Darkness

"I'm many things. I'm the voice in your head; the Dark One's powers inside you, inside all the Dark Ones."

- The Darkness, under Rumplestiltskin's appearance, to Emma

The Darkness, and its host the Dark One, is a magical entity featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It débuts in the first episode of the first season.

Description

 * True love's kiss will not break a Dark One's curse if the Dark One likes the power and does not want to give it up. When the afflicted wants it, it is no longer a curse.
 * Nor will true love's kiss work if both people involved are Dark Ones.
 * Dark Ones cannot use Foresight, even though Merlin, who also got his magic from the Holy Grail, can. However, they can manage to gain it afterwards.
 * According to Cora and Mr. Gold, when the Dark One is killed without the dagger, she/he will expel the power of the darkness, with no new Dark One, and the curse will "pass from this world".
 * The Darkness is immortal. This is a result of Nimue drinking the waters of the Holy Grail.
 * Dark Ones are immune to certain types of magic like the Spell of Shattered Sight or Voodoo Magic.
 * When appearing in a Dark One's mind, the Darkness can manifest itself into whoever Dark One it wishes, including the current one.
 * Dark Ones don't need sleep, as the power of the Darkness keeps them energized. Dark Ones such as Rumplestiltskin and Emma Swan developed hobbies to pass the time instead; Rumplestiltskin spun straw into gold and Emma made dreamcatchers.
 * However, they can and do sleep.
 * They can also be put into sleep by using sleeping spells.
 * Because once tethered to the Dark One's Dagger, the Darkness and the dagger are connected. As a result, the dagger sometimes calls its "other half" by whispering.
 * All Dark Ones seem to find it irresistible to make deals.
 * According to Mr. Gold, a person who dies as a Dark One must have an unfinished business, therefore this person is automatically sent to the Underworld.
 * There can be more than one Dark One at once as shown by Emma Swan and Killian Jones and Rumplestiltskin and Rumplestiltskin (Wish Realm).

Trivia

 * -|On-Screen Notes=

On-Screen Notes

 * Zoso, as a Dark One, appears in the title card for "Desperate Souls"; Rumplestiltskin, as another Dark One, appears in the title card for "In the Name of the Brother". The Darkness itself appears in the title card for "Birth". The hooded figures of all Dark Ones prior to Rumplestiltskin appear in the title card for "Swan Song".
 * The waterfall in the pocket dimension inside the Vault of the Dark One is liquid darkness.
 * There is information about the Dark Ones written in the Dark One Chronicles.
 * The fact that Emma still can hear the whispers from the dagger indicate that there's still some Darkness left in her.


 * -|Cultural References=

Disney

 * When Emma emerges from vault, the Darkness (in the form of Rumplestiltskin) can be heard whistling "Whistle While You Work" from Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.