Once Upon a Time: Season 5
Once Upon a Time Season 5 continues the overarching saga across 23 episodes.
Season 5 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Picks up essential narrative continuity directly following the events of Once Upon a Time Season 4.
- Character alliances, factions, and personal loyalties undergo significant shifts under escalating stakes.
- Addresses unresolved cliffhangers and thematic mysteries introduced during previous seasons.
- Establishes the primary seasonal conflict that drives serialized character arcs toward the finale.
Season overview
Once Upon a Time Season 5 continues the overarching saga across 23 episodes.
Episode Guide
Season 5 Progress Shield
The Dark Swan
Sep 27, 2015
Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely
The Price
Oct 4, 2015
In an effort to protect Emma, Regina steps up in a surprising way that will test her mettle as a force for good. King Arthur and Queen Guinevere throw a royal ball to welcome the
Siege Perilous
Oct 11, 2015
In Camelot, the heroes feverishly work to free Merlin. Determined to help Emma, David embarks on a quest to retrieve a magical relic that Regina could use to communicate with the i
The Broken Kingdom
Oct 18, 2015
After receiving a cryptic warning from Lancelot about Arthur's intentions, Mary Margaret realizes Arthur may be the heroes' biggest threat, but when she is unable to convince David
Dreamcatcher
Oct 25, 2015
In Camelot, as Mary Margaret and David attempt to retrieve the Dark One dagger, Emma uses a Dreamcatcher to look into the past to see how Merlin was transformed into a tree. Togeth
The Bear and the Bow
Nov 1, 2015
In a Camelot flashback, a chance encounter with Merlin, David, Hook and Belle gives Merida new hope in her quest to save her brothers from the usurping clans of DunBroch. Unwilling
Nimue
Nov 8, 2015
In Camelot, Merlin spearheads a mission to reunite the dagger with Excalibur so he can use the weapon to save Emma from the darkness threatening her soul. With Zelena in tow, Hook,
Birth
Nov 15, 2015
Tensions in Camelot come to a head when Merlin, now under Arthur’s control, delivers an ultimatum to Emma: hand over the Dark One dagger and the Promethean spark or he will kill he
The Bear King
Nov 15, 2015
Zelena and Arthur journey to DunBroch on a mission to retrieve an enchanted relic that will provide the advantage they need to vanquish Emma and our heroes. Their path will cross w
Broken Heart
Nov 29, 2015
In a Camelot flashback, Hook becomes a Dark One and his lust for revenge against Rumplestiltskin is reignited. When Emma and Hook disagree about their best course of action, the fi
Swan Song
Dec 6, 2015
The dark siege of Storybrooke is underway as all of the resurrected Dark Ones target a living soul for sacrifice so that they can return to the realm of the living. With doom immin
Souls of the Departed
Mar 6, 2016
Emma, Regina, Mary Margaret, David, Robin, Henry and Gold arrive in the Underworld, on a mission to rescue Hook, only to discover that their search will be more difficult than they
Labor of Love
Mar 13, 2016
The heroes join forces with an old friend of Snow's to defeat an obstacle standing in the way of finding Hook. Meanwhile, Hook encounters challenges of his own.
Devil's Due
Mar 20, 2016
Hook's captivity takes a dark turn when Hades threatens to condemn him to the River of Lost Souls after Hook refuses to choose which three of his friends will have to remain in the
The Brothers Jones
Mar 27, 2016
In Underbrooke, Hook questions whether he is worthy of forgiveness after meeting his brother Liam. In the past, Liam makes a deal of his own to save himself and his brother... at t
Our Decay
Apr 3, 2016
Emma, Snow, David, Regina, Robin, Henry and Hook continue to search for a way to free everyone from the Underworld. At the mercy of Hades, Gold creates a portal to Storybrooke, whi
Her Handsome Hero
Apr 10, 2016
Belle turns to Rumplestiltskin with hope of finding a way to protect their child from Hades. However, they disagree over whether to use dark magic, as Belle forbids Rumplestiltskin
Ruby Slippers
Apr 17, 2016
In flashbacks, Ruby and Mulan find themselves in Oz, where they meet Dorothy. After the three witness Zelena’s return to Oz, they look for a way to defeat her once and for all. How
Sisters
Apr 24, 2016
Now that Hades and Zelena are reunited, Hades tells Zelena that he wants a future with her outside of the Underworld. All she needs to do is heal his heart with True Love’s Kiss so
Firebird
May 1, 2016
Hades turns to the heroes to ask for help with getting Zelena back from Rumplestiltskin and Peter Pan. In return, he offers to take all their names off their tombstones. However, w
Last Rites
May 8, 2016
Emma, David, Regina, Robin and Henry are finally back home in Storybrooke and reunited with Snow, but, unfortunately, they still have to contend with Hades, who continues to deceiv
Only You
May 15, 2016
Regina reels from the death of Robin Hood, and everyone tries to give her room to grieve, but when the heroes discover Gold has stolen Hades’ Olympian Crystal and tethered all of S
An Untold Story
May 15, 2016
With the possibility of magic being destroyed and the fate of Storybrooke hanging in the balance, it’s a race for Emma and Regina to track down Henry before Gold can find him first