Ursula

"Next time you claim to be me, you'll find out just how real I am."

Ursula is originally thought to be a goddess of the sea, granting mermaids a chance once a year to leave their tail and walk on land with legs. However, it is soon discovered there is more to her, as she is a wicked sea witch, one of the three Queens of Darkness who, like her accomplices, believes the villains never win, but is ready to take the happy ending she feels entitled to.

Before the Curse
"''The risk was worth it. For too long we've lived in a world where the heroes always win."

After receiving anonymous instruction to come to the Forbidden Fortress, Ursula and Cruella have a stand off with Maleficent, who insists that she did not invite them and warns them to leave. But before things get too heated, Rumplestiltskin reveals himself to be the one who gathered the girls in promise of a happy ending. He tells them of a plan to retrieve the Dark Curse, which requires the three witches special skills. Maleficent and the other two agree, so they head to the location where the curse is kept. After Cruella and Maleficent successfully get them past the first and second obstacles, Ursula takes her turn and grabs the curse with her tentacle. However, Rumple takes it and leaves the three women to die at the hands of the Chernabog, an ancient demon that guards the curse. Trapped in the room with the demon that seeks the heart with the darkest potential, Maleficent comes up with a plan for the three of them to escape. After realizing she's the one with the darkest potential, Maleficent distracts the Chernabog while Cruella and Ursula escape. She fights off the beast as long as she can, but when she thinks she's been abandoned she gives up. However, Ursula grabs her just in time and takes her to safety.

When Belle, working as Rumplestiltskin's maid, is out doing the laundry, she becomes distracted by a small dalmatian which she follows as it runs away. She eventually loses before someone grabs her from behind, kidnapping her. When looking for his maid, Rumple receives a message from a sand dollar which depicts a captive Belle; she tells him that he has to meet with her kidnappers and give them his magic gauntlet in exchange for her life. He later arrives at the cliff with the magic gauntlet that points to a person's greatest weakness, and he meets who he expects to meet: Maleficent. Thinking it's just the two of them, he begins to strangle her with magic, but he stops when a pair of tentacles begin choking Belle. The sea witch Ursula reveals that she is there too, and then so does Cruella De Vil, much to Rumple's shock. He is hesitant about handing the gauntlet over, but when Ursula begins strangling Belle with her tentacles, he quickly tosses it over to Cruella, who explains that they shall use it to point to their enemies' weaknesses and then they shall be the victors. Rumple leaves with Belle whilst the self-proclaimed Queens of Darkness leave with the gauntlet, only to have Rumple corner them later and steal it back with ease, for one must have a death wish to demand a ransom from the Dark One. The Queens lament their loss, and Cruella points out that the game is rigged and that the villains never win. They suggest that Rumple join then so that they can change the game together, but he refuses, saying that he wins and he wins alone.

Ursula is thought to be a mythical goddess who is considered a myth by merfolk. Ariel prays to her for guidance so she can be able continue her life as a human and forever be with Prince Eric. Using this opportunity, the Queen appears as Ursula to Ariel and gives her a magic bracelet that gives the wearer Ariel's tail in exchange for their legs. Ariel, in an act of gratitude for Snow White's earlier help, gives the bracelet to Snow so that she can live her life free from the Queen while Ariel gets to be with Eric. However, Snow White reveals that Ursula is just a myth, meaning the bracelet could not have come from her. Much to Ariel's shock, Regina shows up and admits this was a way to get Snow. She then gives Ariel an ultimatum: leave Snow with Regina and live happily with Prince Eric, or perish along with Snow. Ariel appears to choose the first choice, but then stabs Regina with a fork and removes the bracelet from Snow, and escapes into the water. After delivering Snow safely onto land, Ariel returns to tell Eric how she feels, but when she attempts to speak, she discovers that her voice is missing. Regina, standing on the docks, reveals she had taken her voice so Ariel can never tell Prince Eric how she truly feels. Ariel becomes devastated, and Regina proceeds to tell Ariel to leave. When Regina returns to her castle, she looks into her mirror and discovers Ursula herself, proving that Ursula is indeed real. Ursula then grabs Regina with her tentacles through the mirror itself, threatening a fearful Regina to never use her name again, for she will prove to Regina "just how real she is", before subsequently letting her go and disappearing. ("Ariel")

