Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26391241-20150511234157/@comment-26394456-20150513185548

Daveyelmer wrote: The things we know for sure about the Darkness/Curse of the Dark One are:

1) It corrupts and destroys

2) Merlin/The Sorcerer tethered it to a human soul in order to keep it in check

3) Both of the previous Dark Ones we've seen had glitter-scale skin

4) Possessing the Dark One's dagger allows you control over them

5) Cora believed that if a Dark One is killed by means other than the dagger, their Curse will simply dissipate without finding a new host.

Also, for the record, Rumple wasn't looking for power when he killed Zoso (he was simply looking for a way to keep Bae safe), nor did he actually crave power after being Cursed (notwithstanding other characters' opinions to the contrary). Also both of the Dark One's we have seen both say they know how to recognize a desperate soul. I don't know if that is like Emma's "supperpower" or not.

Both of the previous Dark Ones say to their sucessors at some point "I know how to recognize a desperate soul." (Zoso to Rumple; Mr. Gold to Emma both in "D esperate Souls," Season 1 Episode 8.)