List of Continuity Issues

The following is a list of Misinformed Facts that were given by the characters of ABC's Once Upon a Time and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.

What kind of quotes does this list include?

• This page lists any sort of misinformation or lie that is not addressed within the plot. This includes:
  • Things that are said to be one way but later shown to be different.
  • Mistakes made by the characters/writers that describe something that hasn't happened or that was different from how they're recalling it.
  • Intentional lies or mistakes made by characters, whether they knew they were giving false information or not, as long as they weren't addressed as such within the plot.
• This page does not list:
  • Lies and mistakes that have been addressed as such within the plot, such as Emma lying to Henry about his father being a fireman, Regina saying the curse isn't real, etc.
  • Impossible dialogues caused by timeline errors, such as a character saying one day is a Thursday when it's actually a Monday.
  • General inaccuracies regarding real life knowledge, such as Regina saying her apples are Honeycrisp when in reality they must be Red Delicious.
  • Prop goofs, such as Hook saying he got one of his rings after he lost his hand, but wearing this ring before that.

The Poisoned Apple

“	She poisoned an apple because she thought I was prettier than her. You have no idea of what she's capable.	”
Snow White to Prince Charming ("Pilot")

• It is revealed seventeen episodes later, in the eighteenth episode of the first season, that the Evil Queen's reason to curse Snow White was not because she thought she was prettier than her, but rather because her inability to keep Regina's engagement with Daniel Colter a secret led to Cora killing the latter.
• It is revealed in the novel "Regina Rising" that the Queen didn't poison the apple. It was already poisonous when she found it.
• It is revealed twenty-six episodes later, in the fifth episode of the second season, that Charming was aware of the real reason why the Queen had cursed Snow White.
• The nature of this misinformation remains unknown. It is possible that the writers hadn't planned the real reason by the time they were writing this episode.

The Willingness Factor of the Sleeping Curse

“	It wouldn't work, anyway. The choice is yours. It must be taken willingly.	”
The Evil Queen to Snow White ("An Apple Red as Blood")

• It is revealed fifty-nine episodes later, in the fourteenth episode of the fourth season, that the Sleeping Curse can be inflicted against the victim's will.
  • Aurora was forcefully cursed by Maleficent. ("Enter the Dragon")
  • Brennan Jones was forcefully cursed by his captors. ("Swan Song")
  • Dorothy Gale was forcefully cursed by Zelena. ("Ruby Slippers")
  • Mary Margaret and David's shared heart was cursed against their will by the Evil Queen. ("Heartless")
  • Other than that, all other known victims of the sleeping curse took it willingly.

The Creator of the Dark Curse

“	The Queen has created a powerful curse. And it's coming.	”
Rumplestiltskin to Snow White and Prince Charming ("Pilot")

• It was revealed one episode later, in the second episode of the first season, that it was Rumplestiltskin who created the Dark Curse.

“	From strands of your parents' hair, I made the most powerful potion in all the realm. So powerful, that, when I created the Dark Curse, I placed a single drop on the parchment. Just a little safety valve.	”
Mr. Gold to Emma ("A Land Without Magic")

• It is revealed one-hundred and eight episodes later, in the nineteenth episode of the sixth season, that it was the Black Fairy who created the Dark Curse.
• Oddly enough, Mr. Gold and Emma are in the pawnshop both when he first claims to have created the curse and when he claims the Black Fairy has. The misinformation, however, was not addressed by either of them.

Aurora's Sacrifice

“	Mulan: How did you end up here in your cursed state? Aurora: You're not the only one who knows about sacrifice.	”
Mulan and Aurora ("Broken")

• It is revealed fifty-seven episodes later, in the fourteenth episode of the fourth season, that Aurora was put under the sleeping curse against her own will and there was no element of "sacrifice".

The Man Cora Knew First

“	There was a man. Well, not quite a man. Someone Cora knew before I met her. He brought magic to her.	”
Valet to Regina ("We Are Both")

• It is revealed fourteen episodes later, in the sixteenth episode of the second season, that Cora met Rumplestiltskin after she met Henry.

Lancelot's Fate

“	He's dead. I killed him a long time ago.	”
Cora to Mary Margaret and Emma ("Lady of the Lake")

• It is revealed sixty-six episodes later, in the third episode of the fifth season that Lancelot is alive.
• When confronted by Mary Margaret, who admits to believing he was dead, Lancelot only says "That is a long story. But trust your eyes... it is me." The truthful version of these events remains unknown.

