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 one of the main characters of 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 brother, Captain Liam, are given orders by the king to sail to a faraway land for an unknown mission. On their way there, they are attacked by three ships, so Liam orders the use of "Pegasus". A feathered sail is released and then the ship begins to fly in the air, much to Killian's surprise. As they sail in the air, Killian uses a sextant to to sail to the second star on the right and straight on 'til morning. They eventually arrive at a beautiful island and here, Liam reveals that they're in search of a plant that will cure any sickness. However, Peter Pan appears before them and warns them that it's poison named Dreamshade. A stubborn Liam choses to ignore the boy and continues his quest, but Killian is slightly reluctant. They eventually find the dreamshade plant, but Killian tries to persuade his brother that their king may be a liar. To prove his brother wrong, Liam cuts himself with the dreamshade, however, he ends up collapsing. Killian is distraught and then Pan reappears with a way to save Liam, however it'll come with a price. He tells Killian that the waters of Neverland cure any illness, so Killian uses it on his brother and he's cured. On their way back to their home, Liam dies to his injuries, as the water only works in Neverland. Once Killian and his crew throw Liam's body overboard, they vow to become pirates, not serving their cowardly king.

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.

Baelfire is seen being carried across the ocean by the shadow of Neverland at night time as they approach an island covered by fog: Neverland. He hears the cries of the children missing their parents and refuses to be taken, struggling under the shadow's grip and begging not to be taken there. He quickly retrieves the box of matches that he earlier placed in his dressing gown pocket and lights one, holding it up to the shadow which flinches, backing off. It soon drops Bae and the young boy falls many feet into the ocean as the shadow flies down for him. Bae lands with a splash as the shadow whizzes down and begins hovering over the sea, scanning for Baelfire. Unable to find him, it soon gives up in anger and flies to the island. An unconscious Bae floats to the surface as a light is seen dawning on him from above. A rope drops on him and Bae is next seen being lifted onto the contents of a pirate ship. He comes to and looks up after coughing up sea water and the captain tells him that he's a good lad, and to get the sea out of his lungs. "Who are you?" Bae wonders and we then see Killian Jones standing beside is right-hand man, William Smee, who's bearing a lantern. "The name's Hook," the pirate says, "Captain Hook. Welcome aboard the Jolly Roger, my boy."

Baelfire is taken under the decks where he retains a certain hostility towards pirates as voiced when Hook comes down to talk to him. Bae says that a pirate killed his mother, but Hook reminds him that one also saved his life. He wonders the boy's name, and Baelfire gives it, causing Hook to realize that he's the son of Milah - his true love - and Rumplestiltskin - his sworn enemy. Hook knows that the Lost Boys are looking for Bae but refuses to hand him over. When they search his ship, Baelfire hides up in the ceiling and remains not found, happy to learn that Hook cares for someone else other than himself. As Bae spends more time on the waters, Hook teaches him how to sail and they bond over the bad relationships they share with their fathers. It is not long before Bae discovers a picture of Milah on Hook's desk, and pulls a sword on the pirate for believing him to be the one to have killed his mother. Hook explains that he was in fact in love with the Milah and that he and her had planned to take Bae out to sea with them when he was old enough, and he sees Bae washing up on the ship as fate telling him to make good on those deals. After Bae rejects Hook, he asks to be dropped off on land, however, Hook reveals that Bae has reminded him what he's all about: killing Rumplestiltskin. Baelfire is then kidnapped by the Lost Boys who Hook sold him out to and taken to the main island.

