Pinocchio

"I don't wanna go. I don't wanna leave you!"

- Pinocchio to Geppetto

Pinocchio is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts in the first episode of the first season. He is portrayed by guest star Jakob Davies, and is the Enchanted Forest alias of August Booth.

Pinocchio is based on the titular character from the story, Pinocchio.

Before the Curse
Pinocchio is carved out of a magical tree in the Enchanted Forest by an old craftsman, Geppetto, and enchanted by the Blue Fairy to become a living wooden boy. Pinocchio is told that he can stay as a "real boy" if he is kind, selfless, and honest. At some point, Pinocchio does something to get him and his father onto a raft in the middle of the sea, where the enormous whale Monstro chases after them.

Pinocchio gives Geppetto the only life preserve left; claiming that he can float since he is wooden, and dives into the sea. Geppetto later wakes up on the shoreline and sees Pinocchio face down in the water completely immobile. Because of his bravery, the Blue Fairy turns him into a real boy.

As the Evil Queen is preparing to cast the Dark Curse, Geppetto is visited by the Blue Fairy to ask for his assistance. Geppetto has been showing Pinocchio how to fix a clock, and the boy mischievously ties up Jiminy so he is stuck in the clock. She warns Pinocchio to be good and asks Geppetto to build a wardrobe from the last enchanted tree, which can ward off the curse. She tells him that only two people may go through the portal to another land. Geppetto requires that one of two places in the wardrobe is to be occupied by his son, as it is possible that the curse can turn Pinocchio back to wood. The Blue Fairy agrees to the deal.

Prince Charming is at the council discussing how to defeat the Evil Queen's curse. Just then, the Blue Fairy comes in with the enchanted tree and announces that it can take one person through the crafted wardrobe; lying to them because of the deal she has made with Geppetto. Prince Charming asks Geppetto if he can fashion a vessel out of the tree before the curse is cast. Geppetto nods and ruffles Pinocchio's head, making him look up.

The pair carve out a wardrobe from the tree. It is later decided Prince Charming's wife, Snow White, while still pregnant, will be the one put into the wardrobe, because her baby is not yet born. The future seeing Rumplestiltskin prophesies Prince Charming and Snow White's unborn child will have the power to save everyone from the curse in 28 years time.

When the baby arrives early, the Blue Fairy pleads with Geppetto to tell Snow White and Prince Charming the truth, so that Snow White may go into the wardrobe with her daughter. The Blue Fairy is adamant that the infant, Emma, must have someone to guide and look out for her as she grows up. After the Blue leaves to attend to other things, Geppetto ignores what she said and places Pinocchio in the wardrobe first. He makes Pinocchio promise to take care of the baby before sending him off through the wardrobe.

After Geppetto reports to Snow White the wardrobe is finished, she and Prince Charming decide that they have to part from their daughter in order for the prophecy to come true in 28 years. Prince Charming is injured as he battles the Queen's black knights throughout the castle and collapses just after putting Emma into the wardrobe. The curse engulfs all of the Enchanted Forest.

Once in the real world, Pinocchio appears in a new world from the inside of a tree. After he gets out, he first sees an airplane, which frightens him as he has never seen one before. When he tries to get back inside the tree to go back to the Enchanted Forest, it rejects and throws him back out. He remembers the promise he made to his father, and, as he gets up, Pinocchio finds Emma has come through the portal, too. She lies in the tree, crying, so he holds and tries to calm her down, while wondering what he is going to do. He sees a diner across the street and decides to seek help from the people inside. He stays with Emma at an orphanage for a time, paying close attention to her until one day some of the other children approach him, asking if he wants to leave with them. He wants to take Emma with him, and they respond that they have no way to take care of a baby. With some reluctance, he leaves with the other children, leaving Emma to grow up in the orphanage alone.

After the Curse
For events occurring after the casting of the Dark Curse and up to his reversion back into a boy, see August Booth.

28 years later in Storybrooke, August Booth dies after being wounded by Tamara, but tries to warn Emma about her with his dying breaths and does not have the strength to speak. He is restored to life by Mother Superior, turning August back into Pinocchio as he has proven himself to be unselfish, brave and true. Emma asks him what he has been trying to warn the Storybrooke citizens of, but Pinocchio has no memories of the events that led up to August's death.

Pinocchio resumes family life with Geppetto and one day meets Henry at the park. They get along well; much to Neal's amusement.

Appearances

 * Pinocchio appears in Henry's storybook in "The Stranger".
 * Pinocchio appears on Marco's flyer in "We Are Both".