Once Upon a Time characters ranked

By Megan Riedlinger 12:20am PST, Mar 2, 2017

"Once Upon a Time" is back! The beloved ABC series returns to television on March 5, 2017, to air the second half of Season 6, and we're ranking our favorite characters! Keep reading to see where your faves ended up on our list!

20. Cora

Does the Queen of Hearts even have a heart?! Cora was brought to life by Barbara Hershey, who played the cruel woman who sought out magic. Her relentless desire to control her daughter seemed to drive all of her devious behavior, but she still makes the list because we know deep down she really did want the best for Regina… up until her death at the hand of Snow White.

19. Elsa

"Frozen" was such a megahit, it was only a matter of time before Elsa hit "Once Upon a Time." Georgina Haig joined the cast in 2014 as the Ice Queen, and stayed from the end of Season 3 through Season 4. We were sad to see the "Frozen" characters go, but it was time for them to head back to Arendelle, so we understood.

18. Merlin

Oh, Merlin, we hardly knew thee! Elliot Knight brought Merlin to life on Season 5 of "Once Upon a Time." And though he didn't last long, he certainly provided some wizard-y eye candy during his six-episode stint.

17. August Booth/Pinocchio

Eion Bailey played August W. Booth, also known as Pinocchio, on "Once Upon a Time," beginning in the first season. He has continued to grace the show with his presence off and on, and we adored him because he was instrumental in getting Emma Swan to believe in fairy tales.

16. Aladdin

Aladdin just needed his Jasmine! Deniz Akdeniz took on the role of everyone's favorite street rat on "Once Upon a Time," playing the thief who actually was meant to free his land, Agrabah. But that overwhelming task proved too much, and Aladdin retired to Storybrooke to lay low. Fortunately for Agrabah, Princess Jasmine found Aladdin in Storybrooke and reminded him of his destiny, convincing him to return to his hometown and save his people.

15. Belle

Why is one of the main characters this far back in our list, you might ask? While we loved watching Emilie de Ravin's Belle fall for her master and see beyond looks, we haven't been as riveted by the rest of her storyline. Usually the brains behind every operation, her strange relationship with Rumplestiltskin isn't exactly rivaling "Captain Swan" (the best couple on the show in our opinion). She does get points, however, for making sure the darkest Storybrooke residents travel the road to redemption.

14. Jefferson/The Mad Hatter

Jefferson, aka the Mad Hatter, is portrayed by Sebastian Stan. We originally pegged him as a bad guy, especially after that whole kidnapping-of-Emma-and-Mary Margaret plot, but like many people in Storybrooke, he was just misunderstood. He really held them at gunpoint to try to find his daughter, obviously!

13. Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin

Rumplestiltskin, otherwise knows as Mr. Gold, might as well be called the mastermind behind everything. Played by Robert Carlyle, he simultaneously has a hand in all the craziness of Storybrooke while maintaining an off-and-on relationship with Belle. We both love and hate him, since he has a tendency to be good, while also being evil and power-hungry.

12. Zelena

Try to keep up with this family tree! Regina's half-sister Zelena, played by Rebecca Mader, is the wicked witch. There's also that part where she impersonated Robin Hood's wife Marion to spite her sister Regina, and ended up pregnant with his child.

11. Robin Hood

Robin Hood clearly gets a spot on this list. Played by Sean Maguire, he was meant to be Regina's one true love after Tinkerbell cast a spell. Eventually, many moons later, they fell in love, only for him to be killed off. But is that the end of their love story? You never know in Storybrooke…

10. Henry Mills

We've watched Jared S. Gilmore grow up before our very eyes as Henry Mills. Throughout the first season, we learned that Regina's adopted son is actually Emma Swan's biological one and that he's the driving force that brought Emma to Storybrooke. We love him for his undying love and belief in fairy tales — and we're slightly jealous his life is entangled with so many fascinating, amazing ones.

9. Mulan

Mulan was played perfectly by Jamie Chung. We loved seeing the warrior on the small screen, and were into her storyline alongside Prince Phillip. The two teamed up to awaken Phillip's love, Aurora, but once Phillip's soul was taken, it left Mulan responsible to watch over the princess.

8. Ruby/Little Red Riding Hood

Meghan Ory brought Ruby, aka Little Red Riding Hood, to life on "Once Upon a Time" and gave the show an updated twist. It turned out Ruby was actually in love with Dorothy Gale of "Wizard of Oz" fame. We were a little confused at the way she disappeared without much of an explanation, but fortunately she came back and had her storyline tied up. Ruby and Dorothy forever!

7. Dr. Hopper

We're not going to lie, Dr. Hopper got ranked higher mainly because we're obsessed with his dog — Pongo the Dalmatian. But Dr. Archie, portrayed by Raphael Sbarge, is also a pretty helpful Storybrooke resident, serving as the town shrink. Unfortunately for him, he has a tendency to get kidnapped or have his death faked.

6. Evil Queen/Regina

Queen Regina, best known as the Evil Queen, landed a high ranking because we just love to hate her. Portrayed by Lana Parrilla, the Evil Queen is the quintessential fairy tale antagonist who makes it her life's mission to demolish happy endings — specifically Snow White's — which leads her to set the curse that traps everyone in Storybrooke. But once Emma Swan comes to town, things start to change. Once her old spell is broken, Regina is on a new quest — to reconnect with her adopted son and change from bad guy to good.

5. Sheriff Graham/The Huntsman

Alright, so he may have only been a fixture on Season 1 (with a couple of cameos here and there) before he headed off to… "greyer" pastures, but Jamie Dornan plus "Once Upon a Time" equaled magic. The potential love interest of Emma, who was also Regina's hypnotized side piece, was one of our favorite Storybrooke residents. We're crossing our fingers he returns to his roots eventually, maybe after he's done playing in the red room as Christian Grey.

4. David/Prince Charming

We prefer to refer to this one as Prince Charming, but Josh Dallas' character also goes by David on the show. His father, the king, wasn't amused when he fell in love with Snow White — but true love can't be stopped, even by royalty. The two fell in love, had a child — who ended up being the one and only Emma Swan. Unfortunately, there was this pesky little spell that separated the happy family, leading him to spend 28 years in a coma.

3. Mary Margaret/Snow White

Who's the fairest of them all? Ginnifer Goodwin of course! The star has played Snow White, also known as Mary Margaret, since the start of "OUAT." Her relationship with Prince Charming is one of the show's sweetest storylines, and life actually imitated art with that one — she's happily married to Josh Dallas in real life.

2. Emma Swan

Emma Swan, played by Jennifer Morrison, is quite literally the savior of ABC's "Once Upon a Time." Despite being born into a fairy tale, her early life was anything but easy. Emma has no idea she's Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter until much later, after a little boy showed up on her doorstep to take her to Storybrooke. Since then, her life has been a roller coaster as she's gotten tangled up in various fairy tales. Fortunately, she might have found her own version of happily ever after in Captain Killian… better known as Hook.

1. Captain Killian/Hook

Colin O'Donoghue's Captain Killian Jones — aka Hook — is the only man on television who can pull off rocking guyliner and a hook. This fan favorite is half of a couple so popular it has its own name in the fandom, "Captain Swan," and inspired a song by Christina Perri called "The Words" (and a music video starring Colin himself). We're #blessed that he's been entertaining us with smirks and innuendo since 2012.