Prince Charming

"No matter what you do, I will always find you."

- Prince Charming to Snow White

Prince Charming, also known as David and alias Prince James, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts in the first episode of the first season. He is portrayed by starring cast member Josh Dallas, and is the Enchanted Forest counterpart of David Nolan.

Prince Charming is based on the character "The Prince" from the fairytale, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" and "The Pauper" from the novel, The Prince and the Pauper.

Before the Curse
Prince Charming is born David, to a peasant family, one of a set of twins. His family is poor and has no money. Rumplestiltskin comes to their farm when he is an infant and tells his parents that the barren king and queen of their country need a child, and they will be paid handsomely if they give one of the twins to them. The parents choose to give away Prince Charming's twin James, who is to become a prince, while David is kept by his biological parents and grows up unaware that he has a twin.

Many years later, the royal twin James is killed in a duel, and Rumplestiltskin makes a deal with King George to provide a replacement. He again comes to the family's farm, where David lives with his widowed mother. David's mother admits the truth, and Rumplestiltskin offers to save the farm if David will agree to pose as Prince James and take his brother's place in the quest to kill a dragon for King Midas. David agrees to the plan for his mother's sake and goes to the castle with Rumplestiltskin. At the castle, he meets his brother's knights and learns of their plan to slay the dragon while allowing him, as Prince James, to take the credit. David and the knights travel to the dragon's lair, where several knights are burned alive, but David narrowly escapes the dragon's fiery breath and manages to slay it. After he proves to King Midas that he has killed the dragon, Midas decides to give Prince James his daughter's hand in marriage as a reward. David initially refuses to marry Princess Abigail, but King George threatens his home and his mother's life if he does not comply. The king wants the alliance and the lands and riches that it will bring, so David must agree to the marriage.

He returns to his farm to tell his mother about his upcoming wedding. Because he has agreed to continue the ruse and live the life of his twin and marrying Midas' daughter, he cannot see his mother ever again. She gives him her wedding ring, so that he can give it to the woman he loves.

As Prince James, he returns to the kingdom and decides to take the scenic route with Abigail to Midas' palace so they can start their wedding preparations. The procession is halted, however, by a fallen tree. He exits the carriage, leaving the pouch with his mother's ring in it behind him. He discovers, after some examination of the marks on the tree trunk, that the tree was felled, not fallen, and he turns around just in time to see a thief escape his carriage with his pouch of jewels in hand.

He chases and captures the thief, pulling back the hood to reveal that the robber is actually a woman. She hits him with a rock and escapes on horseback. He shouts, "I will find you! I will always find you!" after the thief, making her look over her shoulder and grin at him.

Later, the same thief walks out of her hiding place and is pulled up in the air by a large net. He gloats in satisfaction that he finally caught her and laughs at her predicament while she sarcastically gives him the nickname "Charming". Prince Charming walks up to her, holding her wanted poster, which shows the thief's real name to be the elusive Snow White and threatens to hand her over to the Evil Queen if she doesn't tell him what happened to his pouch filled with jewels, especially his mother's ring.

Snow White consents and he sets her free from his trap, reminding her about her promise to take him to where she sold his jewels. After another escape attempt, Snow White decides to take him to the Troll Bridge, having traded his jewels for coins, where they meet the hideous and greedy troll group.

A brief struggle ensues when the trolls refuse to give the pouch back to Snow White, and Prince Charming finds himself surrounded by trolls. Snow White decides to save his life with fairy dust that she had been saving for the Evil Queen--its magic turns one's enemies into something easily defeated; in this case, the trolls turn into harmless bugs. They leave the bridge and reach the path where they part. Snow White jokingly tries on the ring in his pouch but says it's not her style. She hands the pouch back to him, and they go their separate ways. A few days after their encounter, Prince Charming is restless and brooding during his engagement party. His behavior does not go unnoticed and is confronted by King George, who is aware Charming is in love with someone else. The king threatens to burn down Prince Charming's farm if he does not marry Abigail. After the king leaves, Prince Charming writes a letter to Snow White, telling her that he cannot get her out of his head, and requests for her to meet him in the castle if she feels the same. Snow White does come to the castle, but King George captures her and threatens to kill Prince Charming if she does not comply with his demands. Snow White has no choice but to reject Charming to keep the king from harming him, and leaves the castle heartbroken. Although Snow White told Charming she does not love him, he still runs away from King George to avoid the impending wedding. While on the run, he is kidnapped by Abigail's henchmen. Abigail reveals to him that she wants to marry him less than he wants to marry her and shows him a solid gold shrine to one of her kingdom's fallen soldiers, named Frederick.

