The Dark Curse is a curse featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It is most likely one of the most powerful curses there is. It has the ability to collect people from an entire realm, and transport them to another land.
Whoever casts the curse is able to modify the victims' memories if they want. The Dark Curse resided inside Bald Mountain and was guarded by a number of obstacles, including Chernabog, but Rumplestiltskin managed to obtain the curse. According to Rumplestiltskin, the curse came from the Black Fairy, who created it in order to protect her infant son from a prophecy.
List of Dark Curses
First Dark Curse
Cast by: Regina Mills
The first Dark Curse was cast by Regina Mills, also known as the Evil Queen, to finally get revenge on Snow White and her allies. Regina used her father's heart to activate it. This curse transported nearly everyone in the Enchanted Forest, to a town called Storybrooke. Everyone except Regina was given new identities and new memories, and they had no memories of the Enchanted Forest. Regina became the mayor of Storybrooke. This curse was broken by Emma Swan when she kissed Henry Mills on the forehead, which also broke Henry's sleeping curse.
Second Dark Curse
Cast by: Peter Pan (altered by Regina Mills)
Regina changing the second Dark Curse.
The second Dark Curse was cast by Peter Pan. It was originally meant to recreate Storybrooke in Pan's image. Peter Pan used Felix's heart to activate this curse. However, after Pan's demise, Regina modified the Dark Curse and it took everyone in Storybrooke back to the Enchanted Forest instead. Once in the Enchanted Forest, everyone cursed still remembered everything.
Third Dark Curse
Cast by: Snow White (altered by Zelena)
The third Dark Curse was cast by the Snow White. She reluctantly used the heart of her husband, David. This curse sent everyone in the Enchanted Forest back to Storybrooke, but Zelena interfered with it and made it so that everyone who is cursed would lose their memories of the last year in the Enchanted Forest, unless they have consumed a memory potion beforehand. The curse is broken by Regina kissing Henry on the forehead, similar to how Emma broke the first curse.
Fourth Dark Curse
Cast by: Killian Jones (under the Dark One's Curse; altered by Emma Swan)
The fourth Dark Curse was cast by Killian Jones, also known as Captain Hook. Since he was the Dark One, when he crushed Merlin's heart, it was also Merlin's true love Nimue crushing it as Nimue was the first Dark One. Everyone's memories were taken away by magic dreamcatchers, and everyone including the inhabitants of Camelot were taken back to Storybrooke. The curse is broken when the dreamcatchers restore everyone's memories.
Black Curse/Fifth Curse
Cast by: Fiona the Black Fairy
The Black Curse, as well as the fifth Dark Curse, was a variation of the Dark Curse, albeit ten times more powerful, unleashed upon Storybrooke. Fiona became the mayor, and everyone's memories were altered, much like the effects of the first Dark Curse. These similarities stem from the fact that Fiona is the creator of the Dark Curse. It is broken when Fiona is defeated and the Final Battle is won.
Sixth Dark Curse
Cast by: Regina Mills (coerced by the Dark Coven)
The sixth Dark Curse was cast by Regina Mills. She was forced to cast the curse when Drizella Tremaine and Gothel magically poison Henry, meaning that the only way for him to survive is to be in a land without magic. This curse sends everyone from the New Enchanted Forest to Hyperion Heights. During the curse, Victoria, Gothel, and Ivy retain their memories, while Weaver, Roni, Tilly and Henry wake up. The curse breaks when Henry gives Regina true love's kiss.
Seventh Dark Curse
Cast by: Regina Mills (with little pieces of hearts of whom she loves and those who loves her)
The seventh and final Dark Curse was cast by Regina Mills. After Rumplestiltskin (Wish Realm) was defeated, she decided to join all the realms in different way. King Henry and her son agreed and - after some time - she succeed. Oz, her palace, Arendelle, Enchanted Forest, king George's castle, Camelot, beanstalk, New Enchanted Forest, Wonderland, Victorian England, 19th Century France, Agrabah, DunBroch, Land Of Untold Stories, Land Without Color, Neverland, Wish Realm and many more were united in one place. She put them in Land Without Magic, near Storybrooke.
Victims
Trivia
- The Dark Curse can be broken with true love's kiss.
- One of the ingredients is the heart of the thing the caster loves most:
- Regina uses her father's heart,
- Pan uses Felix's heart,
- Snow uses David's heart.
- Since Killian was the Dark One, he could channel Nimue, whose true love was Merlin. Because of this, Killian uses Merlin's heart.
- Fiona did not require any sacrifice or heart, manufacturing the Black Curse to benefit herself the most.
- In place of a sacrifice, the coven simply used Regina's blood, as she had previously cast the curse.