Captain Hook is one day trekking through the jungle with his right-hand man, Smee, when the latter is knocked out by Tinker Bell. She soon emerges, putting a knife to Hook's throat, and asks if he's not too old to be a Lost Boy. Hook assures her that he's not part of Pan's brigade, and is anything but a boy, leading her to question who he is. He explains that he's the captain of the Jolly Roger and is currently searching for some magic that will help him off the island, something which Tink says she is fresh out of. Hook doesn't buy this, recognizing Tink as a fairy, and she in turn recognizes him as a pirate, wondering why she shouldn't slit his throat. He points out that that wouldn't be very fairy-like, but she explains that she's not a fairy anymore, having lost her wings a long time ago. The pirate then takes out a bottle of rum and hands it to Tink, who drinks, and she goes on to ask why he's so interested in escaping. He tells her that he intends to leave the island and kill his sworn enemy, Rumplestiltskin, who tragically took Hook's true love away from him. Tink points out that killing him looks like the pirate's happy ending, and Hook, stating that the only two things he'd risk his life for are love and revenge, says that if he dies for his vengeance, that's satisfaction enough for him, having already lost the love of his life.

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.

Captain Hook is made to take Mary Margaret, David and Leroy to the docks to reveal the location of his hidden ship. He does so and the three of them are taken aboard, wanting to know of Cora's plans. Leroy asks Hook if, since he sailed into town from their world, he could sail them all back. Hook replies that one would need a magic bean to accomplish that. He soon uncovers a cage to reveal a sleeping, shrunken giant, Anton, inside. David attacks Hook to force him to hand over the key and the pirate does so. Mary Margaret then unlocks the cage and wakes Anton up with a polite tap on the shoulder. Upon seeing David, the giant becomes awfully hostile and attacks the prince, forcing Mary Margaret to pull out her bow and arrow and aim for Anton, causing him to flee. Hook later meets up with Regina who asks him where he's been, he explains that he's been tied up in bed, and not in the good way, and tells her that he lost the giant. This surprises her and he goes on to mention that upon seeing the prince, Anton became rather murderous. Regina then states that a murderous giant with a vendetta against the prince is exactly the distraction they need before planning how to use this to her advantage.

Hook overhears Cora's conversation with Regina to learn that Rumplestiltskin has left town. He takes this to mean that he's able to find Rumple and kill him, because if he's out of Storybrooke then he's powerless. Cora denies this idea, much to Hook's dismay, before Regina explains that if any of them leave town then they too lose their magic. Cora then suggests that with the Dark One gone, that they search for the one item that can actually kill him within the town - his dagger. Regina retrieves some information from Belle, indicating the placement of a book in the library, and her, Hook and Cora next search there. When they find the place that the dagger should be, they instead find a map. Hook explains that, as a pirate, he's quite adept at finding buried treasure, and states that he shall be able to read the map. He soon pinpoints the dagger's exact location but also discovers Cora's plan to betray him. At this, he attempts to attack her, but the evil witch quickly knocks him out with magic. Her and Regina then leave the library with the intentions of using the dagger for themselves.

With Hook now desperately wanting his iconic hook back, he hides in the sheriff's station until David arrives. Hook ambushes the sheriff, knocking him out, and then he steals the keys from him. He then retrieves his hook from a filing cabinet and then places it back into his arm, ready to get his revenge on Rumplestiltskin. He takes his ship, which is hidden with Cora's cloaking spell, and he sails it to New York to hunt down his crocodile. He finally tracks him down to Neal's apartment and then he ambushes him after knocking Emma Swan away from him. He stabs a terrified Rumplestiltskin in the stomach with a poisoned hook, stating that he took Milah and his happiness from him, and now he will take Rumple's life. Before he can do any more damage, Emma knocks him out. After hearing the noise of fighting, Neal returns to find his wounded father...and he seems to recognize Hook. The group then lock Hook in a closet to prevent him from harming anyone else and then they take Rumple to safety so they can attend to his wounds, however, they're horrified to see he is poisoned, and the only cure is in Storybrooke. They then decide to take Hook's cloaked ship back to the town so they can get their quicker. When Tamara packs her things to go to Storybrooke, she tells Neal that she checked on Hook in the storage space but he wasn't there, meaning he must have escaped; Neal then passes this news on to Emma at Granny's Bed & Breakfast.

