is the most prominent.
** Emma sure loves tight jeans.
** The Blue Fairy's AbsoluteCleavage.
** Regina, especially when she's the Evil Queen.
* TheMultiverse: "Hat Trick" confirms that one exists in this show. So far the universes that have been seen or hinted at on-screen are:
** The Enchanted Forest, where most (but not all) of the fairy tale regulars in the series originate.
** [[Literature/AliceInWonderland Wonderland]].
** [[Literature/LandOfOz The Land of Oz]] (The door to it can be seen inside the Hatter's Magic Hat and there's an illustration of a Winged Monkey in Henry's book. Later, we learn the Hatter has visited the realm and attempted to obtain the ruby slippers. The promo for the second half of the third season reveals that [[spoiler:the Wicked Witch of the West will be the new BigBad]].)
** [[Literature/PeterPan Neverland]].
** A Land Without Color, where [[spoiler:[[Literature/{{Frankenstein}} Dr. Victor Frankenstein]]]] lives.
** UltimateUniverse: The Land Without Magic (aka Storybrooke) could be considered this. Some of the individuals native to the other realms who were contemporaries of each other, nonetheless have existed as stories in ours for hundreds, if not ''thousands'' of years.
*** In addition, [[WordOfGod according]] to [[http://tvline.com/2013/08/04/once-upon-a-time-in-wonderland-pilot-details-scheduling/ the producers]] [[Series/OnceUponATimeInWonderland Alice’s Victorian England]] is a separate realm, a “land of story” removed from time.
* MugglesDoItBetter: As Regina unfortunately learns in "The Evil Queen", when [[spoiler: Owen and Tamara]] render her completely powerless with a combination of technology and SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic. Hook even mentions they managed to take down Maleficent, who is revealed to have survived being slain by Emma, but reduced to a mere shade and unable to die.
* MundaneUtility: Snow uses her [[FriendToAllLivingThings special relationship with animals]] to deliver messages.
* MurderTheHypotenuse:
** The Genie kills Snow White's father to free the Queen from her loveless marriage.
** [[spoiler:David and then Mary Margaret come under suspicion of this]].
* MyOwnPrivateIDo: In "Lady of the Lake" [[spoiler:We find out that before the big ceremony seen in the pilot, Snow and Charming had their own private wedding officiated by Lancelot (a knight of the Round Table), so that Charming's mother can see her son be married before she dies from a poisoned arrow]].
* MythologyGag: A lot of references to the [[DisneyAnimatedCanon Disney versions]] of the fairy tales, including the name of Maleficent (the Thirteenth Fairy was unnamed in the story and named Carabosse in the ballet; it was the Disney movie that named her Maleficent) and the use of the city of [[Disney/{{Aladdin}} Agrabah]].
** There's also the dwarves' names, and Peter (Red's boyfriend) is named after "PeterAndTheWolf". Also you could stretch it to include Belle, who is usually just called Beauty (though belle is French for beauty) though the name originate from the Disney cartoon.
** The chipped cup is a reference to Chip from the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast.
** Not a name thing, but in Mr. Gold's shop there's a Mickey Mouse phone in one of the glass glasses as well as a Mickey Mouse plush toy in Emma's nursery.
** Back to Disney, the video game Regina gives Henry is ''[[{{Tron}} Space Paranoids]]''.
** When [[spoiler:Charming wants to go to the Netherworld]], Gold uses what he calls a classic means of inducing the Sleeping Curse: The needle on the spinning wheel.
** This one is a little closer to a ShoutOut, but if you look carefully in the background of Rumplestiltskin's castle, you can see the Scythe from ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' (Jane Espenson, who wrote for Buffy, also writes for this show).
** At the end of the episode "Tiny", the dwarfs are whistling a very familiar tune...
** An especially meta one for the end of Season 2: given that ''Once'' began as an attempt at a ''{{Fables}}'' TV show, [[spoiler: Peter Pan]] seemed like an inevitable ''[[IncrediblyLamePun Adversary]]'' for our heroes to face, even though he ended up not being the Adversary in the comic due to copyright issues.
** Towards the end of season 2, much is made of Snow [[spoiler: formerly]] having [[KingdomHearts a heart devoid of darkness]].
* NeckSnap:
** How Rumplestiltskin kills the knight who humiliated him. With one hand. By palming their head.
** Charming to one of King George's {{Mooks}}.
** The wolves do this to a number of Regina's mooks.
* {{Necromantic}}: Dr. Whale [[spoiler:(aka Dr. Victor Frankenstein) wants to revive his brother, and does so with tragic effects]], and Regina [[spoiler:wants to revive her lost love, and Dr. Frankenstein does so, with tragic effects]].
* NeverFoundTheBody: [[spoiler:Kathryn]] though the heart was found. In "The Stable Boy" [[spoiler:it's clear that the DNA results on the heart were tampered with because Kathryn is found alive]].
* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
** [[spoiler:Snow White told the Evil Queen's mother about her secret affair with the stable boy. The mother ended up killing the stable boy, beginning Regina's StartOfDarkness, which indirectly contributed to every evil thing the Queen did. And there are a lot]].
** Emma telling [[spoiler:Cora that Regina adopted Henry]]. ''Seriously, Emma?'' [[IdiotBall Why not slather the kid in ketchup and leave him for the trolls while you're at it]]?
** Snow [[spoiler:playing on Regina's MommyIssues and tricking her into killing her own mother, thus apparently ending any hope of a HeelFaceTurn for Regina forever]]. The irony is, [[spoiler:if she'd just played it straight and given Regina Cora's heart ''without'' cursing it, it would have worked--Cora would have been able to love her daughter again, and both Cora ''and'' Regina might have turned face at once, albeit at the cost of Rumplestiltskin's life, since Cora would realize that having Regina is "enough" for her, and she wouldn't want to kill Rumple anymore because she'd feel love for ''him'' again. Now, Snow's given Regina a ''just'' reason to hate her for killing her mother, to go along with the unjust one of causing her mother to kill her boyfriend]].
* NiceJobFixingItVillain:
** In the pilot, if Regina had simply expressed gratitude toward Emma for bringing Henry back (twice), Emma probably would have gone back to Boston and assured herself that at least Henry was living with a stern but fair and loving mother.
** More generally, it seems to be a recurring pattern for Regina to say something to put Emma down, only for this to make her dig in her heels instead.
** It's also a recurring pattern that she'll say "stay away from..." whoever someone's destined romantic match is and they'll tend to want to get together for spite. It happened a bit with present-day Snow and she said it again to Emma with regard to Graham in "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter".
** [[spoiler:Regina brings about her own downfall in the last two episodes of the season. The apple turnover she baked for Emma is eaten by Henry instead, nearly killing him. This leads to Emma finally believing in the curse and eventually to everybody recovering their past memories]]. Again with Regina [[spoiler:Charming was going to be executed, and then she saved his life for an even MORE complicated plan]]!
** Regina [[spoiler:forcibly puts Cora's heart back in her body, not realizing that Snow had cursed it. This gets Cora killed]].
* NightmareSequence: Oddly enough, of all the people to have nightmares, it's the one who deserves it most (Regina). Her nightmare shows her with serious guilt, or at least [[AdultFear fear]] of losing her child and having a lynch mob come after her. If not for her despicable nature, this would almost be a PetTheDog moment. Almost.
* NoArcInArchery: Charming's arrow work in "Snow Falls".
* NoBisexuals: Stunningly, ''averted''. [[spoiler: In a twist, Mulan goes to confess her love to ''Aurora''.]]
* NoManOfWomanBorn: At their first meeting during the Ogre Wars, the Seer tells Rumple that [[spoiler:Rumple's actions on the battlefield would leave his child fatherless]]. Rumple interprets it as meaning that he would be killed in battle, so tries to change his apparent fate by injuring himself and getting sent home. Fast forward to years later, when Rumple has become the Dark One and Bae tried to get the both of them to The World Without Magic. Rumple's cowardice shows itself again, and [[spoiler:Bae is left fatherless when Rumple refuses to give up the dagger]].
* NoNameGiven:
** Prince Charming, zigzagged with his Fairy Tale identity but eventually subverted with his Storybrooke one. For a while we only know the Prince as Charming, but in Episode 3, he reveals to Snow White that his name is James. Turns out that's not his true name either! [[TwinSwitch His twin's name]] was Prince James and Charming is merely taking on the alias because of an EmergencyImpersonation situation he got roped into. For over a year, his ''real'' identity was simply called [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Shepherd]]. In Storybrooke, Charming's counterpart was a John Doe in a coma and after he woke up he had no idea who he was. His "wife" Kathryn then shows up to reveal that his identity is David Nolan, officially - at least in Storybrooke. Later, after the curse breaks, he finally reveals his birth name in the following exchange:
--->'''Grumpy'''[=/=]'''[[IHaveManyNames Leroy]]:''' So let me get this straight. You got a twin brother?\\
'''David:''' Yeah.\\
'''Grumpy:''' Whose name is James?\\
'''David:''' Right.\\
'''Grumpy:''' But your name is James.\\
'''David:''' No, actually, it's not.\\
'''Grumpy:''' It's Charming then?\\
'''Snow White:''' No, that's the nickname I gave him.\\
'''Grumpy:''' Wait. Hold on, what the hell is your name?\\
'''David:''' David!\\
'''Grumpy:''' Your curse name?\\
'''David:''' My real name.\\
'''Grumpy:''' You're David, James, ''and'' Charming? What? David is like a middle name?\\
'''David:''' No, it's my ''name'' name.\\
'''Grumpy:''' [[RageQuit You know, whatever]]. I'll call you whatever I damn well please.
** The Stranger introducing himself by refusing to tell Emma his name. He eventually gives his name as August Booth [[spoiler:although he does remember his Fairy Tale identity, Pinocchio]].
* NoSell: Heart-snatching, [[spoiler:on Emma]].
** Ditto on Cora, but this is because she's CrazyPrepared.
* NotHisSled: All the time in regard to the fairy tales told. Emma even mentions that the fairy tales in Henry's book "aren't the most traditional kind."
* NotSoDifferent:
** Mr. Gold being able to manipulate Emma in Episode 8 because he can see a "desperate soul."
** Snow and Grumpy bond over their "lost" loves.
** [[spoiler:Peter Pan uses this line on Rumpelstiltskin; Rumpel abandoned his son for power while Peter abandoned his for youth. [[CallingTheOldManOut Rumpel doesn't see it that way]].]]
* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: With his kingdom on the line, this was King George's method of forcing David to play the part of James for the rest of his days. He threatened to destroy David's mother and anything else David held dear if he did not comply.