At first, Prince Charming believes it is merely a gold statue, but the princess tells him that Frederick was once a man--her betrothed. He had been accidentally cursed by her father and was frozen as a gold statue. When he asks if she has tried true love's kiss, she admits, "until my lips bled" and tells him that she had nearly lost all hope. Then, she explains to him about Lake Nostos' magical powers, how it could restore something lost to a person, and her hopes that it could break Frederick's curse. Prince Charming agrees to help her.

He goes to Lake Nostos, where he encounters a powerful siren. The Siren turns into Snow White and attempts to seduce him. She comes very close to her goal but evidently does not succeed and tries to drown him instead. Prince Charming grabs a dagger from an already deceased man underwater and stabs the siren, killing her.

He returns to Frederick's golden shrine and gives the magical water to Abigail, who pours it over the knight's head. Frederick's curse is broken and the two joyfully reunite. Abigail introduces him to Prince Charming, who Frederick thanks profusely.

Prince Charming, in turn, tells Frederick to repay him by marrying Abigail and giving him a horse so that he can go after Snow White. Abigail wishes him luck, thanks him for his kindness, and warns him about King George's potential fury when he learns that the union between the kingdoms was broken. After assisting Abigail, he goes to Snow White's newest hideout so that he could confess his love for her again. Instead, he meets Red Riding Hood, who tells him that Snow White is living with the Seven Dwarves. King George and his soldiers arrive to capture Charming, so he and Red are forced to flee for safety. The news of Prince Charming's called off marriage to Abigail spreads throughout the kingdom, but Snow White does not remember who the prince is because she drinks a potion Rumplestiltskin gave to her in a deal that would cure her broken heart.

Prince Charming and Red camp out, but King George's men find them. Red holds them off by turning into a wolf while Prince Charming escapes. As he is searching for the missing Snow White, he comes across a nude soldier who claims that Snow White stole his armor from him in order to kill the Evil Queen. Prince Charming denies that Snow White would do such a thing but becomes hesitant at the knight's rebuff.

He hears that Snow White had traveled to Rumplestiltskin's palace and follows after. However, he is too late and discovers that Snow White is already on her way to kill the Queen. Rumplestiltskin tells him that only true love's kiss can break the curse of the potion that she drank. Prince Charming agrees to give Rumplestiltskin his cloak in return for Snow White's location. He arrives in time to see Snow White preparing herself for the Queen's assassination the next day. He kisses her, to no avail, and she knocks him out and chains him to a tree.

The next day, he is woken up by Jiminy Cricket, who frees him and begs him to stop Snow White from killing the Queen. Prince Charming arrives as the Queen is passing through Snow White's location. Snow White lets loose an arrow with the enchanted bow and he jumps in front of it just in time to take the hit, saving the Queen's life. When she demands to know his reasons for running in front of an arrow, he insists that he loves her so much he would rather sacrifice himself than let her become evil. This touches Snow White and they kiss, removing the effects of the potion. Their happy reunion is interrupted by Prince Charming taken prisoner by King George's men. King George orders him to be publicly executed but is interrupted by Regina who in exchange for Prince Charming gives the king an amount of gold comparable to the value of his alliance with Midas and her promise that he will suffer a worse fate than death. Prince Charming is taken by Regina to a prison in a cave and demands to know what the Evil Queen has in store for his beloved. The Queen denies his belief that she wants to kill her, and when he asks her what her plans are, she holds up a cursed apple in response. Prince Charming is horrified and the Queen leaves him there, laughing.

Meanwhile, Snow White and her companions, which include the seven dwarves, Red Riding Hood, Widow Lucas, and fairies led by the Blue Fairy, quickly storm King George's castle, where they believe Prince Charming is being held. Snow White and her allies kill several of King George's men, and Snow White breaks into the dungeons. She finds Prince Charming and runs to him, only to discover that he's in a mirror.

Prince Charming tells her that he is being held in a cave by the Evil Queen and explains that he is on the other side of a mirror. Snow White promises she will find him. Before their conversation can continue, Regina appears in the mirror and demands to meet Snow White alone.

