I accept the creators' attempt to portray Rumple as a coward... but I don't like the examples they show.
First: Rumple cries all the time as a child. According to the creators, it's because he's a coward who's always afraid... but fuck! He's just a child! His father is always at the pub and his mother abandoned him. No wonder he's afraid.
Second: Rumple got maimed in the war and that's supposed to be a sign of cowardice. But someone on reddit wrote that Rumple maimed himself to be with his son. And I think the same thing. What's cowardly about a man wanting to see his child grow up? Do you know what I would give to have a father like Rumple? One who would be willing to maim himself just to protect me? If that's cowardice, then I guess I don't know the meaning of the word.
Third: When Rumple wasn't dark one and his wife ran off with Hook. Hook said he'd give her back to him if he fought him with swords. But Rumple never held a sword and Hook looked (and even was) experienced. So it was a pre-planned fight. He tried to at least beg Hook but he sent him to the barn saying he was a coward because he didn't fight for his wife.
And now please explain to me what kind of logic is it that I, as an experienced swordsman and captain, challenge a guy to a duel who has obviously only heard of swords but never held one and who is limping and can barely stand, and I, who am as agile as a doe, call him a coward after he refuses to fight me? Rumple refused to fight because he knew it was a lost battle. I don't think there's anything cowardly about that, it just happened to be smart. Hook was a coward when he challenged a man who could barely stand to a duel, and especially when he told David that he didn't beat up disabled people.
And may I also point out that this coward was willing to go beg for mercy for his wife? the woman who had been humiliating him all this time?
If he was really that big of a coward, he wouldn't have gone there at all.
And fourth: the Hordor thing. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about.
The creators tried to make us feel like Rumple was such a coward that he would kiss that idiot Hordor's shoe in front of his son. But you know what? Rumple is great in this scene. The guy humbled himself to protect his son. He was willing to give up his own dignity for him.
Okay. You don't have to agree with me. Feel free to write back and tell me I'm stupid, and that all of this is cowardice, and that I'm just giving him credit he doesn't deserve, but you know what? I'll stand my ground. As I wrote, I don't mind the creators' idea of making Rumple a coward. I mind the examples they showed us.