Prince Charming

"No matter what you do, I will always find you."

- Prince Charming to Snow White

Prince Charming (alias Prince James) is a character on Once Upon a Time. He debuts in the first episode of the first season. He is played by starring cast member Josh Dallas and is the Enchanted Forest counterpart of David Nolan.

Prince Charming is based on the character "The Prince" from the fairytale, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves".

Before the Curse
Prince Charming is born into a peasant family, one of a set of twins. His family is poor, and had no money. Rumplestiltskin comes to their farm when he is an infant, and tells his parents that the barren rulers of their country need a child, and they will be paid handsomely if they gave one of the twins to him. The parents choose to give away Prince Charming's twin, who is to become a prince, while Prince Charming stays at home.

Many years later, the royal twin (the real James) is killed in a duel, and Rumplestiltskin again comes to the family, asking Prince Charming to take his brother's place. Prince Charming agrees to the plan for his mother's sake and goes to the castle with Rumplestiltskin. At the castle, he meets his brother's knights and learns of the dragon that his twin brother was supposed to slay. Prince Charming and the knights travel to the dragon's lair, where several knights are burned alive. Prince Charming narrowly escapes the dragon's fiery breath and manages to slay it. After he proves to Midas that he has killed the dragon, Midas decides to give Prince Charming his daughter's hand in marriage as a reward. Prince Charming initially refuses to marry Princess Abigail, but King George threatens his home if he does not comply, so he agrees to the marriage.

He returns to his farm to tell his mother about his upcoming wedding. Because he told Midas that he is his twin (the real Prince James), he has to continue the ruse and not see his mother ever again. She gives him her wedding ring, so that he can give it to the woman he loves.

Prince Charming returns to the kingdom and decides to take the scenic route with Abigail to Midas's palace so they could start their wedding preparations. ("The Shepherd")

The procession is halted, however, by a fallen tree. Prince Charming exits the carriage, leaving the pouch with his mother's ring in it behind him. It is soon discovered that the tree was felled, not fallen, and Prince Charming turns around just in time to see a thief escape his carriage with his pouch of jewels in hand.

Prince Charming chases and captures the thief, pulling back the hood to reveal that the robber is actually a woman. Later revealed to be Snow White, she hits Prince Charming with a rock and escapes. He shouts, "I will find you! I will always find you!" after the thief, making her look over her shoulder and grin at him.

Later, Snow White White walks out of her hiding place and gets caught in a large net. Prince Charming walks up to her, holding her wanted poster, and threatens to hand her over to the Evil Queen if she doesn't tell him what happened to his pouch filled with jewels, especially his mother's ring.

Snow White consents and he sets her free from his trap, reminding her about her promise to take him to where she sold his jewels. After another escape attempt, Snow White decides to take him to the Troll Bridge, having traded his jewels for coins, where they meet the hideous and greedy Troll Group.

A brief struggle ensues when the trolls refuse to give the pouch back to Snow White, and Prince Charming finds himself surrounded by trolls. Snow White decides to save his life with a fairy dust that she had been saving for the Evil Queen - its magic turns one's enemies into something easily defeated (bugs, in this case). After the defeat of the trolls, she gives the pouch back to Prince Charming, and they go their separate ways. ("Snow Falls")

A few days after their encounter, Prince Charming is brooding during his engagement party and is confronted by King George. The king threatens to burn down Prince Charming's farm if he does not marry Abigail. After the king leaves, Prince Charming writes a letter to Snow White, telling her that he cannot get her out of his head, and requests for her to meet him in the castle if she feels the same. Snow White does come to the castle, but after King George captures her and threatens to kill Prince Charming if she doesn't comply with his demands, Snow White tells him that she doesn't love him and that he should marry someone who does. ("7:15 A.M.")

After this encounter, he runs away from King George and is kidnapped by Abigail's henchmen. Abigail reveals to him that she wants to marry him less than he wants to marry her, and shows him a solid gold shrine to one of her kingdom's fallen soldiers, named Frederick.

