Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-4519633-20141022032431/@comment-25926288-20170405144753

It's hilariously unfair, but I sort of tallied the amount of handwavey spells shown and then used logic and inference from there. To noone's surprise Regina has done much of the magic on the show, but given she's been at it since season 1, there's no surprise. Since we discuss skill, I simply tallied any spell that Regina, Zelena, and Cora as one group as they should all be equally skilled (with slight deviations). Rumple and DO's are inferred to at least have that plus whatever unique thing they have shown. Merlin is then inferred based on the Dark One, plus unique things that he has shown.

First off, there have been roughly 60 handwavey spells in all of Once. They may send a lot of people flying and tossing fireballs like nobody's business, but roughly 60 distict spells have cast. So, now I'll only list a few key members and what they've shown out of 60.

Merlin: 50/60 (~1 half season)

Dark One: 45/60 (~the whole show)

Mills: 37/60 (~the whole show)

Emma (+ DO): 27/60 (~seasons 3, 4, 5, 6)

Emma (- DO): 20/60 (~ seasons 3, 4, 5, 6)

Ingrid: 18/60 (< 1 half season)

Pan: 15/60 (~1 half season)

Fairy: 13/60 (~much of the whole show)

Based on inference and some reasonining, Merlin is obviously the most skill, then the DO. Skill or knowledge, semantics can divide which is which, but as far as we have been shown, Emma isn't too far off from the Mills, edging over Ingrid and Pan which what they have shown.

Now, most powerful could have many interpretations. If we go by biggest feat, then it goes slightly different but mostly the same. If we go by inferred raw power, then some slight changes are made. If we go by skill meaning amount of spells, then we see this here. If we go by skill as in experience, then that's less determinable.

As we have seen on the show, going by battles, then speed is king, with skill and raw power fighting for second place.

Soon we may see the likely most-"skilled" magic user in the Black Fairy (even though she has like 7 or less episodes before the season's over). I do hope we see her use her wand (if it's still around).