* OhCrap: Regina, [[spoiler:upon realizing that the Curse has been broken. The Blue Fairy calmly informs her that she'd better find somewhere to hide]].
** The expression on Emma's face when she sees [[spoiler:the dragon]].
** Regina, again, when Henry reveals the obstacle preventing Snow and Emma from returning to Storybrooke: [[spoiler:Cora, Regina's mother, is alive and ''pissed''. It's also enough to make Gold quiver when Regina informs him]].
** And another one for Regina when Gold reveals [[spoiler:that he does remember his identity as Rumplestiltskin]].
** Regina has a minor one, when she notices Emma's arrival has caused the clock-tower to start working for the first time in 28 years.
** In "Tallahassee," Emma and Hook need to knock a giant out with sleeping powder so they can get into his fortress. To do so, Emma perches on one of two huge statues flanking the doorway to toss the powder while Hook makes a racket to lure the giant out. The statue's head is more than half Emma's height. First the ground starts shaking as the giant heads towards the door. Then he actually appears--and he's twice as tall as the statues. In Emma's horrified words "Oh, dammit."
** [[spoiler: After the curse is broken and magic comes to Storybrooke, Regina is confronted by a lynch mob wanting her blood for what she did to them. Convinced that her powers have returned, she attempts to fire a spell at the mob and gets a ''glorious'' look on her face when she realizes that nothing happened.]]
* OhMyGods: Verbatim, in the Enchanted Forest.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Anyone not named Emma and Henry by nature of the curse or their fairy tale nature. For instance, Mary Margaret/Snow White looks about as old as Emma... who is her daughter. Meanwhile, Regina also looks as old as Emma and, being the Evil Queen, she's older than Snow White.
** In fact, though all three actresses were born in the same order as their characters, Lana Parrilla (Regine/Queen) is less than 2 years older than Jennifer Morrison (Emma).
** Also, [[spoiler:Neal/Baelfire]] mentions that, thanks to all his adventures, he's a couple of centuries old.
* OnceUponATime: Not only is it the title, it's the first thing we see in the show!
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: To say too much would be spoilerific, but this is in full effect, especially in Season 2.
* OneGenderRace:
** Dwarves are one of these--all male, they hatch from eggs fully formed. With clothing.
** Fairies are also apparently all female. In Storybrooke, they are nuns.
** Giants appear to be all male. No female giants are seen or mentioned. Arlo, the father figure of the group, refers to himself as Anton's brother rather than father.
* OneHourWorkWeek: For being the sole cop in town, Emma isn't seen doing a lot of police work after the first season. She was right; there really ''isn't'' a lot of sheriffing going on in Storybrooke.
* OnePersonBirthdayParty: The series begins this way. When it turns out that her date was just a sham to get a bounty, Emma goes home to have a cupcake with a single candle on it by herself.
* OneSteveLimit: More like a Two Steve Limit. In the original ''Literature/PeterPan'', Captain Hook's name is James. But since we already have a Prince James and a twin brother who uses his name, Hook's name is now Killian.
* TheOneThatGotAway: [[spoiler:Belle]] to Rumplestiltskin.
* OneTrueLove
* OpeningNarration: In the pilot, the premise of the show was laid out in screens of text that appeared before the action proper began.
* OperationBlank: Henry codenames the fight against the Evil Queen "Operation Cobra", so she'll never guess what it is.
* OrbitalKiss: [[spoiler:David and Mary Margaret in Episode 10, and again in Episode 22]].
* OrgyOfEvidence: "The Cricket Game"
* OrphanageOfFear: Where Emma [[spoiler:and Pinocchio]] ended up when they first came to Earth.
* OrphansPlotTrinket: Emma's baby blanket, Hansel and Gretel's compass.
* OstentatiousSecret: Several over the course of the series.
** What's in August Booth's box--''twice''. The first time it shows up in the series, it's used mainly to aggravate Emma, and quickly revealed to be [[spoiler:Booth's typewriter]]. But the second time, [[spoiler:Booth uses its contents to convince Neal Cassidy to believe in magic so he'll stop interfering with Emma's destiny]] and it is treated like Marsellus Wallace's briefcase from ''Film/PulpFiction''--the audience sees characters' reactions but does not see inside. We do eventually get to see what was inside. [[spoiler:It was Booth's typewriter. Again. With, "I know you're Baelfire" typed on the sheet of paper in it. Remarkably prosaic, given that he ''could'' simply have said it aloud except that would have let the audience in on the secret prematurely]].
* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Played straight or even exaggerated, since dwarves are born fully grown and conscious after hatching from eggs and are single-mindedly devoted to mining.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: "The Shepherd".
* OurFairiesAreDifferent: "Dreamy".
* OurTrollsAreDifferent: "Snow Falls".
* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: "Red-Handed". Lycanthropy is hereditary, not viral, and fades with age. [[spoiler:Red turns out to be the werewolf]], making this another case of ExternalRetcon.
* OurZombiesAreDifferent: "Into The Deep". [[spoiler:One consequence of holding the heart of a dead person is the wielder can revive them into a moving corpse]].
* OutOfCharacterAlert: [[spoiler:After convincing Mr. Gold that he's Baelfire, August uncovers the dagger and tries to use it to control him as The Dark One. Mr. Gold instantly knows he's been fooled, since Baelfire intentionally came to our world because it contained no magic, and therefore would know the dagger would be powerless]].
** Pongo tries but being a dog, it works as well as one might expect. At least the birds have Mary Margaret to talk to.
* OpenMouthInsertFoot: From the Pilot:
-->'''Mary Margaret:''' He struggles with that most basic question that they all inevitably face: "Why would anyone give me up?". *cue OhCrap look on her face as she realizes that she just said that to Henry's birth mother.*
* OutOfFocus: They aren't main characters, but a significant number of important characters from Season 1, such as Abigail/Kathryn Nolan and The Magic Mirror/Sidney Glass, haven't even been ''mentioned'' amongst the Charming family/Regina/Gold chaos of Season 2.
* PapaWolf:
** The Prince doesn't get a lot of time with his new baby, but in the few minutes they get together he takes down an army of mooks with only [[BadassAndBaby one arm free]] and transport Emma to safety.
** Rumplestiltskin could also be considered this to a degree, considering he was willing to go to any lengths necessary to try and keep his son from having to go to war. It turns out, [[spoiler:Rumple engineered the entire plot as a BatmanGambit to get to the world without magic so he could find Bae again. Yeah. He counts]].
** A literal and inverted example with [[spoiler:the Big Bad Wolves. Granny got lucky with the one she meets as a child because it had already eaten her father and brothers. Said wolf was Red's grandfather]].
** Gepetto ''blackmailed'' the Blue Fairy to ensure Pinocchio's safety.
* ParentalAbandonment: Happens frequently, though it's usually forced abandonment.
** Charming and Snow were forced to [[MosesinTheBullrushes separately transport Emma to the Earth since she is destined to break the curse]].
** As with [[spoiler:Gepetto and Pinnochio, in the same incident]].
** The Evil Queen forcibly separates Hansel and Gretel from their father [[spoiler:though they are later reunited in Storybrooke]].
** Jefferson is also separated from his daughter, thanks to the Evil Queen. In Storybrooke he remembers her, but she is with a new family and doesn't remember him.
** Milah, Rumple's ex-wife and Baelfire's mom, took off and joined a pirate crew.
** Baelfire is later abandoned by Rumple too, who lets him fall thorough a portal alone and is too much of a coward to follow him into the unknown.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: In "The Miller's Daughter" to protect her family and get revenge for her mother, Snow White finally decides to go after Cora and Regina. How she goes about it isn't pretty, either. [[spoiler:She finds and curses Cora's heart, then tricks Regina into putting it back, making Regina the instrument of her own mother's death. For an extra kicker, replacing the heart restores Cora's ability to properly love Regina, just for the last few moments of her life]].
** Debatable since [[spoiler:it was her only way to save her whole family. She was also surprised by Regina and had to find an excuse really quickly to save her family, and we see that she changed her mind despite the risks when she had the time to think]]. Perhaps a case of MamaBear.
** Rumple pulls a first-rate one on Tamara in the Season 3 opener. [[spoiler: He finds Tamara, grievously wounded, but still alive. He stops, heals her with magic, and she's down on her knees apologizing. Rumple looks like he's going to reassure her, then rips out her heart and crushes it to dust.]]
* PerceptionFilter: No one from Storybrooke wonders why nobody (except Henry) has aged in the past 28 years or why no one can remember the first time they met. [[spoiler:Except Regina, Jefferson, and Henry. The formers because Regina wanted it so. Henry lacks it because he was born outside the town. This fact was what helped him realize something wasn't right in his town]].
* PetTheDog:
** Mr. Gold has a few.
*** He insists on giving Emma a pair of radios to use with Henry, since "We have so little time with our children."
*** Also a retroactive one in the Enchanted Forest: Rumplestilskin is a little subdued when talking to David and his mother about him taking James' place, and doesn't really do any of his usual antics. When we see his backstory, we find out [[spoiler:that this is because the situation is very similar to the one he went through with his own son, so he can empathize]].
*** In "Skin Deep", he has several with Belle in their "lighter" moments, [[spoiler:including keeping the chipped tea cup she broke]].
*** In Season 2, Mr. Gold actually does pet a dog: Archie's Dalmation, Pongo. When asked if he likes dogs, he murmurs something about having been acquainted with a sheepdog or two long ago.
** Regina's love for her son is one of her few redeeming qualities. Henry being in danger has lead to her teaming up with Emma to save him ''twice'' and most of her PetTheDog moments (which include saving the lives of her sworn enemies) are for Henry's sake.
* PicturePerfectPresentation: Either the illustrations in Henry's book become active scenes, or active scenes freeze into the illustrations in Henry's book.
* PlotThreads:
