Board Thread:Spoilers!/@comment-6175354-20141215234519/@comment-25582606-20150213142917

I feel like they may have alluded to her being capable of redemption. Maleficent was Regina's friend, and they clearly cared for one another. Regina didn't kill her even at the height of her evil, and Maleficent seemed concerned about Regina's future with a hole in her heart. Everything could of course be seen in a different light, but I think we have been a bit preconditioned to root for Mal to be redeemed. I think that Kristin Bauer would be a great addition to the cast long-term, btw. Also, killing her again and again could become stale... I am hoping that they take it a different direction.

We don't know Mal's full backstory yet, so it is difficult to compare her to anyone quite yet.