Once Upon A Potter - a theory about Emma Swan, Merlin, and the Dark Swan curse

 

Image courtesy ABC Studios

We all know the story: an ordinary orphan (the hero) is told by a stranger that they have an extraordinary destiny in another land, a land of magic and wonder, a land that needs saving from the forces of evil. Not only does this magical realm need saving from darkness, but the fight against that darkness is the reason why the hero became an orphan in the first place. As with every hero's journey, the orphan refuses to believe or accept their destiny, but eventually they embrace magic and defeat the darkness by having Voldemort shoot himself in the face with his own spell.

Wait, are we talking about Harry Potter or Once Upon A Time here? Well, in the case of Merlin and the Dark Swan, it's both. 

As the Dark Swan storyline has progressed, her behavior has been more and more confusing, and we've found ourselves asking, "Why did Emma hurt Henry? Why did she erase everyone's memories? And whose heart did she use to cast the curse?" That last question is the one which will explain everything. After all, you have to crush the heart of the thing you love most to cast such a curse, and show creators Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz have confirmed that Emma killed someone in order to do it. And yet Henry and Hook, the two most likely candidates, are still alive. (And would she really crush Henry's heart anyway? Hell no!) Her parents are still alive. Emma herself is still alive. So what's going on here? Who died?

At this point, all we have to go off is that it's someone who was alive in Camelot but has been missing from Storybrooke. So far, the only candidate is Merlin. And not only is Merlin dead, but he asked Emma to kill him and go all Dark Swan on everyone in order to keep their secret plan in motion. (This is where the Harry Potter thing comes into play and I explain what I'm talking about.)

Image courtesy ABC Studios

We know from the press release and promo for "Nimue" that Emma and Merlin are going on a quest and that Emma comes face to face with the same Dark One who imprisoned Merlin as a tree.  (Some people believe this person is named Vortigan based off the episode credits and because the actor who played Vortigan said he was the Dark One. I think this is just a red herring to throw us off the trail.) The first Dark One was Nimue, Emma is going to summon her, and whatever happens in that meeting is what sets Merlin and Emma's plans into motion. Merlin will realize that Emma is going to have to play evil in order to reunite Excalibur and defeat the darkness. (Said another way, Dumbledore will realize that Snape is going to have to play evil in order to defeat Voldemort.) And so Emma will kill Merlin as a way of proving herself to the darkness, pretending she wants to reunite Excalibur to destroy light magic, but in reality she's doing all of this to destroy the darkness. 

Eventually Emma's true intentions will come to light, Nimue/the darkness will be very angry, and in its attempt to kill Emma it will misunderstand the nature of her magic because true evil cannot understand true love... just like Voldemort.. And, just like Voldemort, the darkness will end up shooting itself in the face with its own spell.

Image courtesy ABC Studios

But how could Emma use Merlin's heart to cast the curse if you have to use the heart of the thing you love most in order to do it? Well, thanks to Pan''s use of Felix in season 3, we know that the thing you love most doesn't have to be romantic love. It can also mean friendship, and loyalty. Merlin will be Emma's strongest compatriot, supporting her because of his unwavering belief that she is the one who will defeat the darkness.

If you have doubts about this, well, that's okay. I don't expect everyone to agree with my theory. But let's not forget that young Emma made several Harry Potter references during the Frozen storyline. Consider also that Emma and Harry Potter share striking similarities, as summed up in my intro paragraph. And another thing: when Dopey went beyond the town line, he turned into a tree, just like Merlin. This isn't a coincidence, it happened because Merlin's heart was used to cast the curse.

How this will lead to the journey to the Underworld, I don't know, and I'm not even sure that it will play out the same way. But what I am sure of is that Emma will be the Woman Who Lived, freed from the darkness without having to die to be rid of it.

Once Upon A Time Season 4 predictions

Elsa, the Snow Queen, and Maleficent: Season 4 Predictions for Once Upon A Time

By Zach Van Norman

During the season three finale on Once Upon A Time, we were treated to the surprise reveal that Queen Elsa of Arendelle had arrived in Storybrooke. As the summer progressed we were treated to casting news for not only Elsa, but other Frozen favorites like Anna, Kristoff, Hans, and even Sven the reindeer. (Olaf, sadly, will not be appearing.) The popularity of Frozen created a sense of tunnel vision among the fans, even myself, with little question of where the storyline would go after this new story wrapped up. But with the recent announcement that Kristin Bauer van Straten is returning to Once for what is being termed a “major arc,” the second half of the season has suddenly become clear. Despite the chilly beginning, season 4’s plot will quickly heat up as it progresses. Here are my predictions for what will happen this year on Once Upon A Time:

The Snow Queen - a Once Upon A Time fan theory

The third episode of ABC's Once Upon A Time, titled "Rocky Road," introduced us to Elizabeth Mitchell's character the Snow Queen. While everyone expected her to interact with Elsa in both the past and present, what few were expecting was a history with the Storybrooke Savior, Emma Swan. Nothing more has been revealed of their past thus far, so we have little information with which to base theories on how they know each other. However, despite the lack of information, I believe we can take a leap of faith and use conjecture to find the answer.

