Once Upon A Time: 10 Memes That Perfectly Sum Up Regina As A Character

Disenchanted is Disney’s latest live-action project that thrusts fairytale characters into the real world, leaving them to figure out how to function in both the world they once knew and the world they live in now. But this isn’t Disney’s first tale-twisting venture, Once Upon A Time explored this concept on ABC (Disney’s sister company) and built a fan base that is still dedicated to the show even though it went off the air in 2018.

A large part of the show’s popularity came from the dynamic characters that drove the story, like Regina, also known as the Evil Queen, with whom fans have a complicated relationship as they love to hate her but also find certain aspects of her personality endearing. This has led to fans making memes about the character that showcase her personality as both good and evil.

10/10 Love Lost

Instagram: universe.lana

Falling in love is dangerous in Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forrest, and no one knows this better than Regina. Every time Regina finds someone she loves, romantically or platonically, she has to let them go because it is best for them or will save their lives.

Related: 10 Hidden Gem TV Shows On Disney+ (For Adults)

This willingness to let love go has made her one of the bravest characters in Once Upon A Time but also one that viewers feel the most sympathy for as they see her hurt time and time again and how this hardens her character’s heart.

9/10 Soft On The Inside

Regina is showcased as a hardened villain for most of the show, but when she is called out for doing something incredibly evil, usually by Henry, she shows a softer side to herself. Regina’s naturally defensive personality can be summed up by her mantra, “I Always Felt There Were Two Kinds Of People: Wolves And Sheep.”

However, this doesn’t mean she doesn’t shed a tear every once in a while. Regina also uses her tears to her advantage, as she will act more demure when confronted by others to make them think she is weaker than she is so that they will underestimate her power. Even though she is strong, Regina cares deeply for the one she loves, so upsetting someone like Henry is particularly hard on her and will have her shed tears.

8/10 One Thing After Another

Regina has experienced many losses throughout her life, from her true love, which she found in Daniel, the stable hand at the castle, to her beloved father, that left her with no one to rely on but her mother, who is even eviler than Regina. Storybrooke was supposed to be a place where Regina would no longer lose the ones she loved, and once she found solace in Robin, it seemed she had finally found love again.

But Regina’s character is not meant to be without heartbreak, so Robin has to be taken from her. This meme shows that even when there is a glimmer of hope for Regina to be happy, something tragic will have to happen first.

7/10 A Good Mom

Instagram: ouat.meme

Despite never having a warm mother figure in her life, Regina proved to be an excellent mother to Henry, as he was always her main priority, and she would do anything to keep him safe. While fans felt frustrated with Regina for trying to keep Henry away from Emma, she acted in what she thought was his best interest, as she knew Henry being involved with Emma would put him in danger.

The curse would continue to affect everyone in town since she created the curse in the first place. Emma was a stranger to everyone in the town as well, and she had to make sure Emma wasn’t going to hurt Henry by leaving or not believing him.

6/10 Misplaced Blame

Cora was one of the nastiest villains on the show, and she was the true reason Daniel and Regina couldn’t be together, but that never stopped Regina from blaming Snow White for sharing her secret. While fans saw Cora as the true villain, Regina’s character tended to turn everything on Snow White even before the curse came about.

Regina’s inability to place full blame on her mother spoke to how much her character wanted to believe Cora was working in her best interest and yearned to have a good relationship with her so that they could rule and thrive together. This mindset would continue to cause problems for Regina.

5/10 Only Emma

While they spend a good deal of the show at odds with one another, Emma has a special place in Regina’s heart, not only because she is her step-granddaughter but because she is the only reason Regina has Henry in her life. Regardless of their past, Regina will comfort Emma or accept comfort from her because she knows how she is feeling in the direst situations.

While she may not want her to break the curse in the first season, Regina eventually sees Emma as an ally. Their unique relationship became the most popular Once Upon A Time ship on AO3 because of the love Regina is reluctant to share and the complexities of their relationship that fans love exploring.

4/10 Snow and David

Instagram: ouat_memer

Regina may be one of the most powerful villains in the show, but she is not alone in her season one goal of keeping Snow White/Mary Margaret and Prince Charming/David apart. Snow and Charming make a powerful team that could overpower many of the show’s villains, but Regina is stubborn and unwilling to let that happen.

Related: 15 Differences Between Rapunzel Tremaine & Her Fairy Tale Counterparts

The fact that she created a curse specifically meant to keep them apart shows how intense her resolve is and how far she is willing to go to achieve any goal she has, even if it means uprooting the lives of the people she is supposed to serve as Queen.

3/10 A Hero?

Even though she is the most prominent villain in the show, Regina is usually the only one who can save Storybrooke and everyone in it from other villains who come into town.

This is an interesting juxtaposition, considering that when Regina has something bad done to her, no one comes to her aid until much later on, whereas Regina is quick to spring into action and help the townspeople. Her actions speak to her potential to be a hero, but her jaded past has left her with reservations as to who she can trust.

2/10 Unique Communication

Regina doesn’t need the latest technological advancements to effectively communicate with the people she wants to control since she can talk to their hearts and get her way. This meme shows that even in Storybrooke, where everything is different, Regina’s power remains the same, which is integral to her character and how she developed over the show’s seven seasons.

Related: Best Musical Numbers in Once Upon A TimeHer willingness to control people by their hearts shows how cold and calculating Regina could be, even when it seemed she had turned over a new leaf for the sake of her son.

1/10 Happily Ever After?

Even though some things from Once Upon A Time didn’t age well, Regina’s relationship with fans stood the test of time. This meme perfectly showcases her character’s arc as she went from an evil villain to a sympathetic anti-hero who fans could relate to through their love of family and desire to protect their loved ones.

By the show’s end, fans wanted Regina to get her happy ending since all her evil-doing had been undone, but as the show stepped up in earlier seasons, Regina was meant to be a tragic character.

Next: Bailee Madison’s 10 Best TV Show Roles, According To IMDb