Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26391241-20150511234157/@comment-24674051-20150512162029

ChocolatEyes613 wrote: I would not trust Rumple with Emma's dagger, as he would totally abuse her powers. I'm not sure. I think Rumple might empathize more with Emma than anyone else. He's walked that path for 300 years (give or take a decade), he knows what it's like to be constantly on guard against exactly that possibility, and he experienced that under Zelena. Also, if what was shown in the Finale is any indication, his heart is no longer dark.

He is intimatly aware of who and what the Dark One is, and is probably the foremost expert on the matter (There is something to be said for first hand knowledge). And if you look at his actions, yes he had his dark moments, but he also had his honest moments, and at the end, it was the honest moments that were actually winning out, which I think helped him to hold out until the Apprentice could take some action.

And honestly, I don't think Rumple would want to touch that dagger ever again, now that he's finally free of it.