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This article focuses on the second iteration of Gretel.
For the first iteration, see Gretel (True North).
For the story, see "Hansel and Gretel".


Candy gumdrops? Well, I guess you did learn something in that gingerbread house after all.

Drizella to Gretel src

Gretel is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. She débuts in the fifteenth episode of the seventh season and is portrayed by guest star Sara Canning and co-star Lily van der Griend.

Gretel is based on the character of the same name from the fairytale "Hansel and Gretel".

History

Before First Curse
In Oz, Gretel lives with her brother, Hansel, and her father, Ivo, a woodcutter. Their relationship is at first strained, but after Ivo gets into an accident that results in him losing his sight, they become much closer. Unfortunately, Hansel and Gretel are kidnapped by a witch who keeps them in cages in her gingerbread house, planning to eat them after fattening them up with sweets. The witch is attacked by Zelena, who wants no competition from other witches in Oz, but Gretel begs her to free her and Hansel, she refuses. Their captor then uses her magic to knock Zelena out of the cottage. Hansel and Gretel eventually escape and return home, discovering that Ivo has met and become close to Zelena, and they warn him about how wicked she is. When Zelena returns, having stolen the witch's sight and offers it in powder form to Ivo, the family refuses to welcome her despite her pleas for them to give her a second chance. Enraged, Zelena throws the powder into the fire. When Hansel threatens her with a knife, she then enchants the fire to surround his arms, burning him until Gretel extinguishes them with a blanket. This encounter traumatizes both Hansel and Gretel in different ways: Gretel swears to teach herself magic so she can better defend herself and never be so helpless ever again, while Hansel becomes mentally unhinged and changes his name to Jack. ("Chosen," "Sisterhood")

After Fourth Curse

In her quest for magic, Gretel ends up in the New Enchanted Forest and tries to join Gothel's Coven of the Eight alongside several other recruits, including Drizella. Gothel informs them that there are only two open slots in the coven and encourages them to be cutthroat towards their competition and not to get attached, causing Drizella to question the coven's supposed sisterhood, though Gothel shuts her down by informing her that sisterhood must be earned. She tasks the potential coven members to find the golden flowers hidden throughout the forest. As the witches split up, Gretel approaches Drizella. Although Drizella at first threatens her with a sharp stick, when Gretel reveals her intention to partner with Drizella, giving them an advantage, Drizella accepts. ("Sisterhood")

As Gretel and Drizella wander the forest in search of the flowers, they get to know each other and Gretel tells Drizella about Hansel. Drizella briefly mentions her own sister, but they are interrupted when they trigger a trap: a large log swinging towards them. Drizella blasts it away with magic, but a second log also approaches, which Gretel turns into gumdrops with her own magic. Drizella is impressed and they introduce themselves before continuing their trek. They reach a fork in the road and Gretel decides they should split up, encouraging Drizella that she will not betray her. However, once Gretel leaves, she is approached by Gothel, who arms her with a weapon and tells her to kill Drizella in order to get into the coven. Little does she know, Gothel has given the same speech to Drizella. When Gretel returns to the fork, she finds Drizella already there and asks if she found anything. Drizella almost pulls out her weapon but changes her mind and suggestes to Gretel that they shouldn't join the Coven of the Eight and should instead run away and work together to get what they want. Gretel pretends to eagerly agree and lies that she managed to find the golden flower, opening her bag and urging Drizella to come over and look at it. Realizing what's going on, Drizella refuses and puts her hand on her own weapon. Gretel then realizes Gothel spoke with Drizella and offered her the spot in the coven, too, then proceeds to attack her. Drizella refuses to harm Gretel and begs her to give up on the coven, but Gretel refuses, knocking Drizella's weapon into a nearby tree and pinning her to the ground. Before she can stab her, though, Drizella manages to magic her weapon out of the tree and into Gretel's back, killing her. As Drizella pushes Gretel's body off of herself, Gothel appears and welcomes her into the Coven of the Eight, congratulating her on completing her task, to which Drizella responds that she did not want to. ("Sisterhood")



Magical Abilities

  • Telekinesis - Ability to control the movement of the environment.
  • Transformation - Ability to magically transform an object into a different one.

Trivia

Other Notes

  • Once Upon a Time's portrayal of Gretel as a practitioner of witchcraft after the encounter with the witch, which indirectly leads to her downfall, is similar to her portrayal in the comic Fables, which is also about fairytale characters living in the modern world. Fables also contains version of Gretel's brother Hansel who is a hunter of witches, much like Once Upon a Time.

Appearances

References

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