Greg and Tamara are in the former's hotel room where he's mapped out all the places around town where he's seen magic. He soon brings up "the package" and asks if it's secure. Tamara assures him that it is and says it's just outside town and that she can drive it in the following night. Later, Greg is seen waiting at the town border as Tamara pulls up with a large trailer being towed by her car. She steps out and the two of them walk to the back of the trailer to "unwrap the package". Greg asks her if she thinks "he" will co-operate, but Tamara tells him that he shouldn't have to worry as, according to what she's heard of "him", he won't take much convincing to help them. Greg asks her what makes her say that, and as Tamara begins to open up the trailer, she says that if there's one person you can count on to do your dirty work - it's a pirate. The trailer is then opened and Captain Hook is seen to be sitting inside, tied up and gagged.

Captain Hook is tied taken prisoner within the town clock tower by Greg and Tamara who ask him to do a job for them. He initially refuses, believing his life's purpose to be over as he killed Rumplestiltskin. However, when Tamara and Greg reveal the Dark One to be alive, they ask Hook again if he will help them, and he agrees to manipulate Regina. Hook goes to her and tells her upfront he's tricking her and she asks him to help her retrieve a trigger that, when activated, will totally destroy Storybrooke, including Mr. Gold. Hook agrees to help her and the two of them take the elevator in the library down the the caves beneath. As they walk through, Regina sees that Hook is wearing a cuff that belonged to her now deceased mother, and demands that he give it back. They continue, and Hook begins to wonder why it's a two-man job, and she reveals that he needs him to pose as a distraction, before pushing him down a cliff. Below, atoms begin to form together and the thought-to-be dead Maleficent reforms as a screeching zombie-creature that attacks Hook. He is rescued by Greg and Tamara and brought to the surface where the three of them head Regina off. She tries to defend herself with magic but the cuff given to her by Hook is revealed to be rigged with machinery that's blocking her magic. Hook stands witness as Greg and Tamara kidnap Regina, all as part of their "mission".

We see Regina strapped down to a surgical table at Storybrooke Cannery Co. where she tells Hook, who hovers his hook over her, that whatever Greg and Tamara are offering him, it's not worth it. Hook says that considering they're planning to help him kill Rumplestiltskin, he'd say it is. Regina asks the pirate if he actually trusts them, before smirking and stating that he doesn't even know who he's working for. Greg walks in, wheeling with him electrical equipment, and wishes Regina a good morning. She begrudgingly asks him if this is part of his "mission", but Greg answers negatively, stating that this is personal. He attaches something to her hand before placing an electrode on Regina's forehead, telling her that this is about his father. Regina rolls her eyes, reminding Greg that Kurt left town, but he finds it odd that he would never come to find his only son. He attaches another electrode to the other side of her head and asks Hook if he would mind lending a hand - preferably his good one. However, Hook refuses, telling Greg to find him when he's interested in killing Rumplestiltskin and not torturing the Queen, before leaving the cannery.

Hook accompanies Greg and Tamara down in the mines before they attempt to activate the trigger that will destroy all of Storybrooke. Hook attempts to learn who is in charge of the two, but they refuse to say, so Hook assumes they don't even know. When they activate the trigger, the duo state that they're willing to die for their cause and ask Hook if he is willing to do the same for his; killing Rumplestiltskin. He lies and tells them he is. He later finds the Charmings and Regina and tells them that he's on their side because he wants to live. He takes Charming to Greg and Tamara's location in an attempt to retrieve the magic beans. After a fight, Hook manages to take one off Greg. At Granny's Diner, a group of people discuss throwing the trigger through a portal, so Hook gives Emma a bean so they can, however, he secretly steals the bean and gives Emma an empty satchel. Hook attempts to leave Storybrooke on his boat and with the bean, but after the trigger is successfully terminated by Regina and Emma, Hook has a change of heart and returns, only to discover that Greg and Tamara have taken Henry to Neverland via a bean portal. Hook then takes Charming, Snow, Emma, Regina and Rumplestiltskin to Neverland on his boat via the magic bean that he had stolen.

