Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26385535-20150617021148/@comment-4839682-20150617044922

It's not a plot hole, you're just suggesting a different course of action. (These kinds of "what if" or "why didn't they...." questions can get messy!)

Even pre-Dark One, Rumplestiltskin is a man who feels powerless. He feels weak. Zoso lured him with the power of the dagger, manipulated him with the promise of it, and Rumple fell right into it.