Hook

"A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets."

- Hook to Rumplestiltskin

Captain Killian Jones, better known as Hook, formerly known as the Dark One, and briefly known as Prince Charles, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts in the fourth episode of the second season. He is portrayed by starring cast member Colin O'Donoghue and guest star Oliver Bell. He is the main reality version of Hook.

Hook is based on a character of the same name from the play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Would Not Grow Up.

Trivia

 * -|Character Notes=

Etymology

 * Hook is one of very few Enchanted Forest characters to have a known surname.
 * The Hook family coat of arms contains three fleurs-de-lis. Three fleurs-de-lis are also on Hook's pirate necklace.
 * In the original story, the character is known as James Hook.

Character Notes

 * Hook is featured in the title card for "Devil's Due".
 * Has a tattoo with Milah's name on his right wrist. It shows the Dark One's Dagger going through a heart.
 * Along with Mary Margaret, Hook is the character who has been to the most different worlds throughout the series: seven (Fairy Tale Land, Neverland, Wonderland, Land Without Magic, Underworld, Mount Olympus and Land of Untold Stories).
 * Hook says that Peter Pan is the villain in Neverland, not he. J.M. Barrie's original draft of the play actually depicts Pan as the villain, kidnapping children from their beds. Captain Hook was only introduced later as a theatrical device to help stagehands change scenery.
 * When Killian is rallying his crew to take over the Jewel of the Realm and become pirates, he renames the ship Jolly Roger and says, "We'll sail under the crimson flag and give our enemies no quarter." During the Golden Age of Piracy, fighting under Jolly Roger, a black flag, meant that mercy would be given to all as long as they cooperated. Hoisting a red flag, on the other hand, signaled that "no quarter" would be given to any aboard if the ship's crew did not surrender without a fight; in other words, everyone aboard would be killed.
 * Hook is around two hundred years old by the time the second curse is broken.
 * In the Peter Pan novel, Captain Hook is described as a "boatswain to Blackbeard". This connection is alluded to in Isaac's storybook, where Hook works as a deckhand for Black Beard.
 * Hook understands Greek, which he learned in the Royal Navy. When he and Emma find the True Love Scale, he translates the Greek inscription with ease.


 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * The casting call describes him as, "A handsome, fearsome and confident pirate ship captain, Hook relishes every challenge and never backs down from a fight, whether the reward is power, riches or women. He possesses the meticulous style and old-school manners of a proper gentleman, but beneath that veneer lies a vindictive enemy who will not rest until all his enemies have been defeated… and humiliated."
 * The show creators originally wanted Hook to be part of the first season, but weren't able to because of a copyright issue. In the second season, they finally got to venture into Peter Pan mythology.
 * Actor Gil McKinney, who portrays Prince Eric, once auditioned for the role of Hook.
 * Colin O'Donoghue's portrayal is inspired by Wesley the Dread Pirate Roberts from the movie The Princess Bride.
 * The show creators have stated that they look at Hook as their version of Han Solo from the Star Wars franchise.
 * Fittingly enough, Emma's alias in the Enchanted Forest is Princess Leia, Han Solo's love interest.
 * At one point there were talks about Hook having long hair and Colin O'Donoghue wearing a wig for the role, because pirates often have long hair in movies. Eventually, they gave up on that idea.
 * As the Dark One, Hook's magic smoke color is dark red, which is a reference to Disney's Captain Hook and the color of his clothes.


