Characters Who Died on 'Once Upon a Time'

THR examines all of the sadly deceased — and not-so-dearly departed — characters on the ABC fairytale drama.

July 15, 2016 9:00am

Published on July 15, 2016

It isn’t always a fairytale ending for characters on Once Upon a Time. Throughout the ABC drama’s five seasons, many major figures have perished along the way. 

Below, The Hollywood Reporter rounds up all of the deceased Storybrooke and Enchanted Forest residents and remembers how they met their makers. This does not include those who have died and come back to life, like Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) or Captain Hook (Colin O’Donoghue).

• King Leopold

  Regina’s husband, Leopold, is murdered when the Genie frees a viper to kill him in his sleep in season one.

• Blind Witch (Emma Caulfield)

  Hansel and Gretel shove the Blind Witch in the oven when she tries to eat them, but it’s the Evil Queen who really kills her by lighting the fire in season one.

• Prince Henry (Tony Perez)

  In order to enact the curse in season one, Regina has to kill the person she loves most: her father, Prince Henry.

• Sheriff Graham (Jamie Dornan)

  

  In one of the most memorable deaths of the series, the Evil Queen crushed Graham’s heart and he died in Emma’s arms.

• Prince James (Josh Dallas)

  Warrior Behemoth kills Prince James, David’s twin brother, in season one flashbacks. Their father, King George, ends up taking David in after James is killed.

• Gaston (Sage Brocklebank)

  When Gaston tries to get Belle freed from Rumple’s castle, the Dark One turns him into a rose and gives it to Belle in season one.

• Cora (Barbara Hershey)

  

  Even though Cora died at Regina’s hands in season two when the Evil Queen gave her mother her heart back, it was because of Snow White. Snow manipulated Regina so Cora’s life could be exchanged for Rumple’s.

• Queen Eva (Rena Sofer)

  In season-two flashbacks, the Cora disguises herself as the Blue Fairy and poisons Eva — Snow White’s biological mother — so that her daughter, Regina, can become queen.

• Milah (Rachel Shelley)

  Hell hath no fury like Rumplestiltskin scorned. In season two flashbacks, Rumple finds Milah and Hook together and crushes her heart so no one can love her.

• Tamara and Greg

  The magic-hating duo known as Home Office both died in the season three premiere. Felix summoned a shadow to kill Greg, and Rumple crushed Tamara’s heart.

• Neal Cassidy (Michael Raymond-James)

  

  Neal sacrificed himself in order to save his father, Rumplestiltskin, from the afterlife. He died in the arms of Emma — the mother of their child, Henry — in the woods in season three.

• Marian (Christie Laing)

  Zelena kills Robin Hood’s wife, Marian, in an alternate timeline so she can assume her form when Hook and Emma bring Marian back to present-day Storybrooke in season three. 

• Peter Pan (Stephen Lord)

  Peter Pan (aka Malcolm) died twice: First, when his son, Rumple, killed him in season three, and again in the Underworld when he was filled with water from the River of Lost Souls in season five.

• Felix (Parker Croft)

  In season three, Peter Pan needs the heart of someone who he loves most to enact a curse, and that’s his friend, Felix.

• Snow Queen (Elizabeth Mitchell)

  The Snow Queen (aka Ingrid) sacrificed herself in season four so she wouldn’t continue hurting her Frozen family.

• Cruella de Vil (Victoria Smurfit)

  

  When Cruella had a gun pointed at Henry in season four, Emma had no choice but to kill the fur-wearing villain, blasting her off a cliff.

• Robin Hood (Sean Maguire)

  

  Robin died saving Regina from Zelena and Hades in the Underworld in season five.

• Hades (Greg Germann)

  

  The god of the Underworld did not truly die until season five, when his love, Zelena, stabbed him with the Olympian crystal to save Regina.

• Hercules (Jonathan Whitesell) and Megara (Kacey Rohl)

  Hercules died trying to save himself and Megara from Cerberus, which was seen in flashbacks in the Underworld in season five.

• Merlin (Elliot Knight)

  While Hook was possessed as the Dark One in season five, he crushed Merlin’s heart. Really, he was being controlled by the ultimate Dark One, Nimue, Merlin’s former love.

• Nimue (Guy Fauchon)

  In season five, Hook uses Excalibur to absorb Nimue and all the other Dark Ones, then has Emma stab him to get rid of all of the darkness for good. He too dies, but later is brought back to life by Zeus.

• King Arthur (Liam Garrigan)

  Hades snaps Arthur’s neck in season five when they cross paths in Storybrooke.

• Liam Jones (Bernard Curry)

  Hook’s brother, Liam, dies after he is poisoned by Dreamshade in Neverland in season three. Even though Hook saves him with magical water, Liam ultimately dies because the water’s effects don’t last after you leave Neverland.

• Brennan Jones (Adam Croasdell)

  Hook kills his father, Brennan, for abandoning him and his brother, Liam, in season five.

• The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Timothy Webber)

  In season five, the Apprentice’s body is overtaken by the darkness of Rumple’s heart and he dies just after giving Emma advice about Merlin.

• Cleo Fox (Rya Kihlstedt)

  Cleo, a bail bonds enforcer who tries to help Emma, dies from broken glass when the duo jumps out a window to run from the police. This is shown in Emma’s origin story in season five flashbacks.

• Percival (Andrew Jenkins)

  David stabs Percival in the chest in season five to save Robin, who is about to be killed by the knight.

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