ONCE UPON A TIME Recap: “Firebird” Flies Out of the Underworld

The Truest of Loves

True love is the rarest and highest form of magic on Once Upon A Time. Without fail, true love has the power to cross realms, break any curse, and manifest itself in another as the strongest form of light magic. To name the love between couples as “true love” on the show is not something to be taken lightly. Killian Jones won Emma Swan’s heart without the use of trickery after he gave up his centuries old pursuit of revenge. In return, Emma has allowed him to bring down her armor, and love and be loved in a deep, profound way. This was quite a process, due to the years of protecting her heart from any kind of pain. It took an entire season for Emma to finally call what their relationship had become, love; once it’s said, there is a greater chance for it to slip away. Love is a choice, choosing to be vulnerable and open to another with the possibility of pain. Emma and Killian have actively chosen to love each other, and this love has grown and stayed true through realms, time, darkness, and even death. So this task that Hades gives the two requires their true love to be enough to find the ambrosia they seek. Killian has believed Emma to be his true love for a while, but Emma is initially unsure. However, it becomes crystal clear to her when Killian is trapped by flames and she has to choose between saving her heart or him. True love at its core is selfless. Emma chooses to save Killian over her own heart, and that action has confirmed what has been there all along between Killian Jones and Emma Swan: twue wove.

NEXT: Letting Go