Season 3
Hook arrives to Neverland with everyone else via the portal and as they sail towards the island he talks to Regina about their plans to save Henry. They then wonder if villains get happy endings, to which Hook says he hopes so. A short while later, when Rumplestiltskin announces that he's going to find Henry alone, and then he transports himself to the mainland. Hook goes to comfort Emma about Baelfire a short while later, and then he gives her Bae's sword in case of a fight. They then both have a drink in Bae's honour. Shortly after, a swarm of mermaids attack the ship. Everyone tries to fight them off, but when it becomes clear that there's too many, Regina uses fireballs to scare them away. One mermaid however is taken captive, but Hook demands they get it off the ship. When the mermaid refuses to talk and uses a horn to signal for help, Regina threatens to torture it for information, but Hook tells her that mermaids are liars and can't be trusted. After the mermaids death, a large storm summoned by it approaches. During it, Hook and Charming have a fight, which causes the storm to only worsen. Emma gets their attention by jumping into the water. Charming jumps into the water and rescues Emma, with help from everyone else. The storm calms and then the group make their way to the mainland. Once there, they decide to work together with their skills to save Henry.

As the group walk through the jungle to a ridge, Regina complains that she could’ve teleported them, but Hook explains there are dangers everywhere, so he should lead the way. On the way, Hook warns the group about the poison from some thorns. When they reach the ridge, Hook sees that Neverland has grown since his last visit, so finds it hard to navigate. Hook tells the group to gather their strength so they can move around the jungle. After Emma is given a map to find Henry by Pan, Regina suggests using magic to unlock it, but Hook insists they follow Pan’s rules or it could end badly. As Emma tries to discover who she really is, Hook tells her the solution is a bit more complicated than “Emma Swan”. When Regina casts a spell on the map, the group follow it to find Henry. As they make their way through the jungle, they come across one of the Lost Boy’s camps, but it’s empty. However, this is because it’s an ambush set up by Pan, who is unhappy that they cheated. Hook fights Felix, taunting him about someone named Rufio, until Pan calls it off, giving them a warning. When Emma finally gets the map working, she shows Hook, and he works out the best route for them to travel to Henry, but says it won’t be easy. Hook and Emma share rum together as he asks how she got the map working, but she refuses to tell him teasingly.

Hook and the gang trek through Neverland, following the map to Peter Pan’s camp. However, they notice they’re going the wrong way, so Regina accuses Emma of getting them lost, but Hook explains he moved the camp. A frustrated Regina tells them they should just use magic, but Hook tells her there will be defences against it. Hook then tells the group they can use the help of Tinker Bell, who Pan trusts. As they continue to trek to Tink’s house, Hook gets himself alone with Charming, revealing he knows about the injury. Charming asks how long he has left, but Hook only roughly tells him days or weeks. He then urges the prince to tell Snow, but he refuses to do so. They eventually find Tink’s house, but discover it’s empty. However, they find Regina’s handkerchief, so they realize the fairy has taken Regina. Hook and the gang track down Tink and they demand to know where Regina is. Once the queen shows herself, she reveals that Tink is good, but Hook asks if she’s going to help them. Hook tries to charm Tink into helping, but Regina reveals that she doesn’t have magic. Tink eventually agrees to help the group when she is offered the chance to go home with them, but the fairy warns them that they’ll only have one chance to save Henry. They all then head back to camp to figure out their plan.

