Board Thread:Spoilers!/@comment-25375217-20171202221920/@comment-25375217-20180120024030

Thanks Esk. Based on recent revelations, here's an updated version of my predicted main cast list for Season 8: I still expect Rumple to exit. However, we now know that Victoria and Drizella also will exit before the end of Season 7, leaving us without our typical "redeemed villain" character. So I think Facilier, who we now know is Regina's love interest, might be promoted to fill that role while also expanding Tiana and Regina's involvement in the plot. Andrew West has also hinted at some of the members of the Coven seeking redemption, so perhaps whoever that is could be a series regular for Season 8, but since we have no indication of who it might be, I'll put Facilier (who we know will be involved and has the potential to be a redeemed villain) for now.
 * Henry
 * Cinderella/Jacinda
 * Regina/Roni
 * Lucy
 * Hook/Rogers
 * Tiana/Sabine
 * Alice/Tilly
 * Facilier/Samdi

I'm still sticking with Alice as the Guardian. Adam and Eddy have stated that we were supposed to believe she was and have also implied that Anastasia might not be the Guardian or the only Guardian. Since we're losing Tremaine and Drizella, it doesn't make much sense for Anastasia to stick around -- not to mention Once Upon a Time doesn't have a great track record with children who aren't Henry or Lucy (and even they get the short end of the stick regularly) -- while Alice has pre-existing plotlines with Hook and Robin to carry her. Also, if Alice takes Rumple's powers, that gives Hook something to do since he can help Alice handle the pressure of staying good and doing the right thing despite the pressures of the Darkness.

Honorable mentions for potential promotion: Zelena and Robin. Zelena I would love to see come back but I doubt they would demote her just to promote her again, so I suspect Season 7 will end with her returning to San Francisco to get married, leaving Robin in Hyperion Heights but staying available to pop up should Regina need help again. Robin is a little more debatable, particularly since I think Alice will be promoted. However, there's no way to know what her role is besides Alice's love interest since we've seen so little of her so it's hard to tell if there's a role she would play better as a series regular.