Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-11058666-20141228031222/@comment-26116863-20150314003050

Applegirl wrote: Rumple wanted to be free so if someone wielded the dagger, he wouldn't have to bend to the person's orders/commands. Yet, by using the hat to do so, he would also be able to keep his Dark One powers even after being free from the dagger's will. He was trying to cleave himself from the dagger, but he still wanted keep his powers. That is definitely not "good" intentions, in my opinion. Rumple still cared about retaining his powers and was willing to absorb people into the hat to do it. That's just selfish behavior.

You make a good case, but I still maintain my point. He was leaving town, where there was no magic. It would have made no difference if he still had his powers, because he wouldn't have been able to use them. Bad means to a benign end. That being said, you're right; he was being despicably selfish.