At first, Prince Charming believes it is merely a gold statue, but the princess tells him that Frederick was once a man - her betrothed. He had been accidentally cursed by her father and was frozen as a gold statue. When he asks if she has tried true love's kiss, she admits, "until my lips bled" and tells him that she had nearly lost all hope. Then she explains to him about Lake Nostos' magical powers, and how it could restore something lost to a person, and her hopes that it could break Frederick's curse. Prince Charming agrees to help her.

He goes to Lake Nostos, where he encounters a powerful siren. The Siren turns into Snow White and attempts to seduce him. She comes very close to her goal, but evidently does not succeed, and tries to drown him instead. Prince Charming grabs a dagger from an already deceased man and stabs the siren, killing her.

He returns to Frederick's golden shrine and gives the magical water to Abigail, who pours it over the knight's head. Frederick's curse is broken and the two joyfully reunite. Abigail introduces him to Prince Charming, who is then thanked profusely.

Prince Charming, in turn, tells Frederick to repay him by marrying Abigail and giving him a horse so that he could go after Snow White. Abigail wishes him luck, thanks him for his kindness, and warns him about King George's potential fury when he learns that the union between the kingdoms was broken. After assisting Abigail, he goes to Snow White's newest hideout so that he could confess his love for her again. Instead, he meets Red Riding Hood, who tells him that Snow White is living with the dwarves. ("What Happened to Frederick") It is revealed that his marriage to Abigail was called off, but Snow White does not remember Prince Charming because of a potion Rumplestiltskin gave to her in a deal that would cure her broken heart.

Prince Charming and Red are camping after running off. King George's men find them but Red holds them off by turning into a wolf while Prince Charming escapes. As he is searching for the missing Snow White, he comes across a nude soldier who claims that Snow White stole his armor from him in order to kill the Evil Queen. Prince Charming denies that Snow White would do such a thing, but becomes hesitant at the knight's rebuff.

He hears that Snow White had traveled to Rumplestiltskin's palace and follows after. However, he is too late to find her and discovers that Snow White is already on her way to kill the Queen. The imp tells him that only true love's kiss can break the curse of the potion that she drank. Prince Charming agrees to give Rumplestiltskin his cloak in return for Snow White's location. He arrives in time to see Snow White preparing herself for the Queen's assassination the next day. He kisses her, to no avail, and she knocks him out and chains him to a tree.

The next day, he is woken up by Jiminy Cricket, who frees him and begs him to stop Snow White White from killing the Queen. Prince Charming arrives as the Queen is passing through Snow White's location. Snow White lets loose the arrow and he jumps in front of it just in time, saving the Queen's life. When she demands to know his reasons for running in front of an arrow, he insists that he loves her so much he would rather sacrifice himself then let her become evil. This touches Snow White and they kiss, removing the effects of the potion. Prince Charming is found by King George's men and taken off. ("Heart of Darkness")

King George is about to have Prince Charming publicly executed but is interrupted by Regina who in exchange for Prince Charming gives the king an amount of gold comparable to the value of his alliance with Midas and her promise that Prince Charming will suffer a worse fate. Prince Charming is taken by Regina to a prison in a cave. Prince Charming demands to know what the Evil Queen has in store for his beloved. The Queen denies his belief that she wants to kill her, and when he asks her what her plans are, she holds up a cursed apple in response. Prince Charming is horrified and the Queen leaves him there, laughing.

Meanwhile, Snow White and her companions, which include the Seven Dwarves, Red Riding Hood, Widow Lucas and fairies led by the Blue Fairy, quickly storm King George's castle, where there the last reports of Prince Charming had been. Snow White and her allies kill several of King George's men, and Snow White breaks into the dungeons. Snow White finds Prince Charming and runs to him, only to discover that he's in a mirror.

Prince Charming tells her that he is being held in a cave by the Evil Queen and explains that he is on the other side of a mirror. Snow White promises she will find him. Before their conversation can continue, Regina pushes Prince Charming out of the way and demands to meet Snow White alone.

