Prince James

Prince James is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. Originally born to a family of shepherds, James was adopted by the evil King George in a deal with Rumplestiltskin. He is portrayed by Josh Dallas, and is based on Prince Edward from the novel The Prince and the Pauper.

History
As the son of King George, James was a cruel and arrogant prince who cared only for himself. At some point, the Prince engaged in relationship with a woman named Jack, to the chagrin of his father. Due to the bankruptcy of his kingdom, James and Jack pretended to befriend the giant Anton, only to betray him and rob his family of their treasure. However, after Jack was struck down by the giant Arlo, James selfishly turned his back on her and left her to die.

Some time later, James was struck down by the Behemoth, just days before a merger between his kingdom and King Midas's could be finalized. In the aftermath of his death, James was replaced by his brother David, who would later become the hero Prince Charming.

Alternate Universe
In Isaac Heller's alternate reality, James was the true love of Snow White, rather than his brother. In this reality, James's death was brought about due to Snow's stepdaughter Regina revealing a secret to the wrong person. In the aftermath of his death, the Queen took David's heart to compensate for the loss, but he was merely "a pale imitation of his brother."