Gothel, however, is not pleased. She is determined not to lose the magical powers that gave her eternal youth, so she breaks into the castle late one night and finds the baby princess lying in her crib. She recites the old song and the baby's hair glows just as the flower had. Gothel attempts to cut just enough hair to keep but the clipped hair turns brown in her hands, void of its power. Desperate, Gothel resolves to kidnap the princess and flee with her deep into the forest. She takes the baby to a secret tower hidden in an alcove where she gives her the name Rapunzel and raises her as her own daughter. She teaches the girl to sing the old song to make her hair glow and restore Gothel's beauty and keeps her hidden from the world, telling her that it is for her own safety and that anyone on the outside wouldn't hesitate to steal her magic hair. The only access to the world Rapunzel has is a wide window from which Mother Gothel comes and goes, using Rapunzel's 70 foot long hair as a rope ladder. Despite playing the part as 'mother', Gothel often cruelly teases Rapunzel and guilt-trips her whenever she is upset or disappointed, dramatically proclaiming, "now I'm the bad guy". Reformed Criminal: By the end of the movie, Eugene turns his life around, stops thieving and goes legit. In the TV show, he's able to take his changed life a step further by eventually becoming the official Captain of the Royal Guard.

Karma Houdini: Justified. Since he helped Rapunzel return to her birth parents, he's pardoned from stealing the princess's tiara. However he's worried about some of his other past crimes, such as robbing the queen eight years ago (he thought she was a random noble), and tries to not get into any more trouble these days. In the movie, he confesses to Rapunzel that "Flynn Rider" is an alias taken from the series of adventure books he read as a child, and his real name is Eugene Fitzherbert. He correctly suspects that the supposed painter from "Fitzherbert P.I." is not whom he claims to be because he can speak Italian. Hypocritical Heartwarming: Insists he is the "only guy allowed to annoy Cass" and will leap to her defense if another man causes her misery. Not with Them for the Money: He falls in love with Rapunzel before finding out she's the lost princess. He clearly appreciates the benefits of being the princess' boyfriend, but he makes it clear that all he truly wants is to be with Rapunzel and to make her happy. (It still doesn't stop others from believing he's a Gold Digger though.) If he wants money, he prefers to get it from somewhere else; like from a treasure hunt or a legit job.Hot Consort: Through his marriage to Rapunzel, Eugene is currently Prince Consort of Corona. However, since his father is King Edmund, this means that Eugene could possibly end up as King of the Dark Kingdom, and therefore hold the title of King Consort of Corona. Do Not Call Me "Paul": After his Meaningful Rename, he insists that his name is Eugene. In the series, he corrects Stalyan who calls him "Flynn" and his father king Edmund who calls him "Horace". Love Redeems: His growing love for Rapunzel causes him to change his thieving ways and return to bearing his old name Eugene Fitzherbert. He also leaves his criminal past behind and goes fully legit in his life. Season Two: " Beyond the Corona Walls" • " The Return of Quaid" • " Goodbye and Goodwill" • " Forest of No Return" • " Freebird" • " Vigor the Visionary" • " Keeper of the Spire" • " King Pascal" • " There's Something About Hook Foot" • " Happiness Is..." • " Max and Eugene in Peril on the High Seas" • " Curses!" • " The Eye of Pincosta" • " Rapunzel and the Great Tree" • " The Brothers Hook" • " Rapunzel: Day One" • " Mirror, Mirror" • " You're Kidding Me!" • " Rapunzeltopia" • " Lost and Found" • " Destinies Collide" Killed to Uphold the Masquerade: Gothel stabs him and leaves him to die to keep Rapunzel's existence a secret.

Spanner in the Works: Flynn entering her tower to escape the guards with the stolen tiara is what leads Rapunzel to discovering her true identity. Achievements in Ignorance: Without trying to, he discovers the Kingdom of Corona's lost princess who the royal guards have been trying to find for the past 18 years.Official Couple: With Rapunzel. They become a couple towards the end of the movie and get married in the sequel short taking place several years later. The TV series takes place in between the two, with the two as a not-yet-engaged but still very serious couple. Foil: His interactions with Rapunzel make him this to Mother Gothel. Gothel is a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing who keeps the lost princess imprisoned into a tower by demolishing her self-confidence, Flynn is a Jerk with a Heart of Gold who encourages the girl to explore the world by building her will up. Gothel is obsessed by Rapunzel's magic powers to the point she cares more for the girl's hair than her adoptive daughter, while Eugene is openly freaked by magic and falls for Rapunzel in spite of this. Gothel had Mortality Phobia that led her to exploit an innocent girl, and Eugene bravely sacrificed himself for said innocent girl's sake.

Died in Your Arms Tonight: He dies in Rapunzel's arms, albeit temporarily, as he's revived moments later. As the years pass, Rapunzel ( Mandy Moore) becomes fascinated by an annual event that seems to happen only on her birthday. That night, every year, she witnesses thousands of floating lights in the sky, brighter than the stars and beautiful in all their colors. Unknown to her, it is the releasing of the paper lanterns that her biological parents are making in tradition of their daughter who they hope will return to them one day. Eighteen years later, Rapunzel is a creative young woman, finding numerous ways to keep herself entertained during the day while Mother Gothel is away, including painting, cleaning, brushing, and playing hide and seek with her pet chameleon Pascal. Though she is happy with her life in the tower, she longs to someday explore the outside world and see the place where the lanterns in the sky come from. Gold Digger: Subverted. He isn't with Rapunzel for her wealth or status, but fell for her before finding out who she really was. In the show, he's still initially seen as one by Cass, due to his unemployment and shady past. She comes to respect him more as he starts training the guards to better their technique at catching thieves. Because You Were Nice to Me: Eugene mentions Rapunzel is the first person to like his real self better than whom he pretends to be, which is why he falls in love with her. In the TV show, they use the "you're my dream" line as their special way to re-confirm their love for each other.In "Flynnposter", when the fake-Flynn Rider comments in awe about how they were supposed to save Rapunzel, Eugene proudly declares that Rapunzel is the one who normally does the saving. Heroic Sacrifice: He sacrifices his life for Rapunzel's freedom at the end. He is saved from his fatal wound though. The Captain: In "Flynnpostor", the Captain of the Guards passes his title to him due to not wanting to fight Cassandra, despite him being a former thief. The following two episodes have Eugene putting his new position to very good use. Nice Mean And In Between: Rapunzel (nice), Cassandra (mean), and Eugene (in-between). He's not a saint like Rapunzel, but Eugene is still consistently loyal and selfless.