Captain Hook

"A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets."

Killian Jones, better known as Captain Hook or simply Hook, is a supporting character on Once Upon a Time. He is a determined pirate captain who was unfortunate enough to humiliate and anger the feared Rumplestiltskin, who ripped the heart out of his beloved Milah and cut off his hand. This led Jones to seek revenge against the Dark One, including being granted the right to stay young by travelling to Neverland, and teaming up with the fearsome and powerful Cora to make his way to Storybrooke, where Rumple currently lives. However, Killian ultimately forms an alliance of sorts with Emma Swan, the extent and veracity of which is still undetermined.

Before the Curse
"Where are my manners, we haven’t been formally introduced. Killian Jones. Now what are you doing aboard my ship?"

Killian and his crew board near Rumplestiltskin’s village. Whilst at a tavern, he befriend’s Milah, Rumple’s wife. She enjoys them so much that she decides to abandon her family and leave with them. When Rumple comes looking for her, he is too cowardly to fight Killian for her. Many years later, Rumplestiltskin has now become the Dark One. He’s in a tavern when he’s approached by William Smee, a man who promises he can give him a magic bean to another land. After this conversation, Rumple sees Killian and the rest of his crew. He waits for them outside and pretends to be a weak old man. Killian torments him but stops once he learns his true identity. With new courage and power, Rumple offers Killian to a duel. After a long fight, Rumple prepares to rip out Killian’s heart, but he’s stoped by Milah, who offers him the magic bean in exchange for their lives. Whilst making the deal, Rumple decides to kill Milah for abandoning her son, Baelfire and admitting she never loved him (Rumple). As she dies in Killian’s arms, she confesses her love for him. Rumple chops off Killian’s hand, as he was holding the bean. He attempts to kill Rumple with a hook, but finds out it’ll take more than that to kill him. It is later revealed that Killian still has the bean as he conned Rumple. After dropping Milah’s body overboard, he attaches the hook he used on Rumple to his arm. He throws the magic bean into the sea and a portal appears, he then announces to his crew that they’re leaving for Neverland.

Killian soon arrives in Neverland with his crew. He spends many years of his life there, never aging, and soon becomes more popularly known as Captain Hook, due to his hand being chopped off by Rumplestiltskin. Over his years in Neverland, Killan spends a lot of time with orphaned boys known as the "Lost Boys"; so much time that he can instantly recognize an orphan when he sees one.

Hook leaves Neverland to gather information from a captive of Regina's, Belle, for he believes she knows of a way to kill Rumplestiltskin. However, when she claims not to know how, he decides she's useless and attempts to kill her. However, Regina intercepts and claims she is valuable. She then makes a deal with Hook, claiming that if he'll kill her mother, Cora, then she will help him get revenge on Rumplestiltskin. Hook sets off to Wonderland to do this, but he is unable to rip out Cora's heart, for she does not keep hers where everyone else does. Cora overpowers him and demands to be told the truth, and once she is told that he was sent there by Regina, she offers him her assistance as well, for Regina tricked him: those who are caught by her curse are destined to lose their memories, so he wouldn't be able to get revenge. Hook brings Cora to Regina, so that she can kill her daughter, but when Regina mourns her mother's death, Cora has a change of heart. She later casts a spell on portion of the fairytale land that protects it from the curse. Hook is inside the shielded area. Cora explains that everyone in the area will be frozen in time until the Dark Curse is lifted. Cora agrees to let Hook keep her company, so that he may one day quench his thirst for vengeance.

Season 2
"Excellent... you'll be able to see your daughter. And I can skin myself a crocodile."

Killian 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 Cora massacres everyone at the safe haven by ripping their hearts out, Hook hides under some of the bodies, waiting for Emma, Snow, Mulan and Aurora to find him. When they arrive at the haven, they're horrified to find everyone dead, but relieved to see that someone survived, Hook. A short while later he explains to the women that he is a blacksmith from the haven. Emma tells Mulan that she believes he is lying because Cora leaving a survivors is "messy". After being given some water, Hook tells the women that he managed to survive Cora's wrath by hiding under the bodies of those who were already dead. Emma still doesn't believe his story and tells him that she's good at telling when someone is lying to her, but he stays insistent that he's telling the truth. When he offers to guide the women to a portal back to Storybrooke, Emma holds a knife to his neck, asking who he really is. He is later tied up to a tree and Emma attracts the attention of ogre's, stating if he doesn't confess to who he really is, they'll leave him for dead. After much hesitation, Hook finally reveals himself to be Killian Jones, also known as Captain Hook. He tells the women of Cora's plans, but states a magic compass is needed to go to Storybrooke. With no choice but to trust him, they then follow Hook to a giant beanstalk leading to a giant in the sky.

