Prince Phillip

"There are new dangers now; but they're nothing we can't handle."

- Phillip to Aurora

Prince Phillip is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts in the first episode of the second season. He is portrayed by guest star Julian Morris, and does not have a Storybrooke counterpart.

Prince Phillip is based on the Prince from the fairytale, "Sleeping Beauty".

Before the Curse
In an attempt to keep Phillip away from his true love, Aurora, Maleficent transforms him into a beast and exiles him to a foreign land. After some time, the beast form of Phillip gains notoriety in the land as a fearsome and tough creature called the Yaoguai. One day, a bookish woman, Belle, joins in on the hunt for the Yaoguai after seeing a poster for it in a tavern. She learns from reading a book about the environmental habits of the creature and tracks the Yaoguai to its den. Once there, she meets another person, Mulan, who has also been looking for the beast. Mulan plans to kill the Yaoguai, but due to a leg injury, she cannot progress and gives Belle the task instead. Belle is unprepared for the beast's physical strength, but uses it to her advantage that the Yaoguai is a fire based creature and splashes water on it. Wounded by the liquid, the beast collapses on the ground and begins to spell out the words, "Help me" in another language. With a comprehension of what the Yaoguai is trying to tell her, Belle sprinkles a pinch of fairy dust on it. The dust releases the Yaoguai from a curse and transforms back into Prince Phillip. Afterwards, Belle introduces Phillip to Mulan and then she departs, leaving the two to go off on their own adventure.

Later on, Phillip searches for the whereabouts of Aurora to rescue her from the Sleeping Curse, and is joined by Mulan.

During the Curse
When the Evil Queen casts the Dark Curse, most of the Enchanted Forest and its inhabitants are ripped away. However, due to Cora casting a protection spell over their land some of the land remains, protecting all its inhabitants including Prince Phillip, Mulan, Aurora, the Giant, and several others as well as Cora herself and Hook. The land is frozen in time for twenty-eight years, and the pair are unable to continue their journey in searching for Phillip's lost love, Aurora.

After the Curse
After Emma breaks the Dark Curse in Storybrooke, time resumes in the Enchanted Forest as well. Prince Phillip and Mulan can finally reach their destination in finding Aurora at a palace. After Phillip wakes Aurora with true love's kiss, Mulan goes to investigate a strange noise nearby. A Wraith emerges and Prince Phillip ends up accidentally manhandling the medallion, marking him as the Wraith's prey. He and the other two leave the castle.

In the forest, the three of them set up camp for the night. Phillip and Aurora share a passionate kiss, and he leaves to collect some firewood with the promise to be back in few minutes. Aurora comes out from her tent to find Mulan, not Phillip, setting up the fire. Mulan reveals Phillip has been branded and is chased by the Wraith, so they both go after in an attempt to save him. Aurora and Mulan desperately scream for him not to, but Phillip sacrifices himself, whispering, "I love you." It is unclear if it was meant for Mulan, Aurora, or both. His soul is sucked from his body and he dies in the arms of both women. Mulan and Aurora take Phillip's body and rest him on the crumbling palace's bier, which Aurora herself once slept on while under the sleeping curse.

In an attempt to swing Aurora's loyalty after capturing her, Cora tells the princess that Phillip's soul was not consumed by the Wraith, but merely traveled to another world, implying that there is a possibility to bring him back. However, Aurora strongly refuses to help her against her allies.

After the battle is over and Aurora is rescued by Mulan, she tells her what Cora said and the two swear to try and bring the prince's soul back.

In an unknown way, Aurora and Mulan restore Phillip back to life. The three travel together and end up near the Safe Haven where they see someone by the shore. Upon further investigation, they try to awaken the unconscious man.

Trivia

 * The casting call described him as a man who "has been on many long, hard journeys, and is a warrior from a kingdom that is no longer as well off as it once was."
 * The name "Phillip" is of Greek origin derived from the word "Philippos" that means "friend of horses".
 * His chestplate has a sun embossed on it.