Emma Swan

 Emma Swan is the main character and protagonist of Once Upon a Time. She is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming who was sent to the real world after the Evil Queen placed a terrible curse upon the Fairytale Land. She was a bail bondsman living in Boston until her son, Henry Mills, found her and brought her to Storybrooke to break the curse.

Emma Swan is portrayed by Jennifer Morrison.

Background
Emma Swan was born in Fairytale Land to Snow White and Prince Charming, moments before the Evil Queen was set to unleash a curse on the land. However, the inhabitants of Fairytale Land had come up with a plan to stop the curse when it had been enacted. Gepetto was to craft an enchanted wardrobe which would transport only one person to the real world, free of the curse. However Emma was born earlier and had to make the journey alone.

Secretly Gepetto had blackmailed the Blue Fairy to let his son, Pinocchio, travel to the real world with baby Emma to protect him from the curse's harm.

Pre-Storybrooke life
When Emma arrived in the real world Pinocchio brought her to an orphanage. Despite the promise he made that he would look after her, Pinocchio left baby Emma in the orphanage to go with other boys of same age. Emma was adopted when she was three years old but her foster parents later had a child of their own and sent her back.

Years later an 18 years old Emma steals a car and meets Cassidy Neal, a handsome thief and the two fall in love. However Pinocchio had resurfaced under the name of August and convinced Cassidy to leave Emma so that she could fullfil her destiny. Emma and Cassidy had arranged to meet after he had sold stolen watches but instead Emma was arrested. While in prison she discovered she was pregnant and later, when she was released, gave up Henry Mills for adoption.

Personality
Emma Swan is a deeply damaged woman, and a deeply conflicted woman. She is a survivor, and used to being a loner, and therefore a sucker for the underdog. Against her better judgement, she will compromise herself to fight for what is right and to help those in need. She is strong and aggressive, but her brokenness and her emotions are not buried far beneath her tough exterior. He first reaction to most things is anger, but she has spent her life trying to manage her temper. She is both rash and calculated, and is forced to deal with her instincts to protect her child, a child she believes she is not capable of mothering. In the simplest form, Emma is a list of contrasting qualities: She is hard and soft; she is intense and easy going; she is strong and vulnerable; she is safe and dangerous; she is logical and impulsive.

Powers and Abilities

 * Detective Skills: Emma has an eye for detail and is very skilled at detective work. She used this skill to work as a successful bail bondsman in Boston. She later used this when she was investigating the case of Kathryn's (supposed) murder.
 * Magic of True Love: As the result of True Love birth Emma is capable of using magic. This magic was always with her, even though she was living in a world without magic. However when Mr. Gold brought magic to our world her magical powers were greatly enhanced. Her practice of the magical arts grants various powers, of which are known:
 * Immunity to Heart Removal: In the universe of OUAT, witches and wizards are capable to use black magic to penetrate a person's chest and literally remove their hearts. While in possession of these hearts the witch is capable of controlling the person, which remains in a state of full health despite the removal of such a vital organ. Emma is however immune to this form of black magic and if a witch attempts to remove her heart they will be hit by an energy blast.
 * Lie Detection: the power to detect if a person is lying. Emma used this power subconsciously on Earth, possibly due to the lack of magic.