At the base of the beanstalk, Killian tells the girls that it's the last beanstalk in all the lands and the Giant at the top is the last of his kind because of a man named Jack. He reveals that Cora provided him with a counterspell allowing two people to climb the stalk. After a short argument, Emma decides to climb up with him. Whilst on the climb Killian begins to talk about Emma's past, something she isn't keen on. He points out that he can tell she has a child and that she's an orphan, stating he can tell from his time spent with the Lost Boys in Neverland. He then asks Emma if she has ever been in love, she tells him she hasn't. Once they reach the top of the beanstalk, Emma points out that the place seems very run down, so Killian explains that it's the place where the final battle took place. Emma notices Killian's tattoo saying "Milah", so asks whom she was. He explains she is a lost love, so Emma realizes Rumplestiltskin killed her, so he wants revenge. Killian then alerts the giant by hitting a large metal shield. When the Giant arrives to investigate, Killian distracts it while Emma knocks it out with the dust she got from Mulan. They head inside the Giant's lair and begin the search for the magical compass. During their search Killian takes a few gold coins for himself. The Giant soon wakes up and hunts down Emma and Killian. As the Giant charges through he lair, some rocks from the ceiling fall down on top of Killian, trapping him. Whilst trapped, Emma befriends the Giant and receives the compass. She also makes a deal with him to watch over Killian, who she chained to a wall, saying he can be released after she gets a head start with the compass as she doesn't trust him fully. Killian is infuriated by this.

After finally being freed by the Giant, Hook makes his way down the beanstalk and when he reaches the bottom, he is met by Cora. She asks him for the compass, but he claims he doesn’t have it because Emma Swan deceived him. Cora is not amused by Hook’s betrayal, so he tauntingly asks if she’s going to kill him. She tells him she won’t, but instead she’ll make her way to Storybrooke, leaving Hook in the fairytale land with his thirst for revenge unquenched. Angered by this, Hook tries to stab Cora, but she dissipates into a cloud of smoke. Hook later finds Aurora as Cora’s prisoner so decides to see her free. He explains that Cora has no idea what he’s doing, confusing Aurora. He reveals Cora has denied him passage to Storybrooke and revenge, so he’s doing the same to her. Aurora thanks him, so he says she can thank him by telling Emma their deal still stands; if she allows him to go to Storybrooke, he will help find the magical dust. Cora later discovers that Hook set Aurora free, so pins him against the wall, revealing she has to kill him. He tells her she should thank him as he’s brought a gift. Cora looks at the “gift” and is very pleased. The gift is an enchanted heart and Cora uses it to control Aurora.

After Aurora, under Cora's thrall, manages to lock the heroin quarted inside Rumplestiltskin's old cell, the powerful witch is able to get her hands on the compass she sought, and Hook teases Emma about the withered magic bean he took from the giant. Cora and Hook make it to the dry area that once contained Lake Nostos, the lake whose waters are said to possess the power to bring things back that once were lost. Cora therefore plans to use the lake's waters to make the magic of the wardrobe dust work again, and with a few swirls of her fingers, she cracks through the ground with magic and a fountain of water springs from under it. Snow White is able to use Rumple's squid ink to break through the cell's spikes, and they make it to the site of Lake Nostos, just in the nick of time to stop the two villains from jumping through the portal. A battle ensues, during which Mulan is able to retrieve Aurora's heart and get it back to her. Emma overpowers Hook, knocking him out, but Cora still stands in their way. Emma and Snow eventually make it through the portal and arrive safely in Storybrooke - after Regina lifts a deadly spell from the well, which was meant to keep Cora out - and all's well that ends well for the noble protagonists... but trouble resurfaces, when a vintage ship is seen on the horizon, about to reach their town, bringing with it Hook and Cora, who came through with the aid of the magic bean.