At the meeting, the Queen convinces Snow White to take a bite of the poisoned apple, which Prince Charming feels. He demands to know what's been done to Snow White but receives no response. Much later, he is sitting in his cell and vows to find out what's happened to Snow White. Two guards come and announce that Prince Charming is to be executed. However, on the way to the hallway, Prince Charming fights the guards, wins, and runs away. He comes face-to-face with a guard with a bow and waits to be shot. However, the guard shoots another guard behind him instead. Prince Charming demands to know the man's name, and the guard pulls his helmet off, revealing himself to be the Huntsman.

The Huntsman explains that he's a friend of Snow White's and has thus decided to help him. He gives Prince Charming some provisions, his sword, and a map out of the castle. He explains his history with Snow White, of how the Queen enslaved him by taking his heart for failing to kill Snow White, and asks that Prince Charming not make his sacrifice in vain. Prince Charming agrees and leaves, only to become lost in a large forest. Prince Charming wanders the forest for a short time before Rumplestiltskin appears to him. Rumplestiltskin explains that he will not be able to leave the forest on his own, and offers his help. Prince Charming initially refuses, but Rumplestiltskin shows him that he took his bag of jewels, including his mother's wedding ring, and Prince Charming attacks Rumplestiltskin.

Rumplestiltskin heals himself and uses magic to overpower Prince Charming. Prince Charming finally consents to his deal, and Rumplestiltskin explains what Prince Charming will need to do. He shows him a golden egg containing a magic vial filled with liquid. Prince Charming needs to put it in the belly of a great beast for safekeeping. In return, he will give Prince Charming his mother's wedding ring, which will have been enchanted to lead him to Snow White.

Prince Charming enters the Dark Fortress and demands to know where the "beast" of the castle is. However, the person he is threatening is actually a dark witch named Maleficent. Maleficent repels him, extinguishes all light in the castle, and transforms into a fearsome dragon.

Prince Charming runs behind some pillars and evades the dragon until he spots gills on the dragon's neck, which keep the interior from becoming too heated from the fire. He shoves the golden egg into Maleficent's gills and jumps out the window into the lake below.

He swims back to shore, where Rumplestiltskin is waiting. Rumplestiltskin returns Prince Charming's jewels and transforms his outfit into a handsome red suit. He gives him a horse and his sword. Prince Charming immediately uses the ring to locate Snow White. He is next seen riding a horse through the forest. Snow White is in her famous glass coffin after eating the cursed apple given to her by the Evil Queen. The dwarves tell him that it's too late, but Prince Charming requests to say one final goodbye. He kisses her, which wakes her from the Evil Queen's curse. On the beach, Snow White asks him how he found her and he shows her his mother's ring. At the same time, he sinks to one knee and proposes to her. She happily accepts and the two begin to form a plan to take back their kingdom together. While discussing their plan, he gets news from Red Riding Hood that King George had hired a powerful hit-man. Prince Charming offers to stay behind and tells Snow White to run away to his mother's cabin. After the fight, he arrives at the cabin shortly before King George's army gets there to capture him. He tells his mother to wait inside and fights them. Although he emerges victorious, Ruth, worried about his well-being, had run outside and is shot by a poisoned arrow. Once Snow White and Lancelot rejoin him and his mother, they travel to Lake Nostos to find the cure for the wound caused by the poisoned arrow.

However, the lake's waters have dried up some time after the previous time Prince Charming had come to the lake and killed the Siren. Lancelot is able to find a small portion of water and brings it over to Ruth. She drinks it, but it has no effect. Knowing she is about to die, Ruth admits that her only regret is that she will not live to see her son getting married to Snow White. Honoring her wish, Snow White asks Lancelot to perform a marriage ceremony. During the ceremony, Snow White drinks from chalice. Ruth dies peacefully after they are joined in marriage. Prince Charming puts his mother's body in a carriage and shows Snow White his mother's necklace, which has the ability to predict the gender of a person's future child. Snow White is about to tell him about the barren curse that King George had put on her when the necklace begins to sway, and to her astonishment, she tells him they will have a baby some time in the future. Prince Charming, overjoyed by this news, tells Snow White that they will take back the kingdom as a family. Snow White realizes Ruth only pretended to drink the lake water, and had given the actual water to Lancelot so that he could secretly give it her in the chalice; thus breaking the barren curse. Sometime during Prince Charming and Snow White's war to take back the kingdom, the Evil Queen joins forces with King George. Near the end of the war, King George's armies succumb to defeat first. Prince Charming and his wife set a trap for the Evil Queen, in which she is frozen by fairy dust by the Blue Fairy.