 * -|Cultural References=

Disney

 * When Hook first arrives in Storybrooke, Hook is shown from behind, standing on a yard while holding on to it with his left appendage, and looking at the town while the camera zooms in on him. The camera then zooms in on his face as his hair is blowing in the wind. Hook then grabs a rope that was next to the mast, hangs on to it and jumps to the deck below. This is exactly the same as Captain Jack Sparrow's introduction in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
 * While trapped in Isaac's book, Emma calls Hook a "regular Jack Sparrow".
 * In Neverland, Hook says to Baelfire, "It's a pirate's life for you", which references the song "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
 * While in Neverland, Emma notes Captain Hook's appearance in the animated film Peter Pan as sporting a "waxed mustache and a perm".
 * In "The Apprentice", Emma says to Hook, "You look...", and Hook answers, "I know". This is a reference to the scene in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back where Princess Leia tells Han Solo that she loves him, and he answers, "I know". In "The Price", the lines are reversed, with Hook saying, "Swan, you look...", and she answers, "I know", mirroring the scene in Return of the Jedi, where Han Solo tells Leia that he loves her, and Leia answers, "I know".
 * When Henry and Hook rescue Emma from prison, Henry refers to this as the "Wookiee prisoner transfer" ploy. This is a reference to the scene from A New Hope, where Han Solo and Luke Skywalker enter the Death Star's detention area to rescue Princess Leia. Hook tells the guard his prisoner is "from the kingdom of Kashyyyk", referencing the Wookiee home planet from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
 * In addition, Hook makes a reference to Henry's "Wookiee prisoner gag" in "The Dark Swan" and "Dark Waters".

Lost

 * There are close-ups of Hook's eyes as he studies a potion bottle in Regina's vault. This is a common theme on Lost.

Popular Culture

 * Hook's line to Emma, "As you wish", is a direct reference to the movie The Princess Bride, in which Westley the Dread Pirate Roberts says to Princess Buttercup, "As you wish", which actually means "I love you".
 * After going back in time, Hook's alias in the Enchanted Forest is Prince Charles; a reference to the current Prince of Wales, who is currently first in line for the British throne.


 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * After Rumplestiltskin takes Hook's sword in "The Crocodile", Hook begins using Milah's sword. This can be seen in episodes like "Queen of Hearts", "Lost Girl" and "The Jolly Roger".
 * There are three versions of Killian's hook. One is solid metal, and is sharp and heavy. One is aluminium and is a bit lighter. The third one is made of rubber, and is used for stunts or when there's any danger of cutting someone.
 * Among the sailing gear pictured on the cover on the nautical guide book which Belle consults, two are iron hooks.

Set Dressing

 * There is a navy officer doll and a knight doll near the baby crib in Emma's nursery room, foreshadowing events in "Good Form" and "The Jolly Roger".
 * There is a heart-shaped pirate keychain next to the swan keychain that Neal steals for Emma.
 * One of the carousels in the amusement park, which young Emma visits with her foster mother, has pirate flags.
 * A framed illustration of a hook is hanging on the wall inside the captains quarters aboard Captain Silver's ship.

Costume Notes

 * Hook's wardrobe is inspired by the electronic band Depeche Mode.
 * His pirate coat weighs a staggering fifty pounds.
 * Hook's pirate necklace was designed by the Vancouver-based jewelry designer Bloodline Design.
 * During the filming of Season Two, Hook's earring had to be changed from a clear stone to a black stone because the other one broke. The new one first appears in "Manhattan".
 * In the close-up of Hook's hand as he clutches the magic bean aboard the Jolly Roger, the ring on his index finger has a heart design on the side with an engraving of a silhouette of a swan's head. This is a reference to Emma Swan, and a subtle foreshadowing of the events in "There's No Place Like Home".
 * Hook's new leather jacket, which is introduced in Season Four, is custom made by the Vancouver-based company Oceandrive Leather, which also designed several of Emma's leather jackets.
 * When Hook changes into his new Dark One outfit in the Enchanted Forest, the clasps on his vest are dragon-shaped, with their tails forming a trinity knot.
 * Young Killian's nightshirt is the same one worn by young John Darling in "Second Star to the Right".


 * -|Other Notes=

Other Notes

 * In the Peter Pan novel, Captain Hook is described as "the only man of whom Barbecue was afraid". Barbecue is the nickname of Long John Silver in the novel Treasure Island.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.