Flying Monkeys

Flying Monkeys are a species featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. They are native to Oz, and first appear in the twelfth episode of the third season.

History
Despite growing up in Oz, Zelena discovers the parents who raised her are not her real family. She consults the Wizard of Oz for information on her mother and receives a pair of silver slippers to travel to her birth land. Later, Zelena returns to ask him to let her relive the past so she can change the circumstances of her mother's abandonment. He reasons it's not possible, even with the most powerful of magic, to which she rips off the curtain obscuring him. The Wizard is revealed as a circus huckster who likes putting on a good show and is not mighty and great as he claimed. Zelena makes use of him by transforming him into her loyal pet flying monkey. The Wicked Witch of the West begins taking residence in Regina's old palace. Once she receives word from Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip that the old inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest have returned, she sends one of her flying monkeys to extract Regina's blood. The flying monkey ambushes the Queen and Snow White in the woods. It takes her blood, but is warded off by one of the Merry Men's arrows. Afterwards, the Wicked Witch of the West takes the blood from the flying monkey and mixes it into a potion intending to exact revenge on Regina.
 * -|Before the Curse=
 * -|After Undone Curse=

The same flying monkey is sent to attack Regina once more and chases her while she is with the rest of the inhabitants. Mistakenly, the group believe the beast is after Robin Hood's son, Roland, or so it appears, because the boy is standing near Regina. When the flying monkey swoops down, Regina shields Roland and swiftly dispenses of the creature by turning it into a stuffed toy, which she gifts to the boy. In New York City, Walsh, in human form, becomes Emma's boyfriend. His true form is a flying monkey, though his intentions for getting close to her are not known. After eight months of dating, he proposes to her during a romantic outing, but she is hesitant to accept. Later, she rejects his proposal; citing a desire to go home and take care of some business from her past. Walsh reveals that he knows Emma's reason for the change of heart, which is due to the potion she previously drank to restore lost memories, and violently attacks after turning into a flying monkey. She manages to knock him off the roof with a metal pipe, but he disappears in a puff of smoke.
 * -|During New Curse=

After the casting of the new curse, Little John becomes a resident of Storybrooke and remains tight-knit with members of the Merry Men. One day, he steals a crossbow from a store and later shows it to his friends in the woods. Little John spots a wild turkey, attempting to shoot it for a passing meal, but misses. While his friends follow behind, he chases the animal nearly to the town line. Suddenly, Little John is carried off by a flying monkey as Robin Hood and the rest of the group look on helplessly. Bitten by the creature, he is later found unconscious in the woods by David, Hook and the Merry Men. After being taken to the hospital, Little John begins convulsing while Dr. Whale attempts to sedate him. Seemingly unable to control himself, Little John screams in agony as a tail forms on his body and whips everyone back. Rapidly, he then transforms into a full-fledged flying monkey, giving a fearsome roar, before crashing through a glass window and escaping.

Since being brought back to life by his son, Neal, and imprisoned by Zelena, Mr. Gold manages to escape on foot. Zelena attempts to summon him with the Dark One's dagger, but he resists due to Neal inhabiting his body. Out of sheer frustration, Zelena sends her flying monkey after her escaped captive. In the woods, the beast tracks down Mr. Gold, but he once again flees. David holds off the flying monkey while Emma chases after Mr. Gold.

Known Flying Monkeys

 * Little John
 * Walsh

Trivia

 * Flying Monkeys are named "Winged Monkeys" in Henry's storybook.

Appearances

 * Flying Monkeys appear on Henry's storybook in "Pilot" and "Snow Falls".