As of July 2026, Once Upon a Time Season 5 aired in 2015 with 23 episodes — streaming now on Disney Plus. Full episode guide and where to watch below.

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Once Upon a Time Season 5

2015 23 Episodes Drama · Sci-Fi & Fantasy ⭐ 7/10

Once Upon a Time Season 5 is currently streaming on and , and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. A single, tightly-focused season means there is plenty to get through without ever feeling padded. With 2,494 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Jennifer Morrison's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. Put it on tonight and see for yourself.

There is a reason Once Upon a Time Season 5 keeps coming up in conversation. Once Upon a Time Season 5 uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. Season 5 of Once Upon a Time includes 23 episodes. It aired from September 2015 to May 2016. This season stars Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla and Colin O'Donoghue. Jennifer Morrison and Lana Parrilla lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2015. What separates Once Upon a Time Season 5 from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Once Upon a Time Season 5 fits the bill. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single week. Jennifer Morrison anchors it with a performance that makes the more abstract moments feel personal. If you have been burned by ambitious sci-fi before, this is the exception.

📡 Where to Watch Once Upon a Time Season 5

🇦🇺 Australia

🇺🇸 United States

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇨🇦 Canada

🇳🇿 New Zealand

🎬 Once Upon a Time Season 5 — Episode Guide

Immediately after becoming the Dark One, Emma disappears and the heroes must band together to save her, but first they have to find her, which will require the help of an unlikely ally. Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Emma struggles to resist her dark urges as she searches for Merlin in the hope...

In an effort to protect Emma, Regina steps up in a surprising way that will test her mettle as a force for good. King Arthur and Queen Guinevere throw a royal ball to welcome the heroes to Camelot, but when the celebration takes a deadly turn, David and Robin must leap into action or lose a crucial...

In Camelot, the heroes feverishly work to free Merlin. Determined to help Emma, David embarks on a quest to retrieve a magical relic that Regina could use to communicate with the imprisoned sorcerer, but, when David leaves, Arthur insists on joining him because the dangers ahead are greater than he ...

The Broken Kingdom

After receiving a cryptic warning from Lancelot about Arthur's intentions, Mary Margaret realizes Arthur may be the heroes' biggest threat, but when she is unable to convince David of the danger, she takes matters into her own hands. Meanwhile, Hook's unwavering love for Emma provides a glimmer of h...

In Camelot, as Mary Margaret and David attempt to retrieve the Dark One dagger, Emma uses a Dreamcatcher to look into the past to see how Merlin was transformed into a tree. Together, Emma and Regina figure out the critical ingredient they must acquire to free Merlin, but it's a race against Arthur,...

The Bear and the Bow

In a Camelot flashback, a chance encounter with Merlin, David, Hook and Belle gives Merida new hope in her quest to save her brothers from the usurping clans of DunBroch. Unwilling to leave anything up to fate, Merida brings Belle along on a dangerous journey that culminates with an invaluable lesso...

In Camelot, Merlin spearheads a mission to reunite the dagger with Excalibur so he can use the weapon to save Emma from the darkness threatening her soul. With Zelena in tow, Hook, Mary Margaret, David, Regina and Robin steal into Arthur’s castle to take the broken sword from the maniacal king. Mean...

Tensions in Camelot come to a head when Merlin, now under Arthur’s control, delivers an ultimatum to Emma: hand over the Dark One dagger and the Promethean spark or he will kill her entire family. Refusing to give in, Emma and our heroes face off against Arthur, Merlin and Zelena in an epic battle o...

Zelena and Arthur journey to DunBroch on a mission to retrieve an enchanted relic that will provide the advantage they need to vanquish Emma and our heroes. Their path will cross with Merida’s, who is on a journey of her own to pay a debt that her father, King Fergus, owed to the Witch when he died....

In a Camelot flashback, Hook becomes a Dark One and his lust for revenge against Rumplestiltskin is reignited. When Emma and Hook disagree about their best course of action, the final pieces of the puzzle are revealed as events in Camelot catch up to the present and we witness a charged confrontatio...

The dark siege of Storybrooke is underway as all of the resurrected Dark Ones target a living soul for sacrifice so that they can return to the realm of the living. With doom imminent, Gold advises Mary Margaret, David and the rest of the heroes to spend their last fleeting moments enjoying the comp...

Souls of the Departed

Emma, Regina, Mary Margaret, David, Robin, Henry and Gold arrive in the Underworld, on a mission to rescue Hook, only to discover that their search will be more difficult than they had anticipated. The inhabitants of the Underworld — all souls with unfinished business and many with quite personal ve...

The heroes join forces with an old friend of Snow's to defeat an obstacle standing in the way of finding Hook. Meanwhile, Hook encounters challenges of his own.

Hook's captivity takes a dark turn when Hades threatens to condemn him to the River of Lost Souls after Hook refuses to choose which three of his friends will have to remain in the Underworld. Meanwhile, Gold is suddenly eager to help Emma, Snow, David, Regina, Robin and Henry find Hook so he can re...

The Brothers Jones

In Underbrooke, Hook questions whether he is worthy of forgiveness after meeting his brother Liam. In the past, Liam makes a deal of his own to save himself and his brother... at the cost of a ship's worth of men. Meanwhile, Henry meets the Apprentice and learns of his true power.

Emma, Snow, David, Regina, Robin, Henry and Hook continue to search for a way to free everyone from the Underworld. At the mercy of Hades, Gold creates a portal to Storybrooke, which transports Belle, Zelena and Baby Hood to the Underworld. While Zelena and Regina get into a sibling squabble, Belle ...

Her Handsome Hero

Belle turns to Rumplestiltskin with hope of finding a way to protect their child from Hades. However, they disagree over whether to use dark magic, as Belle forbids Rumplestiltskin from using his powers for evil. Meanwhile, Hades secretly meets with Gaston in the Underworld and encourages him to see...

In flashbacks, Ruby and Mulan find themselves in Oz, where they meet Dorothy. After the three witness Zelena’s return to Oz, they look for a way to defeat her once and for all. However, Dorothy mysteriously disappears, and Ruby’s search for her new friend lands her in the Underworld. Reunited with t...

Now that Hades and Zelena are reunited, Hades tells Zelena that he wants a future with her outside of the Underworld. All she needs to do is heal his heart with True Love’s Kiss so they can leave the Underworld and trap the heroes there for eternity. When Regina overhears of this plan, she enlists C...

Hades turns to the heroes to ask for help with getting Zelena back from Rumplestiltskin and Peter Pan. In return, he offers to take all their names off their tombstones. However, when Hook is still unable to leave, he and Emma must journey into the depths of the Underworld. Meanwhile, Cruella De Vil...

🎭 Cast of Once Upon a Time Season 5

Jennifer Morrison

Jennifer Morrison

Lana Parrilla

Regina Mills / Evil Queen

Colin O'Donoghue

Colin O'Donoghue

Robert Carlyle

Mr. Gold / Rumplestiltskin / Weaver

Josh Dallas

David Nolan / Prince Charming

Ginnifer Goodwin

Ginnifer Goodwin

Mary Margaret Blanchard / Snow White

Rebecca Mader

Zelena / Wicked Witch of the West

Emilie de Ravin

Emilie de Ravin

Jared Gilmore

Sean Maguire

📋 All Seasons of Once Upon a Time

Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 6 Season 7

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