As the group go over Tinker Bell's plan on how they'll break into Pan's camp, Tink warns them of the poison on the Lost Boys' arrows, causing Hook and Charming to share a glance. When Tink realizes there is no escape plan, she explains that you can only leave Neverland if Pan allows it. A frustrated Tinker Bell leaves the group and heads home. Hook reveals that only one man has left Neverland without Pan's permission; Neal. He then leads the group to a hidden cave that Bae used to live in. Before he enters, he questions why Charming doesn't care about telling his family about his injury. The prince explains that he will tell them when all hope is lost and then asks Hook if he's keeping anything from him. However, Hook explains that he told the truth and he won't leave Neverland alive. When they enter, they discover old drawings on the wall that Bae made, hoping they can find a clue as to how he left. As they search the cave for the clues, they come across a home-made map that Bae created using a coconut. Hook points out that he's certain it's a map as when he and Bae spent time together on his ship, he taught the boy how to navigate using the stars, stating they're looking at the product of this. Regina asks if Hook can read it, but he explains that he cannot as he taught Bae to conceal his maps using a code. A saddened Emma points out that the only person who can read the map is dead.

After fearing that Henry may be losing hope on rescue, Hook tries to bond with Emma by saying he too knows what it's like to lose hope. Charming warns Hook to stay away from his daughter. Later, while Charming is lecturing Hook again, the prince finds part of Hook's brother's old satchel. Hook then tells the prince that they may be able to find a sextant atop of a mountain where his brother's satchel will be. After saying goodbye, the duo make their way to the top of the mountain. Hook climbs up first and is then met by Peter Pan, who offers Hook a way to leave Neverland if he kills Charming before the poison does. Little does Hook know, Charming overhears this as he climbs up. They continue their journey and eventually reach the same Dreamshade that killed Liam, Hook's brother. Hook reveals that there isn't actually a sextant, angering the prince. Hook is forced to knock Charming out and then he collects Neverland's magical waters. After waking the prince up, Hook explains that the water will save his life, but he won't be able to leave Neverland. Charming agrees and drinks the water, curing him. He then realizes Hook lied to him because he knew he wouldn't come just to save himself. When they return to the girls, they claim Pan got the satchel first. Charming then indirectly tells he girls that Hook saved his life, so they drink a toast to him. Emma thanks Hook for saving her father and then the two kiss, however, Emma states it's a one time thing. Later, Pan visits Hook in private and reveals that Baelfire is alive and has returned to Neverland. Hook is now left with a decision; to tell Emma her love is alive, or not and keep her to himself.

When Regina is attempting to teach Emma magic, Hook returns to camp and tells David and Mary Margaret that Pan said Neal's still alive. Mary Margaret wants to tell Emma, but David believes that this will only harm her as, if Pan's lying, then she'll have to lose Neal all over again. Not agreeing, Snow quickly tells her daughter the truth, but Regina, who refuses to take Pan's word on this, abandons the others as they want to go save Neal. They eventually make it to the Echo Caves and discover that Neal is locked in a wooden cage, which is resting on the other side of a deep gorge. Hook explains that the only way to get to him is to reveal your deepest, darkest secret, as that's how the Echo Caves work, and he starts by admitting that he's beginning to fall for Emma, and that the two of them kissed. Mary Margaret then reveals that she's actually very upset by the fact that Emma's an adult as it means her and David missed watching their daughter grow up; she admits that, when they get back home, she wants to have another baby. David tells his wife that that's never going to happen by admitting that he was poisoned by Dreamshade but was cured by magical water, with the catch that he can't leave Neverland without dying. The bridge to Neal then becomes fully formed, and to open the cage, Emma admits that she wished Neal were truly dead as that would mean never having to lose him again. The five of them then exit the cave, ready to continue their mission to save Henry, but Hook seems hurt that Emma still loves Neal. ("Ariel")