** TwoLinesNoWaiting: Season 1 was divided between the Storybrooke plot and the flashbacks to the Enchanted Forest.
** ThirdLineSomeWaiting: In Season 2, [[spoiler:we have the addition of following Emma and Snow ''in'' the Enchanted Forest]].
* ThePowerOfLove: A law of magic in the Enchanted Forest is that "true love's kiss can break any curse." This is such a prominent aspect that Charming and Abigail both deem it a viable solution to Frederick's [[TakenForGranite situation]] (and it could have worked if his lips weren't blocked by his helmet).
** In the season ender [[spoiler:Emma's farewell kiss to Henry not only revives him, but triggers a WorldHealingWave]].
** In "Welcome to Storybrooke", Mr. Gold notes that [[spoiler:while Cora was dangerous because she lacked a heart, the fact Regina still has hers and is mad with grief over her mother's murder makes Regina even more dangerous than Cora ever was]].
* PrecisionFStrike: While not exactly 'F', [[spoiler:Rumplestiltskin ordering Belle into silence could count. Previously he'd been a man that kept his cool or covered everything with a smile and a giggle]].
-->'''Mr. Gold:''' Shut up!\\
'''Belle:''' But this means it's true love--\\
'''Mr. Gold:''' Shut the HELL up!
* {{Premiseville}}: Storybrooke, a town full of storybook characters.
* PrinceCharming: The main Prince, James, is sarcastically (at first) [[InSeriesNickname nicknamed]] PrinceCharming by his future wife, Literature/{{Snow White|and the Seven Dwarfs}}, when he captures her in a net. She says that he's so charming if that's the only way he can get someone. She did steal from him.
* PrincessesRule:
** Charming and Snow White are never referred to as King or Queen over their land.
** King George (the former ruler) is still alive, and Queen Regina still has control over Snow's ancestral land.
* PrimalScene: Emma and Henry walk in on Snow and Charming in bed. Henry is too innocent to know what's going on but the horrified look on Emma's face prompts this line from Charming to Snow after they leave:
-->"It's impressive that we can still give her some childhood traumatic memories at this late stage."
* ProductPlacement:
** Henry is shown reading MarvelComics. ABC and Marvel are both owned by Disney.
** In "7:15 A.M.", we catch Regina in a grocery store with a ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' comic. Gift for her son, or is the evil queen secretly OneOfUs?
* ProphecyTwist: The BlindSeer in "Manhattan" tells Rumplestilskin that his actions on the battlefield would cause [[PropheciesAreAlwaysRight his son to become fatherless]]. He would know when the army rides "cows" into battle. The "cows" are leather saddles.
* PunnyName[=/=]MeaningfulName[=/=]ThemeNaming: All the Storybrooke (pun for "storybook") residents have names that hearken to who they were in their Fairy Tale lives.
** Archie ''Hopper'', Henry's shrink, is really Jiminy Cricket. Archie's dalmatian is named [[Literature/TheHundredAndOneDalmatians Pongo]].
** Mr. ''Gold'', the evil landlord, is really Literature/{{Rumpelstiltskin}}, who spun straw into gold for the miller's daughter.
** The Mayor, ''Regina''[[note]] Latin (and other Romance languages) for "queen"[[/note]] Mills[[note]] her mother Cora was the daughter of a miller[[/note]], Henry's mother, is really the Evil Queen. This one wasn't whipped up by the Curse, she was named Regina before the curse hit. In "The Miller's Daughter", her mother explained why she chose the name--she always planned for her daughter to be queen one day.
*** "Mills" is also similar to Greek word for "apple", a fruit very closely associated with Evil Queen Regina.
*** Regina's mother Cora has a thing for hearts [[spoiler:(and is the Queen of Hearts)]]. The word ''corazon'' is Spanish for "heart."
** Snow White's Mary Margaret name has several.
*** Ms. ''Blanchard''[[note]] "blanche" is French for "white"[[/note]], Henry's teacher, is really ''Literature/{{Snow White|and the Seven Dwarfs}}''.
*** Also, her first name is ''[[Literature/TheBible Mary]]'' and she's the mother of [[ChosenOne the one destined to break the curse]].
*** Mary Margret also ends up being the alias Snow gave Red before she trusted the later.
*** Taking another biblical reference, Mary Margaret is used as a pseudonym by nuns for its close proximity to Mary Magdalene. For those of you who don't know Biblical history, Magdalene was a prostitute who became one of Jesus' greatest believers after he rose from the grave, forsaking her former ways and following him. Mary Margaret is one of the purest characters on the show, being an elementary school teacher and having crises of conscience from a one-night stand, but after her affair with David comes to light, she is given the names "tramp" and "harlot" by Regina and Leroy, respectively, effectively making it the complete inverse of the Biblical character. [[spoiler:She got better]].
** Doc, from Literature/{{Snow White|and the Seven Dwarfs}}'s story, is acting as her obstetrician.
** [[PrinceCharming Prince James]]'s counterpart is named David Nolan, meaning "beloved champion". David is also the name of a famous shepherd in Literature/TheBible who becomes king by slaying the giant Goliath and James means "he who supplants", foretelling his background as a BackupTwin. Also, this means that the savior comes from the royal house of David the shepherd.
** ''Ruby'' is LittleRedRidingHood.
** ''Ash''ley Boyd in Storybrooke is Literature/{{Cinderella}}[[note]] who is called Ashputtel ("Aschenputtel") by Creator/TheBrothersGrimm.[[/note]]
** Sidney ''Glass'', the local newspaper editor and YesMan to the mayor, used to be the Queen's Magic Mirror. And his newspaper is called ''The Mirror''. 'Sidney' is an anagram of 'Disney'.
** Abigail means [[DaddysGirl "father rejoice" or "father's joy"]] in Hebrew which was exactly how her father, Midas, describes her in ''The Shepherd''. Abigail is also the same name as King David's second wife from Literature/TheBible.
** The Mad Hatter being named "Jefferson" is probably a ShoutOut to JeffersonAirplane and their notorious Literature/AliceInWonderland based single 'White Rabbit'. [[spoiler:Regina caught his attention in the Finale by sticking a White Rabbit card onto Grace's bike]]. His daughter is named 'Grace' in the Enchanted Forest, the name of Jefferson Airplane's lead singer.
** The last names "Swan" ([[WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess she's a princess]]), "Humbert" (a great warrior), and "Nolan" (a noble man) are meant to be meaningful as well.
** [[spoiler:Dr. Frankenstein]] becomes Dr. Whale. James Whale was the director of [[spoiler:''Film/{{Frankenstein|1931}}'' and ''Film/BrideOfFrankenstein'']].
* PurpleIsPowerful: Magic is purple. All magical effects (save those caused by fairy dust) are accompanied by a purple mist.
* PutOnABus: Sidney, who is [[spoiler:locked away in Regina's private asylum where is apparently remains even after the curse is broken]] because actor Giancarlo Esposito became committed to co-starring in another series, ''Revolution''.
* PyrrhicVictory: When the Dark Curse was initially cast, Regina's victory was this. See VictoryIsBoring for the details.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Q-T]]
* QuickNip:
** Grumpy in the pilot while on guard duty.
** Rumplestiltskin seems to store a hip flask in his sleeve.
* QuirkyTown: {{Averted|Trope}}. All (at least most) of the townsfolk are amnesiac fairy tale characters, but are somehow not overly eccentric or adorable.
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: In Season 3 [[spoiler:Emma unites her parents, Regina, and Hook into one unit, citing it didn't matter if they were a good heroine, evil queen, sword-wielding hero, unscrupulous pirate, or TheChosenOne.]] They all have skills and abilities the others lack and will need to survive the horror that is [[spoiler:Neverland and rescue Henry.]]
* RaisedByGrandparents: Technically, Regina is Henry's great-grandparent by marriage. And Red was raised by Granny.
* RealAfterAll: At the end of “Ariel”, [[spoiler: Ursula]], who has been alluded to for the whole episode as a myth that no longer exists, turns out to be very real, and '''very''' pissed off that [[spoiler: Regina]] impersonated her.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:August]], sort of. [[spoiler:(He doesn't die, but gets reset back to childhood with apparent total memory loss.)]]
* RelationshipResetButton: When Snow takes a potion to forget her love for Charming, Charming is forced to have her fall in love with him all over again.
* ReluctantRuler: King Leopold proposed to Regina because she was the only woman he’d met since his wife’s passing who genuinely cared about Snow. Young Regina never wanted to be Queen and only wanted to marry Daniel. Inverted in that Regina’s mother killing her true love and forcing her to marry the King is what made her become, well, the [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Evil Queen]]
* RescueRomance:
** Snow White and Prince Charming go through this a number of times in the Enchanted Forest and Storybrooke. Early on in Storybrooke, Mary Margaret attempts to ward off David's affections by suggesting that his feelings for her are merely due to this.
** Henry suggests that the connection between Emma and Graham stems from the fact that the Huntsman spared Snow White's life, allowing Emma to exist.
* ResetButton: A loophole built into the curse created a trigger Regina could use to wipe Storybrooke off the map, at the cost of also killing any inhabitants who were not born in this world. [[spoiler: It gets activated at the end of season 2 by Tamara and Greg, but Emma and Regina are able to stop it in time]].
** [[spoiler: A massive one occurs after Pan recasts the Dark Curse, effectively erasing everyone's memories and wipes Storybrooke off the map, sending them back to Fairy Tale Land. Regina, in an effort to minimize the effects, sends Henry away with Emma and replaces their memories so that Emma kept Henry instead of giving him up for adoption.]]
* {{Revenge}}: The curse that gets the plot going (and very nearly everything that happens in the Enchanted Forest before that) is part of the Evil Queen's plot to get back at Snow White for [[spoiler:telling the then-not-evil Regina's most-decidedly-evil (and manipulative) mother about Regina's affair with the stable boy--which resulted in Regina losing her true love, being forced into a loveless marriage and being precipitated into her StartOfDarkness. And Snow is still blissfully unaware that she did anything wrong]].
* RunawayTrain: What the horse was that Snow was on as a child that introduced her to Regina.
* RunningGag:
** Henry and his codenames. Season 1 had Operation Cobra, Season 2 has Operation Scorpion (or Viper).
** Emma and her guns [[spoiler:that continually prove to be useless against fairytale creatures]].
** Mr. Gold can't keep people out of his shop.
--->'''Gold:''' It appears when I bought that 'closed' sign I was just throwing my money away.
