Cora

"Love is weakness, Regina."

Cora is a supporting character on Once Upon a Time. The cruel and controlling mother of Regina, Cora appears to have forgotten her humble origins, which she forsook when she formed a liaison with the powerful Rumplestiltskin, in order to get access to magic and turn her life around. Her power got to her head, however, and Cora started going to extreme lengths to control her daughter's life, claiming it to be the best for her. Eventually, Regina pushed her through a looking glass and into Wonderland, where she became the notorious Queen of Hearts.

Before the Curse
"In this land, she goes by "your Majesty"."

A miller's daughter, Cora came from very humble origins. However, it was always her wish to turn her life around, which led her to form a liaison with the Dark One - Rumplestiltskin. He taught her how to use magic to become powerful and get her way, and with the aid of witchcraft, Cora was able to lead a wealthier lifestyle. Her sycophantic husband, Henry, was usually kept in the dark about the magic-related aspects of Cora's life, as she even kept from him the name of the man who had taught her to use magic and who had given her the spellbook she constantly used. When her daughter Regina was born, Cora's tutor, Rumplestiltskin, knew instantly that he would be crossing paths with the child in the future, and that they would do incredible things together. From then on, Cora would always try to control her daughter's life, claiming it to be the best for her. She would be incredibly forceful, manipulating all of Regina's 'choices' in life and drawing her path for her, often resorting to magic to get her way. Along her life, Cora performed one of her most recognizable enchantments: ripping the hearts out of people while they're still beating and ensnaring them with a spell, therefore controlling said people. Cora kept her extensive collection of hearts in a vault hidden behind her fireplace.

As a kind young woman, Regina developed a love for her stable boy, Daniel. One day, during a riding lesson, a young girl rides past Regina on an out of control horse. Regina manages to save the girl, who is Snow White, the king's daughter. The king hears of what Regina did and proposes to her. Cora, Regina's mother, accepts on her behalf. Horrified that she's marrying the king, Regina suggests running away with her lover, Daniel, so they can be together. Snow White sees the two kiss and Regina begs her to keep it a secret. However, when Cora tells Snow White that she feels Regina has drifted from her, Snow White explains that if she wants Regina to be happy, she should let her be with her true love, Daniel. Cora kills Daniel in front of Regina to ensure her marriage to the king. During a wedding dress fitting, Snow White tells Regina that she told Cora the truth of her and Daniel, unaware that he had been murdered. Regina manages to keep herself calm, which her mother compliments. After this, Regina grows a strong hate for Snow White, wishing she'd let her die on the horse... and thus establishing the future queen's hatred of Snow.

During the build-up to her wedding to King Leopold, Regina tries to leave on her horse, but a barrier spell conjured by her mother, Cora, stops her. Cora tells Regina that she cannot leave unless with Leopold. Regina later reveals her growing hatred to her father and she asks how her mother became the way she is. He tells her of a man who gave her the book of spells and taught her the dark arts. Regina steals the spellbook off her mother and summons the owner, Rumplestiltskin. He reveals that they have met before when she was younger. Regina seeks help from Rumple, so he gives her a portal to an "annoying world", to which she can banish her mother. During a fitting for her wedding dress, Regina uses magic against her mother to push her through the portal. Regina seeks Rumple to return the spellbook, but he lets her keep it and convinces her to let him teach her the dark arts, as she loves using magic.

After Jefferson takes Regina to Wonderland to retrieve her father, who had been taken by the Queen of Hearts (Cora), he is left there and taken before the Queen, whose face is covered by a red veil. The Knave of Hearts serves as her interpreter, communicating with Jefferson on her behalf. The Queen claims to know that he's responsible for her being stolen from, and when he says that Queen Regina tricked him, he is corrected, for according to the Knave there is only one queen: the Queen of Hearts. Jefferson apologizes, and is then asked how he got into their world. Jefferson asks if he can go home to his daughter if he tells them, and his question is met with laughs. The Queen then says, "Off with his head!", and a guard with a very large axe walks cuts off his head, while another guard holds it by the hair. Jefferson looks in shock at his headless body on the floor, surprised to still be alive. The Knave asks him to explain how he got there in order to get his body back, and Jefferson explains that he used his magic top hat. He adds that Regina took it, and he is then forced to make another hat, similar to that one.