Neal reveals that there's a way for them to escape Neverland; capturing Pan's shadow and using it to fly off the island. Hook offers to come along and then he, Neal and Emma set off to capture it. Before they leave, Snow warns her daughter that both men have feelings for her and it could be dangerous. When they arrive at Neal's old cave during his time in Neverland as a child, Hook reveals to Neal that he kissed Emma. Despite this making things awkward, they manage to collect what they need; the coconut lamp, which will help them capture the shadow. They then make their way to Dark Hollow, the darkest place of Neverland where the shadows reside. As they make their way there, Emma notices how strange Neal is acting so Hook explains that he told him about their kiss, assuming she told him. Emma wonders why he'd assume that, so he says that he hoped it meant something to her. He then vows that when he wins Emma's heart, it'll be because she wants him. The trio eventually arrive at Dark Hollow, but as they have trouble lighting the candle for the coconut, the two men begin fighting. They're then attacked by shadows, but using magic, Emma is able to light the candle and capture Pan's shadow. As they leave, Emma scolds the two men for fighting and states that if she'd have to chose someone, it'd be Henry.

After meeting back up with the Charming's and Tink, Emma talks to Hook about taking Charming back to Storybrooke with them once this is over, but the pirate points out that if he leaves Neverland the connection between the island and the water will run out...and he'll die. The group eventually run into Rumple and Regina. Baelfire reveals that Rumple wants to kill Henry, so the whole group turns on him with their weapons. To prove he means well, he hands Pandora's Box to his son and promises to not use magic. The group travel to Pan's camp to rescue the young boy. On the way, Rumple reveals he can cure Charming and then he takes Hook's sword, not wanting to go into Pan's camp unarmed. Once they arrive, they manage to knock out the Lost Boy's, but there's no sight of Henry. They discover a young girl, Wendy Darling, locked away in a cage, and after slight hesitation, she reveals that he's been taken to Skull Rock by Pan. Snow and Charming go to collect more water, leaving Hook to wait behind with Tinker Bell, guarding the Lost Boys so they do not awaken whilst Regina, Emma, Bae and Rumple go to save Henry. When they fail and Pan succeeds, Hook and Tink feel the wave of magic emit through the land.

After Hook and Tinker Bell tie up all of the Lost Boys, ensuring none of them escape, Regina, Emma and Neal soon return with an unconscious Henry, who desperately needs his heart back. Regina attempts to torture Felix into giving his leader's location, but Emma resorts to a more peaceful way, offering them all a home. Felix still refuses to tell, so as Emma asks the other boys, Hook holds the angry Felix down. They eventually set off to find Pan, and after a slight inconvenience, they retrieve Henry's heart. Hook and everybody else make their way to the Jolly Roger so they can make their way home. As Henry recovers below decks, the group enact their plan to fly home. Neal puts the Shadow into a cannon, firing it into the air, and then Regina traps it with her magic before throwing it through one of the sails. The sail dissolves and then a new black sail takes its place. Hook uses this new sail to fly the Jolly Roger into the air and they fly back to Storybrooke. Unbeknownst to him, Pan was able to switch places with Henry before being trapped in Pandora's Box, so the evil leader, in the form of young Henry, continues his evil plans.

Hook returns to Storybrooke along with all the others aboard the Jolly Roger and is met with a warm welcome from all the joyous townspeople. The celebrations soon move to Granny's Diner, where the pirate tells Neal that he's decided to end his pursuit of Emma, freeing the path for his old friend; however, he makes it clear that, should Neal mess things up, Hook will be available to pick up the pieces. The next day, when Emma and Neal are supposed to be having a date, Hook tries to get over the blonde by getting drunk on rum and hitting on Tinker Bell, but the former fairy is disgusted by his so-called charms. Their talk is disrupted when a scream is heard across town, and the two of them, along with many other townspeople, arrive to see Peter Pan's shadow murder the Blue Fairy outside the local convent, by ripping out her shadow. This leads Emma to believe that Pan is somehow still active from within Pandora's Box, where he is kept prisoner, and so decides to free and execute him. This leads her to learn of the body switch that took place between Pan and Henry, meaning that the real Pan is now with Regina in her vault. Hook and some others arrive on the scene, and when they make it into the Queen's vault, they find her unconscious on the ground. Once she's revived, it's realized that Pan stole the Dark Curse and plans on casting it all over again on Storybrooke's citizens.