I think the Snow Queen is Miss Swan, Emma's first foster mother. Allow me to explain why:

Who Wrote the Storybook? - a Once Upon A Time fan theory

Who Wrote The Storybook? - A Fan Theory by Zach Van Norman

In the first part of this theory (which can be found here), I discussed the source of the Dark powers (Neverland), why Peter Pan wants Henry (in short: to undo the Dark One and return the power to Neverland), and the idea that the person who gave Pan the drawing of Henry is also the person who wrote Henry’s storybook. Now I’ll reveal who I think that person was:

The Boy, the Shadow, and the Undoing - a Once Upon A Time fan theory

Note: this theory has been disproven.

At the D23 Expo in Anaheim, Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz screened the first clip from the season three premiere of Once Upon A Time, during which we see Rumplestiltskin having an exchange with a Lost Boy named Felix. (You can find the recap here.) Their conversation revealed a bit more about Rumple’s history and made it clear that season three will raise the stakes of the story, and the very foundation of the show may be affected by Rumple and Pan’s relationship. Let’s take another look at what we’ve learned and add it to what we know.

Tamara's Family Ties - a Once Upon A Time fan theory

Note: this theory has been disproven.

Tamara's introduction created an instant problem for everyone in Storybrooke: how could an outsider be allowed to know about magic? “Selfless, Brave & True” will likely give us an answer to that question as we see how she affects the ties that bind Neal to Emma and Henry. But I think Tamara herself has ties to another character, and that connection could have serious consequences for Neal and his newfound family.

The Imp and the Miller's Daughter - a Once Upon A Time fan theory

Note: this theory has been disproven.

If you had a surprised reaction to Rumple and Cora's kiss during "In The Name Of The Brother," you're not alone; I was pretty surprised myself. After all, it's not the kind of thing you'd expect to see after one of them tried to kill the other with a force field. But aside from their truce being sealed, Rumple and Cora's meeting also gave a few hints about their history. Details of their relationship have been spread over several episodes, and putting them all together should help us figure out what happened in the past.

The Mysterious Man, the Wooden Boy, and the Dagger - a Once Upon A Time fan theory

Note: this theory has been disproven.

“Tallahassee” was a revealing episode that answered many questions from Season 1. We learned the reason for Emma's imprisonment (Neal), why she is so guarded when it comes to love (Neal), and, finally, who Henry's father is (Neal). We also found out that it was Pinaugusto (had to do it) who sent Neal the postcard, solving a Season 2 mystery as well. But “Tallahassee” revealed much more than Emma and Neal's history together. Many of the missing pieces of a major puzzle have now been played, which all but prove a widely-believed theory: Neal is Baelfire. But the evidence that proves this also has implications for August and the Blue Fairy. Let's put it all together and see what comes out of it!

There's Something About Fairy - a Once Upon A Time fan theory

The Blue Fairy, that is.


The Blue Fairy is one of the “good” characters of Disney lore, and the Once version is no exception. She gave young Geppetto a protector in Jiminy Cricket, turned Pinocchio into a real boy, and aided in the saving of Princess Emma so she could break the Dark Curse. But like all Once characters, she's gotten her own twist, and this Reul Ghorm is not as innocent as her previous incarnation: she's cursed many people.

The Queen of Hearts - a Once Upon A Time fan theory

Episode 17 "Hat Trick" definitely ranks among the best episodes of Once's first season. It had a great story, fantastic visuals and a stunning performance by Sebastian Stan as Jefferson, the Mad Hatter. 

There are many unanswered questions in this episode: Who was Jefferson's wife, and why was she lost? How do Jefferson and Regina know each other? Where do the other portals within the hat go? But a stand-out among them: who is the Queen of Hearts?

What is Charming's Real Name? - a Once Upon A Time fan theory

What is Charming's real name?

Prince Charming is quite the dashing fellow; even Regina can see the allure. And while the charmer's backstory has been revealed, one question still remains: what is Prince "Charming" James' real name?

Most Oncers are aware of Charming's history, but for those who are not, a quick recap:

Prince James was one of a set of twin boys, traded to King George through Rumplestiltskin as an infant by his desperate parents. His brother, a shepherd,

Regina, Ursula and a Certain Mermaid - a Once Upon A Time fan theory

One of the most inspired and heartbreaking episodes of Once Upon A Time is the Beauty and the Beast themed episode titled "Skin Deep," which gave us some much-needed details on Rumplestiltskin's backstory, while Regina's machinations took her detestability to a new depth. We also learned how dark and dangerous Mr. Gold can be when provoked (poor Moe). These dastardly villains raised the stakes for Storybrooke, but were they the only power players on the field? I think another villain may have been shown without us realizing.

I think Ursula might have been in this episode.