The beauty of fairy tales often stems from the comfort of its familiarity. The princess finds her prince, the villains are defeated, and everyone lives happily ever after. But Once Upon a Time built its legacy on breaking the mold. For seven full seasons, the show thrived on blindsiding its audience by twisting beloved characters into unexpected roles and weaving shocking revelations into its sprawling narratives.

And while some of the surprises were a little goofy and campy, there were some that fundamentally changed the show—twists that deepened character arcs and added emotional weight to its ever magical world. So, between the devastating betrayals and the many, many massive family reveals, these are the stand-out moments when Once Upon a Time proved that no tale is ever set i

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