Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-4519633-20141022032431/@comment-8345449-20151208090933

The problem with these power level comparisons is that the show isn't very consistent in portraying magic fights. Most of the time, if magic user A defeats magic user B, it was more likely due to being A doing a surprise attack rather than A being more powerful. Sort of like the equivalent of a sucker punch in a physical fight.

For example, we saw Maleficent put down Regina with a wave of her hand. Based on just that, we would conclude that Maleficent is much more powerful. But then we know from flashbacks that Regina and Maleficent were pretty evenly matched when they fought over the curse.

Rumple was pretty afraid of Pan and has stated multiple times that to kill Pan he has to die himself. So you would think Pan should be at least as powerful than Rumple if not more so. But then we saw Regina easily rip out Pan's heart, though it could be that Pan was still assimilating Henry's heart and not at full power yet.

That being said, based on the information we have until midseason finale, I would go with this list:

1. Nyx - not sure how anyone can argue against this. She was responsible for creating the genies whose combined power can break the 3 laws of magic (something even The Author couldn't do). Against Jafar, who had in fact attained the power of the genies, she easily neutralized and imprisoned him. Her name also suggests that she is a goddess.

2. Jafar and Amara (after obtaining the power of the genies) - able to break the 3 laws of magic at a whim.

3. Super DO Rumple - not sure if he is able to break the laws of magic but I assume he would just brink Hook back instead of travelling to the underworld if he could do that.

4. Merlin - He should definitely be near the top being the oldest sorceror and possible origin of (human/mortal?) light magic.

5. All Other DOs including pre-Super DO Rumple, Nimue, Emma, Hook, Gorgon etc. - I am putting them at the same tier though there are probably some power differences between them (Emma and Nimue would be at the top) but probably not by much.

6. Peter Pan - I think at full power, he has the magic of an entire realm (Neverland) backing him. Possibly a match for the DOs.

7. Emma as the Saviour - She has powerful light magic but then Rumple froze her pretty easily at the clock tower when she was trying to rescue Hook. And you can't say she was caught off guard because her hands were already raised in defence.

8. Regina - As of Swan Song, I think she just got a huge power upgrade (possibly because she grew into her role as backup Saviour and is able to wield both light and dark magic). We saw Zelena suffer a pretty big backlash after using the Apprentice's wand and yet Regina looked completely okay after summoning the same tornado.

9. Zelena, Elsa, Ingrid - All extremely talented magic users who manifested their powers at a young age and had problems controlling their overwhelming magic.

10. Cora

11. Maleficent, Jafar, Amara

12. Anastasia