** Mary Margaret's [[spoiler:"We were cursed!"]] seems to be rapidly becoming the show's version of [[{{Friends}} "We were on a break!"]]
** Regina's lasagna just doesn't get any love, it seems.
** It seems like Rumple and Belle can't have a nice, romantic moment together without being interrupted by something - an ex-fiancee, a former apprentice asking for help, [[spoiler:[[BreadEggsMilkSquick an old enemy shooting Belle]]]], to give a partial list. The series creators even joked that they won't get an uninterrupted moment until Season 7.
** Red being the wolf, and her [[DeathGlare "I'm far too nice a person to do it but you do realize a wolf would rip you apart"]] reaction.
** There's a running joke on some fan forums that the show's writers absolutely hate ''Cinderella'' and revel in murdering characters related to that story. Cinderella herself is PutOnABus in what was only her second episode, [[spoiler: her Fairy Godmother is blown to pieces in flashback after thirty seconds of screentime]], and after Billy the mechanic reveals that he used to be Gus the mouse, [[spoiler: he's torn in half in that very same episode.]]
* SamusIsAGirl:
** Prince Charming doesn't realize Snow White is a girl the first time they meet until he removes her face-concealing cloak.
** Also done with the reveal of Mulan. "You're a girl?!" "A ''woman''."
** Jack the giant killer has been revealed to be one.
* SaveTheVillain:
** Regina is saved by the heroes twice in the second season premiere: first from an angry mob and then from a soul-sucking monster.
** Snow [[spoiler:saved Rumple from Hook's poison by sacrificing Cora's life to restore him to health]].
** Regina has been saved by Snow many times throughout the series, despite everything.
* TheScapegoat: Snow became this for Regina after [[spoiler:Daniel's death. Because Regina was powerless against Cora (the one who murdered Daniel), she directed all her anger towards a little girl who was tricked by a much older master manipulator]].
** And on a couple occasions, Snow willingly takes this role by allowing herself to be killed or cursed by Regina in the hopes that it will end her anger and allow her to be a decent ruler.
* ScarsAreForever:
** A rare good version with Charming's chin scar. It's his little memento of the day he first met Snow.
** Granny also has some due to her encounter with the Big Bad Wolf.
** Storybrooke's Jefferson has one around his neck that serves as a memento of [[spoiler:his decapitation at the hands of the Queen of Hearts]].
** Regina has one on her upper lip. In real life this is a genuine scar sported by the actress; in-universe its origin has yet to be revealed.
* SceneryPorn: Most of the scenes set in the pre-curse Enchanted Forest.
* SecretIdentityIdentity: After the curse is broken the people of Storybrooke now have two sets of memories, that of their fairy tale lives and of Storybrooke. Instead of rejecting his cursed persona David Nolan, Prince Charming tells the other townspeople:
-->"David, Storybrooke David was-is weak, confused, and he hurt the woman I love. I wouldn't give up Charming just to be him, but you know what? I wouldn't make the other trade either, because that David not only reminds me of whom I lost, but who I want to be. My weaknesses and my strengths. David '''and''' the Prince. I am both. You are both. '''We''' are both."
* SeparatedAtBirthCasting:
** Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White) and Jennifer Morrison (Emma Swan), two actresses who share a resemblance and are often confused for each other, play mother and daughter respectively.
** Bailee Madison (child Snow White) shares a strong resemblance to Ginnifer Goodwin.
** Jared Gilmore (Henry) also bears a strong resemblance to Ginnifer, which is fitting as they play grandson and grandmother respectively.
** Meghan Ory (Ruby/Red) and Annabeth Gish (Red's mother) share an uncanny resemblance. Similar facial structures, noses, and lips.
* SeriesContinuityError:
** In the Pilot, Snow White says that the Evil Queen made her eat a poison apple because Snow was prettier than her, much like the original Snow White story. Later on in the series, we learn that her motive was a great deal more complicated. (Possibly justified in that the ''true'' reason might still have been too devastatingly personal to her to discuss with someone else.)
* SeriesFauxnale: "Going Home" in Season 3, up until a quite literal SequelHook shows up at the last minute. A strange case of this trope since the makers of the show ''knew'' it wasn't going to be the end when making it.
* SevenDeadlySins: With each of the antagonists, you can find one or two of them as a repeated mobile for a crime they commit.
** The two [[AntiVillain Anti-Villains]] have most "forgivable" sins:
*** Regina first demonstrated '''Wrath''', sometimes called the most "excusable" sin since it can start for selfless reasons ([[spoiler:just like in her case]]). Then, as a part of her VillainDecay, she showed something that isn't widely recognized as a sin in Western country anymore, '''Acedia''', the former, broader sin including Sloth, but also Cowardice, and, most importantly, Regina's own flaw, and FreudianExcuse, and something the Orthodox Church calls "the Eighth Deadly Sin", the "sin of Despair".
*** Rumplestiltskin is an example of '''Acedia''' (with Cowardice triggered by the physical weakness and the opression he lives with, and Despair after his wife leaves him, he is branded a coward and has no hope to be helped and save his son rom conscription, mostly) and of '''Lust''' (as in desire for something which turns one away from what is good, in his case, lust for power, which seems to have partly come from a need to prove himself as much as to save his son).
** The two new arguably straighter Villains, Hook and Cora each mirror the others, but in a darker tone.
*** Hook does demonstrate '''Wrath''' and '''Despair''' like Regina, but he was already (at least) a selfish hedonist before his StartOfDarkness, and already demontrated '''Lust''' for pleasure and freedom, despite the fact that he destroyed families, robbed people for his own comfort ('''Greed'''), and probably kidnapped others. Unlike Regina, who doesn't really KickTheDog out of anything else than violent impulses or "neccesity" for her plans, he is ready to kill Belle just because she warrant of any use, similarly wasting ressources and valuable things unnecessarily when he causes unnecessary destruction with Cora ('''Gluttony''').
*** Cora shows '''Lust''' for power, like Rumplestiltskin but in her case, there is no FreudianExcuse, the "power" is not needed only to save her daughter. She appears to like ruling people and being rich for the fun of it, no matter the consequences, all while making unnecessary damages, thus being a practizer of '''Greed''' and '''Gluttony''' too. She also '''Envies''' richer people like the king, and feels overwhelming '''Pride''' when in front of Daniel, whom she considers "only a subaltern", thinking that she and her daughter deserve ''her'' idea of happiness more than others deserve to live.
* TheSheriff:
** Storybrooke's first sheriff seemed to be the mayor/queen's right hand man.
** After [[spoiler:Graham's death at the hands of Regina]], Regina tries to appoint a feckless and unfit Glass as the new sheriff, but Emma forces an election and Gold's {{plan}} results in Emma winning the job.
** When Emma is unavailable during the first few episodes of the second season, David takes up the position.
* ShesGotLegs:
** Ruby, bigtime, whenever she donned her waitress uniform in Season 1 (once Ruby begins to mature later in Season 1, and especially after the curse is broken, the mini-skirt disappears).
** Tinker Bell, in her fairy outfit, which is much skimpier than those of the other fairies.
* ShipperOnDeck: Henry wants desperately for Mary Margaret and David to find each other because he believes in their true identities. In related family news, Season 3 gives us Mulan as an apparent shipper of [[spoiler: Emma/Neal]].
** David very obviously would rather have his little girl end up with Neal, and ''not'' Hook. Mary Margaret pushes it even more.
* ShippingTorpedo:
** Prince Charming and Snow White get this ''a lot'':
*** Charming's Jerkass foster father will take any chance in either world to separate the two, for a variety of reasons but mostly stemming from a vindictive streak after Charming refused to make a marriage alliance because he was in love with Snow.
*** Regina wants to prevent Snow from getting a HappilyEverAfter after a mistake by a young Snow led to the death of her own OneTrueLove.
*** While cursed, pretty much everyone is against Mary Margaret and David pursuing their inexplicable feelings.
** When Regina makes a snide comment calling Hook Emma's "boyfriend", the look [[MamaBear Snow]] shoots both Regina and Hook could freeze over the dream-fire-room.
** David has given Neal a DeathGlare when finding out that he knocked up his teenage daughter, but mainly leaves him alone when Emma says she's okay. [[ChivalrousPervert Hook,]] on the other hand, is treated with [[OverprotectiveDad outright hostility]] until he [[spoiler:proves himself in Episode 5 of Season 3.]]
** Cora takes this trope to the extreme by [[spoiler: ripping out Daniel's heart]] so he can't be with Regina.
* ShoutOut: [[ShoutOut/OnceUponATime Has its own page]].
* ShowWithinAShow: The season 2 DVD bonus feature "Good Morning Storybrooke", a peppy morning talk show with Storybrooke residents as its hosts and guests. There are even [[KitschyLocalCommercial kitschy local ads]] for Granny's Diner (featuring hilarious BadBadActing by Ruby) and Mr. Gold's pawn shop.
* SignsOfDisrepair: The "Toll Bridge" sign in "Snow Falls" has a red "R" scrawled on it between the "T" and "O".
* SingleTear: Everyone has a go at this.
* SlowlySlippingIntoEvil: Snow, after [[spoiler:killing Cora. Regina gloats about it, showing her the black spot in her heart, and [[CruelMercy promptly giving up all thoughts of revenge to let her live with that]]]].
* SlutShaming: Granny to Red, especially in early episodes.
** In "Welcome To Storybrooke":
--->'''Granny:''' ''(to Red)'' When I put "over-easy" on the menu I was talking about the eggs!
** The town to Mary Margaret after her affair with David is revealed.
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Snow and Charming's first conversation.
** ''Many'' of Regina and Mr. Gold's conversations.
* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: In "Good Form" Emma [[spoiler:tells Henry via a magic mirror it isn't a trick by Pan by calling their rescue effort "Operation Cobra Rescue".]]
** [[spoiler: Henry himself gets put in this position in "The New Neverland" when he's stuck in Pan's body and has to prove his true identity.]]
* SpannerInTheWorks:
** Emma's simply being in Storybrooke is slowly but surely changing everything in the town.
** King George considers Snow White as this in his plans to merge his and Midas's kingdoms.
* SpinOff: ''OnceUponATimeInWonderland'', which focuses on Alice and friends in Wonderland.
* StandardHeroReward: PlayedForDrama and nastily {{Deconstructed}}.
