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[wanttobeahero]

Character Background:
Henry Mills is the biological son of Emma Swan (daughter of Snow White & Prince Charming) and Neal Cassidy (son of the Dark One), and the adopted son of Regina Mills (former Evil Queen). Henry was born in a prison in Arizona to Emma Swan, who gave him up for adoption to give him his best chance, and he was later adopted in Boston by Regina Mills when he was only a few months old.

Around the age of ten, Henry was given a storybook by his teacher, Mary Margaret Blanchard. It was then that he began to realize the stories in the book were actually quite real, and that his adoptive mother was the Evil Queen. He began to rebel against Regina, and stole Mary Margaret's credit card to go to Boston and find his birth mother, Emma. Though skeptical, she acquiesced and not only took Henry back to Storybrooke, but stayed with him, feeling that she needed to protect him from Regina. The dark curse was eventually broken with true love's kiss - from Emma to Henry - after Henry ate a poisoned apple turnover Regina had baked, intending to give it to Emma.

Not long after that, Rumpelstiltskin collected on a debt Emma owed him, making her take him to New York to find his son. As it turned out, his son was actually Henry's father, whom Henry had presumed to be dead (based on what Emma had told him). The group of them returned to Storybrooke, and another threat arose, with Tamara (Neal's fiance) and Greg Mendell kidnapping Henry (after the town was nearly destroyed, though those plans had been foiled) and took him to Neverland, where he was held captive by Peter Pan.

Henry was led to believe that sacrificing his heart would save magic in Neverland, and thus, save everyone, but it was a trick from Pan, so unfortunately, Henry was dying until his mothers saved him. Once they all returned to Storybrooke, Pan swapped bodies with Henry and attempted to cast his own dark curse until he was again defeated. The price to be paid in defeating him, though, was that Regina had to undo her curse, giving up the thing she loved most: Henry. So, Henry and Emma were given a new set of memories and effectively a new life, living in New York.

Captain Hook came to get Emma in New York a year later, and took her back to Storybrooke to save her family. While Emma's memories were returned, Henry spent much of the time blissfully unaware of magic and what was going on while everyone worked to defeat the Wicked Witch, Zelena. Once Henry's memories were returned, he was eager to help, and so thankful to have his family back.


Character Personality:
Henry is a thoughtful, brave, kind young boy filled with hope and a firm belief in always doing what's right. Despite the terrible things he's seen and been through, he manages to maintain an unwavering feeling of hope, something which he's clearly inherited from his grandmother, Snow White. He's also similar to Snow White in the way he regards his adoptive mother, Regina Mills; they haven't always had the easiest or closest relationship since Emma Swan arrived in town, but when Henry sees that she's making an effort to be good, he believes in her when no one else will, and in Season 3, even tells her that she's a hero now.

Henry has a fearless personality, which is seen in the way he runs away to Boston at age ten to find his birth mother, just believing that things would turn out the way they should. He's also patient and kind, knowing Emma needs time to open up to him, telling her she's not ready to hear his name for her (mother), but seemingly alright with that, willing to let her open up on her own terms. It's enough to him that she stays, and that she wants to know him, and eventually, the two form a close bond.

Though forgiving, Henry doesn't tolerate lies very well at all, which is seen in the way he gives Emma the cold shoulder after discovering she'd lied to him about his father being dead. He does forgive her eventually, and doesn't seem to hold grudges at all. Once he sees that Regina is truly changing, he's simply eager to help her, to have a good, loving relationship with her, rather than refusing to move past the things she did to him in the past.

He loves to read about heroes in books and comic books, and is eager to be one. He's brave and loyal, which is why he sacrifices his heart in Neverland. He wants to help everyone, wants to be the one doing the saving, and he trusts easily, which is why he was so easily misled by Pan. He tries to just see the good in people.

He can be a bit sassy and likes to joke sometimes, which he likely inherited from Regina. But he's a genuinely kind, thoughtful, and curious boy who's simply eager to make friends and help others.