Upon arriving in Storybrooke, Cora instantly realizes that there is magic in the town, and thus stops Hook from going up against an empowered Rumplestiltskin. When a fisherman notices their vessel and starts inquiring them, Cora conceals the ship through magic and turns the fisherman into a fish. The pair of villains then decide to skim through the town in order to properly execute their plans. When Cora finally spots her daughter Regina, she realizes that the former Mayor isn't as "broken" yet as her mother had hoped. Therefore, Cora resorts to her usual trickery to get what she wants: she disguises herself as Regina and heads into the office of Dr. Archie Hopper, her daughter's therapist. There, she freezes Pongo the dalmation and strangles Archie. The following morning, Ruby and Emma find Archie's lifeless body, and all of the evidence of the murder seems to point to Regina. The Charming family and the Blue Fairy corner Regina, trying to capture her, but it's to no avail and she disappears, giving up. Cora reveals to her ally, Hook, that Archie is very much alive, and hidden in their invisible boat: the Queen of Hearts killed a random person and disguised its body as Archie. She then reveals her plan to use the town's shrink to provide them with intel on the residents of Storybrooke, including Rumplestiltskin.

Hook threatens to harm Archie if he doesn't reveal information on Rumplestiltskin's dagger, however, when the captive insists he doesn't know anything about that, Hook asks if he has any other weaknesses. He is eventually told about Belle. Hook waits in the library for Belle to arrive and when she does, he chases her, but she manages to lock herself in an elevator. As Mr. Gold comes to save her, Hook escapes and manages to steal Baelfire's cloak from Rumple's safe with help from William Smee. With Hook in possession of Baelfire's cloak, Rumple cannot leave Storybrooke. Belle sneaks on to Hook's ship as Rumple tries to find the pirate, but she is found by him. He reveals to Belle that Rumplestiltskin has lied to her and explains that he killed his ex-wife, Milah. Belle refuses to believe this and then attacks Hook, managing to escape with the cloak. As she reaches the deck, Hook stops her, but he's attacked by Rumplestiltskin. Rumple beats up Hook, who demands to be killed so he can be with Milah, but Belle eventually stops him, stating she knows he has good inside of him. Hook is then warned by Rumple to leave Storybrooke. Later on, as Rumple crosses the line, he says farewell to Belle. However, this goodbye is cut short when Hook shoots Belle, causing her to fall across the line and lose her memory. As Rumple is about to kill Hook in revenge, a car comes crashing into town and runs the pirate over.

Shortly after the accident, Hook is left lying on the middle of the road, suffering from his injuries he sustained from the car crash. When Emma, Snow and Charming arrive at the scene, the former checks on him and discovers that he has broken ribs. After tormenting Rumplestiltskin, Hook is attacked by his nemesis, but stops when Charming asks him to think what Belle would say about his actions. After being taken to the hospital, Hook is handcuffed to his bed as he rests. Emma visits the pirate and asks where Cora is, but twice he diverts away from the question. Emma grows impatient when he tries to flirt with her, so she threatens to hurt him. After scaring him slightly, he confesses to having no idea where Cora is or what she's doing. He then adds that he wants his hook back, which has been removed, revealing his stump. Emma points out that Hook seems too happy for a man who failed to kill his enemy and then got hit by a car, but he claims to have done plenty of damage by causing Belle to lose her memories. He states this hurt Rumplestiltskin's heart and then claims Rumple killed his love, so he knows the feeling. Emma warns Hook about how much danger he is in of Rumplestiltskin and then she leaves him, handcuffed to the bed.

Origins
The character of Killian Jones/Captain Hook is based on the homonymous character of the popular popular novel Peter Pan and Wendy. The first published version of this tale was a novel by J.M. Barrie, in 1904. There are many adaptations of the story, the most popular - and the one followed closely by Once Upon a Time - being the 1953 film adapation by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The general story is that of a young boy named Peter Pan who spends his never-ending childhood in the magical world of Neverland, where he interacts with various fairies, mermaids, native americans, and pirates, most noticeably his arch enemy, the notorious Captain Hook.

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the character.