Dead is Dead

“	Magic can do much, but not that. Dead is dead.	”
Rumplestiltskin to Regina ("The Doctor")

• It is revealed on several occasions that there are different ways in which magic can bring back the dead:
  • Thirty-six episodes later, in the nineteenth episode of the third season, it is revealed that a person can be brought back to life by giving them half the heart of their True Love.
  • Thirty-nine episodes later, in the twenty-second episode of the third season, it is revealed that a person can be saved from their death by going back in time and bringing them to the future.
  • Eighty-two episodes later, in the twenty-first episode of the fifth season, it is revealed that a powerful god's magic can also bring back the dead.
  • One hundred and six episodes later, in the twenty-second episode of the sixth season, Emma Swan is revived by Henry Mills with true love's kiss by unknown means.
  • Other ways to bring back the dead have been revealed, but they have certain requirements that must be ensured while the person lives, such as:
    • The deceased having died in a place enchanted to keep them alive. ("The Evil Queen")
    • The deceased being the last Dark One, killed without passing the Darkness onto another person. ("Quiet Minds")
    • The deceased having died in an alternate reality which has not yet become permanent. ("Operation Mongoose Part 2")

Neal's First Stop

“	Short version is this world wasn't my first stop when I left home.	”
Neal Cassidy to Emma Swan ("The Queen Is Dead")

• It is revealed six episodes later, in the twenty-first episode of the second season, that Baelfire landed in the Land Without Magic first, then went to Neverland and back to the Land Without Magic again.

The Dagger's Possession

“	Ms. Swan, that dagger has not left my possession for centuries.	”
Mr. Gold to Emma ("The Queen Is Dead")

• It is revealed thirty-three episodes later, in the fourth episode of the fourth season, that Anna had been in possession of the dagger only two or three years before the Dark Curse.
• It had also been revealed eighteen episodes earlier, in the nineteenth episode of the first season, that August Booth had briefly taken possession of the dagger.

The Two Most Powerful

“	We're the two most powerful practitioners of magic who have ever lived.	”
Regina to Mr. Gold ("Ariel")

• It is revealed on many occasions that Regina is not among the two most powerful. Even her own sister, Zelena, is later revealed to be more powerful than her and their mother.

From Rich to Poor

“	Robin Hood: I ever tell you about how I met Marian? I stole her father's horse. [...] Will Scarlet: And that night, you woke to an arrow pointed at your head. Robin Hood: Her family, she said, poor farmers. [...] I didn't say a word as she rode off that night. And the next day, I returned to her cottage-- Will Scarlet: With two of your own horses as a gift to her family. From that day forward you never stole for yourself again. From that day forward, you only stole from the rich and gave to the poor.	”
Robin Hood and Will Scarlet ("The Snow Queen")

• It is revealed ten episodes later, in the seventeen episode of the fourth season, that Robin began to steal from the rich and give to the poor after he met Rumplestiltskin and his trip to Oz.

The Sorcerer and the Darkness

“	The sorcerer battled the darkness. He was able to keep it from consuming the realms. He tethered it to a human soul that could be controlled with a dagger.	”
The Apprentice ("Operation Mongoose Part 2")

• It is revealed seven episodes later, in the seventh episode of the fifth season, that Merlin tethered the Darkness to the dagger, rather than to the human soul, Nimue, who had welcomed the Darkness into her soul. The aforementioned battle was a mere verbal confrontation with Nimue to try and prevent her fall into Darkness which had nothing to do with it consuming all the realms, but rather her individual soul.

Zelena's Heart

“	My family may be troubled dearie, but we all know that a heart is a precious thing, and I cast a protection spell on mine eons ago.	”
Zelena to Hook ("The Dark Swan")

• It had been revealed twenty episodes earlier, in the third episode of the fourth season, that Regina had removed Zelena's heart while she was frozen under the guise of Marian.

The Evil Queen's Pages

“	Back during the first curse, I tore my story out of Henry's book so he wouldn't know I was the Evil Queen.	”
Regina Mills ("The Brothers Jones")

• It was revealed one-hundred and two episodes earlier, in the second episode of the first season, that Regina did nothing of the sort. What did happen is that Henry tore out Emma's story out of the book so Regina wouldn't know she was the Savior.
• Adam Horowitz addressed this via Twitter and said it was a mistake.

What Hades Enchanted

“	All you need to do is choose three of your friends to stay here. Carve their name. W-what's the problem? Is it the chisel?	”
Hades to Hook ("Devil's Due")

• It is revealed four episodes later, in the eighteenth episode of the fifth season, that Hades enchanted Hook's hand, not the chisel.

The Black Fairy as the Origin of All Darkness

“	Well that's just the thing, Miss Swan. The curse. That Dark Curse. It, and all of the darkness you've ever faced, was born out of one twisted soul. The Black Fairy. And unless we try and stop her, she is going to bring far worse.	”
Mr. Gold to Emma Swan ("Mother's Little Helper")

• It is revealed three episodes later, in the nineteenth episode of the sixth season, that the Black Fairy didn't turn dark until centuries after Darkness was born. Many of the dark things Emma had faced were therefore not born from Fiona, including but not limited to:
  • The Evil Queen, Cora and Zelena's dark magic.
  • Cruella's powers and other consequences from Isaac's writings.
  • Mr. Gold himself, Nimue and all of the other Dark Ones.
  • Hades and his dark Underworld threats.
• This can be explained as while the Black Fairy is not the origin of all Darkness, she is the catalyst for all the evil Emma faced in her life due to creating the Dark Curse, the casting of which by the Evil Queen led to Emma's life turning out as it did which included the threats she faced as a result.