Dark One's Dagger

The Dark One's Dagger is a magical item featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the eighth episode of the first season.

Before the Curse
The Dark One's Dagger has a curse that grants innate arcane knowledge and immense magical power to whoever's name is inscribed on its blade; this person is known as the "Dark One." Unfortunately, a person who possesses the dagger can control the Dark One and his powers. At some point, the Duke gained possession of the dagger when it had Zoso's name inscribed on it, and he was able to control the Dark One for his bidding. He kept the dagger hidden in his home.

The curse passes from one Dark One to the next when someone uses the dagger to kill the person whose name is on the blade. Zoso, tiring of the many evil acts he was forced to commit and not wanting to be the Dark One anymore, tricks Rumplestiltskin into stealing the dagger from the Duke's home and using it to kill Zoso. When Zoso dies and Rumplestiltskin gains the powers of the Dark One, his name replaces Zoso's on the blade.

When Baelfire expresses concern for the way that the curse has changed his father, Rumplestiltskin pulls out the dagger, now bearing his name, and explains to his son that the only way to get rid of the curse is for someone to kill him with the dagger. Rumplestiltskin uses extreme caution in protecting the dagger lest he become enslaved to a master the way Zoso had or lest someone steal it and kill him so they can take his powers.

During the Curse

 * When the dark curse hits the Enchanted Forest, Rumplestiltskin brings the dagger with him into Storybrooke. Although the dagger loses its magic, it still has his name inscribed on it. As Mr. Gold, he keeps it in his possession in his store until Emma Swan comes to town. Then, he takes it out into his land in the forest and hides it in the ground for safekeeping.

August Booth tricks Mr. Gold into revealing the location of the dagger and digging it up. Believing August is Baelfire, Gold hands him the dagger. Once he's in possession of the dagger, August tries to use it to control Mr. Gold, to make him use his magic to save him. Mr. Gold realizes August is not Baelfire, because his son would never use the dagger against him, and because his son knew that the dagger would have no effect in a land without magic. Mr. Gold holds the dagger to August's throat, but decides not to kill him.

After the Curse
Mr. Gold uses it as a medium to use his Dark One's magic on the medallion and summon the wraith to go after Regina Mills to suck out her soul, giving her a fate worse than death.

While Mr. Gold is out of town searching for his son in New York City, Regina, Cora and Hook formulate a plan to find the dagger. Cora knows if they possess the dagger, Mr. Gold can be controlled to do whatever the person wants. Regina goes to the hospital and searches through an amnesiac Belle's bag to find a piece of paper with a number for a book in the library. They search through the shelves, but the book in question is missing from its place. Instead, a parchment with scribbles is found in the spot of the book. Hook believes it is a map leading to the dagger's hiding place. Cora takes the map for herself and Regina, and knocks Hook out. Once the dagger is in her possession, she plans to use it to force Mr. Gold to kill Mary Margaret, David and Emma so that Regina can finally have Henry to herself. Also, this will make Regina look blameless in Henry's eyes because she did not murder anyone.

Regina and Cora follow the map to a location in the forest behind Johanna's house, and the two wonder if the map is a trick by Mr. Gold. After overhearing their conversation, Mary Margaret goes to Mother Superior and the two try to track it down with magic. Mary Margaret suggests they make an exception and use dark magic. Emma calls from New York and Mr. Gold tells them the location of the dagger. They travel to the library attic and find the dagger hidden on the minute hand of the tower clock. Regina and Cora appear and ask for the dagger. They summon Johanna, and when Mary Margaret refuses to hand over the dagger, Regina rips out her heart. Regina begins to squeeze the heart to dust, but Mary Margaret cannot bear to watch Johanna die and drops the dagger to them. Johanna rushes into Mary Margaret's arm, but Cora sends Johanna crashing out the clock window; killing her. She and Regina disappear after their job is done. They regroup in Regina's office. Cora sits with the dagger on Regina's desk as the two talk.

While venturing the island of Neverland in search of Henry, who has been captured by Pan and the Lost Boys, Mr. Gold lights a bonfire and pulls out the dagger; standing in position so his shadow bounces onto a large boulder. Then, he slices away at the area surrounding both feet; allowing his shadow to move freely on its own. Handing over the dagger, Mr. Gold orders the item to be hidden in a place not even he himself will know where to find, which the shadowy figure swiftly follows through with.

Trivia

 * The importance of the knowing name on the dagger is a play on the original Rumpelstiltskin fairytale, when he made a deal with the miller's daughter to discover his name.
 * Its existence marks a great importance to Hook as the only mentioned method of killing Rumplestiltskin, whom Hook desperately seeks to kill to avenge Milah. It is quite possibly the weapon he heard rumors of when "liberating" Belle.
 * Cora refers to the dagger as a "Kris Dagger". A kris is a prized Indonesian weapon known for its distinctive, wavy blade. They are considered to be spiritual objects.
 * If the Dark One is killed without the use of the dagger, he or she will expel the powers of the Dark One into the air after death without anyone else being next in line as the next Dark One, therefore ending the curse.