The Bear King

"You don't have to worry about me, lass. I'm the Bear King. I faced Mor'du. I can handle whatever the Southern invaders throw at us."

- King Fergus to Merida

"The Bear King" is the ninth episode of Season Five of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It was written by Andrew Chambliss, and directed by Geofrey Hildrew. It is the ninety-seventh episode of the series overall, and premiered on November 15, 2015.

This episode was the second one of a two-episode night, and premiered immediately following "Birth".

Synopsis
Zelena and Arthur journey to DunBroch on a mission to retrieve an enchanted relic that will provide the advantage they need to vanquish Emma and our heroes. Their path will cross with Merida’s, who is on a journey of her own to pay a debt that her father, King Fergus, owed to the Witch when he died. Merida enlists the help of two friends, Mulan and Ruby, but, in order to satisfy the Witch and save DunBroch, she first must discover the identity of the knight who killed her father. In flashbacks, Merida learns about bravery and honor as she trains for combat and rides alongside Fergus into the infamous battle that claims his life.

Starring

 * Ginnifer Goodwin as Mary Margaret Blanchard
 * Jennifer Morrison (Credit only)
 * Lana Parrilla (Credit only)
 * Josh Dallas as David Nolan*
 * Emilie de Ravin as Belle French*
 * Colin O'Donoghue (Credit only)
 * Jared S. Gilmore (Credit only)
 * Rebecca Mader as Zelena
 * Sean Maguire (Credit only)
 * Robert Carlyle as Mr. Gold*

Guest Starring

 * Jamie Chung as Mulan
 * Beverley Elliott as Granny
 * Liam Garrigan as King Arthur
 * Amy Manson as Merida
 * Meghan Ory as Ruby
 * Glenn Keogh as King Fergus
 * Lily Knight as Witch
 * Caroline Morahan as Queen Elinor
 * Paul Telfer as Lord Macintosh

Co-Starring

 * Marco D’Angelo as Lord MacGuffin
 * Josh Hallem as Lord Dingwall
 * Richard Stroh as Edgar
 * Colton Barnert as Brother #1
 * Jordan Olson as Brother #2
 * Matthew Olson as Brother #3

Uncredited

 * Unknown as Floyd
 * Lee Arenberg as Leroy*
 * Sarah Bolger as Aurora*
 * Faustino Di Bauda as Walter*
 * David-Paul Grove as Doc*
 * Jeffrey Kaiser as Dopey*
 * Gabe Khouth as Mr. Clark*
 * Mig Macario as Bashful*
 * Keegan Connor Tracy as Mother Superior*
 * Unknown baby as Prince Neal*

Trivia

 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * The title card features Merida riding her horse in the woods.
 * The same title card was used for the Season One episode "The Stable Boy".
 * The "Bear King" is King Fergus' nickname in the movie Brave. "The Bear King and His Daughter" was one of the proposed titles for the movie, along with "The Bear and the Bow".
 * "Birth" and "The Bear King" were filmed simultaneously.
 * -|Episode Connections=

Event Chronology

 * The Camelot events take place after "Nimue", and right after the Enchanted Forest events of "Birth".
 * The Storybrooke flashbacks take place during the last scenes of "There's No Place Like Home".
 * The DunBroch events about the search of the magical helmet take place after "The Bear and the Bow".
 * The DunBroch flashbacks about King Fergus' death take place 2 years before "The Bear and the Bow".
 * These events take place after "Queen of Hearts", and before "And Straight On 'Til Morning".

Episode Connections

 * Merida goes to Arthur's dungeon in The Broken Kingdom.
 * -|Cultural References=

Fairytales and Folklore

 * This episode features King Arthur from the Arthurian Legend, Mulan from the legend and the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz story.
 * The Witch gives Merida magical ale, and says that one cup of it can summon the spirit of anyone who's passed to the Underworld. She also says that the legend of Seonaidh is true. Seonaidh is a Celtic Water Spirit from the Isle of Lewis, who had to be offered a cup of ale in hope of prosperity in the forthcoming year.
 * -|Props Notes=

Props Notes

 * When Arthur kills King Fergus, his armor is the same one Sir Percival wears in present day Camelot in  "The Dark Swan" and "The Price", but with different shoulder pads.