Reply To: why didn't he kill him in his sleep?

I think Rumple wanted to confront Pan and make Pan afraid.  he wanted Pan to suffer for hurting him and rumple wanted to feel powerful to him himself and his father.  basically it is the same reason he made the solider kiss his boot before killing him.  Rumple is a coward but with his power he is not and can confront anyone who knows the truth about his cowardice.  It’s like Hook said in the Outsider, Rumple needs to show how strong he is to compensate for his true cowardly weak self.

i know lots of fans want to excuse Rumple’s behaviour in his early dark days as being part of the curse.  I see it as being the result of wanting to hurt to the villagers for his suffering.  it’s why he didn’t move to a castle initially and stayed in his village.  he wanted to terrorize everyone so that they were afraid and felt like cowards.  He wanted to also show them how powerful he was.  Basically, e wanted to project his feelings of cowardice on others, so he could feel powerful.  that is what he was doing with Pan.  like Bae, I don’t give Rumple a pass.

for me the only question is Rumple still a coward because of one non-cowardly act, I see that act as more unselfish than brave.  If he had run away an done nothing, he would have suffered more so I don’t find him that brave and he still used magic to kill his father, by using a magic dagger and his flying shadow.  I will give him that he was finally not selfish and was motivated by his desire to save Bae and Belle.