** The shepherd boy brought in as a last-minute swap for the deceased prince slays the dragon and saves his widowed mom's farm. Unfortunately, the kingdom is flat broke, meaning he's being forced to marry some Royal Brat in order to secure a fat dowry for the land's empty coffers. Otherwise, the king is going to destroy his mother and is willing to murder him to see it through.
** Regina saves the princess Snow White, so the king decides to marry her. Subverted in that she doesn't want to marry him, as she is in love with a stable boy and the king is older than her. [[spoiler:Her mother decides marrying the king is right for her, so she murders the man her daughter loves to force the issue]].
* StartOfDarkness:
** "Desperate Souls" for Rumplestiltskin, "The Stable Boy" for Regina, "The Miller's Daughter" for Cora.
** In Regina's case, it seems as if you can identify the line where she chooses the dark path (accompanied by her {{Leitmotif}}).
--->'''Regina:''' I should have let her die on that horse.
** Setting up the circumstances of Cora's death seems to be this for Snow, much to her own [[HeroicBSOD dismay and regret]]. Extra points, since one of Regina's stated goals was to corrupt the pure-hearted and ever-gentle Snow, and it took Snow [[GoneHorriblyRight killing Regina's own mother]] to accomplish it.
* StealthPun: The book's title "'''O'''nce '''U'''pon a '''T'''ime".
** In the first episode, Emma picks a candle, puts it on a cupcake, and makes a wish. The candle has a star on it. [[Disney/{{Pinocchio}} She made a wish on a star, and it came true]]!
* StockholmSyndrome: [[spoiler:Possibly, Rumplestiltskin and Belle in "Skin Deep"]]. It's even lampshaded by Regina.
-->'''Regina:''' I wouldn't go around encouraging women to kiss their captives; what sort of message would that send?
** In Belle and Rumplestilskin's case, it's otherwise averted.
* StoppedClock: The one in Storybrooke's town square tower. It starts again right after Emma follows through on her promise to stay in town for a week to "humor" Henry.
* AStormIsComing: Used in "7:15 A.M."
* StoryArc: The show follows the exact same structure of ''{{Lost}}'', with arcs and mini-arcs per season contributing to the overall MythArc.
** Season One follows Regina casting the Dark Curse and sending fairy tale characters to Storybrooke in the real world, where they remain trapped and without the memories of who they really are, and how it's the destiny of Emma Swan to be "the Savior" and break the curse.
*** The mini-arcs are Emma accepting her role as mother to her newfound son Henry and her place in Storybrooke, ultimately becoming sheriff after the old one is killed (episodes 1-9); an amnesiac Snow and Charming having an affair that creates trouble with the wife Charming has in Storybrooke, who then goes missing leaving Snow the prime suspect (episodes 10-18); and Emma being made to believe in her true identity and destiny by both a mysterious writer named August and Rumpelstiltskin, [[MagnificentBastard the mastermind behind everything]] (episodes 19-22).
** Season Two follows how all the people of Storybrooke cope with the curse being broken and their memories restored but still being trapped in the real world, which now has magic in it thanks to the machinations of Rumpelstiltskin.
*** The mini-arcs are Emma and Snow being transported to the Enchanted Forest and teaming up with SleepingBeauty and {{Mulan}} to find a way back to Storybrooke, which Charming is now in charge of (episodes 23-31); Emma helping Rumpelstiltskin finally find his long-lost son Baelfire while Cora plots to obtain ultimate power (episodes 32-38); and two anti-magic zealots from the real world infiltrating Storybrooke in order to destroy it (episodes 39-44).
** The first half of Season Three follows Emma, Snow, Charming, Regina, Rumpelstiltskin, and Captain Hook traveling to Neverland to save Henry from PeterPan, who enacts dark and twisted schemes on all of them that forces a character study of who they really are inside.
* SuddenlySexuality: Throughout Season 2, it's implied that Mulan loves Prince Philip, but can't declare her love for him because he has found Aurora, his "true love", and so she shows her care the only way she can: by putting her life on the line for him. Things are complicated by the fact that as the trope below says, Aurora is initially cold towards Mulan because she senses her interest in Philip. However, they do eventually become loyal friends to one another. Mulan in particular is willing to do whatever it takes to keep Aurora safe, even if it means giving in to Cora's demands. Then in Season 3, Mulan finally decides to reveal her feelings to the one she loves and goes to...[[spoiler:Aurora]]!
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Aurora. She is sweet to Phillip, her LoveInterest, but initially cold and proud towards Mulan when she senses her interest towards him. She eventually warms up to her though. By the end of the season, they're good friends.
* SuperEmpowering: Along with her ActionGirl powers from both sides of the family, and being somewhere between LivingLieDetector and outright EverythingSensor, Emma appears to have this power [[spoiler:when she touches Regina, her powers suddenly work again]].
* SympatheticMurderBackstory: The show tries to portray the Evil Queen this way when she has to sacrifice that which she loves most for her Curse. She tried her beloved and prized stallion; that didn't work. It turned out to be [[spoiler:her father, after whom she named the boy she adopted]].
* TakenForGranite:
** Frederick accidentally fell on Midas's hand while defending him and was turned to gold as a result.
** August is suffering a slower, nastier case of this [[spoiler:as his body turns back to wood]].
* TangledFamilyTree: Henry's adoptive mother, Regina, is, on his mother's side, his step-greatgrandmother, whose mother once [[spoiler:had a relationship with his paternal grandfather]]. It's lampshaded by Charming (Henry's maternal grandfather):
-->'''David:''' It's a good thing we don't have Thanksgiving in our world 'cause that dinner would ''suck''.
** Goes even further in Season 3. [[spoiler: [[AdaptationalVillainy Peter Pan]] is Rumplestitskin's father, who looks like a teenager because he gave Rumple up for a chance to be young on Neverland forever.]] And as of "Save Henry", [[spoiler: Pan switched bodies with Henry, so Henry, in a way, is now ''literally'' [[MyOwnGrandpa his own (great) grandfather.]]]]
* TermsOfEndangerment: "Dearie."
* ThatManIsDead: David claiming that who ever chose to marry his wife Kathryn no longer exists.
* TheCorruption: Dark magic is heavily implied to have this effect.
* ThereAreNoCoincidences: Baelfire and Rumplestiltskin share this belief.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: DoubleSubverted. There ''is'' one thereapist in Storybrooke, Dr. Hopper/Jimminy Cricket. Unfortunately, the ones that ''really'' need his help don't take advantage of his services, namely Emma and Regina.
** Having said that, Regina ''does'' attempt to talk to Dr. Hopper in the beginning of Season 2, but then Cora shows up and wrecks Regina's HeelFaceTurn-in-progress.
* ThisIsReality: said word-for-word by Emma to Henry at one point.
* ThisLoserIsYou: The Dark Curse is explicitly described as sending the fairy tale characters to a horrible place where there is no magic and no one gets a HappyEnding ever. As every episode reminds us, this terrible and unhappy land is "our world."
* ThisIsUnforgivable: In "The Evil Queen," Snow White says to a disguised Regina that she pities Regina and is willing to go back and forgive her. But then Snow discovers [[spoiler: the ''entire village'' her stepmother put to death (men, women, ''and children'') because Snow took shelter there for a night]].
* ThouShallNotKill: Crops up from time to time with the feud between Snow and Regina, and with Rumplestiltskin and Captain Hook. In both times, their MoralityPet warns that killing the other will corrupt their souls, and want them to move beyond it. It happens, but with, well, consequences.
* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: {{Subverted|Trope}}. Charming threw his sword unerringly, but the queen dematerialized in a puff of smoke! Played straight with [[spoiler:Emma vs. Maleficent's dragon form. Somewhat justified in that it's a ShoutOut to how she was defeated in the Disney movie that she got her name from]].
* TitleDrop: The name of Henry's fairy tale [[MrExposition exposition book]] is ''OnceUponATime''.
* TokenEvilTeammate: Season 3 is shaping up to have... [[spoiler: Hook, Regina, ''and'' Gold teaming up with the Charmings (eg the other side of Henry's family). Certainly evil but it really can't be called token any more if there's three of them, can it]]?
* TonightSomeoneKisses: "Good Form."
* TonightSomeoneDies:
** "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter."
** Also, "The Miller's Daughter."
* TomatoSurprise: Season 2 begins with the usual Enchanted Forest/Storybrooke split only for it to be revealed at the end that [[spoiler:the Enchanted Forest segment is not taking place in the past. It's taking place at exactly the same time as the Storybrooke segment as it's revealed not everything was affected by the curse]].
* TookALevelInKindness: An interesting spin on it, where characters when introduced are very kind and caring, but subsequent episodes show them to have been cruel and petty in the past.
** When introduced Snow White's mother, Queen Eva, seems like an archetypal version of TheHighQueen. It's then shown as a [[TeensAreMonsters teenager]] she was a RichBitch SpoiledBrat, who took an opportunity to humiliate Cora just because she could. [[spoiler:This bit her in the ass]].
** Snow White herself was a bratty child once too, with a high sense of superiority. Her mother scolded her for it, and insisted it change.
** Jefferson, The Mad Hatter, is shown to be friendly man and loving father, who is totally screwed over by Regina. It then turns out that years ago, [[spoiler:he quite cheerfully participated in the BreakTheCutie and CorruptTheCutie that Regina was subjected to, which turned her into the Evil Queen. This has the added bonus of her treatment of him come off as rather [[LaserGuidedKarma karmic]]]].
* TorchesAndPitchforks: "Child of the Moon".
* TownWithADarkSecret: Though the townsfolk aren't in on the secret. [[spoiler:(Except for Regina and Mr. Gold.)]]
* TrailersAlwaysSpoil:
** The promo for "The Outsider" showed a brief clip of [[spoiler:a beaten up Hook holding a gun and firing it at Rumplestiltskin and Belle when they're at the town border]].
** The Australian promo for Queen of Hearts explicitly revealed that the titular Queen was [[spoiler:Cora]], despite the fact that this was supposed to be a surprise reveal in the episode.
* TrappedInAnotherWorld: Inverted - it's the fairy tale folks who are here in our world, stranded, and most of them aren't happy about it.
