Rumplestiltskin Gold

Rumplestiltskin Gold is a main character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He is the current Dark One, and is a feared immortal magician who is over 300 years old and is notorious for making deals. Centuries ago, Rumplestiltskin wanted to protect his son Baelfire from going to the Ogres' War, so he stole the Dark One's dagger and became the Dark One. He became less and less human, even developing thick scaly grey skin which earned him the name "Crocodile" from his archenemy, Hook. After the Dark Curse - which he created - was unleashed, he maintained a more human appearance. He is portrayed by Robert Carlyle.

Season 1
When Regina Mills threatens the entire kingdom, a paranoid Snow White and David Nolan visit Rumplestiltskin in his cell, where they make a deal: Rumplestiltskin will provide information about Regina's threat, and in return Snow will tell Rumplestiltskin her baby's name. He tells the prince and princess about the Dark Curse, and in return Snow reveals the baby's name - Emma.

28 years later, Gold arrives at Granny's Bed and Breakfast to collect the rent, when he meets a woman who is new in town named Emma Swan. When Emma says her name, it triggers Gold's memories, so that he is no longer cursed. After Regina fails at attempting to frame Emma, Gold visits Regina and tells her that if Emma is a problem, she should have gone to him. He drops subtle hints that knows more than Regina thinks he does, but manages to avoid interrogation from Regina. It is later revealed that once pregnant teenager Ashley Boyd has her baby, then Gold is taking it away. He enlists help from Emma, but Emma confronts him when she finds out that he is after Ashley's baby. Instead, Emma and Mr. Gold replace the former deal with another: if Gold lets Ashley keep her baby, then Emma will owe him a favour. Rumplestiltskin is responsible for David Nolan gaining his cursed memories, and is seen in the woods with a shovel by Sheriff Graham. Graham asks what Gold is doing out in the woods, to which Gold replies that he is doing a spot of gardening.

Gold helps Emma become sheriff of Storybrooke after Graham's death, revealing that he planned every step that Emma took in order to be sheriff. Later, it is revealed that Rumplestiltskin was once in love with a girl named Belle, but he believes her to be dead due to being neglected by her father, Moe French and eventually committing suicide. After Moe breaks into Gold's house and steals many items - including a chipped teacup that had become chipped because Belle dropped it once - which angers Rumplestiltskin, because the teacup is precious to him. He manages to kidnap Moe and hold him at gunpoint, before beating him nearly to death with his cane. However, he is stopped by Emma and is placed under arrest. Whilst in a cell at the police station, he is visited by Regina who asks him one question; what his real name is. Reluctantly, he replies "Rumplestiltskin", confirming that he knows about his life before the curse. He manages to evade jail, due to a deal he made with Regina, in which he made it look like Mary Margaret Blanchard murdered Kathryn Nolan.

He also mistakens a new visitor to Storybrooke, August Booth, for his son Baelfire who he lost through a portal. After August tries to use the Dark One's dagger to control him, Rumplestiltskin realises that he is not Baelfire. After Henry is placed under a Sleeping Curse from a poisoned apple turnover, Rumplestiltskin convinces Emma and Regina that the only way to save him is with a bottle of true love potion hidden in the belly of a beast; the beast being a monstrous fire-breathing dragon. However, Gold betrays both of them and steals the potion. He returns to his pawnshop, where he is also visited by a cursed Belle, who was told by Jefferson to go and see Mr. Gold and tell him that Regina was the one who locked Belle away in a secret underground asylum. After a teary reunion with Belle as the curse breaks, he takes her to the wishing well where he drops the potion down the well, which summons a purple mist. Gold tells Belle, "Magic is coming".

Family
Status: Alive
 * Colin Gold (father)
 * Milah Gold (ex-wife)
 * Baelfire Gold (son)
 * Henry Mills (grandson)

Fairytale Information
Rumplestiltskin appears in the fairytale of the same name. He also takes the place of the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, and the ticking crocodile from Peter Pan.

Appearances

 * S1, E1: "Once Upon a Time..."
 * S1, E2: "The Thing You Love Most"
 * S1, E4: "The Price of Gold"
 * S1, E5: "That Still Small Voice"
 * S1, E6: "The Shepherd"
 * S1, E7: "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter"
 * S1, E8: "Desperate Souls"
 * S1, E9: "True North"
 * S1, E10: "7:15 A.M."
 * S1, E11: "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree"
 * S1, E12: "Skin Deep"
 * S1, E14: "Dreamy"
 * S1, E16: "Heart of Darkness"
 * S1, E17: "Hat Trick"
 * S1, E18: "The Stable Boy"
 * S1, E19: "The Return"
 * S1, E20: "The Stranger"
 * S1, E21: "An Apple Red as Blood"
 * S1, E22: "A Land Without Magic"