We’ve seen in S1 and S3, when Emma and Regina each broke a curse with TL kiss with Henry, so in OUAT-verse, we have learned TL is not limited to romantic love.
My question on this though is you’re only meant to have one true love at any one time. So if Emma was able to TLK Henry in season 1 and now Regina has TLK him in season 3, does that mean TLK between Emma and Henry no longer works? Plus since TLK has to be a two-way thing, does that mean that Henry doesn’t truly love Emma any more or vice versa?
I think that’s why Adam and Eddy have ventured into the Soul Mate category, to bring a definite difference between the True Love.
True Love means “you can have more than one true love….like the entire CharMillsStilskin Family can be true love at the end of the series, because they are family. True Love can be either family, romantically, or just emotionally in general.
Soul Mates, however, means that there is only ONE person for you in life. Much like the myth that the soul is split in two…Daniel may have been Regina’s True Love, just as Marian maybe Robin’s….but Robin and Regina are Soul Mates, someone you were destined to be together, and fate will unite no matter what.
Milah may have been Rumple’s true love, but Belle maybe Rumple’s soul mate….someone he was destined to be with. Despite the obvious age difference, I think soul mate pays no mind to age. Fate at free will, will set off a chain of events that will lead you to your soul mate.
Though everyone may not find their soul mate, they may find their true love, and just settle with that. But the connection won’t be as deep as Soul Mate would probably be…yes….the love between Soul Mate and Romantic True Love may vary greatly…hence how Robin and Regina so quickly fell in love in SB…it was an instant connection. How could Regina trust a man who she only knew for three days with her heart…he was her soul mate Robin, instant trust and understanding! Even in the FTL…Robin and Regina had an instant connection because they could match each other word for word, and Robin was one of the only men to ever stand up to Regina, and live to tell the story. The Soul Mate connection was always strong.
True Love can be anybody….Soul Mate means there’s only one for you.
"If you go as far as you can see...you will then see enough to go even further." - Finn Balor