Season 2
After Emma and Mary Margaret are sent to the Enchanted Forest, they are taken prisoner by Mulan and Aurora, who bring them to their safe haven. There, Mary Margaret attacks the princess and makes a run for it, along with Emma, but the teacher is knocked out by Mulan. Emma comes back to her aid and the warrior tells her peers to throw the two prisoners into a pit. Emma and Mary Margaret, the latter still unconscious, are thus thrown into a caved jail, and there Emma tries to bring her mother back to consciousness... and is met by someone the survivors have locked up as well: Cora...

Snow White recuperates consciousness to find herself appalled by the presence of the evil Cora in the pit. She tries to keep her daughter Emma from telling Cora about Storybrooke and Henry, but it's to no avail. The two new prisoners are then set free to meet with the leader of the safe haven's people, and Snow is surprised to find that it's her old friend Lancelot. The brave knight allows them to travel in the search for a portal back to the land they came from, a location Snow refuses to disclose because of the presence of Cora, even though the old woman is said to be powerless now. Snow and Emma therefore go back to the castle where the royal couple lived and where the blonde was born. There, they encounter the wardrobe through which Emma passed to our world. Lancelot makes himself appear, and although she's excited to see him at first, Snow quickly becomes the wiser when Lancelot mentions Henry by name... a name Emma had only shared with Cora. Sir Lancelot then makes himself appear as Cora, who had been passing for him after allegedly killing him. Cora attacks Snow and Emma, planning to go through the wardrobe, but Emma is able to set the wardrobe on fire and Cora then vanishes into the thin air. However, after Snow, Emma and their travelling companions, Aurora and Mulan, leave the castle to head back to the safe haven, Cora reappears and collects some of the dust left from the burnt wardrobe in a glass, and we can see there's still some magic left in it.

Killian Jones is standing on a seashore near the small island hamlet where the survivors of the Dark Curse reside. He watches the refuge through his telescope, but stops when Cora approaches him from behind. When she stands beside him, she shows him the ash remains of the Enchanted Wardrobe. He mocks them at first but then asks if they can get them to the other world. Cora replies by saying it's a start, but they will need other things first. He asks for the name of their destination, so Cora tells him it's Storybrooke. Killian comments that this is a curious name and then ask if that's where "he" and "she" are. Cora confirms. Happy, Killian tells Cora she will be able to see her daughter, and he'll be able to skin himself a "crocodile".

After Daniel, the stable boy, is brought to life by Dr. Frankenstein, in Storybrooke, which was the main reason why Regina delved into the world of magic, he is left in a state of disorientation, and heads to the last place he can remember being at: the stables. There, he comes across Henry, Regina's son, and when the child reaches out his hand to him, Daniel has flashes of the time Cora ripped out his heart, which fuels a violent reaction and leads him to strangle Henry. However, the young man is saved when Regina and Charming arrive.

When Hook finally makes his way down the beanstalk, Cora is there to receive him, annoyed at his betrayal. She demands to be given the compass, and Hook tells her that Emma bested him and took it. Cora tells him there are consequences to him having chosen Emma instead of her, and adds that now she will leave him in that land without ever quenching his thirst for revenge. She then sets off to make matters into her own hands and uses her magic to breathe life back into the hearts of the people she killed in the haven, and make them rise and find the quartet of heroines. Aurora is eventually taken by the undead, and Cora plans on using her as an exchange coin, trading her for the compass she seeks. Aurora doesn't think Emma and Snow will oblige, but Cora states that they can't help saving the innocent, regardless of the personal cost. Cora also wonders why Aurora wants to help, and realizes that the princess is hoping to go to Storybrooke as well; the evil witch then tells her she could help her bring Phillip's soul back, but Aurora refuses to play along. Cora knocks her out, and sends a message to Snow that she will kill the princess if they don't bring her the compass by sundown. However, Hook makes it to the haven and frees Aurora, making it clear that he's on Emma's side. Meanwhile, Snow speaks with Charming in the netherworld, and learns of Gold's advice to stun Cora. The latter is enraged when she learns of what Hook did, and plans on killing him, until he stops her by claiming to have a gift... which is none other than Aurora's heart, taken by him, which Cora can use to control the princess and get a leg up in her plan to retrieve the compass and head to Storybrooke.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the character.