There’s no question about who the best character on ABC’s Once Upon a Time is. It’s the Evil Queen, a.k.a. Regina Mills (Lana Parrilla). She’s not quite as evil these days, but thanks to a constant stream of flashbacks, we’re never far from seeing her wickedness in action. The trips back in time to the Enchanted Forest are a reminder of how far the character has come. She’s been through hardships, suffered loss, and been kicked in the shins over and over again, but she hasn’t stopped searching for her happiness and she’s managed to make a slow and believable transition from a villain to a mostly hero.

That’s not to say Regina’s as optimistic as someone like Snow White. She constantly walks the line, and she doesn’t brook any nonsense. No one delivers sarcastic zingers and sassy truths like Regina. These are seven of many times she was awesome:

1. When she got super protective of Emma.

Regina and Emma used to be enemies. They aren’t exactly best friends now, but they have come to be pals and Regina respects and recognizes Emma’s role in Henry’s life. It’s to the point where she’s willing to do all it takes to keep Emma safe, and she proved it with this line to Rumplestiltskin: “You made me a monster, but I won’t let you do the same to Emma.”
Gif via Pinterest

2. When she explained her elegant gowns with a sentence.

Regina’s Evil Queen wardrobe is nothing short of fabulous. The gowns are decadent, bedazzled, and stunning. She wears them with a regal air and always looks confident. How does she pull it off? This line basically covers it.
Gif via Tumblr

3. When she dropped a truth bomb on Belle.

The Evil Queen might be, well, evil, but she has standards. She’s a feminist, and no woman is getting pushed to the corner when she’s around–unless she’s doing the pushing. The scene where she encountered Belle and offered this advice is the best: “I would never suggest a young woman kiss a man who held her captive. What kind of message is that?”
Gif via Bustle

4. When she called Snow out on her naivete.

Once Upon a Time’s Snow White is hopeful to the point of being obnoxious. She often looks for the best in everyone and always wants to choose the most peaceful option even when it doesn’t make sense. It gets old, and Regina never hesitates to make fun of Snow’s idealism–I like that someone on the series is bold enough to do it. The moment pictured above was especially fantastic because rainbow kisses and unicorn stickers just don’t always do the trick.
Image via Pinterest

5. When she refused to back down.

Regina has spirit. Even when she was pushed into a corner and confronted about that whole cursing Storybrooke thing, she didn’t slink away and hide. She faced a mob and after Whale threatened to torture her and make her suffer, she threw it back in his face with these icy wordse: “Listening to you has been enough suffering for us all.” I aspire to be as calm and fearless as Regina.
Image via Kiss Them Goodbye

6. When she took back her castle from the Wicked Witch.

You know how the honey badger don’t care? Neither does Regina. She’ll jump into any situation and take charge. When her sister Zelena, a.k.a. the Wicked Witch, took her castle, she wasn’t scared to march in and take it back–despite the fact that Zelena had flying monkeys. Proof is in this line: “I don’t care if the Lollipop Guild is protecting her, I can lower that shield on my own.”
Image via ABC

7. When she schooled Emma about her happy ending.

Regina has been on a quest to find peace and happiness for the entire run of Once Upon a Time. At the end of Season 4, she recognized a point that so many stories don’t: happy endings shouldn’t be wrapped up in another person. Finding the right man or woman isn’t the answer to everything. Regina realizes love can be part of having a happy ending, but it’s not all there is. She explained that to Emma and also told Zelena, “Robin isn’t my happy ending. My happy ending is finally feeling at home in the world. Robin’s just a part of that world.” Of course, she also once said her happy ending looked like Snow’s head on a plate so…
Gif via Elena Bayiya

Tell me about your favorite Regina and Evil Queen moments in the comments.