Board Thread:Spoilers!/@comment-27060727-20171018191424/@comment-25375217-20171218000557

I don't think her grudge is against Rumple. That seems too obvious.

Let's look at our options:

I think that's about everyone. So my bets would be on Jacinda, Tiana, or Zelena. I guess we'll see!
 * 1) Henry. He's the main character, so it makes sense that our main villain would be connected to him somehow -- perhaps too much sense. Also, she used him as a bargaining chip to cast the curse, a role usually reserved for someone who has little use to the villain -- if Regina had refused to cast the curse and Henry had died, Gothel would have cut her losses and tried a new approach.
 * 2) Jacinda. Supposedly the female lead, although Regina's been playing that role more consistently and more effectively. We know remarkably little about her backstory, though, so maybe she has interacted with Gothel besides the indirect interaction of Gothel abusing her stepmother.
 * 3) Regina. Also seems too obvious. Not to mention, it doesn't really make sense how or why. Regina didn't show up in the NEF until after Gothel's reign of terror began.
 * 4) Rogers. Maybe. Gothel was already hunting for the Guardian when he showed up, too, but she does have existing interaction with him, just not a particular reason to hate him. It seems a little obvious, since they've already been tied together, but it isn't completely implausible.
 * 5) Rumple. Rumple has a hand in everything, so it wouldn't be too surprising if he has a hand in this, too. He's clearly intimidated by her -- something very few people can say -- but I don't think Gothel has any particular grudge against him.
 * 6) Victoria. We already know Gothel hates Victoria. This is not a twist.
 * 7) Tiana. We know very little about Tiana and she's been our underused series regular this year (following the likes of Archie, Ruby, Neal, Will, Robin Hood, and Zelena). However, there must be some reason they promoted her midway through and she seems to have more of a focus in 7B -- Facilier is coming back for multiple episodes and we're meeting Naveen. And like Cindy, we know little about Tiana's backstory, so there's plenty of room for a grudge. Perhaps her father did something to Gothel in the war? This would perhaps be the most surprising twist, but it could also be the most unsatisfying due to Tiana's relative uselessness thus far.
 * 8) Drizella. Like Henry, Drizella was a pawn. Gothel does not seem to care about her in the slightest, much less hold a grudge against her.
 * 9) Alice. Basically in the exact same boat as Rogers. Alice definitely has a reason to hold a grudge against Gothel, but I can't see vice-versa.
 * 10) Zelena. Maybe...? It depends on how big of a role they want to give her. So far, it seems like they're gunning for a pretty big role -- bigger than Tiana, anyway. Zelena has some holes in her backstory, too, but had some realm-jumping slippers in her possession for quite some time. She could have easily encountered and ticked off Gothel. The question is, why would Gothel invite her to join her coven if that's the case?
 * 11) Robin. She doesn't have any obvious plot placement yet, besides Alice's girlfriend, but this might feel a little forced. If she's going to a witch school, then I guess it's possible, but high school/college drama as our basis for Gothel's villainy? Meh...