In order to stop Pan's new curse, Regina - the original caster - must tear the curse scroll and undo what she started in the first place, sending everyone back to their home in the Enchanted Forest. To gain the scroll, they must put Henry and Pan back into their own bodies so the former can hand it over, and so Hook heads off with Tink, Neal and David to retrieve the Black Fairy's wand, which is in possession of the late Blue Fairy. When at her funeral, the shadow attacks, but Tinker Bell manages to kill it and regain her wings in the process, bringing Blue back to life also by returning her shadow to her. Grateful, Blue hands over the Black Fairy's wand and Rumple is able to perform the spell that returns Henry and Pan to their own bodies. But after Henry is reunited with everyone, Pan attacks and is ultimately killed by Rumple, who ends his own life in the process, leaving the scroll clear for Regina, who realizes the price she must pay for tearing it: she has to give up the thing she loves most, Henry, who is able to escape the curse because he wasn't born in their land. Emma is also capable of escaping the curse for she is the savior, and everyone heads to the town line to say their goodbyes. Hook assures the blonde that not a day will go by where he won't think of her, which so responds to positively. She is then told more bad news by Regina, who reveals that when Storybrooke is vanquished by the curse, Emma and Henry will retain no memory of it, so she gives them new memories in which she never gave him up for adoption. Once the blonde leaves town with her son, Regina is able to tear the scroll and stop Pan's curse, sending everyone back to the fairytale land that was.

Hook returns to the Enchanted Forest along with every other resident of Storybrooke and is told by the Evil Queen that all of their possessions should have returned with them. This inspires him to pack up a horse and go to find the Jolly Roger, only to be stopped by Prince Charming, who is surprised that Hook isn't coming with everyone else to Regina's palace. He explains where he's going, adding that if he can't find the Jolly Roger, he'll simply steal another ship. Snow expresses disappointment that he's simply becoming a pirate again due to Emma's absence, but he assures the fair princess that he never stopped being one, before riding off alone.

One year has now past since Emma and Henry left Storybrooke forever ad the two of them are enjoying a normal breakfast together in their New York apartment. This everyday undertaking is soon interrupted by an odd and frantic knock at the door, and Emma is surprised to be met by Captain Hook, not being able to recognizing him due to the new memories given to her by Regina. He warns her that her family is in grave danger, but she has no idea what he's talking about, having been abandoned by her parents when she was a baby. He tries to restore her memory with a kiss of true love, but this only makes Emma scared, leading her to throw him out of the apartment. When Henry wonders who was at the door, the blonde figures it was just some crazy guy who someone mistakenly let into the building.

Emma is on a date with Walsh, her boyfriend of eight months, when Captain Hook turns up, with a fake hand in place of his namesake hook, and continues to try and convince her that her memories are fake; he aids the process by giving her an address to go to and telling her to meet him at Central Park. The next day, Emma heads to the address, which turns out to be Neal's apartment, and finds a camera that belongs to Henry, much to her shock. She goes to meet Hook ad asks him to explain; he sticks to his story, realizing he sounds like a madman, but offers Emma a potion that will restore her memories. She refuses to drink it, frightened, and instead has Hook arrested for harassment by the cops she had stationed around the area in advance. Emma has the photos from the camera developed and sees pictures from a trip she doesn't remember going on, and so she bails Hook out of jail and he again offers her the potion. This time, Emma drinks it and her memories are restored, and so the next day she, Hook and Henry leave for Storybrooke, which has been cursed again. Hook reunites with his hook and is told to watch Henry, who still has fake memories, whilst Emma visits her parents. She is surprised to learn that Mary Margaret is pregnant and doesn't remember how it happened, with everyone in town having entirely forgotten the year they spent back home.