Snow and Charming return from their honeymoon to find everyone in their castle under some sort of sleeping curse, and the culprit is soon revealed as Maleficent, who's come to make a deal with the two royals along with Ursula and Cruella: they want to go with them to the Tree of Wisdom, which only answers the questions of the most valiant heroes, so that they can figure out a way to stop Regina's Dark Curse. Snow and Charming agree to go with them, begrudgingly, but begin to have their doubts when Maleficent slaughters good soldiers who stand in their way; as such, they take off in the middle of the night when the self-named "Queens of Darkness" are sleeping, and they find the tree by themselves. However, when they ask it a question, it repels them, and the three villains soon catch up and realize that the reason it didn't answer them is because Snow is pregnant and, being a product of true love, their baby has potential for great darkness as well as a great good. The trip is deemed useless and the separate parties part ways, but Maleficent later revisits Snow in the middle of the night and reveals to her that she's pregnant as well, which is why it's so important to her that this curse be stopped. She wishes to join forces with Snow, but Snow declines, refusing to delve into darkness while trying to protect her child for she believes that there is a better way of doing things. She vows that she will never be like Maleficent.

Season 4
Six weeks after his plot to cleave himself to the dagger fails and he is forced by Belle to leave Storybrooke, Rumplestiltskin is seen staying in New York where he visits an aquarium. He meets up with a former foe, Ursula, who now has a job feeding the aquarium's fish. Taking in the Dark One's appearance, the sea witch sneers at how little he resembles a man who always wins, which is what he once described himself as. Rumple explains that his situation is temporary, and he goes into the fact villains never win also applies to himself, but also states there's someone who can change that called "The Author". This doesn't impress Ursula much, her thinking such a person sounds pretentious, though Rumple offers to take her to him. Ursula finds it strange he is coming to her for help, and she wonders exactly who they are up against. Unsurprisingly, he states that the heroes are in their way, and then suggests she pack her things for the journey as they still have two more stops to make, referring to Cruella De Vil and Maleficent.

Mr. Gold has been staying in Ursula's apartment and mooching off of her, much to her displeasure, but it isn't long until a plan is set in motion and the two of them garner the help of Cruella De Vil, whose husband and source of income is arrested by the FBI and she scarcely manages to snatch away one of her priceless fur coats before they take everything, just as Rumplestiltskin and Ursula approach her in order to strike a bargain - she aids in their plan, and she shall receive her happy ending. Cruella is enticed by the idea and agrees to drive the three of them in her vintage car to a quaint little town called Storybrooke, where magic is present. When Cruella and Ursula learn that this town cannot be seen or entered, however, the former pulls a gun on the Dark One and threatens him, warning him not to betray them like the last times because he is nothing but a weak cripple without his powers; he assures them that he won't, pointing out that so much of his plan relies on him placing his trust in them, and they agree to proceed, Ursula using his cell phone to make contact with the Evil Queen. They tell her that they've turned over a new leaf and want to enter Storybrooke, and she agrees to help them should they help in turn to defeat Chernabog, who's attacking the town. They give Regina the information she needs and Chernabog is defeated, followed by Cruella and Ursula being given a scroll that allows them to enter Storybrooke. Later that night, the give the same scroll to Rumple and he enters too, regaining his magic and losing his limp. He reveals his plan to both resurrect Maleficent and turn Emma Swan to the dark side while, later that night, his two lady villainesses meet up with Snow White and Prince Charming, who threaten to kill them should they reveal what happened all those years ago.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the character.