When it comes to fan theories, there's nothing juicer than a good fairy tale mash-up. With so many different legends and stories to choose from originating from cultures all over the world, there are really limitless possibilities. That's what made ABC's Once Upon a Time so delectable in the first place: it took the most well-known characters in storytelling history and gave them richer histories, gasp-worthy connections, and the kind of drama that the Brothers Grimm just couldn't have imagined in their time.
While it's true that characters like Rumpelstiltskin, Peter Pan, and the Wicked Witch of the West captivated audiences with their complexities and tragedies, once in a while the show took a detour for the worse, leaving fans feeling burned out from too much saccharine sweetness or nonsensical romantic drama.
Many viewers took it upon themselves to come up with their own, alternate plots for their favorite characters, which are often more satisfying than what actually aired on the show. Some fan theories, despite their wildness, even managed to come true on the show, while others remain buried in a treasure chest of speculation and fandom where, let's be honest, we can take them out to play with them anytime we wish.
From speculation on the parentage of Captain Hook to the sibling of Red Riding Hood, hypothesis regarding Rumpelstiltskin's caretakers and possible connections to a certain wibbly whimy timey wimey science fiction icon, here are 25 Once Upon A Time Fan Theories So Crazy They Might Be True.
25 Prince Eric Is Hook's Real Father
It's a fun theory spanning the more fanciful nautical elements of the show together with the darker ones: what if Hook's real father were Prince Eric of The Little Mermaid fame?
This theory involves Eric abandoning Hook or vowing to return for him later.
Maybe that's why Hook doesn't trust mermaids.
Theories aren't limited to the show, either. There are those regarding the animated Little Mermaid story, which postulate Captain Hook taking out Ariel's mother. This could make sense, given his villainous nature and the mermaids present in Peter Pan.
24 Jefferson Is A Time Lord
Jefferson, AKA the Mad Hatter, is one of the show's most wasted characters. Given a highly intriguing story and one of the most exciting episodes, his saga resolved too quickly and was never revisited, leaving fans wanting more. They also craved a better explanation of his travels.
Some fans up and decided that Jefferson is simply a Time Lord who lost his wife in a Time War, a convenient way to explain the ability to travel through space and time, not to mention recovery from headlessness.
Fans have spun this theory about everyone from Miss Frizzle of The Magic School Bus to Mary Poppins, so it's no surprise that Jefferson inspired a similar hypothesis.
23 The Wicked Witch Is Really Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter
It's so disappointing to admit that Jonathan, Cora's one-time lover, is truly Zelena's father, but it does explain why Cora gave her up.
What we'd all love to imagine is a world in which Cora and Rumpelstiltskin had Zelena as a daughter.
Had Cora chosen her gilded, goblin-like lover over royalty, where would any of the characters be today? The pair easily made the most interesting couple on the show.
We still yearn for that happily ever after between Cora, Rumpel and their potential daughter, Zelena.
22 Madam Mim Was A Dark One
The failure to include Madam Mim of The Sword in the Stone fame is one of the show's biggest letdowns, but many fans have theories about how she may have been included after all.
Some fans speculate that Madam Mim was one of the many Dark Ones-- or even the teacher of Maleficent, which might explain a lot. Madam Faustina is also one of the show's coolest yet underused witches; perhaps Mim was morphed into that character.
One of the worst consequences of the lack of Mim is that there was no epic battle, like a shape-shifting duel between Mim and Merlin.
21 Emma Is The Swan Princess
Emma's last name has been cause for speculation since the show's inception. Despite the fact that the coincidental nature of the Swan surname has been repeatedly confirmed, fans refuse to let this one go.
Why give Emma such a fairy tale name if she's not the Swan Princess?
Realistically, it's probably a good thing she's not the traditional Swan Princess who, despite being kind and brave, really doesn't hold a candle to Emma Swan on a good day. Even so, a little bit of a twist with the tale could have been fun to witness.
20 The Hocus Pocus Witches Are Part Of The Coven Of Eight
If any Disney characters are included in Once Upon a Time, fans would much rather see Winnie, Sarah and Mary Sanderson than, say, the cast of Frozen. No hating on the gorgeous animated story, but the Sanderson witches are fabulous, underused, and deserving of the spotlight-- as long as it's not direct sunlight.
A favorite fan discussion involves postulating who the members of the Coven of Eight in Once Upon a Time were. Although we know some identities, like Gothel and Regina, others remain hidden. Guessing that the identities could have been these wicked witches is too much fun to pass up.
19 Emma Is Elizabeth Swann And Hook Is Jack Sparrow
Orlando Bloom fans might riot over this theory, but what if Elizabeth Swann were actually Emma Swan and Jack Sparrow's actual identity was Captain Hook?