In Storybrooke, Hook heads to Granny's Bed & Breakfast with Emma and her parents where the new curse is discussed, as well as the fact that people from the town have begun to go missing, including three of the seven dwarfs. Hook is asked how he escaped the curse, and he explains that a dove was sent to him aboard his ship with a note telling him to retrieve Emma and a single vial of memory potion. They ask him who sent this dove, and he replies that he assumed it was from Snow White, who is famed for befriending birds. The next day, Hook heads to the town line with David and Emma when it's reported that Little John was snatched away by a flying creature. They soon manage to find him with a bad bite mark on his shoulder and take him to hospital, however, it is here that he transforms into a flying monkey and smashes through the window. This is told to Emma, Snow and Regina when Hook and Charming return, which leads them to realize that they're up against the Wicked Witch of the West.

Hook heads to Regina's office along with Emma and David to search for clues regarding the Wicked Witch. Charming soon finds berries that were tracked in when the Witch broke into the office, meaning she's spent time in the North-West corner of the town woods, but Emma and Hook head there without David because he's called away by Mary Margaret, who wants him to meet their new midwife, Zelena. The pirate soon locates the berries but takes a moment to ask Emma if she was considering Walsh's proposal. She reveals that she was in love, so of course she was considering it, but as usual he wasn't who he said we was and she got her heart broken. Hook is happy to hear this, pointing out that, if her heart can be broken, then it still works. The two of them soon find the Witch's farmhouse and contemplate going down her mysterious storm cellar, however, when Emma goes to phone Regina for magical backup, she sees a missed call from David telling her that he thinks he's found the Witch and is going after her. She, Hook and Regina soon find the prince in the woods, being attacked by a manifestation of himself created by night-root. He manages to vanquish it by stabbing it with the hilt of his sword, which then disappears, and Regina explains that his courage transferred into it when he faced his fears... and then the Wicked Witch stole it. The four of them then head down the storm cellar together, the lock of which is now busted, and find an empty cage with a spinning wheel in it, as well as straw that's been spun into gold. They deduce that Rumplestiltskin has returned.

Hook heads to Gold's shop with Emma and the Charmings where Belle is informed that Rumple is alive, being asked to to research. Emma requests that Hook stay there and help her, but Belle points out that the pirate has twice tried to kill her, leading the blonde to comment that he really knows how to leave an impression on a woman. Hook simply apologizes and proceeds to help Belle as she carries out her research, but their book rummaging is cut short when Neal busts into the shop. He is taken to hospital where Hook is soon asked to watch over him whilst the others look for Gold. When Neal stands up, wanting to leave, Hook hugs him, saying he forgets that he was once the young boy who took refuge under the pirate's wing. He apologizes to his old friend for all the dispute that took place between then regarding Emma and the two of them make amends with Hook giving Neal a ten minute head start to escape the hospital and aid the search for Rumple. Whilst Hook is again helping Belle, the Charmings enter and break the news that Neal is dead, having succumbed to something he did back in the Enchanted Forest during the missing year.

Hook attends Neal's funeral where he is one of the many townspeople to shovel dirt onto the coffin, before heading to the wake at Granny's Diner, where he offers to take Henry out and tell him what his father was like as a boy. Emma is touched that the pirate would do this for her son, and that night, he and Henry are seen at the docks together, where Hook tries to teach the young man to navigate using the stars. However, Henry has no interest in this and soon starts to notice holes in what people are telling him about his father, such as Hook being an adult when Neal was a boy when they appear to be about the same age in the present day. He asks to be told something real about his father; something that doesn't sound made up so he'll like the guy, and Hook considers this to be a fair request, revealing to the young man that the reason he taught Neal to sail is because he had just lost his own father. This allows Henry to finally relate to his dad, and Hook says, where Henry may not have known is father, he has more in common with him than he realizes. Later, Hook returns Henry to Emma at the B&B and she thanks him for what he did, however, he tells her that Henry needs to know the whole truth about his father and she can't just return to New York when all this is over and pretend that it never happened. She doesn't like hearing this and simply thanks him again, coldly, before slamming the door in his face.

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.