There is a war council meeting to discuss the Evil Queen's fate. Snow White does not want to have the Queen killed, and Jiminy Cricket agrees with her. Prince Charming is able to convince her otherwise, and the execution is planned. At the execution, Regina laments that she is sorry that she has not been able to cause more pain. The executioner's arrows are fired, but Snow White orders them to stop and the arrows are frozen by the Blue Fairy just before they hit Regina. The Evil Queen is then taken back to her cell.

Snow White discusses her decision to spare her former step-mother with Prince Charming. He thinks she is too dangerous to be left alive, and that she will never change. Snow White believes that she does have the ability to change and that there is some good left in her. She believes this because Regina has saved her life in the past. Later, in the courtyard, Rumplestiltskin offers Snow White a way to prove if Regina is capable of changing.

Snow White visits Regina in her prison cell. The Queen, Snow White says, is free to go, as Snow White has given her the opportunity to change. The cell door is opened, and the two walk out, but right as they leave Regina chokes Snow White and finds the enchanted knife and attempts to plunge it into Snow White to no effect. The knife is enchanted by Rumplestiltskin so it cannot harm Snow White or her prince. He and his wife tells Regina that she has failed to change, and she is banished from the kingdom. Snow White warns her that if Regina ever attempts to harm anyone in her kingdom again, she will be killed. Prince Charming and Snow White get married, but their wedding is crashed by the Evil Queen. She vows that she will destroy Snow White's happiness and tells them of her upcoming curse that will make sure that the only happy ending is hers. After she reveals this, Prince Charming throws his sword at her, and the Evil Queen disappears. Sometime after their own wedding, Prince Charming and Snow White attend Cinderella's wedding to Prince Thomas as a couple. After hearing about Cinderella's plight with Rumplestiltskin, Prince Charming hatches a plan with Cinderella, Thomas, Grumpy, and the Blue Fairy to trap him using fairy magic. The plan succeeds, though Prince Thomas disappears as a price of Cinderella's broken deal with Rumplestiltskin. Prince Charming imprisons Rumplestiltskin in special cell in a dungeon. Later, Snow White becomes pregnant, and they discover from Rumplestiltskin their child will be their savior when the pair visits in prison. Though Prince Charming initially believes that they are having a son, it is revealed that they are having a daughter instead.

Prince Charming and Snow White meet with many of their allies to discuss how to stop the Queen's Curse from going into effect. While many of their allies propose war, the Blue Fairy comes with a magical tree and claims that it will be able to save one person from the Evil Queen's Curse. Geppetto and Pinocchio are charged with the task of turning the tree into a wardrobe, so that the person will be able to be transported between worlds.

On the day that the pair completes the wardrobe, the Evil Queen and her knights invade. Grumpy and Sleepy alert the kingdom of the Curse's arrival, and Snow White goes into labor. When Prince Charming attempts to take her to the wardrobe, Doc tells him that she cannot be moved. He instead settles down to encourage his wife as she gives birth to Emma, their daughter.

Emma is born as the Queen's black knights are storming the castle. Prince Charming takes Emma to the wardrobe, fighting black knights along the way, successfully evading them for a few precious moments. He enters the room with the wardrobe and puts Emma inside. The black knights break through the door to fight Prince Charming, who is stabbed and left for dead, but is able to stay conscious long enough to see Emma has vanished through the wardrobe.

Snow White finds him and kisses him, begging for him not to leave her, but he remains unconscious. He is held in Snow White's arms while everyone is enveloped by the curse. For events occurring after the casting of the Dark Curse, see David Nolan.

Trivia

 * Strictly speaking, "Prince Charming", in Disney canon, refers to Cinderella's prince, while Snow White's prince is credited simply as "The Prince". Both are variations of the stock character in fairy tales.
 * The name James, which is a variant of Jacob, can mean "follower" or "supplanter". A supplanter is someone who takes the place of another person, place, or thing. This is fitting, as Prince Charming supplanted his twin James.
 * He is the first character to appear in the series; the opening scene of the pilot features him rushing to meet Snow White.
 * When Snow White was pregnant, he mistakenly believed and told Rumplestiltskin that the baby was a boy.
 * Prince Charming was originally supposed to die in the first episode in the first season.