Fairytales are reimagined in Once Upon a Time, and the line between fiction and reality is blurred. When Henry shows up at Emma's door in New York and reveals that he's her son, it sets off a chain reaction. Emma discovers that magic does exist, and she's the only one who can bring it back to Storybrooke.
One of the most popular elements of fairy tales is "true loves kiss," a kiss shared between two people love who love each other selflessly, and it can break even the strongest curse. True love is considered the most powerful magic of all, and it's rare to come by. But love stories were woven all throughout Once Upon a Time, and their onscreen lip-locks were, indeed, magical.
Red Wakes Up Dorothy
Viewers had been waiting for Ruby to find true love all throughout the series. Mistakenly thinking her boyfriend was the werewolf, she chains Peter up so he won't be able to hurt anyone when night falls. But Ruby and Peter were wrong, and Ruby was the wolf all along. She slaughters the man she loves when she shifts, and she spends a long time struggling with her guilt.
But, finally, things take a turn for the better. When Ruby meets Dorothy, it's clear that there's something between them. She decides to go back for her, and when Ruby wakes her from a sleeping curse with true love's kiss, there's no doubt that they're meant to be.
Belle Turns Rumpelstiltskin Back Into A Man
Belle and Rumple's story is a complicated one, and there are plenty of times in which it feels like Rumple will never become a changed man. But back in the Magic Forest, Rumple takes Belle from her home in exchange for helping her kingdom. Rumpelstiltskin had let darkness completely overtake him, and Hook called him "the crocodile" because of his scaly skin.
Belle saw the man beneath the beast, and a more human side of the Dark One began to come out. Being around Rumple was always a risk, as he threatened to kill Belle plenty of times before, but Belle kisses him despite everything. They turn out to be each other's true loves, and her kiss begins to turn Rumple back into a man. He sends her away, believing it's a trick, but the kiss was proof that Belle loved Rumple for who he was.
Hook Gives Up His Ship For Emma
Hook fell in love with Emma during Once Upon a Time's third season, but because Hook was once her enemy, she didn't quite believe he was really a changed man. Yet loving Emma truly does make Hook a better person, and he starts putting his life on the line to keep her safe.
When Emma is sucked into a portal and transported to an unknown location, Hook jumps in after her. They end up on a wild adventure that involves time travel and a lot of near-death experiences. After they return home, Hook proves his devotion to Emma once again by revealing that he traded his most prized possession to save her in New York—the Jolly Roger. Their long-awaited kiss was a perfect way to end the season.
Charming Wakes Up Snow
It's fitting that the very first kiss in the series was between Prince Charming and Snow White. Viewers only have their knowledge of the classic fairy tale to go off of when Charming kisses Snow and wakes her up in the first few minutes of the pilot.
The more viewers learn about their story, the more they begin to understand just how monumental their kiss was. Snow and Charming are the epitome of true love, and their relationship is adored by everyone around them.
Robin Chooses Regina
Because of her villainous nature and murder sprees, Regina was, understandably, hard to get close to. But Robin sees past the walls she puts up and falls in love with Regina for who she is. Regina finally had the love she'd been looking for, but it's taken away when Emma brings Robin's wife back from the dead.
Regina is forced to let him go, despite still being in love with him. However, Robin eventually realizes that he can't stop loving Regina, so he decides to be selfish for once, and kisses Regina in the mausoleum.
Hook And Emma Get Married
Hook and Emma's love story is front and center in Once Upon a Time. Rather than following the structure of a traditional fairy tale, Hook and Swan start out as enemies, just like Snow and Charming. They fought against each other in the Magic Forest, and it took all of Season 2 for them to form some kind of mutual respect. The drastic turn their relationship took made it hit harder, and it was exciting to watch their evolution.
Hook and Emma's happy ending was well deserved, and they went from enemies who would kill each other, to a husband and wife that would die for each other. After all the pain and suffering they had both been through, the kiss they shared to commemorate their marriage was one of the most rewarding moments in the series.
Regina Becomes The Savior
A romantic partner isn't the only true love a person can have. Regina's love for her son was just as pure and selfless and it was her kiss that broke the curse cast over Storybrooke. Regina was a villain at the start of the show, and there's no denying that she didn't do what was best for Henry.
As she evolves as a person, Regina stops being selfish with Henry and puts his needs before her own. Even if she didn't treat him right, Henry was always who Regina loved most in the world. Everyone expected Emma to save the town once again, but Regina breaking the curse not only restored everyone's memories, but it showed how far she'd come.
Emma Returns Hook's Heart
Without a heart, feelings are, essentially, muffled in Once Upon a Time. Rumpelstiltskin stole Hook's heart and used it to control him, making him his puppet. Emma notices Hook acting strange, and once she kisses him, she feels that something's wrong.
Thankfully, they get Hook's heart back before Rumpelstiltskin can kill him, and Emma puts it back in his chest. The moment she does Hook grabs Emma and kisses her, not wasting a minute to act on all the love for her that was suppressed.
Snow And Charming Each Other
When Prince Charming told Snow White he would always find her, he meant it literally. While he first began searching for her because she robbed his carriage, he ended up falling in love with her during their adventure in the Magic Forest. They promise to always find each other no matter what, and even the Dark Curse didn't stand a chance against their love.
When Snow and Charming get their memories back, they immediately run to each other. Snow tells Charming he found her, and he asks, "Did you ever doubt I would?" The two end up sharing a kiss so heartwarming, their love radiated through the screen.
Emma Breaks The Curse
It was long prophesized that the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming was the only person who could break the curse that Regina place on the Magic Forest. Emma had no idea that magic existed, but once a boy shows up claiming to be her son, everything changes. Emma is a realist and doesn't buy into any of Henry's stories.
Henry eats a poison apple to prove magic is real, and while he accomplishes his goal, he's under a sleeping curse. Emma and Regina try everything they can to save him, but the doctors turn off the machines and tell them that they're too late. Emma kisses him goodbye, and the act of true love awakens Henry and breaks the curse placed on the town.