While meeting with Snow White, the Evil Queen poisons her, which Prince Charming feels. He demands to know what's been done to Snow White, but receives no response. ("An Apple Red as Blood") Much later, he is sitting in his cell and vows to find out what's happened to Snow White. Two guards come and announce that Prince Charming is to be executed. However, on the way to the hallway, Prince Charming fights the guards, wins, and runs away.

He comes face-to-face with a guard with a bow and waits to be shot. However, the guard shoots another guard behind him instead. Prince Charming demands to know the man's name, and the guard pulls his helmet off, revealing him to be the Huntsman.

The Huntsman explains that he's a friend of Snow White's, and has thus decided to help him. He gives Prince Charming some provisions, his sword, and a map out of the castle. He explains how the Queen enslaved him by taking his heart for failing to kill Snow White, and asks that Prince Charming not make his sacrifice in vain. Prince Charming agrees and leaves, only to become lost in a large forest. Prince Charming wanders the forest for a short time before Rumplestiltskin appears to him. Rumplestiltskin explains that he will not be able to leave the forest on his own, and offers his help. Prince Charming initially refuses, but Rumplestiltskin shows him that he took his bag of jewels, including his mother's wedding ring, and Prince Charming attacks Rumplestiltskin.

Rumplestiltskin heals himself and uses magic to overpower Prince Charming. Prince Charming finally consents to his deal, and Rumplestiltskin explains what Prince Charming will need to do. He shows him a golden egg containing a magic vial filled with liquid love. Prince Charming needed to put it in the belly of a great beast for safekeeping. In return, he will give Prince Charming his mother's wedding ring, which will have been enchanted to lead him to Snow White.

Prince Charming enters the Dark Fortress and demands to know where the "beast" of the castle is. However, the person he is threatening is actually a dark witch named Maleficent. Maleficent repels him, extinguishes all light in the castle, and transforms into a fearsome dragon.

Prince Charming runs behind some pillars and evades the dragon until he spots gills on the dragon's neck, which keep the interior from becoming too heated from the fire. He shoves the golden egg into Maleficent's gills and jumps out the window into the lake below.

He swims back to shore, where Rumplestiltskin is waiting. Rumplestiltskin returns Prince Charming's jewels and transforms his outfit into a handsome red suit. He gives him a horse and his sword. Prince Charming immediately uses the ring to locate Snow White. ("A Land Without Magic")

He is next seen riding a horse through the forest. Snow White is in her famous glass coffin after eating the cursed apple given to her by the Evil Queen. The dwarves tell him that it's too late, but Prince Charming requests to say goodbye to her. He kisses her, which wakes her from the Evil Queen's curse. ("Pilot")

On the beach, Snow White asks him how he found her and he shows her his mother's ring. At the same time, he sinks to one knee and proposes to her. She happily accepts and the two begin to form a plan to take back their kingdom together. ("A Land Without Magic")

While discussing their plan, he gets news from Red Riding Hood that King George had hired a powerful hit-man. Prince Charming offers to stay behind and tells Snow White to run away to his mother's cabin. After the fight, he arrives at the cabin shortly before King George's army gets there to capture him. He tells his mother to wait inside and fights them. Although he emerges victorious, Ruth, worried about his well-being, had run outside and was shot by a poisoned arrow. Once Snow White and Lancelot rejoin him and his mother, they travel to Lake Nostos to find the cure for the wound caused by the poisoned arrow.

However, the lake's waters have dried up some time after the previous time Prince Charming came to the lake and killed the Siren. Lancelot is able to find a small portion of water and brings it over to Ruth. She drinks it, but it has no effect. Knowing she is about to die, Ruth admits that her only regret is that she won't live to see her son getting married to Snow White. Honoring her wish, Snow White asks Lancelot to perform a marriage ceremony. After the ceremony, Ruth dies peacefully. Prince Charming puts his mother's body in a carriage, and shows Snow White his mother's necklace, which has the ability to predict the gender of a person's future child. Snow White is about to tell him about the curse that King George had put on her when the necklace begins to sway, and to her astonishment, she tells him they will have a baby some time in the future. Prince Charming, overjoyed by this news, tells Snow White that they will take back the kingdom as a family. Snow White tries to get Lancelot to admit Ruth only pretended to drink the lake's water and he had put the real water into the cup Snow White drank from as a part of the wedding ceremony, but he denies having done so. ("Lady of the Lake")

Some time later, they get married, and their wedding is crashed by the Evil Queen. She vows that she will destroy Snow White's happiness and tells them of her upcoming curse that will make sure that the only happy ending is hers. After she reveals this, Prince Charming throws his sword at her, and the Evil Queen disappears.

