Hook

"Yeah. I am devilishly handsome."

- Hook to Neal Cassidy

Captain Killian Jones, better known as Hook, also known as the Dark One, and briefly known as Prince Charles, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts in the fourth episode of the second season. He is portrayed by starring cast member Colin O'Donoghue and Oliver Bell, and does not have a Storybrooke counterpart.

Hook is based on a character of the same name from the play, Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Would Not Grow Up.

Trivia

 * -|Character Notes=

Etymology

 * The name "Killian" is of Irish Gaelic origin derived from the name "Cillian" and itself derived from the word "ceall" that means "church".
 * The surname "Jones" is of Welsh origin derived from the given name "John" and itself derived from the Latin name "Johannes" that means "God is gracious".
 * Hook is one of very few Enchanted Forest characters to have a known surname.

Character Notes

 * Has a tattoo with Milah's name on his right wrist. It shows the Dark One's Dagger going through a heart.
 * Hook says that in Neverland, it is Peter Pan who is the villain, not he. In the first draft of J.M. Barrie's play, Pan was in fact the villain; Captain Hook was only introduced later as a theatrical device to help stagehands change scenery.
 * When Killian is rallying his crew to take over the Jewel of the Realm and become pirates, he renames the ship Jolly Roger and says, "We'll sail under the crimson flag and give our enemies no quarter." During the Golden Age of Piracy, fighting under Jolly Roger, a black flag, meant that mercy would be given to all as long as they cooperated. Hoisting a red flag, on the other hand, signaled that "no quarter" would be given to any aboard if the ship's crew did not surrender without a fight; in other words, everyone aboard would be killed.
 * Hook is around two hundred years old by the time the second curse is broken.
 * In the Peter Pan novel, Captain Hook is described as a "boatswain to Blackbeard". This connection is alluded to in Isaac's storybook, where Hook works as a deckhand for Black Beard.
 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * The casting call describes him as, "A handsome, fearsome and confident pirate ship captain, Hook relishes every challenge and never backs down from a fight, whether the reward is power, riches or women. He possesses the meticulous style and old-school manners of a proper gentleman, but beneath that veneer lies a vindictive enemy who will not rest until all his enemies have been defeated… and humiliated."
 * The show creators originally wanted Hook to be part of the first season, but weren't able to because of a copyright issue. In the second season, they finally got to venture into Peter Pan mythology.
 * Actor Gil McKinney, who portrays Prince Eric, once auditioned for the role of Hook.
 * Colin O'Donoghue's portrayal is inspired by Westley the Dread Pirate Roberts from the movie The Princess Bride.
 * His line to Emma, "As you wish", is a direct reference to the movie in which Westley says to Princess Buttercup, "As you wish", which actually means "I love you".
 * The show creators have stated that they look at Hook as their version of Han Solo from the Star Wars franchise.
 * Fittingly enough, Emma's alias in the Enchanted Forest is Princess Leia, Han Solo's love interest.
 * In "The Apprentice", Emma says to Hook, "You look...", and Hook answers, "I know". This is a reference to the scene in The Empire Strikes Back where Princess Leia tells Han Solo that she loves him, and he answers, "I know". In "The Price", the lines are reversed, with Hook saying, "Swan, you look...", and she answers, "I know", mirroring the scene in Return of the Jedi, where Han Solo tells Leia that he loves her, and Leia answers, "I know".
 * The Star Wars connection is further alluded to in "Operation Mongoose Part 2", where Henry and Hook rescue Emma from prison, and Henry refers to this as the "Wookiee prisoner transfer" ploy. This is a reference to the scene from A New Hope, where Han Solo and Luke Skywalker enter the Death Star's detention area to rescue Princess Leia.
 * As the Dark One, Hook's magic smoke color is Dark Red, which is a reference to Disney's Captain Hook and the color of his clothes.
 * -|Props Notes=

Props Notes

 * There is a navy officer doll and a knight doll near the baby crib in Emma's nursery room, foreshadowing events in "Good Form" and "The Jolly Roger".
 * Hook's pirate necklace was designed by the Vancouver-based jewelry designer Bloodline Design.
 * After Rumplestiltskin takes Hook's sword in "The Crocodile", Hook begins using Milah's sword. This can be seen in episodes like "Queen of Hearts", "Lost Girl" and "The Jolly Roger".
 * There is a heart-shaped pirate keychain next to the swan keychain that Neal steals for Emma.
 * Among the sailing gear pictured on the cover on the nautical guide book which Belle consults, two are iron hooks.
 * During the filming of Season Two, Hook's earring had to be changed from a clear stone to a black stone because the other one broke. The new one first appears in "Manhattan".
 * in the close-up of Hook's hand as he clutches the magic bean aboard the Jolly Roger, the ring on his index finger has a heart design on the side with an engraving of a silhouette of a swan's head. This is a reference to Emma Swan, and a subtle foreshadowing of the events in "There's No Place Like Home".
 * Hook's new leather jacket for Season Four and Season Five is custom made by Vancouver's Ocean Drive Leather, which also designed several of Emma's leather jackets.
 * One of the carousels in the amusement park, which young Emma visits with her foster mother, has pirate flags.
 * When Hook changes into his new Dark One outfit in the Enchanted Forest, the clasps on his vest are dragon-shaped.
 * -|Other Notes=

Other Notes

 * In the original story, the character is known as James Hook.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.
 * Hook appears in Henry's storybook in "There's No Place Like Home".