Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
After Emma takes the Darkness to save her friends, the group reaches Camelot seeking Merlin’s help. Their memories are later erased, and Emma returns to Storybrooke pursuing Excalibur while Regina takes the Savior’s place. Flashbacks reveal that Emma made Hook a Dark One to save his life. He embraces the darkness and brings back the former Dark Ones, threatening the people Emma loves. Hook ultimately chooses to sacrifice himself, asking Emma to kill him with Excalibur. She does, but Rumple secretly uses the sword to channel the Dark One powers into himself. Emma discovers his betrayal and demands passage to the Underworld to rescue Hook.
Hades rules the Underworld and manipulates Rumple through a bargain involving his unborn child. Hook helps expose Hades’ weakness, even after Emma must leave him behind. Back in Storybrooke, Robin dies shielding Regina from Hades’ Olympian crystal. Zelena realizes Hades deceived her and kills him with the weapon. Zeus rewards Hook’s help by returning him to Emma. Later, Zelena’s malfunctioning portal strands several heroes in the Land of Untold Stories. Henry, desperate to end magic’s harm, uses a Grail to destroy the magic that could bring them home, then restores it through the belief of people in New York. Rumple bargains with Hyde for a way to wake Belle, bringing a new enemy to Storybrooke. Regina separates the Evil Queen from herself, but her dark counterpart survives.