** Played straight in the Season 2 premiere, when Emma is transported to the Fairy Tale land and has no way to get back.
* TriggerPhrase: Regina has to do whatever Mr. Gold asks her to, as long as he says "please." Unusual in that she's perfectly aware of this, but she was hoping that [[LaserGuidedAmnesia he wasn't]]. [[spoiler:Though it doesn't work anymore in Season 2]].
** "Emma" was one for Mr. Gold. According to WordOfGod, hearing it brought back his memories as Rumpelstiltskin.
* TrueLovesKiss: A law of the Enchanted Forest. True love's kiss is outright stated to be able to break any curse.
** At the beginning of the pilot, this is how Charming revives Snow White from her enchanted sleep. At the end of the episode, as the curse is taking effect, Snow finds Charming bleeding to death on the ground [[InvokedTrope and tries the same thing]]... [[SubvertedTrope but it doesn't work]] (probably because death isn't a curse).
** [[spoiler:Regina attempts this with Daniel after the latter gets his heart ripped out by Regina's mother. Much like the above example, true love's kiss does not work]].
** In a later episode, when the Storybrooke version of Charming has nearly drowned in the river, Mary Margaret starts giving him {{CPR| Clean Pretty Reliable}}. Emphasis on ''starts''; she just kisses him, which revives him very quickly.
** The kiss between Graham and Emma, whether it was true love or not, [[spoiler:resulted in Graham regaining his Enchanted Forest memories]].
** Almost shared between Belle and Rumplestiltskin, but subverted by Rumple's unwillingness to [[spoiler:give up his power as the Dark One]].
** Abigail is unable to revive her beloved Frederick in this fashion, as he was turned to gold after saving King Midas and his helmet conceals his face.
** DoubleSubverted in "Heart of Darkness". Snow won't be cured for once because she doesn't ''want to love'' or remember Charming. But when he says he's willing to die for her, she kisses him and is cured.
** [[spoiler:Played straight in the Season 1 finale. Emma's kiss on the comatose Henry's forehead not only revives him, but restores the townsfolk's memories]].
** Played straight with Phillip and Aurora.
** Charming puts himself under the Sleeping Curse so that he can enter the burning room where he can telepathically communicate with Snow. He plans to use a kiss to wake himself back up, but it doesn't work because they are not physically together.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:U-Z]]
* UncannyVillage: Storybrooke. In many ways, in fact it resembles ''The'' Village from ThePrisoner - an idyllic seaside community with a dark secret that residents cannot leave without dire consequences.
* UnexpectedCharacter: [[spoiler:Dr. Whale[=/=]Dr. Frankenstein has to take the cake]].
* TheUnfairSex: {{Inverted|Trope}}. When David and Mary Margaret's affair is discovered, SHE gets the cold shoulder from the town, but his part in it is ignored. Granted, the townsfolk knew he was amnesiac, implying she took advantage of him.
* TheUnfettered: PlayedStraight with Rumplestiltskin when he tries [[spoiler:finding his son]]. Playedwith [[spoiler:Regina in season 2, when she tries to live by the decision that [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes Henry]] [[EvenEvilHasStandards is off-limits]]]]. She has slipped up once or twice, like the time she [[spoiler:almost put him under a love curse]].
* TheUnreveal: ZigZagged in "The Return", where is revealed that [[spoiler:August is Rumplestitskin's son...and then revealed that he isn't]].
* UnusualEuphemism: When Snow White is disarming herself before going to a parlay with the Queen, Grumpy urges her to "Keep the little knife between your [[VictoriasSecretCompartment tuffets]]."
* UrbanFantasy: Storybrooke is this mixed with HighFantasy for the Enchanted Forest as well as many of the other lands except for [[spoiler:Dr. Frankenstein's]] world, which is counted as SteamPunk.
* ValentinesDayEpisodes: "Skin Deep". It aired shortly before and was set during Valentine's Day and involved a couple breaking up, TrueLovesKiss not working and a psychotic breakdown.
* VanishingVillage: Implied by the fact a rather sizable town located on the seashore appears to attract no visitors (at least since [[spoiler:the curse was broken]]). May be subject to averting as the series progresses.
* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: It happens to Regina, because after what she went through, she wants a revenge which continues whatever happens.
* VictoryIsBoring: It is revealed that after the first few days of living in Storybrooke, Regina found the repeated behavior boring. She finally won and all are in their place but 1) no one knows it and 2) they respect her because the curse makes them respect her, not because they actually want to.
* VillainBall: Emma was perfectly willing to leave her son Henry with his adoptive mother Regina,([[Disney/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarves The Evil Queen]]), but Regina shows off her GenreBlind, her inability to simply keep her mouth shut, and this trope to convince Emma to stay. Emma ends up TheChosenOne that can break the curse that gave Regina her power in the first place.
** Regina holds the ball several times during the first season. She believes [[MagnificentBastard Rumplestiltskin]] won't remember the deal he made with her to enact the curse, despite the fact that he ''created'' the curse so could easily make a loophole. She also attempts to frame Mary Margaret with his help, after he suggests something "tragic" should happen to Kathryn Nolan, and uses those ExactWords to simply have her disappear for a while than reappear at the last minute, and all the evidence leads to her
** She holds it again in the penultimate episode and season finale, when she attempts to put [[TheChosenOne Emma]] under the sleeping curse and gloats about how she won. However, this backfires when Henry eats the turnover meant for Emma, and the chain of events results in the curse being broken. [[NiceJobFixingItVillain Say it with me]]
* VillainBeatingArtifact: The series has a twist on this trope. The only way to bring down the Dark One is to stab him with his dagger, [[spoiler:but then you become the Dark One yourself]].
* VillainousBreakdown: Rumplestiltskin's "[[CitizenKane rosebud scene]]" moment after being told that Belle is dead.
* TheVillainMakesThePlot: While heroes like Snow White and Charming are proactive in their own way, the entire plot would not be possible without the actions of villains.
* VillainsNeverLie: For some reason [[FridgeHorror (that Regina's description of the incident might be believable in this world aside)]], Rumplestiltskin believes the Evil Queen when she tells him that his LoveInterest was DrivenToSuicide.
** As an interesting note, Rumplestiltskin himself has only been seen onscreen outright lying once, when he tells Belle that he doesn't care about her when he's getting her to leave. And as he says to Regina, he's only broken one deal in his life. He's a master of ExactWords and he twists things to suit his needs, but he doesn't flat-out lie.
* VillainWorld: The entire premise of the show is that the Evil Queen sent all of the inhabitants of her world to a land where she could win.
* VisualPun: Emma says she joined forces with Gold to "fight fire with..." (at this point the door they were headed for explodes into a fire)
* VoodooZombie: Cora resurrects several people whom she killed by ripping out their hearts using their hearts which she magically preserved.
* WatchingTroyBurn: Regina tearing down the wooden play structure, Emma's and Henry's secret base for Operation Cobra.
* WhamEpisode:
** "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter". [[spoiler:Regina remembers everything and has access to at least some of her magic, which she uses to kill Graham]].
** "Skin Deep". [[spoiler:Mr. Gold remembers everything too and now Regina knows it]].
** "The Stable Boy". [[spoiler:The source of Regina's grudge against Snow White: After Regina saved Snow's life, Snow naively disclosed Regina's relationship with the eponymous stable boy, resulting in said stable boy's murder and Regina's forced marriage to Snow's father. What's more, Kathryn is alive]]!
** "A Land Without Magic". [[spoiler:the townsfolk have their memories restored, Jefferson releases Belle and leads her back to Mr. Gold, and Mr. Gold sends magic into Storybrooke]].
** "Broken". [[spoiler:The episode's flashbacks are not flashbacks at all - part of the Enchanted Forest survived The Curse, and Emma and Snow are currently trapped there]].
** "We Are Both". [[spoiler:Anyone who tries to leave Storybrooke will lose all memories of their Fairy Tale life, possibly forever, Regina has her magic back, and Cora is alive]].
** "Queen of Hearts". [[spoiler:Cora and Hook have appeared in the real world, ready to exact their revenge]].
** "The Outsider". [[spoiler:Rumple creates a potion that allows him to cross over the boundary. At the end of the episode, he crosses the line, much to his and Belle's pleasure (though she can't come with him). Belle is then shot in the back by Hook, stumbles forward over the line, and loses her memories of Rumple/the Enchanted Forest/being Belle. Hook is then run over by a man with Pennsylvania license plates, meaning the outside world has come to Storybrooke]].
** "Manhattan". [[spoiler:Neal is really Rumple's long-lost son Baelfire, making Rumple Henry's grandfather. It's prophesied that Henry will bring about Rumplestiltskin's downfall]].
** "The Miller's Daughter". [[spoiler:Snow goes over to the dark side in order to defeat Cora; Cora's relationship with Rumple is revealed and it revealed that they were lovers and Cora almost gave up power for love before she took out her heart]].
** "Selfless, Brave and True". [[spoiler:Tamara is only with Neal in order to research magic, and she is the Her that Owen/Greg has been in contact with. Also, she fatally wounds August, who is reverted back to his original form of Pinocchio]].
** "Second Star to the Right". [[spoiler: Bae was sent to Wendy Darling's house after leaving the fairy tale world, and ends up being dragged by Peter Pan's shadow to Neverland where he lands on HOOK's ship. Meanwhile, Tamara makes her move, and uses one of the magic beans to send Bae away again]]!
** "And Straight on 'Til Morning". [[spoiler: Emma has magic power at least equal to Regina's. Henry is kidnapped by Greg and Tamara and taken to Neverland, and is followed by the Charmings, Gold, Hook, and Regina. The Lost Boys work for an evil Peter Pan, who wants Henry for some reason - and has wanted him for hundreds of years. And Bae has been taken to the Enchanted forest, barely alive, and found by Mulan, Aurora, and Philip]].
** "Think Lovely Thoughts". [[spoiler: Peter Pan is Rumplestiltskin's father, who took his name from a doll he had given Rumple before Pan de-aged himself in order to stay in Neverland forever. Pan then successfully convinces Henry to give him his heart, gaining ultimate power and possibly killing Henry in the process.]]
** "Going Home". [[spoiler: Gold sacrifices himself to take out Pan, Regina sends everyone but Emma and Henry back to the Enchanted Forest in order to escape the new curse, Storybooke itself no longer exists, and Emma and Henry themselves no longer remember ''anything'' about the town or its inhabitants. Then, after one year living under new memories given them by Regina, Hook shows up at their front door asking for their help...]]
* WhamLine:
