Robin Hood returns to Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time is back from its summer hiatus, and so is our favourite archer! We get a second, brief, introduction to him in the season 3 première "The Heart of the Truest Believer", a chance to let us become familiar with the new face (actor Sean Maguire) as they had to switch actors for the role (Tom Ellis from episode 2.19 not being available for an extended arc in season 3).


Neal's encounter with Robin shows the latter to be comfortable with a bow and honourable as he admits that he owes the Dark One (Rumplestiltskin) a debt (which Neal is willing to collect on his father's behalf). He is probably referring to the fact that Rumple "let him go" (i.e. didn't kill him) after stealing a magic wand from him to heal his wife Marian who was dying while pregnant (ep. 2.19 "Lacey"). Plus he seems to have a pretty good sense of humour.

Robin: "The first was a warning m'lady, chivalry and all that." (after shooting an arrow at them)

Mulan: "Who are you?"

Robin: "The name's Robin."

Neal: "No way! Robin Hood..."

Robin: "I'd bow, but this quiver is rather tight."

The story continues in episode 3.03, "Quite a Common Fairy", which for the characters involved is just moments after 3.01. We learn that Marian died leaving him a son, Roland, now 4 years old.

Neal: "Who's this?"
Robin: "Merry Men come in all sizes. This is my son, Roland."

Roland will turn out to be just what Neal was looking for, something that will help him get to dangerous Neverland where the rest of the series' main characters are (particularly his own son Henry and his "true love" Emma). Peter Pan's shadow can travel through the magical worlds in search of children who "believe". So Neal gets Robin to agree to use his son as bait for the Shadow (and thus settle his debt with Rumple). After Mulan and Robin fight off the Shadow,  it starts to fly away but Neal jumps out the window and latches on to it just in time to get his "ride" to Neverland!

We also briefly meet Robin's band of Merry Men, including Little John who is carrying -of course- a quarterstaff!

Via flash-backs we also learn of Robin's connection to another key player... In the flash-backs Tinkerbell used pixie dust to guide Regina (a.k.a. the Evil Queen) to her happy ending (another soul mate, her previous love had been killed by her mother). They found themselves at the window of a bar, looking in, and Tink pointed out "the man with the lion tattoo" and told Regina to let go of her anger (this was back when Regina was just starting to learn dark magic) and go meet him. But Regina was too afraid to let go of that anger and so she didn't. Tink later tells her it was a very selfish act because not only did she ruin her own life (and Tink's by not justifying her faith in Regina for whom she had stolen pixie dust to help), but also that of the man in question because it meant he hadn't found his soul mate either. At the very end, in the "present" timeline, as Mulan is accepted into the band of Merry Men ("You'd be the first woman, I hope that's no deterrent." "I've been in that position before"), we see a lion tattoo on Robin's right forearm... ;o)

Straight from Sherwood:

• Robin Hood
• Little John
• the Merry Men