Given the Disney promotion woven into the series, it's plausible, especially given how few coincidences there are on the show, how careful the writers are with naming characters, and Hook's attraction to Emma.
Fans love this explanation and frequently create art and stories inspired by the crossover.
Aside from the obvious, there's not much other evidence to make the connection, but plenty of Once Upon a Time arcs have been constructed on less.
18 The Dragon Is Mushu From Mulan
While the Dragon from Once Upon a Time couldn't be any less like Mushu, the jokester dragon from Disney's Mulan who was voiced by Eddie Murphy, some fans argue that the two are one and the same.
There isn't much evidence to support the theory aside from the Dragon's location and presumed culture, which makes it a stretch, although still possible.
What makes the theory more interesting are the fans who speculate that Mushu is also Mulan's parent or grandparent, which would be an interesting twist from the animated tale.
17 The Neverland Mermaids Worked For Ursula
It's a simple idea as far as fan theories go: the mermaids of Peter Pan fame, whom Rumpelstiltskin and Captain Hook both declare dangerous and untrustworthy, are also minions of the sea witch Ursula. It also doesn't happen to mean much, as interesting as it is to theorize, unless we start connecting the dots between her father and uncle as well.
Fans speculate that it was Ursula, with her divine Greek powers, who taught the mermaids how to summon sea storms.
It makes sense, given that most people who utilize magic in the show had teachers who shared their knowledge at some point.
16 Regina Cursed Herself With Infertility
With unlimited power and suitors, not to mention her disdain for Gold and his favors, it makes no sense that the Evil Queen couldn't conceive a child, or magically create one. The only plausible explanation is that she can't do it without help.
Some fans theorize that Regina rendered herself infertile by magic in order to never give birth to a child she didn't want by the king she had to marry. Others say that it might have been the price of much of her dark magic.
Either way, it would make sense, especially since she's able to use magic for most other things.
15 Robin Hood Was Snow White's Mentor
How perfect would it be if the future lover of Snow White's villainous stepmother was the person who gave her the tutelage to take her out in the first place?
Snow had to learn her archery skills somewhere, and given how adept she seemed at the sport it would make sense that she would learn from the best.
Who better to assist her in besting the queen that a man who lost his own wife to the Evil Queen?
It's a theory so deliciously perfect that fans pretty much pretend it's canon.
14 Gideon Isn't Evil
Writing the son of the nobel Belle as one of the worst villains of all time was a cruel trick to play on fans-- especially since it turned out that Gideon wasn't evil all along, proving fan theories right.
Those who held steady with Belle, despite the many times the Dark One's evil seemed to twist, override, or make a mockery of her goodness, found validation in their long-held beliefs when the family was reunited.
Fans knew that so many warnings from her unborn yet somehow grown son had to mean that Gideon wasn't as dark as he seemed.
13 The Black Fairy Is Older Than Merlin
Merlin is supposed to be so ancient that he's older than everybody else, but fans point out that the show's own logic might make the Black Fairy much older.
Nearly three decades pass by in the Dark Realm for a day in our world, so it stands to reason that not only is Fiona older than Merlin, but she's quite possibly the oldest person alive.
Even if the Darkness claims that Merlin is the oldest being alive, it's all relative, as each realm has its own time frame and rules.
12 Emma Is Mentally Unwell And Invented The Whole Thing
This is a popular theory fans love to assign to just about any fandom, from Harry Potter to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Some fans claim that Once Upon a Time is an invention of Emma Swan's mind. She is traumatized and living out the fantasy in her mind.
The theory varies regarding why Emma is unwell, from her being abandoned as a child to the idea that she really did end up in our world as a refuge from another country or even realm, left unable to cope with the loss of her family and homeland.
11 Regina is Emma's wife
It's not enough to conceive of the idea that Emma made up the entire Enchanted Forest, curse, and her ongoing quest as the Savior to cope with her own mental trauma.
The fan theory is expanded with another idea: that Regina is Emma's wife and Henry is their son or the son they lost, which may have been the source of her trauma.
It would explain Emma's love-hate relationship with Regina and her complicated feelings for the son she gave up for adoption.
It's such a wild idea that actually makes sense.
10 Madam Mim Is One Of The Eight
Remember the Coven of Eight, the team of evil witches who send everyone to Hyperion Heights? Some fans love the idea of Madam Mim being among the most powerful and dreaded witches in the show.
Since many of the unknown witches became trees and weren't ever discussed again, it's difficult to pinpoint their true identities, so it's not a bad guess to say that one of them could have been Mim.
Other identities fans have suggested for the Eight include Jadis of The Chronicles of Narnia, Baba Yaga, and even Queen Narissa from Enchanted.
9 Alice Is Hook's Daughter
It was a theory clear to all who saw it and it is now as canon as Hook's love for Emma Swan.