** Goes with the above in "Skin Deep".
-->'''Regina:''' [[spoiler:Tell me your name]].\\
'''Mr. Gold:''' [[spoiler:... Rumplestiltskin]].
** And more of an in-universe one (since the audience saw it coming) in the Mad Hatter episode.
--->'''Emma:''' You kidnapped my friend.\\
'''Jefferson:''' I'm saving her life.\\
'''Emma:''' From ''what?''\\
'''Jefferson:''' [[spoiler:From the curse]].\\
'''Emma:''' [[spoiler:''(in a small voice)''... [[OhCrap What curse]]]]?
** And this one from the end of "We Are Both":
--->'''Emma:''' Who are you?\\
'''[[spoiler:Cora]]:''' A friend. My name's [[spoiler:Cora]].
** Another in-universe one, since the audience already knew:
--->'''Aurora:''' ''(to Snow and Emma, after having a nightmare and talking to the other person who was there)'' [[spoiler:He said his name was Henry]].
** The line at the end of "In The Name of the Brother":
--->'''Greg Mendell:''' Honey, [[spoiler:you're not gonna believe what I saw]].
** At the end of "Manhattan", [[spoiler:when the Seer explains to Rumplestiltskin about the child (Henry) who will be his downfall]].
--->'''[[spoiler:Rumplestiltskin]]:''' [[spoiler:({{Beat}}) ...Then I'll just have to kill him]].
** From the end of "Heart of the Truest Believer":
--->'''[[spoiler:I ''am'' Peter Pan.]]'''
* WhamShot: The shot in "Think Lovely Thoughts" where [[spoiler: Rumpelstiltskin's father turns into Peter Pan.]]
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** For years ABC tried adapting ''{{Fables}}'' into a television series.
** Originally Charming was to die in the first episode, but execs at ABC nixed it.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: King George justifies killing an innocent man with the fact that he was [[TalkingAnimal a mouse]].
* WhatTheHellHero: Mary Margaret gives one of these to Emma over Emma's attempt to run away, throwing all her lectures about fighting back in her face.
** Henry shouts a variant when [[spoiler:Rumplestiltskin says the only way to stop Regina is by killing her]], with Charming and Emma considering it as an option.
* WhiteAndGreyMorality: Not completely, but with three of the show's four main villains (as of Season 2) being [[AntiVillain Anti-Villains]], it comes a lot closer to it than most other shows these days. However, the show starts out appearing to be an example of BlackAndWhiteMorality; it is only through CharacterDevelopment that the show's outlook shifts.
* WholePlotReference: People familiar with Henry's so-called "delusions" assume they take this form, as he casts normal people into fairy tale roles from his book.
* WhoWouldBeStupidEnough: [[spoiler:When Bael tells Robin Hood he's The Dark One's son, Robin believes him because no one would try to claim that if it weren't true.]]
* WilliamTelling: [[PeterPan Peter]] pulls out an apple. Henry says he doesn't like apples. "[[SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarves It's a family thing.]]" Peter tells him that the apple's not for eating...it's for target practice.
* WistfulAmnesia: Everyone in Storybrooke, until season 2.
* WickedStepmother: Snow White and Cinderella are both [[{{Understatement}} mistreated]] by their stepmothers. Cinderella's is implied to have treated her as a slave, and Snow's tried to sentence her to a FateWorseThanDeath.
* WorldHalfFull: The Enchanted Forest. It has enchantment and beauty galore, but what little we've seen of it hasn't been good. King George was flat broke and blackmails David to keep up the act of being Prince James. The "real" Prince slaughtered a prisoner without an eye-blink as part of a blood sport. Dragon attacks plague the countryside. The Ogre Wars have been going on for 50 years or more. Rumplestiltskin cuts deals with impunity, even when he's locked up. And the Evil Queen's bluff to Rumplestiltskin that Belle was [[spoiler:put in an insane asylum where she was 'purged' with flails, whips, and fire to the point of suicide]] is considered a realistic enough occurrence for him to believe it. What makes the Enchanted Forest preferable to Storybrooke is mainly that the bad guys had finally been defeated in the Enchanted Forest, but in Storybrooke they are in charge again - and that the lives that people lived in the Enchanted Forest were real and possible to change, whereas in Storybrooke they are caught in a static, fabricated existence where they can [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption never reach any happy ending]].
* WorldHealingWave: [[spoiler:Emma triggers one by her good-bye kiss to Henry, shattering the curse holding the town]].
* WouldHitAGirl: The knight who viciously backhands Snow when she tries to make her way to a captured Charming in ''Heart of Darkness''. Also Hook, who socks Belle to knock her out as soon as he realizes she's no use to him.
* WrittenByTheWinners: Captain Hook portrays the Human-Giant wars as a war against brutal giants who came down to pillage the land and kill humans. Humans drove them back up the beanstalk, and killed all but one, the most vicious of them all. The last surviving giant claims humans started the war and slaughtered giants for the giant's gold and magic beans, and gleefully slaughtered them, but since they won got to paint history how they wanted.
* WrongfulAccusationInsurance: Averted. Mary Margaret has been framed for killing Katherine, and is in holding. When someone slips her a key, she uses it to escape. Emma tracks her down and convinces her to return pointing out while they may be able to prove her innocence in Katherine's death, if anyone else learns that she escaped she will be guilty of that, and no one will be able to help her. It's eventually revealed that Regina slipped her the key, for that very reason.
* XanatosGambit: While most of Gold's plots are of the [[BatmanGambit Batman]] variety, his plan to [[spoiler:break the curse]] is pure Xanatos. Best case scenario, [[spoiler:Emma sticks around and breaks the curse]] but he also put in a failsafe: [[spoiler:If she ''dies'' then the curse is broken. Sooner or later, it ''will'' break]].
** [[spoiler:AND, he had a True Love potion failsafe]].
* XanatosSpeedChess: The entire show thus far has been one giant game of this played by Rumplestiltskin with the ultimate goal of [[spoiler:following his son into our world while still retaining his powers]]. And it would appear to be working out beautifully.
-->"Let's just say...I'm invested in your future."
** Until he hits the snag that [[spoiler:he can't leave town without losing his memories]].
*** [[spoiler:Nope, he finds a way round that too.]]
* {{Xenafication}}: Snow White as an ActionGirl and LittleRedRidingHood as [[spoiler:a werewolf]].
** Belle, mildly. Though she's far from an expert fighter, she's clever enough to neutralize the Yaoguai.
** [[HanselAndGretel Gretel]] is another mild example. While she doesn't do them much harm, she does attack the Queen's guards with a sling.
* XMeetsY:
** ''{{Fables}}'' meets ''AmericanGothic''.
** Also, ''{{Fables}}'' meets ''ThePrisoner'' (in context of Storybrooke being a GildedCage prison for its residents).
** And ''{{Fables}}'' meets an inversion of ''Film/LastActionHero'' (precocious kid wanders around being GenreSavvy about another world where all the real people are ''actually'' fictitious characters, but [[CassandraTruth no one believes him]]).
* YouALLShareMyStory: Many of the FairyTales overlap, or tie into one another. Snow White's arc ties into Little Red Riding Hood's. Hansel and Gretel are used by the Wicked Queen to get the infamous apple. King Midas's daughter was set up with Prince Charming for an ArrangedMarriage, etc.
* YouAreNotReady: Said by Henry to Emma in the Pilot over her being "ready" to break the curse. Given that she definitely didn't believe him at that point, he was probably right.
* YouCantFightFate: PlayedWith. According to the "seer" there are things that "will be" and things that "can be." The former will happen no matter what, while the latter may or may not happen. Telling the difference is difficult, and the sheer number of possibilities is overwhelming even for someone as powerful as Rumplestiltskin.
-->'''BlindSeer:''' The future is a puzzle.
* YouGoGirl: Often happens. Belle is finally independent despite having a sexist father (she hints her fiancé was the same) and escapes an arranged marriage; Mulan refuses to be called "a girl" and prefers saying that she is a woman and a warrior to the surprised princess Aurora; Milah wanted more than a life as a stay-at-home mom and wife to the town coward.
** Less so with Milah as she neglected Bae to go out drinking regularly and abandoned him for an adventure. Were she the husband she'd be called a deadbeat dad.
* YouKillItYouBoughtIt: [[spoiler:How Rumplestiltskin got his powers]].
* YourCheatingHeart:
** Emma's "date" in the pilot.
** In Episode 5, Emma hints that she had been involved with a married man.
** David's and Mary Margaret's affair from Episode 10 onward. It's complicated because in the Enchanted Forest, they ''are'' married, but in Storybrooke, they've forgotten and David ends up "married" to someone else.
** The Queen and the Genie (while the former is married to Snow White's father). The Genie solves this by [[MurderTheHypotenuse Murdering the Hypotenuse]]. [[spoiler:It turns out the Queen was never in love with him]].
* YoungerThanTheyLook: 28-year-old Emma Swan is stated to be 18 when she got pregnant with Henry. However, the flashback episode "Tallahassee" showed that her teenage self looked no different that herself in the present day, save for a pair of glasses and different hairstyle and clothes. Neal, Emma's ex and Henry's biological father, was stated to be at least 23 on his 'Wanted' poster but looks like he's in his 30s.
* [[YoureNotMyFather You're Not My Mother]]:
** Henry says this at least once to Regina. [[spoiler:He takes it back later, though]].
** When the Queen makes reference to the Huntsman's parents who abandoned him in the woods, the Huntsman replies, "Those were not my parents. They merely gave birth to me."
* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: Played very straight, except it's [[spoiler:the prince. Snow White and her allies [[StormingTheCastle storm King George's castle]] to rescue Charming, only to find out that Regina has already whisked him away to her own castle, leaving behind a full-length mirror in his cell to project his image and allow him and Snow to share a moment of mutual anguish]].
* YouSexyBeast: Despite (or because of?) his [[GlowingEyes weird eyes]], somewhat reptilian-like skin and manic quirks, Rumplestiltskin has his fair share of fangirls and fanfics. [[PowerIsSexy Possible]] [[EvilIsSexy Explanations]] may include being acted by RobertCarlyle.
[[/folder]]
----