Later, Snow White becomes pregnant, and they discover from Rumplestiltskin that their child will be their savior when the pair visits in prison. Though initially Prince Charming believes that they are having a son, it is revealed that they are having a daughter instead.

Prince Charming and Snow White meet with many of their allies to discuss how to stop the Queen's Curse from going into effect. While many of their allies propose war, the Blue Fairy comes with a magical tree and claims that it will be able to save one person from the Evil Queen's Curse. Geppetto and Pinocchio are charged with the task of turning the tree into a wardrobe, so that the person will be able to transport between worlds.

On the day that the pair completes the wardrobe, the Evil Queen and her knights invade. Grumpy and Sleepy alert the kingdom of the Curse's arrival, and Snow White goes into labor. When Prince Charming attempts to take her to the wardrobe, Doc tells him that she cannot be moved. He instead settles down to encourage his wife as she gives birth to Emma, their daughter.

Emma is born as the Queen's black knights are storming the castle. Prince Charming takes Emma to the wardrobe fighting black knights along the way, successfully evading them for a few precious moments. He enters the room with the wardrobe and puts Emma inside. The black knights break through the door to fight Prince Charming who is stabbed and left for dead, but is able to stay conscious long enough to see Emma has vanished.

Snow White finds him and kisses him begging for him not to leave her, but he remains unconscious. Snow White and the Queen believe that he has died and is held in Snow White's arms while everyone is enveloped by the curse. ("Pilot")

For events occurring after the casting of the Dark Curse, see David Nolan.

Name
Prince Charming's actual name is not currently known. In "Pilot", he is referred to as "Prince Charming", a nickname given him by Snow White when they meet in "Snow Falls". Snow White most often refers to him as "Prince Charming", as does Rumplestiltskin. Also in "Snow Falls", Prince Charming introduces himself as "James", which is the name he is referred to by several characters, including Cinderella and Red Riding Hood.

It is revealed in "The Shepherd" that "Prince James" is actually the name of Prince Charming's twin brother. Prince Charming makes a deal with King George, his brother's adoptive father. Prince Charming agrees to masquerade as Prince James and slay a dragon in exchange for the security of his family farm. However, this development means that Prince Charming's name is still unknown. He continues to use the name "James" even after overthrowing King George and assuming the throne.

Trivia

 * He is the first character introduced in the series.
 * His mother, Ruth, owns a farm; however, Rumplestiltskin made a deal with her to save their farm in exchange for a baby, Prince Charming's twin, James.
 * He attended Cinderella's wedding ball, and helped Prince Thomas and Grumpy imprison Rumplestiltskin.
 * It's highly likely the Dark Curse saved his life. He was stabbed just before the curse pulled him into the new world, allowing him to be taken to the hospital where he could be treated.
 * In Argentinian writer J. L. Borges', Theme of the Hero and the Traitor, the story has a character called James Nolan. In both Once Upon a Time and Theme of the Hero and the Traitor, mostly everyone believe he is a hero, but only one person knows he isn't. (In Once Upon a Time's case, King George, and also King George's counterpart, Albert Spencer)
 * It is mentioned several times that he wanted a son. When Snow White was pregnant, he mistakenly believed this and told Rumplestiltskin that the baby was a boy.  ("Pilot")
 * James means "Supplanter". A supplanter is someone who takes the place of another person, place or thing. This is fitting, as Prince Charming supplants his twin, James.
 * Prince Charming was married twice with Snow White, both times by a black man. First was Lancelot ("Lady of the Lake"), and then a black bishop.  ("Pilot")
 * His real name will be revealed in Season Two.