Not only did Captain Hook have a daughter, but he was the father of Alice-- whose mother was none other than Gothel.
Sure, the story showed us another side of Hook that confirms his mostly good heart, and yet another instance of his lack of revenge on Rumpelstiltskin, but it also made some fans a bit wary.
After all of this time, we only learned of Alice late in the game.
It's one of those big surprises that, while still fun in some ways, was annoying in others.
8 Madam Mim Is The Jabberwocky (Or Lily's Father)
If she's not one of the Coven of Eight, and she's not a former Dark One or even Madam Faustina, just who could Madam Mim be on Once Upon a Time?
The idea that she could be the Jabberwocky or Lily's father is one of the coolest fan theories of the show. The Jabberwocky, though she was eventually set free, was never given much of her own story. This is an intriguing concept for her.
The second theory in particular would have brought some diverse representation to the show as well as given it a nice twist, especially since the idea of a dragon named Zorro is pretty ridiculous and Mim's a well-established dragon.
7 Rapunzel Is The Evil Stepmother
Fans of Mandy Moore and Tangled may be put out by this plot twist, but many fans of the show were elated to see a heroine portrayed as a villain once again.
Rapunzel being wicked was a palate cleanser after the saccharine inclusions of Frozen and Brave, which felt more promotional material for Disney rather than the cutting edge adaptations we had come to expect.
Witnessing Rapunzel revealed as the Evil Stepmother was a twist that helped maintain the show's original innovation.
6 Ariel And Rumpelstiltskin's Secret Connection
It sounds pretty far-fetched on the surface, but the fan theory that Ariel, AKA the Little Mermaid, and Rumpelstiltskin had a previous romance is plausible. It's certainly possible for the evil mastermind to have had many girlfriends.
An even more popular plot, however, is that Rumpel convinced Ariel to give him one of her scales somehow, allowing him to enter other worlds via use of her "mermaid magic."
While it's not a canon story, it's a cool theory that could have been explored on the show.
5 Emma's True Love Kiss Saved The Town
It was one of the first big fan theories proven to be true. After watching such prolonged unhappiness, disbelief in magic, and Henry and August's careful plotting smashed by the Evil Queen's forces, seeing the curse broken by a kiss of true parental love was a deeply gratifying moment.
Not only did this moment turn the trope of romantic true love's kiss on its head years before Frozen and Maleficent did, but it proved that Emma was the savior, that she loved her son fiercely, and that nothing would ever be the same for her again.
4 Widow Lucas Got Red's Cloak From Rumpelstiltskin
We know that Widow Lucas, the brave and bold token fairy tale Granny of Storybrooke, paid a hefty price for the magical cloak she uses to protect Red from transforming into a werewolf.
Where in the Enchanted Forest would Granny have to pay a high price for magic? Rumpelstiltskin is a great guess and many fans speculate that he is the person who gave Granny the cloak.
It's a highly logical theory but the real question is, what did Granny pay for the cloak?
Sadly, we willl never know. Whether it was true love, monetary success, or another lifelong dream, it was probably something she yearns for dearly, but values less than Red's life.
3 The Spinsters Who Raise Rumpel Are Flora And Fauna From Sleeping Beauty
This is an adorable theory that makes perfect sense when you think about it. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, the fairy godmothers to Princess Aurora of Sleeping Beauty, should have a spot on Once Upon a Time, and what better place than as the guardians of another important character?
Rumpelstiltskin only has two guardians on the show, but they could have easily been fairy godmothers.
We only wish we could have had scenes where they bless his christening or argue over the colors of his clothing. "Make it gold!"
2 Enchanted Forest 2.0 Is Just The Opposite Side Of The World
It doesn't seem like the most ground-breaking theory. In fact, it's kind of an obvious one, but it's also one that could very well be true.
Is Enchanted Forest 2.0, or the Other Realm, just the opposite side of the world of the original Enchanted Forest?
Despite the many different realms available, it makes perfect sense.
Think of how many fairy tales exist in our own realm alone. It makes sense to have both forests in the same realm-- even if they seem different. Given how many cultures have their own variations of Cinderella, for example, why not have that many coexist within the same Enchanted world?
1 The Huntsman Is Red's Older Brother
The theory regarding the Huntsman and Red's sibling status stems largely from the fact that they both love wolves and have the animals prominently in their lives. Elsewhere this might seem coincidental, but in Storybrooke it's almost a guarantee for a connection.
Given the fact that we know the Huntsman was raised by shape-shifting wolves, a fact that wasn't included in other versions of the Snow White tale, and Ruby's parents could have likely had other children, they could at least be adopted siblings-- if not biological brother and sister.
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Do you have any fan theories about Once Upon a Time? Let us know in the comments!
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