Changelings (Once Upon a Time)

Changelings in the ABC television series Once Upon a Time are children stolen by Rumplestiltskin to serve as indentured servants, primarily in his role as the Dark One. Rumplestiltskin often targets neglected or unwanted children, promising their parents relief from the burden of raising them.

The method of transformation typically involves Rumplestiltskin using his magic to replace the child with a doll or an inanimate object, concealing the child's true absence. The children are then transported to the Dark One's domain and forced to perform various menial tasks.

A defining characteristic of Changelings is their diminished capacity for emotion and free will. They are largely compliant to Rumplestiltskin's commands, though they retain some vestiges of their former selves. This reduced emotional capacity makes them less likely to rebel or attempt escape.

Rumplestiltskin uses Changelings to further his own goals and maintain his power. They are essentially a magically enslaved workforce.

The Changelings are not always condemned to permanent servitude. In some instances, they can be freed from Rumplestiltskin's control, often through acts of true love or other forms of potent magic. Their memories and emotions may gradually return following their liberation.

The concept of the Changeling draws upon folklore, specifically the traditional belief that fairies would steal human babies and replace them with a fairy child or a piece of wood bewitched to resemble the original infant. Once Upon a Time adapts this folklore, imbuing it with its own mythology and tying it directly to the character of Rumplestiltskin.