* AnyoneCanDie: You wouldn't suspect it at first due to the six lead characters still being okay after three seasons, and some characters having PlotArmor due to them appearing after their flashback in the real world, but when you think about it, the body count for the show so far is staggering even for named characters. Deaths include, [[spoiler: The Huntsman, Cora, Milah, Peter, King Leopold, Queen Eva, Ruth, Stealthy, Prince Henry, Daniel, Cinderella's fairy godmother, Gus, The Blue Fairy, Greg Mendell, and Tamara.]]

** [[spoiler:Peter Pan to Greg and Tamara in Season 2, as Gold spells out in the last scene of the season finale]].

** [[spoiler:The clock tower is stuck on 8:15 when Emma arrives in town, and stops at 8:15 again in the very last shot of the finale after magic has returned to Storybrooke]].

*** In Season 2, however, Regina appears to be going all-out to avert the trope and make amends with Henry--though it remains to be seen whether her motive is truly becoming a better person or just regaining his affection. By Season 3, no one, not even Emma, is questioning her motives anymore.

** Also, [[spoiler: Neverland]] is this compared to the version from the original novel and the Disney film.

* DelayedSeasons: As usual with series filmed in British Columbia, the filming and actual airing of the episode are months apart. It would bother no one until somebody namedrops a particular event, like Valentine's Day in what looks a lot like mid-autumn.

** In "The Queen is Dead", Regina is visibly horrified when Cora reveals that [[spoiler:she was responsible for the death of Snow White's mother]].

** Rumplestiltskin and Captain Hook are mortal enemies.

** Regina and the Blind Witch from the Hansel and Gretel tale.
** [[spoiler:Regina, Rumplestiltskin and Hook joining forces with the heroes to battle Peter Pan.]]

** "Going Home". [[spoiler: Gold sacrifices himself to take out Pan, Regina sends everyone but Emma and Henry back to the Enchanted Forest in order to escape the new curse, Storybooke itself no longer exists, and Emma and Henry themselves no longer remember "anything" about the town or its inhabitants. Then, after one year living under new memories given them by Regina, Hook shows up at their front door asking for their help...]]

* SpinOff: A spin-off series titled '''''Once Upon a Time in Wonderland''''' is coming in fall of 2013. As the title suggests, this will take place in Wonderland and involve Alice and her friends. Given the timing, one expects the pilot to go along with the new season of ''[=OUaT=]''.

** David very obviously would rather have his little girl end up with Neal, and ''not'' Hook.

** However, in "Going Home," [[spoiler: Mr. Gold, at least, makes what appears to be a permanent turn towards heroism; Regina appears this way to, though the preview at the end of the episode implies she may return to her old ways.]]

* SuddenlySexuality: Throughout Season 2, it's implied that Mulan loves Prince Philip, but can't declare her love for him because he has found Aurora, his "true love", and so she shows her care the only way she can: by putting her life on the line for him. Things are complicated by the fact that as the trope below says, Aurora is initially cold towards Mulan because she senses her interest in Philip. However, they do eventually become loyal friends to one another. Mulan in particular is willing to do whatever it takes to keep Aurora safe, even if it means giving in to Cora's demands. Then in Season 3, Mulan finally decides to reveal her feelings to the one she loves and goes to...[[spoiler:Aurora]]! Some fans try to rationalize that, despite the dialogue during her meeting, she really meant to declare her love to Philip because of all the previous buildup in Season 2 (and was overturned in one conversation in one episode of Season 3).

** Season One follows [[SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarves Regina the Evil Queen]] casting the Dark Curse and sending fairy tale characters to a town called Storybrooke in the real world, where they remain trapped and without the memories of who they really are, and how it's the destiny of Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter, Emma Swan, to be "the Savior" and break the curse.

** Season Two follows how all the people of Storybrooke cope with the curse being broken and their memories restored but still being trapped in the real world, which now has magic in it thanks to the machinations of Rumpelstiltskin. And [[ArcWords magic always comes at a price.]]
*** The mini-arcs are Emma and Snow being transported to the Enchanted Forest and teaming up with SleepingBeauty and {{Mulan}} to find a way back to Storybrooke, which Charming is now in charge of (episodes 23-31); Emma helping Rumpelstiltskin finally find his long-lost son Baelfire while Regina's [[EvilerThanThou even wickeder mother]] Cora plots to obtain ultimate power (episodes 32-38); and two anti-magic zealots from the real world infiltrating Storybrooke in order to destroy it (episodes 39-44).

* StoryArc: The show follows the exact same structure of ''{{Lost}'', with arcs and mini-arcs per season contributing to the overall MythArc.

* StoryArc: Aside from the general happenings, there are several that stick out.
** The Katheryn Murder Story Arc
** The [[spoiler: Stuck in the enchanted forest]] Arc
** The [[spoiler: Search for Balefire Arc]]
** The [[spoiler: Outsiders in Storybrooke]] arc

** [[Literature/LandOfOz The Land of Oz]] (The door to it can be seen inside the Hatter's Magic Hat and there's an illustration of a Winged Monkey in Henry's book. Later, we learn the Hatter has visited the realm and attempted to obtain the ruby slippers.)

*** In Season 2, however, Regina appears to be going all-out to avert the trope and make amends with Henry--though it remains to be seen whether her motive is truly becoming a better person or just regaining his affection.

** Belle also qualifies. [[spoiler:Especially when she becomes Storybrooke's librarian]].